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Committee advances bill to exempt plasma-donation center staff from a unique state clinical licensure
Summary
House Bill 115, advanced by the committee, would remove a Louisiana-specific licensure requirement for certain plasma donation center employees and align state rules with neighboring states, supporters said.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee reported House Bill 115 favorable after testimony that a state licensure requirement for certain plasma center staff creates staffing shortages and is unique among neighboring states.
Representative Joe Stagney, sponsor of HB 115, said the measure “removes any unnecessary regulatory burdens by exempting plasma donation center employees from state licensure requirements” that are unique to Louisiana. Sheila Quinney, center manager at a Grifols plasma donation center in Alexandria, testified the state license can take “6 months or longer” to receive and is causing high turnover and difficulty maintaining staffed operating hours. Quinney said Louisiana’s centers are already regulated by federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.
Quinney said HB 115 would “put Louisiana in line with our neighboring States like Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas” and help 24 centers in Louisiana operate more efficiently. The committee noted one letter of opposition from the Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science was entered into the record; representatives of the Department of Health and Hospitals (LDH) were recorded as supporting the bill. Senator Boudreau moved to report the bill favorable; with no objections the committee reported HB 115 favorable by voice consent.
