Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 152 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Hall, Katy

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• establishes requirements for certain satellite emergency departments; and
• limits the number of satellite emergency departments that a health care organization may operate.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

8
26B-2-203
26B-2-203
0
Health Care Facilities Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Katy Hall
Senate Sponsor: Keith Grover
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses satellite emergency departments.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
establishes requirements for certain satellite emergency departments; and
limits the number of satellite emergency departments that a health care organization may 
operate.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
26B-2-203
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 305
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
26B-2-203
 is amended to read:
26B-2-203
. Services required -- General acute hospitals -- Specialty hospitals -- 
Home health agencies -- Satellite emergency departments.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Satellite emergency department" means a satellite operation that:
(i)
provides emergency care or critical care; or
(ii)
holds itself out as providing emergency care or critical care.
(b)
"Satellite operation" means a health care treatment facility that:
(i)
is operated or administered by a parent hospital, within the scope of the license 
under which the parent hospital operates;
(ii)
is located farther than 250 yards from the parent hospital's campus, including 
areas determined by the department to be part of the parent hospital's campus;
(iii)
is not subject to licensure under this part; and
(iv)
complies with this chapter and any applicable rules the department adopts in 
accordance with Subsection (9).
(1)
(2)
General acute hospitals and specialty hospitals shall remain open and be 
continuously ready to receive patients 24 hours of every day in a year and have an 
attending medical staff consisting of one or more physicians licensed to practice 
medicine and surgery under Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, or Title 58, 
Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic Medical Practice Act.
(2)
(3)
A specialty hospital shall provide on-site all basic services required of a general 
acute hospital that are needed for the diagnosis, therapy, or rehabilitation offered to or 
required by patients admitted to or cared for in the facility.
(3)
(4)
(a)
A home health agency shall provide at least licensed nursing services or 
therapeutic services directly through the agency employees.
(b)
A home health agency may provide additional services itself or under arrangements 
with another agency, organization, facility, or individual.
(4)
(5)
Beginning January 1, 2023, a hospice program shall provide at least one qualified 
medical provider, as that term is defined in Section 
26B-4-201
, for the treatment of 
hospice patients.
(6)
(a)
A satellite emergency department located in a county of the first or second class 
shall have available on-site, during operating hours, at minimum:
(i)
the equipment and personnel to conduct and use:
(A)
CT scans;
(B)
x-rays; and
(C)
clinical laboratory tests and analyses that are customarily used on-site in 
emergency medical settings, meeting the standards of care for scope, 
timeliness, and accuracy that apply in hospital-based emergency departments;
(ii)
a physician who is licensed under Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, 
or Title 58, Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, and:
(A)
is board certified or board eligible in emergency medicine; or
(B)
has at least 10 years experience providing emergency medical services;
(iii)
two registered nurses who:
(A)
are licensed under Title 58, Chapter 31b, Nurse Practice Act; and
(B)
have specialized training providing emergency medical services;
(iv)
a staff member who:
(A)
is specifically trained, certified, or licensed in respiratory care, sufficient to 
support the needs of patients in a timely and appropriate manner, as determined 
by the satellite emergency department's clinical protocols;
(B)
completes annual training and education in emergency respiratory care; and
(C)
is in addition to the physician and nurses under Subsections 
(6)(a)(ii)
 and (iii);
(v)
a certified or board-eligible medical laboratory scientist or technologist who is 
capable of conducting the laboratory tests and analyses described in Subsection 
(6)(a)(i)(C);
(vi)
security personnel capable of maintaining the personal safety of patients and 
providers; and
(vii)
two units of packed red blood cells suitable for emergency use.
(b)
A satellite emergency department located in a county of the first or second class shall 
have available, on-site or on-call to be physically present at the satellite emergency 
department, during operating hours, at minimum, a certified sonographer and the 
equipment to conduct and use an ultrasound.
(c)
A satellite emergency department shall:
(i)
clearly identify itself as an emergency department, using, at minimum, 
prominently lighted external signage that includes the word "EMERGENCY" or 
"ER" in conjunction with the name of the satellite emergency department's parent 
hospital; and
(ii)
prominently display, at locations that are readily accessible to and visible by 
patients outside the entrance to the satellite emergency department and in patient 
waiting areas, signage that:
(A)
states "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT"; and
(B)
unless the satellite emergency department shares a premises and a public 
entrance with an urgent care center, "THIS IS NOT AN URGENT CARE 
CENTER. EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT RATES ARE BILLED FOR 
SERVICES."
(d)
(i)
A satellite emergency department may not hold itself out to the public as an 
urgent care center.
(ii)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
(6)(d)(i)
, if a satellite emergency department is 
located on the same premises as an urgent care center, the signage may also 
identify the urgent care center.
(7)
A satellite emergency department that fails to meet a requirement of Subsections 
(6)(a)
through (d) may not hold itself out as providing critical or emergency care.
(8)
A health care organization may not operate a higher number of satellite emergency 
departments than two times the number of hospital emergency departments the health 
care organization operates in the state.
(9)
The department shall:
(a)
adopt and enforce rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah 
Administrative Rulemaking Act, to establish the process and applicable fees for 
initial and renewal applications to operate a satellite emergency department;
(b)
assess and collect the application and renewal fees described in Subsection 
(9)(a)
; and
(c)
deposit any fees collected under Subsection 
(9)(b)
 into the General Fund, as a 
dedicated credit, to be used solely to pay for or offset the department's costs incurred 
to perform the duties under this Subsection (9).
Section 2. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-13-25 11:09 AM