House File 466 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 466 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 94) A BILL FOR An Act allowing the department of transportation to accept 1 reports from advanced registered nurse practitioners 2 and physician assistants disclosing a physical or mental 3 condition that renders a person incompetent to operate a 4 motor vehicle. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 1835HV (3) 84 dea/nh
H.F. 466 Section 1. Section 321.186, subsection 4, Code 2011, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. A physician licensed under chapter 148 , an advanced 3 registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 152 and 4 registered with the board of nursing, a physician assistant 5 licensed under chapter 148C, or an optometrist licensed under 6 chapter 154 may report to the department the identity of a 7 person who has been diagnosed as having a physical or mental 8 condition which would render the person physically or mentally 9 incompetent to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner. The 10 physician , advanced registered nurse practitioner, physician 11 assistant, or optometrist shall make reasonable efforts 12 to notify the person who is the subject of the report, in 13 writing. The written notification shall state the nature of 14 the disclosure and the reason for the disclosure. A physician , 15 advanced registered nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or 16 optometrist making a report under this section shall be immune 17 from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise 18 be incurred or imposed as a result of the report. A physician , 19 advanced registered nurse practitioner, physician assistant, 20 or optometrist has no duty to make a report or to warn third 21 parties with regard to any knowledge concerning a person’s 22 mental or physical competency to operate a motor vehicle in 23 a safe manner. Any report received by the department from a 24 physician , advanced registered nurse practitioner, physician 25 assistant, or optometrist under this section shall be kept 26 confidential. Information regulated by chapter 141A shall be 27 subject to the confidentiality provisions and remedies of that 28 chapter. 29 EXPLANATION 30 Under current law, the department of transportation has the 31 authority to determine if an applicant for a driver’s license 32 or a person who holds a valid driver’s license is physically 33 or mentally incompetent to drive. The department may order an 34 examination or may act on the confidential report of a licensed 35 -1- LSB 1835HV (3) 84 dea/nh 1/ 2
H.F. 466 physician or optometrist disclosing the identity of a person 1 who has been diagnosed with a physical or mental condition 2 which would render the person incompetent to operate a motor 3 vehicle in a safe manner. A physician or optometrist who makes 4 such a report is required to attempt to notify the person who 5 is the subject of the report in writing, stating the nature 6 of the disclosure and the reason for the disclosure. The 7 reporting physician or optometrist is immune from civil or 8 criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed 9 as a result of the report. 10 This bill allows a licensed advanced registered nurse 11 practitioner who is registered with the board of nursing 12 or a licensed physician assistant to make the same kind of 13 report to the department regarding a diagnosis affecting a 14 person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. An advanced 15 registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant who makes 16 a report to the department has the same responsibilities and 17 protections that currently apply to a physician or optometrist 18 in connection with a report. 19 -2- LSB 1835HV (3) 84 dea/nh 2/ 2