The bill amends Section 23-17.7.1-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17.7.1, which pertains to the "Licensing of Nursing Service Agencies." The amendment involves changes to the exemptions from the provisions of this chapter. Specifically, the bill proposes to maintain the exemption for nursing service agencies that are exempt from state regulation and for visiting nursing services or home health services that rely exclusively on spiritual means through prayer in accordance with the creed or tenets of a recognized church or religious denomination.
The bill also removes the previous exemption for nursing service agencies that provided temporary staff, such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or nursing assistants, exclusively to one or more hospitals and maintained certification from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations or another accreditation entity acceptable to the director. This deletion means that such agencies would no longer be exempt from licensure. The act is set to take effect upon passage.
Statutes affected: 2819: 23-17.7.1-15