JFAC approves funding for the suicide prevention plan

Last Friday was an exciting day for public health in Idaho. Lawmakers backed a budget for public health services under the state Department of Health & Welfare that includes $971,100 in state funds and 4 new positions to carry out the state’s suicide prevention plan. The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee approved funding for the first four priorities of the Suicide Prevention Plan. This funding was recommended by the Health Quality Planning Commission and will support the creation of a state office for suicide prevention, sustainable funding for the suicide hotline, “Sources of Strength” training for Idaho students, and a public outreach campaign to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking behavior. This funding is extremely important, as Idaho’s suicide rate is higher than that of the United States as a whole. The Suicide Prevention Plan can be read here.

Hospital district bill

House Bill No. 533 was reported out of the House Health and Welfare Committee with do pass recommendation on Tuesday. The legislation will allow the board of trustees of a hospital district to unanimously appoint up to two additional members to serve as trustees for the purpose of adding necessary and specialized skills to assist board deliberations and decision-making. HB 533 full bill text can be found here.

Immunizations

Senate Bill No. 1294 was reported out of the House Health and Welfare Committee with do pass recommendation on Tuesday. The bill, proposed by the Idaho State Pharmacy Association, seeks to allow pharmacists to prescribe and administer immunizations to children 6 years or older, the current limit is 12 years or older. SB 1294 full bill text can be found here

Abortion bill

The House passed House Bill No. 516 on Tuesday. As mentioned last week, the bill 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. HB 516 full bill text can be found here.

House passes abortion ultrasound bill after stormy debate – Spokesman Review

Idaho House backs abortion ultrasound bill – Local News 8

Abortion-Targeting Ultrasound Bill Passes Idaho House – Boise Weekly

Rape kit legislation

The House unanimously passed House Bill No. 528 on Wednesday. The legislation seeks to create and codify systems used by law enforcement, health care facilities, and the Idaho State Police (ISP) Forensics Laboratory in the processing of sexual assault evidence kits in the State of Idaho. It also creates a system of tracking and reporting to require an annual audit and report about the collection of evidence and testing given to the Idaho State Legislature on an annual basis. Currently there are not statutes that address sexual assault kit evidence collection in our state. This legislation would provide a consistent process to better support victims, law enforcement, health care facilities, and the forensics laboratory. HB 528 full bill text can be found here.

Relating to the Right to Try Act

House Bill No. 481 passed the House on Monday, was sent to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and then passed out of committee with do pass recommendation. The purpose of this legislation is to allow patients with a terminal diagnosis the right to try an investigation drug that has completed basic safety testing through the FDA, thereby dramatically reducing paperwork, wait times, bureaucracy, and most important, potentially saving lives. This legislation releases liability from physicians, hospitals, insurers, and any other person and clears the way for patients to work with manufacturers under the recommendation of a physician to try an investigational medication. Patients will accept full responsibility, including financial responsibility, for their decisions to try to save their own lives. HB 481 full bill text can be found here.

Funding for behavioral health crisis centers

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee backed funding for two additional behavior health crisis centers on Wednesday during the budget setting for the state Department of Health & Welfare’s Mental Health Services. Lawmakers had a hard time deciding whether or not to open a center in Twin Falls or one in the Boise area, so they compromised and decided to partially fund two. Both centers would open partway in the coming year.

State budget writers approve funding 2 crisis centers – Idaho Statesman

JFAC backs new crisis centers next year for both Twin Falls, Boise - Spokesman Review

Firefighter cancer coverage legislation

House Bill No. 554 passed the House Commerce Committee on Thursday after a two hour long hearing. The legislation amends existing law to “provide that compensation shall be payable for disability or death resulting from certain firefighter occupational diseases, to provide a presumption of proximate causation between specified diseases and employment as a firefighter, to provide for rebuttal of the presumption, to provide for the demonstration of causal connection, to provide that the presumption shall not apply under certain circumstances and to clarify that employment shall be within the State of Idaho.” Currently, without a presumption in the law, it’s extremely difficult for firefighters to prove that their jobs led to the cancers, as they develop over long periods of time and could be related to any number of carcinogens. HB 554 full bill text can be found here.

