JFAC Continues Budget Setting

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) set the budget for Medicaid on Monday morning. The committee voted for a 2.1% increase in state general funds and a 3.5% increase overall. In addition, JFAC voted on the budget for the Division of Welfare. The new budget shows a 0.9% increase in state general tax funds and a 1% decrease in total funds. JFAC also voted to follow the recommendation of the Joint Millennium Fund Committee on how Millennium Fund money will be distributed. The committee recommended providing $8.5 million in grants to 17 applicants for an array of health-related programs.

H 154 Passes the House

House Bill No. 154 was read for the third time in full by the House and passed with a 55-14 vote. This legislation would require physicians to conduct an in-person examination and counseling of a pregnant woman before prescribing abortion-inducing medication. The bill will now move on to the Senate.

Full bill text can be found here

H 179 Reported Out of Committee

House Bill 179 was presented to the House Health and Welfare Committee and reported out of Committee with a Do Pass Recommendation. The legislation seeks to make it the duty of a hospital treasurers of a hospital district or county hospital to invest idle funds in the same types of investments as the Idaho State Treasurer and further controls those investments to investments that carry and "A" rating or better.

Full bill text can be found here

H 177 Passes the House

House Bill No. 154 was read for the third time in full and passed by the House on Tuesday with a 47-23 vote. This bill would require parental consent for teenagers to use a commercial tanning bed. The legislation moved to the Senate where it was referred to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee.

Full bill text can be found here

SCR 111 Relating to Family Caregivers

Dr. Sarah Toevs, from the Idaho Caregiver Alliance and Director of Boise State University's Center for Study of Aging, presented Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 111 to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee Tuesday afternoon. SCR 111 calls for the Idaho Caregiver Alliance, a state-wide consortium led by the Idaho Commission on Aging and the Boise State University Center for the Study of Aging, to convene a broad group of stakeholders to identify policies, resources and programs available for family caregivers and encourage additional innovative and creative means of support for family caregivers.

Full SCR text can be found here

S 1106 presented to the Senate State of Affairs Committee

The Senate State Affairs Committee heard Senate Bill No. 1106, which would legalize cannabidiol oil for the treatment of a form of epilepsy, on Wednesday morning.  Cannabidiol oil is an extract from cannabis and the language of the bill has spurred controversy. During the hearing those supporting the bill stated it could help treat a form of epilepsy in children and those against explained that pro-marijuana groups might see this as a step towards the legalization of marijuana in Idaho. Elisha Figueroa, Director at Idaho Office of Drug Policy, explained that the way the bill is written is concerning and stated that there were other options; there is an upcoming FDA trial that would allow some families to get the medication and others would get a placebo.

Full bill text can be found here

S 1121 Immunization Registry

Senate Bill No. 1121 was introduced this week and reported out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee with Do Pass Recommendation. This legislation would permit Idaho's Immunization Reminder Information System (IRIS), a voluntary registry of the immunization status of Idaho children, to share immunization data with the Idaho health data exchange. The Idaho Health Data Exchange is monitored by the Idaho Health Quality Planning Commission and combines data from various healthcare data sources into one electronic medical record for a patient that can be used by participating healthcare providers who treat the patient. The legislation also seeks to remove a requirement that IRIS must delete information from third parties and further explains that information retrieved from the registry will be handled in accordance with state and federal laws regarding the protection of health information.

Full bill text can be found here

H 108 Relating to Pharmacy

House Bill No. 108, a piece of legislation that seeks to allow the prescription and possession of opioid antagonists, which are used to reverse an opioid drug overdose, passed the House last week and after being presented to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee is was reported out of committee with Do Pass Recommendation.

Full bill text can be found here

JFAC Supports Funding of a Second Crisis Center

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) voted in favor of funding one more community mental health crisis center for this next year. During his State of the State address in January, Governor Otter cited the benefits of community mental health crisis centers and urged legislators to back funding for a center in Northern Idaho. One such center was built last year in Idaho Falls. These types of centers are a place where people with mental health or substance abuse problems can get short-term help without going to a hospital emergency room or a jail cell. Local facilities such as these will reduce law enforcement and hospital related costs.

Bills signed by the Governor

Various bills were passed and reported signed by the Governor this week:

House Bill No 4 - Controlled substances

House Bill No 6 - Prescription drugs

House Bill No 7 - Controlled substances

House Bill No 8 - Pharmacy bd

House Bill No 9 - Uniform controlled substances

House Bill No 23 - Massage therapy

House Bill No 24 - Occupational therapy

House Bill No 25 - Physical therapy practice exemption 

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