APB agenda 092700 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

We passed and I voted for some important non - budgetary items that are listed below. Those for which I was the sponsor or co- sponsor are shown in parentheses. Health Sanitation Requirements /Food Establishments (HB 1506 — Co- sponsor) Lawmakers approved a bill that requires boarding houses to meet kitchen sanitation requirements if they provide services to 13 or more senior citizens or disabled people. Mental Health System keform (HB 1519 — Primary Sponsor) The House and Senate approved a bill authorizing legislators to begin planning changes to the state's mental health system. The bill creates a legislative oversight committee charged to make initial recommendations to the 2001 session of the General Assembly. Restraints in Facilities (HB 1520 — Primary Sponsor) Mental health institutions, child residential facilities and adult care homes must track the use of restraints and seclusion and report on deaths occurring within seven days of restraint or seclusion. Facilities must also report to DHHS all deaths that occur due to violence, accident, suicide or homicide. Respiratory Care/ Prompt Pay by HMOs (HB 1340) The bill establishes a Respiratory Care Board to oversee respiratory care practices in North Carolina and to issue respiratory care licenses. The bill also requires health insurers to make prompt payment of medical claims. Insurers have 3 0 days after receiving a claim to pay in full, deny the claim or send notice that the claim is inaccurate or incomplete. Juvenile Justice Department of Juvenile Justice (HB 1804 — Co- Sponsor) The House and Senate approved a bill that establishes a Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Currently the Office of Juvenile Justice operates out of the Office of the Governor. Clarify Juvenile Procedures (HB 1609 — Co- sponsor) This bill clarifies procedures for terminating parental rights in juvenile abuse, neglect or dependency hearings. The bill also authorizes a study commission to look into expunging information from the child abuse registry when the alleged abuse is not proven. Tobacco Settlement (HB 1431) The House and Senate compromised on a bill allocating 50% of the money from the state's $4.6 billion share of the national tobacco settlement to two trust funds. A trust fiend for farmers and tobacco workers will receive half of the funds; the other half will go to a health care trust fund. The health care trust fiend must set aside half the money it receives from 2001 to 2005 to establish an endowment. Seven of the 18 members of the farmers and tobacco workers trust fund must be farmers. ►N