Latest news with #HouseBill134
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Idaho is telling health insurers to prepare for new enhanced breast cancer screening law
Reps. John Shirts, left, Jaron Crane and Brooke Green share a smile as legislators shave their heads March 25, 2025, to support Green's battle against breast cancer. (Clark Corbin/Idaho Capital Sun) Months before a new Idaho law will require health insurance companies to expand breast cancer screening coverage, the Idaho Department of Insurance is guiding insurers on how to prepare. The Idaho Legislature widely approved the new law through House Bill 134 this year. But the law doesn't take effect until Jan. 1, 2026. The new law will require health insurance companies to cover supplemental breast cancer screening when abnormalities aren't found or suspected in the breast of people who are at high risk. 'Early detection saves lives, and I'm thrilled to have helped pass this impactful legislation that will make life-saving care more affordable and accessible for so many Idaho women at high risk for breast cancer,' Rep. Brooke Green, a Boise Democrat who sponsored the bipartisan-backed legislation while she battles breast cancer, said in a written statement. Days after her first breast cancer diagnosis, Green's radiologist brought the issue to her attention, she previously told the Sun. In a show of solidarity, several Idaho lawmakers shaved their heads in late March, as Green prepared to start chemotherapy. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Under the bill, people will be considered at high risk for breast cancer due to personal or family history, genetic predisposition or other factors. Supplemental breast cancer screening required to be covered by the bill includes magnetic resonance imaging, or an MRI. Idaho legislators shave heads to support colleague, raise awareness for breast cancer screening According to a news release last week by the Idaho Department of Insurance, the new law requires health insurance plans cover 'all costs associated with one supplemental breast cancer screening every year' for people covered by their health insurance plans who have a high risk of breast cancer. Here's how that will work: That screening 'must be covered with no patient cost-sharing,' which includes deductibles, copayments or coinsurance, if it is provided by in-network health care providers, the Idaho Department of Insurance says. Additional costs can be charged for services from out-of-network providers. For other breast imaging services that go beyond the new law's minimum service requirements, such as diagnostic imaging or supplemental screenings conducted more than once a year, the health insurance plan's patient cost-sharing rules can apply, the insurance department says. Idaho health insurance companies must update their plan documents and notify members about the new benefits, according to new guidance to insurers from the Idaho Department of Insurance. 'Consumers should contact their insurer with any questions, or contact our department if they experience coverage issues,' Idaho Department of Insurance Market Oversight Bureau Chief Shannon Hohl said in a written statement. 'Our consumer affairs team is available to help with insurance questions and concerns.' In a written statement, Idaho Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron thanked the Legislature and several lawmakers for supporting the bill, saying it will 'help Idahoans access the critical preventive services they need.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina Is the Latest State To Try To Restrict Lab-Grown Meat
A handful of states around the nation have moved to ban or restrict the sale of lab-grown meat. Now a new measure in North Carolina aims to place onerous labeling requirements on cultivated meat products. House Bill 134 requires products containing lab-grown meat to "clearly disclose to a reasonable purchaser of meat food products that a food product is a cell-cultured meat product" by labeling it with terms like "cell-cultured," "fake," "lab-grown," or "grown in a lab." The bill also requires companies to place this disclaimer in 20-point font, or the size of the surrounding font, whichever is larger. The bill passed the state House in a 106–11 vote. The proposal is far from the first attempt by state lawmakers to limit the sale of lab-grown meat. Iowa passed a similar labeling law last year. Florida and Alabama have banned the sale or production of cultivated meat entirely. Other states, including Tennessee, Arizona, and Texas, all considered similar bills banning lab-grown meat, though they ultimately did not pass. While North Carolina's labeling law passed the state House with overwhelming support, it wasn't without its detractors. "Everybody loves a North Carolina farmer, let's say that first, but we cannot, and we must not try to stifle competition with this font, this labeling," state Rep. Deb Butler (D–New Hanover) argued. "It stigmatizes the product. And I just think that this kind of technology has the potential to really reduce greenhouse emissions moving forward." That lab-grown meat is facing so much regulatory pushback is strange, considering that cultivated meat products aren't currently sold anywhere in the United States and were only available in a few restaurants for a brief period starting in 2023. While lab-grown meat isn't going to be challenging regular slaughtered meat anytime soon, the fact that so many lawmakers seem bent on curbing its potential shows just how afraid of competition many meat producers are. "It's important to recognize that at present the cultivated meat industry has exciting long-term potential, but right now it's just potential. This is a tiny industry," Glenn Hurowitz, the founder and CEO of Mighty Earth, a climate-focused advocacy group, told Reason in November. "There's nothing that made me more excited about the potential for cultivated protein to get to scale than how afraid the meat industry seems to be of it…they seem to be taking it seriously." The post North Carolina Is the Latest State To Try To Restrict Lab-Grown Meat appeared first on
