Senate Health and Welfare committee advances five draft measures to print

The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send five request statutes (RS) to print during a committee meeting where each RS received brief introductions and a voice vote to advance. The measures advanced were RS32220 (psychology practice and prescribing supervision), RS3214 (abandoned tire cleanup pilot), RS32351 (amendments to child-protective timelines), RS32348 (updates to residential care and assisted living regulations), and RS31947C1 (one free copy of medical records for Social Security disability applicants).

The measures affect licensing and supervision for prescribing psychologists, a three‑year pilot for abandoned tire pile reclamation, custody- and review‑hearing timelines for foster children, regulatory requirements for assisted‑living facilities, and access to medical records for disability applicants. Committee members moved and seconded motions to send each RS to print and registered aye votes without extended debate.

RS32220: prescribing-psychology supervision Senator Mark Harris (Idaho State Senate, Legislative District 35) introduced RS32220, saying the measure “improves and streamlines practice of psychology in the state of Idaho” by changing supervision requirements for provisional prescribing psychologists. Harris told the committee that Idaho has had only eight prescribing psychologists since legislation allowing psychologist prescribing took effect eight years ago and that the RS would replace the current supervisor/supervision agreement model limited to Idaho or adjoining‑state physicians with a collaborative agreement model while maintaining patient safety. The RS also would eliminate a permanent…