Nurse Legislative Leaders

• Arlene Becker, RN, Representative HD 52
• Edith Clark, RN, Representative HD 28
• Eve Franklin, RN, Representative HD 24
• Teresa Henry, RN, Representative HD 96
• Cindy Hiner, RN, Representative HD 85
• Carolyn Squires, LPN, Senator SD 48

Legislative Summary

 
The 60th session of the Montana Legislature adjourned April 27 with much of its critical work left undone.  Legislators will convene again sometime before July to adopt a biennial state budget and most likely enact some form of tax relief and provide incentives for energy development.  As such, funding for critical health programs and human services remains in limbo as of this writing. General consideration of new laws, however, has run its course and the Montana Nurses' Association has fared rather well considering the contentious nature of this highly-partisan session.

     Of the 22 bills supported by the MNA, eleven were adopted by both legislative bodies and eleven were rejected.  Of the five bills strongly supported by the MNA, three were adopted by both houses and two were rejected. Overall the MNA succeeded in passing 14 of its priority bills and losing 13.  Of the five bills opposed by the MNA, four were killed in the process and only one passed to become law.

     Nurses can access a list of the bills worked on by the MNA is at the Montana Nurses' Association, but among those passed are bills that authorize Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to serve as the primary care givers for certification of disabled hunters and disabled drivers.  APRN's will also be allowed to serve as primary care givers for injured workers covered under Montana's Workers' Compensation System. Ombudsman will have greater access to long-term care facilities; mothers will be provided facilities for breastfeeding in public workplaces; public health nurses will be allowed to dispense non-pill, pre-packaged contraceptives and Montana created an Older Montanan's Trust to prepare for health care needs of our aging population.

     Bad bills died and other good bills passed, but none of this could have happened without the support, hard work and dedication of Registered Nurses around the state who participated in weekly conference calls, recruited Committee Hearing participants, wrote testimony, produced fact sheets, traveled to Helena to testify before legislative committees, sent e-mails, made phone calls or sent letters to legislators.

 Thanks to all of you who participated in this process, the staff of the Montana Nurses' Association and to the sponsors of your bills who did a tremendous job of steering your bills through the process.  

BILLS OF CONCERN TO THE MONTANA NURSES' ASSOCIATION
2007 MONTANA LEGISLATURE
As of May 3, 2007

LEGEND:    ToGov (to Governor)    Law (Is now Law)    PBH (Passed Both Houses)   SBG (Signed By Governor)    MTD (Missed Transmittal Deadline - Dead)    TIC (Tabled In Committee - Dead)    MATD (Missed Appropriations Transmittal Deadline - Dead)   DIP (Passed committee action but Died on sine die of legislature)   SOS (To Secretary of State)

Those not indicated above are explained below bill titles.  Bills Signed by Governor will become law when assigned a Chapter number.

MNA LEGEND:  S (Support)    SS (Strong Support)    O (Oppose)   M (Monitor)

HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

MNA    Bill#       Sponsor    Title (description)                    Disposition

S    HB 92     Eve Franklin - Modernize public health laws            Law

S    HB 111     Kevin T Furey -Revise unemployment insurance laws         Law

M    HB 117    Teresa K Henry - Newborn hearing testing            Law

S    HB 118    Teresa K Henry - Revise law on dispensing contraceptives    Law

S    HB 198    William J Jones - Increase CHIP dental benefit            Law

M    HB 246    Deborah Kottel - Disclosure of preferred provider contracting    MTD
        with nonpreferred provider

O    HB 344    Jack Wells - Right to work                        MTD

S    HB 359    Ernie Dutton - Individual medical lab test without         TIC    
    Physician's orders

S    HB 387    Mary Caferro - Increase CHIP eligibility level                      MATD
            (HB 820 Amended 200% FPL)

S    HB 406    Edith Clark - Montana community health center support        ToGov
                    
O    HB 465    Rick Jore - Revise medical and religious exemptions for        MTD
                        Immunization  (Killed on 3RD Rdng 48/52)

M    HB 467    Ken Peterson - Revise medical-legal panel laws            Law

O    HB 468    Tom McGillvray - Confidentiality of physician assistance     Law
           Program 

S    HB 479    Holly Raser - Improve access to healthy school meals               MATD

