Why PA’s Proposed Health Regulation 10-242 / IRRC 3490 Should Concern Our Community

Pennsylvania’s proposed Department of Health Regulation 10-242 / IRRC No. 3490 (included below) would significantly expand the government’s authority during—and even before—a declared public-health emergency. Residents of East Norriton, West Norriton, and Norristown should understand how these changes could affect their families, schools, businesses, medical privacy, and individual liberties.

The proposal vastly broadens the Department’s power to impose isolation, quarantine, examinations, surveillance, and other disease-control measures (including unnamed powers) based on suspected exposure. It also raises concerns about access to medical records, questioning students without notifying their parents, entering private property without a warrant, posting disease-warning notices on homes, and confining individuals who refuse ordered treatment, including a vaccine.

• Return of mask mandates, social distancing, plus “any other” measure they wish.
• Entry into private homes—no warrant required
• Student interrogations in school—no parental notification.
• Investigations based on suspicion—no diagnosis required.
• Expanded mandatory isolation and quarantine.
• Unprecedented access to your medical records.
• Forces medical exams based on suspicion.
• Treatment refusal can mean forced confinement.
• Disease warning signs to be posted on homes.
• Expanded surveillance.

The proposed revisions also remove sex-specific words such as “mother” and “woman” and replace them with ideological language that further erases public space for women and reduces clarity in rules addressing pregnancy, childbirth, maternal health, and communicable-disease reporting.

• “Pregnant woman” → “pregnant individual”
• “Woman” → “individual”
• “Mother of a newborn” → “postpartum individual”
• “Mother” → “postpartum individual”
• “Mother’s medical record” → “postpartum individual’s medical record”
• “Physicians and midwives attending women” → “a health care practitioner … who attends individuals in childbirth”
• Feminine pronouns such as “her” → “the individual”

Why erase women and mothers?

The regulation would also expand government authority over animals, animal products, food products, equipment, and other materials—not only during an emergency, but when officials believe intervention could prevent one.

At the same time, it removes a longstanding religious-treatment accommodation from Pennsylvania’s existing regulations.

Our communities experienced firsthand how sweeping public-health powers can disrupt education, employment, businesses, family life, and access to medical care. Regulations granting such broad authority need firm limits, meaningful due-process protections, parental notification requirements, respect for religious liberty, and safeguards against government overreach.

East Norriton, West Norriton, and Norristown residents have until September 21, 2026, to make their voices heard. Submit a public comment asking that Regulation 10-242 be withdrawn or substantially rewritten with clear statutory and constitutional protections.

If the email button does not work with your email provider, just copy and paste from this section.

Before September 21, 2026, send an email to: 

Email address: IRRC@IRRC.state.pa.us

Subject: Opposition to PA Department of Health Regulation 10-242 / IRRC No. 3490

Body: Edit this and make it your own! This is suggested text to get you started.

I am a resident of [municipality], Montgomery County, and I oppose Proposed Regulation 10-242 because its broad expansion of government authority raises serious concerns about parental rights, medical privacy, religious liberty, and due process.

The regulation could directly affect my family, our schools, local businesses, and our ability to make personal medical decisions without unnecessary government interference.

I respectfully request that the proposal be withdrawn because it does NOT include firm statutory and constitutional safeguards.

Sincerely,

Your Name

You can also learn more about the proposed regulation in the article by West Norriton resident and our Area 8's candidate for Congress, Aurora Stuski.

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