MO HB1307

Hospitals may claim a tax credit of up to 50% of the cost of mechanical lifting devices and equipment used in safe patient handling programs, with a maximum credit of $1,000 per acute care available inpatient bed and a $10 million aggregate statewide limit.

Hospitals must establish a safe patient handling committee by January 1, 2011 with at least half frontline non-managerial employees, and implement a comprehensive safe patient handling program by July 1, 2011 including policies, hazard assessments, and annual performance evaluations.

Hospitals must acquire by January 1, 2014 either one lift per acute care unit, one lift per ten acute care beds, or equipment for lift teams, with staff trained on policies and equipment at least annually.

Hospitals must develop procedures allowing employees to refuse patient handling tasks in good faith that pose unacceptable injury risk without facing disciplinary action.

Division of Workers' Compensation must develop rules by January 1, 2012 providing reduced workers' compensation premiums for hospitals implementing approved safe patient handling programs and report results to the legislature by December 1, 2015 and 2017.