04/07/2018 01:00 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 268                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating  to  the  prescription  of  opioids;                                                                    
     relating  to  the  Department   of  Health  and  Social                                                                    
     Services;  relating  to   the  practice  of  dentistry;                                                                    
     relating to  the practice of medicine;  relating to the                                                                    
     practice  of  podiatry;  relating to  the  practice  of                                                                    
     osteopathy; relating  to the  practice of  nursing; and                                                                    
     relating to the practice of optometry."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:01:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  indicated that the  bill was last  heard on                                                                    
April 2, 2018.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Gara  MOVED to  ADOPT Amendment  1, 30-LS1081\E.1                                                                    
(Radford, 4/4/18) (copy on file):                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 7, line 16:                                                                                                           
     Delete "February"                                                                                                          
     Insert "October"                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Gara explained  the amendment  would extend  the                                                                    
date boards  shall adopt regulations  to implement  the CDC-                                                                    
type   [Centers  for   Disease   Control]  regulations   the                                                                    
committee had  previously discussed. The CDC  had recognized                                                                    
the national opioid epidemic. The  bill asked various boards                                                                    
with prescribing  authority to adopt  regulations consistent                                                                    
with the CDC's national  recommendations. The department had                                                                    
requested  giving  boards  additional   time  to  adopt  the                                                                    
regulations; therefore,  the amendment  would move  the date                                                                    
from February  2019 to October  2019. He reasoned  15 months                                                                    
should be  ample time for  the work to  be done. He  did not                                                                    
believe  the  regulations  should  be  difficult  to  adopt,                                                                    
consequently  he  hoped the  boards  would  adopt them  more                                                                    
quickly. He explained  that when the bill  passed the boards                                                                    
could  start  working  on the  regulations,  the  department                                                                    
could  put the  information on  its website  for prescribing                                                                    
practitioners  to  print  out for  patients.  The  amendment                                                                    
would mean regulations would be adopted by October 2019.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:04:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson WITHDREW her OBJECTION.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being NO further OBJECTION, Amendment 1 was ADOPTED.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:04:41 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:04:54 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENNED                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  asked Co-Chair Seaton to  review the fiscal                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Seaton  reviewed   the  fiscal   note  from   the                                                                    
Department of Commerce,  Community and Economic Development,                                                                    
which reflected  a cost of  $15,500 in receipt  services for                                                                    
FY 19.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Seaton  MOVED  to  REPORT  CSHB  268(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, CSHB  268(FIN) was REPORTED out of                                                                    
committee  with  an  "amend"  recommendation  and  with  one                                                                    
previously published fiscal impact note: FN1 (CED).                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the agenda for the next meeting.