SECOND REGULAR SESSION
93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BEHNEN.
Read 1st time February 2, 2006 and copies ordered printed.
STEPHEN S. DAVIS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 335.066, 383.130, 383.133, and 610.120, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof four new sections relating to disciplinary actions for certain professions and their records.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 335.066, 383.130, 383.133, and 610.120, RSMo, are repealed and four new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 335.066, 383.130, 383.133, and 610.120, to read as follows:
335.066. 1. The board may refuse to issue any certificate of registration or authority, permit or license required pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096 for one or any combination of causes stated in subsection 2 of this section. The board shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the refusal and shall advise the applicant of his or her right to file a complaint with the administrative hearing commission as provided by chapter 621, RSMo.
2. The board may cause a complaint to be filed with the administrative hearing commission as provided by chapter 621, RSMo, against any holder of any certificate of registration or authority, permit or license required by sections 335.011 to 335.096 or any person who has failed to renew or has surrendered his or her certificate of registration or authority, permit or license for any one or any combination of the following causes:
(1) Use or unlawful possession of any controlled substance, as defined in chapter 195, RSMo, or alcoholic beverage to an extent that such use impairs a person's ability to perform the work of any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096;
(2) The person has been finally adjudicated and found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in a criminal prosecution pursuant to the laws of any state or of the United States, for any offense reasonably related to the qualifications, functions or duties of any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096, for any offense an essential element of which is fraud, dishonesty or an act of violence, or for any offense involving moral turpitude, whether or not sentence is imposed;
(3) Use of fraud, deception, misrepresentation or bribery in securing any certificate of registration or authority, permit or license issued pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096 or in obtaining permission to take any examination given or required pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096;
(4) Obtaining or attempting to obtain any fee, charge, tuition or other compensation by fraud, deception or misrepresentation;
(5) Incompetency, misconduct, gross negligence, fraud, misrepresentation or dishonesty in the performance of the functions or duties of any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096;
(6) Violation of, or assisting or enabling any person to violate, any provision of sections 335.011 to 335.096, or of any lawful rule or regulation adopted pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096;
(7) Impersonation of any person holding a certificate of registration or authority, permit or license or allowing any person to use his or her certificate of registration or authority, permit, license or diploma from any school;
(8) Disciplinary action against the holder of a license or other right to practice any profession regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096 granted by another state, territory, federal agency or country upon grounds for which revocation or suspension is authorized in this state;
(9) A person is finally adjudged insane or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction;
(10) Assisting or enabling any person to practice or offer to practice any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096 who is not registered and currently eligible to practice pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096;
(11) Issuance of a certificate of registration or authority, permit or license based upon a material mistake of fact;
(12) Violation of any professional trust or confidence;
(13) Use of any advertisement or solicitation which is false, misleading or deceptive to the general public or persons to whom the advertisement or solicitation is primarily directed;
(14) Violation of the drug laws or rules and regulations of this state, any other state or the federal government;
(15) Placement on an employee disqualification list or other related restriction or finding pertaining to employment within a health-related profession issued by any state or federal government or agency following final disposition by such state or federal government or agency.
3. After the filing of such complaint, the proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 621, RSMo. Upon a finding by the administrative hearing commission that the grounds, provided in subsection 2 of this section, for disciplinary action are met, the board may, singly or in combination, censure or place the person named in the complaint on probation on such terms and conditions as the board deems appropriate for a period not to exceed five years, or may suspend, for a period not to exceed three years, or revoke the license, certificate, or permit.
4. An individual whose license has been revoked shall wait one year from the date of revocation to apply for relicensure. Relicensure shall be at the discretion of the board after compliance with all the requirements of sections 335.011 to 335.096 relative to the licensing of an applicant for the first time.
5. The board may notify the proper licensing authority of any other state concerning the final disciplinary action determined by the board on a license in which the person whose license was suspended or revoked was also licensed of the suspension or revocation.
6. Any person, organization, association or corporation who reports or provides information to the board of nursing pursuant to the provisions of sections 335.011 to 335.259 and who does so in good faith shall not be subject to an action for civil damages as a result thereof.
