Bill Text: NJ A1824 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires suicide prevention continuing education courses for physicians and podiatrists.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee [A1824 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1824-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires suicide prevention continuing education courses for physicians and podiatrists.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning continuing education for physicians and podiatrists and amending P.L.2001, c.307.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 10 of P.L.2001, c.307 (C.45:9-7.1) is amended to read as follows:
10. a. The State Board of Medical Examiners shall require each person licensed as a physician, as a condition for biennial registration pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.236 (C.45:9-6.1), or as a podiatrist, as a condition for biennial registration pursuant to R.S.45:5-9, to complete 100 credits of continuing medical education, all of which shall be in Category I or Category II as defined in subsection i. of this section and 10 credits of which shall be educational programs or topics related to suicide prevention.
b. The board shall:
(1) Establish standards for continuing medical education, including the subject matter and content of courses of study;
(2) Accredit education programs offering credit toward continuing medical education requirements or recognize national or State organizations that may accredit education programs;
(3) Allow satisfaction of continuing medical education requirements through equivalent educational programs, such as participation in accredited graduate medical education programs, examinations, papers, publications, scientific presentations, teaching and research appointments and scientific exhibits, and establish procedures for the issuance of credit upon satisfactory proof of attainment of these equivalent educational programs;
(4) Create an advisory committee to be comprised of at least five members, including representatives of the Medical Society of New Jersey, the Academy of Medicine of New Jersey, the New Jersey [Osteopathic] Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, the New Jersey Podiatric Medical Association and such other professional societies and associations as the board may identify, to provide guidance to the board in discharging its responsibilities pursuant to this section; and
(5) Delineate, through the promulgation of regulations, any specific courses or topics which, on the recommendation of the advisory committee created pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection and in the discretion of the board, are to be required.
c. Each hour of an educational course or program shall be equivalent to one credit of continuing medical education.
d. The board may, in its discretion, waive requirements for continuing medical education on an individual basis for reasons of hardship such as illness or disability, retirement of license, or other good cause. A waiver shall apply only to the current biennial renewal period at the time of board issuance.
e. The board shall not require completion of continuing medical education credits for any registration period commencing within 12 months of the effective date of this section.
f. The board shall require completion of medical education credits on a pro-rated basis for any registration period commencing more than 12 months but less than 24 months from the effective date of this section.
g. The board shall require new licensees to successfully complete, within 24 months of becoming licensed, an orientation course, in those topics identified by the board through regulation, conducted by an organization recognized by the board.
h. The board shall not require a new licensee to complete required continuing medical education credits, other than the orientation course described in subsection g. of this section, for any registration period commencing within 12 months of the licensee's participation in and completion of an accredited graduate medical education program.
i. As used in this section, "Category I and Category II" means those categories of medical education courses recognized by the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education or other comparable organizations recognized by the board.
(cf: P.L.2001, c.307, s.10)
2. This act shall take effect on the 365th day following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each person licensed as a physician, as a condition for biennial registration, to complete 10 hours of continuing education credits in suicide prevention. Currently, the State Board of Medical Examiners requires each physician to complete 100 credits of continuing medical education, all of which shall be in Category I or Category II as a condition for biennial registration. This bill would not increase the total number of credits required, but would require 10 of the 100 credits be related to suicide prevention courses.
