RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 438 (SB 36) 2019 Regular Session Mills
New law provides legislative intent regarding the need to regulate emergency departments,
to protect the public health and welfare, and to preserve rural hospitals.
New law provides definitions. New law provides that a "rural hospital" means an entity
defined in prior law and may be a hospital that is in a parish with a population of greater than
70,000 but less than 90,000 as of the latest federal decennial census.
New law requires that emergency departments be licensed by the La. Department of Health
(LDH) as part of the main campuses of hospitals or as separate off-site campuses of existing
licensed hospitals.
New law prohibits licensing of freestanding emergency departments in this state.
New law prohibits licensing of hospital off-site campus emergency departments within the
primary service areas of rural hospitals and that for certain rural hospitals the primary service
area shall be coterminous with the boundaries of its hospital service district.
New law shall not apply to a nonprofit hospital licensed by LDH which obtained a building
or construction permit for a new off-site campus or hospital prior to April 1, 2019.
Effective August 1, 2019.
(Adds R.S. 40:2115.31 - 2115.33)