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Committee approves 14-day requirement for patient records in SB138, citing codification of current practice
Summary
The committee approved SB138 as amended to require that patients be provided requested medical records within 14 days; supporters said it codifies existing practice while one member objected to fixed timing requirements in law.
The House committee voted to report SB138 ought to pass as amended after adopting a short amendment that removed a committee-establishment provision and after approving language that sets a 14-day deadline to produce patient records on request.
Representative McClain said the change simply codifies current practice: "This just, establishes the fact that those records are gonna be provided within 14 days of the request," she said, noting a hospital association letter described that timeframe as existing practice. Representative Pru objected to the 14-day statutory deadline, saying it "is a specification of not only price, but also time" and warned fixed statutory timelines can become outdated and create provider burdens.
The committee first approved amendment number 17-64-H by voice/roll call and then voted to recommend SB138 as amended. The amendment passed unanimously on the first vote (17–0) and the final committee motion to report the bill as amended passed 16–1.
The committee placed SB138 on the consent calendar after the votes. No further appropriations or program changes were tied to the 14-day requirement in the committee record.
Committee members discussed that patient access to records is already recognized in law and that this amendment emphasizes a specific response timeframe. The objection from Representative Pru was recorded and reflected a broader caution among some members about legislating operational timelines without periodic review.
