Latest news with #MarilynLands
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama House bill aims to make it easier for people to repair their devices
Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, speaks during a debate on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The House Judiciary Committee held a public hearing for her hill to make it easier for people and independant shops to repair their devices. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Wednesday held a public hearing on a bill aimed at making it easier for consumers and independent retailers to repair electronic devices. HB 476, sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, would require the manufacturers of technology devices and software providers to provide information, tools and parts for items they produce to consumers and repair shops. 'It would reduce consumer cost and have significant environmental and economic benefits,' Lands told the committee prior to the public hearing. 'It promotes affordability, sustainability and access to critical supplies.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill states that an original equipment manufacturer will not impose contractual limitations on access to documents that outline how to repair the items they make. Manufacturers will also ensure that parts are available to repair their devices for at least five years after the discontinue making the item and that the parts are offered on 'fair and reasonable' terms without requiring consumers or repair shops to buy additional services from them. It also makes manufacturers subject to a $10,000 fine for not complying with the provisions in the bill and allows consumers and repair shops to file lawsuits against manufacturers for violating elements of the bill. Members of the public spoke both in favor of and against the legislation. 'It is wonderful for our environment to keep appliances going for longer rather than throwing them into landfills, particularly with the sort of toxic components that are often involved in e-waste,' said Tabitha Isner, who spoke in favor of the legislation. 'It is also great for the economy to have folks who are able to make a small business out of repairing electronics.' Dustin Brighton, director Repair Done Right Coalition, an organization that advocates for the safe and secure repair of electronic devices opposed the bill, saying that it would lead to safety risk and threats for Alabama residents. 'Mandating that companies outsource their repair service to a third-party network prevents them from being able to fully stand behind their products' safety and security,' he said. The committee plans to vote on the legislation next week. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill expanding prenatal care for low income mothers passes Alabama Senate
ALABAMA (WHNT) — A new law that would provide mothers using Medicaid with earlier access to prenatal care is making its way through the Alabama legislature. Alabama's infant motility rate is higher than the national average. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the leading causes of infant death in the state are birth defects, preterm births and sudden infant death syndrome. The state's maternal mortality rate is also one of the worst in the nation. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'When you look at Alabama's numbers, there's just nowhere to go but up,' said Rep. Marilyn Lands. Lands sponsored the bill that would increase access to maternal healthcare. Accessing prenatal care through Medicaid currently requires a mother to provide proof of pregnancy. Under the current system, the process can take a month or more to obtain. '11% of Alabama women receive no prenatal care at all, and many don't get in until the third trimester or late in that second trimester,' Lands said. The law would give mothers 60 days to secure a pregnancy record, during which they can receive care. Lands said that extra time can make a difference. 'That allows us to identify preexisting conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-eclampsia,' Lands said. 'We can begin talking about nutrition and the importance of vitamins and all the good things that we can do to ensure the best outcome possible.' Lands' bill picked up bipartisan support, passing unanimously in the House, and a companion bill has been approved by the Alabama Senate. The law would expire in 2028. A fiscal note attached to the bill estimates the expanded access would cost about $1 million annually. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Huntsville-area legislator's bill expanding access to prenatal care approved by Alabama House
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Alabama House has unanimously passed a bill that would ensure early access to prenatal care through Medicaid for low-income mothers. House Bill 89 is sponsored by Alabama Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-10th District, whose districts includes parts of Huntsville and Madison. Alabama congressional delegation on proposed federal workforce cuts The bill was approved on Thursday. 'We're very excited to have this legislation moving forward to really help Alabama's moms and babies,' Lands said. ' A similar measure, sponsored by Alabama Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-20th District, was passed out of a Senate Committee Thursday. Lands' bill would give expectant mothers – who can meet income eligibility requirements – 60 days to provide a proof of pregnancy record and related income records, while allowing them to start receiving prenatal care early on. Lands said the current system requires those records be submitted before prenatal care can begin. She said obtaining a proof of pregnancy record can take a month or more, which under the current system delays access to care. Lands said the measure would improve maternal and infant health, allow for pre-existing conditions to be identified sooner and help to improve Alabama's high infant and maternal mortality rates. Athens man charged for beating baby, sheriff's office says Lands said the bill was amended before winning House approval. 