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HB 586

An Act amending the act of July 7, 1980 (P.L.380, No.97), known as the Solid Waste Management Act, in general provisions, further providing for definitions and for powers and duties of the department; in applications and permits, further providing for permits and licenses required, transition scheme and reporting requirements and providing for food processing residuals; and imposing penalties.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Danilo Burgos and 23 co-sponsors

Prohibits deciding transplant eligibility, listing, or coverage solely because of COVID-19 vaccination refusal; requires reasonable policy accommodations to ensure access.

Referred to Environmental Resources & Energy
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 586

Summary — HB 586 (Yulia’s Law)

Status: Enacted as bill language (committee substitute versions) — effective October 1, 2023 (text filed as “Yulia’s Law”)
Subject areas: Organ transplantation, nondiscrimination, public health, vaccines

Purpose / Intent

Yulia’s Law prohibits transplant centers and related covered entities from discriminating against people seeking to donate or receive organs solely because they have refused to receive a COVID‑19 vaccination or series of vaccinations. The statute emphasizes that refusal to be vaccinated does not reduce a person’s right to health care and that vaccination status alone should not be used to deny or deprioritize access to transplantation.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new statutory section (proposed § 130A‑414.5) that makes it unlawful, solely on the basis of an individual’s refusal to receive COVID‑19 vaccination(s), for a covered entity to:
    1. Consider the person ineligible to donate or receive an anatomical gift or organ transplant.
    2. Deny medical or transplant‑related services (evaluation, diagnostics, surgery, counseling, post‑op care, etc.).
    3. Refuse to refer the person to a transplant center or related specialist for evaluation, donation, or receipt.
    4. Refuse to place a qualified recipient on a transplant waiting list.
    5. Place a qualified recipient on a waiting list at a lower priority solely because of vaccination refusal.
    6. Deny insurance coverage for procedures related to transplant evaluation, donation, transplantation, or associated post‑transplant care.
  • Requires covered entities to make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures so that unvaccinated individuals can access transplantation‑related services (diagnostics, surgery, coverage, post‑op treatment, counseling).
  • States that the protections apply to all stages of the organ transplant process (evaluation, listing, surgery, post‑transplant care).
  • Legislative findings accompanying the bill clarify policy intent: (a) disability or vaccine refusal does not diminish the right to health care; (b) some medical opinion may consider unvaccinated transplant recipients at higher COVID‑19 risk, but overall benefits of transplantation favor proceeding regardless of vaccination status; and (c) mandatory vaccination as a condition for transplant constrains patient autonomy.

Who is affected

  • Primary: organ transplant centers, transplant evaluators, and transplant program staff; independent transplant specialists; insurers (public and private) providing coverage for transplant‑related care.
  • Secondary: organ donors, transplant candidates and recipients, patient advocates, and payers (Medicare/Medicaid/private insurance).
  • The law does not prohibit medical or psychosocial criteria unrelated to COVID‑19 vaccination from being used in clinical decision‑making; it targets actions taken solely because of vaccine refusal.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Protects patients and donors from denial or deprioritization solely for refusing COVID vaccination, expanding access for unvaccinated candidates.
  • May constrain transplant centers’ ability to adopt universal COVID‑vaccination prerequisites; centers retain ability to apply other valid medical/psychosocial criteria.
  • Could prompt operational changes (policy revisions, accommodations) at transplant programs and insurers to comply with the “reasonable modification” requirement.
  • May give rise to disputes over whether a denial was “solely” based on vaccination status versus legitimate clinical judgment; enforcement mechanisms and remedies are not specified in the excerpted text.

Effective date

  • The bill text indicates an effective date of October 1, 2023.

If you want, I can:
- Extract the exact statutory text language for citation (§ 130A‑414.5) or
- Draft a short Q&A on how transplant centers might implement compliant policies.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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