Bill Text: IA SF2271 | 2011-2012 | 84th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the licensure of ambulatory surgical centers, providing fees and penalties, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 3021.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-28 - Subcommittee, McCoy, Dotzler, and Smith. S.J. 395. [SF2271 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2011-SF2271-Introduced.html
Senate File 2271 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2271 BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3021) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the licensure of ambulatory surgical 1 centers, providing fees and penalties, and including 2 effective date provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh
S.F. 2271 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 135P.1 Definitions. 1 1. “Ambulatory surgical center” means a facility which as 2 its primary function provides, through an organized medical 3 staff and on an outpatient basis to patients who are generally 4 ambulatory, surgical procedures not ordinarily performed in a 5 private physician’s office, but not requiring twenty-four-hour 6 hospitalization, and which is neither a part of a hospital nor 7 the private office of a health care provider who there engages 8 in the lawful practice of surgery. “Ambulatory surgical center” 9 includes a facility certified or seeking certification as an 10 ambulatory surgical center under the federal Medicare program 11 or under the medical assistance program established pursuant to 12 chapter 249A. “Ambulatory surgical center” does not include a 13 facility operated by a person licensed to practice dentistry 14 pursuant to chapter 153. 15 2. “Department” means the department of inspections and 16 appeals. 17 3. “Governmental unit” means the state, or any county, 18 municipality, or other political subdivision, or any 19 department, division, board, or other agency of any of the 20 foregoing. 21 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 135P.2 Purpose. 22 The purpose of this chapter is to protect the public 23 health, safety, and welfare by providing for the development, 24 establishment, and enforcement of basic standards for the 25 operation, construction, and maintenance of ambulatory surgical 26 centers. 27 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 135P.3 Licensure. 28 No person or governmental unit, acting severally or jointly 29 with any other person or governmental unit, shall establish, 30 operate, or maintain an ambulatory surgical center in this 31 state without obtaining a license as provided under this 32 chapter. 33 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 135P.4 Application for license —— fee. 34 An ambulatory surgical center license shall be obtained from 35 -1- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 1/ 9
S.F. 2271 the department. Applications for a license shall be upon such 1 forms and shall include such information as the department may 2 reasonably require, which may include affirmative evidence 3 of compliance with this chapter, other statutes, and rules 4 as may be applicable. Each application for license shall be 5 accompanied by the required license fee which shall be credited 6 to the general fund of the state. The initial and annual 7 license fee shall be five hundred dollars. 8 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 135P.5 Issuance and renewal of 9 license. 10 1. Upon receipt of an application for license and the 11 license fee, the department shall issue a license if the 12 applicant and the ambulatory surgical center comply with this 13 chapter and the rules of the department. The department shall 14 renew a license upon payment of the five hundred dollar annual 15 license fee and filing of an application form available from 16 the department. 17 2. A license shall be either general or restricted in form. 18 A license shall be issued only for the premises and persons 19 or governmental units named in the application and is not 20 transferable or assignable except with the written approval of 21 the department. A license shall be posted in a conspicuous 22 place on the licensed premises as prescribed by rule of the 23 department. 24 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 135P.6 Denial, suspension, or 25 revocation of license —— hearings and review. 26 1. The department may deny, suspend, or revoke a license 27 in any case where it finds that there has been a substantial 28 failure to comply with this chapter or the rules or minimum 29 standards adopted pursuant to this chapter. 30 2. The procedure governing notice and hearing to deny 31 an application or suspend or revoke a license shall be in 32 accordance with the rules adopted by the department. A full 33 and complete record shall be kept of the proceedings and of 34 any testimony. The record of any proceeding pursuant to this 35 -2- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 2/ 9
