Previous PageTable Of ContentsNext Page

PUBLIC LAWS
First Special Session of the 122nd

CHAPTER 327
S.P. 300 - L.D. 892

An Act To Ensure an Adequate Supply of a Skilled Health Care Workforce

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

     Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §256, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 579, §3, is repealed.

     Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §§256-A and 256-B are enacted to read:

§256-A. Health care occupations report

     Beginning in 2006, the Department of Labor, in conjunction with the Office of Health Data and Program Management's Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics, shall compile and annually update a health care occupations report to be completed and presented to the health workforce forum established in section 257 by September 15th. The report must be posted on a publicly accessible site on the Internet maintained by the Department of Labor and provide the following information:

     1. Listing. A listing of all health care occupations licensed, registered or certified under the authority of the boards listed in section 256-B, including:

     2. Future outlook. An analysis of trends and the current outlook in employment supply and demand, including implications for the state and health care industry; and

     3. Financial aid. Financial aid available for education.

§256-B. Collection of professional data

     1. Voluntary surveys. All licensed, registered or certified persons, including all dependent practitioners, under the authority of the following boards must receive a voluntary survey with their licensure, registration or certification renewal beginning January 1, 2006:

     2. Information requested on survey. The voluntary surveys issued pursuant to subsection 1 must request the following information from persons seeking renewal of their licenses, registrations and certifications:

     3. Submission of surveys. All surveys conducted pursuant to subsection 1 must be submitted to the Office of Health Data and Program Management's Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics for analysis, and survey data from which personally identifiable information has been eliminated must be publicly available.

     4. Rulemaking. Rules adopted to implement this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

     Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §257, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 653, Pt. C, §2 and affected by §3, is amended to read:

§257. Health workforce forum

     The department shall convene at least once annually a health workforce forum to review the report developed under section 256 and discuss health care workforce issues. The forum must include representatives of health professionals, licensing boards and, employers, health education programs and the Department of Labor. The forum shall:

     1. Inventory. Develop an inventory of present health workforce and educational programs; and

     2. Research. Develop research and analytical methods for understanding population-based health care needs on an ongoing basis.

     Through the forum, the department shall serve as a clearinghouse for information relating to health workforce issues. The department shall use the information gathered through the forum to develop its health policy and planning decisions authorized under this Title and to make appropriate policy recommendations based on its analysis of the health care workforce. The department shall post its annual report and recommendations on a publicly accessible site on the Internet maintained by the department by December 31st of each year, beginning in 2006.

     Sec. 4. Funding; existing emergency preparedness funds. The Department of Health and Human Services shall contract with the Department of Labor and others as appropriate to undertake the research required under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, sections 256-A and 256-B. The Department of Health and Human Services shall coordinate this effort and shall fund any contracts awarded under this section using existing federal

emergency preparedness funds held within the Department of Health and Human Services.

     Sec. 5. Seek other funds; report. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor shall jointly seek other public and private funding sources to supplement the emergency preparedness funding referenced in section 4 that is necessary to complete the research required under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, sections 256-A and 256-B and shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services on those efforts at the first meeting of that committee held between October 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005.

Effective September 17, 2005.

Revisor of Statutes Homepage Subject Index Search 122nd Laws of Maine Maine Legislature

About the 1st Regular & 1st Special Session Laws Of Maine

Previous PageTop Of PageTable Of ContentsNext Page

Office of the Revisor of Statutes
State House, Room 108
Augusta, Maine 04333

Contact the Office of the Revisor of Statutes