PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Improve Health Services to Schools’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6402-A, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 258, §2, is amended to read:
§ 6402-A.School health advisor
Each school board shall appoint one or more school physicians or family or pediatric nurse practitioners to act as school health advisor.
 
1. Duties.   The school physicianhealth advisor shall advise the administrative unit on school health issues, policies and practices and may also perform any other health-related functions assigned by the board.
 
2. Other functions.   A school physicianhealth advisor may perform other medical and health-related duties assigned by the school board, which may include all or some of the following:
 
A. Examine and diagnose students referred by teachers and other school employees to protect against the outbreak of contagious diseases in the schools;
 
B. Examine students for participation in physical education and athletic activities;
 
C. Advise and serve as medical consultant to the school nurse; or
 
D. Examine school employees and property if the physicianschool health advisor believes it is necessary to protect the health of students.
 
3. Prohibition.   A school physicianhealth advisor may not treat any student examined under this subchapter unless the physicianschool health advisor is also the student's personal physicianhealth care provider. A school health advisor that advises a school board pursuant to subsection 1 or performs other functions under subsection 2 may not act outside the scope of practice of the physician or nurse practitioner who functions as a school health advisor as established by law or rule of the applicable licensing board.
 
4. Appointment.   Appointment shall beis on a yearly basis.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. This amendment renames school physicians, including family or pediatric nurse practitioners, school health advisors and clarifies that school health advisors may not act outside the scope of practice applicable to the school health advisor. The amendment removes from the bill a provision on local health officer duties.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)