Legislative Bill Introductions
The 2022 legislative session is approaching its Feb. 10 deadline when bills must be introduced by committees in their originating chamber. That means bill introduction activity is likely to pick up in the next week. Feb. 24 is the turnaround deadline, when most bills must be approved by committees in their originating chamber or be exempted from deadlines in order to advance through the process.
The following healthcare related bills of interest were introduced during the past week:
- HB 2239 - CME exemption. Allows any individual licensed by the state to be exempted from continuing education requirements if the individual self-certifies that they are performing not less than 1,000 hours in the lawful occupation of their profession during each period of licensure. KMS opposes this proposal.
- HB 2258 - Conversion Therapy. Prohibits physicians and mental health professionals from utilizing conversion therapy (as it is defined in the act) on any person under 18 years of age. Violation of the act would constitute unprofessional conduct. KMS is neutral on this proposal.
- HB 2259 - Mental Health Medications in Medicaid. Prohibits prior authorization or other restrictions on medications used to treat mental illness in the Medicaid program. Also abolishes the mental health medication advisory committee. KMS is neutral on this proposal.
- HB 2260 - Medical Student Loan Program. Allows students in the medical student loan program to switch between approved postgraduate residency training programs (family medicine, emergency medicine, general pediatrics, general internal medicine, general psychiatry, child psychiatry, or geriatric medicine fellowship) without violating their loan agreement. KMS supports this proposal.
- HB 2263 - Pharmacy Technician Vaccine Administration. Authorizes pharmacy technicians to administer the flu vaccine to children six and older and other vaccines to individuals twelve and older pursuant to a vaccination protocol. KMS does not object to the proposal so long as the technicians are 18 years or older, are appropriately trained and supervised by a pharmacist and do not administer required vaccines to school-age children needing to be evaluated by a physician.
- HB 2264 - No Patient Left Alone Act. Establishes new requirements related to visitation rights for terminally ill patients or those receiving end-of-life care in hospitals, adult-care homes and hospice facilities. KMS supports the bill but is seeking an exclusion for operating rooms, trauma bays and other areas not suited for visitation.
- HB 2283 - Prior Authorization. Establishes a detailed process intended to simplify, expedite, modernize and in certain cases eliminate the necessity for prior authorization requirements by health plans. The legislation is generally based on the recent Texas “gold card” law. KMS supports this proposal.
- SB 121 - Naturopathy. Expands the scope of practice of naturopaths; allows the prescribing and administration of drugs, the performance of orificial examinations, laboratory examinations, the ordering of diagnostic imaging studies, and the performance of minor office procedures. Naturopaths would be prohibited from performing, surgery, obstetrical care, administering ionizing radiation for therapeutic purposes, the use of general or spinal anesthetics, or the administration, performance or interpretation of the results of diagnostic imaging except as otherwise allowed by the act. KMS opposes this proposal.
- SB 131 - Licensure Exemption Related to Sporting Events. Provides that physicians licensed in another state may provide medical care to individuals associated with sporting events without the necessity to obtain a Kansas license. KMS is neutral on this proposal.
- SB 135 - Medical Cannabis Regulation Act. Provides for the licensure and regulation of the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale, and use of medical cannabis. KMS opposes this proposal.
