“Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.”
— Ronald Reagan
The lessons of COVID should not be forgotten. We saw firsthand what can happen when government health authorities are given broad powers over our schools, our families, and our daily lives.
Now, the Shapiro administration is proposing more than 500 pages of new Pennsylvania Department of Health regulations that could significantly expand government authority over families, schools, healthcare providers, and private medical information. This deserves our attention.
In 2021, Pennsylvania voters amended our state Constitution to limit the governor’s emergency powers. That same year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Health lacked the authority to impose the statewide school mask mandate. Now, proposed regulations would give the Department significantly broader authority, going well beyond masks.
Here are some concerns:
Your child: Department of Health officials conducting investigations could enter public or private schools and meet privately with students regarding health conditions—including sensitive matters such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and gender identity.
Your medical information: Healthcare providers could face expanded requirements to report vaccination status and certain diseases to statewide government databases.
Your healthcare provider: Doctors and other providers could face broader disease-reporting requirements.
Pregnancy resource centers: Organizations providing certain HIV or sexually transmitted disease testing could potentially face reporting and referral requirements involving “reproductive health services.”
These proposals raise fundamental questions:
- Who has authority over your child?
- Who has access to your family’s medical information?
- How much power should government officials have over private healthcare decisions?
We all care about public health and safety. But COVID taught us that government power must have limits—and those limits matter. Pennsylvanians spoke clearly in 2021. We cannot afford to forget what we learned.
ACTION NEEDED
- MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: A public comment period is open on these proposed regulations. Pennsylvanians can express concerns about expanding government authority over children, families, and private medical information. Concerned Women for America of Pennsylvania encourages you to submit a public comment here. Submit public comments by September 21, 2026.
- PRAY for Pennsylvania’s leaders—that they would govern with wisdom, humility, and restraint. Pray that parents’ God-given authority will be respected and that our children and families will be protected.
- SHARE: Don’t assume someone else will speak up. Share this alert with parents, grandparents, churches, and concerned citizens across Pennsylvania.
CWA of Pennsylvania will continue monitoring this issue and keep you informed.
We learned during COVID that government power matters—and that limits on that power matter. Let’s not forget.
