On Friday, April 17, Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order 28 to amend Executive Order 15 and remove additional regulatory barriers to facilitate the treatment and containment of COVID-19.
The order’s provisions include, among others:
- Extending until October 1 the July 1 deadline for firefighters to obtain a medical examination making them eligible for certain employment-related cancer benefits;
- Suspending the collaborating physician requirement for nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide increased flexibility regarding where these professionals can provide health care services to facilitate the COVID-19 response;
- Allowing nursing school graduates waiting to take the national nursing exam to go to work during the emergency under the supervision of a licensed nurse to boost health care resources;
- Allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to write orders for home health services to address the increased need for such services;
- Expanding the facilities in which autopsies may be performed to address the potential need for increased autopsies;
- Allows medical laboratory personnel to work from home in reviewing data and reporting results;
- Protects HIPAA information sent by the Department of Health to first responders and law enforcement personnel by making disclosure agreements the equivalent of an emergency order
- Extends the price gouging law for another 15-day period (the maximum allowed under law).
