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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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April 9, 2018-
Extra Innings
Last week, Governor Ducey introduced a school safety bill (court orders to remove guns from ‘dangerous' persons and money for school programs) as well as a proposal to provide teachers with a raise (10% this year and two five year increases of 5%). These big proposals with a lot of money at stake threw the Legislature, which was trying to craft a budget, into turmoil.
Waiting Game
HB2197 Health professionals; workforce data is being held up in the various machinations of the budget negotiations and still needs to be voted on by the Senate and then would proceed to the Governor.
HB2549 controlled substances; dosage limit, which would allow NPs with advance pain training to act as medical director at pain clinics, has passed out of the Legislature is awaiting the Governor's signature.
Signed Into Law by Governor
SB1034 committee of reference; standing committee makes substantial amendments to the sunrise process to expand scope of practice has been signed into law. AzNA played a substantial role in the negotiations.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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April 2, 2019
Is That the Finish Line I See?
Last week, AzNA saw great success with our CNS legislation, HB2068, clinical nurse specialists; prescribing authority. After in-depth conversations between practitioner groups, the physician groups moved from opposing the bill to a neutral position. At the Senate Health and Human Services Committee meeting Wednesday, the testimony was conciliatory and positive.
Keeping Me on the Edge of My Seat - What Happened?
HB2068 passed out of committee, 8-0. Take 20 minutes out of your day to watch how the testimony and discussion unfolded. It proceeded to the Rules Committee, Monday, April 1 and had no problems passing out of that committee since it had already cleared the House Rules Committee (which checks for the same legal and constitutional issues).
Refresh Me. What is Next?
The bill moves through the republican and democratic Senate caucuses, likely Tuesday, April 2 and then it will proceed to the Senate Committee of the Whole for passage. AzNA is optimistic at this time, but will continue to carefully watch and shepherd the bill through the process.
Shall We Dance?
There has been some resistance from a few House members regarding the $50,000 appropriation for the workforce database in SB1096; health professionals data; repository; appropriation. Although the bill passed out of the Appropriations Committee, three members of the committee voted no. One of those no votes belonged to the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Rep. Kern.
I Thought There Was Dancing Involved...
A quick pivot is necessary. The bill needs to be heard and pass through Rules before it can move to the House floor. Because the substance of the bill is important to its implementation, AzNA has told Rep. Kern that the appropriation amount will be removed from the bill if he will allow it to proceed through the Rules Committee. The $50K will need to be added to the budget in other ways. Hoping to score perfect on these tricky moves.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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March 26, 2019
CNS Bill: Stakeholder Negotiations a Success
HB2068, clinical nurse specialists; prescribing authority, was not heard last week but is on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee agenda this week. Our AzNA lobbyist and public policy leadership team worked hard with the Arizona Medical Association (ARMA) to address and resolve their concerns. AzNA is pleased to report ARMA has agreed to an amendment and will now be neutral on the bill. This is great news. AzNA anticipates HB2068 passing out of the Health Committee and continuing to progress through the Senate.
Other Good News
SB1096; health professionals data; repository; appropriation; has successfully passed through the Senate and just cleared two House committees: Health and Appropriations. It is heading to the House Rules Committee this week. This bill has been trending well with legislators and AzNA anticipates continued success.
One Assault Bill Dead; One Moves Forward
HB2503, assault; healthcare practitioner; classification; which increases the penalty for assault on healthcare workers, is likely dead for the 2019 session. The Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Eddie Farnsworth, had expressed his disagreement with the bill during RN Day at the Capitol in January. He has not scheduled it for hearing by the Committee. While the bill sponsor, Rep Shah, and others tried to persuade Rep. Farnsworth to schedule the bill, he would not. After the end of the 2019 legislative session, AzNA will work on new legislation for the 2020 session to address this problem.
HB2041, hospital assaults; testing; reporting; sanctions; passed out of the House and has already passed through the Senate Health and Human Services and Rules Committee. It requires reporting of assaults by the institutions. That data will then be studied to determine where there are problems in the system and where additional actions may be necessary. Since this bill has not met much resistance along the way, it has a chance of passing out of the Senate within the next few weeks. If this happens, the next stop is the Governor’s desk.
Six Feet Under
Any bill that is still active this session has already passed through either the House or the Senate and is moving through the other chamber. If a bill does not receive a hearing this week in these secondary committees, the bill is likely dead
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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March 19, 2019
The Death of a Bill is not Uncommon
As the session moves along, AzNA constantly modifies the list of bills we are following. Bills that do not progress are considered dead. They will still appear on our Nurses List of Bills, but will be moved the bottom of the document. During a legislative session it is not uncommon for over 50% of the bills to die.
