08-R376

2008 -- H 7909

Enacted 07/05/08

J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY, DEVELOP A STRATEGY, AND PROMOTE INTEROPERABILITY OF ALL ASPECTS OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD UTILIZATION IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Representatives Dennigan, Slater, Ferri, Naughton, and Lewiss

Date Introduced: February 26, 2008

     WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of Americans die as a result of preventable medical

errors each year; and

      WHEREAS, The use of health information technology has grown dramatically, but more

progress is needed to promote interoperability and to guarantee privacy of personal medical

records; and

       WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island must set the standards for privacy,

interoperability, efficiency and effectiveness of health information technology and exchange;

now, therefore be it

       RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission, herein known as the “Electronic

Health Records Task Force”, be and the same is hereby created consisting of twenty-three (23)

members: one of whom shall be a member of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by

the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a member of the Senate, to be appointed by the

President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the Dean of Brown University’s School of

Medicine, or designee; one of whom shall be the director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,

or designee; one of whom shall be the Attorney General for the State of Rhode Island, or

designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Department of Health, or designee; one of

whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Quality Institute, or designee; one of whom shall

be a representative from a federally qualified health Center, to be appointed by the Speaker of the

House and the President of the Senate; one of whom shall the President of the Hospital

Association of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative of the home

health care industry, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate;

one of whom shall be a representative from a medical laboratory, to be appointed by the Speaker

of the House and the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative of a nursing

home or long-term care facility in the state, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the

President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from the information technology

field as it relates to health care, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of

the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from the health insurance industry, to be

appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a

non-hospital-based Rhode Island licensed physician, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House

and the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a Rhode Island licensed dentist, to be

appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a

Rhode Island licensed nurse, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the

Senate; one of whom shall be a Rhode Island licensed pharmacist, to be appointed by the Speaker

of the House and the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode

Island Medical Society, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island

Academy of Family Practice, or designee; one of whom shall be a Rhode Island Physician Board

certified in internal medicine, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of

the Senate; one of whom shall be an individual with expertise in medical privacy, to be appointed

by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate; and one of whom shall be a non-

hospital-based psychiatrist to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the

Senate .

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory commission, a

legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly resolution, the

appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator,

provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to

the appointment consent to the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to study, develop a strategy, and promote

interoperability of all aspects of electronic health record utilization in the state and regionally.

The study should include, but not be limited to:

      How to best prioritize security and privacy measures;

     Electronic transfer of records;

     Electronic prescribing;

     Computerized physician order entry;

     The manner and cost of implementing electronic transfer of information;

     Identifying funding sources;

     Recommendations for the adoption of electronic health records in order to

promote interoperability of health information systems;

     Research into and identification of the best practices in electronic health records

systems and health information technologies, including system design,

implementation, operation and evaluation;

     Ways to promote standards and systems that are compatible with current adapters

of electronic health record systems; and

     Ensuring that the privacy and security of health information is protected, as

required by state and federal law.

     The manner and cost of implementing electronic transfer of information

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and shall organize and select,

from among the legislators, a chairperson. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like

manner as the original appointment.

       The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide

suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

General Assembly no later than January 6, 2009 and said commission shall expire on March 6,

2009.

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LC01979

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