Title 20, Public Health and Welfare

(a) There is established the Health Services Permit Commission. (b) The commission shall be composed of the following membership appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate:(1) A retired or practicing physician;(2) A representative of the Department of Human Services or…

(a) The Health Services Permit Commission shall evaluate the availability and adequacy of health facilities and health services as they relate to long-term care facilities and home healthcare service agencies in this state. (b) The commission shall designate those locales or area…

(a) There is created and established the Health Services Permit Agency, which shall be under the supervision and control of the Department of Health. (b) The agency, under the administration of the department, shall possess and exercise such duties and powers as necessary to impl…

(a) There shall be a Director of the Health Services Permit Agency, who shall be the executive head of the Health Services Permit Agency. (b) The director shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. (…

(a) (1) A permit of approval shall not be required by the Health Services Permit Agency or the Health Services Permit Commission for any applicant to qualify for a Class B license, as provided in § 20-10-801 et seq., to operate a home healthcare services agency, if the home healt…

(a) Unless otherwise provided in this subchapter, all health facilities seeking to add new beds or perform additional home health services or to expand existing bed capacity shall apply for a permit approving additional beds or services or expanded bed capacity or services pursua…

All fees and fines collected under this subchapter shall be deposited into the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account to be used exclusively for the maintenance and operation of the Health Services Permit Agency, including any agreements to reimburse the Department of Health for cos…

(a) All projects requiring approval under the Certificate of Need Program as established by Acts 1975, No. 558, § 5 [repealed], except freestanding radiation therapy centers, shall not be instituted or commenced after April 4, 1987, except upon application for and receipt of appr…

(a) The Health Services Permit Agency shall act as a statewide health data clearinghouse for the acquisition and dissemination of data from healthcare providers, the Arkansas Medicaid Program, third-party payors, state agencies, and other appropriate sources in furtherance of thi…

(a) There is created the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Advisory Council, which shall consist of the following members:(1) A member of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall serve as a cochair of the council;(2) A…

(1) The Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Advisory Council shall:(1) Examine the:(A) Needs of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias;(B) Services available in the state for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias and their family care…

(a) By October 1, 2022, and by October 1 of each subsequent year, the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Advisory Council shall submit to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate an annual report on the status of impleme…

(a) By October 1 of each even-numbered year, the state agencies identified in the State Alzheimer's Plan shall submit a report to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate that includes without limitation:(1) The steps …

The Governor may at any time transfer all personnel, appropriations, fund balances, and authorized positions, and the powers, duties, and personnel of the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to any other designated agency of the state which meets the requirements of Pub. …

The Governor may at any time transfer all the powers, duties, personnel, appropriations, fund balances, and authorized positions of the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to any other designated agency of the state which meets the requirements of Pub. L. No. 103-230 [rep…

(1) The General Assembly finds and determines that:(1) The Division of Youth Services is obligated by law to provide appropriate care to juveniles adjudicated delinquent and committed to the division's custody;(2) The division, pursuant to judicial decrees, assumes custody of del…

(a) It is declared and found that a major problem facing medicine and the public health and welfare is the absence of an adequate program to assist in the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with congenital or acquired spinal cord dysfunction. (b) (1) It has been found that n…

(a) There is established the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission, to consist of five (5) members to be appointed by the Governor from the state at large for terms of ten (10) years and confirmed by the Senate, as provided by law. The members of the commission shall be either spinal c…

(1) The Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission shall have the following functions, powers, and duties:(1) To identify and cooperate with existing agencies, organizations, and individuals offering services to the spinal cord injured or spina bifida patient for the establishment and integ…

(a) (1) The Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission shall establish and maintain a central registry of spinal cord disabled persons. Every public and private health and social agency and attending physician shall report to the commission within five (5) calendar days after identification…