7. If the board concludes that a nurse has committed an act or is engaging in a course of conduct which would be grounds for disciplinary action which constitutes a clear and present danger to the public health and safety, the board may file a complaint before the administrative hearing commission requesting an expedited hearing and specifying the activities which give rise to the danger and the nature of the proposed restriction or suspension of the nurse's license. Within fifteen days after service of the complaint on the nurse, the administrative hearing commission shall conduct a preliminary hearing to determine whether the alleged activities of the nurse appear to constitute a clear and present danger to the public health and safety which justify that the nurse's license be immediately restricted or suspended. The burden of proving that a nurse is a clear and present danger to the public health and safety shall be upon the state board of nursing. The administrative hearing commission shall issue its decision immediately after the hearing and shall either grant to the board the authority to suspend or restrict the license or dismiss the action.
8. If the administrative hearing commission grants temporary authority to the board to restrict or suspend the nurse's license, such temporary authority of the board shall become final authority if there is no request by the nurse for a full hearing within thirty days of the preliminary hearing. The administrative hearing commission shall, if requested by the nurse named in the complaint, set a date to hold a full hearing under the provisions of chapter 621, RSMo, regarding the activities alleged in the initial complaint filed by the board.
9. If the administrative hearing commission dismisses the action filed by the board under subsection 4 of this section, such dismissal shall not bar the board from initiating a subsequent action on the same grounds.
10. If at any time after disciplinary sanctions have been imposed upon the license of any person who holds a professional license, permit, certificate, or registration of authority under this chapter, the board finds that the licensee, registrant, or permitee has violated any disciplinary term previously imposed or agreed to under settlement and the licensee has failed to keep the Missouri state board of nursing advised of his or her current place of business and residence, then the matter will be considered as a default case and the board shall inform the licensee in writing that if he or she fails to file an answer such default will be taken against the licensee and the board may impose such additional discipline as it would be authorized to impose in an initial disciplinary hearing. In a case of default, the respondent will be deemed to have admitted all the factual allegations in the formal charges. The board of nursing must serve notice of the hearing by certified, return receipt requested mail and by regular mail to the licensee at the licensee's last known address as listed with the board and publish notice of the hearing in a local newspaper of general circulation available in the area of the licensee's last known address at least ten days prior to the hearing.
383.130. As used in sections 383.130, 383.133 and 383.500, the following terms shall mean:
(1) "Disciplinary action", any final action taken by the board of trustees or similarly empowered officials of a hospital, home health agency, or ambulatory surgical center as such terms are defined in chapter 197, RSMo, or any nursing facility, as such term is defined in chapter 198, RSMo, or any entity that employs or contracts with licensed health care professionals to provide services to individuals or to any hospital, home health agency, ambulatory surgical center, or nursing facility to reprimand, discipline or restrict the practice of a health care professional. [If the health care professional is a physician or surgeon,] Only such reprimands, discipline, or restrictions in response to activities which are also grounds for disciplinary actions [pursuant to section 334.100, RSMo,] according to the professional licensing law for that health care professional shall be considered disciplinary actions for the purposes of this definition[. If the health care professional is a dentist, only such reprimands, discipline, or restrictions in response to activities which are also grounds for disciplinary actions pursuant to section 332.321, RSMo, shall be considered disciplinary actions for the purposes of this definition];
(2) "Health care professional", a physician or surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 334, RSMo, a dentist licensed under the provisions of chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist licensed under the provisions of chapter 330, RSMo, or a pharmacist licensed under the provisions of chapter 338, RSMo, a psychologist licensed under the provisions of chapter 337, RSMo, or a nurse licensed under the provisions of chapter 335, RSMo, while acting within their scope of practice;
(3) "Hospital", a place devoted primarily to the maintenance and operation of facilities for the diagnosis, treatment or care for not less than twenty-four hours in any week of three or more nonrelated individuals suffering from illness, disease, injury, deformity or other abnormal physical conditions; or a place devoted primarily to provide for not less than twenty-four hours in any week medical or nursing care for three or more nonrelated individuals. The term "hospital" does not include convalescent, nursing, shelter or boarding homes as defined in chapter 198, RSMo;
(4) "Licensing authority", the appropriate board or authority which is responsible for the licensing or regulation of the health care professional.
