Signed by Governor Laura Kelly

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that extends the COVID-19 liability shield for businesses.

Highlights:

• Establishes powers of the governor during a disaster emergency, including (Sec. 5.c):

• Suspend the provisions of any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business;

• Utilize all available resources of the state government to cope with the disaster;

• Transfer the supervision, personnel or functions of state departments and agencies or units thereof to perform or facilitate emergency management activities;

• Commandeer or utilize any private property if the governor finds such action necessary to cope with the disaster;

• Direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from any area of the state stricken or threatened by a disaster if the governor deems it necessary for the recovery,

• Prescribe routes, modes of transportation and destinations in connection with an evacuation;

• Control ingress and egress of persons and animals to and from a disaster area,

• Suspend or limit the sale, dispensing or transportation of alcoholic beverages, explosives and combustibles;

• Make provision for the availability and use of temporary emergency housing;

• Require and direct the cooperation and assistance of state and local governmental agencies and officials; and

• Perform and exercise such other functions, powers and duties to secure the population

• Prohibits the governor from issuing an order for the closure or cessation of any that substantially burdens or inhibits the gathering or movement of individuals or operation of any religious, civic, business or, commercial activity, whether for-profit or not-for-profit (Sec. 6).

• Amends existing law to include the following (Sec. 7):

• A physician may issue a prescription for or order the administration of medication, including a controlled substance, for a patient without conducting an in-person examination of such patient;

• A physician under quarantine, including self-imposed quarantine, may practice telemedicine; and

• A physician holding a license issued by the applicable licensing agency of another state may practice telemedicine to treat patients located in the state of Kansas,

• Authorizes the state board of healing arts to grant a temporary emergency license to practice any profession licensed, certified, registered, or regulated by the board to an applicant with qualifications the board deems sufficient to protect public safety and welfare within the scope of professional practice authorized by the temporary emergency license to prepare for, responding to or mitigating any effect of COVID-19 (Sec. 8).

• Authorizes a licensed physician assistant to provide healthcare services appropriate to such physician assistant's education, training, and experience within a designated healthcare facility at which the physician assistant is employed or contracted to work as necessary to support the facility's response to the COVID-19 pandemic without a written agreement with a supervising physician (Sec. 9).

• Establishes any person conducting business in the state will be immune from liability in a civil action for a COVID-19 claim if such person was acting according to and in substantial compliance with public health directives applicable to the activity giving rise to the cause of action when the cause of action occurred (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text