Latest news with #HouseHealthandHumanServicesCommittee
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Today at the Roundhouse, March 18, & recap
Mar. 18—It's the last week of the 60-day legislative session and hundreds of bills are still in limbo at the Roundhouse. All bills not approved by both the House and Senate by the time the session ends Saturday at noon are officially dead. Here's a key bill to watch out for on Tuesday, March 18, and a recap of Monday. Tax package remodel: A House-approved bill that would tie an expanded working families tax credit to an increased oil tax is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee. The bill, House Bill 14, was approved Saturday by the House. But it's typical for tax bills to be amended in the Senate after being crafted in the House. Monday recap Psilocybin: A bill creating a state-run psilocybin program for New Mexicans with certain diagnosed medical conditions passed its first — and only — assigned House committee. The House Health and Human Services Committee voted 8-1 to advance the legislation, Senate Bill 219, which passed the Senate last week. Cybersecurity: The Senate passed Senate Bill 254, which would require the state's Cybersecurity Office to develop minimum cybersecurity protections for state-operated or state-owned telecommunications networks. It heads to the House now. Bobby's bolo battle: Senators all around were styling on Saturday, vying to win a bolo tie contest put on by Sen. Roberto "Bobby" Gonzales, D-Ranchos de Taos. At the end of the day, Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, pulled in the win with a tiger bolo, presumably representing the Gallup High School tigers. Where the bills stand HB14: Passed House. Awaiting hearing in Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee. SB219: Passed House Health and Human Services Committee. Now heads to House floor, then would advance to governor's desk. SB254: Passed Senate. Awaiting House committee assignments, then must pass House committees and House floor in order to advance to governor's desk.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NM Legislative Recap March 14: The rise of the zombie bills
A bolo tie that will not be a contender for 'Best Bolo' between lawmakers on Saturday, March 15. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) You might have noticed bills with the same all-caps title floating around: 'PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE.' Committee chairs and legislative leaders introduce generic-titled bills that contain a title, and the phrase 'Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of New Mexico' — until they don't. Lawmakers can substitute that generic language for entirely new bills, (even though the deadline for introduction is the session's midway point) or tabled legislation, to give the bills another shake at moving through the Roundhouse. So far, legislators have introduced 80 'dummy' bills, though we've only found nine that have been replaced with actual legislation. Read below about a few of those zombie bills. The chart above shows you all nine. Let us know at Info@ if any of them are of particular interest to you as we head into the final week of the session. House Bill 588 mirrors Senate Bill 24, which would require all public works construction projects to contribute to public apprentice and training programs. SB24 passed its first committee, but stalled in Senate Finance, according to the legislature's bill tracker. House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvements tabled HB588 this week. House Bill 592 increases the annual income cap for the Social Security Tax exemption by $20,000 for the next five years, and then eliminates the cap in 2031. The House Consumer and Economic Affairs hasn't scheduled the bill for a hearing yet. House Bill 593 includes provisions to increase rural health care practitioner health credits, institute medical school loan forgiveness and add caps to medical malpractice lawsuits. The House Health and Human Services Committee on Friday morning tabled HB593 in a 5-4 party-line vote. House Bill 618 mirrors Senate Bill 217, which would remove oversight of IT purchases and contracts from the duties of the secretary of the Department of Information. SB217 passed its first committee, but is not scheduled for an upcoming hearing in Senate Tax, Business and Transportation. The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee on Friday morning passed HB618. And make sure to peruse the status of all 1,300 or so pieces of legislation introduced so far this session with Source's bill tracker. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The House Health and Human Services Committee passed Senate Bill 53, which would amend the Professional Psychologist Act to include allopathic and osteopathic physicians, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists to the list of prescribing psychologists; Senate Bill 45, which would amend the Indigent Hospital and County Health Care Act to allow coverage for premium and out-of-pocket costs; Senate Bill 105, which would allow New Mexico to join the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; Senate Bill 118, which would require the Motor Vehicles Division to create materials explaining how to apply to be an organ donor and distribute to state agencies; House Memorial 53, which would require the Department of Health and the Aging and Long-Term Services Department to update material on Alzheimer's disease and related diseases; seek federal funding for updating dementia-related public health programs; and create a report for the Legislative Council and governor; House Memorial 56, which would recognize May as 'National Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month;' and House Memorial 29, which would require the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee to review driving rules for people