FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to  establish a statewide trauma system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
     Section 1.  Terms used in this Act mean:

             (1)    "Department," the Department of Health;

             (2)    "Emergency medical services," health care provided to the patient at the scene, during transportation to a medical facility, between medical facilities, and upon entry at the medical facility;

             (3)    "Hospital," a hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 34-12;

             (4)    "Trauma," a sudden, severe injury or damage to the body caused by an external force that results in potentially life-threatening injuries or that could result in the following disabilities:

             (a)    Impairment of cognitive or mental abilities;

             (b)    Impairment of physical functioning; or

             (c)    Disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning;

             (5)    "Trauma care system," a statewide system for the prevention of trauma and the

provision of optimal medical care to trauma victims that includes both the provision of appropriate health care services and provision of emergency medical care, equipment, and personnel for effective and coordinated prehospital, hospital, inter-hospital, and rehabilitative care for trauma patients;

             (6)    "Trauma hospital," a hospital designated by the department as providing a specialized program in trauma care with appropriately trained personnel, equipment, and other facility resources that are specifically organized to provide optimal care to a trauma patient at the facility; and

             (7)    "Trauma registry," patient-specific trauma data that is maintained by a health care facility, in a format prescribed by rules promulgated pursuant to section 3 of this Act.
     Section 2.  The department, with input from the Department of Public Safety, shall develop, implement, and administer a trauma care system including a statewide trauma registry that involves all hospitals and emergency medical services within the state.
     Section 3.  The department, with input from the Department of Public Safety, shall promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to provide for a trauma care system and statewide trauma registry. The rules shall include:

             (1)    Designation of the levels of trauma hospitals and the resources each hospital is required to have concerning personnel, equipment, data collection, and organizational capacity for each level;

             (2)    Prehospital emergency medical services triage and treatment protocols for trauma patients; and

             (3)    Requirements for collection and release of trauma registry data.
     Section 4.  Each hospital shall meet the requirements of one of the designated levels of trauma hospitals as provided for in section 3 of this Act by January 1, 2012. The department

may not direct a hospital to establish a certain level of designation.