SB495: Bill Text

SB495,14,9 50.095 (4) Upon receipt of a report under sub. (2) (3), the nursing home shall make the report available to any person requesting the report.

Note: The amendments in Sections 20 to 25 delete outdated references to beginning dates authorizing the DHFS to request information from nursing homes, and requiring that DHFS provide each nursing home with an annual report.

SB495, s. 26 Section 26 . 50.14 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,14,21 50.14 (3) By October 31, 1992, each facility shall submit to the department the facility's occupied licensed bed count and the amount due under sub. (2) for each occupied licensed bed of the facility for each month for the period from July 1, 1992, to September 30, 1992. Thereafter, by the end of each month, each facility shall submit its to the department the facility's occupied licensed bed count and payment the amount due under sub. (2) for each occupied licensed bed of the facility for the month preceding the month during which the bed count and payment are being submitted. The department shall verify the bed count and, if necessary, make adjustments to the payment, notify the facility of changes in the bed count or payment and send the facility an invoice for the additional amount due or send the facility a refund.

Note: The amendment in Section 26 deletes outdated references to dates by which inpatient health care facility bed counts and payments are due the DHFS.

SB495, s. 27 Section 27 . 69.05 (6) of the statutes is repealed.

SB495, s. 28 Section 28 . 69.18 (1) (e) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,15,6 69.18 (1) (e) 1. (intro.) If a death is a miscarriage and 20 weeks or more have elapsed between the mother's last normal menstrual period and delivery or the stillbirth weighs 350 grams or more, one of the following shall submit, within 5 days after delivery, a fetal death report to the registration district where delivery occurred state registrar:

Note: Under current law, fetal death reports must first be filed at the local registration office in the place where the fetus was delivered. Local registrars are then required to forward these reports to the state registrar of vital statistics. The amendments in Sections 27 and 28 change current law to require filing of fetal death reports directly with the state registrar. According to the DHFS, this change will speed up the filing process for these documents; decrease the risk that confidential information could become public; and decrease mailing and other costs currently incurred by local registrars in handling these reports.

SB495, s. 29 Section 29. 115.28 (16) of the statutes is repealed.

SB495, s. 30 Section 30 . 146.82 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,15,14 146.82 (1) Confidentiality. All patient health care records shall remain confidential. Patient health care records may be released only to the persons designated in this section or to other persons with the informed consent of the patient or of a person authorized by the patient. This subsection does not prohibit reports made in compliance with s. 146.995 or 979.01 or testimony authorized under s. 905.04 (4) (h).

SB495, s. 31 Section 31 . 146.82 (2) (a) 18. of the statutes is created to read:

SB495,16,4 146.82 (2) (a) 18. Following the death of a patient, to a coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner or medical examiner's assistant, for the purpose of completing a medical certificate under s. 69.18 (2) or investigating a death under s. 979.01 or 979.10. The health care provider may release information by initiating contact with the office of the coroner or medical examiner without receiving a request for release of the information and shall release information upon receipt of an oral or written request for the information from the coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner or medical examiner's assistant. The recipient of any information under this subdivision shall keep the information confidential except as necessary to comply with s. 69.18, 979.01 or 979.10.

Note: Under current law, coroners and medical examiners are not included as parties who are granted access to medical records without informed consent of the next of kin or through a subpoena. According to the DHFS, this conflicts with the statutory responsibility of these officials to perform certain duties connected with deaths. The amendments in Sections 30 and 31 provide that coroners and medical examiners may have access to certain health care records in order to perform their duties.

SB495, s. 32 Section 32 . 251.04 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,16,15 251.04 (8) Unless the manner of employment is otherwise provided for by ordinance, a local board of health shall employ qualified public health professionals, including a public health nurse to conduct general public health nursing programs under the direction of the local board of health and in cooperation with the department, and may employ one or more sanitarians to conduct environmental programs and other public health programs not specifically designated by statute as functions of the public health nurse. The local board of health shall coordinate the activities of any sanitarian employed by the county board governing body of the jurisdiction that the local board of health serves. The local board of health is not required to employ different persons to perform these functions.

Note: Under current law, a local board of health must employ qualified public health professionals. The local board of health is required to coordinate activities of any sanitarian employed by the county board. According to the DHFS, this statute, as presently worded, would give authority to the boards of health of cities, villages and towns to coordinate the activities of sanitarians employed by county boards. The amendment in Section 32 would eliminate the authority for a local board of health of one unit of local government to coordinate activities to employes of a separate unit of local government.

SB495, s. 33 Section 33 . 251.06 (1) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,17,2 251.06 (1) (a) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2. or 3., a local health officer of a Level I local health department shall have at least a bachelor's degree from a nursing program accredited by the national professional nursing education accrediting organization or from a nursing program accredited by the board of nursing.

SB495, s. 34 Section 34 . 251.06 (1) (a) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

SB495,17,7 251.06 (1) (a) 3. If there is more than one full-time employe of a Level I local health department, including a full-time public health nurse who meets the qualifications specified under s. 250.06, the local health officer may meet the qualifications of a Level II or Level III local health officer.

Note: Under current law, there are Level I, II and III local health departments. Currently, statutes permit an appropriately qualified individual who is not a nurse to direct a Level II or III local health department, but permit only a nurse to direct a Level I health department. The amendments in Sections 33 and 34 permit a Level I local health officer to meet the qualifications of a Level II or III health officer, if there is more than one full-time employe in a Level I health department and as long as the health department employs a full time professional nurse who is qualified under s. 250.06 stats.

SB495, s. 35 Section 35 . 255.04 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,17,12 255.04 (3) (intro.)  Any information reported to the department under sub. (1) or (5) which could identify any individual who is the subject of the report or the person a physician submitting the report shall be confidential and may not be disclosed by the department except to the following:

Note: Under current law, the cancer reporting system has been unable to respond to requests for aggregate information on cancer cases treated by hospitals, clinics and laboratories, based on the interpretation that s. 255.04 (3) requires the identities of these reporting entities to be kept confidential. The amendment in Section 35 provides that only "physicians" are subject to this confidentiality requirement, not the broader category of "persons", which has been interpreted to include hospitals, clinics and laboratories. According to the DHFS, this change will enable the cancer reporting system to respond to requests for aggregate data on cancer cases treated by hospitals, clinics and laboratories.

SB495, s. 36 Section 36 . 806.07 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB495,17,16 806.07 (1) (intro.)  On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court, subject to subs. (2) and (3), may relieve a party or legal representative from a judgment, order or stipulation for the following reasons:

SB495, s. 37 Section 37 . 806.07 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

SB495,18,6 806.07 (3) A motion under this section may not be made by an adoptive parent to relieve the adoptive parent from a judgment or order under s. 48.91 (3) granting adoption of a child. A petition for termination of parental rights under s. 48.42 and an appeal to the court of appeals shall be the exclusive remedies for an adoptive parent who wishes to end his or her parental relationship with his or her adoptive child.

Note: The amendments in Sections 36 and 37 provide that an adoptive parent may not make a motion under s. 806.07 (3) to be relieved from a judgment or order under s. 48.91 (3) granting the adoption of a child. The amendments clarify, together with the provisions in Sections 8 and 9 of this bill, that a petition for termination of parental rights is the exclusive remedy for an adoptive parent who wishes to end his or her parental relationship with his or her adoptive child.

SB495, s. 38 Section 38. Initial applicability; health and family services.

SB495,18,12 (1) Contracts for community integration program care in community-based residential facilities. The treatment of sections 46.275 (5) (b) 7. and 46.277 (5) (f) of the statutes first applies to contracts under section 46.275 (5), 46.277 (5) or 46.278 (6) of the statutes that are issued, renewed, modified or extended on the effective date of this subsection.

SB495,18,16 (2) Bed approval on nursing home and community-based residential facility licenses. The treatment of section 50.03 (4) (e) of the statutes first applies to licenses for nursing homes and community-based residential facilities that are issued, renewed, modified or extended on the effective date of this subsection.

SB495,18,17 (End)