Senator Hardiman asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Hardiman’s statement is as follows:
I rise to speak in favor of Senate Bill No. 528 and to ask members to join me in supporting it. This bill would help to correct a flaw in our Public Health Code. It would help put the minds of many of my constituents at ease.
About two years ago, Kent County residents were shocked to discover that a doctor they had known and trusted violated that trust by deliberately reusing medical devices, regardless of the consequences to literally thousands of patients. That doctor was convicted in federal court for falsely billing for services, but the Public Health Code has a gray area about the actual practice of misusing single-use devices.
We need to pass Senate Bill No. 528 to clarify state law and penalize health professionals who would do this to their patients. We don’t want to outlaw the proper use of devices when medically appropriate. Senate Bill No. 528 has some exceptions to recognize legitimate situations, and I have worked with the medical community to try to strike the proper balance in this regulation.
Senate Bill No. 528 is a workable and reasonable response to a terrible situation. Passage of this bill will bring great relief to many in Kent County, and I thank you for your consideration of it.