Health/Hospital Law
HB 1222 — Special Deputy Coroners. Allows a coroner or medical examiner to appoint a special deputy coroner or special deputy medical examiner in the event of a natural disaster, mass casualties, or other emergency. All appointees will be directly supervised by the coroner or medical examiner, will not serve more than 30 days, and will not receive compensation for services rendered. However, any necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties will be reimbursed.
The coroner or medical examiner making this appointment must file a record of the appointee's full name, address, date of birth, date of appointment, and date of termination with the county clerk. (Signed 6/29/06)
HB 1234 — Nursing Student Loan Repayment Program. (See Education/School Law)
HB 1245 — School Nurses. (See Education/School Law)
SCS HB 1437 — Poison and Radiation Control. Abolishes the Advisory Committee on Poison Control and transfers its powers and certain duties to the Department of Health and Senior Services. The Committee on Radiation Control, a subcommittee of the Missouri Atomic Energy Commission is also abolished. (Signed 6/29/06)
SCS HCS HB 1440 — Income Tax. (See Taxation Law)
SCS HCS HB 1485 — Tax Credit for Pregnancy Resource Centers and Children in Crisis. (See Taxation Law)
HB 1491 — Medical Assistance. (See State Government Law)
HCS HB 1515 — Collaborative Practice Reporting. Requires physicians to report to the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts any collaborative practice or physician assistant agreement entered into within 30 days. Physicians are also required to provide the board with all their collaborative practice agreements when renewing their license. This information will be available to the public.
The board is authorized to conduct random reviews of these agreements to determine whether licensees are in compliance with the provisions of the bill. (See also SB 756) (Signed 6/29/06)
SCS HB 1601/SB 765 — Emergency Medical Treatment. Specifies that informed consent is not required for research programs or experimental medical procedures for certain patients subject to a life threatening emergency when conducted in accordance with certain federal regulations and when the institutional review board has approved the research activity.
The bill contains an emergency clause. (Both bills signed 6/12/06)
HB 1687 — Donation of Prescription Drugs. Allows drugs donated to the Prescription Drug Repository Program that are not used or accepted by any pharmacy, hospital, or non-profit clinic in this state to be distributed to out of state charitable repositories. (Signed 7/12/06)
CCS SS SCS HCS HB 1698, 1236, 995, 1362 & 1290 — Sexual Offenders. (See Criminal Law)
HB 1732 — Self-Administered Medications by Students. (See Education/School Law)
HCS SCS SB 567 & 792 — Health Insurance Coverage. (See Insurance Law)
HCS SCS SB 614 — Residential Treatment Agency Tax Credit Act. (See Taxation Law)
CCS HCS SCS SB 616 — Assisted Living Facilities. Changes the laws regarding assisted living facilities. In its main provisions, the bill:
(1) Changes the terms "residential care facility I" as it applies to long term care provided to the elderly and disabled to "residential care facility" and "residential care facility II" to "assisted living facility;”
(2) Defines "assisted living facility" as any premises other than a residential care facility, intermediate care facility, or skilled nursing facility that provides or coordinates 24 hour care and protective oversight to three or more residents. Care may include the provision of shelter, board, and assistance with any activities of daily living or supervision of health care under the direction of a licensed physician;
(3) Defines "community based assessment," "dementia," "activities of daily living," "instrumental activities of daily living," "appropriately trained and qualified individual," and "social model of care;"
(4) Allows any residential care facility licensed as a residential care facility II immediately prior to the effective date of these provisions and for purposes of receiving supplemental welfare assistance payments under § 208.030, RSMo, to continue to receive the payment amount allocated for a residential care facility II;
(5) Requires an assisted living facility to provide for or coordinate oversight and services to meet the needs of a resident as specified in a written contract signed by the resident or other responsible party;
(6) Prohibits an assisted living facility from accepting an individual who is a danger to self or others, requires physical or chemical restraint, requires more than one person to simultaneously assist the resident in daily activities, or is bed-bound;
(7) Requires an assisted living facility to provide staff in appropriate numbers and with appropriate skills to provide 24-hour care to residents;
(8) Requires multilevel facilities or facilities accepting residents with cognitive or physical impairments to be in compliance with National Fire Protection Association Code 13 and the 1997 Life Safety Codes for Existing Health Care Occupancy;
(9) Requires an assisted living facility to keep a written plan for the protection of all residents in the event of a disaster;
(10) Creates a grandfather provision to allow an existing residential care facility II to be licensed as an assisted living facility as long as the facility continues to meet all laws, rules, and regulations that were in place the day before the provisions of the bill become effective. The grandfather provision does not exempt a residential care facility II from the 24-hour staff, written plan protection, screening, and assessment requirements;
(11) Requires an assisted living facility to complete at least semi-annually a resident assessment upon admission and whenever a significant change has occurred in the resident's condition;
(12) Requires the use of a personal electronic monitoring device for any resident of an assisted living facility whose physician recommends its use;
(13) Prohibits any facility from naming or advertising itself as an assisted living facility without obtaining a license from the Department of Health and Senior Services;
(14) Requires the department to develop rules to ensure the compliance of the provisions of the bill; and
(15) Requires the departments of Social Services and Health and Senior Services to jointly prepare by January 1, 2008, a report to the Governor and General Assembly on the differences found in the evaluation of the requirements for inspectors or surveyors of facilities and the performance of the inspectors. (Signed 7/10/06)
SB 648 — Fire Regulations for Mental Health Facilities. Replaces the term "lunatic asylums" with "mental health facilities" when referring to facilities that must have stairs or fire escapes. (Signed 6/9/06)
SB 822 —Health Care Provider Tax. (See Taxation Law)
SB 828 — Dental Hygiene Services. Currently, the provisions allowing dental hygienists to provide services in a public health setting for children eligible for medical assistance under Chapter 208, RSMo will expire on August 28, 2006. This bill repeals the sunset provision. (Signed 6/29/06)
HCS SB 837 — Insurance Board Membership. (See Insurance Law)
SB 974 — Mental Health Services. (See State Government Law)
HCS SB 980 — Nursing and Teaching Scholarships. (See Education/School Law)
SB 1057 — Liens of Health Care Professionals. Adds physical therapists to the definition of "health practitioner" for the purpose of liens for patients whose sickness or injury was caused by a tortfeasor.
(Signed 6/29/06)
SCS SB 1084 — Health Care for Uninsured Children. Extends the expiration date of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIPs) established by the Department of Social Services to pay for health care for uninsured children from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008. The expiration date of the financial assistance for the Consumer-directed Personal Care Services Program is extended from June 30, 2006, to June 30, 2008.
The bill contains an emergency clause. (Signed 6/12/06)
SCS SB 1117 — Missouri Rx Plan Advisory Commission. Transfers the Missouri Rx Plan Advisory Commission from the Department of Health and Senior Services to the Department of Social Services. The provision regarding the denial of eligibility to individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan is removed.
(Signed 6/9/06)
SB 1155 — Technical Advisory Committee on the Quality of Patient Care and Nursing Practices. (See State Government Law)
SB 1177 — Local Registrars. (See Local Government Law)
SB 1197 — Donating Blood. Allows any person who is 16 years of age to donate blood if written permission or authorization is obtained from his or her parent or guardian. (Signed 6/29/06)