Pennsylvania SB 885: An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in public safety, establishing the Reproductive Health Services Address Confidentiality Program; and imposing penalties.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 997
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 885
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, SCHWANK, SAVAL, L. WILLIAMS, HUGHES,
COLLETT, COMITTA, KEARNEY, SANTARSIERO, HAYWOOD AND COSTA,
JUNE 24, 2025
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 24, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in public safety, establishing the
Reproductive Health Services Address Confidentiality Program;
and imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Part III of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 56A
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES
ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY
Sec.
56A01. Scope of chapter.
56A02. Definitions.
56A03. Establishment and administration of program.
56A04. Eligibility to apply for program participation.
56A05. Application and certification process.
56A06. Cancellation, expiration and voluntary withdrawal of
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

certifications.
56A07. Acceptance of substitute addresses by State and local
government entities.
56A08. Disclosure of actual addresses.
56A09. Waiver process.
56A10. Emergency disclosure.
56A11. Penalties.
56A12. Civil immunity.
56A13. Guidelines and regulations.
§ 56A01. Scope of chapter.
This chapter relates to reproductive health services address
confidentiality.
§ 56A02. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Actual address." A residential address, school address or
work address of an individual.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Eligible person." A person specified under section 56A04
(relating to eligibility to apply for program participation).
"Law enforcement agency." A municipal police department, the
Pennsylvania State Police, a district attorney's office or the
Office of Attorney General.
"Program." The Reproductive Health Services Address
Confidentiality Program established under section 56A03
(relating to establishment and administration of program).
"Program participant." A person certified by the department
as eligible to participate in the program.
"Reproductive health service provider." A public or private
20250SB0885PN0997 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

hospital, clinic, center, medical school, medical training
institution, health care facility, physician's office,
infirmary, dispensary, ambulatory surgical treatment center or
other institution or location that provides reproductive health
services, including an employee, volunteer or contractor of the
provider of the reproductive health services.
"Reproductive health services." Medical, surgical,
counseling or referral services relating to the human
reproductive system, including services relating to pregnancy,
contraception or the termination of pregnancy.
"Substitute address." The official address of the department
or a confidential address designated by the department.
§ 56A03. Establishment and administration of program.
(a) Establishment.--The Reproductive Health Services Address
Confidentiality Program is established within the department.
Upon filing an application and certification by the department
under section 56A05 (relating to application and certification
process), a program participant shall receive a confidential
substitute address provided by the department, which shall
utilize a post office box number.
(b) Administration.--The department shall forward all of a
program participant's first class, registered and certified mail
to the program participant at no expense to the program
participant within three business days of receipt of the mail.
The department may arrange to receive and forward other classes
or kinds of the program participant's mail at the program
participant's expense.
(c) Notice.--Upon certification by the department under
section 56A05(b), the department shall provide a notice of
participation and the program participant's substitute address
20250SB0885PN0997 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

to appropriate officials involved in an ongoing civil or
criminal case in which the program participant is a victim,
witness, plaintiff or defendant.
(d) Records.--All records relating to an eligible person who
submits an application under section 56A05(a) or a program
participant shall be the property of the department. The
department shall keep the records confidential, including a
record relating to an application filed under section 56A05(a),
a program participant's actual address or a waiver process under
section 56A09 (relating to waiver process), and shall not be
subject to access under the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6,
No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law, except to a law
enforcement agency as ne