50-20-306. Physician reporting requirements -- penalty -- action -- department report. - Montana Statutes

     50-20-306. Physician reporting requirements -- penalty -- action -- department report. (1) Within 90 days after July 1, 1995, the department shall prepare a reporting form to be used by physicians that contains a reprint of this chapter and on which the physician shall list:
     (a) the number of women to whom the physician provided the information described in 50-20-104(5)(a), including:
     (i) the number of women provided the information by telephone and the number to whom it was provided in person; and
     (ii) the number of women in each group referred to in subsection (1)(a)(i) to whom the physician provided the information in the capacity of a referring physician and the number to whom it was provided in the capacity of a physician who is to perform the abortion;
     (b) the number of women to whom the physician or an agent of the physician provided the information described in 50-20-104(5)(b), including:
     (i) the number of women to whom the physician provided the information by telephone and the number to whom it was provided in person;
     (ii) the number of women in each group referred to in subsection (1)(b)(i) to whom the physician provided the information in the capacity of a referring physician and the number to whom it was provided in the capacity of a physician who is to perform the abortion; and
     (iii) the number of women in each group referred to in subsection (1)(b)(ii) to whom information was provided by the physician and the number to whom it was provided by an agent of the physician;
     (c) the number of women who availed themselves of the opportunity to obtain a copy of the printed information described in 50-20-304 and the number who did not;
     (d) of each of the numbers described in subsections (1)(a) through (1)(c), the number who, to the best of the reporting physician's information and belief, obtained an abortion; and
     (e) the number of abortions that were performed by the physician but in which information otherwise required to be provided at least 24 hours before the abortion was not provided because:
     (i) an immediate abortion was necessary to avert the woman's death; or
     (ii) a delay would create serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.
     (2) The department shall ensure that copies of the reporting forms described in subsection (1) are provided:
     (a) by 120 days after July 1, 1995, to all physicians licensed in this state;
     (b) to each physician licensed to practice after July 1, 1995, at the time of licensure;
     (c) by December 1 of each succeeding year, to all physicians licensed to practice in this state.
     (3) By February 28 of each year, each physician or the physician's agent who provided information to one or more women in accordance with 50-20-106 shall submit a copy of the reporting form described in subsection (1) to the department with the requested data entered accurately and completely.
     (4) Reports that are not submitted by March 31 are subject to a penalty of $500 for each 30-day period that the reports are overdue. A physician who is required to report but who, more than 1 year after the due date, has not submitted a report or who has submitted an incomplete report may, in an action brought by the department, be directed by a district court to submit a complete report within a period stated in the court order or be subject to sanctions for civil contempt.
     (5) By June 30 of each year, the department shall issue a public report providing statistics for the previous calendar year submitted in accordance with this section for each of the items listed in subsection (1). Each report must provide the statistics for all previous calendar years, adjusted to reflect information from late or corrected reports. The department shall ensure that none of the information included in the public reports could reasonably lead to the identification of an individual who was provided information in accordance with 50-20-106. The department shall design the reporting process to ensure that confidentiality regarding the physician or the physician's agent is maintained in the department records.
     (6) The department may, by rule, alter the dates established by subsection (2)(c), (3), or (5) or consolidate the forms or reports described in this section with other forms or reports to achieve administrative convenience, achieve fiscal savings, or reduce the burden of reporting requirements. However, reporting forms must be sent to all licensed physicians at least once a year, and the report described in subsection (5) must be issued at least once a year.

     History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 566, L. 1995.