Wednesday, February 21, 2007
This morning
At
8 o'clock HOUSE EDUCATION considers
a $1.5 million dollar loan program designed to address the teacher
shortage. HB 416 would offer new
teachers a $15,000 loan at 3% interest to help buy a home. The loan plus interest would have to be repaid
unless the teacher taught in the district for five years.
HB
451 is also in committee. It allows school
district retirees to go back to work and still collect their retirement if
they're hired for positions that the district has been unable to fill with
qualified candidates.
HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES (at 7:30 in W125) is debating improvements
in substance abuse treatment. SB 193
proposes additional licenses, training standards and supervision for substance
abuse counselors.
HB
250 would require hospitals, doctors,
osteopathic physicians and dentists to provide consumers with a list of charges
and available discounts, when requested.
Under
a third bill, HB 444, Medicaid would reimburse telemedicine services delivered
without an in-person visit. This could reduce transportation and service costs
for some Medicaid patients and providers.
Federal and state matching funds would pay for the expected increased
caseload.
HOUSE BUSINESS AND LABOR
(meeting at 7:30 in W010) also is thinking about health care. Substitute SB
107 says a nonprofit health care provider must post a notice showing where
charity care is available at their hospitals and clinics, or provide that
information through literature or a website.
Under
HB 406, a $1000 income tax credit per employee would be available for
health insurance premiums paid by small employers. This would reduce Education Fund revenue by
$41 million.
Legislators
debate on the House and Senate floor from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m today, breaking for
caucus lunch and for dinner.
This afternoon
EXECUTIVE APPROPRIATIONS
meets at 5:15 to consider compensation issues and other committee business.
SENATE REVENUE AND TAXATION,
meeting at 5 p.m. in W130, will look at SB 177, income tax breaks for
college savings, and a Mystery Bill, SB 246 - Government Law
Changes. As of midnight, SB 246
was a boxcar with no published contents - only a title.
Sandy Peck
League
of Women Voters,
801.272-8683 fax 801.272-5942
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