1. In order to ensure that hospitals can be free from excessive regulation that increases health care costs without increasing patient safety, any rules and regulations promulgated by the department of health and senior services under section^* 190.185, 190.241, or 192.006; chapter 197; or any other provision of Missouri law shall not require hospitals, as a condition of designation under section 190.241, to obtain emergency medical services data under section 190.241, unless such data may be obtained from the state database for emergency medical services. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to limit in any way the requirements of any person or entity to submit emergency medical services data to any person or entity.

2. A hospital shall not be required to comply with an interpretation of a specific provision in any regulation concerning trauma, STEMI, or stroke centers if such hospital can demonstrate that the specific provision in the regulation has been interpreted differently for a similarly situated hospital. The department may require compliance if the specific provision in the regulation has been subsequently interpreted consistently for similarly situated hospitals.

3. The department shall attend meetings with trauma, STEMI, and stroke centers for the benefit of improved communication, best-practice identification, and facilitation of improvements to the designation process.

4. As used in this section, the term “hospital” shall have the same meaning as in section 197.020.