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HB0195 • 2021

Wyoming medical review panel-repeal.

AN ACT relating to the medical review panel; repealing the Wyoming Medical Review Panel Act of 2005; ceasing review of new malpractice claims by the medical review panel; and providing for effective dates.

Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Olsen
Last action
2021-04-05
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Repealing the Medical Review Panel

This law removes the Wyoming Medical Review Panel, which reviews medical malpractice claims before lawsuits can be filed.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes rules about the Wyoming Medical Review Panel from state laws.
  • Stops new cases from being sent to the panel after the bill becomes law.
  • Allows the panel to finish any work it has already started but stops all other activities.
  • Makes these changes official on July 1, 2022.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to file medical malpractice claims against healthcare providers.
  • The Wyoming Medical Review Panel and its members.

Terms To Know

Medical Malpractice
When a doctor or other health care provider makes a mistake that hurts someone.
Review Panel
A group of people who look at cases to make sure they are fair before going to court.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens to claims already being reviewed by the panel.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect future medical malpractice lawsuits in Wyoming.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0195HS001

Standing Committee • House Appropriations Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes specific sections of the bill related to transferring positions and certain numbered items in the text.

  • Removes language about transferring a position from page 1, line 4.
  • Deletes lines 22 and 23 on page 2 entirely.
  • Eliminates lines 1 through 7 on page 3 completely.
  • Changes '5.' to '4.' at line 9 on page 3.
  • Replaces 'through 5' with 'and 4' at line 14 on page 3.
  • The amendment text does not explain the context or purpose of these changes, making it hard to understand their full impact without additional information.

Bill History

  1. 2021-04-05 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 99

  2. 2021-04-05 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0063

  3. 2021-04-01 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0063

  4. 2021-04-01 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0063

  5. 2021-04-01 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0063

  6. 2021-03-31 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-0

  7. 2021-03-30 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2021-03-29 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2021-03-29 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2021-03-29 Senate

    S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  11. 2021-03-26 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S02 - Appropriations

  12. 2021-03-25 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2021-03-24 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 53-7-0-0-0

  14. 2021-03-23 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2021-03-22 House

    H COW:Passed

  16. 2021-03-10 House

    H Placed on General File

  17. 2021-03-10 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  18. 2021-03-05 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations

  19. 2021-03-04 House

    H Received for Introduction

  20. 2021-03-02 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0658
Bill No.:

HB0195

Effective:

Multiple Dates

LSO No.:

21LSO-0658

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0063

Chapter No.:

99

Prime Sponsor:

Olsen

Catch Title:

Wyoming medical review panel-repeal.

Subject:

Repealing the Wyoming Medical Review Panel and specifying the cessation of the Panel's work and activities.

Summary/Major Elements:

In 2005, the Legislature recreated the Wyoming Medical Review Panel, which is required to review malpractice claims against healthcare providers before a party can file a complaint against the provider in court.

This act repeals the Panel effective July 1, 2022, at which point the Panel will cease to exist and discontinue all operations.

The act specifies that no malpractice claims shall be filed with the Medical Review Panel after the bill becomes law (either March or April 2021), and the only activities that the Panel can engage in until July 1, 2022 are those necessary to finalize decisions on malpractice claims filed before the bill becomes law.

Comments:

The act repeals the Wyoming Medical Review Panel, which will cease to exist on July 1, 2022.

The repeal is effective on July 1, 2022, while the requirement prohibiting the filing of new malpractice claims with the Panel takes effect immediately.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
21LSO-0658

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0195

ENROLLED ACT NO. 63,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to the medical review panel; repealing the Wyoming Medical Review Panel Act of 2005; ceasing review of new malpractice claims by the medical review panel; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 1
‑
38
‑
102(d) is amended to read:

1
‑
38
‑
102.

Action to be brought by wrongful death representative; recovery exempt from debts; measure and element of damages; limitation of action.

(d)

An action for wrongful death shall be commenced within two (2) years after the death of the decedent.
If the decedent's death involved medical malpractice this limitation period shall be tolled as provided in W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1518 upon receipt by the director of the medical review panel of a malpractice claim.

Section 2.

W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1513 through 9
‑
2
‑
1523 are repealed.

Section 3
.

On and after the effective date of this section, no malpractice claims against health care providers shall be filed with the medical review panel created by W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1517(a).

On and after the effective date of this section, all activities related to the implementation of the Wyoming Medical Review Panel Act of 2005 shall be ceased except as necessary to finalize decisions on malpractice claims against health care providers that are filed with the medical review panel prior to the effective date of this section.

Section 4.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2022.

(b)

Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1