March 7, 2016                                                     HIAP e-Newsletter 
We are rapidly approaching the date when all bills that have passed in one legislative chamber must cross over to the other body. And a lot of the proposed bills had not yet come up for a vote before this week. As a result, when the House meets on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the consent calendar has some 400 bills on it (or so I've been told)! Bills that come out of committee with a strong recommendation ("ought to pass" or "inexpedient to legislate") are placed on the consent calendar and passed as a group unless someone tries to buck the leadership with a floor motion to take their pet bill off the consent calendar to keep it from being killed. The calendar of bills to be debated is also quite long. It is a good thing we are not trying to follow all of them but I feel for the Representatives who must vote on all those bills. NHPHA tries to help with that by picking a few bills we consider especially important to public health and summarizing the implications of them for the Representatives. We print this information on a single page-bright blue-to hand out to the Representatives as they enter the House Chamber on voting days. We can often use some help with handing them out. If you are available, join us this Wednesday morning, March 9th for about a half hour before the House convenes at 9.

The most important bill this week is the Medicaid expansion (HB1696). We again URGE you to contact your representative and ask them to vote for the bill. Please see Marie's article for more information and a link to a table where you can find you representative's name.

Updates on the NH Health Protection Program (Medicaid Expansion)
By Marie Mulroy

NHPHA wants to take this time to thank all of you for your help.  HB1696, The NH Health Protection Program (Medicaid Expansion), was expected to pass out of the Finance Committee with a vote of 14-12 in favor of the bill.   Instead it passed with a vote of 18-8 in favor of passage.   This increase in support was largely due to your efforts at reaching out to members on the Finance Committee.    We can now use your help again this week as the bill now moves to the floor of the House for a final vote this Wednesday, March 9th.  

When the Finance Committee began its work last week, funding for the NH Health Protection Plan, HB1696 required that New Hampshire's portion of the cost would largely be coming from: 

  • Health insurance carriers - health insurance premium tax revenues that   are attributable to Medicaid Expansion enrollment;
  • Funds from NH's former high risk pool; and 
  • Hospitals MET Tax
After two days of work sessions, the Finance Committee made the following changes or additions to the financial aspects of the bill.  They were:
  • Hospitals and health care insurance carriers pay for the state's share of administering Medicaid Expansion.
  • Changes from January 1, 2017 to November 1, 2016 as the date by which any necessary federal waiver or amendment shall be in place.
  • Removed the language pertaining to hospital contributions and replaced it with contributions from the Foundation for Healthy Communities or any other charitable foundation may be deposited into the trust fund.
  • Requires the Commissioner of DHHS to maintain sufficient funds in the trust fund and to make notification within certain specified timeframes if there are not.
  • Made other corrections to bring the bill into line with reporting dates and other legal technicalities.
These changes to the original bill will be voted on this Wednesday.   The issue of severability was not addressed in this Committee and still is absent from the language of this bill.  Severability is necessary because it protects Medicaid Expansion if any of the requirements and provisions of the bill do not meet with Federal approval and are disallowed.  We are told that there will be an amendment on the floor to resolve this issue, so hopefully when it crosses over to the Senate, the issue of severability will be addressed in the House and will once again be part of HB1696.

This has been a long fight as we resolve to ensure that New Hampshire no longer be a place where it is acceptable that our most vulnerable and at risk populations be without health insurance.    But the fight is worth it and again, our sincerest thanks for all of your efforts to make this a reality.

What You Can Do

Here are some things you can do: 
  • Please see if you can join us in Concord beginning at 8:00 a.m. on March 9, as the floor vote takes place at the State House to pass out flyers as the Representatives enter the Hall to vote.    The calendar is exceptionally long this week.   HB 1696 - Extending the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan is the 28th bill on the Regular Calendar so it is going to be a very long day.  As we said last week, we expect lawmakers to amend the bill during the floor debate on March 9, which means we will need people to join us throughout the day, until debate closes.  Lawmakers will attempt to correct problems in the bill through supportive amendments. Others may try to weaken the bill or defeat it.   So even if you cannot make it in the morning, there will be plenty of opportunities throughout the day to be present during the deliberations. 
  • NHPHA is asking that once again you call legislators in your cities or towns.  This time we will be calling all of our representatives.  For a list of the Representatives from the House sorted by towns, click here. If you do reach out, again just let Deanna Bennett know at [email protected] so that we can keep track.
 
This Week at the State House 

Access to Quality Health Care

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Relative to Prescriptions For Controlled Drugs By Telemedicine.
House:  Committee Report: Ought to Pass for 03/09/2016
(Vote 18-0; Consent Calendar) (2/25)
Monitor
Priority #2
Establishing A Commission to Study Health Care For All Residents Of New Hampshire.