with diabetes during the 2025 interim session and develop legislation updating driver's license requirements for people with diabetes. The House Education Committee passed Senate Bill 11, which would require local school districts to adopt policies for student cell phone use with guidelines from the Public Education Department. The committee also voted to table Senate Bill 242, the Advancing the Science of Reading Act, introduced by President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque). The committee debated the bill last week and agreed to roll it while amendments were considered. House Education Committee Chair G Andrés Romero (D-Albuquerque) said last week that he couldn't promise the bill would be scheduled for a hearing again. One of the big sticking points was over using student outcomes to determine how successful teacher preparation programs are in preparing teachers to use structured literacy. 'I guess that's the concern, is that we're utilizing those students in this teacher's classroom for those three years as a way to evaluate those educator prep programs, and I'm concerned about that,' Romero said. The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee passed Senate Bill 299, which would require the Secretary of State to notify the governor, presiding officer of the chambers and the county commissioners within five days of a legislative vacancy in their area; House Bill 292, which would distribute 8% of the general fund's gross receipts tax collection to the newly created all cities and counties fund; House Bill 456, which would allow state agencies to use a price agreement for architectural or engineering services up to $2 million, not exceeding $15 million over four years; Senate Bill 353, which would amend the Search and Rescue Act establishing response protocols for federal, state, local and tribal agencies when New Mexico Search and Rescue is called to assist in emergencies; House Bill 570, which would amend the Prior Authorization Act of the Insurance Code to restrict prior authorization for chemotherapy, dialysis, elder care and home health care services, as well as for prescribed diabetes and high blood pressure medications; House Bill 618, a dummy bill that would clarify the role of Department of Information when approving information technology projects conducted by state agencies; Senate Bill 507, which would amend the Concealed Handgun Carry Act to create qualifications, licensing procedures and renewal requirements for concealed handgun licenses; and Senate Bill 63, which would describe how the New Mexico state flag is to be retired when no longer used, such as by burning, a private ceremony or public ceremony held by military personnel or a patriotic society. The House Taxation and Revenue Committee passed House Bill 14, which would effectively eliminate the state income tax for about 20,000 families. The Senate Rules Committee passed House Bill 84, which would enact the Employee Free Speech Act. The Senate Finance Committee passed Senate Bill 401, the Broadband for Education bill, which among other facets would move the Statewide Education Network from the Public School Facilities Authority Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. 'We are pleased that the Finance Committee understands the significance of this bill and what it will mean for broadband expansion on the education front,' OBAE Acting Director said in a statement. Senate Finance also passed House Bill 181, House Bill 218 and Senate Bill 535, a dummy bill. The Senate Education Committee passed House Bill 532, House Bill 487, House Bill 67 and House Bill 65. The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee passed House Bill 339, Senate Bill 96, House Bill 91, House Bill 357, House Bill 223, House Bill 228, House Bill 220, House Bill 174, House Bill 171, House Bill 154, House Bill 191, House Bill 160, House Bill 99, House Bill 93 and House Bill 56. The House of Representatives debated House Bill 17 for three hours before passing the bill, which would create a commission to study grocery prices and propose ways to lower consumer costs for essential household foods. The chamber also passed House Bill 76, which would require hospitals and other institutions to screen newborn children for congenital cardiac conditions; House Bill 372, which would increase the weight limit for recreational off-highway vehicles, and allow drivers under the age of 18 to carry a passenger if they are properly licensed and supervised; House Bill 7, which would would establish a trust fund for children born in New Mexico after Jan. 1, 2025; and House Bill 571, which would create a program and certification process under the Department of Finance and Administration to acknowledge municipalities that adopt strategies that increase housing affordability and accessibility. After lengthy debate, the Senate passed House Bill 5, which would create the Office of the Child Advocate to oversee the Children Youth and Families Department. The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee was expected to meet at 5:45 p.m. on Friday night. The Senate will meet at noon on Saturday. Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) said he also expects the Senate to meet on Sunday. The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Senate Conservation Committee will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet after the floor session on Saturday. The Senate Finance Committee will meet on Saturday morning, around 9:30 or 10 a.m., Chair George Munoz said. The Senate will hold a bolo tie contest on Saturday, Sen. Bobby Gonzales (D-Rancho de Taos) said. The prize will be one of the bolo ties from his collection, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health Care Authority issues emergency rule amid elder abuse spike, legislative reform