Firefighters’ cancer coverage bill wins House panel support– Spokesman Review

Nurse licensure compact and advanced practice nurse licensure compact

Senate Bill No. 1251 and Senate Bill No. 1250 were both reported out of the House Health and Welfare Committee with do pass recommendation. The licensure compact bills seek to adopt new language to align Idaho’s compact agreement adopted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to recognize 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 and SB 1251 full bill text can be found here.

EMS compact

Senate Bill No. 1281 was reported out of the House Health and Welfare Committee with do pass recommendation on Friday. The legislation seeks to add to existing law to establish the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact. SB Full bill text can be found here. 

Medicaid expansion

In his weekly newsletter, John Rusche (D-Lewiston) said the House Health and Welfare Committee was fairly quiet this week. There continues to be undercurrents of interest in low-income healthcare, but he does not think a bill will be available for discussion or vote until the week after filing closes.

Medicaid Expansion in the news

Falling between the gaps of health insurance - KMVT

GOP Eyeing Health Care Fix – Twin Falls Times-News

Dunn letter: Health care – Idaho Statesman

Idaho legislative leaders: Medicaid expansion still in talks– Idaho Statesman

Bedke, Hill say health care ‘gap’ discussions still ongoing – Spokesman Review

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
S1295	Public assistnc/provider penalties	02/29/2016 House - Read First Time, Referred to Health & Welfare
S1253	Child protection, caregivers	02/29/2016 House - Read First Time, Referred to Judiciary, Rules, & Administration
H0331	Alcoholic bevs, powdered alcohol	02/29/2016 Senate - Introduced, read first time; referred to: State Affairs
H0482	Boards/qualifications/consumr membr	03/02/2016 Senate - Introduced, read first time; referred to: Commerce & Human Resources
H0483	Pharmacy, communicatn, bio products	03/02/2016 Senate - Introduced, read first time; referred to: Health & Welfare
H0516	Abortion, ultrasounds	03/02/2016 Senate - Introduced, read first time; referred to: State Affairs
S1293	Ed, parental rights in education	03/02/2016 Senate - Read second time as amended, filed for Third reading
H0332	Residential care, license renewal	03/02/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading
H0333	Optometrists, license renewal	03/02/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading
H0334	Physical therapy license renewal	03/02/2016 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading
S1322	Epinephrine auto-injectors	03/03/2016 House - Read First Time, Referred to Health & Welfare
S1326	Suicide preventn/diretor authority	03/03/2016 House - Read First Time, Referred to Health & Welfare
H0528	Sexual assault evidence kits	03/03/2016 Senate - Introduced, read first time; referred to: Judiciary & Rules
S1231	Chiropractic practic/prescrib drugs	03/04/2016 House - Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
S1294	Pharmacists, immunizations	03/04/2016 House - Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
H0554	Worker's compensation, firefighters	03/04/2016 House - Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
S1250	Adv practic registerd nurse compact	03/04/2016 House - Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
S1251	Nursing licensure compact	03/04/2016 House - Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
H0566	Approp, H&W public hlth srvcs, orig	03/04/2016 House - Reported Printed; Filed for Second Reading
HCR034	Community water fluoridation	03/04/2016 House - Returned from Senate Failed; Filed in the office of the Chief Clerk
H0413	License plates, Orofino hs mascot	03/04/2016 House - U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, March 7, 2016
H0533	Hospital districts, board trustees	03/04/2016 House - U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, March 7, 2016
S1201	Approp, catastrophic health, reduce	03/04/2016 House - U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, March 7, 2016
S1341	Residential care, citations	03/04/2016 Senate - Read second time as amended, filed for Third reading
H0500	Medicare reimbursement rate	03/04/2016 Senate - Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
S1270	Approp, H&W benefit payments, add'l	03/04/2016 Senate - Returned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
S1271	Approp, H&W medicaid, chg	03/04/2016 Senate - Returned From House Passed; referred to enrolling