Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House panel debates hospital admitting-privilege language in surgical abortion bill; proposed mileage change rejected
Summary
On House Bill 42, lawmakers debated amendments about requiring admitting privileges at a nearby hospital for physicians performing surgical abortion in ambulatory surgical centers. Representative Larson Lloyd proposed replacing a 10-mile radius with language requiring privileges at the hospital "closest to the place where the surgery is being
House Bill 42, sponsored by Representative Lawley, would regulate surgical abortion procedures and require that they be performed in ambulatory surgical centers complying with existing statutes. On Jan. 29 Representative Larson Lloyd moved a second-reading amendment to align the bill’s admitting-privilege requirement with existing ambulatory surgical center statutes by removing a 10-mile radius and instead requiring admitting privileges at the hospital closest to the surgical location.
Larson Lloyd said he wanted consistency with existing ambulatory surgical center statutes and explained that statutes already require a surgeon to have hospital admitting privileges; he proposed the amendment to avoid internal statutory inconsistency. Representative Lolli, who has sponsored the bill, said the 10-mile radius was chosen to ensure continuity of care and to prevent situations in which emergency continuity of care is delayed; "continuity of care and emergent care" were cited repeatedly as the amendment’s intent. Representative Clauston and others raised concerns that wording requiring "closest hospital" might be less workable if the closest hospital did not grant privileges. Larson Lloyd acknowledged the practical point and suggested a third-reading tweak might address it.
The House voted on Larson Lloyd’s amendment and it was not adopted (voice vote; transcript records "The amendment has not been adopted"). A separate second-reading amendment from Representative Yen to expand the bill’s scope to cover other uterine procedures that could theoretically induce abortion also failed on a voice vote. The bill as written remained focused on surgical-abortion procedures performed in ambulatory surgical centers and retained the 10-mile definition as originally drafted.
Ending: House Bill 42 proceeded toward third reading without the proposed change to the admitting-privilege language. Lawmakers indicated they may seek technical clarifications on third reading if needed.
