Bill Text: IA SF379 | 2013-2014 | 85th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to disciplinary procedures before the board of medicine and providing a penalty. (Formerly SSB 1085.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-03-21 - Referred to State Government. H.J. 560. [SF379 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2013-SF379-Introduced.html
Senate File 379 - Introduced SENATE FILE 379 BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1085) A BILL FOR An Act relating to disciplinary procedures before the board of 1 medicine and providing a penalty. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh
S.F. 379 Section 1. Section 148.2A, subsection 2, paragraph e, 1 subparagraphs (3) and (4), Code 2013, are amended to read as 2 follows: 3 (3) The majority of a At least half of the members of a 4 hearing panel containing alternate members shall be current 5 members of the board. 6 (4) The majority of a At least half of the members of a 7 hearing panel containing alternate members shall be licensed 8 to practice under this chapter . 9 Sec. 2. Section 148.6, subsection 1, Code 2013, is amended 10 to read as follows: 11 1. The board, after due notice and hearing in accordance 12 with chapter 17A , may issue an order to discipline a licensee 13 for any of the grounds set forth in section 147.55 , chapter 14 272C , or this subsection section . Notwithstanding section 15 272C.3 , licensee discipline may include a civil penalty not 16 to exceed ten thousand dollars for each separate and distinct 17 violation of the laws and rules governing the practice of 18 medicine up to a maximum of fifty thousand dollars per case . 19 Sec. 3. Section 148.7, Code 2013, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 148.7 Procedure for licensee discipline. 22 A proceeding for the revocation or suspension of a license 23 to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and 24 surgery , or acupuncture or to discipline a person licensed 25 to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and 26 surgery , or acupuncture shall be substantially in accord with 27 the following procedure and with section 272C.6, subsection 28 4, to the extent the provisions in that subsection are not 29 inconsistent with this section : 30 1. The board may, upon its own motion or upon receipt of 31 a complaint in writing , order an investigation. The board 32 may, upon its own motion, order a hearing. A written notice 33 of the time and place of the hearing together with a statement 34 of the charges shall be served upon the licensee at least ten 35 -1- LSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh 1/ 6
S.F. 379 days before the hearing in the manner required for the service 1 of notice of the commencement of an ordinary action or by 2 restricted certified mail. 3 2. If the whereabouts of the licensee is unknown, service 4 may be had by publication as provided in the rules of civil 5 procedure upon filing the affidavit required by the rules. 6 In case the licensee fails to appear, either in person or 7 by counsel at the time and place designated in the notice, 8 the board shall proceed with the hearing as provided in this 9 section . 10 3. a. The hearing shall be before a member or members 11 designated by the board or before an administrative law 12 judge appointed by the board according to the requirements of 13 section 17A.11, subsection 1 . The presiding board member or 14 administrative law judge may issue subpoenas, administer oaths, 15 and take or cause depositions to be taken in connection with 16 the hearing. The presiding board member or administrative law 17 judge shall issue subpoenas at the request and on behalf of the 18 licensee. 19 b. The administrative law judge shall be an attorney vested 20 with full authority of the board to schedule and conduct 21 hearings. The administrative law judge shall prepare and file 22 with the board the administrative law judge’s findings of 23 fact and conclusions of law, together with a complete written 24 transcript of all testimony and evidence introduced at the 25 hearing and all exhibits, pleas, motions, objections, and 26 rulings of the administrative law judge. 27 3. At the sole discretion of the board, a disciplinary 28 hearing shall be held before one of the following: 29 a. A quorum of the board. A quorum of the board shall 30 include not less than six members, at least half of whom are 31 current board members, and the remaining alternate members 32 appointed pursuant to section 148.2A, with no more than half of 33 the quorum being public members. 34 b. A panel of not less than three board members, at least 35 -2- LSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh 2/ 6
S.F. 379 two of whom are licensed in the profession. 1 c. A panel of not less than three specialists appointed 2 pursuant to section 272C.6, subsection 2. 3 d. An administrative law judge. The decision to assign 4 an administrative law judge shall be within the sole 5 discretion of the board. The board may only assign cases to 6 an administrative law judge to serve as the presiding officer 7 at hearing that involve allegations of one or more violations 8 of the laws or rules governing the practice of medicine which 9 do not involve a standard of medical care determination, 10 professional practice, medical ethics, sexual misconduct, or 11 impairment. The board may assign cases involving issues of 12 law and administrative violations including but not limited 13 to violations of a board order, violations of an initial 14 agreement or contract entered into with the Iowa physician 15 health committee, disciplinary action by another licensing 16 board or regulatory authority, and criminal convictions. The 17 board shall define by rule those cases which may be assigned 18 to an administrative law judge, and the process for using 19 an administrative law judge as the presiding officer. The 20 administrative law judge shall be assigned by the division of 21 administrative hearings pursuant to section 10A.801, and shall 22 be vested with full authority of the board to schedule and 23 conduct hearings. 24 4. Disciplinary hearings held pursuant to section 272C.6, 25 subsection 1 , shall be heard by the board, or by a panel of 26 not less than six members, at least three of whom are board 27 members, and the remaining appointed pursuant to section 28 148.2A , with no more than three of the six being public 29 members. Notwithstanding chapters 17A and 21 , a disciplinary 30 hearing shall be open to the public at the discretion of the 31 licensee. 32 5. The presiding officer may issue subpoenas, administer 33 oaths, and take or cause depositions to be taken in connection 34 with the hearing. The presiding officer shall issue subpoenas 35 -3- LSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh 3/ 6
