CLEAR

US: new Ready or Not emergency preparedness report

The latest Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and  Bioterrorism report is available from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH). Although states continue to improve their capabilities to handle large-scale emergencies, one of several findings reported is that 21 states lack statutes providing liability protection for healthcare volunteers during crises. TFAH recommends that states adopt the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act prepared by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. See Ready or Not's state-by-state comparison, "State Statutes Extending Qualified Immunity Protections to Health Care Professionals Who Furnish Emergency-Related Health Care."
Read TFAH's press release.
Read the full report.

Ohio: cap on malpractice damages not unconstitutional

The state Supreme Court said today that the legislature did not violate the state's constitution in 2005 when it capped non-economic damages at $350,000 per person and $500,000 per incident for malpractice and defective products. Read more.

Illinois: child support linked to licenses

Illinois joins other states in withholding professional and occupational licenses from parents who are delinquent in paying child support. Applicants for new licenses or renewal of existing licenses must disclose of they are $1,000 or more behind in payments. The custodial parent must apply for child support enforcement services before a license can be withheld. Read more.

 

Alberta: seeking nurses on all fronts

To address a critical nursing shortage, the Alberta government is recruiting nurses who were locally trained but have left the province, as well as those who no longer practice, and the internationally-trained. Among other funding efforts for this initiative, $500,000 is awarded the College and Association of Registered Nurses for hiring staff to handle the large numbers of applications from nurses abroad.  Read more.

Missouri: senator responsible for "stealth" midwife law reinstated

A senator who tricked his fellow legislators into permitting regulation of midwives has filed a bill to repeal the law in exchange for having his leadership position restored. The state supreme court will hear an appeal resulting from a county judge's decision to declare the law unconstitutional. In the meantime the responsible senator has agreed to fight actively for the law's repeal. Read more.

Texas: recused judge can perform administrative task

A judge who voluntarily recused from a legal malpractice case is not precluded from assigning another judge to the case. Read opinion 06-0055.

Florida: free speech v. unlicensed practice

A biologist who spoke at a public hearing on a proposed sand-mining operation was charged with the unlicensed practice of geology. The Board of Professional Geologists threatened her with penalties including a fine of up to $5,000 and a reprimand. The biologist sued, the courts agreed to hear the case, and the board has now made an offer of $100,000 in an attempt to stop the suit. Read more.

President's Message by Kate Nosbisch

I am pleased to report that the three month’s since CLEAR’s successful annual conference in Atlanta have been both productive and rewarding. In addition to offering three Basic and three Specialized NCIT programs and one CLEAR Call webinar, CLEAR has begun planning for its first meeting outside North America. Our organization has been enriched by the increasing involvement of regulators in Europe and Australasia and is now ready to sponsor a regional meeting in Dublin, Ireland in the summer of 2009. The process of developing content for the meeting will begin at CLEAR’s upcoming midyear business meeting in Charleston, South Carolina and we envision a 1 ½ day meeting in which processes, practices, approaches and strategies will be discussed and exchanged. Additional information about the meeting will be shared as details are finalized but I wanted to inform you about this important meeting at the earliest opportunity.

Read full message

South Carolina: bills propose change in lawyer regulation

Two pre-filed bills call for a constitutional amendment taking authority to regulate the state's attorneys from the Supreme Court and moving it to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The bills follow a November court decision to discount bar exam sections, allowing additional candidates to pass. The courts currently regulate the practice of law in every state. Read more.

California: chiropractic board wants to make necessary changes

The California Board of Chiropractic Licensing wants to address its reported deficiencies, but says the legislature must restore its  full budget before the necessary changes can be made. Read more.