<p> Legislative Update Buck McAlpin- Government Relations March 30th, 2015</p><p>Dear members, the legislature began a week off for Easter/Passover on Friday and will return on April 6th to begin working on the large divisional budget bills. This pass week the House and Senate released their perspective budget targets to start to configure a budget. The House released a very disappointing number of a $1 billion dollar reduction in the health and human services budget. The Senate on Friday released their health and human services target, which had a proposed $341 million in new HHS spending. Now the battle begins of passing these two bills off the house and senate floor and sending them to conference committee to reconcile differences.</p><p>Also on Friday the Governor signed Representative Jeff Backers First Responder Driver bill. The bill is HF # 423, which the Governor signed after the House, and Senate passed the legislation unanimously in both bodies the last few weeks. The legislation allows communities of 2500 or less to use an EMR driver with the EMT in the back without a variance effective immediately. Also it allows ambulance services of 2500 or less to vacate their PSA if they have an agreement with the neighboring community and notify the local PSAP. The MAA Board wanted to be sure we had a strong focus on some rural initiatives this session to address EMS sustainability. I would encourage providers to work very closely with the EMSRB to assure your EMR drivers are credentialed appropriately and our on your ambulance service roster. Congratulations to EMT/Rep Jeff Backer on his first piece of legislation to become law. Also thanks to Rep Schoen and Newberger who supported the bill in committee and on the house floor. A long time EMS supporter Kent Eken carried the bill for us in the Senate. LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY:</p><p> Transferring the MNSTAR Data Collection program from the EMSRB to MN Department of Health. SF#307 Senator Dziedzic /HF#188 Representative Newberger. This legislation was heard this past week in Senate HHS Finance and was laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus bill. The bill had a fiscal note of $502,000 for the next bi-annium; the bill has not been heard yet in house civil law.  Transferring the Regional Program Grant Operations from the EMSRB to the MN Department of Health. SF# 175 Senator Hayden and HF # 189 Representative Greg David’s. This legislative proposal has been laid over in the house for possible inclusion in the HHS Budget bill. It will be heard in the Senate after the Easter break.  Repeal a 4.5% rate reduction to Ambulance and Non-Emergency Medical Transportation rates effective June 30th, 2015. SF# 177 Senator Hayden and HF# 213 Representative David’s. This legislative proposal has been heard in all the house health committees and has been laid over for possible inclusion in the HHS Omnibus finance bill. It had a fiscal impact to the state of roughly $5 million dollars. $2.5 of that will be state cost. It will be heard in the senate after Easter break.  Community EMT Certification Established. SF# 176 Senator Rosen and HF # 261 Representative Mack. The House version was heard and has been laid over for possible inclusion in the House HHS Omnibus budget bill. The Senate Health Policy committee heard the bill last week and referred it to the HHS Finance Committee. The proposal has a $14,000 dollar fiscal note from the EMSRB.  Variance Process repealed for Basic Life Support Ambulance Services in the rural area. SF# 379 Senator Kent Eken and HF# 423 Representative Jeff Backer. This bill passed off the House floor 130-0 and passed the Senate floor 64-0 and was sent to the Governor. The Governor signed the bill on Friday and it became law on Saturday. COMPLETED  Rural and Urban Commuter Adjustments (RUCA) for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation. SF # 382 Senator Vicki Jensen and HF# 382 Representative Joe Schomacker was heard in the House HHS Finance. The bill passed unanimously and was laid over for inclusion in the HHS Omnibus Finance bill. It had a fiscal note of only $271,000 to fully fund RUCA. Will be heard in the Senate after Easter break.  Safe Place for Newborns; SF # 796 carried by Senator Kent Eken and HF #825 by Representative Roz Peterson; This bill would provide an appropriation to the 8-Regional EMS programs to provide and coordinate education on the Safe Place for Newborns law. It has been heard in the House and was laid over for inclusion. In the Senate it is still waiting to be heard.  Stroke transport protocols emergency medical services (EMS) programs development requirement is SF # 495 Senator Kathy Sheran and HF # 513 Representative Nick Zerwas. We moved this bill out of both the House and Senate Health Committees and sent this to the floors for final passage.  Funding for the MN Department of Health Stroke program; is SF # 790 Senator Kathy Sheran and HF # 818 Representative Nick Zerwas would provide $350,000 a year in both 2016 and 2017. This bill has not been scheduled for a hearing as of yet.  Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Legislation (NEMT). The Non- Emergency Medical Transportation Advisory Committee brought forward legislation. Senator Kathy Sheran has SF # 1292 and Representative Kim Norton has HF #1350 which would fund the new NEMT modes like protected class. It has passed multiple committees in the house and senate. It is awaiting a hearing in the House and Senate Health finance committees.  Community Paramedic and Community EMT’s role in Child Protection Services. The goal with this proposal was to have a few pilot projects set up around the state to see if an impact could be made. We have still not seen draft legislation.  Poison Control Center funding. HF # 346 Representative Joe Hoppe and SF # 359 Senator Melissa Franzen. This request is for an appropriation in 2016 for $800,000 for the Poison Control Center. The MAA, MNACEP and the Emergency Care Coalition support this initiative. This bill has been laid over in both the House and Senate HHS Finance Committee for possible inclusion in the HHS Omnibus bill.  Medical assistance (MA) coverage for certain mental health services provided by physician assistants in outpatient settings authorization. Has passed out of policy and is awaiting a hearing in finance committees.  A bill for an act relating to health care; modifying provisions related to physician assistants. SF # 454 Senator Chris Eaton and HF # 1036 Representative Dave Baker would change some of the supervisory oversight by Physicians and the PA. Is on the house and senate floor awaiting final passage.  