HB845--SPECIALTYHOSPITALS
SPONSOR: Stinnett
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
EmergingIssuesbyavoteof12to0.
Thisbillprovidesthata"specialtyhospital",definedasa
hospitalthathasbeendesignatedbytheDepartmentofHealthand
SeniorServicesassomethingotherthanageneralacutecare
hospital,isexemptfromtwoprovisionsofexistinglawrelatingto
victimsofsexualoffensesifthespecialtyhospitalhasapolicy
forthetransferofavictimofasexualassaulttoanappropriate
hospitalwithanemergencydepartment.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillcleansupcurrent
statutorylanguagesothattheprogramcanbeadministered
properly. Supportersfurthersaythatoneofthemostfrustrating
aspectswiththecurrentstatuteisthatwhenahospitalhasa
policyinplaceaboutreferringapatientsomewhereelse,thereis
noprovisionrequiringthehospitaltodesignateexactlywherethat
somewhereelseshouldbe.Thisleadstoinadequatecare,higher
costs,andpatientswithmuchhigherlevelsofstress.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Stinnett;
MissouriHospitalAssociation;andMOCoalitionAgainstDomestic
SexualViolence.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.