Bill Text: PA SB554 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for use of volunteer time by health care professionals in meeting continuing education requirements.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 17-4)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-17 - Referred to CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE [SB554 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-SB554-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 564
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 554 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, ORIE, PILEGGI, FONTANA, SMUCKER, ERICKSON, FOLMER, RAFFERTY, ALLOWAY, TARTAGLIONE, PIPPY, BOSCOLA, COSTA, BAKER, CORMAN, MENSCH, BRUBAKER, EARLL, WAUGH, VANCE AND WARD, FEBRUARY 17, 2011
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, FEBRUARY 17, 2011
AN ACT
Providing for use of volunteer time by health care professionals
in meeting continuing education requirements.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
Continuing Medical Education Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Community-based health care clinic." A nonprofit health
care center located in this Commonwealth that provides health
care services to low-income and uninsured individuals and meets
either of the following criteria:
(1) serves a federally designated medically underserved
area, a medically underserved population or a health
professional shortage area; or
(2) serves a patient population with a majority of that
population having an income less than 200% of the Federal
poverty income guidelines, including:
(i) A federally qualified health center as defined
in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (49
Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(l)(2)(B)) or a federally
qualified health center look-alike.
(ii) A rural health clinic as defined in section
1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42
U.S.C. § 1395x(aa)(2)), certified by Medicare.
(iii) A hospital health clinic.
(iv) A free or partial-pay health clinic that
provides services by volunteer and nonvolunteer health
care providers.
(v) A nurse-managed health care clinic that is
managed by advanced practice nurses and is associated
with a department of nursing, a federally qualified
health center or an independent nonprofit health or
social services agency.
"Health care professional." A physician, dentist, dental
hygienist, nurse, certified registered nurse practitioner
licensed, certified or registered with the respective licensing
board.
"Licensure board." Includes the following departmental
administrative boards within the Department of State:
(1) The State Board of Medicine.
(2) The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
(3) The State Board of Dentistry.
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(4) The State Board of Nursing.
Section 3. Volunteer continuing education.
Beginning with the licensure period commencing after the
effective date of this act and following written notice by the
appropriate licensure board, health care professionals shall be
permitted to apply volunteer time served in a community-based
health care clinic toward completion of no more than 20% of the
mandatory continuing education hours required by the appropriate
licensure board, except for continuing education required under
section 6 of the act of December 4, 1996 (P.L.893, No.141),
known as the Volunteer Health Services Act. Acceptable
documentation of volunteer hours shall be done in accordance
with policy established by each board. Policies shall be
effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Section 4. Annual report.
The Department of State shall submit a report to the chair
and minority chair of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of
the Senate and the chair and minority chair of the Health
Committee and the chair and minority chair of the Human
Resources Committee of the House of Representatives detailing
the number of health care professionals who have indicated they
have applied volunteer hours served in a community-based health
care clinic, in their renewal application.
Section 20. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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