2014 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 63. Public Health and Safety
§63-684.26. Definitions.

As used in the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act:

1. "Disaster relief organization" means an entity that provides emergency or disaster relief services that include health or veterinary services provided by volunteer health practitioners and that:

a.is designated or recognized as a provider of those services pursuant to a disaster response and recovery plan adopted by an agency of the federal government or the State Department of Health, and

b.regularly plans and conducts its activities in coordination with an agency of the federal government or the State Department of Health;

2. "Emergency" means an event or condition that is an emergency pursuant to the Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003 or the Catastrophic Health Emergency Powers Act;

3. "Emergency declaration" means a declaration of emergency issued by a person authorized to do so under the laws of this state pursuant to the Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003 or the Catastrophic Health Emergency Powers Act;

4. "Emergency Management Assistance Compact" means the interstate compact approved by Congress by Public Law No. 104-321,110 Stat. 3877;

5. "Entity" means a person other than an individual;

6. "Health facility" means an entity licensed under the laws of this or another state to provide health or veterinary services;

7. "Health practitioner" means an individual licensed under the laws of this or another state to provide health or veterinary services;

8. "Health services" means the provision of treatment, care, advice or guidance, or other services, or supplies, related to the health or death of individuals or human populations, to the extent necessary to respond to an emergency, including:

a.the following, concerning the physical or mental condition or functional status of an individual or affecting the structure or function of the body:

(1)preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance, or palliative care, and

(2)counseling, assessment, procedures, or other services,

b.sale or dispensing of a drug, a device, equipment, or another item to an individual in accordance with a prescription, and

c.funeral, cremation, cemetery, or other mortuary services;

9. "Host entity" means an entity operating in this state which uses volunteer health practitioners to respond to an emergency;

10. "License" means authorization by a state to engage in health or veterinary services that are unlawful without the authorization and includes authorization under the laws of this state to an individual to provide health or veterinary services based upon a national certification issued by a public or private entity;

11. "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity;

12. "Scope of practice" means the extent of the authorization to provide health or veterinary services granted to a health practitioner by a license issued to the practitioner in the state in which the principal part of the practitioner's services are rendered, including any conditions imposed by the licensing authority;

13. "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;

14. "Veterinary services" means the provision of treatment, care, advice or guidance, or other services, or supplies, related to the health or death of an animal or to animal populations, to the extent necessary to respond to an emergency, including, but not limited to:

a.diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of an animal disease, injury, or other physical or mental condition by the prescription, administration, or dispensing of vaccine, medicine, surgery, or therapy,

b.use of a procedure for reproductive management, and

c.monitoring and treatment of animal populations for diseases that have spread or demonstrate the potential to spread to humans; and

15. "Volunteer health practitioner" means a health practitioner who provides health or veterinary services, whether or not the practitioner receives compensation for those services and does not include a practitioner who receives compensation pursuant to a preexisting employment relationship with a host entity or affiliate which requires the practitioner to provide health services in this state, unless the practitioner is not a resident of this state and is employed by a disaster relief organization providing services in this state while an emergency declaration is in effect.

Added by Laws 2013, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 3, § 4, emerg. eff. Sept. 10, 2013.

NOTE: Text formerly resided under repealed Title 63, § 684.15, which was derived from Laws 2009, c. 228, § 32, which was held unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in the case of Douglas v. Cox Retirement Properties, Inc., 2013 OK 37, 302 P.2d 789 (Okla. 2013).