2018 -- H 7574

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LC003804

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- PROVISION OF VOLUNTEER

HEALTH CARE SERVICES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Morgan, Giarrusso, Nardolillo, Price, and Roberts

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2018

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 5 of the General Laws entitled "BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS"

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is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 89

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PROVISION OF VOLUNTEER HEALTH CARE SERVICES

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     5-89-1. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) "Health care facility or location" means a hospital, clinic, ambulatory surgical facility,

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office of a health care professional or associated group of health care professionals, training

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institution for health care professionals, a free clinic or other nonprofit shelter or health care

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facility, or any other place a health care service is provided to a person.

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     (2) "Health care professional" means any of the following who provide health care

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services:

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     (i) Physicians authorized under to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine

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and surgery;

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     (ii) Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses and individuals who hold a certificate

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of authority that authorizes the practice of nursing as a certified registered nurse anesthetist,

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clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner;

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     (iii) Physician assistants;

 

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     (iv) Dentists and dental hygienists;

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     (v) Physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational

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therapy assistants, and athletic trainers;

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     (vi) Chiropractors;

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     (vii) Optometrists;

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     (viii) Podiatrists;

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     (ix) Dietitians;

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     (x) Pharmacists;

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     (xi) Emergency medical technicians;

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     (xii) Respiratory care professionals;

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     (xiii) Speech-language pathologists and audiologists;

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     (xiv) Licensed professional clinical counselors, licensed professional counselors,

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independent social workers, social workers, independent marriage and family therapists, and

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marriage and family therapists;

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     (xv) Psychologists; and

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     (xvi) Individuals who are acting within the scope of their license or certificate as

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members of the profession of chemical dependency counseling or alcohol and other drug

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prevention services.

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     (3) "Health care service" means any type of medical, dental, or other health-related

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diagnosis, care, or treatment provided to a person. "Health care service" includes, as the case may

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be, providing samples of medicine or other medical products, performing any operation, or

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delivering a baby.

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      (4) "Health care worker" means a person other than a health care professional who

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provides medical, dental, or other health-related care or treatment under the direction of a health

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care professional with the authority to direct that individual's activities, including medical

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technicians, medical assistants, dental assistants, orderlies, aides, students enrolled in health care

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professional education programs, and individuals acting in similar capacities.

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     (5) "Indigent and uninsured person" means a person who meets both of the following

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requirements:

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     (i) Relative to being indigent, the person's income is not greater than two hundred per

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cent of the federal poverty line, as defined by the United States office of management and budget

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and revised in accordance with section 673(2) of the "Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of

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1981," 95 Stat. 511, 42 U.S.C. 9902, as amended, except in any case in which subsection (b) of

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this section includes a person whose income is greater than two hundred percent of the federal

 

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poverty line.

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     (ii) Relative to being uninsured, one of the following applies:

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     (A) The person is not a policyholder, certificate holder, insured, contract holder,

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subscriber, enrollee, member, beneficiary, or other covered individual under a health insurance or

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health care policy, contract, or plan.

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     (B) The person is a policyholder, certificate holder, insured, contract holder, subscriber,

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enrollee, member, beneficiary, or other covered individual under a health insurance or health care

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policy, contract, or plan, but the insurer, policy, contract, or plan denies coverage or is the subject

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of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings in any jurisdiction.

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     (C) The person is eligible for the medicaid program or is a medicaid recipient.

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     (D) Except as provided in the preceding subsection, the person is not eligible for or a

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recipient, enrollee, or beneficiary of any governmental health care program.

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     (6) "Nonprofit health care referral organization" means an entity that is not operated for

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profit and refers patients to, or arranges for the provision of a health care professional or health

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care worker.

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     (7) "Operation" means any procedure that involves cutting or otherwise infiltrating

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human tissue by mechanical means, including surgery, laser surgery, ionizing radiation,

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therapeutic ultrasound, or the removal of intraocular foreign bodies.

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     (8) "Tort action" means a civil action for damages for injury, death, or loss to a person or

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property other than a civil action for damages for a breach of contract or another agreement

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between persons or government entities.

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     (9) "Volunteer" means an individual who provides any health care service without the

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expectation of receiving and without receipt of any compensation or other form of remuneration

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from an indigent and uninsured person, another person on behalf of an indigent and uninsured

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person, any health care facility or location, any nonprofit health care referral organization, or any

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other person or government entity.

