Greetings from our state capitol.  As we have reached the midpoint of our 2023 session, I will advise you of the status of legislation I introduced this year.  The House finished action on our measures Tuesday, and all House bills have either been sent to the Senate for action or will no longer be considered this year.

Of the fifteen bills I introduced, nine have been sent to the Senate.  The remaining six bills were either referred to the appropriate agency for further review or were deemed unnecessary due to other measures that passed.  Here are more details on the nine bills that have passed the House.

HB1446 will, for the first time, establish an average minimum number of nurse-to-patient contact hours that will be required in our nursing homes.  While this will establish a much-needed standard, there are many complexities that must be addressed.  Given the current work force shortage, the shortage of training opportunities, various Federal funding issues, and the challenges of patients with varying care needs, this is not a simple requirement.  Therefore, the bill will have the specifics addressed through regulations over the next two years and will try to achieve compliance through financial incentives and assistance from the state for those facilities that need it in developing a plan for compliance.  This is an issue that has been under consideration for over twenty years.  I’m glad to be able to find a path forward to achieve this critical need.

HB1447 at the request of the hospital association, will allow our hospitals to better utilize their current Paramedic employees to assist in their patient care teams.

HB1448 will have the State Dept. of Education consult parents, public school boards, and public school librarians to develop recommendations to assist in establishing a consistent review policy for printed and audio visual materials in our public schools.

HB1449 will have the Emergency Services Advisory Board to consider the possibility of a means whereby an EMS provider might assist a patient in taking their own critical medications when the patient is unable to give oral consent.

HB1450 is a recommendation from the Disability Commission to replace all references in our code to “handicapped” with the term “disabled” or “disability” bringing our code into compliance with Federal language.

HB1452 will authorize the Attorney General to have a number of his Medicaid Fraud Investigation members become sworn police officers to more efficiently allow them to enforce the law.  Under current law, his investigators must secure assistance from state or local law enforcement anytime they need to secure or execute a search warrant and to enforce any other crimes they discover in the course of their investigations.

HB1504 will have the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to consider ways that we can require anyone sending unsolicited text messages to provide an opt out provision that works.  I’m sure many of you, as I, have found it very annoying and frustrating to receive unsolicited texts that never seem to stop.

HB1684 ensures that a business that has misclassified workers under current tax requirements cannot be blocked from future state contracts or be fined until their right to appeal has been concluded.

HB2354 ensures that when an insurance carrier and a health care provider have terminated their contract that the patient will have a longer period of continued service and an assurance of continued health care in certain medical circumstances, such as pregnancy or long-term convalescence.  I feel that this change is needed to allow the patient more time to find another health care provider, secure a different insurance carrier, or for the previous insurance carrier and health care provider to come to a new agreement.

Next week I will address more of the broader measures that the House considered.  As always, I appreciate the contact that I’ve received on many of the issues before us and I encourage your continued input.  Further, if I can be of assistance in any manner relating to our state government, I welcome the opportunity.