Legislative Updates & Alerts

Legislature Adjourns; No Budget Deal in Place

The constitutionally mandated adjournment came to the Legislature on Monday, May 23 with no budget deal in place.  A special session is a certainty, and a government shutdown looms if agreement is not reached by June 30.

Physician “Gag Rule” Bill Introduced

Similar to efforts in Florida and Mississippi, a bill has been introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate that would prohibit physicians from asking patients and patients’ families about the availability and access to firearms.  The bill did not receive a hearing prior to adjournment, but remains alive for the 2012 session.

MN-AAP Weighs in on MERC

Joining with more than a dozen physicians’ groups, hospitals, health care systems, and academics, the MN-AAP called on Governor Dayton and legislative leaders to reconsider the proposed deep cuts to MERC.  Arguing that cuts of the magnitude proposed by the Legislature would have devastating impact on medical research and medical education, the groups urged leaders to adequately fund this vital program.

Vaccine Safety a Focus of House Hearing

A controversial researcher presented her beliefs about a link between autism and vaccines to the House HHS Reform Committee this week.  Dr. Theresa Deisher, a Stanford-trained genetic researcher and President of Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute, offered testimony about her research into the link between the presence of “fetal stem cell DNA” in the MMR vaccine and growing rates of autism.  Offering contradictory testimony were a number of researchers from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health.

HHS Budget Conference Committees Continue

The conference committee working to reconcile differences between House and Senate HHS budget proposals continued this week, with few decisions being made.  The legislative proposals contain stark differences with that of the Governor.  Lucinda Jesson, Cmmissioner of DHS, weighed in with a letter noting several dozen significant concerns with the legislative proposals.

MN-AAP Decries Newborn Screening Changes

Gathering with a broad coalition of partners including parents groups, the March of Dimes, and Mayo Clinic, the MN-AAP led an effort to highlight dangerous changes to the state’s Newborn Screening Program contained in a Senate bill. The proposed changes would call for the destruction of the state’s registry of test results and dried bloodspots, and would seriously jeopardize the utility of the program. Scroll down for a fact sheet and action alert on newborn screening.

HHS Budget Work Begins

Members of the House and Senate gathered this week to begin work in reconciling significant differences in their approach to funding HHS agencies and programs. While comparable in the size of funding, the approaches of the two bills differ. The legislators’ position remains considerably different from that of the Governor.

Concussion Bill Moves Forward

A proposal to raise awareness of concussions and better manage a youth athlete’s “return to play” took several steps in both the House and Senate this week. The bill makes use of guidelines and educational materials made available by the CDC, and requires clearance by trained individuals before a youth may resume practice or competition.

Newborn Screening Program Under Attack

In a bill moving through the Senate, major changes are being proposed that would dramatically impact the state’s Newborn Screening Program.  The language proposed would allow parents to decline to have the tests (no change) or to elect to have the tests after which the blood spots would be destroyed (change).  Parents could elect to “opt-in” to have the blood spots stored for a period of no more than 24 months (change).  In addition, the bill would require immediate destruction of all currently stored blood samples.  It would also abolish the registry of congenital diseases which is used for the purpose of follow-up services.

House & Senate Move Budgets Forward

The finance bills setting budgets for HHS agencies and programs are moving through both the House and Senate.  Though very different in their approaches, both bills would cut deeply into public programs and eligibility, rely heavily on federal waivers, and contain a number of controversial policy provisions.

Repeal of Minor Consent Proposed

Under a bill discussed in the Senate, the state’s long-standing ‘minor consent’ law would be repealed.  Under the legislation, health services for minors would require consent by a parent or guardian.  Were a minor the victim of sexual or physical assault or incest, the minor could receive care only after seeking a judicial order.

Legislature Takes Next Step in Budget Dance

House and Senate leaders announced their budget “targets” last week, the first step in producing a complete budget.  These figures establish the spending for each area, though not the specific details for programs.  The Republican-led legislature proposes considerably less spending, especially in Health and Human Services programs.

Federal Health Care Reforms a Subject of Continued Skirmishes

Proposals moving through House and Senate committees that would impair or prohibit implementation of the federal health care reforms continue to cause significant controversy.  A bill to prohibit the use of state funds for implementation of the ACA took its next steps, and questions over the authorization of state Health Insurance Exchanges dominated several committees.

Autism Task Force Bill Moves Forward

A bill to reestablish the state’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force passed its first committee and will continue onward.  The proposal is the first of several autism-related bills to receive a hearing during this legislative session.