Required hospital services.

25LSO-0680
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0680
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0284

Required hospital services.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Provenza, Larsen, L, Strock and Wharff and Senator(s) Barlow, Brennan, Gierau and Schuler

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; requiring hospitals licensed by the department of health to provide specified services; authorizing hospitals to apply to the department of health to waive obstetrics, labor and delivery services as specified; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
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2
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915 is created to read:

35
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2
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915.

Minimum general acute hospital and critical care access hospital services.

(a)

A hospital licensed through the department and whose support, either in whole or in part, is derived from public funds and provides inpatient acute care shall:

(i)

Offer the following minimum services as defined by the department:

(A)

Emergency services;

(B)

Radiology services;

(C)

Laboratory services; and

(D)

Nursing services.

(ii)

Offer, subject to the waiver provision of subsection (b) of this section, obstetrics, labor and delivery services.

(b)

A hospital licensed by the department whose support, either in whole or in part, is derived from public funds and that seeks to waive the requirement to offer obstetrics, labor and delivery services under paragraph (a)(ii) of this section shall submit an application to the department. The application shall include:

(i)

Sufficient information to demonstrate one of the following:

(A)

Continued maintenance of obstetrics, labor and delivery services would place undue financial hardship on the hospital;

(B)

That patient volume for the obstetrics, labor and delivery services is too low to ensure staff competency and availability; or

(C)

Personnel, equipment or medical expertise necessary to provide obstetrics, labor and delivery services are not reasonably available at the hospital.

(ii)

A signed letter from the board of county commissioners in the county where the hospital is located if the hospital is operated by the state or a political subdivision of the state, or, if a publicly owned hospital, a signed letter from the applicable hospital board of trustees, that:

(A)

Attests to the fact that the waived obstetrics, labor and delivery services cannot be provided at the hospital, pursuant to paragraph (b)(i) of this section; and

(B)

Concurs with the hospital's rationale for requesting the waiver.

(c)

When a complete application for a waiver is submitted, the department shall make a determination on the waiver not later than thirty (30) calendar days after receiving the application. The department may waive the requirements of subsection (a) of this section if the elements of paragraph (b)(i) of this section are proven by the applicable hospital.

(d)

As used in this section, "hospital" means as defined by W.S. 35
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2
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901(a)(xiii)(A) and 35
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2
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901(a)(xiii)(C).

Section 2.

W.S. 35
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2
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901(a)(xxvii) is amended to read:

35
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2
‑
901.

Definitions; applicability of provisions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(xxvii)

"This act" means W.S. 35
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2
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901 through
35
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2
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914
35
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2
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915
.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

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HB0284