H. B. 2241


(By Delegates Coleman and Warner)
[Introduced January 14, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources.]




A BILL to amend article five-b, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section nine-a, relating to hospitals and similar institutions; and requiring that the drawing of blood be done only by a phlebotomist.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article five-b, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section nine-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5B. HOSPITALS AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS.

§16-5B-9a. Hospitals and similar institutions required to have blood drawn by phlebotomist.

Any hospital, or other similar institution, required to be licensed under this article shall have a trained phlebotomist on staff at all times when it is necessary to draw blood from any patient. Only a phlebotomist may draw blood from a patient, whether on an inpatient or outpatient basis, at the hospital or similar institution.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require hospitals and other similar institutions to have the drawing of blood performed only by phlebotomists.

§16-5B-9a is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.