Just Say ‘No’ to More Government Overreach

State Rep. Mike Armanini said he is calling on the Shapiro administration to withdraw proposed Department of Health regulations reminiscent of COVID lockdown-era government policy that would infringe upon constitutional norms and civil liberties. You can join me by submitting your feedback.

As proposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the regulations would allow government officials to institute school or community mask mandates, enter private residences without warrants and seek private health information without consent. The department also would have the authority to enter any school building to interview a student of any age in private, without notification to the parent or guardian, to gather information for contact tracing and partner services. If you’d like to read the proposed regulations in full, they are available here for review.

Policies with such significant impacts on students, families and communities should be debated openly by the Legislature, not imposed through regulation. We learned important lessons about government overreach during COVID, and we should not repeat those mistakes.

The public can submit comments on the proposed regulations through Sept. 21 by emailing RA-DHCHAPTR27PROPREG@pa.gov. Please reference Rulemaking #10-242: Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases; IRRC #3490.