Healthcare Workers Database Bill Moves One Step Closer to Passing
AzNA remains optimistic about SB1096, the healthcare workers database, which passed unanimously out of the House Health and Human Services Committee last week. It moves to the Appropriations Committee this week because the bill has a financial component ($50,000 to fund Arizona Department of Health Services who will administrate the database). Strategy is focused on educating members of the Appropriations Committee about the importance of our bill.
And We Wait...
Work continues as AzNA educates legislators about CNSs and the CNS prescribing authority bill, HB2068. The bill is not on this week’s Senate Health and Human Services Committee calendar, however Senator Brophy-McGee (chair) assures AzNA it will be on next week's calendar.
Assaults Bills Highlight Important Issue Nurses Deal with Daily
HB2041, hospital assaults; testing; reporting; sanctions; which requires reporting of assaults by the institutions. That data will then be studied to determine where there are problems in the system and where additional actions may be necessary. This bill passed out of the House and has already passed through the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Since this bill has not met much resistance along the way, it has a chance of passing out of the Senate within the next few weeks. If this happens, the next stop is the Governor’s desk.
HB2503, assault; health care practitioner; classification; which would increase the penalty for assaulting health care workers, is still awaiting a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee after passing out of the House.
Why Next Week is So Important
Bills that passed through the house of origin are now in the opposite chamber. The week of March 25th is the last week for bills to be heard in the opposite chamber committee. Most committee agendas will be REALLY long! Our lobbyists are prepared for marathon days. If a bill doesn’t get heard in committee it will officially be dead. Bills that pass out of committee still have to go through a few more steps to survive.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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March 5, 2019
Our Patience was Tested...and Nurses Have Lots of Patience
Last week was a “wait and watch” week as members of the House and Senate met for hours each day to vote on all bills that made it through the committees. Although it seems straight forward, it is not. Here is why...
COW Keeps Bills Moooving
During the Committee of the Whole or COW (whole house or senate), legislators may offer amendments to bills from the floor. Floor amendments are proposed and voted on. If passed, the bill moves to the 'Third Read' Calendar.
Third Read's a Charm
Third Read Calendars are the last step for passage of a bill out of that chamber. Legislators make their final vote. A majority vote sends the bill to the opposite chamber. The bill dies without the majority vote.
How HB2068, the CNS bill, Rolled Out Last Week:
2/27 COW
A floor amendment was introduced by bill sponsor Representative Nancy Barto then was approved by the House. This moved the bill forward onto the Third Read Calendar.
Third Read
On Monday, March 4th, HB2068 got it’s Third Read and a subsequent vote – HB2068 passed out of the House with a 47-10 majority vote.
Next Up...
The bill will now be sent to the Senate where it will wait for the Senate President to assign it a committee (probably Health & Human Services). The work starts all over again in the Senate as the entire process repeats in that chamber: First Read, Committee Assignment, Rules, Second Read, Caucus, COW, Third Read, Floor Vote.
Then What?
If the bill successfully makes it through the Senate and there are no additional amendments, it will move on to the Governor for signing. If there are Senate amendments, it will need to go back to the House for amendment approval prior to being sent forward for the Governor.
Other news...
Vaccinations
The sponsors of the three vaccination bills have not been able to round up the votes needed for passage in the House, so have not yet brought these bills to the floor for a vote. The Governor has also stated that he will veto these bills if they reach his desk. AzNA continues to work to educate legislators on the impact these types of bills would have on community health.
Healthcare Worker Assault Bill
HB2503 successfully passed through COW and Third Read on Monday, March 4. This bill increases the penalty for assaulting a healthcare worker. It moves over to the Senate and will likely be assigned to the Judiciary Committee.
A special thank you to the over 350 nurses who filled out AzNA's Assault Survey! Your stories provide lasting support for the necessary changes needed to protect our nurses and other healthcare workers as they seek to provide proper patient care.
RIP
Many bills which are on the AzNA list for tracking did not receive a hearing in their chamber of origin and are dead. In order to facilitate easier understanding of which bills are still moving, AzNA will use the next few weeks to segregate the list, separating dead bills from bills that are still active this session.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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February 26, 2019
Last week was the last chance for bills to be heard in their house of origin; if a bill was not heard by a committee by the end of the week it is now considered dead - meaning there is no chance of being passed in its current form this session. Some topics of dead bills may still crop up in a "strike everything" bill. Fortunately, the primary bills AzNA has been pushing passed successfully out of committee at some point in the last few weeks.
