PRINTER'S NO. 126
No. 143 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, DeWEESE, LAUGHLIN, CAPPABIANCA, CORRIGAN,
YOUNGBLOOD, PHILLIPS, THOMAS, READSHAW, DALEY, PRESTON,
BEBKO-JONES, FRANKEL, E. Z. TAYLOR, SOLOBAY, WASHINGTON,
C. WILLIAMS, L. I. COHEN AND WOJNAROSKI, JANUARY 23, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
JANUARY 23, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for instruction of domestic violence for health care
2 professionals licensed or certified by the Commonwealth or
3 governed by the State Board of Medicine, State Board of
4 Osteopathic Medicine or State Board of Nursing.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Domestic
9 Violence Continuing Medical Education Act.
10 Section 2. Biennial relicensure and recertification.
11 (a) Requirements.--The appropriate boards shall require
12 physicians, certified nurse practitioners, registered nurses,
13 licensed practical nurses, nurse aides/assistants or any other
14 health care professional licensed or certified by the
15 Commonwealth or governed by the State Board of Medicine, State
16 Board of Osteopathic Medicine or State Board of Nursing to
17 complete a one-hour continuing medical education course,
1 approved by the appropriate board, on domestic violence as part
2 of the biennial relicensure or recertification as defined in
3 section 25(b) of the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112),
4 known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985. The course shall
5 consist of information on the number of patients in that
6 professional's practice who are likely to be victims of domestic
7 violence and the number who are likely to be perpetrators of
8 domestic violence, screening procedures for determining whether
9 a patient has any history of being either a victim or a
10 perpetrator of domestic violence and instruction on how to
11 provide such patients with information on or how to refer such
12 patients to resources in the local community, such as domestic
13 violence centers and other advocacy groups, that provide legal
14 aid, shelters, victim counseling, batterer counseling or child
15 protection services.
16 (b) Confirmation.--Each such licensee or certificate holder
17 shall submit confirmation of having completed such course, on a
18 form provided by the board, when submitting fees for each
19 biennial renewal.
20 (c) Alternative courses.--The board may approve additional
21 equivalent courses that may be used to satisfy the requirements
22 of section 1. Each licensing board that requires a licensee to
23 complete an education course pursuant to this subsection may
24 include the hour required for completion of the course in the
25 total hours of continuing medical education required by law for
26 such profession.
27 (d) Multiple license.--Any person holding two or more
28 licenses subject to the provisions of this act shall be
29 permitted to show proof of having taken one board-approved
30 course on domestic violence for purposes of relicensure or
20010H0143B0126 - 2 -
1 recertification for additional licenses.
2 (e) Failure to comply.--Failure to comply with the
3 requirements of this subsection shall constitute grounds for
4 disciplinary action under each respective practice act. In
5 addition to discipline by the board, the licensee or certificate
6 holder shall be required to complete the course set forth in
7 section 1(a).
8 Section 3. Initial licensure and certification.
9 (a) Board requirements.--The board shall also require, as a
10 condition of granting a license in this Commonwealth, that each
11 applicant for initial licensure by the appropriate board
12 complete an educational course acceptable to the board on
13 domestic violence which is substantially equivalent to the
14 course required in section 1(a).
15 (b) Compliance.--An applicant who has not taken such course
16 at the time of licensure shall, upon submission of an affidavit
17 showing good cause, be allowed six months to complete such
18 requirement.
19 Section 4. Reporting.
20 Each board shall report to the Department of State, chair of
21 the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate and the
22 chair of the Health and Human Services Committee of the House of
23 Representatives by July 1 of each year as to the implementation
24 of and compliance with the requirements of this act.
25 Section 5. Effective date.
26 This act shall take effect in 120 days.
L15L63JS/20010H0143B0126 - 3 -