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Notice:
This confidential material
is for the exclusive use of ISNA members and subscribers. DO NOT
electronically distribute or photocopy this information under
penalty of federal law.
© 2007 Indiana State Nurses Association |
Executive
Director's Report from the State House
Vol. 27, No. 7
© 2007
by Ernest Klein, CAE
Executive Director and Lobbyist
Note: Views stated may not necessarily represent those of the Indiana
State Nurses Association, Inc.
February 23, 2007
We are almost to the half-way point! Wednesday is the last day for action
on bills. The General Assembly will take a short break. I too will take a
short break so there will not be an update posted next weekend.
You will notice on the bill lists that we have starting removing the bills
that did not advance. In many cases we will see the content of those bills
amended into other bills that are moving forward.
HB 1116 Required emergency procedures training for teachers.
This bill was amended in House committee to include the content of SB 110.
This stealth amendment (amendments in committee don’t have to be posted)
establishes a training program for school employees who are not health
care professionals to assist students with diabetes in managing and
treating the diabetes. Sets forth requirements for individualized health
plans for students who will be managing and treating diabetes while at
school or school activities.
Because only the proponents of SB110 were aware of the amendment and were
there to testify in support, there was no one there to speak in opposition
to the amendment.
The amended bill passed the House by a 94-0 vote. The first Senate sponsor
is Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, the author of the original bill from
last session.
HB1240 Nurse Licensure Compact and other matters
This bill did not get a House committee hearing. The bill’s author, Rep.
Welch, RN, D-Bloomington, has indicated that she will look for a Senate
bill to amend the content from HB 1240 into it. It is likely SB 335 which
has a lot of things for various boards and committees staffed by the
Professional Licensing Agency. SB 335 is waiting for second and third
readings in the Senate.
Graduate Nurse Faculty Scholarships
As previously reported, the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee
accepted an amended SB 577 Lottery "franchising" bill, by a vote of 7-5 on
February 20. The amendment included graduate education for nurse faculty.
ISNA lobbyist, Glenna Shelby, testified in support of the amendment to the
bill. It is waiting for second and third readings in the Senate.
This bill would privatize the management of the Hoosier Lottery with an up
front payment to be used for higher education. This is the Governor's
proposal but its fate is uncertain as most Democrats and some Republicans
has reservations about the proposal. If it passes Republican controlled
Senate it will have a much more difficult time passing the House. House
Democrats are already on record of opposing any further "privatizations"
in Indiana.
HB 1468 Immunizations by pharmacists
Although ISNA generally supports access to care, we do have concerns about
pediatric vaccinations. Kids’ shots should be part of a larger growth and
development/wellness evaluation. The pharmacists association and the bill
author, Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington agreed. The bill did not get amended in
the House so we will work with the Senate sponsors, Senators Vaneta
Becker, R-Evansville, and Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, to amend the bill.
Expanding Health Insurance Coverage
This may be the year for Indiana – or not. SB503, the “Governor’s plan,”
passed out of the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee on a 9-0.
It passed the Senate 46 – 1. Representative Charlie Brown, D-Gary, is the
sponsor and Representatives Tim Brown, MD, R-Crawfordsville, and Craig
Fry, D-Mishawaka, are the co-sponsors in the House.
HB1008, the “Democrats’ plan” which called for an increase in the
cigarette tax of 54.5¢, was amended in House Ways and Means Committee to
reduced the amount of increase to only 25¢ and passed out of Ways and
Means Committee by only a single vote. It is waiting for final action in
the House. Even if HB 1008 is not approved by the full House (at least 51
votes are needed) the House will have SB 503 to work with. It is likely
that any changes made to the Senate bill by the House will not be
acceptable to the Senate. The final version (if we get one) will be
hammered out in a conference committee
ISNA Coming to You
Thanks to Rep. Sheila Klinker, D- Lafayette, for braving the snow on the
17th to talk to the Lafayette session.
Also thanks to Sen. Gary Dillon, MD, R-Pierceton, who attend the session
in Fort Wayne on the 23rd.
We will be in Richmond at Ivy Tech Community College on Friday, March 9,
9:30 am – 12:30 pm.
Details
The next one is scheduled for March 24 at Indiana State University, Terre
Haute.
Details
We are in discussion for scheduling our last one for Bedford on April 6,
2007. More details once we have it finalized.
There are just a few Friday and Saturday dates
available if you would like to schedule a presentation in your area.
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