'The bill was amended in committee, to provide a sunset on it, which is October 2028, so we can look at the data to see how much it is actually costing, and to see how much we're saving,' she said. 'And we predict there will be some pretty enormous savings, in terms of reducing NICU stays, identifying pre-existing conditions earlier, just better all-around health outcomes.' A legislative fiscal note attached to the bill estimates the expanded access would cost about $1 million annually. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
14-02-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Alabama House expedites Medicaid for pregnant women, joining other states with high mortality rates
MONTOGMERY, Ala. — A bill that would expedite Medicaid coverage and prenatal health care for low-income pregnant women in Alabama has advanced as lawmakers across the South try to address rising maternal and infant mortality rates. The 'presumptive eligibility' legislation states that Medicaid will pay for a pregnant woman's outpatient medical care for up to 60 days while her application for the government-funded insurance program is being considered. 'This way we cut out some of the red tape, we get them in as quickly as possible,' said Rep. Marilyn Lands, the Democrat representing Huntsville who introduced the bill.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama House expedites Medicaid for pregnant women, joining other states with high mortality rates
MONTOGMERY, Ala. (AP) — A bill that would expedite Medicaid coverage and prenatal health care for low-income pregnant women in Alabama has advanced as lawmakers across the South try to address rising maternal and infant mortality rates. The 'presumptive eligibility' legislation states that Medicaid will pay for a pregnant woman's outpatient medical care for up to 60 days while her application for the government-funded insurance program is being considered. 'This way we cut out some of the red tape, we get them in as quickly as possible,' said Rep. Marilyn Lands, the Democrat representing Huntsville who introduced the bill. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Processing Medicaid applications can take weeks, Lands said, and physicians say early prenatal care is vital. Last year, nearly 1 in 5 pregnant Alabama women received prenatal care after five months of pregnancy, or otherwise received less than 50% of the appropriate number of the recommended visits throughout her pregnancy, according to The March of Dimes. The bill passed in the Alabama House of Representatives unanimously. It will now be considered by the Senate. Republicans celebrated the bill as a 'pro-life' measure. Alabama's delivery health outcomes currently lag far behind the rest of the country. One study found Alabama had a maternal mortality rate of 64.63 deaths per 100,000 births between 2018 and 2021, nearly double the national rate of 34.09 per 100,000 births. That jumps to 100.07 deaths for Black women in the state. Other states have adopted a similar strategy for addressing some of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates across the country. Legislators in both Mississippi and Arkansas have introduced bills that would offer similar coverage to expectant mothers. Mississippi passed a law last year that was nearly identical to the Alabama legislation, but it was never implemented after negotiations with the federal Medicaid agency stalled, according to Mississippi Today. Alabama and Mississippi are among 10 states nationwide that have not expanded Medicaid, which means many low-income women are only eligible for Medicaid once they become pregnant. In Alabama, 1 in 6 women of childbearing age fall within the coverage gap, making too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private insurance, according to Alabama Arise, an advocacy group for low-income families. A pregnant woman in Alabama with no dependents can qualify for Medicaid if she makes $21,996 or less, or up to $37,704 if she is part of a household of three. Medicaid was used to pay for 45% of all births in Alabama in 2023, according to the most recent report published by the Alabama Department of Public Health. More than half of all infant deaths were to mothers who used Medicaid. Dr. Max Rogers, an obstetrician-gynecologist who works with many low-income pregnant women in rural communities, said medical care during the first trimester is essential for ensuring a woman is in a safe environment for carrying a pregnancy and identifying potentially lethal threats early on. 'The longer you have to get blood pressure under control, or get diabetes under control, the long-term outcomes are going to be much, much better,' Rogers said. Rogers' rural office was the fourth labor and delivery unit to close statewide in 2024. He was able to relocate an hour and a half south where he has continued seeing some of his patients — but the closures have left huge swaths of women in the state without access to prenatal care. Rogers says he supports the bill but that it will only be effective if other measures are taken to increase access to care. 'If we don't make sure that a patient can get there and take advantage of services, it doesn't really have an impact, right?' he said.