You can read summaries of these bills and check where they are in the legislative process by visiting the AzNA Nurses List of Bills.
SB2068 (CNS prescribing) is awaiting final vote in the House before moving to the Senate;
SB1096 (Healthcare workforce database) has passed out of the Senate and is awaiting committee hearing in the House;
SB1134 (Kid's Care) has passed one committee but needs to be advanced by the Appropriations Committee. However, this may become part of budget negotiations;
HB2503 (Assault on health care workers) passed unanimously last week from the House Judiciary Committee and has momentum behind it.
Big Leaps Forward for the Assault Bill
Thank you to our nurses who provided testimony before the Judiciary Committee about their experiences being assaulted on the job. Not only has HB2503 advanced, but more attention to this issue has been generated. Watch our nurses testify during the hearing for 2503. Another bill, HB2041, which will require reporting of these incidents, passed successfully out of House Health and Human Services Committee this week.
Thank you to all of our nurses who took the AzNA Health Care Worker Assault Survey (Deadline March 1). Your answers will help educate legislators on the scope of work that needs to be done in this arena so that these bills can continue to move forward through the legislative process.
Immunization Issues
On another note, three bills (HB 2470, 2471 and 2472) which would expand exemptions to vaccinations and impose more hurdles and requirements on providing vaccinations, passed by a 5-4 vote out of House Health and Human Services after nearly 4 hours of testimony and discussion. AzNA is very concerned with these bills. You should already have received an email asking you to contact legislators to educate them on the dangers of lowering vaccination rates.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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February 19, 2019
The Mid-February Shift
The legislative session is proceeding in its usual hectic manner at this time of year. This week is the last week to hear bills in the chamber in which they originated. Meeting agendas are very long.
So That's It? No New Bills?
New bills can no longer be created or introduced without special permission from leadership. However, existing bills can be used as 'strikers' - a bill which crosses out, or 'strikes', all of it's original text and substitutes completely new text. Amendments to existing bills can also be filed. These amendments do not necessary have to relate to the original text of the bill.
This dance to use existing bills to effectively introduce new legislation that missed the new bill deadline keeps AzNA's team on their toes.
What's up with the CNS and Workforce Bills?
HB2068, providing limited prescriptive authority to CNSs, is expected to be voted on by the House of Representatives as a whole in the coming days. AzNA met with several legislators who had expressed concerns. They were satisfied with the amendments AzNA made and are not expected to oppose the bill.
SB1096, providing funding for the health professionals workforce database, passed unanimously out of the Senate and is now waiting to be heard in the House in a few weeks.
Great News! How About Healthcare Practitioner Assault?
The assault on health care workers bill will be heard in the House Judiciary committee this week. HB2503 increases the criminal classification of aggravated assault committed on a health care practitioner while engaged in the practitioner's duties to a class 5 (second lowest) felony, from a class 6 (lowest) felony. AzNA will have ER Nurses who have been assaulted testify during the committee meeting regarding their experiences in the emergency room.
Get to Work!
We encourage you to contact your legislators and sign in in support of these bills.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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February 12, 2019
Slow and Steady Progress
Three of our bills of importance have moved another step forward. Here's a refresher on what happened last week.
CNS
HB2068, allowing clinical nurse specialists (CNS) limited prescribing, passed the House Rules Committee on Monday and AzNA expects it to be voted on from the floor of the House this week.
Workforce Database
SB1096, the health care workers database, has passed through the Senate with a unanimous floor vote. Thank you to all our nurses who took time to email a letter of support to their Senators. The bill is now on its way to the House of Representatives and will repeat the approval process.
KidsCare
SB1134 which will remove the automatic freeze on Kid's Care enrollment when federal funds decrease and appropriate money for that purpose, passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee by a 7-1 vote this week. AzNA is encouraged by the vote but expects there to be challenges ahead.
Get to Work!
We encourage you to contact your legislators and sign in in support of these bills.
Is That Ice-T?
No. It's Lemonade. If you or your BFF, Beyonce, are feeling parched, how about you try some of what might become Arizona's new state drink? HB2692 state drink;lemonade could see legislators turning lemons into lemonade as the legislative session moves forward.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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February 5, 2019
Last week was very successful for AzNA!
