Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Committee Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances numerous technical and policy bills in rapid 'house-cleaning' session
Summary
The Senate Public Health committee moved a batch of bills, adopting amendments and passing measures by voice vote. Items included bills on diaper-changing policy, scrap-metal funding, licensing and academic credentials for physicians, extensions for a palliative-care task force, and the withdrawal or temporary hold of several bills.
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee used a house-cleaning portion of its agenda to advance a number of bills by voice vote and to pull or withdraw others for follow-up.
Among bills passed by the committee were:
- Senate Bill 443 (sponsor identified as Senator Davis) — described in committee as a diaper-changing-related bill; after removing an amendment that would have applied to renovations and a $10,000 threshold, the committee passed SB443 by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 377 — sponsor noted this bill corrects a drafting error and directs the first $150,000 to a scrap-metal program; the committee passed the bill by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 2 (Garner) — previously debated; an amendment was adopted reflecting previously discussed inclusions (some text redacted in transcript) and the bill passed as amended by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 278 — committee-requested cleanup amendment (including deletion of a section 13 and certain lines) was adopted and the bill passed as amended by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 504 — extends the palliative care quality-of-life interdisciplinary task force expiration from 12/31/2019 to 2021 at the group's request; the committee approved the extension by voice vote.
- Senate Bill 456 — changes to allow an 'academic' license for certain physicians affiliated with UAMS and permit eligibility for active unrestricted licensure after two years of practice under an academic license; the committee passed the bill and requested follow-up meetings with UAMS staff.
Bills pulled or otherwise held for follow-up included:
- Senate Bill 506 (Youth Justice Reform Board) — sponsor agreed to pull the bill to clarify how members of the General Assembly would be selected/appointed and to specify the number/appointment process.
- Senate Bill 505 (requested by UAMS) — would have allowed the licensing board discretion to accept APA-accredited internship substitutes for provisional licensure for psychologists; committee members expressed concern this might circumvent existing statute and the sponsor agreed to pull the bill to consult stakeholders.
The committee also announced that Senator Cooper had withdrawn Senate Bill 410 from the calendar. Most measures in this block were approved by voice vote, and the transcript does not provide recorded roll-call tallies.
