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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1321 By: McCall of the House
and
Haste of the Senate
An Act relating to emergency room services; creating
the Rural Emergency Room Access to Care and
Facilities Improvements Act; authorizing citation;
providing legislative findings; creating the Rural
Emergency Room Access to Care and Facilities
Improvements Revolving Fund; assigning the Fund to
the State Department of Health; establishing fund
characteristics; authorizing and limiting the
utilization of depos its; defining terms; authorizing
the awarding of grants to certain hospitals; limiting
amounts of awards based on provided criteria;
limiting grant awards to certain balance; author izing
the promulgation of rules; providing for
noncodification; providing for codification;
providing an effective date; and declaring an
emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads a s follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Rural
Emergency Room Access to Care and Facilities Improvements Act".
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B. The Legislature hereby finds that access to reliable,
adequate, and available emergency room care throughout the state is
beneficial to the state and its citizens and must be secured.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-2740 of Title 63, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, rea ds as follows:
A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving
fund for the State Department of Health to be designated the "Rural
Emergency Room Access to Care and Facilities Improvements Revolving
Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund , not subject to fiscal
year limitations, and shall consist of all monies legally directed
for deposit to the fund. All monies accruing to the credit of said
fund are hereby approp riated and may be bud geted and expended by the
State Department of Health for the purpose of providing grants to
qualifying facilities in accordance with the provisions and
limitations of subsections C and D of this section. Expenditures
from said fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
Treasurer against claims file d as prescribed by law with the
Director of the Office of Management and Enter prise Services for
approval and payment.
B. As used in the Rural Emergency Room Access to Care and
Facilities Improvements Act:
1. "Qualifying facilities " means a hospital located in a county
with a population less than 50,000 as reported in the most recent
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Federal Decennial Census published by the United States Census
Bureau; and
2. "Qualified emergency room physician" means a board-certified
emergency room physician.
C. From any available, unencumbered balance in the Rural
Emergency Room Access to Care and Facilities Improvements Revolving
Fund, the State Departme nt of Health is authorized to award gra nts
to qualifying hospitals as follows:
1. For qualifying hospitals staffing qualified emergency room
physicians at least fifty percent (50%) of facility's operating
hours, an annual grant amount shall not exceed One Million Dollars
($1,000,000.00); and
2. For qualifying hospitals staffing qualif ied emergency room
physicians for less than fifty percent (50%) of facility operating
hours, an annual grant amount shall not exceed Five Hundred Thousand
Dollars ($500,000.00).
D. No grant shall be awarded or paid under the provisions of
this act that would exceed the available , unencumbered balance of
the Rural Emergency Room Access to Care and Facilities Improvements
Act.
E. The State Depart ment of Health may promulgate rules as
needed to implement the provisi ons of the Rural Emergency Room
Access to Care and Facilities Improvements Act.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
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SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, h ealth or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereo f this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the House of Representatives the 22nd day of March, 2023.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2023.
Presiding Officer of the Senate