Medication assistants.

WORKING DRAFT
2005
STATE OF WYOMING
05LSO-0142

SENATE FILE
NO.
SF0081

Medication assistants.

Sponsored by:
Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming Nursing Practice Act; authorizing certification of properly trained medication assistants as specified; providing a definition; requiring a study and report; making appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.
W.S. 33
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21
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120(a) by creating a new paragraph (xii) and by renumbering (xxii) as (xxiii) and 33
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21
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122(c)(xxiii) are amended to read:

33
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21
‑
120.

Definitions
.

(a)

As used in this act:

(xii)

"Medication assistant" mean a certified nursing assistant additionally trained and certified by the board to administer oral, topical or transdermal medications to residents or patients in health care facilities excluding acute care;

(xii)
(xiii)

"This act" means W.S. 33
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21
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119 through 33
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21
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157.

33
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21
‑
122.

Board of nursing; powers and duties.

(c)

Without limiting the foregoing, the board of nursing may do the following:

(xxiii)

By board rule and regulation, regulate the qualifications, certification, recertification, examination and discipline of nursing assistants
,

and
nurse aides
and medication assistants
. For purposes of carrying out this paragraph, fingerprints and other information necessary for a criminal history record background check pursuant to W.S. 7
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19
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201 shall be provided to the board. Board rules and regulations under this paragraph shall be no more stringent than federal rules and regulations.

Section 2.

The state board of nursing shall report to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee before November 1, 2005, regarding the number of medication assistant certifications issued to date, places of employment of certified medication assistants and recommendations for long-term funding of continuing medication assistant certification activities.

Section 3.

(a)

There is appropriated from the general fund to the state board of nursing:

(i)

Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) to develop rules and regulations required by this act and to implement initial licensing of medication assistants;

(ii)

Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) to develop recommendations for long-term funding of continuing medication assistant licensing activities.

Section 4.

This act is effective July 1, 2005.

(END)

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SF0081