Brief (1)
HB 2701, as amended by House Committee, amends an existing law that requires health certifications to be submitted by all school district employees who come in regular contact with pupils. As amended, the statute would allow advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician's assistants working at the direction of or in collaboration with a person who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery to sign the certification of health. Currently the law requires the certification to be signed by a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery.
The same authorization to sign certificates is added to a subsection of the statute that allows persons who are adherents of a religious denomination whose teachings are opposed to physical examinations to submit a certification that the individual does not have tuberculosis and the subsection that authorizes boards of education to require health certifications for persons who are not employees, but who provide services that require them to come into regular contact with pupils.
Background
Introduction of HB 2701 was requested by a member of the House of Representatives who also appeared in support of the bill at the Committee hearing. The addition of physician's assistants was requested by a representative of the Kansas Academy of Physician Assistants, and the amendment concerning working under the direction of or in collaboration with a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery was proposed by a representative of the Kansas Medical Society. A representative of the Kansas State Nurses Association expressed support for the bill.
The fiscal note on HB 2701 indicates no fiscal impact.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html