S.F. 2271 section need not be transcribed unless judicial review is 1 sought. A copy or copies of the transcript may be obtained by 2 an interested party on payment of the cost of preparing the 3 copy or copies. 4 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION . 135P.7 Rules. 5 1. The department shall adopt rules setting out the 6 standards for ambulatory surgical centers to be licensed under 7 this chapter. The rules shall be consistent with and not 8 exceed the requirements of this chapter and the conditions 9 for coverage in the federal Medicare program for ambulatory 10 surgical centers under 42 C.F.R. pt. 416. 11 2. The department shall adopt rules to govern the notice 12 and hearing procedure when a license is denied, suspended, or 13 revoked. 14 3. The rules shall require ambulatory surgical centers 15 to report ambulatory data to the department of public health 16 or the designated intermediary for the purpose of public 17 dissemination of health data as initially authorized in 1996 18 Iowa Acts, chapter 1212, section 5, subsection 1, paragraph “a” , 19 subparagraph (4). 20 4. An ambulatory surgical center which is in operation at 21 the time of promulgation of any applicable rules or minimum 22 standards under this chapter shall be given a reasonable time, 23 not to exceed one year from the date of promulgation, within 24 which to comply with such rules and minimum standards. 25 5. The department shall enforce the rules. 26 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 135P.8 Inspections. 27 1. The department shall make or cause to be made inspections 28 or complaint investigations of ambulatory surgical centers as 29 the department deems necessary in order to determine compliance 30 with this chapter and applicable rules. 31 2. The department shall recognize, in lieu of its own 32 licensure inspection, the comparable inspection and inspection 33 findings of a Medicare conditions for coverage survey. 34 3. A department inspector shall not participate in an 35 -3- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 3/ 9
S.F. 2271 inspection or complaint investigation of an ambulatory surgical 1 center in which the inspector or a member of the inspector’s 2 immediate family works or has worked within the last two years 3 or in which the inspector or the inspector’s immediate family 4 has a financial ownership interest. For the purposes of this 5 section, “immediate family member” means a spouse, natural or 6 adoptive parent or grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, 7 stepparent, stepchild, or stepsibling. 8 Sec. 9. NEW SECTION . 135P.9 Employee background checks. 9 1. An ambulatory surgical center shall comply with child or 10 dependent adult abuse information and criminal record checks 11 and evaluations in the same manner as provided in section 12 135B.34. 13 2. An ambulatory surgical center licensed in this state 14 may access the single contact repository established by the 15 department pursuant to section 135C.33 as necessary for the 16 ambulatory surgical center to perform record checks of persons 17 employed or being considered for employment by the ambulatory 18 surgical center. 19 Sec. 10. NEW SECTION . 135P.10 Confidentiality. 20 The department’s final inspection or investigation findings 21 or the final survey findings of an accrediting body, authorized 22 by the department in rule, with respect to compliance by an 23 ambulatory surgical center with requirements for licensing 24 or accreditation shall be made available to the public in a 25 readily available form and place. Other information relating 26 to an ambulatory surgical center obtained by the department 27 which does not constitute the department’s findings from an 28 inspection or investigation of the ambulatory surgical center 29 or the final survey findings of the accrediting body shall 30 not be made available to the public, except in proceedings 31 involving the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license 32 under this chapter. The name of a person who files a complaint 33 with the department shall remain confidential and shall not 34 be subject to discovery, subpoena, or other means of legal 35 -4- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 4/ 9
