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Committee adjusts S 193 amendment to require doctors be "available" rather than on-site 24/7
Summary
Senator Benson described a change in S 193 that removes language requiring a doctor to be physically present 24/7 at certain facilities and instead requires doctors to be available 24/7 when individual patient programs demand in-person coverage; the committee noted draft 4.1 contains the revised language on page 2, lines 8–10.
The Senate Institutions committee moved on to an amendment to S 193 and discussed a change made that morning to on-site medical-staffing language.
Senator Benson told the committee the earlier draft had required a doctor to be "present 24 hours a day" in some facilities; the revised language replaces the on-site requirement with an availability standard. "[W]e changed that so that they would be available 24 hours a day, but not necessarily on-site 24 hours a day," Benson said, explaining the amendment would require a doctor to be available when a patient’s individualized program demands in-person physician care but would not force continuous physical presence when it is not needed.
Committee members also discussed a related requirement that a registered nurse provide 24-hour care to transferred patients; one member noted the new draft (4.1) shows this change on page 2, lines 8–10 and suggested waiting for a clarifying draft that will be provided at 2:30 p.m. before taking further action.
What happens next: committee staff will circulate the updated draft and the committee will consider the finalized language when the sponsor and agency witnesses are available to answer implementation questions.
