Advocacy Correspondence: PA Senate Health and Human Services Committee, HAP Support for SR 397 and Senate Bills 1306, 1504, and 965
October 19, 2026
Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee:
On behalf of more than 235 member hospitals and health systems across the commonwealth, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) writes today in strong support of two proposals before the Committee today:
Senate Resolution 397 (Brooks): Pennsylvania's hospital licensure regulations have not been meaningfully updated in more than 40 years, creating real and measurable consequences. On average, Pennsylvania hospitals dedicate 59 full-time employees to regulatory compliance and in 2023 alone, Pennsylvania hospitals submitted 726 requests for regulatory exceptions, each requiring individual review by the Department of Health. This process amounts to unnecessary administrative requirements, redundancies, and limits the ability to quickly adopt new technologies and strategies to better and more efficiently deliver health care services.
Senate Resolution 397 directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the financial and administrative impact of Pennsylvania's outdated hospital licensure regulations. This study is an important step toward understanding the administrative and financial burdens these regulations create and identifying opportunities for improvement.
Senate Bill 1306 (Farry/Kim): State investment in hospital security infrastructure is a direct way to support hospitals’ ongoing efforts to protect care teams, patients, and visitors and offset the costs associated with reinforcing and enhancing the safety and security of hospital facilities across the commonwealth.
Senate Bill 1306 meets that need directly by establishing the Hospital Security Grant Fund which would provide up to $150,000 per fiscal year to eligible hospitals—following an application process and review through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency—for a broad range of security enhancements, including: equipment, technology, physical security assessments, safety and security training, threat awareness training, and structural upgrades.
The program recognizes that each hospital’s security needs are unique, and that flexible grant funding allows facilities to address their local needs and vulnerabilities.
HAP additionally supports Senate Bill 1504 (Brooks) and Senate Bill 965 (Cappelletti), looks forward to more stakeholder conversation on each, and respectfully urges members of the committee to vote in favor of these pieces of legislation.
Sincerely,
Arielle Chortanoff
Vice President, State Advocacy
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Topics: State Advocacy, Workforce
Revision Date: 10/19/2026
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