---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act amending the act of July 9, 1976 (P.L.817, No.143), known as the Mental Health Procedures Act, in general provisions, further providing for definitions and for confidentiality of records."
description: "An Act amending the act of July 9, 1976 (P.L.817, No.143), known as the Mental Health Procedures Act, in general provisions, further providing for definitions and for confidentiality of records."
jurisdiction: "us/states/pa"
legislature: "Pennsylvania General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "HB 1561"
citation: "Pennsylvania HB 1561 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Farry"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 21
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-06-07T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2022-07-07T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f7cf2159-1402-43f5-88b1-db11ec3c3063"
source_url: "http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2021&sind=0&body=H&type=B&BN=1561"
source_hash: "b5019d0141a1a45f119a743e2446898fcf5f03a1a1cdd6b8f8b5cc1ffce0a69b"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-pa"]
---

# Pennsylvania HB 1561 (2021-2022) — An Act amending the act of July 9, 1976 (P.L.817, No.143), known as the Mental Health Procedures Act, in general provisions, further providing for definitions and for confidentiality of records.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Printer's No. 1693** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2021&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=1561&pn=1693)
2. **Printer's No. 2317** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2021&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=1561&pn=2317)

## Votes

- Committee vote (HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES): Reported as Committed — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- FINAL PASSAGE — **200–0** (pass) · lower
- Committee vote (APPROPRIATIONS): Re-Reported as Committed — **24–0** (pass) · upper
- HB 1561 PN 2317, Final Passage — **47–3** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Farry — primary (person)
- A. Davis — cosponsor (person)
- Boyle — cosponsor (person)
- Burgos — cosponsor (person)
- C. Williams — cosponsor (person)
- Cephas — cosponsor (person)
- Ciresi — cosponsor (person)
- Cutler — cosponsor (person)
- Delloso — cosponsor (person)
- Guzman — cosponsor (person)
- Hanbidge — cosponsor (person)
- Herrin — cosponsor (person)
- Hohenstein — cosponsor (person)
- Jozwiak — cosponsor (person)
- Madden — cosponsor (person)
- Mcneill — cosponsor (person)
- Millard — cosponsor (person)
- Mullins — cosponsor (person)
- N. Nelson — cosponsor (person)
- Neilson — cosponsor (person)
- O'Mara — cosponsor (person)
- Owlett — cosponsor (person)
- Pashinski — cosponsor (person)
- Pickett — cosponsor (person)
- Polinchock — cosponsor (person)
- R. Brown — cosponsor (person)
- Rozzi — cosponsor (person)
- Ryan — cosponsor (person)
- Sanchez — cosponsor (person)
- Sappey — cosponsor (person)
- Schlegel Culver — cosponsor (person)
- Schlossberg — cosponsor (person)
- T. Davis — cosponsor (person)
- Thomas — cosponsor (person)
- Warner — cosponsor (person)
- Wheeland — cosponsor (person)
- White — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-06-07T04:00:00+00:00** PN 1693 Referred to HUMAN SERVICES `referral-committee`
- **2021-10-26T04:00:00+00:00** PN 2317 Reported as amended `amendment-passage, committee-passage`
- **2021-10-26T04:00:00+00:00** First consideration `reading-1`
- **2021-10-26T04:00:00+00:00** Laid on the table
- **2021-10-27T04:00:00+00:00** Removed from table
- **2021-11-08T05:00:00+00:00** Second consideration `reading-2`
- **2021-11-08T05:00:00+00:00** Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS `referral-committee`
- **2021-11-09T05:00:00+00:00** Re-reported as committed `committee-passage`
- **2021-11-09T05:00:00+00:00** Third consideration and final passage `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-11-10T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES `referral-committee`
- **2022-06-22T04:00:00+00:00** Reported as committed `committee-passage`
- **2022-06-22T04:00:00+00:00** First consideration `reading-1`
- **2022-06-28T04:00:00+00:00** Second consideration `reading-2`
- **2022-06-28T04:00:00+00:00** Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS `referral-committee`
- **2022-06-29T04:00:00+00:00** Re-reported as committed `committee-passage`
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Third consideration and final passage `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Signed in House
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Signed in Senate
- **2022-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Presented to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2022-07-07T04:00:00+00:00** Approved by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-07-07T04:00:00+00:00** Act No. 32 of 2022

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f7cf2159-1402-43f5-88b1-db11ec3c3063`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Pennsylvania legislature records).