| 1 | 1 | | Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. |
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| 2 | 2 | | *JMB045* 01/16/2025 1:19:06 PM JMB045 |
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| 3 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 5 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1168 3 |
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| 6 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 7 | 7 | | By: Representative L. Johnson 5 |
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| 8 | 8 | | 6 |
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| 9 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 10 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 11 | 11 | | AN ACT TO PROVIDE CRIMINAL IMMUNITY FOR HEALTHCARE 9 |
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| 12 | 12 | | PROFESSIONALS FOR NEGLIGENT ACTS OR OMISSIONS; AND 10 |
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| 13 | 13 | | FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11 |
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| 14 | 14 | | 12 |
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| 15 | 15 | | 13 |
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| 16 | 16 | | Subtitle 14 |
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| 17 | 17 | | TO PROVIDE CRIMINAL IMMUNITY FOR 15 |
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| 18 | 18 | | HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS FOR NEGLIGENT 16 |
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| 19 | 19 | | ACTS OR OMISSIONS. 17 |
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| 20 | 20 | | 18 |
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| 21 | 21 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19 |
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| 22 | 22 | | 20 |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 2, is amended to add an 21 |
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| 24 | 24 | | additional subchapter to read as follows: 22 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Subchapter 7 — Immunity 23 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 24 |
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| 27 | 27 | | 5-2-701. Healthcare professional criminal immunity — Definitions. 25 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (a) As used in this section: 26 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1)(A) “Healthcare facility” means an institution, building, 27 |
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| 30 | 30 | | agency, or a portion of an institution, building, or agency that is used, 28 |
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| 31 | 31 | | operated, or designed to provide healthcare services, medical treatment, 29 |
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| 32 | 32 | | nursing care, rehabilitative care, or preventative care to an individual, 30 |
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| 33 | 33 | | regardless of whether the institution, building, or agency is a private 31 |
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| 34 | 34 | | organization, a public organization, a nonprofit organization, or a for -32 |
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| 35 | 35 | | profit organization. 33 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) “Healthcare facility” includes without limitation: 34 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (i) A hospital; 35 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (ii) A psychiatric hospital; 36 HB1168 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2 01/16/2025 1:19:06 PM JMB045 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (iii) A physical rehabilitation hospital; 1 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (iv) A chemical dependency program; 2 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (v) A nursing facility or nursing home; 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (vi) A personal care home; 4 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (vii) An intermediate care facility; 5 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (viii) An assisted living facility; 6 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (ix) A family care home; 7 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (x) An outpatient clinic; 8 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (xi) An ambulatory surgical facility; 9 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (xii) An ambulance provider; 10 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (xiii) A hospice; 11 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (xiv) A community mental health center; 12 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (xv) A home health agency; 13 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (xvii) A kidney disease treatment center or 14 |
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| 55 | 55 | | freestanding hemodialysis unit; and 15 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (xvii) A facility providing similarly organized 16 |
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| 57 | 57 | | healthcare services regardless of nomenclature; 17 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) "Healthcare professional" means: 18 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (A) An employee of a healthcare facility; or 19 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (B) A person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise 20 |
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| 61 | 61 | | authorized by the laws of this state to administer health care in the 21 |
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| 62 | 62 | | ordinary course of the practice of his or her profession; and 22 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (3) "Healthcare service" means clinically related services 23 |
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| 64 | 64 | | provided within this state to a person, including without limitation 24 |
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| 65 | 65 | | diagnostic, treatment, or rehabilitative services and alcohol, drug abuse, 25 |
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| 66 | 66 | | and mental health services. 26 |
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| 67 | 67 | | (b) A healthcare professional who is providing a healthcare service 27 |
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| 68 | 68 | | and is otherwise lawfully acting is immune from criminal liability for any 28 |
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| 69 | 69 | | harm or damages to the person receiving the healthcare service alleged to 29 |
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| 70 | 70 | | arise from a negligent act or omission related to providing the healthcare 30 |
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| 71 | 71 | | service. 31 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (c) This section does not amend, repeal, or alter any other immunity, 32 |
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| 73 | 73 | | defense, limitation of liability, or procedure available or required under 33 |
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| 74 | 74 | | any other law or contract. 34 |
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| 75 | 75 | | 35 |
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| 76 | 76 | | 36 |
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