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H.B. 48

             1     

MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS AMENDMENTS

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Edward H. Redd

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Brian E. Shiozawa

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      Committee Note:
             9          The Health and Human Services Interim Committee recommended this bill.
             10      General Description:
             11          This bill amends the Local Health Authorities code and the Occupational and
             12      Professional Licensing code related to Medical Reserve Corps.
             13      Highlighted Provisions:
             14          This bill:
             15          .    authorizes the local health departments to train health care professionals who
             16      volunteer as medical reserve corps during public health emergencies and disasters;
             17      and
             18          .    amends the Healthcare Providers Immunity from Liability Act to provide liability
             19      protections to the medical reserve corps who are training to respond to public health
             20      emergencies or disasters.
             21      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             22          None
             23      Other Special Clauses:
             24          None
             25      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             26      AMENDS:
             27          26A-1-126, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 297


             28          58-13-2, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 242
             29     
             30      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             31          Section 1. Section 26A-1-126 is amended to read:
             32           26A-1-126. Medical reserve corps.
             33          (1) In addition to the duties listed in Section 26A-1-114 , a local health department may
             34      establish a medical reserve corps in accordance with this section.
             35          (2) The purpose of a medical reserve corps is to enable a local health authority to
             36      respond with appropriate health care professionals to a national, state, or local emergency, a
             37      public health emergency as defined in Section 26-23b-102 , or a declaration by the president of
             38      the United States or other federal official requesting public health related activities.
             39          (3) (a) A local health department may train health care professionals who participate in
             40      a medical reserve corps to respond to an emergency or declaration for public health related
             41      activities pursuant to Subsection (2).
             42          [(3)] (b) When an emergency or request for public health related activities has been
             43      declared in accordance with Subsection (2), a local health department may activate a medical
             44      reserve corps for the duration of the emergency or declaration for public health related
             45      activities.
             46          (4) For purposes of this section, a medical reserve corps may include persons who:
             47          (a) are licensed under Title 58, Occupations and Professions, and who are operating
             48      within the scope of their practice;
             49          (b) are exempt from licensure, or operating under modified scope of practice
             50      provisions in accordance with Subsections 58-1-307 (4) and (5); and
             51          (c) within the 10 years preceding the declared emergency, held a valid license, in good
             52      standing in Utah, for one of the occupations described in Subsection 58-13-2 (1), but the license
             53      is not currently active.
             54          (5) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections 58-1-307 (4)(a) and (5)(b) the
             55      local health department may authorize a person described in Subsection (4) to operate in a
             56      modified scope of practice as necessary to respond to the [declared emergency] declaration
             57      under Subsection (2).
             58          (b) A person operating as a member of an activated medical reserve corps or training as


             59      a member of a medical reserve corps under this section:
             60          (i) shall be volunteering for and supervised by the local health department;
             61          (ii) shall comply with the provisions of this section;
             62          (iii) is exempt from the licensing laws of Title 58, Occupations and Professions; and
             63          (iv) shall carry a certificate issued by the local health department which designates the
             64      individual as a member of the medical reserve corps during the duration of the emergency or
             65      declaration for public health related activities pursuant to Subsection (2).
             66          (6) The local department of health may access the Division of Occupational and
             67      Professional Licensing database for the purpose of determining if a person's current or expired
             68      license to practice in the state was in good standing.
             69          (7) The local department of health shall maintain a registry of persons who are
             70      members of a medical reserve corps. The registry of the medical reserve corps shall be made
             71      available to the public and to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
             72          Section 2. Section 58-13-2 is amended to read:
             73           58-13-2. Emergency care rendered by licensee.
             74          (1) A person licensed under Title 58, Occupations and Professions, to practice as any
             75      of the following health care professionals, who is under no legal duty to respond, and who in
             76      good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency gratuitously and in good faith,
             77      is not liable for any civil damages as a result of any acts or omissions by the person in
             78      rendering the emergency care:
             79          (a) osteopathic physician;
             80          (b) physician and surgeon;
             81          (c) naturopathic physician;
             82          (d) dentist or dental hygienist;
             83          (e) chiropractic physician;
             84          (f) physician assistant;
             85          (g) optometrist;
             86          (h) nurse licensed under Section 58-31b-301 or 58-31c-102 ;
             87          (i) podiatrist;
             88          (j) certified nurse midwife;
             89          (k) respiratory care practitioner;


             90          (l) pharmacist, pharmacy technician, and pharmacy intern;
             91          (m) Direct-entry midwife licensed under Section 58-77-301 ; or
             92          (n) veterinarian.
             93          (2) This Subsection (2) applies to a health care professional:
             94          (a) (i) described in Subsection (1); and
             95          (ii) who is under no legal duty to respond to the circumstances described in Subsection
             96      (3);
             97          (b) who is:
             98          (i) (A) activated as a member of a medical reserve corps as described in Section
             99      26A-1-126 during the time of an emergency or declaration for public health related activities as
             100      provided in [Section] Subsection 26A-1-126 (2); or
             101          (B) participating in training to prepare the medical reserve corps to respond to a
             102      declaration of an emergency or request for public health related activities pursuant to
             103      Subsection 26A-1-126 (2);
             104          (ii) acting within the scope of:
             105          (A) the health care professional's license; or
             106          (B) practice as modified under Subsection 58-1-307 (4) or Section 26A-1-126 ; and
             107          (iii) acting in good faith without compensation or remuneration as defined in
             108      Subsection 58-13-3 (2); or
             109          (c) who is acting as a volunteer health practitioner under Title 26, Chapter 49, Uniform
             110      Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act.
             111          (3) A health care professional described in Subsection (2) is not liable for any civil
             112      damages as a result of any acts or omissions by the health care professional in rendering care as
             113      a result of:
             114          (a) implementation of measures to control the causes of epidemic and communicable
             115      diseases and other conditions significantly affecting the public health or necessary to protect
             116      the public health as set out in Title 26A, Chapter 1, Local Health Departments;
             117          (b) investigating and controlling suspected bioterrorism and disease as set out in Title
             118      26, Chapter 23b, Detection of Public Health Emergencies Act; and
             119          (c) responding to a national, state, or local emergency, a public health emergency as
             120      defined in Section 26-23b-102 , or a declaration by the President of the United States or other


             121      federal official requesting public health-related activities.
             122          (4) The immunity in Subsection (3) is in addition to any immunity or protection in state
             123      or federal law that may apply.
             124          (5) For purposes of Subsection (2)(b)(iii) remuneration does not include:
             125          (a) food supplied to the volunteer;
             126          (b) clothing supplied to the volunteer to help identify the volunteer during the time of
             127      the emergency; or
             128          (c) other similar support for the volunteer.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 11-15-12 8:19 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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