Legislative Wrap-Up ✩

✩ Legislative Wrap-Up ✩ 105th Legislature | First Session 2017 years years 017 1927 - 2 2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION BY THE NUMBERS The Nebraska Hospital Association’s (NHA) public policy and advocacy priorities are driven by a vision that every Nebraskan has access to affordable, safe, high-quality health care. Through effective leadership and member participation, the NHA seeks to develop a unified voice to establish effective health care policy in Nebraska. The NHA is committed to creating and maintaining a financial and regulatory environment in which hospitals and health care systems can provide the right care at the right time. This involves collaborating with members, policymakers and other health care partners in advocating for our top priorities. The health care industry touches many aspects of public policy, and the NHA monitors a broad spectrum of issues on behalf of its members. Throughout the year, the NHA Advocacy Team was deeply involved with legislation affecting credentialing, provider payment models, workforce development, insurance, taxation and health care program funding. Nebraska Unicameral Legislature - 105th Legislature, First Session ! 123 Bills of Interest JAN 4 to NHA members identified, 90-day 667 bills covering a wide session convened introduced range of issues 19 bills 3 bills 2 bills 99 bills Supported Opposed Neutral Monitored NHA testified in-person on 16 bills and submitted written testimony on 3 bills and MAY 23 ISRs before ! 8 of the 14 32 Bills Day 86 137 Legislative 23 ISRs standing of Interest First session identified as committees became law adjourned Interim Studies introduced “of interest” to members 2 NHA Legislative Wrap-Up | 105th Legislature, First Session Composition of 105th Legislature 18 new 32 15 1 1 senators Republicans Democrats Independent Libertarian 36 men 13 women Legislative Bills of Interest Indicates bill became law HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE LB 88, as amended, was signed into law with an emergency clause requiring expedient implementation of the included LB 61 – Interstate Medical Licensure Compact provisions. Introducer: Sen. Mark Kolterman (District 24) NHA Position: Support LB 195 – Mammography Notification Requirement Status: Signed into law Introducer: Sen. Joni Craighead (District 6) NHA Position: Neutral LB 61 requires Nebraska’s participation in the Interstate Status: Signed into law Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC). The IMLC provides a streamlined licensure application process for physicians LB 195 requires health care facilities that perform residing in a Compact member state. Physicians wishing to hold mammography services to include in the patient’s report a license in multiple states may apply through the Compact summary information on the patient’s specific breast tissue to obtain a license in a participating state. Currently, 18 states classification. Facilities shall use the American College of including Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. If the and Kansas are members of the IMLC. patient’s tissue classification is heterogeneously dense or extremely dense, the patient’s report shall include a notice LB 61 was part of an amendment to LB 88, which was signed indicating that dense breast tissue can preclude the detection into law with an emergency clause requiring expedient of cancer and may suggest a slightly increased risk for breast implementation of the included provisions. cancer. LB 88 – Temporary Professional Licenses for Military Spouses LB 195 does not create a duty of care or other legal obligation Introducer: Sen. Carol Blood (District 3) beyond the duty to provide notice. NHA Position: Support Status: Signed into law as amended LB 223 – Clinician Access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program LB 88 creates temporary professional credentials for spouses of Introducer: Sen. John Kuehn (District 38) military personnel as long as the individuals meet comparable NHA Position: Support and equivalent requirements for the licenses. The practice Status: Signed into law of dentistry is excluded from this bill. The temporary license is valid for one year while the spouse awaits the permanent LB 223 amends the statutory language of the Prescription Drug credential. Monitoring Program (PDMP) to allow members of the patient care team to access the PDMP on behalf of the prescriber as LB 88 was amended to include the following bills prior to its designees. Additionally, dispensers may also assign a designee. adoption: LB 223 requires individual training prior to accessing the PDMP, • LB 61: Interstate Medical Licensure Compact conducted through the Health Information Exchange. The bill • LB 283: LPN/LPN-C merger also ensures that transmitted information is HIPPA protected. • LB 342: Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact • LB 343: Regulatory modifications to cosmetology, nail LB 223 was signed into law with an emergency clause requiring technology, audiology, massage therapy and barbers expedient implementation of the included provisions. • LB 425: Nurse practitioner statutory updates NHA Legislative Wrap-Up | 105th Legislature, First Session | 3 Legislative Bills of Interest HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE BUSINESS & LABOR COMMITTEE LB 283 – Merger of the LPN & LPN-C Licenses LB 609 – Workers’ Compensation Outpatient Fee Schedule Introducer: Sen. Merv Riepe (District 12) Introducer: Sen. Lou Ann Linehan (District 39) NHA Position: Support NHA Position: Oppose Status: Signed into law Status: Held in Committee Since legislation was passed in 2007, Nebraska has required LB 609 creates a medical fee schedule for Workers’ additional training and a separate license for Licensed Practical Compensation outpatient services provided in hospitals and Nurses (LPN) who provide intravenous therapy (LPN-C). LB 283 ambulatory surgical centers. The schedule is based on the merges the LPN and LPN-C licenses with specific requirements Medicare-Plus reimbursement rate model. for LPNs holding a license issued prior to May 1, 2016. The law states LPNs must complete the requirements within five LB 609 is currently held in Committee. Sen. Linehan has years of the law’s passage, though the Department of Health & introduced a legislative interim study, LR 201, to examine the Human Services has not yet set a definitive date at which time topic further. the requirements must be met. Under LB 283, all LPNs (holding a license issued prior to May REVENUE COMMITTEE 1, 2016) will be required to complete an eight-hour didactic LB 438 – Increase Tobacco Tax & Create the Behavioral Health course in intravenous (IV) therapy. If the LPN wishes to provide Provider Rate Stabilization Fund IV therapy within the course of his or her employment, an Introducer: Sen. Sara Howard (District 9) approved employer-specific IV therapy skills course must NHA Position: Support also be completed. Any individual currently holding the LPN Status: Held in Committee credential who is not required to provide IV therapy within the course of his or her employment must only complete the eight- LB 438 increases the cigarette excise tax by $1.50/pack (for hour didactic course. a total of $2.14/pack) and the wholesale excise tax on other tobacco products by 45% (for a total of 65%). The bill calls for LB 283 was part of an amendment to LB 88, which was signed an annual distribution of $61 million of the revenue generated into law with an emergency clause requiring expedient from the increases to health care research, services, education, implementation of the included provisions. training and programming as part of the Health Care Cash Fund. LB 342 – Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact Introducer: Sen. Steve Erdman at the request of the Governor LB 438 also creates the Behavioral Health Provider Rate (District 47) Stabilization Fund to support reimbursement of behavioral NHA Position: Support health service providers. The Fund shall be used to leverage Status: Signed into law federal funds to the greatest extent possible. LB 438 requires that $8 million/year from tobacco tax revenues is deposited Under the Nurse Licensure Compact, a nurse may hold a single into the Fund. multistate license for practice within both his or her home state and other states participating in the Compact. Nebraska entered into the Nurse Licensure Compact in 2000. Many APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE changes have occurred since then and the National Council of LB 327 – Biennial Budget (2017-2019) State Boards of Nursing issued a modernized model, referred Introducer: Speaker Jim Scheer at the request of the Governor to as the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, in 2015. LB 342 (District 19) requires Nebraska to adopt the Enhanced Nurse Licensure NHA Position: Support of the Legislature’s Advanced Budget, Compact, joining 21 states who have joined the revised Opposed Governor’s Targeted Vetoes Compact to date. Status: Signed into law with line-item vetoes LB 342 was part of an amendment to LB 88, which was signed LB 327 specifies the State’s appropriations for the biennial into law with an emergency clause requiring expedient budget spanning July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2019, representing implementation of the included provisions. $8.9 billion in government spending. While the NHA supports LB 327 as advanced by the full Legislature, it opposes Gov. Pete Ricketts’ targeted vetoes. 4 NHA Legislative Wrap-Up | 105th Legislature, First Session Legislative Bills of Interest As modified by the Governor’s line-item vetoes, the following JUDICIARY COMMITTEE are budgetary allowances within the

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