Mar. 10—The New Mexico Health Care Authority has issued a new rule meant to curb elder abuse amid rising rates of mistreatment. The rule allows the state agency to place people with an instance of a substantiated case of abuse, neglect and exploitation on an employee abuse registry. People on the list are barred from continuing as caregivers. The move — combined with a bill moving through the New Mexico Legislature — is a step toward suppressing rising cases of elder abuse, according to Dan Lanari, director of the Health Care Authority's Division of Health Improvement. "We see an increase, and then immediately what we have to do is we have to look at, what are the regulations that oversee this," Lanari told the Journal. "What are the regulations in place to prevent this from happening?" A 2023 annual report from Adult Protective Services, or APS, chronicled 12,560 reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation in the state. The 2024 annual report noted that APS received 14,368 reports, a 4.4% increase. The report attributed the rise to the "growing awareness of adult maltreatment and as well as the continued trust placed in our agency to protect vulnerable adults." But over four years, the problem has worsened. At a February hearing of the legislative House Health and Human Services Committee, Lanari testified that, between 2020 and 2024, there had been a 117% increase in abuse, neglect and exploitation cases among people receiving Developmental Disabilities Waiver services and a 76% increase at hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Lanari said there are two ways to impact this: the rule change HCA approved and legislative reform. House Bill 131, Caregiver Background Checks, would strengthen the review process for those seeking to be caregivers. People convicted of certain felony crimes — including aggravated battery of a household member, sex trafficking, assault of a peace officer, identity theft and animal cruelty — would be unable to become caregivers in the first place. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque, would bring New Mexico, which has significantly fewer disqualifying convictions, into line with other states. Thomson was unavailable for an interview. One HCA analysis submitted to the legislature said many states, including Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma and Georgia, have as much as 10 times more disqualifying convictions than New Mexico. "To protect the safety of individuals receiving healthcare is imperative, and that's why we're doing this," Lanari said. "However, we're also doing this very thoughtfully, and we don't want to have a negative impact on the workforce pool." Lanari pointed out that there is a procedure for people on the list to appeal the decision, and the Authority's data showed that about half of the 340 appeals in 2024 were granted. That's compared to the 53,000 applications submitted that same year. The bill passed through the House Health and Human Services Committee in February and was scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opposition delays committee vote for Colorado IVF protection bill
A doctor analyzes cell samples in a clinical fertility laboratory. (Getty Images) A bill in Colorado that would remove some administrative requirements for fertility clinics that help with in vitro fertilization faced pushback on Tuesday from people who were conceived through assisted reproduction. They claimed that the bill would roll back protections Colorado lawmakers passed in 2022. The House Health and Human Services Committee heard witness testimony on House Bill 25-1259 but, at the sponsors' request, did not take a vote on it. The bill would put protections for IVF into statute, one year after the Alabama Supreme Court decision that briefly halted IVF services in that state. 'When the Alabama Supreme Court came down with its decision, I reached out to some of the same people that I've done previous work with to talk about if we needed to do anything in Colorado to protect assisted reproduction and IVF,' bill sponsor Rep. Meg Froelich, an Englewood Democrat, said. 'I was hearing consistently that there were implementation problems with an earlier Senate bill on gamete and donor regulations.' Froelich is running the bill with Rep. Kyle Brown, a Louisville Democrat. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX She characterized HB-1259 as a 'slight course correction' on the bipartisan 2022 bill by removing some of the enacted requirements that people in the industry say could have a dampening effect on donor participation, and ultimately the success of IVF, in Colorado. That bill went into effect this year. The goal is to balance donor privacy with the interest of parents and children involved with assisted reproduction to know about genetic and medical history. Betsy Cairo, the founder of CryoGam Colorado, said donor applications numbered about half what they did last year. The new bill would eliminate the requirement that fertility clinics and donor banks request updated contact information and medical history from donors every three years. They would only need to get that information at the time of donation. The bill would also eliminate requirements about record retention and live birth reporting from gamete recipients, allow donor banks to create educational materials for donors instead of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and change a licensure requirement to every five years instead of annually. The 2022 bill ensured that Coloradans conceived through egg or sperm donation would be able to learn the identity of that donor when they turned 18 and specifically allows the person to talk about the donor's identity with family, friends and third parties. This year's bill would remove that guarantee for family and friend communication and allow clinics to prohibit it. 'We can honor donors' desire for privacy, while also compelling information to be shared,' Froelich said. 