Utah Code § 26B-4-325

Current through the 2024 Fourth Special Session

Section 26B-4-325 - Medical care for inmates - Reporting of statistics

As used in this section:

(1) "Correctional facility" means a facility operated to house inmates in a secure or nonsecure setting:

(a) by the Department of Corrections; or

(b) under a contract with the Department of Corrections.

(2) "Health care facility" means the same as that term is defined in Section 26B-2-201.

(3) "Inmate" means an individual who is:

(a) committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections; and

(b) housed at a correctional facility or at a county jail at the request of the Department of Corrections.

(4) "Medical monitoring technology" means a device, application, or other technology that can be used to improve health outcomes and the experience of care for patients, including evidence-based clinically evaluated software and devices that can be used to monitor and treat diseases and disorders.

(5) "Terminally ill" means the same as that term is defined in Section 31A-36-102.

(6) The department shall:

(a) for each health care facility owned or operated by the Department of Corrections, assist the Department of Corrections in complying with Section 64-13-39;

(b) in coordination with the Department of Corrections, and as the Department of Correction's agent:

(i) create policies and procedures for providing comprehensive health care to inmates;

(ii) provide inmates with comprehensive health care; and

(iii) develop standard population indicators and performance measures relating to the health of inmates; and

(c) collaborate with the Department of Corrections to comply with Section 64-13-25.1.

(7) In providing the comprehensive health care described in Subsection (6)(b)(ii), the department may not, without entering into an agreement with the Department of Corrections, provide, operate, or manage any treatment plans for inmates that are:

(a) required to be provided, operated, or managed by the Department of Corrections in accordance with Section 64-13-6; and

(b) not related to the comprehensive health care provided by the department.

(8) Beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024, the department shall:

(a) evaluate and study the use of medical monitoring technology and create a plan for a pilot program that identifies:

(i) the types of medical monitoring technology that will be used during the pilot program; and

(ii) eligibility for participation in the pilot program; and

(b) make the indicators and performance measures described in Subsection (6)(b)(iii) available to the public through the Department of Corrections and the department websites.

(9) Beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2029, the department shall implement the pilot program.

(10) The department shall submit to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee and the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee:

(a) a report on or before October 1 of each year regarding the costs and benefits of the pilot program;

(b) a report that summarizes the indicators and performance measures described in Subsection (6)(b)(iii) on or before October 1, 2024; and

(c) an updated report before October 1 of each year that compares the indicators and population measures of the most recent year to the initial report described in Subsection (10)(b).

(11) An inmate receiving comprehensive health care from the department remains in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

Utah Code § 26B-4-325

Amended by Chapter 266, 2024 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 5/1/2024.

Amended by Chapter 16, 2024 General Session ,§ 3, eff. 2/16/2024.

Enacted byChapter 322, 2023 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 5/3/2023, and technically renumbered to avoid duplication.