Requires healthcare facilities to maintain a fifty percent operating threshold of certain reusable healthcare protective textiles in their inventory

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic10

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Cordell Cleare says this is needed

The COV1D-19 Pandemic highlighted the hazards of relying on far-away supply chains to meet the needs of healthcare systems, risking dangerous shortages. These shortages were driven by a sudden increase in consump- tion, compounded by factory closures and other disruption along the global supply chain. Essential workers and the public rely on the ready availability of safe HPT in our systems at all times. Given the likeli- hood of future supply chain disruptions, and the inevitability of continued impacts, of climate change, it is imperative systems develop systems better equiHPTd to withstand shortage. Currently, reports indicate the U.S. market currently uses disposable healthcare textiles in more than 90% of uses in which reusable HPTs would be an equivalent or superior substitute. The emergence of COVID-19 led many to study alternatives to the current reliance on. disposable HPT, and recent results continue to show that where possible, properly used and cleaned reusable HPT does not reduce efficacy to levels that increase risk of pathogen exposure. Reusable textiles processed by Hygienically Clean certified laundries can form a safer and more sustainable supply chain than often foreign-sourced disposable HPTs. During the pandemic many healthcare facilities addressed shortages by supplementing disposables. with greater percentages of reusable textiles. Research and recent practice show that a switch to higher proportions of reusable textiles is efficient, effective, and safe. Standardizing practices will help build up greater supply chain sustain-ability, in turn protecting healthcare systems from risk of future HPT shortages, saving money, and reducing waste.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.