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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
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-ninth Legislature First Regular Session - 2007IN 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 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