In a press conference at True T Studios in Bloomfield this morning and surrounded by LGBTQ+ community members, medical professionals, and state Representative Sara Innamorato, state Representative Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, officially unveiled his “Protection of Patient Trust Act” Thursday.
The legislation, H.B. 1444, would ensure that doctors cannot be forced to provide or withhold information or treatment in a way that is not evidence based or medically accurate – a response to a national movement by conservative state legislatures to require doctors and other healthcare professionals to stick to a certain script, even if it conflicts with medically accurate information. This legislation dangerously targets youth seeking reliable, important, and accurate information on gender-affirming care.
“This year, we have seen dozens of cruel bills introduced throughout the country targeting these young people, threatening medical professionals with fines, loss of their medical licenses and even jail time for following established standards of care and prescribing puberty blockers,” Frankel said. “Politicians should not be directing anyone’s medical treatment.
“These medications are safe, fully reversible and deeply researched, and attempts to make them inaccessible are attacks on an already vulnerable population in the name of politics.”
Frankel’s proposal would block a variety of the politically motivated bills that have been introduced throughout the country in recent years, including those that would require medical professionals to: falsely tell patients or their parents that puberty blockers are dangerous or experimental, withhold appropriate puberty blockers or other gender affirming treatments, falsely tell patients that abortion causes breast cancer, bar doctors from discussing the health effects of fracking chemicals and refrain from encouraging parents to vaccinate their children.
“Proposals like these are an attack on science. My bill, the Protection of Patient Trust Act, would simply ensure that medical professionals can take care of patients without interference from state or local governments. We are fighting for science and for an inclusive world for our young people,” Frankel said.
House Bill 1444 will likely be referred to the PA House Health Committee, where Frankel currently serves as the Democratic chair.