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Idaho legislators shave heads to support colleague, raise awareness for breast cancer screening
Reps. Jaron Crane and Brooke Green share a hug on March 25, 2025, after Crane shaved his head to support Green's battle against breast cancer. (Clark Corbin/Idaho Capital Sun) Several Idaho legislators shaved their heads on Tuesday in Boise to support a colleague battling breast cancer and to raise awareness for breast cancer screening. Rep. Brooke Green, a Boise Democrat, has been battling breast cancer and is preparing to begin chemotherapy. When Rep. Mike Pohanka, R-Jerome, learned Green would be losing her hair and beginning treatment, Pohanka offered to shave his head too to symbolically go through the battle with her. Pohanka then recruited other legislators to join him. 'It's absolutely incredible,' Pohanka said. 'We're supporting one of our fellow colleagues, who's fighting cancer, and we're all in the corner fighting it with her. We love her.' 'We just want to make sure, as far as raising breast cancer awareness, to get checked out,' Pohanka added. 'Whatever we can do to help support those that are fighting and show them we're in the fight with them. This year, Green teamed up with several legislators to sponsor a new law, House Bill 134. The new law requires health insurance companies to cover supplemental breast cancer screening when abnormalities aren't found or suspected in the breast of people who are at high risk for breast cancer due to personal or family history, genetic predisposition or other factors. Supplemental breast cancer screening required to be covered by the bill includes magnetic resonance imaging, or an MRI. The law takes effect Jan. 1. Tuesday's event to support Green and breast cancer screening provided several genuinely touching moments that stood in contrast to the divisive nature of modern politics and the contentious Idaho legislative session. Green visited the Two Zero Eight Salon and Spa in downtown Boise on Tuesday to watch her fellow legislators get their heads shaved. While she was there, Green posed for photos and hugged each of her legislative colleagues who shaved their heads, telling them the support overwhelmed her. 'I love this, you guys are amazing,' Green said. Some legislators brought their family members to the salon, and Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, R-Idaho Falls, snapped photos and offered positive encouragement to each of the men waiting in line to shave off their hair. Rep. John Shirts, R-Weiser, volunteered to have his head shaved first Tuesday. Just hours before taking his seat in the barber's chair, the student pages who assist legislators presented Shirts with a humorous award for 'best hair' in appreciation of his perfectly groomed salt-and-pepper hair. Shirts said he hasn't shaved his head since joining the military in 2014, but he didn't hesitate Tuesday to buzz it all off. 'When someone's going through a trying time you can get caught up in the session, all the politics of it, but there's a human side as well and you want to be able to support your colleagues and help them through it,' Shirts said. Legislators who shaved their heads include Pohanka, Shirts and Reps. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa; Josh Wheeler, R-Ammon; Dan Garner, R-Clifton; Mark Sauter, R- Sandpoint; Jeff Cornilles, R-Nampa; and Jack Nelson, R-Jerome. Green and the legislators who shaved their heads said they want to highlight the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection. House Bill 134 is one way to do that, she said. 'I've been here for seven years and I've carried several bills, but this one is by far the most meaningful one … Because it's going to help so many Idaho and women,' Green told the Idaho Capital Sun in an interview Tuesday. The bill was cosponsored by a mix of over two dozen Republican and Democratic state lawmakers. Green said it's one of the most politically diverse cosponsor lists she has seen. Days after her first breast cancer diagnosis, Green said her radiologist brought the issue to her attention. She recalled seeing women on Facebook groups saying they needed an MRI, but couldn't afford it. 'And I look to her, and I go, 'Oh my goodness. If we could just get you that MRI early, you're gonna have a better prognosis than say for me, who's at stage two, or somebody who's got stage three or four because they waited too long,'' Green told the Sun. 'And so passing this legislation or being a part of it while I'm going through treatment really makes it that much more meaningful.' While working on the bill, Green said she's built stronger bonds with colleagues in the Legislature. Green told the Sun, she was surprised to see her legislative colleagues shave their heads, but she said the support from her Republican colleagues shows how the issue reaches across the political aisle. 