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2008 Indiana Legislative Update - Final

Executive Director's Report from the State House
Vol. 28, No. 5
© 2008
by Ernest Klein, CAE
Executive Director and Lobbyist
Note: Views stated may not necessarily represent those of the Indiana State Nurses Association, Inc.

We will soon begin the second (and next to last) week for committee hearings. As you will note from the bill lists, some of the bills have already been heard in committee. You will note from the committee agendas that the House Public Health Committee has scheduled two meetings (February 11 and 13) this week in order to get the Senate bills heard.

HB1172 Various Professions and Occupations will be heard in Senate Health and Provider Services on Wednesday. It looks like Rep. Peggy Welch is going to try to amend in the language from HB 1020, Umbilical Cord Blood Bank, which did not make it through the process in the House. HB 1172 contains, among other provisions, the language for the Nurse Licensure Compact. If you are a constituent of a Senator on the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, please contact your Senator by Tuesday to share some of our concerns regarding the Compact:
1. It wonât solve the shortage.
2. It will benefit only a small number of nurses along the Kentucky border (Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio have not adopted the compact).
3. State will lose income ö those nurses with Indiana licenses who live in compact states outside of Indiana will not have to get an Indiana license.

Indiana State Senate
State House
200 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2785
317/232-9400 or
800/382-9467
http://www.in.gov/legislative/legislators/

SB 363 Uniform Emergency Health Practitioners Act is scheduled for a committee hearing on Wednesday. ANA has been engaged in support of the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner Act (UEVHPA) for the past two years. UEVHPA is in response to the limitations identified when attempting to activate volunteer health care professionals across state lines in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The first part of the act was approved by the Uniform Law Commission in 2006 with two amendments added last year: providing for civil liability and workerâs compensation protections for volunteers. More about the act and plans can be read in the October issue of Capitol Update.

On Wednesday afternoon, February 6, 2008, the House Public Health Committee held a joint Health Committee meeting with the Senate for an informational update on HEA 1678. This is the bill from last session that raised the cigarette tax in order to increase health care coverage for low income Hoosiers. The plan to expand health coverage has been inundated with applications. To read more, go to The Indianapolis Star article from Thursday.

Agenda for House Public Health
Monday, February 11, 2008
10:30 AM, House Chamber
SB 0143 Childhood lead poisoning prevention. Gard, Miller C. Brown
SB 0157 Opioid treatment programs. Miller, Sipes C. Brown
SB 0159 Third party health service agreements. Gard Hoy
SB 0169 Health insurance reports. Dillon Orentlicher
SB 0249 Emergency medical services commission. Wyss, Broden C. Brown

Agenda for Senate Health and Provider Services
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
10:00 AM, Senate Chamber
Note: Considering amending in HB 1020, Umbilical cord blood bank.
HB 1172 Various professions and occupations. Welch Mishler, Broden

Agenda for Public Health
Wednesday February 13, 2008
3:30 PM, House Chamber
SB 0315 Long term care screening and counseling. Dillon Hoy
SB 0336 Stroke prevention task force. Charbonneau, Miller C. Brown
SB 0363 Uniform emergency health practitioners act. Simpson, Miller Welch