383.133. 1. [Beginning on January 1, 1987,] The chief executive officer or similarly empowered official of any hospital, home health agency, or ambulatory surgical center, as such [term is] terms are defined in [section 197.200,] chapter 197, RSMo, any nursing facility, as such term is defined in chapter 198, RSMo, or any entity that employs or contracts with licensed health care professionals to provide services to individuals or to any hospital, home health agency, ambulatory surgical center, or nursing facility shall report to the appropriate health care professional licensing authority any disciplinary action against any health care professional or the voluntary resignation of any health care professional against whom any complaints or reports have been made which might have led to disciplinary action.
2. All reports required by this section shall be submitted within fifteen days of the final disciplinary action and shall contain, but need not be limited to, the following information:
(1) The name, address and telephone number of the person making the report;
(2) The name, address and telephone number of the person who is the subject of the report;
(3) A brief description of the facts which gave rise to the issuance of the report, including the dates of occurrence deemed to necessitate the filing of the report;
(4) If court action is involved and known to the reporting agent, the identity of the court, including the date of filing and the docket number of the action.
3. Upon request, the licensing authority may furnish a report of any disciplinary action received by it under the provisions of this section to any [of the hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers] entity required to report under this section. Such licensing authority may also furnish, upon request, a report of disciplinary action taken by the licensing authority to any other administrative or law enforcement agency acting within the scope of its statutory authority.
4. There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action of any nature shall arise against any health care professional licensing authority or any [hospital or ambulatory surgical center] entity required to report under this section, or any of their agents or employees for any action taken in good faith and without malice in carrying out the provisions of this section.
5. Neither a report required to be filed under subsection 2 of this section nor the record of any proceeding shall be used against a health care professional in any other administrative or judicial proceeding.
6. Violation of any provision of this section is an infraction.
610.120. 1. Records required to be closed shall not be destroyed; they shall be inaccessible to the general public and to all persons other than the defendant except as provided in this section and section 43.507, RSMo. The closed records shall be available to: criminal justice agencies for the administration of criminal justice pursuant to section 43.500, RSMo, criminal justice employment, screening persons with access to criminal justice facilities, procedures, and sensitive information; to law enforcement agencies for issuance or renewal of a license, permit, certification, or registration of authority from such agency including but not limited to watchmen, security personnel, private investigators, and persons seeking permits to purchase or possess a firearm; those agencies authorized by section 43.543, RSMo, to submit and when submitting fingerprints to the central repository; the sentencing advisory commission created in section 558.019, RSMo, for the purpose of studying sentencing practices in accordance with section 43.507, RSMo; to qualified entities for the purpose of screening providers defined in section 43.540, RSMo; the department of revenue for driver license administration; the division of professional registration, the division of workers' compensation for the purposes of determining eligibility for crime victims' compensation pursuant to sections 595.010 to 595.075, RSMo, department of health and senior services for the purpose of licensing and regulating facilities and regulating in-home services provider agencies and federal agencies for purposes of criminal justice administration, criminal justice employment, child, elderly, or disabled care, and for such investigative purposes as authorized by law or presidential executive order.
2. These records shall be made available only for the purposes and to the entities listed in this section. A criminal justice agency receiving a request for criminal history information under its control may require positive identification, to include fingerprints of the subject of the record search, prior to releasing closed record information. Dissemination of closed and open records from the Missouri criminal records repository shall be in accordance with section 43.509, RSMo. All records which are closed records shall be removed from the records of the courts, administrative agencies, and law enforcement agencies which are available to the public and shall be kept in separate records which are to be held confidential and, where possible, pages of the public record shall be retyped or rewritten omitting those portions of the record which deal with the defendant's case. If retyping or rewriting is not feasible because of the permanent nature of the record books, such record entries shall be blacked out and recopied in a confidential book.
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