2007 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1151 – Tort claims, supervisory physician

SENATE BILL NO. 1151

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Bill Status



S1151................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
TORT CLAIMS - SUPERVISORY PHYSICIANS - Adds to existing law relating to
tort claims against governmental entities to provide that supervisory
physicians shall be considered employees for purposes of tort claims act
insurance coverage; to define terms; to provide that specific liability
exceptions and limits shall be inapplicable in certain cases; and to
provide that certain claims against supervisory physicians shall not be
subject to medical malpractice.
                                                                        
02/13    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/14    Rpt prt - to Jud
02/22    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/23    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/01    3rd rdg - PASSED - 34-0-1
      AYES -- Andreason, Bair, Bastian, Bilyeu, Broadsword, Burkett,
      Cameron, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde,
      Hammond, Heinrich, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough, Langhorst, Little,
      Lodge, Malepeai, McGee, McKague, McKenzie, Pearce, Richardson,
      Schroeder, Siddoway, Stegner, Stennett, Werk
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Coiner
    Floor Sponsors - Lodge & Jorgenson
    Title apvd - to House
03/02    House intro - 1st rdg - to Jud
03/08    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/09    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/12    3rd rdg - PASSED - 65-0-5
      AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barrett, Bayer, Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Block,
      Bock, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Chadderdon, Chavez, Chew,
      Collins, Crane, Durst, Edmunson, Eskridge, Hagedorn, Hart, Harwood,
      Henbest, Henderson, Jaquet, Killen, King, Kren, Labrador, Lake,
      LeFavour, Loertscher, Luker, Marriott, Mathews, McGeachin, Mortimer,
      Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart, Patrick, Pence, Ringo,
      Roberts, Ruchti, Rusche, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8),
      Shirley, Shively, Smith(30), Smith(24), Snodgrass, Thayn, Trail,
      Vander Woude, Wills, Wood(27), Wood(35), Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Black, Clark, Raybould, Ring, Stevenson
    Floor Sponsor - Luker
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/13    To enrol
03/14    Rpt enrol - Pres signed - Sp signed
03/15    To Governor
03/20    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 103
         Effective: 07/01/07

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-ninth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2007
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1151
                                                                        
                              BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO TORT CLAIMS AGAINST GOVERNMENTAL  ENTITIES;  AMENDING  CHAPTER  9,
  3        TITLE  6, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 6-902A, IDAHO CODE,
  4        TO PROVIDE THAT SUPERVISORY PHYSICIANS SHALL BE CONSIDERED  EMPLOYEES  FOR
  5        PURPOSES  OF  TORT CLAIMS ACT INSURANCE COVERAGE, TO DEFINE TERMS, TO PRO-
  6        VIDE THAT SPECIFIC LIABILITY EXCEPTIONS AND LIMITS SHALL  BE  INAPPLICABLE
  7        IN  CERTAIN  CASES  AND TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN CLAIMS AGAINST SUPERVISORY
  8        PHYSICIANS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.
                                                                        
  9    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 10        SECTION 1.  That Chapter 9, Title 6, Idaho  Code,  be,  and  the  same  is
 11    hereby  amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
 12    ignated as Section 6-902A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 13        6-902A.  SUPERVISORY PHYSICIAN. (1) For purposes of this chapter  only,  a
 14    supervisory physician shall be considered an employee.
 15        (2)  As used in this section:
 16        (a)  "Supervisory duties" means those administrative duties of a physician
 17        who  supervises  personnel  affiliated  with  a licensed ambulance or non-
 18        transport  service  including,  but  not  limited  to,  disciplining   and
 19        educating  personnel,  setting staffing levels, emergency medical services
 20        system design, establishing patient care guidelines and medical  policies,
 21        compliance,  establishing standing orders and protocols, reviewing perfor-
 22        mance of personnel, quality  management  and  other  reasonably  necessary
 23        administrative duties.
 24        (b)  "Supervisory  physician" means a physician licensed pursuant to chap-
 25        ter 18, title 54, Idaho Code, who supervises the activities  of  personnel
 26        affiliated with a licensed ambulance or non-transport service as described
 27        in  section  56-1011,  Idaho Code, et seq., when the licensed ambulance or
 28        non-transport service is operated under  the  control  of  a  governmental
 29        authority.
 30        (3)  The  exceptions  to liability set forth in sections 6-904, 6-904A and
 31    6-904B, Idaho Code, shall not be applicable to a claim against  a  supervisory
 32    physician  for  failure  to properly perform supervisory duties. The liability
 33    limit contained in section 6-926, Idaho Code, shall not  be  applicable  to  a
 34    claim against a supervisory physician for failure to properly perform supervi-
 35    sory  duties  to the extent that such supervisory physician is covered by lia-
 36    bility insurance exceeding that limit.
 37        (4)  Claims against a supervisory physician for failure to  properly  per-
 38    form  supervisory  duties  shall not be subject to the requirements of chapter
 39    10, title 6, Idaho Code.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 16957

The purpose of this bill is to clarify that physicians who act as
supervising physicians for governmental ambulance services will
be considered employees of the governmental entity solely
pertaining to their supervisory duties.  Under current law, each
ambulance service must have a supervising physician, who by law
must set protocols for the paramedics and technicians at the
ambulance service.  These physicians are not able to obtain
insurance coverage from their private insurance carriers for
their work for the governmental entity.  In order to rectify this
problem, this bill proposes to treat supervising physicians as
employees of the governmental entity under the tort claims act. 
In this way, the governmental entity will be able to provide
insurance coverage to the physician.


                           FISCAL NOTE

There will be no impact on the general fund of the state as a
result of this bill.


Contact
Name: Michael J. Kane, Idaho Counties Risk Management Program 
Phone: 342-4545




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                        S 1151