'Breast cancer isn't a partisan thing. … It brings people together in the worst kind of ways, and gets everybody in support of a cause,' Green said. Little signed the bill Monday, a spokesperson for the governor's office told the Idaho Capital Sun. 'I want to highlight Representative Brooke Green as she has courageously battled breast cancer, all while serving in the legislature this session and bringing meaningful legislation forward,' Little told the Sun in a written statement on Tuesday. 'HB 134 ensures access to life-saving breast cancer screening for at-risk individuals, reducing long-term treatment costs for Idahoans, hospitals, and insurers.' The Idaho Legislature widely passed the bill this year, on a 62-6 vote in the House and a 25-10 vote in the Senate. The bill doesn't take effect until next year, Green said, mainly to give health insurers time to plan for the requirements. In the meantime, she said she's working on a fact-sheet and educational resources for doctors. The bill doesn't apply to self-insured health insurance plans, like at major companies like Micron and St. Luke's, Green told the Sun. But, she added, 'we really want to empower women to be able to continue to push for it. Because (in) Idaho, we cannot mandate self-insured plans.' Next year, said she expects to bring more breast cancer-related bills forward, but she isn't sure yet what they'll look like.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill expanding law for NM violent youthful offenders on the ropes at Roundhouse
Mar. 7—SANTA FE — A push to expand New Mexico's criminal code for violent juvenile offenders appears to be shipwrecked at the Roundhouse with just over two weeks remaining in this year's 60-day session. A House committee this week tabled a bill backed by prosecutors and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham amid concerns about the rehabilitation of youthful defendants. The 4-2 party-line vote, with Democrats voting in favor of halting the legislation from advancing, means it's unlikely the bill will be revived before the session ends March 22. It also left backers fuming, including Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who has advocated for an overhaul of New Mexico's juvenile criminal code for months. "I'm disappointed and frustrated the Legislature is unwilling to update the children's code to reflect what's happening on the streets of Albuquerque and New Mexico," Bregman said in a Friday interview. "Apparently the Legislature is OK with the status quo," he added. "I'm certainly not." The bill, House Bill 134, is one of several public safety measures that Lujan Grisham has urged lawmakers to pass during this year's session. The governor last month signed a crime package that included provisions dealing with school shooting threats, fentanyl trafficking and drugged driving, but the package did not include increased penalties for youthful offenders convicted of crimes like armed robbery and drive-by shootings. Despite the backing of the governor and Albuquerque's top prosecutor, such legislation has struggled to gain traction at the Roundhouse. During the Thursday evening meeting of the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, several Democratic lawmakers expressed concern about extending criminal penalties for juvenile offenders into adulthood. "We're talking about detaining and committing children," said Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, who cited improved rehabilitation rates for juvenile offenders compared to adults. But backers of the legislation cited statistics showing juvenile crime rates have increased in recent years, even while FBI crime data shows a recent statewide decrease in overall violent and property crime in New Mexico. Troy Gray, a deputy district attorney in charge of juvenile crime in the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office, told members of the committee there was a 57% increase in cases involving juvenile criminal defendants from 2022 to 2023. "Everybody in this room knows what's happening with juvenile crime," said Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, during Thursday's hearing. "We have 13-year-olds committing murder." Reeb, a prosecutor herself, said in a follow-up interview Friday she had pared back the bill from its initial version in hopes of making it more palatable. But she said the measure's two Democratic co-sponsors — Reps. Art De La Cruz and Cynthia Borrego, both of Albuquerque — have backed away from the legislation during this year's session. Neither of the two joined Reeb and Rep. Nicole Chavez, R-Albuquerque, in presenting the bill during Thursday's hearing. In light of the bill being tabled in committee, Reeb and Chavez acknowledged it's unlikely to pass both legislative chambers before adjournment. "It could very well be too late (for this session), but we're not going to stop trying," Reeb told the Journal. Chavez, whose son was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2015, described the committee vote as a "kick to the stomach." Numerous crime-related bills have been assigned during this year's session to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. While some measures have passed, many others have stalled, and a total of 56 bills were pending in the committee as of Friday. That's prompted criticism from Republicans like Rep. John Block of Alamogordo, who accused majority Democrats of passing "weak sauce" crime legislation. "It's a shame because some people would rather just see the problem continue while other people want to actually solve it," Block said. As for the governor, Lujan Grisham said Friday she was disappointed the bill would not make it to her desk but indicated she remained hopeful lawmakers might address juvenile violence in other proposals. "New Mexicans are demanding juvenile justice reform, and I urge lawmakers to answer their call," Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative Recap Feb. 24: The potential for change
