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House committee adopts substitute for bill expanding hospital investment authority, approves ambulance and home‑health cleanup amendments
Summary
The House Committee on Health and Mental Health on a 17-0 vote adopted a substitute to House Bill 943 that extends investment authority to municipal and district hospitals and rolled in amendments addressing ambulance district community paramedic language and home‑health continuity of care.
The House Committee on Health and Mental Health on a unanimous voice vote adopted a substitute for House Bill 943 after debate on investment authority for hospitals and language affecting ambulance districts and home‑health agencies.
The committee, chaired by Representative Stinnett, voted 17‑0 to report the House Committee substitute for House Bill 943 “do pass” after first adopting House Committee Amendment Number 1 and then rolling that amendment into a new substitute.
The primary change discussed would extend investment authorities that the legislature granted to county hospitals last year to municipal and district hospitals, allowing those hospitals the same expanded investment opportunities. Representative Peters, who said she carried a similar bill last year, told the committee the substitute “just includes all of those” hospitals and is intended to allow municipal and district hospitals the same options county hospitals already have.
Committee members pressed for clarity on which hospitals would be affected. Representative Hayden asked whether the change would reach many facilities and noted rural hospitals could be among them; Peters read a list of cities whose hospitals would be covered, including Sedalia, Nevada, Kansas City, Excelsior Springs, Clinton, Liberty, Bolivar, Appleton City, Memphis, Bethany, Herman, Salem and Pilot Knob.
The substitute also folded in two other components discussed at the hearing. Representatives and witnesses described one as a “cleanup” requested by ambulance districts concerning community paramedic programs. Representative Peters offered an amendment (ending in 0.04h) that kept existing statutory language for a portion of the omnibus health bill after home‑health providers raised continuity‑of‑care concerns. Peters said the amendment “is only allowing the current language” to remain rather than striking it.
Brent Hemphill of the Missouri Ambulance Association explained that ambulance districts retain territorial areas and that community paramedic programs are non‑emergency services; under the amendment, if a district does not offer a community paramedic program, another district may operate such a program with notice to the affected district. Hemphill said: “Community paramedic is something completely different. It is purely a non emergency service.”
After discussion the committee adopted the amendment, then the new substitute, and voted the substitute “do pass.” The clerk called the roll; members recorded ayes from Stinnett, Hayden, Applebaum, Bosley, Bush, Keaton, Dolan, Dahl, Bogle, Griffith, Harvison, Haruza, Kelly, Loevinger, Peters, Schmidt and Whitley. The clerk announced: “By your vote of 17 ayes and 0 no's, you have voted House Committee substitute for House Bill 943 do pass.”
The chair moved on to other bills after the committee completed its actions on HB 943.
Votes at a glance House Committee substitute for House Bill 943 — adopted, committee vote 17‑0 (ayes listed during roll call).
