2019 -- H 5573

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LC001788

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ABUSE IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, Jacquard, Edwards, Diaz, and Shanley

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2019

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     (Dept. of Elderly Affairs)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 23-17.8-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17.8 entitled "Abuse

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in Health Care Facilities" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-17.8-2. Duty to report.

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     (a) Any physician, physician assistant, medical intern, registered nurse, licensed practical

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nurse, nurse's aide, orderly, certified nursing assistant, medical examiner, dentist, optometrist,

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optician, chiropractor, podiatrist, coroner, police officer, probation officer, emergency medical

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technician, fire-fighter, speech pathologist, audiologist, social worker, pharmacist, physical or

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occupational therapist, or health officer, or any person, within the scope of their employment at a

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facility or in their professional capacity, who has knowledge of or reasonable cause to believe that

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a patient or resident in a facility has been abused, mistreated, or neglected, either while in the

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facility or prior to being admitted, shall make, within twenty-four (24) hours or by the end of the

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next business day, a telephone report to the director of the department of health or his or her

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designee for those incidents involving health care facilities, and in addition to the office of the

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state long-term care ombudsperson for those incidents involving nursing facilities, assisted living

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residences, home-care and home nursing-care providers, veterans' homes and long-term care units

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in Eleanor Slater Hospital, or to the director of the department of behavioral healthcare,

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developmental disabilities and hospitals or his or her designee for those incidents involving

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community residences for people who are mentally retarded or persons with developmental

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disabilities or the director of the division on elderly affairs for individuals aged sixty (60) years or

 

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older. The report shall contain:

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     (1) The name, address, telephone number, occupation, and employer's address and the

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phone number of the person reporting;

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     (2) The name and address of the patient or resident who is believed to be the victim of the

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abuse, mistreatment, or neglect;

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     (3) The details, observations, and beliefs concerning the incident(s);

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     (4) Any statements regarding the incident made by the patient or resident and to whom

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they were made;

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     (5) The date, time, and place of the incident;

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     (6) The name of any individual(s) believed to have knowledge of the incident;

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     (7) The name of any individual(s) believed to have been responsible for the incident;

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     (8) The name of the individual’s caregiver, if known;

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     (9) Any medical treatment being received if immediately required and need to coordinate

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care, if known;

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     (10) Any other information the reporter believes relevant to the investigation; and

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     (11) The name and address of the reporter and where the reporter can be contacted. The

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reporter's identity shall remain confidential unless disclosure is consented to by the reporter or by

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court order.

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     (b) In addition to those persons required to report pursuant to this section, any other

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person may make a report if that person has reasonable cause to believe that a patient or resident

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of a facility has been abused, mistreated, or neglected. Additional provisions for the reporting of

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abuse of individuals regardless of where they reside in the community are set forth in § 42-66-8.

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     (c) Any person required to make a report pursuant to this section shall be deemed to have

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complied with these requirements if a report is made to a high managerial agent of the facility in

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which the alleged incident occurred. Once notified, the high managerial agent shall be required to

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meet all reporting requirements of this section within the time frames specified by this chapter.

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     (d) Telephone reports made pursuant to subsection (a) this section shall be followed-up

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within three (3) business days with a written report.

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     (e) Individuals required to report pursuant to this section shall, whenever practical and if

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known, provide the division of elderly affairs twenty-four (24) hour notice of the discharge from

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a facility, of any person subject to abuse or neglect and shall include any relevant address and

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telephone number(s).

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     (f) No person required to report pursuant to this section shall be liable in any civil or

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criminal action by reason of the report; provided, however, that the person did not perpetrate,

 

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inflict or cause the abuse. No employer or supervisor may discharge, demote, transfer, reduce

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pay, benefits or work privileges, prepare a negative work performance evaluation, or take any

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other action detrimental to an employee or supervisee who files a report in accordance with the

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provisions of this section by reason of the report.

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     SECTION 2. Section 42-66-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-66 entitled "Elderly

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Affairs Department" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-66-8. Abuse, neglect, exploitation and self-neglect of elderly persons -- Duty to

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report.

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     (a) Any person who has reasonable cause to believe that any person sixty (60) years of

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age or older has been abused, neglected, or exploited, or is self-neglecting, shall make an

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immediate report to the director of the department division of elderly affairs, or his or her

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designee, or and appropriate law enforcement personnel. This section applies to any person sixty

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(60) years of age or older regardless of where he or she lives in the community.

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     (b) Any physician, physician assistant, medical intern, registered nurse, licensed practical

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nurse, nurse's aide, orderly, certified nursing assistant, medical examiner, dentist, optometrist,

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optician, chiropractor, podiatrist, coroner, police officer, probation officer ,emergency medical

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technician, firefighter, speech pathologist, audiologist, social worker, pharmacist, physical or

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occupational therapist, or health officer, who has reasonable cause to believe that any person sixty

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(60) years of age or older has been abused, neglected, or exploited, or is self-neglecting, shall

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make an immediate report to the director of the division of elderly affairs, or designee, and

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appropriate law enforcement personnel. This section applies to any person sixty (60) years of age

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or older regardless of where he or she lives in the community. Reporting requirements relating to

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individuals in health care facilities are further set forth in § 23-17.8-2. The report pursuant to this

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section shall contain:

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     (1) The name, address, telephone number, occupation, and employer's address and the

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phone number of the person reporting;

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     (2) The name and address of the patient or resident who is believed to be the victim of the

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abuse, mistreatment, or neglect;

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     (3) The details, observations, and beliefs concerning the incident(s);

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     (4) Any statements regarding the incident made by the patient or resident and to whom

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they were made;

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     (5) The date, time, and place of the incident;

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     (6) The name of any individual(s) believed to have knowledge of the incident;

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     (7) The name of any individual(s) believed to have been responsible for the incident;

 

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     (8) The name of the individual’s caretaker, if known;

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     (9) Any medical treatment being received if immediately required and need to coordinate

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care, if known;

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     (10) Any other information the reporter believes relevant to the investigation; and

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     (11) The name and address of the reporter and where the reporter can be contacted.

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Reporter's identity shall remain confidential unless disclosure is consented to by the reporter or

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by court order.

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     (c) Individuals required to report pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of this

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section shall, whenever practical and if known, provide twenty-four (24) hour notice of discharge

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to the department and shall include the address and telephone number of the individual being

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discharged.

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     (d) In cases of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, any person who fails to make the report

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shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). Nothing in this

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section shall require an elder who is a victim of abuse, neglect, exploitation or who is self-

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neglecting, to make a report regarding such abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect to the

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director or his or her designee or appropriate law enforcement personnel.

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     (e) No person required to report pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be liable

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in any civil or criminal action by reason of the report; provided, however, that such person did not

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perpetrate, inflict or cause said abuse. No employer or supervisor may discharge, demote,

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transfer, reduce pay, benefits or work privileges, prepare a negative work performance evaluation,

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or take any other action detrimental to an employee or supervisee who files a report in accordance

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with the provisions of this section by reason of such report.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ABUSE IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

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     This act would expand the duty to report abuse in health care facilities to physician

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assistants and probation officers. It would expand the contents of any report to include additional

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relevant information and would include certain reporting requirements in the elderly affairs

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departments duty to report abuse of elderly requirement.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001788

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