Tele-health expanded coverage; Senator Rosen is carrying SF#981 and Representative Tara Mack is carrying HF # 1246. Health Care Systems and providers seem to have a real desire to expand the usage and applicability to the Tele-health platform and payment system. The legislation is waiting to be heard in the house and senate finance committees.  Violence against health care workers in licensed hospitals preparedness and incident response guidelines establishment; violence prevention database development requirement; SF # 1071 Senator Wiger and HF # 1087 Rep Atkins This is the MNA bill to mandate reporting and training that hospitals must provide to employees. It was heard last week in the Senate Health committee and a large conversation ensued. The bill was laid on the table for a few days to allow the MNA/MHA to negotiate. With little compromise the bill was heard and was referred to the Finance committee. The House has not heard the bill yet.  Patient Care Safe Zone legislation. HF # 1088 Representative Marion O’Neil and SF # 1777 Senator Wiger is The MN Hospital Association has brought forward the “Safe Zone” hospital legislation after some of the recent attacks and assaults on workers. It has been heard in the House and referred to Public Safety. It has not been heard in the Senate yet.  Mandated Nurse Staffing Ratio bill. HF # 1654 Representative Joe Atkins would require hospitals to provide staffing at levels consistent with nationally accepted standards, reporting of staffing levels required, and civil penalties imposed. It has no Senate companion and has not been scheduled in the House.  Portable Video Recording Systems. HF # 430 Representative Tony Cornish and SF # 498 Senator Ron Latz was introduced last week. This bill details storage and privacy issues around body cameras worn by law enforcement. This proposal is awaiting a hearing in the House Civil law and is on the floor for passage in the Senate.  Medical Cannabis Expanded to allow for Chronic and Intractable Pain; Is SF # 545 Senator Branden Petersen was introduced in the Senate. This would allow the expansion of medical cannabis as a qualifying condition for Chronic and intractable pain patients. No hearings have been scheduled.  Grant to the Leech Lake Ambulance to Upgrade to ALS; Senator Tom Saxhaug has SF # 672 and HF # 699 Representative John Persell to provide $250,000 for training and equipment to the ambulance service. Both the House and Senate have been laid over for possible inclusion in the HHS Omnibus bill.  Interstate medical licensure compact project provided is SF # 253 Senator Kathy Sheran and HF # 321 Representative Tara Mack would allow border reciprocity and the ease of Physician licensure between states. It has been sent to the floor in the House and has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.  Nursing Licensure Compact legislation is HF # 220 Representative Kim Norton was again introduced this year. This would allow Nurses to cross state lines and be able to practice with more ease. No hearings have been scheduled for this bill. Dead for year  Suicide Prevention and Training funds for Providers is offered; by Senator Kathy Sheran SF # 703. This bill has no house author as of yet. This bill would allow funding for a texting program for mental health. Also it provides $100,000 dollars for training of EMS, Police and Fire to help understand and better respond to patients. No hearings have been scheduled. Dead for year  Legend drug collection and disposal as pharmaceutical waste changes made; Representative Bob Barret carries Hf # 1503 and Senator Julie Rosen carries SF # 1425. This would allow Pharmacies to collect and dispose of legend drug waste. It has been heard in the Senate and is on the floor for final passage. It has not been heard in the house.  No-Fault Auto legislation; Senator Vicki Jensen has SF # 782 and HF # 864 is carried by Representative Tim Sanders. This bill would allow the Commissioner to more aggressively investigate fraud. The bill is on the house floor for final passage and awaiting a hearing in Senate Commerce.  No-Fault Auto Work Group Formed; is SF # 957 Senator Vicki Jensen would establish a work group to exam all aspects of the system. We amended the MAA, MNACEP and MHA onto the work group. The bill was heard in Commerce in the Senate this past week and sent to Rules. The house has it awaiting a hearing in Gov Ops.  Narcan grant money for training and purchasing of Narcan provided; Sf # 1410 Senator Chris Eaton and HF# 1651 Representative Dave Baker would direct $250,000 of funding to the MN Department of Health. The money would be divided e amongst the 8-Regional EMS programs to coordinate training and Narcan purchases. The bill was laid over in the house for inclusion in the HHS Omnibus bill and is awaiting a hearing in Senate finance.</p><p> Allowing Expanded Usage of Epinephrine; SF # 1580 Senator Carlson and HF # 1604 Rep Zerwas. This bill would allow expanded civilian usage of Epi-Pens. It also would allow some liability coverage under prudent layperson for end users of the product. The bill has passed numerous committees with large support in both bodies. We have worked on a few amendments with the authors to address some concerns of the MAA/MNACEP. It has been referred to the Health Finance Committees in both bodies for possible funding  Funding for Ebola; the Governor signed the State deficiency bill last week, which included $2 million dollars for Ebola preparedness funding. The bill included $148,000 for ambulance services in MN and the remaining will be divided up between the 4-Ebola designated hospitals. The money will be administered through the EMSRB. Completed  Expanded $500 volunteer Stipend; Representative Backer introduced HF # 1324 and SF # 1982 Senator Dan Sparks, which would expand the $500 stipend program from last year to the entire state for volunteer Fire and EMS. The bill was heard in State and Local Government Operations and was referred to House Public Safety.  First Responders Allowed meal Expense Deduction; Representative Jim Newberger introduced HF # 1463 which would allow a $15 meal expense deduction per day. It was heard this past week in the House Public Safety Committee and passed to the house tax committee.</p><p> A reminder that the MAA legislative calls will be held each Monday at 09:00 am. The call in number is 1-866-365-4406 access code # 2512302. All members are invited to attend and participate in the discussion.  The legislature will go on Easter/Passover break starting March 28th and returning on April 6th. We will be holding a conference call on Monday the 30th and then not again until Monday the 13th. </p><p>Any questions please feel free to contact me at -763-213-2645</p>