'We're not going back to anonymous donations. We're not going back to a place where we don't share critical medical information.' She said it's an effort to curb harassment or doxxing — sharing someone's private information online — of donors, especially with the rise of genetic testing services and ubiquity of social media. 'There are instances of Facebook posts saying 'This guy is my dad. He's a dirtbag because he won't have a relationship with me,'' Froelich said. 'We're trying to swing the pendulum back a little bit to honor some donor privacy.' But opponents see that provision as a pathway for clinics to require non-disclosure agreements or other communication barriers before telling a person the identity of their biological parent. 'One day after my children turn 18, if they would like to obtain the identity of the donor that I chose, the sperm bank will make them sign a non-disclosure agreement. Essentially, the bank is saying 'We'll give you this information about where half your DNA comes from, but you can't talk about it,'' said Laura Runnels, who has two children conceived through IVF. Required education materials are supposed to inform donors of the risk, and increasing likelihood, of people conceived through their gamete contacting them when they turn 18. Former state Sen. Steve Fenberg, who sponsored the 2022 bill, characterized the legislation as a 'hot mess' to lawmakers in committee. He said there has not been enough time to know if his bill actually reduced donor participation or clinic operation in the state because it has been in effect for two months and the licensure requirement does not kick in until July. He also argued that IVF is already protected in Colorado's Reproductive Health Equity Act. 'I believe (IVF protection) is put into this bill, as some of the witnesses have said, because no Democrat in America today would vote against a bill that is pro IVF. That is political suicide,' he said. 'The only parts of this bill that actually have an impact policy-wise are the rollbacks of the Donor Conceived Protection Act that was put into law in 2022.' He said that a 'reasonable relaxation' of regulations should include input from people conceived through IVF. Froelich told Colorado Newsline that she and Brown plan to offer some amendments, which could include a softening of the third-party communication piece and guidance for donors to report to banks significant medical issues that could be genetic. 'Since we have rolled this bill out, I have had hours of conversations with folks who are donor-conceived, and I have really appreciated their feedback,' Brown said in committee. 'We have been working diligently on ways that we can improve this bill to strike the right balance.' The committee will consider amendments and vote on the bill at a later meeting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NM Legislative Recap Feb. 25: Living with a disability under American health care
Cecilia Fred, of Redrock, shared her story and support for House Bill 186 during a news conference at the New Mexico Legislature on Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM) Cecilia Fred has used a wheelchair for most of her life, after a gunshot accident when she was eight years old injured her spinal cord. Now 68, Fred uses a catheter, leg bags and night bags every day. Even though her doctor prescribed that she change her catheter every five days, Medicaid only allows her to receive one catheter per month. Earlier in February, when Fred's medical supplier couldn't get her catheters on time, she developed a bladder infection that hospitalized her for five days. She had to pay for the catheters herself and drive from her home in Redrock, an unincorporated community near Gallup, to Albuquerque to get them. 'No one should have to go through this,' said Fred, who told her story at a news conference on Tuesday alongside other patients and advocates pushing for House Bill 186, which would allow New Mexicans of any income level to buy coverage through Medicaid, the state's safety-net health insurance program for the very poor. The state and the federal government already jointly run and pay for the Medicaid program. The expansion proposed in HB 186 would mean free or low-cost health insurance would become available to New Mexico residents who are under the age of 65, who aren't otherwise eligible for Medicaid and whose household income is more than 133% of the federal poverty line. The bill, sponsored by House Majority Floor Leader Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe) and four other Democratic lawmakers, passed the House Health and Human Services Committee on Feb. 10 and heads next to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. Szczepanski said Tuesday she hopes the committee will hear it 'very soon.' Fred, a patient advocate with Strong Families New Mexico, said she supports the legislation because it would allow people with disabilities and elderly people to get medical supplies without jumping through endless hoops. 'One accident, one illness, or simply aging can change everything. What happens when you need care and can't get it?' she said. 