Last Tuesday Rep. Lee Johnson (R — Greenwood) withdrew a bill that dealt with criminal liability for negligence and misconduct by healthcare professionals.
Right now if someone is harmed because of a healthcare professional’s negligence or misconduct, authorities can investigate the situation, and prosecutors can take appropriate action.
H.B. 1168 was a bill similar to legislation that other states have proposed to protect healthcare professionals from being prosecuted for honest mistakes. But H.B. 1168 was drafted in such a way that its wording could have made it difficult to prosecute healthcare workers who deliberately hurt another person. Fortunately, Rep. Johnson took the time to listen to people with concerns about the way the bill was drafted, and he chose to withdraw it from the legislature.
It’s important to protect good healthcare professionals, but our laws need to hold bad actors accountable as well. That is part of the reason Family Council has consistently opposed legislation that would shield nursing homes and similar facilities when their negligence harms or kills another person.
Family Council deeply appreciates Rep. Johnson taking the time to listen to Arkansans who had concerns about unintended consequences H.B. 1168 might have caused, and we support his decision to withdraw the bill from consideration.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
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