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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 539
BY SENATORS NEVERS, BUFFINGTON, DORSEY-COLOMB AND ERDEY AND
REPRESENTATIVES BARROW, STUART BISHOP, WESLEY
BISHOP, BROADWATER, HENRY BURNS, BURRELL, CARMODY,
CONNICK, COX, GAROFALO, GISCLAIR, GUILLORY, GUINN,
HARRISON, HILL, HOWARD, HUNTER, I VEY, JAMES,
JEFFERSON, NANCY LANDRY, NORTON, POPE, PRICE, PYLANT,
REYNOLDS, RICHARD, RITCHIE, SIMON, SMITH, ST. GERMAIN,
STOKES, THIERRY, THOMPSON, AL FRED WILLIAMS,
WILLMOTT AND WOODRUFF
AN ACT1
To enact Chapter 1-B of Title 37 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised2
of R.S. 37:24 through 27, relative to suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and3
management training for certain professionals; to provide relative to the Department4
of Health and Hospitals posting on the department's official website a link to these5
training programs; to provide relative to continuing education; to provide for certain6
definitions, terms, conditions, and procedures; to provide for interpretation and7
construction of laws; and to provide for related matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. Chapter 1-B of Title 37 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,10
comprised of R.S. 37:24 through 27, is hereby enacted to read as follows: 11
CHAPTER 1-B. SUICIDE ASSESSMENT, INTERVENTION, TREATMENT,12
AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING13
§24. Licensing provisions; professionals14
A. In recognition of the state of Louisiana's goal in reducing the number15
of suicides and suicide attempts each year in Louisiana, beginning January 1,16
2015, the Department of Health and Hospitals shall offer each of the following17
professionals certified, licensed, or registered in Louisiana access to a list of18
certain training programs in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and19
management through posting links to such training on the department's official20
website:21
ACT No. 582 SB NO. 539 ENROLLED
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(1) A mental health counselor certified or licensed under R.S. 37:11011
et seq.2
(2) A social worker certified or licensed under R.S. 37:2701 et seq.3
(3) A psychiatrist and any other physician certified or licensed under4
R.S. 37:1261 et seq.5
(4) A psychologist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:2351 et seq.6
(5) A medical psychologist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1360.517
et seq.8
(6) A nurse certified or licensed under R.S. 37:911 et seq.9
(7) A physician assistant certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1360.21 et10
seq.11
(8) An addiction counselor certified or licensed under R.S. 37:3386 et12
seq.13
B. The training programs and corresponding links included in the online14
list by the department under this Chapter may be offered in either continuous15
multi-hour blocks or spread over shorter training sessions.16
§25. Continuing education17
A. The disciplining authorities over the professions listed in R.S.18
37:24(A), at each board's discretion, may approve the hours spent completing19
training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management under20
this Chapter as hours that may count toward meeting any applicable continuing21
education or continuing competency requirements for each profession.22
B. Obtaining any training listed or linked via department website links23
under this Chapter shall not be construed to establish a legal basis for24
negligence or the standard of care or duty of care owed by a health care25
professional to a patient in any civil action for medical malpractice.26
C. The department shall be immune from civil liability for the27
development and posting of the list of available programs providing training in28
suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management.29
§26. Model list of training programs; development; interpretation and30 SB NO. 539 ENROLLED
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construction of Chapter1
A. The secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals shall2
develop a list of available programs providing training in suicide assessment,3
intervention, treatment, and management. In developing such a list, the4
secretary shall consider the suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and5
management training programs listed on the best practices registry of the6
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Suicide Prevention7
Resource Center.8
B. On or before January 1, 2015, the secretary shall make available on9
the department's official website online access to its list developed under this10
Section and, where possible, links to training programs on the department's list.11
At the secretary's discretion, the department may also list on its official website12
where and when such training programs may be available for attendance in13
person in the state of Louisiana. At the discretion of each board, the14
disciplining authorities may provide links on their official board websites to the15
training programs linked on the department's official website.16
C. Nothing in this Chapter may be interpreted to expand or limit the17
scope of practice of any profession regulated under Title 37 of the Louisiana18
Revised Statutes of 1950.19
D. Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to require the department20
to develop training programs or curriculums or to create online training21
programs.22
§27. Definitions23
As used in this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:24
(1) "Department" means the Department of Health and Hospitals.25
(2) "Disciplining authority" means the specific professional licensing or26
certifying board that is referenced by statute in R.S. 37:24(A) as certifying or27
licensing each profession included in the training access offered under this28
Chapter.29
(3) "Training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and30 SB NO. 539 ENROLLED
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management" means empirically supported training that contains the following1
elements: suicide assessment, including screening and referral, suicide2
intervention, suicide treatment, and suicide management.3
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: