HB 579 -- CIVIL DEFENSE

SPONSOR:  Dempsey

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Crime
Prevention and Public Safety by a vote of 10 to 0.

This bill allows for the deployment of any health care
professional licensed, registered, or certified in this or any
other state who volunteers during an emergency declared by the
Governor and grants them immunity from civil damages for
providing services.  Currently, only workers licensed,
registered, or certified in this state are allowed to be
deployed.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2008, FY 2009, and
FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that agreements between hospitals
permit the sharing of staff and equipment, which only works
during small-scale disasters.  However, if a large-scale event
would occur in the state, each facility is faced with similar
problems and couldn't help other local facilities.  There are
unknown insurance risks that emergency workers must face in order
to provide care for individuals during a mega-disaster.  The bill
will give some protections to reluctant healthcare workers to
help during these large-scale events.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Dempsey; BJC
Healthcare; Missouri Association of Homes for the Aging; Missouri
Healthcare Association; Missouri State Council of Firefighters;
St. Louis Area Regional Response System; Metropolitan Ambulance
Services Trust; Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys; and St.
Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:19 am