What Happened?
We had a well attended & enthusiastic RN Day at the Capitol and made progress on two of our primary bills; SB1096 appropriating funding for the Healthcare Workers Workforce Database passed unanimously out of Senate Health & Human Services Committee and HB2068, giving Clinical Nurse Specialists prescriptive authority, passed unanimously out of House Health and Human Services Committee (despite opposition from a few doctor-related associations!).
Tell Me More About the CNS Bill
January 31st, HB2068 clinical nurse specialists; prescribing authority; was heard in the House Committee of Health and Human Services. You can watch the hearing on Capitol TV, The hearing is about 60 minutes long and worth watching.
During testimony, Kathy Busby, AzNA Lobbyist. Denise Gibson, RN, CNS, AzNA Governmental Affairs Director, and Heather Ross, RN, NP provided stellar support for the bill. The lobbyist for the doctors and osteopaths spoke against the bill, however this testimony did not deter all 9 of the legislators on the committee from all voting yes.
We will continue to work with the doctors to bring them to a level of comfort with their concerns.
Great News! What's Next for the CNS bill?
The bill will move to the next House committee (Rules), then to full house for approval. (Confused on how this all works? This is a great time to review how a bill becomes a law in Arizona.) We are optimistic that the bill will keep moving and may ask your assistance in contacting your legislators again for the full house vote, and then again when it moves onto the senate.
Everyone Loves a Strong Database
Last week, SB1096 health professionals data; repository; appropriation; passed unanimously out of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Committee and is now on it's way to the Senate Rules Committee. SB1096 appropriates $50,000 to the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish and maintain the Health Care Professionals Workforce Data Repository.
Why Is This Important?
Arizona lacks a comprehensive system to project the future of the nursing shortage. Proper data collection assures a strong and sustainable supply. Last year, AzNA was integral in the passing of 2018's HB2197 health professionals; workforce data; which laid the groundwork for this database.
Where Is the Workforce Bill at Now?
The next step is a vote by all Senators as early as this week! Each of the 30 Senators will vote and passage requires a majority.
Get to Work!
We encourage you to contact your legislators and sign in in support of these bills.
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Posted By Debby Wood,
Monday, January 28, 2019
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2019
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January 28, 2019
Last week committee hearings began in earnest while still juggling the governor's focus on water legislation.
KidsCare Progress
KidsWhat?
While none of the bills that AzNA is pursuing were heard last week, progress was made to protect KidsCare, Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides high quality health coverage to children in working families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid/AHCCCS but struggle to afford private health insurance.
Bills Here, Bills There, Bills Everywhere
HB2513 and SB1134 were filed by Republican sponsors. It is not uncommon for the same bill to be introduced as both a Senate and a House Bill. HB2350 was filed by a Democratic sponsor. Democrats are also passionate about KidsCare and it's not unusual to have several bills on a similar topic.
The More the Merrier
These three bills bode well for the passing of laws that ensure the continuation of the program and aligns with AzNA's mission to promote a healthy Arizona.
AzNA at Work for Nurses
Advancing the Nursing Profession
This week, two of the bills AzNA is pursuing for the 2019 legislative session will be heard in committees:
Say it with us...
...Allow CNSs to practice to the full extent of their education and training.
HB2068 clinical nurse specialists; prescribing authority; provides limited prescriptive authority to CNSs. AzNA supports legislation that allows all APRN groups to practice to the full extent of their education and training. This bill will be heard Thursday in House Health & Human Services.
A Little Money Goes a Long Way
SB1096 health professionals data; repository; appropriation; would appropriate the sum of $50,000 to the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish and maintain the Health Care Professionals Workforce Data Repository. Arizona lacks a comprehensive system to project the future of the nursing shortage. Proper data collection assures a strong and sustainable supply. Last year, AzNA was integral in the passing of 2018's HB2197 health professionals; workforce data; which laid the groundwork for this database. This year's bill works to solve funding needed to implement the 2018 bill and will be heard in Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development.
Get to Work!
We encourage you to contact your legislators and sign in in support of these bills.
Continued Work for Opioids
HB2075, which extends the deadline for requirement of electronic prescribing of opioids and allows for various exceptions, passed out of House Health & Human Services unanimously and the same bill filed in the Senate, SB1108, will be heard in Senate Health & Human Services this week. AzNA supports these legislative efforts as some providers, including Nurse Practitioners, are having challenges converting to an electronic system by the original deadline
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