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Legislative Update
We have added only a few bills to the nursing and mental health legislative lists below as a result of final bill filing. We may add a few more if legislators can get unanimous consent from the House or Senate to introduce them late, and there may be still others we add as a result of amendments that cause them to impact nursing or mental health care. We do believe that this is very close to the final list of bills we will be dealing with during the 2008 session.
Additionally, all budget amendments have been submitted and should be on line and printed by Thursday of this week. Count on next week’s update to fill you in on money issues related to nursing, health care and the mental health system.
HB-399 that would have allowed dialysis technicians to administer erythropoeitic agents such as Epoetin alfa, Vitamin D, and iron in addition to the currently allowed saline and heparin, was stricken from the docket in the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee this past week.
Another bill that nurses would have had concerns about also was stricken from the docket in the same committee. HB-1461 would have exempted assisted living facilities from licensure requirements if they had been licensed without violations during the preceding five years. Additionally, medication aides employed in these facilities would have been exempt from training and registration requirements for medication aides.
Last week we told you about Del. Phil Hamilton’s (R-Newport News) HB-403 that would provide civil immunity to health professionals working during a declared disaster. That measure is in the House Courts Committee, and we asked you to call or email your Delegate asking for his or her support of the measure. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Stephen Newman (R-Lynchburg). It is SB-657, and has been sent to the Senate Courts Committee. As a result, we would also ask that you contact your Senator and ask his or her support of SB-657.
Two measures introduced by Del. Anne B. Crockett-Stark (R-Wytheville) are in the House Education Committee. Del. Crockett-Stark has been a supporter of more school nurses ever since her first election to the Virginia House of Delegates, and funding has ben the primary barrier to her goal of having one nurse per school. Again this year, she has introduced a bill to require one nurse per school (HB-570). She also has introduced a measure that will have a much lower fiscal impact that would require one professional nurse per school division to provide supervision for nursing services in the school division. This measure is HB-569. Now would be the time to contact your Delegate and let him or her know you hope he or she will support HB-569 and HB-560.
You can find out who represents you in the Virginia House of Delegates, and how to reach him or her in their Richmond offices by phone or email by going to Who's My Legislator.
None of the Clean Indoor Air bills has been considered as of yet. Therefore, it is not too late for you to contact your state Senator and Delegate and ask them to support smoking bans in public places, including restaurants.
Below you also will find access to a separate chart of mental health measures, most of which stem from the tragedy at Virginia Tech. These will be of particular interest to psych nurses, CSB nurses, ER nurses, and others who come into contact with patients who have serious mental illnesses. You will note that there are two big bills that include comprehensive changes to the law, and many others that include pieces of the law that have proposals for change. The two big bills, being referred to as omnibus bills, are HB-499 introduced by Del. Hamilton and SB-246 introduced by Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston). Please let us know if nurses need to weigh in on any other mental health issues you notice in the tracking chart, too.
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