House Bill 1460 Moves Forward in Senate Committee

A Senate committee advanced House-passed legislation Wednesday giving the state attorney general more oversight over for-profit hospital closings.
The action by the Republican-controlled Senate Institutional Sustainability and Innovation Committee reflects negotiations to find bipartisan consensus on House Bill 1460 sponsored by Rep. Lisa Borowksi, D-Delaware.
The committee voted 9-2 for the amended bill with two Democratic senators opposed.
Committee debate focused on an amendment offered by Committee Majority Chair Frank Farry, R-Bucks, including some suggestions made by health care industry representatives.
Democrats said they only saw the substantive amendment last night. Farry said they wanted to ignore the feedback from stakeholders.
HB1460 has been the subject of negotiations between the four legislative caucuses, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Attorney General Dave Sunday during the past year, lawmakers said.
And negotiations concerning the bill are expected to continue following the committee’s vote.
One issue under review is whether real estate investment trusts are covered by the amended HB1460 or not.
Farry said the attorney general’s is reviewing the amendment language about the real estate trusts, but he believes they are covered by the bill.