MINUTES OF THE

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 250, Utah State Capitol

February 25, 2015

 

Members Present:     Sen. Evan J. Vickers, Chair

                                    Sen. Allen M. Christensen

                                    Sen. Luz Escamilla

                                    Sen. Brian E. Shiozawa

                                   

Members Excused:    Sen. Peter C. Knudson

 

Members Absent:      Sen. Kevin Van Tassell

 

Staff Present:             Mr. Gregg Girvan, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Nancy Skidmore, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Vickers called the meeting to order at 4:08 p.m.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Christensen moved to approve the minutes of the February 20, 2015 and February 24, 2015 meetings. The motion passed unanimously.    

 

S.B. 246       Licensing of Autism Providers (Sen. B. Shiozawa)

 

Sen. Shiozawa explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:         Dr. Tom Higbee, President, Utah Association for Behavioral Analysis        

                     Mark Brinton, General Counsel & Director of Government Affairs, Utah Medical Association

Spoke for the bill:       Nan Klein, Director of Professional Affairs, Utah Psychological Association

                                    Dr. Gray Otis, Director, Mental Health Counseling Association

                                    Jim Clegg

 

MOTION:   Sen. Shiozawa moved S.B. 246 be replaced with 1st Sub. S.B. 246. The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Shiowaza moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

H.B. 175      Alzheimer State Plan Amendments (Rep. P. Ray)

 

Rep. Ray explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:         Ronnie Daniel, Executive Director, Utah Chapter of Alzheimer Disease     

 

Spoke for the bill:       Anne Palmer, Executive Director, Utah Commission on Aging

                                    Gray Otis

 

MOTION:  Sen. Escamilla moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

S.B. 248          Local Health Department Amendments (Sen. R. Okerlund)

 

Sen. Okerlund explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:       Richard Bullough, Summit Health Director, Utah Department of Health

                                    Brad Johnson, Deputy Director, Utah Division of Air Quality

                                   

MOTION:   Sen. Christensen moved to amend the bill as follows:

 

1.         Page 2, Lines 55 through 57:     


             55        (2)  The department shall establish a committee that consists of:

             56        (a)  the executive director  or the executive director's designee  ;

             57        (b)  two representatives of the department appointed by the executive director; and


 

2.         Page 3, Lines 69 through 72:     


                                       69       {(4)  The department may not finalize a department action that affects a local health

                                       70         department, unless the action is approved by a two-thirds vote of the committee          

                           established in

                                       71        Subsection (2).} 

                         (4)      The committee shall create bylaws to govern the committee's operations. 

                                       72       [(2)] (5)  The department may:

 

The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Christensen moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

H.B. 209      Suicide Prevention Program Amendments (Rep. J. Fawson)

 

Rep. Fawson explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:         Kim Meyers, Program Director, Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Department of Human Services

                                    Dave Felt, Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Department of Human Services

 

Spoke for the bill:       Mark Brinton, General Counsel & Director of Government Affairs, Utah Medical Association

                                   

                                    Santiago Cortez, Chair, Utah Substance Abuse Advisory Council Treatment Committee

                                    Gerald White, Chaplain, Utah National Guard

                                    Chelsie Shortt

                                    Andrea Gomes

                                    Kimball Gordes, Program Director, National Alzheimer and Mental Illness

                                    Diane Weldon, Program Director, Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health

 

MOTION:  Sen. Shiowaza moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed

                     unanimously.

                                   

MOTION:  Sen. Shiowaza moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

.

Chair Vickers adjourned the meeting at 5:08 p.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Evan J. Vickers, Chair