The Pennsylvania Senate approved Senate Bill 818 on Jan. 19, its first hurdle toward becoming law, CBS affiliate WTAJ reported.
If passed, the bill would loosen rules and regulations that have hampered ASCs across the state, the report said. Pennsylvania law currently requires ASCs to get special authorization to perform nonhospitalization treatments, despite CMS having ruled them safe to perform for more than 15 years.
"ASCs are permitted to provide a variety of same-day surgical procedures, yet current state regulations are very restrictive," Sen. Judy Ward said. "Pennsylvania’s regulations have not been updated to account for the great advances in technology and healthcare delivery over the years. This bill will update these regulations and make our rules similar to other neighboring states."
The bill is set to go to the state's House of Representatives next. If it passes, it would then need final approval by the state Senate and the governor.