Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6401 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 6401
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7	7	LC002952
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROV IDE
16	16	RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMENTS FOR HEALTHC ARE LIABILITY REFORM
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Craven, Caldwell, and McGaw
18	18	Date Introduced: May 12, 2023
19	19	Referred To: House Judiciary
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22	22	WHEREAS, The health and safety of the public are affected by ready access to quality 1
23	23	healthcare. Presently, the healthcare industry is experiencing unprecedented financial challenges 2
24	24	and historic staffing shortages; and 3
25	25	WHEREAS, The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a total 4
26	26	physician shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 by 2034, which is comprised of a shortage of 5
27	27	between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians and 21,000 and 77,100 non-primary care 6
28	28	specialty physicians; and 7
29	29	WHEREAS, The AAMC concluded that, in 2021, Rhode Island had the seventh lowest 8
30	30	rate of physicians retained from undergraduate medical education and fourth lowest rate of 9
31	31	retention of physicians from graduate medical education in the United States; and 10
32	32	WHEREAS, In the midst of the many challenges limiting healthcare staffing and 11
33	33	retention in Rhode Island, professional liability exposure is rapidly increasing and adversely 12
34	34	impacting the healthcare environment in Rhode Island, eroding the interest of healthcare 13
35	35	professionals to practice their professions in Rhode Island and threatening the financial stability 14
36	36	of Rhode Island hospitals and health systems that provide vital healthcare infrastructure critical to 15
37	37	the health and safety of Rhode Island; now, therefore be it 16
38	38	RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created 17
39	39	consisting of fifteen (15) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the House of 18
40	40	Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the 19
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44	44	Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Hospital Association of Rhode 1
45	45	Island (HARI), to be appointed by the Executive Director of HARI; one of whom shall be the 2
46	46	Director of the Rhode Island Medical Society, or designee; one of whom shall be the designee of 3
47	47	the Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association, to be appointed by of the Director of the 4
48	48	RI Department of Business Regulation; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the 5
49	49	Rhode Island Association for Justice, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of 6
50	50	the Defense Counsel of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the CEO of Lifespan, or 7
51	51	designee; one of whom shall be the President of Care New England Health System, or designee; 8
52	52	one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, or designee; one of 9
53	53	whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations, Division of 10
54	54	Insurance, or designee; and one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Attorney General, or 11
55	55	designee. 12
56	56	In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study 13
57	57	commission, created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a 14
58	58	member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator; provided that, the majority leader or 15
59	59	the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment consents to the 16
60	60	member of the general public. 17
61	61	The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study of the impact of 18
62	62	medical professional liability on the medical workforce and the accessibility of quality healthcare 19
63	63	in Rhode Island and to provide recommendations for amendments and additions to the Rhode 20
64	64	Island General Laws to curtail the negative impact of significant professional liability risk on the 21
65	65	medical workforce and the continued access to healthcare in this State. 22
66	66	Upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at the call of 23
67	67	the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select, from among the legislators, a 24
68	68	Chairperson. 25
69	69	Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 26
70	70	The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. 27
71	71	All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, 28
72	72	documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or 29
73	73	desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 30
74	74	The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters 31
75	75	for said commission; and be it further 32
76	76	RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the 33
77	77	House of Representatives on or before January 15, 2024, and said commission shall expire on 34
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81	81	April 15, 2024. 1
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88	88	EXPLANATION
89	89	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
90	90	OF
91	91	H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
92	92	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE
93	93	RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMENTS FOR HEALTHC ARE LIABILITY REFORM
94	94	***
95	95	This resolution creates a 15 member legislative commission to study and provide 1
96	96	recommendations and annotations for healthcare liability reform in Rhode Island, and would 2
97	97	report back to the House by January 15, 2024, and would expire on April 15, 2024. 3
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