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Senate Human Services committee reconsiders and passes bill 1322 as amended, 6-0
Summary
The Senate Human Services Committee voted to reconsider bill 1322, adopt amendment 3001 to reposition code sections and clarify billing and reimbursement provisions, and then gave the bill a due-pass recommendation as amended on unanimous 6-0 votes.
The Senate Human Services Committee reconsidered bill 1322, adopted amendment 3001 to relocate and clarify statutory language, and voted 6-0 to recommend the bill as amended.
Senator Rohrs moved to reconsider the panel’s prior action on bill 1322 "for the third time," saying the motion was necessary because the change needed "an official amendment drafted by legislative council because it was moving from one section of code to another section of code." After a voice vote to reconsider carried, Rohrs introduced amendment 3001 and the committee voted to adopt it by roll call, 6-0.
The amendment moves portions of the bill from their prior placement in Title 23 into a new section in Chapter 23 (referred to in the transcript as chapter 23.27) and relocates other language to section 26.147, without altering the substance of the policy language, the committee was told. Rohrs said the amendment "strikes third-party vendors and cell phones," preserves a prohibition on balance billing, updates definitions, corrects the statutory citation to the Medicare provisions of the Social Security Act, and preserves a reimbursement rate set at 250 percent of Medicare.
Committee members asked about an appropriation associated with the measure. Senator Clemens asked, "What was the appropriation part on that?" A committee member recalled a figure of roughly $20,000 for consulting services for a study; the transcript records that the number was small and that consulting services were the intended use, but the exact appropriation language was not specified on the record.
After adopting amendment 3001 (moved by Senator Rohrs and seconded by Senator Hogan), Rohrs moved that bill 1322 "do pass as amended." The committee took a roll-call vote and recorded six ayes and no nays or abstentions; the chair noted the committee would likely ask the same senator to carry the bill forward.
Committee members discussed a small number of additional amendments elsewhere on the agenda that were not ready; the panel recessed until those changes were available. The committee chair and members indicated a handful of provisions would likely be handled in nonconcurrence or conference committee with the other legislative body to resolve substantive language changes.
Votes at a glance: Amendment 3001 — Adopted by roll call vote, 6-0. Bill 1322 (as amended) — Committee recommendation: Do pass as amended, roll call vote 6-0.