Members of the Albuquerque Justice for Youth Community Collaborative wore matching black and yellow shirts in the New Mexico Legislature on Feb. 24, 2025. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM) Parents, advocates and young people with experience inside New Mexico's juvenile detention centers on Monday criticized House Bill 134, which would make it easier to prosecute children as adults, and called on lawmakers to instead invest in education, mental health treatment and job training. Tracey Chavez said she has witnessed her youngest son Timothy Chavez change over the last seven years since he was charged as an adult at age 15 for first-degree murder. 'It was challenging for him to understand the legal system, especially being treated as an adult in a system adults find hard to navigate,' Chavez said. Her son's public defender dedicated herself to helping them understand each step in the process, she said. Brandi Sedillo's first-born child Estevan Lucero also was 15 years old when he was charged with first-degree murder, and 17 when he was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in prison. She said Lucero is isolated from the rest of the incarcerated people in a unit meant for people who break prison rules. He has limited time outside, no access to the library and minimal to no interaction with others, she said. 'This isn't rehabilitation, it's psychological damage,' Sedillo said. 'Isolation, especially for a young person capable of growth, is a form of cruelty.' Chavez and Sedillo say their children's stories aren't unique but, rather, symptoms of a system that prioritizes punishment instead of rehabilitation, and 'a system that fails our children.' Chavez and Sedillo are members of Stronger Together, Never Alone, a support group for parents of incarcerated youth. They joined the Albuquerque Justice for Youth Community Collaborative at a rally in the Rotunda on Monday. Twenty-eight different groups comprise the Youth Community Collaborative, each working around juvenile justice in areas such as re-entry services and rehabilitation. Reps. Andrea Reeb (R-Clovis), Nicole Chavez (R-Albuquerque), Art De La Cruz (D-Albuquerque) and Cynthia Borrego (D-Albuquerque) are sponsoring HB 134, which awaits a hearing in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. Sedillo and others at the rally said they oppose HB134 on the grounds that it would lead to the incarceration of more young people. Sedillo said the bill and others like it would 'only further damage our children and push them deeper into the system.' 'It frustrates me to hear people advocate for charging minors as adults, and holding them to adult standards,' Chavez said. 'They are not adults. Their brains are still developing and they lack the maturity to think and reason like adults.' Recent court decisions and neuroscience studies suggest that young people are less culpable than adults when they commit crimes. Chavez said her son is now 22 facing three years left in prison, and he 'continues to make me proud every single day.' 'Our children deserve a justice system that recognizes their potential for change and growth,' she said. 'Charging them as adults and subjecting them to adult penalties only serves to strip them of their future and does not address the underlying issues that led to their actions.' The state's ninth record budget in nine years cleared the New Mexico House of Representatives after a three-hour debate Monday. The $10.8 billion budget represents a 5.8% increase from last year, while still keeping more than $3 billion in reserve. The reserves could prove vital should President Donald Trump cut funding to the state, Rep. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces), chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, said at a news conference ahead of the House Floor debate. 'That's our first line of defense to make sure that New Mexico is the best prepared financially, particularly when it comes to federal cuts,' Small said. The House budget's crafters did not make any changes to recurring spending levels this year in anticipation of any federal cuts, Small said. 'There's been no federal action yet, and there's a lot of different things that are out there,' he said. 'We're focused on delivering now under the rules and the laws that exist.' The budget contains a 6% increase in public education funding, allocating $4.7 billion. With the help of Medicaid funding and other federal health care spending, the budget will provide $15 billion for critical health care services, according to a news release from House Democrats. Among many other items, this budget would also spend $50 million on uranium mine cleanup, $110 million on housing in Las Cruces and Albuquerque areas and $19 million on groundwater monitoring and improvements, according to the news release. You can read the 265-page proposed budget here. 