S.F. 2271 compulsion for its release to a person other than department 1 employees or agents involved in the investigation of the 2 complaint. 3 Sec. 11. NEW SECTION . 135P.11 Judicial review. 4 Judicial review of an action of the department may be sought 5 in accordance with chapter 17A. Notwithstanding the provisions 6 of chapter 17A, petitions for judicial review may be filed 7 in the district court of the county in which the ambulatory 8 surgical center is located or to be located and the status quo 9 of the petitioner or licensee shall be preserved pending final 10 disposition of the judicial review matter. 11 Sec. 12. NEW SECTION . 135P.12 Penalty. 12 Any person establishing, conducting, managing, or operating 13 any ambulatory surgical center without a license commits a 14 serious misdemeanor, and each day of continuing violation after 15 conviction shall be considered a separate offense. 16 Sec. 13. NEW SECTION . 135P.13 Injunction. 17 Notwithstanding the existence or pursuit of any other 18 remedy, the department may, in the manner provided by law, 19 maintain an action in the name of the state for injunction 20 or other process against any person or governmental unit to 21 restrain or prevent the establishment, conduct, management, or 22 operation of an ambulatory surgical center without a license. 23 Sec. 14. WORKGROUP ESTABLISHED —— RULES. The department 24 of public health shall convene a workgroup with stakeholders 25 and a designated intermediary to determine which fields of 26 information will be utilized in the data reporting requirement 27 pursuant to chapter 135P as enacted in this Act. Any rules 28 adopted by the department of public health regarding the 29 data reporting requirements pursuant to section 135P.7, as 30 enacted in this Act, shall reflect the recommendations of the 31 workgroup. 32 Sec. 15. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect July 1, 33 2013. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -5- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 5/ 9
S.F. 2271 This bill relates to ambulatory surgical centers. The 1 bill defines “ambulatory surgical center” as a facility which 2 primarily provides surgical outpatient procedures that are not 3 ordinarily performed in a private physician’s office but do 4 not require 24-hour hospitalization. The bill provides that 5 an “ambulatory surgical center” includes a facility that is 6 certified or is seeking certification as an ambulatory surgical 7 center under the federal Medicare program or under the medical 8 assistance program established pursuant to Code chapter 249A, 9 but does not include a facility operated by a person licensed 10 to practice dentistry. 11 The bill states the purpose of new Code chapter 135P is 12 to protect public health, safety, and welfare by providing 13 basic standards for operating, constructing, and maintaining 14 an ambulatory surgical center. 15 The bill requires that any person or governmental unit 16 acting separately or together that establishes, conducts, or 17 maintains an ambulatory surgical center must have a license as 18 provided under the Code chapter. The person or governmental 19 unit shall obtain a license from the department of inspections 20 and appeals (DIA). The application shall include information 21 that the DIA may reasonably require including affirmative 22 evidence of compliance with new Code chapter 135P, other 23 statutes, and rules. An application must be accompanied by the 24 required initial license fee of $500. An annual license fee is 25 also $500. The license fees are to be credited to the state’s 26 general fund. The bill also provides that the DIA shall issue 27 a license upon receiving an application if the applicant 28 and the ambulatory surgical center comply with Code chapter 29 135P and the rules of the department. A licensee receives 30 reapproval upon payment of the $500 license fee and filing 31 an application form available from the DIA. Licenses are 32 general or restricted in form. A license will be issued only 33 for a premises and persons or governmental units named in the 34 application and the license is not transferable or assignable 35 -6- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 6/ 9
S.F. 2271 without written approval of the DIA. The bill requires that 1 a license be posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed 2 premises as prescribed by department rules. 3 The bill states that the DIA may deny, suspend, or revoke a 4 license when it finds the licensee or applicant substantially 5 failed to comply with Code chapter 135P or rules or minimum 6 standards adopted pursuant to the Code chapter. The bill 7 states that the DIA rules will govern the procedure for notice 8 and hearing to deny an application for a license or to revoke 9 or suspend a license. The bill states a full and complete 10 record of the proceedings shall be kept, but the record does 11 not need to be transcribed unless judicial review is sought. A 12 transcript of the proceeding may be obtained by an interested 13 party on payment of the cost of preparing the copy or copies. 