Sponsored by:
Senator JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires physicians and certain hospital employees to complete training on communication with and treatment of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and supplementing Titles 26 and 45 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The State Board of Medical Examiners shall require that the number of credits of continuing medical education required of each person licensed as a physician, as a condition of biennial registration pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.236 (C.45:9-6.1), include one credit of educational programs or topics concerning communication with and treatment of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. The educational programs and topics shall meet the requirements for a training program set forth in subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2021, c.79 (C.26:2H-12.108). The continuing medical education requirement in this section shall be subject to the provisions of section 10 of P.L.2001, c.307 (C.45:9-7.1).
2. The Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services shall create a dedicated training and outreach unit to develop and administer a training program on communication with and treatment of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing for individuals who work in the emergency department of a general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).
3. In consultation with the Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services, the emergency department of a general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) shall develop a training protocol on proper communication and treatment of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing for employees who may interact with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing during the course of employment in the emergency department.
4. This act shall take effect 90 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires physicians and certain hospital employees to complete training on communication with and treatment of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Under the bill, the State Board of Medical Examiners is to require that the number of credits of continuing medical education required of each person licensed as a physician include one credit of educational programs or topics concerning communication with and treatment of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The bill provides that the Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services is to create a dedicated training and outreach unit to develop and administer a training program on communication with and treatment of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing for individuals who work in the emergency department of a general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.). In consultation with the Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services, the emergency department of a general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) is to develop a training protocol on proper communication and treatment of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing for employees who may interact with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing during the course of employment in the emergency department.