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     5-89-2. Immunity of health care professional.

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     A health care professional who is a volunteer and complies with the provisions of this

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chapter is not liable in damages to any person or government entity in a tort or other civil action,

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including an action on a medical, dental, chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim,

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for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from an action or omission of

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the volunteer in the provision to an indigent and uninsured person of a health care service, unless

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the action or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. To qualify for the immunity

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described in this section, a health care professional shall do all of the following prior to providing

 

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a health care service:

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     (1) Determine, in good faith, that the indigent and uninsured person is mentally capable

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of giving informed consent to the health care service and is not subject to duress or under undue

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influence;

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     (2) Inform the person of the provisions of this section, including notifying the person that,

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by giving informed consent to the provision of the health care service, the person cannot hold the

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health care professional liable for damages in a tort or other civil action, including an action on a

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medical, dental, chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim, unless the action or

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omission of the health care professional constitutes willful or wanton misconduct;

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     (3) Obtain the informed consent of the person and a written waiver, signed by the person

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or by another individual on behalf of and in the presence of the person, that states that the person

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is mentally competent to give informed consent and, without being subject to duress or under

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undue influence, gives informed consent to the provision health care service subject to the

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provisions of this section. A written waiver under this section shall state clearly and in

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conspicuous type that the person or other individual who signs the waiver is signing it with full

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knowledge that, by giving informed consent to the provision of the health care service, the person

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cannot bring a tort or other civil action, including an action on a medical, dental, chiropractic,

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optometric, or other health-related claim, against the health care professional unless the action or

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omission of the health care professional constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

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     5-89-3. Immunity of health care workers.

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     Health care workers who are volunteers are not liable in damages to any person or

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government entity in a tort or other civil action, including an action upon a medical, dental,

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chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim, for injury, death, or loss to person or

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property that allegedly arises from an action or omission of the health care worker in the

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provision to an indigent and uninsured person of a health care service, unless the action or

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omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

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     5-89-4. Immunity of nonprofit health care referral organizations.

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     A nonprofit health care referral organization is not liable in damages to any person or

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government entity in a tort or other civil action, including an action on a medical, dental,

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chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim, for injury, death, or loss to person or

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property that allegedly arises from an action or omission of the nonprofit health care referral

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organization in referring indigent and uninsured persons to, or arranging for the provision of a

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health care service by a health care professional or a health care worker as defined in this chapter,

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unless the action or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

 

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     5-89-5. Immunity of health care facilities.

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     A health care facility or location associated with a health care professional, a health care

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worker, or a nonprofit health care referral organization as defined in this chapter is not liable in

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damages to any person or government entity in a tort or other civil action, including an action on

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a medical, dental, chiropractic, optometric, or other health-related claim, for injury, death, or loss

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to person or property that allegedly arises from an action or omission of the health care

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professional or worker or nonprofit health care referral organization relative to the health care

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service provided to an indigent and uninsured person on behalf of or at the health care facility or

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location, unless the action or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

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     5-89-6. Continuing education credit.

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     (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general or public laws to the contrary, a

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licensing agency that licenses health care professionals shall apply toward the satisfaction of a

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portion of a licensee's continuing education requirement the provision to an indigent and

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uninsured person of health care services if all of the following apply:

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     (1) The licensing agency that licenses health care professionals requires a licensee to

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complete continuing education as a condition of having a license renewed by the agency.

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     (2) The licensee provides the health services to an indigent and uninsured person.

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     (3) The licensee provides the health services as a volunteer.

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     (4) The health services provided are within the scope of authority of the licensee

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renewing the license.

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     (b) A licensing agency that licenses health care professionals shall permit a licensee to

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satisfy up to one-third of the licensee's continuing education requirement by providing health

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services as a volunteer. A licensing agency that licenses health care professionals shall permit a

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licensee to earn continuing education credits at the rate of one credit hour for each sixty minutes

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spent providing health services as a volunteer.

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     (c) A licensing agency that licenses health care professionals shall adopt rules as

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necessary to implement this section.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- PROVISION OF VOLUNTEER

HEALTH CARE SERVICES

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     This act would grant immunity from liability and suit to health care professionals,

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workers, and facilities providing volunteer services, and would also provide continuing education

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credits for such services.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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