'If you're a rancher in Raton, this budget's for you. If you're a sixth grade student at Seboyeta Elementary, this budget's for you. If you're worried about affordability and access to health care in Albuquerque and any other part of the state, this budget is for you,' Small said as he wrapped up his remarks on the House Floor on Monday afternoon. House lawmakers approved the spending plan 50-18. They did so after voting down a proposal from Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad) to give every New Mexico resident $600 in July, in recognition of the booming oil and gas revenue the state is currently enjoying. The budget now heads to the Senate Finance Committee and then to the Senate Floor. After both chambers reconcile changes made in the Senate, it will head to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, where she can sign the bill and also veto various provisions. House lawmakers also voted 68-0 in favor of House Bill 74, which would allow firefighters and other first responders to set up peer support groups. They voted 67-0 on House Bill 214, which would create a licensing process for doulas, so they could get reimbursed by Medicaid for providing their services. Proposed legislation that would make significant changes to New Mexico's public records law passed the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee Monday morning on a 7-1 vote with no recommendation. An amended version of the bill will be heard next by the House Judiciary Committee. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Christine Chandler and state Sen. Linda M. Trujillo, both Democrats from Los Alamos and Albuquerque, respectively, would allow government agencies to ask anyone requesting public records whether such records would be used for commercial purposes. If so, the proposed law would allow the agencies to charge a fee of up to $30 per hour for time spent preparing the record beyond the first hour. Currently, under the state's Inspection of Public Records Act, people or entities requesting records are not required to explain why they are doing so. The bill also would create an Inspection of Public Records Task Force and require anyone who planned to take legal action over IPRA violations to first alert the government agency and allow 15 days to resolve the conflict, among other facets. Advocates for the bill representing various New Mexico cities and other government entities testified that they had become overburdened by public records requests, while noting their ongoing support for transparent government. Alison Nichols, director of policy for the New Mexico Municipal League, said the League looked at more than 200,000 individual requests from local governments in 29 cities and counties across the state and that monthly requests had doubled between 2022 and 2024. Nichols said many of those requests came from data brokers such as LexisNexis. Representatives from the City of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces and Española also testified in the bill's favor. Media and other organizations testified in opposition, including the Foundation for Open Government and the American Civil Liberties Union/New Mexico. Albuquerque Journal Assistant Managing Editor and FOG Board President Lucas Peerman called the bill 'well intentioned but potentially harmful,' noting: 'We feel HB283 attempts to add unnecessary red tape to the process of getting public documents, giving officials additional opportunities to deny or add barriers to information. New Mexico has some of the best open records laws in the country and has for 40 years. You can scrap this bill and keep it that way. The alternative is an environment in which corruption and cover-ups can more easily thrive.' The House Education Committee unanimously passed House Bill 65, which clarifies the state requirements for school instructional time in the Public School Code, and aligns with a recent court decision about public school calendars. The Senate Education Committee on Monday morning voted 9-0 on Senate Joint Resolution 6, which would ask voters to make the Early Childhood Education and Care Fund permanent in the state constitution. The committee voted down Senate Bill 386, which would have allowed chiropractors to join other physicians in their ability to clear students to return to class after suffering a concussion. Committee members voted 8-1 to advance Senate Bill 394 without a recommendation. The bill would set aside $1.5 million to build an observatory at the University of New Mexico's campus in Taos. They also voted 8-1 in favor of Senate Bill 201, which would require the Public Education Department to write evaluation and accountability plans for projects funded by the Public Education Reform Fund, and for the Legislative Finance Committee and Legislative Education Study Committee to have input. Senate Bill 4, the Clear Horizons Act, was still in the public comment phase before the Senate Finance committee as of press time. SB4, which would enshrine goals for the state government to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions which Gov. Michelle Lujan enacted a 2019 executive order. The legislation is one of the bills targeted in $126,000 of ads bought by oil and gas lobbyists, Capital & Main reported. Danielle Prokop contributed to the reporting and writing of this article. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
