SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2004 SESSION

  • | print version

HB 577 Health professionals; disciplinary proceedings and reporting requirements.

Introduced by: Phillip A. Hamilton | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: (all summaries)

Health professions; disciplinary proceedings. Grants to all health regulatory boards the authority to delegate some informal fact-finding proceedings to an appropriately qualified agency subordinate pursuant to regulations adopted by the relevant board. The bill makes general an existing provision for most health regulatory boards to order a physical or mental examination of a practitioner when he is unable to practice because of excessive use of alcohol or drugs or mental illness, after preliminary investigation by an informal fact-finding proceeding. The bill moves two sections relating to reporting requirements for hospital and other health care institutions and practitioners into the general provisions for health regulatory boards. Both sections are amended to require that the reports be made to the Director of the Department of Health Professions and are made applicable to persons holding the multistate licensure privilege to practice nursing. The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services to report health professionals who may be guilty of fraudulent, unethical or unprofessional conduct. The bill adds an immunity provision for any person who reports regarding the conduct or competency of a health care practitioner as required by law or regulation or provides information pursuant to an investigation or testifying in a judicial or administrative proceeding as a result of such report, unless the person acted in bad faith or with malicious intent. Finally, the bill requires the health regulatory boards to promulgate emergency regulations relating to the delegation of fact-finding proceedings to an agency subordinate.


FULL TEXT

AMENDMENTS

HISTORY