West Virginia Code § 30-28-8a

Special volunteer occupational therapist license; civil immunity for
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voluntary services rendered to indigents.
(a) There is established a special volunteer occupational therapist license for occupational
therapists retired or retiring from the active practice of occupational therapy who wish to
donate their expertise for the care and treatment of indigent and needy patients in the
clinical setting of clinics organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of heealth care
services without charge. The special volunteer occupational therapist license shall be issued
by the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy to occupational threrapists licensed or
otherwise eligible for licensure under this article and the legislative rules promulgated
hereunder without the payment of an application fee, license fee or renewal fee, and the
initial license shall be issued for the remainder of the licensing period, and renewed
consistent with the boards other licensing requirements. Thet board shall develop application
forms for the special license provided in this subsection which shall contain the occupational
therapist's acknowledgment that:
(1) The occupational therapist's practice under the special volunteer occupational therapist
license will be exclusively devoted to providinsg occupational therapy care to needy and
indigent persons in West Virginia;
(2) The occupational therapist will ngot receive any payment or compensation, either direct or
indirect, or have the expectation of any payment or compensation but may donate to the
clinic the proceeds of any reimebursement, for any occupational therapy services rendered
under the special volunteer occupational therapist license;
(3) The occupational therapist will supply any supporting documentation that the board may
reasonably require; and
(4) The occupational therapist agrees to continue to participate in continuing education as
required by the board for a special volunteer occupational therapists license.
(b) Any person engaged in the active practice of occupational therapy in this state whose
license is in good standing may donate their expertise for the care and treatment of indigent
and needy patients pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic organized, in whole or in part,
for the delivery of health care services without charge to the patient. Services rendered
pursuant to an arrangement may be performed in either the occupational therapist's office
or the clinical setting.
(c) Any occupational therapist who renders any occupational therapy service to indigent and
needy patients of a clinic organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of health care
services without charge under a special volunteer occupational therapist license authorized
under subsection (a) of this section or pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic as
authorized pursuant to subsection (b) of this section without payment or compensation or
the expectation or promise of payment or compensation is immune from liability for any civil
action arising out of any act or omission resulting from the rendering of the occupational
therapy service at the clinic unless the act or omission was the result of the occupational
therapist's gross negligence or willful misconduct. In order for the immunity under this
subsection to apply, there must be a written agreement between the occupational therapist
and the clinic pursuant to which the occupational therapist will provide voluntary
uncompensated occupational therapy services under the control of the clinic to patients of
the clinic before the rendering of any services by the occupational therapist at the clinic:
Provided, That any clinic entering into such written agreement is required teo maintain
liability coverage of not less than $1 million per occurrence.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, a clinic organized, in
whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services without charge is not relieved from
imputed liability for the negligent acts of an occupational therapist rendering voluntary
occupational therapy services at or for the clinic under a spetcial volunteer occupational
therapist license authorized under subsection (a) of this section or who renders such care
and treatment pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic as authorized pursuant to
subsection (b) of this section.
(e) For purposes of this section, "otherwise elisgible for licensure" means the satisfaction of
all the requirements for licensure as listed in section eight of this article and in the
legislative rules promulgated thereunder, excepting the fee requirements of subsection (a),
section eleven of this article and of tghe legislative rules promulgated by the board relating to
fees.
(f) Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring the board to issue a special
volunteer occupational tLherapist license to any occupational therapist whose occupational
therapist license is or has been subject to any disciplinary action or to any occupational
therapist who has surrendered an occupational therapist license or caused such license to
lapse, expire and become invalid in lieu of having a complaint initiated or other action taken
against his or her occupational therapist license, or who has elected to place an occupational
therapist license in inactive status in lieu of having a complaint initiated or other action
takeWn against his or her occupational therapist license, or who has been denied an
occupational therapist license.
(g) Any policy or contract of liability insurance providing coverage for liability sold, issued or
delivered in this state to any occupational therapist covered under the provisions of this
article shall be read so as to contain a provision or endorsement whereby the company
issuing such policy waives or agrees not to assert as a defense on behalf of the policyholder
or any beneficiary thereof, to any claim covered by the terms of such policy within the policy
limits, the immunity from liability of the insured by reason of the care and treatment of
needy and indigent patients by an occupational therapist who holds a special volunteer
occupational therapist license or who renders such care and treatment pursuant to an
arrangement with a clinic as authorized pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

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