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House Health Committee advances broad slate of public‑health bills, defers two contentious measures
Summary
The House Health & Welfare Committee on April 29 reported most health bills favorable — from telehealth and opioid‑treatment changes to a new LDH nutrition office — and voluntarily deferred a contentious naturopathic licensing bill and a hospital price‑transparency enforcement substitute for more work.
The House Health & Welfare Committee on April 29 advanced multiple measures aimed at expanding access to behavioral‑health care, telehealth and nutrition services while postponing further action on two bills that drew sustained debate.
Chairman Miller opened the session and the committee moved swiftly through a package of bills. Senators and sponsors described measures intended to ease workforce constraints and expand access in rural areas: SB 255 broadened qualifying degrees for psychosocial rehabilitation providers, and SB 222 removed duplicative administrative requirements and sought to align Medicaid behavioral‑health rules with federal standards. Both bills were reported favorable, members said.
Senator McMathled several bills that won committee approval. SB 26 would repeal a facility‑need review for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to lower regulatory barriers to opening centers in underserved areas; the sponsor noted Louisiana has far fewer OTPs than peer states. SB 219 would create an Office of Health and Nutrition within the Louisiana Department of Health to coordinate nutrition, prevention and physical‑activity programs; department staff supported the measure. The committee reported these bills favorable.
Lawmakers also approved SB 30 with amendments to lift a state prohibition on using telehealth to treat obesity, provided live (synchronous) interactions and adherence to scope and standards of care. Mariah Bowen of the Louisiana State Medical Society told the committee members supported telehealth generally but urged caution on safeguards; the sponsor said the bill narrows language and preserves licensing‑board oversight.
The committee unanimously reported SB 195, known as the Danny's Dose EMS Treatment Act, after families and clinicians described incidents where EMS crews declined to administer patient‑carried, physician‑ordered time‑critical medication. Supporters said the bill clarifies protocols and liability protections so first responders can use life‑saving patient‑carried drugs in emergencies.
Two measures were voluntarily deferred for further work. Representative Rob Carlsonsponsored HB 1093 to license naturopathic doctors in Louisiana and to create a controlled pathway for prescriptive endorsements after an exam and supervised oversight. He and several licensed naturopathic physicians emphasized extensive clinical training; several committee members said they needed more time to examine scope, board placement and patient‑safety safeguards, and the bill was deferred.
Representative Mandy Landry introduced a substitute for HB 946 intended to enforce federal hospital price‑transparency requirements and to bar certain collection actions when posted prices were incorrect. Supporters said stronger state enforcement is needed; hospital groups and ambulatory surgery centers warned the state language could differ from federal rules, create litigation risk and strain smaller providers. The sponsor agreed to work with stakeholders and the bill was voluntarily deferred.
Whathappened next: Most bills on the April 29 agenda were reported favorable or favorable with amendments; HB 1093 (naturopathic licensing) and the HB 946 substitute (hospital price‑transparency enforcement) were voluntarily deferred for further negotiation and drafting.
Votes at a glance: committee members reported SB 255, SB 314, SB 26, SB 29, SB 30 (with amendments), SB 219, SB 222 (as amended), SB 195, SCR 2 and SCR 22 favorable; HB 1093 and HB 946 substitute were voluntarily deferred pending further work.