14 The bill provides that the DIA shall adopt rules setting 15 the standards for an ambulatory surgical center to be licensed 16 under the Code chapter. The rules must be consistent with 17 and cannot exceed the requirements of Code chapter 135P or 18 the federal requirements for coverage in the federal Medicare 19 program for ambulatory surgical centers under 42 C.F.R. 20 pt. 416. The DIA must also establish, by rule, the notice 21 and hearing procedure if a license is denied, revoked, or 22 suspended. The DIA must also enforce the rules. The rules 23 established by the DIA shall require ambulatory surgical 24 centers to report ambulatory data to the department of public 25 health or the designated intermediary for purposes of public 26 health dissemination of health data. The bill states that 27 an ambulatory surgical center in operation at the time of 28 promulgation of applicable rules or standards under Code 29 chapter 135P shall be given a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 one year, to comply with the rules and minimum standards. 31 The bill provides for inspections of ambulatory surgical 32 centers. The bill requires the DIA to make, or cause to be 33 made, inspections or complaint investigations as the DIA deems 34 necessary to determine compliance with Code chapter 135P and 35 -7- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 7/ 9
S.F. 2271 the applicable rules. The DIA must recognize the comparable 1 inspection and findings of a Medicare conditions for coverage 2 survey in lieu of the DIA’s own licensure inspection. 3 The DIA inspectors must not participate in an inspection or 4 complaint investigation of an ambulatory surgical center if the 5 inspector or a member of the inspector’s immediate family works 6 or has worked at the ambulatory surgical center within the last 7 two years. A DIA inspector also must not participate in an 8 inspection or complaint investigation of an ambulatory surgical 9 center in which the inspector or the inspector’s immediate 10 family has a financial or ownership interest. 11 The bill provides that an ambulatory surgical center shall 12 comply with abuse and criminal background checks in the same 13 manner as provided in Code section 135B.34. The bill also 14 states that a licensed ambulatory surgical center is allowed to 15 access the single contact repository as is necessary to perform 16 record checks of employees or potential employees. 17 The bill provides for the confidentiality of the DIA records 18 of ambulatory surgical centers. The bill states that the DIA’s 19 final inspection or investigation findings, or survey findings 20 of an accredited body authorized by the DIA rules, regarding 21 an ambulatory surgical center’s compliance with requirements 22 for licensing or accreditation must be made available to the 23 public in a readily available form and place. The bill states 24 that other information acquired by the DIA relating to an 25 ambulatory surgical center shall not be made available to the 26 public except in proceedings involving denial, suspension, 27 or revocation of a license. The bill also provides that the 28 name of a person who files a complaint with the DIA shall 29 remain confidential regardless of means of legal compulsion 30 for its release, other than the release of the name to the DIA 31 employees or agents involved in investigating a complaint. 32 The bill provides that judicial review may be sought 33 pursuant to Code chapter 17A, but petitions for judicial review 34 may be filed in the district court of the county in which the 35 -8- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 8/ 9
S.F. 2271 ambulatory surgical center is located or is to be located, 1 notwithstanding the terms of Code chapter 17A. The bill 2 provides that the status quo of the petitioner or licensee is 3 preserved pending final disposition in court. 4 The bill establishes a penalty for any person establishing, 5 conducting, managing, or operating an ambulatory surgical 6 center without a license. The person is guilty of a serious 7 misdemeanor and each day of the continuing violation after a 8 conviction is a separate offense. 9 The bill provides that the DIA may maintain an action in 10 the name of the state for an injunction or other process 11 against a person or governmental unit to restrain or prevent 12 the establishment, conduct, management, or operation of an 13 unlicensed ambulatory surgical center. 14 The bill establishes a workgroup to recommend which 15 fields of information will be utilized for the data reporting 16 requirement provided in Code chapter 135P. The department of 17 public health shall convene the workgroup with stakeholders 18 and a designated intermediary. The bill requires that any 19 rules adopted by the department of public health regarding 20 the data reporting requirement shall reflect the workgroup’s 21 recommendations. 22 The bill provides that the Act takes effect July 1, 2013. 23 -9- LSB 5348SV (5) 84 ad/nh 9/ 9
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