S.F. 379 at the request and on behalf of the parties. If a person 1 refuses to obey a subpoena issued by the presiding officer or 2 to answer a proper question during the hearing, the presiding 3 officer may invoke the aid of the district court in requiring 4 the attendance and testimony of a person or the production 5 of papers. A failure to obey the order of the court may be 6 punished by the court as a civil contempt. 7 5. 6. A record of the proceedings shall be kept. The 8 licensee shall have the opportunity to appear personally and 9 by an attorney, with the right to produce evidence on the 10 licensee’s own behalf, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, 11 and to examine documentary evidence produced against the 12 licensee. 13 6. If a person refuses to obey a subpoena issued by the 14 presiding member or administrative law judge or to answer a 15 proper question during the hearing, the presiding member or 16 administrative law judge may invoke the aid of a court of 17 competent jurisdiction or judge of this court in requiring 18 the attendance and testimony of the person and the production 19 of papers. A failure to obey the order of the court may be 20 punished by the court as a civil contempt may be punished. 21 7. Unless the hearing is held before a quorum of the entire 22 board, the presiding officer shall prepare and file with the 23 board the proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and 24 decision and order, with a complete written transcript of the 25 proceeding, together with all exhibits presented , shall be 26 considered by the entire board at the earliest practicable time 27 pleadings, motions, objections, and rulings within sixty days 28 of the date of the hearing absent compelling circumstances . 29 The licensee and the licensee’s attorney shall have the 30 opportunity to appear personally to present the licensee’s 31 position and arguments to the board. The board shall determine 32 the charge or charges upon the merits on the basis of the 33 evidence in the record before it. 34 8. The proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and 35 -4- LSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh 4/ 6
S.F. 379 decision and order may be appealed to the full board by either 1 party by serving on the executive director, either in person or 2 by certified mail, a notice of appeal within thirty days after 3 service of the proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, 4 and decision and order on the appealing party. 5 8. 9. If a majority of the members of the board vote in 6 favor of finding the licensee guilty of an act or offense 7 specified in section 147.55 or 148.6 , the board shall prepare 8 written findings of fact and its decision , conclusions of law, 9 and a decision and order imposing one or more of the following 10 disciplinary measures: 11 a. Suspend the licensee’s license to practice the profession 12 for a period to be determined by the board. 13 b. Revoke the licensee’s license to practice the profession. 14 c. Suspend imposition of judgment and penalty or impose 15 the judgment and penalty, but suspend enforcement and place 16 the physician or acupuncturist on probation. The probation 17 ordered may be vacated upon noncompliance. The board may 18 restore and reissue a license to practice medicine and surgery 19 or osteopathic medicine and surgery, or acupuncture, but may 20 impose a disciplinary or corrective measure which the board 21 might originally have imposed. A copy of the board’s order, 22 findings of fact, conclusions of law, and decision and order , 23 shall be served on the licensee in the manner of service of an 24 original notice or by certified mail return receipt requested. 25 9. 10. Judicial review of the board’s action may be 26 sought in accordance with the terms of the Iowa administrative 27 procedure Act, chapter 17A . 28 10. 11. The board’s order revoking or suspending a license 29 to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine 30 and surgery , or acupuncture, or to discipline a licensee 31 shall remain in force and effect until the appeal is finally 32 determined and disposed of upon its merit. 33 EXPLANATION 34 This bill relates to disciplinary procedures before the 35 -5- LSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh 5/ 6
S.F. 379 board of medicine. 1 The bill provides that at least half of the members of a 2 disciplinary hearing panel containing alternate members shall 3 be members of the board of medicine and at least half the 4 members shall be licensed to practice under Code chapter 148. 5 The bill increases the board’s maximum civil penalty from a 6 total of $10,000 to $10,000 for each violation, up to a maximum 7 of $50,000 per case. 8 Relating to disciplinary procedures, the bill rewrites 9 the existing provisions to provide additional detail. The 10 bill specifies that the procedures for licensee discipline 11 in Code section 148.7 apply to persons licensed to practice 12 acupuncture. 13 The bill specifies that a disciplinary hearing may be 14 presided over by any of the following, at the discretion 15 of the board: a quorum of the entire board; a panel of at 16 least three board members; a panel made up of specialists; 17 or an administrative law judge. The bill rewrites existing 18 provisions relating to the power of the presiding officer to 19 issue subpoenas and the enforcement of those subpoenas. 20 The bill allows an administrative law judge to preside 21 at certain contested cases, when those cases do not require 22 medical expertise or involve sexual misconduct or impairment. 23 The bill codifies in Code chapter 148 provisions that are 24 generally set out in Code chapter 17A relating to the decision 25 in a contested case. If a quorum of the entire board hears the 26 case, the board decision is final agency action. If less than 27 a quorum or an administrative law judge hears the case, the 28 decision may be appealed to the entire board. 29 -6- LSB 1283SV (2) 85 jr/nh 6/ 6
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