MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE

20 House Building, Utah State Capitol Complex

February 25, 2016


Members Present:                Rep. Kay L. McIff, Chair

                                                Rep. Robert M. Spendlove, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. Stewart E. Barlow

                                                Rep. Melvin R. Brown

                                                Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck

                                                Rep. Craig Hall

                                                Rep. Sandra Hollins

                                                Rep. Michael S. Kennedy

                                                Rep. Paul Ray

                                                Rep. Edward H. Redd

                                                Rep. Norman J. Thurston

                                                Rep. Raymond P. Ward


Staff Present:                        Mr. Mark D. Andrews, Policy Analyst

                                                Ms. Linda Black, House Secretary


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


Chair McIff called the meeting to order at 8:04 a.m.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Spendlove moved to approve the minutes of February 18, 2016, and February 22, 2016. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Barlow, Rep. Hall and Rep. Ward absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 364         Pharmacy Benefit Manager Amendments (Rep. B. Last)


Rep. Last explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Ward moved to replace H.B. 364 with 1st Substitute H.B. 364, Pharmacy Benefit Manager Amendments. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hall and Rep. Redd absent for the vote.

 

Spoke to the bill:        Jim Briscoe, Independent Pharmacy Cooperative

                                    Todd Kiser, Insurance Commissioner, Utah Insurance Department

                                    Kate Bradshaw, Independent Pharmacy Cooperative

 

Spoke for the bill:       Dave Davis, President, Utah Retail Merchants Association

                                    Lincoln Shurtz, CVS Health

                                    Travis Wood, Executive Director, Utah Health Plans

 

MOTION:     Rep. Barlow moved to amend the bill as follows:

 

1.    Page 5, Line 143:       

 

143 (a) for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the provisions of this {  chapter  }  section  , require a

 

2.    Page 5, Lines 145 through 146:      

 

145 (i) registered under this {  chapter  }  section  ; or

146 (ii) who engages in activities that require registration under this {  chapter  }  section  ;

 

3.    Page 5, Line 148:       

 

148 (i) certifies that the person is in full compliance with each requirement of this {  chapter  }  section 

 

4.    Page 6, Line 154:       

 

154 {  chapter  }  section  by a person described in Subsection (1)(a), including, if applicable, adjudicative

 

5.    Page 6, Line 164:       

 

164 {  chapter  }  section  is conducting business as a pharmacy benefit manager or providing pharmacy benefit

 

6.    Page 6, Lines 169 through 170:      

 

169 (i) that the person is not registered as a pharmacy benefit manager as required by this

170 {  chapter  }  section  ; and

 

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ward absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Ray moved to pass 1st Substitute H.B. 364 out favorably, as amended. The motion passed with Rep. Chavez-Houck, Rep. Hall, Rep. Hollins, and Rep. Thurston voting in opposition.

 

H.B. 264         End of Life Options Act (Rep. R. Chavez-Houck)

 

Rep. Chavez-Houck explained the bill to the committee, and provided two handouts.

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Carrie Snyder

Suzie Funk

Rev. Tom Goldsmith, First Unitarian Church

Margaret (Peggy) Battin, Professor, University of Utah School of Medicine

Josh Daniels, Libertas Institute

                                               Vickie Samuelson, League of Women Voters

                                               Ann Palmer, Utah Commission on Aging

                                               Marina Lowe, American Civil Liberties Union of Utah

Joyce Dolcourt, Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities

                                               Dr. Elizabeth Pollak (video recording)

 

Spoke against the bill:            Maryann Christensen, Eagle Forum

                                               Stan Rasmussen, Sutherland Institute

                                               Deanna Holland, Pro-Life, Utah

                                               Laura Bunker, United Families International (handout)

                                               Jean Hill, Catholic Diocese

                                               Justin Romney

 

Spoke to the bill:                    Jennifer Dailey, Utah Academy of Family Physicians

 

MOTION:     Rep. Thurston moved to return H.B. 264 to the Rules Committee with a recommendation that it be referred to interim study. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Ward absent for the vote.

 

H.B. 375         Prescription Drug Abuse Amendments (Rep. L. Christensen)

 

Rep. Christensen explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Redd moved to replace H.B. 375 with 2nd Substitute H.B. 375, Prescription Drug Abuse Amendments. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Chavez-Houck and Rep. Kennedy absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Redd moved to amend the bill as follows:

 

1.    Page 2, Lines 42 through 43:   

 

42   (2) To address the serious public  health  concern of life-altering and life-threatening opioid

43abuse and overdose, and to achieve the purposes of this chapter and as described in Section

 

2.    Page 2, Lines 53 through 55:   

 

53   (a) develop a {  monitoring  } system that gathers and reports to prescribers and dispensers

54the progress and results of their individual access and review of the database, as provided in

55this section; and

 

3.    Page 3, Lines 67 through 71:   

 

67   58-37f-701. Immunity from liability.

68   An individual who has submitted information to or accessed and reviewed the database

69in accordance with this [section] chapter may not be held civilly liable for [having submitted

70the information] such actions,  or lack of action,  which are protected and are not subject to civil discovery, as

71provided in Section 58-37f-302.

 

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Chavez-Houck absent for the vote.

 

Spoke to the bill:        Michelle McOmber, CEO, Utah Medical Association

 

MOTION:     Rep. Ray moved to pass 2nd Substitute H.B. 375 out favorably, as amended. The

                       motion passed with Rep. Thurston and Rep. Ward voting in opposition.

 

MOTION:     Rep. Brown moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair McIff adjourned the meeting at 10:02 a.m.

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Kay McIff, Chair