§16-5J-3. Rules; recognized external standards.

The director of the department of health shall promulgate, pursuant to chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, rules required to implement this article, and such rules shall specifically address, among other things, training, education and experience requirements. The standards to be adopted by the department of health shall be equal to or higher than such standards currently applicable and as established by the college of American pathologists, the center for disease control, American Osteopathic Board of Pathology, American Osteopathic Hospital Association, the Medicare program or the joint commission for the accreditation of hospitals: Provided, That any laboratory in this state accredited by or certified by one of these organizations or the Medicare program shall be exempt from the requirements of licensure with no further inquiry by the department of health, and any such accredited or certified laboratory shall be exempt from the provisions of this article as long as such laboratories remain so accredited or certified: Provided, however, That all laboratories shall have five years from the effective date of this article to come into compliance.