H. B. 4414
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss (By Request), and
Delegate Mathews)
[Introduced February 5, 2002; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then Government
Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section seven-a, article one, chapter
thirty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred
thirty-one, as amended, relating to continuing education for
certain health care professionals and providing an exemption
by affidavit in certain instances.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seven-a, article one, chapter thirty of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL STATE BOARDS OF
EXAMINATION OR REGISTRATION REFERRED TO IN CHAPTER.
§30-1-7a. Continuing education.
(a) Each board referred to in this chapter shall establish continuing education requirements as a prerequisite to license
renewal. Each board shall develop continuing education criteria
appropriate to its discipline, which shall include, but not be
limited to, course content, course approval, hours required and
reporting periods.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code or the
provision of any rule to the contrary, each person issued a license
to practice medicine and surgery or a license to practice podiatry
or a license as a physician assistant by the West Virginia board of
medicine, each person licensed as a pharmacist by the West Virginia
board of pharmacy, each person licensed to practice registered
professional nursing or licensed as an advanced nurse practitioner
by the West Virginia board of examiners for registered professional
nurses, each person licensed as a licensed practical nurse by the
West Virginia state board of examiners for licensed practical
nurses and each person licensed to practice medicine and surgery as
an osteopathic physician and surgeon or certified as an osteopathic
physician assistant by the West Virginia board of osteopathy,
unless the foregoing sign an affidavit that they are not involved
in the care of patients at the end of life or care of patients
requiring hospice care, shall
complete two hours of continuing education coursework in the subject of end-of-life care including
pain management during each continuing education reporting period.
The two hours shall be part of the total hours of continuing
education required by each board by rule and not two additional
hours.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to exempt certain health
care practitioners from certain education requirements.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.