As of June 1, 2015, a new Pennsylvania law went into effect, requiring the following individuals to wear photo identification badges:

• All employees and physicians working at health care facilities licensed by the Department [of Health] who provide direct care to patients or consumers;

• All employees and physicians working at the private practice of physicians who provide direct care to patients or consumers; and

• All employees and physicians working at an employment agency who provide direct care to patients and consumers.

The law requires photo identification badges to include the employee’s name, title, name of the health care facility or employment agency, and a recent photograph of the employee.

An employee is not required to wear an identification badge while delivering direct patient care to a consumer if it is not clinically feasible. In addition, the last name of an employee may be omitted or concealed when delivering direct care to a consumer who exhibits symptoms of irrationality or violence.

These provisions can be found at 35 P.S. § 448.809(b) and a description of the change in the law can be found in Pennsylvania Bulletin 15-918.