Current law requires a person found to have TB to obtain the required treatment, minimize the risk of infection and allow for a TB patient to be committed under certain circumstances. This act specifies that local public health authorities may institute proceedings to petition for directly observed therapy or commitment of the person with TB.

The Department of Health and Senior Services is authorized to contract for the care of any TB patient. These contracts shall provide that state payment shall be available for the treatment and care of such patients only after benefits from all third party payers have been exhausted.

It shall be a Class B misdemeanor for any individual knowingly infected with active pulmonary or laryngeal TB to expose another person without that person's consent or report to work with active contagious TB and without following the prescribed treatment or by violating the requirements of a commitment order. If a victim contracts TB, it shall be a Class A misdemeanor.

All employees and volunteers of a health care facility shall be tested for TB upon employment as recommended by the most recent federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All institutions of higher education in Missouri shall implement a targeted testing program on their campuses for all on-campus students and faculty upon matriculation. If an institution does not have a student health center or similar facility, such person identified by the targeted testing program to be at high risk for latent tuberculosis infection or for developing tuberculosis disease shall be referred to a local public health agency for a course of action consistent with this act.

Any entering student of an institution of higher education in Missouri who does not comply with the targeted testing program shall not be permitted to maintain enrollment in the subsequent semester at such institution.

This act is identical to SB 197 (2013); and similar to SB 810 (2012) and HB 1471 (2012).

ADRIANE CROUSE