SPONSOR: Stinnett
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Emerging Issues by a vote of 12 to 0. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules-Administrative by a vote of 10 to 0.
This bill provides that a "specialty hospital", defined as a hospital that has been designated by the Department of Health and Senior Services as something other than a general acute care hospital, is exempt from two provisions of existing law relating to victims of sexual offenses if the specialty hospital has a policy for the transfer of a victim of a sexual assault to an appropriate hospital with an emergency department.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this bill cleans up current statutory language so that the program can be administered properly. Supporters further say that one of the most frustrating aspects with the current statute is that when a hospital has a policy in place about referring a patient somewhere else, there is no provision requiring the hospital to designate exactly where that somewhere else should be. This leads to inadequate care, higher costs, and patients with much higher levels of stress.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Stinnett; Missouri Hospital Association; and MO Coalition Against Domestic Sexual Violence.
OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: