SIXTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —_)
First Regular Session 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

2533

EXPLANATORY NOTE

House Bill No.

The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15 provides:

“The State shall protect and promote the right to health
of the people and instill health consciousness among them.”

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne pathogen that is a major cause of chronic
liver disease, which according to the American Liver Foundation, is common
among emergency response employees and volunteers due to the unique
nature of their jobs.

Since there is no known cure for hepatitis C, the government should
expend efforts to prevent emergency response employees from getting
infected with the disease

Hence, this bill seeks to provide for a study to determine the
prevalence of hepatitis C among firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical
technicians and other emergency response employees and undertake
demonstration projects to provide training, testing, and treatment regarding
cases of the disease among such employees and volunteers.

RUFUS B. RODRRSUEZ

MAXMO'B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —_)
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
i

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

2533

House Bill No.

AN ACT
TO PROVIDE FOR A STUDY AND FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.
REGARDING CASES OF HEPATITIS C AMONG FIREFIGHTERS,
PARAMEDICS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND OTHER
EMERGENCY RESPONSE EMPLOYEES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Emergency
Response Employees Disease Protection Act.”

SEC 2. Study and Demonstration Projects Regarding Cases of Hepatitis
C among certain emergency response employees. —

(A) Study Regarding Prevalence Among Certain Emergency Response
Employees -

(1) In General - The Secretary of Health (referred to in this Act as the
“Secretary’), in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and Employment,
shall conduct a study to determine —

(a) an estimate of the prevalence of hepatitis C among
designated emergency response employees; and
(b) the likely means through which such employees

become infected with such disease in the course of
performing their duties as such employees

(2) Designated Emergency Response Employees - For purposes of
this section, the term "designated emergency response employees” means
firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians.

(3) Submission of Completion Report to Congress - The Secretary
shall commence the study under paragraph (1) not later than ninety (90) days
after the date of the enactment of this Act. Not later that one (1) year after
such date, the Secretary shall complete the study and submit to the Congress
a report describing the findings of the study and the recommendations of the


Secretary for administrative or legislative initiatives regarding the activities
described in paragraph (1)

(4) Demonstration Projects Regarding Training and Treatment —
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall carry out
each of the following activities:

a) Training designated emergency response employees in minimizing
the risk of infection with hepatitis C in performing their duties as
such employees.

b) Testing such employees for infection with the disease.
c) Treating the employees for the disease

(5) Evaluation - The Secretary shall provide for an evaluation of each
demonstration project under paragraph (1) in order to determine the extent to
which the project has been effective in carrying out the activities described in
such paragraph

SEC 3. Authorization of Appropriations. - The appropriation of such sums.
as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act is hereby
authorized.

SEC 4, Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting

SEC 5. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions this Act is hereby repealed,
modified or amended accordingly.

SEC 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,