This week’s legislative update delivers more information regarding PCAP, an overview of public health issues that were discussed, and bills of interest during the week.
PCAP funding killed in committee
Representative Fred Wood’s (R-Burley) bill to fund the Governor’s Primary Care Access Program was defeated abruptly. The House State Affairs Committee refused to introduce this legislation on Monday morning. The bill sought to provide a funding source for the program from the Millennium Fund, which comes from a nationwide tobacco settlement.
House State Affairs rejects partial PCAP funding bill – Spokesman Review
Their bill is dead until they can find a funding source – Spokesman Review
Idaho health care proposal ‘dead’ – Idaho Statesman
What happened and what’s next? – Idaho Statesman
Medicaid Expansion in the news
Opinion article – Idaho Statesman
Advocates say Medicaid expansion would be better – Idaho Business Review
Board of Nursing Legislation
Three bills proposed by the Idaho Board of Nursing were scheduled for hearing in the Senate Health & Welfare Committee Monday afternoon.
Nurse Licensure Compact and Advanced Practice Nurse Licensure Compact
Senate Bill No. 1251 and Senate Bill No. 1250 are two licensure compact bills that seek to adopt new language to align Idaho’s compact agreement adopted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to recognized those holding a valid nursing license in another compact state to obtain an Idaho license. The Nursing Compact has been in place since 2001 for RNs and LPNs. The Advanced Practice Nursing Licensure Compact is new for APNs.
SB 1250 full bill text can be found here
SB 1251 full bill text can be found here
Revision to the Definition of Nursing
The statement of purpose of Senate Bill No. 1252 states, “the current statutory definition of the ‘practice of nursing’ is antiquated. The Idaho Board of Nursing, the agency charged with regulating nurses and the practice of nursing, seeks to amend the statute to more accurately reflect the functions nurses perform and what the practice of nursing means.”
SB 1252 full bill text can be found here
Caregiver Presentation
The Idaho Caregiver Alliance (ICA) presented findings from Caregiver Task Force to the House Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday. The Task Force was created in response to House Concurrent Resolution 24 passed during the 2015 session. A similar presentation will be made to the Senate Health and Welfare committee on Tuesday, February 23rd at 3:00 pm; interested constituents are invited to attend.
ICA Presentation
ICA Executive Summary
ICA Report
Abortions and Ultrasounds
On Wednesday a bill was introduced that would require women seeking abortions to be provided with a state-compiled list of providers who could provide them with free ultrasounds, and told they have a right to a free ultrasound and to hear a fetal heart monitor. The House Bill No. 516 seeks to amend existing law to “provide that the Department of Health and Welfare shall compile a list of providers that perform free ultrasounds, and shall state that a patient has the right to obtain a free ultrasound, view an ultrasound image and hear heart tone monitoring and to provide that no abortion shall be performed unless the woman is informed that ultrasound imaging and heart tone monitoring are available.”
HB 516 full bill text can be found here
House Health & Welfare Chairman speaks to JFAC
During beginning of the session, chairmen of various legislative committees presented to JFAC on what should be funded in the state budget in the areas they manage. House Health & Welfare Chairman Fred Wood (R-Burley) spoke to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Chairman Wood spoke to bring attention the 78,000 Idahoans who now make too little to qualify for subsidized insurance through the state exchange, but get no other help because Idaho hasn’t expanded Medicaid to cover adults who don't qualify for nursing home care. Wood expressed, “at some basic level, the House Health & Welfare Committee unanimously agreed what is currently happening is just unfair and wrong. It’s as simple as that.” Chairman Wood also spoke about what he called the weakest component of the health care system in Idaho”. He said the most urgent need of all Idahoans in the health care arena is behavioral services. He advised full funding for Idaho’s suicide prevention hotline, its state suicide prevention plan, and as many crisis centers as the committee feels comfortable with funding.
Betsy Russell’s account of the Committee meeting can be found here
Unborn Infants Dignity Act
Senate Bill No. 1349 was introduced in the Senate State Affairs Committee Friday morning. The legislation proposed by David Ripley of Idaho Chooses Life seeks to ban fetal tissue from being donated after an abortion, either for organ donations or medical research. The purpose of the bill states, “This legislation protects the dignity of preborn children, lost to abortion, by making it illegal to harvest their organs and tissue for any purpose, including experimentation. It strengthens ethical standards for proper medical research, and the legislation reinforces the principle that the mother has a right to provide for the respectful disposition of her baby's remains.”
SB 1349 full bill text can be found here
Bills/Rules of Note
If there are specific Bills or Rules that you would like Molly to track, please let her know. For full bill text and more information regarding bills this session, please go to the Idaho Legislature Bill Center
Bill No |
Description |
Last Action |
H0482 |
Boards/qualifications/consumr membr |
02/15/2016 House - Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare |
H0483 |
Pharmacy, communicatn, bio products |
02/15/2016 House - Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare |
H0484 |
Primary care access program |
02/15/2016 House - Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare |
S1231 |
Chiropractic practic/prescrib drugs |
02/15/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
S1265 |
Insuranc premium tax/high risk pool |
02/15/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
S1322 |
Epinephrine auto-injectors |
02/15/2016 Senate - Reported Printed; referred to Health & Welfare |
S1250 |
Adv practic registerd nurse compact |
02/16/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
S1251 |
Nursing licensure compact |
02/16/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
S1326 |
Suicide preventn/diretor authority |
02/16/2016 Senate - Reported Printed; referred to Health & Welfare |
H0500 |
Medicare reimbursement rate |
02/17/2016 House - Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare |
S1271 |
Approp, H&W medicaid, chg |
02/18/2016 Senate - Passed: Ayes 29 Nays 6 Excused 0; title approved; to House |
S1270 |
Approp, H&W benefit payments, add'l |
02/18/2016 Senate - Passed: Ayes 32 Nays 3 Excused 0; title approved; to House |
H0335 |
Controlled substances, sched II |
02/18/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0336 |
Pharmacy board terms |
02/18/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0337 |
Prescriptions, med examiners/dbase |
02/18/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0338 |
Legend drug possession |
02/18/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0339 |
Controlled substance storage |
02/18/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0340 |
Pharm brd, contraceptives |
02/18/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0331 |
Alcoholic bevs, powdered alcohol |
02/19/2016 House - Bill as Amended Referred to JRA for Engrossing |
H0516 |
Abortion, ultrasounds |
02/19/2016 House - Bill Previously Held at Desk, Referred to State Affairs |
H0518 |
Mental illness, admit, detention |
02/19/2016 House - Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare |
H0413 |
License plates, Orofino hs maniacs |
02/19/2016 House - Retained on General Orders |
S1201 |
Approp, catastrophic health, reduce |
02/19/2016 House - U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, February 22, 2016 |
S1349 |
Unborn infants dignity act |
02/19/2016 Senate - Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing |
H0373 |
Legend drugs, clinic donat/dispense |
02/19/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0374 |
Control subs prescription database |
02/19/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
H0375 |
Health care task force |
02/19/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
S1264 |
Pharmacy, durable medical equipment |
02/19/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading |
S1206 |
Approp, H&W indirect support, add'l |
02/19/2016 Senate - Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor |
S1207 |
Approp, H&W psych hosp, add'l |
02/19/2016 Senate - Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor |
S1216 |
Approp, blind com, add'l |
02/19/2016 Senate - Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor |