03/22/2010 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

           HB 349-SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETINGS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS announced consideration of HB 349.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS joined the meeting.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:33:19 PM                                                                                                                    
CRYSTAL KOENAMEN,  Staff to Representative  Fairclough, explained                                                               
that that last year the  makeup of the Suicide Prevention Council                                                               
was modified  in order to make  it easier to establish  a quorum.                                                               
Because of  geographic challenges  the council continues  to have                                                               
difficulty  meeting  a  quorum  and  HB  349  addresses  that  by                                                               
allowing the members to meet and vote via teleconference.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS  asked if  the issue  was that  members understood                                                               
that they could  vote by teleconference but in  wasn't in statute                                                               
or if  it was  that members  were precluded  from voting  by some                                                               
other area of the statute.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. KOENAMEN  replied they preferred  not vote  by teleconference                                                               
because they weren't sure if it was legal.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS  opined that they  probably could have  voted, but                                                               
he hasn't looked at the statute.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:36:07 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON asked  if this was the suicide  prevention board to                                                               
which he was recently appointed.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. KOENAMEN answered  yes; there is only  one state-wide Suicide                                                               
Prevention  Council  and it's  housed  within  the Department  of                                                               
Health and Social Services (DHSS).                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON said he doesn't believe  that rises to the level of                                                               
a conflict  of interest but  he wanted  to disclose it.  He added                                                               
that being  able to participate  by teleconference would  be very                                                               
valuable.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:38:01 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  PASKVAN  moved to  report  HB  349 from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being  no objection,  HB 349  moved  from the  Senate Health  and                                                               
Social Services Standing Committee.