House:  Committee Report: Refer for Interim Study for 03/09/2016 (Vote 10-4; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Monitor
Priority #2
Limiting Pregnancy Terminations to Pregnancies Of 20 Weeks or Less.
House:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016
(Vote 11-9; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Requiring Licensure of Outpatient Abortion ClinicsHouse:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016
(Vote 14-5; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Relative to Testing For Lyme Disease.
House:  Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016 (Vote 18-0; Consent Calendar) (2/25)
Oppose
Priority #2
Repealing The Law Governing Access to Reproductive Health Care Facilities.

House:  Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass for 03/09/2016 (Vote 11-9; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Prohibiting An Abortion Based On Genetic Abnormalities.
House:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016
(Vote 14-5; RC) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Relative to Banning Abortion After Viability.

House:  Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2016-0869h for 03/09/2016
(Vote 9-8; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Prohibiting Abortions Once An Unborn Child Can Feel Pain.

House:  Committee Report: Without Recommendation for 03/09/2016
(Vote 9-9; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Relative to Abortion-inducing Drugs.
House Vote: Inexpedient to Legislate
(Vote 16-1; Consent Calendar)
Oppose
Priority #2
Prohibiting Buying, Selling, and Experimenting On Unborn Infants or Bodily Remains Resulting From Abortion.

House Vote: Inexpedient to Legislate
(Vote 10-8; Regular Calendar)
Monitor
Priority #2
Prohibiting The Use Of Public Funds, Employees, and Facilities In Assisting or Performing Abortions.
House Vote: Without Recommendation
(Vote 8-8; Regular Calendar)
Monitor
Priority #2
Extending The New Hampshire Health Protection Program.

House Vote: Inexpedient to Legislate (Vote 9-8; Regular Calendar)
Oppose
Priority #2
Requesting A Modification Of The New Hampshire Health Protection Program

House Vote: Ought to Pass with Amendment
#2016-0910h
(Vote 18-8; Regular Calendar)
Support
Priority #1




































Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Prohibiting The Possession Of Powdered or Crystalline Alcohol.
Senate Vote: Ought to Pass (Vote 5-0; Consent Calendar)
Support
Priority #2
Making An Appropriation For Supportive Housing For Persons with Substance Use Disorders.
Senate:  Hearing: 03/08/2016, Room 103, SH, 01:30 pm
Support
Priority #2
Relative to Prior Authorization For Substance Abuse Treatment.
Senate Vote: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2016-0857s
Support
Priority #2


Child Health and Safety

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Limiting The Authority Of State Entities to Regulate The Sale, Use, and Possession Of Firearms.

House:  Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016 (Vote 9-4; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Relative to Mandatory Vaccines.
House:  Committee Report: Refer for Interim Study for 03/09/2016
(Vote 20-0; Consent Calendar) (3/3)
Oppose
Priority #2
Prohibiting Firearms In Certain Public Places.
House:  Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016 (Vote 11-2; Regular Calendar) (2/18)
Support
Priority #2


Climate Change and Clean Air

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Relative to Net Metering.
House:  Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2016-0601hfor 03/09/2016
(Vote 19-0; Regular Calendar) (2/23)
Support
Priority #2
Relative to Rebates to Ratepayers From The Renewable Energy Fund.

House:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016
(Vote 18-3; Regular Calendar) (2/23)
Oppose
Priority #1
Relative to The Implementation Of The Clean Power State Implementation Plan.

House:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016
(Vote 20-1; Regular Calendar) (3/1)
Oppose
Priority #1
Making Certain Changes to The Renewable Portfolio Standard.

House Vote: Inexpedient to Legislate
(Vote 13-8; Regular Calendar)
Oppose
Priority #1


Mental Health

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Relative to Conversion Therapy Seeking to Change A Person's Sexual Orientation.

House Vote; Ought to Pass with Amendment #2016-0067h
(Vote 17-0; Consent Calendar)
Support
Priority #2


Public Health Infrastructure

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Relative to Labeling Requirements For Certain Homestead Food Operations.

House:  Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016 (Vote 15-1; Consent Calendar) (2/23)
Oppose
Priority #2
Requiring The Collection Of Data Relative to Firearm Related Deaths and Injuries.
House:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016
(Vote 11-4; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Support
Priority #2


Ensuring Health Equity and Social Justice

Bill
Title
Status
NHPHA Position
Establishing A State Minimum Wage.
House:  Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/09/2016 (Vote 12-10; Regular Calendar) (3/3)
Support
Priority #2

 
Upcoming Events

NHPHA Legislative Champions Luncheon
March 9, 2016 - 12 PM
Upham Walker House, Concord

NHPHA 2016 Annual Meeting
April 13, 2016 - 4 PM to 7 PM
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord

NH Healthy Homes Breakfast
May 11, 2016 (rescheduled from March 16) - 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM
State House Dining Room
For more information, click here
 
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