Arkansas legislation · 95th General Assembly (2025 Regular)
Arkansas HB1961: TO ALLOW MEDICAL PROVIDERS TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM FEDERAL INFORMATION-BLOCKING REGULATIONS TO SAFEGUARD PATIENTS DURING INFORMATION DISCLOSURE; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
Status: Vetoed, May 7, 2025
What the bill says
An act to be entitled an act to allow medical providers temporary exemptions from federal information-blocking regulations to safeguard patients during information disclosure; to provide therapeutic privilege for medical providers under certain circumstances; to declare an emergency; and for other purposes. subtitle to allow medical providers temporary exemptions from federal informationblocking regulations to safeguard patients during information disclosure; and to declare an emergency.
From the introduced text:
An Act To Be Entitled AN ACT TO ALLOW MEDICAL PROVIDERS TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM FEDERAL INFORMATION-BLOCKING REGULATIONS TO SAFEGUARD PATIENTS DURING INFORMATION DISCLOSURE; TO PROVIDE THERAPEUTIC PRIVILEGE FOR MEDICAL PROVIDERS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Subtitle TO ALLOW MEDICAL PROVIDERS TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM FEDERAL INFORMATIONBLOCKING REGULATIONS TO SAFEGUARD PATIENTS DURING INFORMATION DISCLOSURE; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 9, Subchapter 1, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 20-9-106. Temporary exemption from federal information-blocking regulations -- Definitions. (a) As used in this section: (1)(A) "Information-blocking" means a practice that is likely to interfere with access, exchange, or use of electronic health information that is conducted by a medical provider that knows that such a practice is unreasonable and is likely to interfere with access, exchange, or use of electronic health information. (B) "Information-blocking" does not include practices *JMB100* 04/01/2025 8:02:55 AM JMB100 HB1961 required by law or covered by an exception in 45 C.F.R. Part 171, Subparts B, C, or D, as existing on January 1, 2025; and (2) "Medical provider" means an individual licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by state law to provide healthcare services in the ordinary course of business …