'This bill isn't just for me — it's for every child, every senior, every family struggling to stay healthy. Let's build a health care system that works for all of us.' Meanwhile, the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee was expected to hold a hearing on Tuesday afternoon on Senate Bill 376, which would cut health care premiums paid by state workers while fixing a budget shortfall in their insurance plan. Halfway through the 60-day session, New Mexico lawmakers still have five different proposals geared at changing how the state's child welfare system operates. There are many other bills related to specific aspects of CYFD, but only five that would change who heads the agency or who oversees or controls it. Two of those proposals, both opposed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office, passed the House Health and Human Services Committee last week and currently await hearings in House Judiciary. House Joint Resolution 5, which proposes a constitutional amendment to move the Children, Youth and Families Department from the governor's oversight to that of an appointed commission, has received the most pushback. Lujan Grisham's administration also opposes House Bill 5, called the Office of Child Advocate Act, which would create an independent, impartial office to investigate the wellbeing of children in state custody. According to a CYFD spokesperson, the agency supports Senate Bill 363, which would create the Child Protection Authority governed by a nine-member panel appointed by the governor and the Legislature. Other proposals to fundamentally change CYFD governance include: House Bill 205 and its Senate counterpart SB 205, which would create a nominating committee to create a list of candidates to lead CYFD, from which the governor would then choose. Senate Bill 307 and House Bill 391, which would create the Office of the Child Ombud, governed by a nine-member panel, four of whom would be appointed by the governor. The ombud would investigate complaints and have the power to subpoena witnesses. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly approved a bill that would make it easier and faster for police to seize guns belonging to a person deemed a risk to themselves or others. House Bill 12, sponsored by Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos) and Rep. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque), amends a 2020 law that created a civil procedure enabling a judge to approve a temporary seizure of a person's guns based on requests to law enforcement from family members, employers, school officials and others. The 2020 law says gun owners may have up to 48 hours to surrender their weapons after a judge approves an officer's petition. The amended version seeks to clarify that if an officer deems a person a risk in the course of their official duties, the officer doesn't need a request from a third party before seeking a judge's approval to order a weapons seizure. The bill also eliminates the 48-hour window and requires a gun owner served with an order to 'immediately' surrender firearms to police. In passing the House by a vote of 41-27, HB12 has already made it farther than a more expansive version did last year: That bill never made it past the House. HB12 now heads to the Senate. The House voted 42-25 on House Bill 91, which would allow the Public Regulation Commission to consider a rate structure to charge low-income customers less for electricity. The House rejected two amendments brought by Republicans. The House voted 64-3 on House Bill 249, which would allow the Department of Workforce Solutions to waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance during emergencies. The House, without debate, voted 66-1 on House Bill 103, which would increase the penalty for aggravated battery on a police officer from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony. The Senate on Tuesday afternoon voted 23-15 on Senate Bill 48, which would create the Community Benefit Fund to pay for local infrastructure projects that, for example, add green energy or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Senate rejected six floor amendments brought by Republicans, who also brought a seventh one but withdrew it before a vote. The Senate voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 13, which would allow Native governments in New Mexico to create cultural schools in an effort to immerse students in their culture and preserve their language. The Senate voted 36-1 on Senate Bill 92, which would change the distribution of money collected by the New Mexico Racing Commission to offset the cost of insuring jockeys. The Senate voted 36-0 on Senate Bill 220, which would require the Risk Management Division to continue publishing settlement data with state agencies within 30 days of settlement, which the department is currently doing voluntarily. The Senate Indian Rural and Cultural Affairs Committee voted in favor of Senate Bill 498, which would make lowriders the official state vehicle; and a substitute version of Senate bill 468, which would establish tribal liaisons in every county. The Senate Conservation Committee approved Senate Bill 471, which would require the Roosevelt Soil and Conservation District to create a rainfall enhancement project; Senate Memorial 2, which would require the Legislative Council to study and recommend policies for avoiding and mitigating wildfires; and Senate Joint Memorial 1, which would require two state agencies to work together to study forest restoration through economic development. The Senate Finance Committee approved Senate Bill 101, which would give the New Mexico Livestock Board the ability to raise some fees and reduce the inspection fee by half in some circumstances; Senate Bill 142, which would require two state agencies to work together to modernize the state's electric grid; and Senate Bill 143, which would create a Utility Oversight Fund to pay for the Public Regulation Commission's operations. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance without a recommendation Senate Bill 119, which would allow state funds to be invested in local bioscience companies; and to pass Senate Bill 128, which would limit vehicle license plates from displaying characters the Motor Vehicle Division deems to be profane; Senate Bill 283, which would require the Children, Youth and Families Department to apply for federal benefits on behalf of children in its custody; and Senate Bill 417, which would allow parents of children born through assisted reproduction to ue the courts to confirm their parentage and adopt the child. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
