PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 474

PRINTER'S NO.  781

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE BILL

 

No.

464

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, ERICKSON, BAKER, BOSCOLA, FOLMER, ORIE, BRUBAKER, WAUGH, PIPPY, COSTA, WOZNIAK, VANCE, EARLL, SMUCKER, CORMAN, ALLOWAY, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, TARTAGLIONE AND WONDERLING, MARCH 2, 2009

  

  

SENATOR TOMLINSON, CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, AS AMENDED, MARCH 31, 2009   

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Providing for use of volunteer time by health care professionals

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in meeting continuing education requirements.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  Short title.

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This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer

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Continuing Medical Education Act.

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Section 2.  Definitions.

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The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

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have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

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context clearly indicates otherwise:

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"Community-based health care clinic."  A nonprofit health

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care center located in this Commonwealth that provides health

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care services to low-income and uninsured individuals and meets

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either of the following criteria:

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(1)  serves a federally designated medically underserved

 


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area, a medically underserved population or a health

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professional shortage area; or

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(2)  serves a patient population with a majority of that

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population having an income less than 200% of the Federal

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poverty income guidelines, including:

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(i)  A federally qualified health center as defined

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in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (49

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Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(l)(2)(B)) or a federally

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qualified health center look-alike.

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(ii)  A rural health clinic as defined in section

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1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42

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U.S.C. § 1395x(aa)(2)), certified by Medicare.

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(iii)  A hospital health clinic.

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(iv)  A free or partial-pay health clinic that

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provides services by volunteer and nonvolunteer health

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care providers.

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(v)  A nurse-managed health care clinic that is

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managed by advanced practice nurses and is associated

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with a department of nursing, a federally qualified

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health center or an independent nonprofit health or

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social services agency.

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"Health care professional."  A physician, dentist, dental

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hygienist, nurse, certified registered nurse practitioner or 

<--

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physician assistant licensed, certified or registered with any

<--

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of the licensure boards.

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"Licensure board."  Includes the following departmental

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administrative boards within the Department of State:

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(1)  The State Board of Medicine.

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(2)  The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

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(3)  The State Board of Dentistry.

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(4)  The State Board of Nursing.

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Section 3.  Volunteer continuing education.

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Beginning with the licensure period commencing after the

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effective date of this act and following written notice by the

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appropriate licensure board, health care professionals shall be

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permitted to apply volunteer time served in a community-based

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health care clinic toward completion of no more than 20% of the

<--

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mandatory continuing education hours required by the appropriate

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licensure board, except for continuing eduction required under

<--

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section 6 of the act of December 4, 1996 (P.L.893, No.141),

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known as the Volunteer Health Services Act. Acceptable

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documentation of volunteer hours shall be done in accordance

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with applicable regulations policy established by each board. 

<--

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Policies shall be effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania

<--

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Bulletin.

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Section 4.  Annual report.

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The Department of State shall submit a report to the chair

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and minority chair of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of

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the Senate and the chair and minority chair of the Health and

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Human Resources Committee of the House of Representatives

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detailing the number of health care professionals who have 

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indicated they have applied volunteer hours served in a

<--

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community-based health care clinic, in their renewal

<--

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application.

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Section 20.  Effective date.

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This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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