House File 658 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  FORD


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act related to the completion of cultural competency
  2    instruction by health professionals and students enrolled in
  3    health=related degree programs.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 2579HH 83
  6 kh/nh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 260C.14, Code 2009, is amended by
  1  2 adding the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  23.  Include cultural competency
  1  4 instruction in all health education courses and in all
  1  5 health=related certificate or degree programs.
  1  6    Sec. 2.  Section 261.9, subsection 1, unnumbered paragraph
  1  7 1, Code 2009, is amended to read as follows:
  1  8    "Accredited private institution" means an institution of
  1  9 higher learning located in Iowa which is operated privately
  1 10 and not controlled or administered by any state agency or any
  1 11 subdivision of the state and which meets the criteria in
  1 12 paragraphs "a" and "b" and all of the criteria in paragraphs
  1 13 "d" through "g" "h", except that institutions defined in
  1 14 paragraph "c" of this subsection are exempt from the
  1 15 requirements of paragraphs "a" and "b":
  1 16    Sec. 3.  Section 261.9, subsection 1, Code 2009, is amended
  1 17 by adding the following new paragraph:
  1 18    NEW PARAGRAPH.  h.  Includes cultural competency
  1 19 instruction in all health education courses and in all
  1 20 health=related certificate or degree programs.
  1 21    Sec. 4.  Section 262.9, Code 2009, is amended by adding the
  1 22 following new subsection:
  1 23    NEW SUBSECTION.  32.  Require the institutions of higher
  1 24 learning under its control to include cultural competency
  1 25 instruction in all health education courses and in all
  1 26 health=related degree programs.
  1 27    Sec. 5.  Section 272C.2, Code 2009, is amended by adding
  1 28 the following new subsection:
  1 29    NEW SUBSECTION.  6.  The rules issued by each health care
  1 30 licensing board for continuing education requirements as a
  1 31 condition of license renewal shall require cultural competency
  1 32 instruction in all continuing education courses and programs
  1 33 approved by the licensing board.  A health care licensing
  1 34 board may waive a continuing education requirement related to
  1 35 instruction in cultural competency if the applicant for
  2  1 licensure or license renewal demonstrates to the satisfaction
  2  2 of the board that the applicant has attained the substantial
  2  3 equivalent of the requirement through completion of similar
  2  4 instruction as part of a health=related certificate or degree
  2  5 program successfully completed at an accredited postsecondary
  2  6 institution.
  2  7                           EXPLANATION
  2  8    This bill requires community colleges and regents
  2  9 universities, and accredited private institutions which
  2 10 received state moneys, to include cultural competency
  2 11 instruction in all health education courses and in all
  2 12 health=related degree programs, and in the case of community
  2 13 colleges and accredited private institutions, in
  2 14 health=related certificate programs.  The bill also requires
  2 15 all health care licensing boards to require the instruction in
  2 16 all continuing education courses and programs approved by the
  2 17 licensing board.
  2 18    However, the bill permits a health care licensing board to
  2 19 waive the continuing education requirement if the applicant
  2 20 for licensure or license renewal demonstrates to the
  2 21 satisfaction of the board that the applicant has attained the
  2 22 substantial equivalent of the requirement through completion
  2 23 of similar instruction as part of a health=related certificate
  2 24 or degree program successfully completed at an accredited
  2 25 postsecondary institution.
  2 26 LSB 2579HH 83
  2 27 kh/nh/8