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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 11, 2020 11:05 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Anthony M. DeLuca |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Protecting Patients and Medical Personnel from Health Care Facility Retaliation |
| When mistakes are made at a medical care facility, patients can suffer physically, emotionally and financially. To reduce errors, both patients and medical personnel should feel safe to report them with no threat of “punishment” for doing so. We need explicit protections in place for speaking up about these potentially life-changing events. My proposal would provide protection for patients and medical personnel who initiate, participate or cooperate in an administrative proceeding, relating to quality of care, services or conditions at a facility. It would establish a rebuttable presumption for patients and medical personnel for retaliation based on a straightforward definition of discriminatory treatment provided within the legislation. If a facility is found guilty of discrimination or retaliation, the affected is entitled to civil and criminal penalties including fines and restitution for lost wages, work benefits, and the legal cost of having to pursue the claim. The bill balances the needs of the health care facility by protecting legitimate peer review activities. Last session this bill was HB 605. Please ensure that these vital rights are protected by cosponsoring this legislation. Thank you. |
Introduced as HB1018