(1) The General Assembly finds:(1) That Arkansas consistently ranks among the most unhealthy states in the nation;(2) That after just one (1) year of regular walking exercise, previously sedentary smokers refrained from smoking at two (2) times the rate of those who received only…

(a) The Department of Health shall use funds from the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act, § 19-90-101 et seq., to establish the Great Strides Grant Program. (b) (1) The department shall promulgate rules to create a grant program which will allow local communities to participate in t…

The General Assembly finds and determines that there is a lack of Arkansas-specific information and data to guide officials responsible for policy decisions and that making this data readily available to decision makers is essential to the creation of effective health policy for …

(a) (1) The Director of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement shall establish and maintain a program to access health data to be known as the “Arkansas Health Data Initiative”.(2) The initiative shall be administered and maintained within the the Arkansas Center for Health I…

(a) If agreed to by state agencies responsible for maintaining requested data sources, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement may have access to the agencies' information and data to facilitate operation of the Arkansas Health Data Initiative. (b) Data under subsection (a) of…

The Office of State Technology, Department of Finance and Administration, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, State Insurance Department, and all other appropriate departments, agencies, subcontractors, and officers shall promulgate rules to implement this subchap…

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative Act”.

(1) The General Assembly finds that:(1) More than one hundred million (100,000,000) Americans and two billion (2,000,000,000) other humans worldwide suffer from diseases that may eventually be treated more effectively or even cured with stem cells;(2) Stem cell research has been …

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Amniotic fluid” means the fluid inside the amnion;(2) “Nonembryonic stem cell research” means medical research involving stem cells that have not been derived from a human embryo or fetus;(3) “Placenta” means the organ that forms on the inner w…

(a) (1) The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences shall establish and maintain the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank in this state for the purpose of collecting and storing postnatal tissue and fluid.(2) The Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank shall create a voluntary program…

(a) The medical director of the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank shall:(1) Investigate the implementation of this subchapter and recommend improvements in this subchapter to the General Assembly;(2) Oversee the operations of the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank, including witho…

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Volunteer Health Care Act”.

(1) It is the purpose of the General Assembly to:(1) Provide and facilitate access to appropriate, safe, and cost-effective healthcare services; and(2) Maintain healthcare quality. (1) Provide and facilitate access to appropriate, safe, and cost-effective healthcare services; and…

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Contract” means an agreement executed in compliance with this subchapter between a healthcare professional or a medical professional and the Department of Health or a governmental contractor;(2) “Governmental contractor” means the county health…

(a) (1) A healthcare provider or medical professional may enter into a contract with the Department of Health or governmental contractor to deliver volunteer health services to eligible low-income patients.(2) A healthcare provider or medical professional that enters into a contr…

(a) A medical professional may fulfill one (1) hour of continuing education credit with the performance of eight (8) hours of volunteer services under this subchapter. (b) A medical professional shall not obtain more than thirty-two (32) hours of credits as described in subsectio…

(a) The healthcare provider or medical professional shall provide written notice to each patient, parent of the patient, or legal guardian of the patient served under a contract described in this subchapter. (b) The written notice shall:(1) Be acknowledged in writing by the patie…

(a) Annually, the Department of Health shall report to:(1) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate;(2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives;(3) The minority leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives;(4) The Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfa…

A governmental contractor is responsible for costs and attorney's fees for malpractice litigation arising out of healthcare services delivered under a contract brought to the Arkansas State Claims Commission.

The Department of Health shall promulgate rules necessary to implement this subchapter in a manner consistent with the purpose of this subchapter.

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Primary Prevention Programs Act”.

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “At-risk youth” means an individual in grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12) who has a greater vulnerability for risk behaviors;(2) “Client” means the intended audience of a primary prevention and risk avoidance program;(3) “Culturally appro…

(a) (1) If an education program concerning risk behavior is provided to a youth by or through a state agency or public school, the education program shall utilize a primary prevention and risk avoidance program.(2) Secondary prevention strategies that focus on risk reduction rath…