0001|                        SENATE BILL 727
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0002|     42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION,
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0003|     1996
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0004|                         INTRODUCED BY
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0005|                       MICHAEL S. SANCHEZ
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0006|     
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0007|                                
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|     
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0011|                             AN ACT
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0012|     RELATING TO HEALTH; ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM NUMBER OF CONTACT
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0013|     HOURS FOR A PATIENT IN A HEALTH FACILITY; MAKING AN
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0014|     APPROPRIATION.
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0015|     
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0016|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0017|       Section 1.  A new section of the Public Health Act is
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0018|     enacted to read:
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0019|       "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  PATIENT TO STAFF RATIO ESTABLISHED.--
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0020|            A.  The department of health shall establish
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0021|     regulations providing that a health facility shall maintain
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0022|     sufficient staff to ensure that each patient receives at least
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0023|     five contact hours of care in each twenty-four-hour period.
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0024|            B.  As used in this section:
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0025|                 (1)  "contact hour" means the total amount of
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0001|     time spent by staff in one twenty-four-hour period with each
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0002|     patient in a health facility;
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0003|                 (2)  "health facility" means any nursing home,
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0004|     intermediate care facility or rehabilitation center that has
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0005|     been inspected and licensed by the department, that has received
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0006|     certification for participation in federal reimbursement
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0007|     programs and that has been fully accredited by the joint
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0008|     commission on accreditation of health care organization or the
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0009|     American osteopathic association; and
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0010|                 (3)  "staff member" means a primary care
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0011|     physician, licensed dietician, licensed practical nurse,
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0012|     physical therapist, occupational therapist, registered nurse or
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0013|     nurse's aide."
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0014|       Section 2.  A new section of the Public Health Act is
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0015|     enacted to read:
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0016|       "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  STATE MATCH.--The state shall provide
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0017|     fifty percent of the necessary funding to ensure compliance with
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0018|     the minimal requirement for patient contact hours established in
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0019|     Section 1 of this act through fiscal year 1999.  Beginning in
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0020|     fiscal year 2000, each health facility shall be financially
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0021|     responsible for its own compliance."
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0022|       Section 3.  APPROPRIATION.--Five hundred thousand dollars
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0023|     ($500,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the
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0024|     department of health for expenditure in fiscal years 1997 and
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0025|     1998 for the purpose of hiring additional staff necessary to
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0001|     comply with the minimal requirement for patient contact hours 
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0002|     established in Section 1 of this act.  Any unexpended or
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0003|     unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 1998
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0004|     shall revert to the general fund.
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0005|                                    
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0006|   
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0007|                    FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
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0008|                      SECOND SESSION, 1996
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|                                              FEBRUARY 1, 1996
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0012|   
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0013|   Mr. President:
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0014|   
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0015|     Your COMMITTEES' COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0016|   
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0017|                           SENATE BILL 727
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0018|   
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0019|   has had it under consideration and finds same to be GERMANE, PURSUANT
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0020|   TO CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS, and thence referred to the PUBLIC
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0021|   AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
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0022|   
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0023|                              Respectfully submitted,
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0024|   
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0025|   
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|                              __________________________________
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0004|                              SENATOR MANNY M. ARAGON, Chairman 
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0005|   
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|   Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________
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0009|             (Chief Clerk)                        (Chief Clerk)
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0010|   
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0011|   
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0012|                     Date ________________________
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|   
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0016|   S0727CC1
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0017|   
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