H. B. 4291
(By Delegates Amores, Perdue, Long, Foster and Trump)
[Introduced February 4, 2004; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §30-1-7a of the code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to continuing education
requirements for licensed healthcare professionals on the
subject of end-of-life care training, including pain
management coursework.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §30-1-7a of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted, to read as follows:
§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 shall
complete two hours of continuing education coursework in on the
subject of end-of-life care including pain management during each
continuing education reporting period through the thirtieth day of
June, two thousand five. Beginning the first day of July, two
thousand five, a continuing education course on the subject of end-
of-life care including pain management shall become a one-time
training requirement for all new and renewed licensees who have not
previously received this training. 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 require all healthcare
professionals licensed under Chapter 30 of the West Virginia code to
complete a one-time continuing education course on the subject of end-of-
life care including pain management.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the
present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.