SS    HB 496    Julie French - APRN & PA to complete driver medical        Law
   Exams

SS    HB 497    JP Pomnichowski - Allow APRN & PA to endorse disabled     Law
hunter permit

S    HB 563    William J Jones - Testing of bodily fluids for pathogens             MATD

SS    HB 605    Jim Keane - Revise board of medical examiner laws        MTD
                (Unlicensed Assistant Personnel) T in C

S    HB 612    Teresa K Henry - Create responsible sexual health program    MTD

O    HB 624    Edith Clark - Implement nursing compact                MTD
                  (Killed on 3rd Rdng 54/45 - needed 60 votes)

M    HB 647    Kevin T Furey - Provide workplace conflict resolution as job     MTD
       Benefit

SS    HB 669    Elsie Arntzen - Clarify penalties for misrepresenting self as    MTD
      registered nurse (Withdrawn by Sponsor)

S    HB 801    Gary MacLaren - Health insurance payments as income tax     TIC
         credit for certain individuals (Sen tax  4/13)

S    HJ 1    Jim Keane - Urge Congress to reform health care system        SOS

M    HJ 22    William J Jones - Study payback and incentive for dental students    SOS       

SENATE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

MNA    Bill#       Sponsor    Title (description)                    Disposition

S    SB 32     Trudi Schmidt - Ombudsman access to long-term care facilities    LAW

O    SB 250    Gregory D Barkus - Right to work                    MTD

M    SB 33     Donald J Steinbeisser - Procedures governing social security    TIC
     (Tabled in HAC 4/18)

M    SB 45     Dan Weinberg - Revise laws governing inpatient behavioral    Law
     health facilities

M    SB 54     Vicki Cocchiarella - Generally revise professional and         Law
occupational licensing boards

S    SB 89     Carol Williams - Providing for breast feeding in the workplace    Law

M    SB 94     John Esp - Remove regulation of nonprescription drugs        ToGov

S    SB 113     Dave Lewis - Increase meal reimbursement rates for state     TIC
   Employees
 
M    SB 132     Steven Gallus - Revise marriage license requirements        Law

S    SB 142     Greg Lind - Revise public health emergency authority        DIP

M    SB 151     Don Ryan - Mandatory hearing aid coverage in health insurance  MTD

M    SB 153     Vicki Cocchiarella - Revise professional and occupational     PBH

S    SB 155     Carol Williams - Older Montanan's trust law            PBH

S    SB 162     Trudi Schmidt - Revise genetics program laws             ToGov

M    SB 206     John Cobb - Health insurance incentives for Medicaid         PBH
 (Amended to Study Bill 4/18 in HAC)

S    SB 216     Dan Weinberg - Protocol for mental health transport        MTD

M    SB 229     Jesse Laslovich - Uniform health care decisions act        MTD

S    SB 236     Steven Gallus - Require use of mercury-free vaccines for     TIC
      Children (tabled in House Human Services)

S    SB 254     David E Wanzenried - Require collective bargaining neutrality    TIC
                          agreement in state services contracts
                           (tabled in House Judiciary)

S    SB 289     Steven Gallus - Allow prescribed epinephrine use in school for     SBG
       severe allergies and anaphylaxis

M    SB 326     Trudi Schmidt - Prescription drug monitoring plan        TIC
                    (tabled in House Judiciary)

M    SB 354     Greg Lind - Revise physician Medicaid reimbursement         ToGov
conversion factor

M    SB 368     Greg Lind - Confidentiality of group medical practice quality     TIC
assurance information (tabled in House Human Serv)

M    SB 397     Kim Gillan - Revise dispensing of drugs at employer based     TIC
  Clinics (tabled in House Human Services)

M    SB 417     Roy Brown - Extend moratorium on specialty hospitals        PBH
                   
SS    SB 444     David E Wanzenried - Revise APRN treating of injured workers     SBG

M    SB 453     Jeff Essmann - Require licensing boards to provide public    Law
      information re disciplinary actions

M    SB 522     Dan Weinberg - Prescription privileges for licensed         MTD
       Psychologists

M    SB 531     Dan Weinberg - Procedure for nonprofit hospital conversion to     DIP
      (House Bus & Lab Com - 8 - 8 Tie 4/18)

M    SJ 5     John Brueggeman - Study acute care and rural emergency medical     SOS
        Services