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MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE WATCH
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Final Legislative Report by Mo McCullough
This is a list of the bills that I was tracking or working on up to the last minute of the last day. EMPS had a very successful year in 2008. The prescribing psychologist issue will return and we need to be prepared. EMPS should look at proactive steps to address the access problem in rural areas because this is the primary concern of legislators. We need to have ideas and solutions to take to the General Assembly in 2009.
HB 1393 (Dusenberg-54, Ridgeway-17): Requires only persons younger than 21 years of age to wear protective headgear when operating or riding as a passenger on any motorcycle or motortricycle. EMPS opposed this bill and we helped stop it in the Senate. At 6:00pm on Friday May 17, it died on the Senate Calendar.
HB 1739 (Moore-20): Authorizes the licensure of prescribing psychologists and SB 917 (Goodman-29): Creates licensing requirements for prescribing psychologists. These were the big ones. The Missouri Psychiatric Societies including Eastern Missouri Psychiatric Society (EMPS), Central Missouri Psychiatric Society (CMPS) and Western Missouri Psychiatric Society (WMPS), Missouri State Medical Association (MSMA), Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (MAOPS), and the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) strongly opposed the bills. We fought it down to the last minute and were successful in stopping it for 2008. This legislation went a long way forward in the process this year and it will be back with a vengeance in 2009. Even though this legislation has been around for several years, 2008 was the true beginning of the big battle.
HB 1791 (Cooper-155): Defines "licensed professional counselor" and includes these individuals as mental health professionals working in the Missouri Department of Mental Health Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. Basically, this was a clean-up bill backed by DMH. It had no opposition and passed as a consent bill.
HB 1792 (Cooper-155): Changes the laws regarding licensed professional counselors and SB 1109 (Scott-): Modifies the scope of practice for licensed professional counselors. These bills would have added “diagnosis” to the LPC practice act. Again, EMPS opposed the bill and it failed to pass this year. It, too, will come back in 2009.
SB 724 (Scott-28, Jones-117): Gives advanced practice registered nurses prescriptive authority for scheduled drugs. After many changes and compromises, the bill passed. MSMA was heavily involved in this issue.
EASTERN MISSOURI PSYCHIATRIC SOCIETY
FINAL REPORT
06-11-2008 - 08:20:30
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Requires only persons younger than 21 years of age to wear protective headgear when operating or riding as a passenger on any motorcycle or motortricycle.
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Bill History:
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05-16-08 S Set on the Senate Calendar
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Authorizes the licensure of prescribing psychologists.
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Bill History:
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04-10-08 H Voted do pass as substitute from committee on Special Committee on Professional Re
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Defines "licensed professional counselor" and includes these individuals as mental health professionals working in the Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services.
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Bill History:
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05-29-08 G Sent to the Governor
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Changes the laws regarding licensed professional counselors.
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Bill History:
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02-28-08 H Public hearing completed
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Gives advanced practice registered nurses prescriptive authority for scheduled drugs.
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Bill History:
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05-29-08 G Sent to the Governor
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Creates licensing requirements for prescribing psychologists.
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Bill History:
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05-16-08 S Set on the Senate Calendar
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Modifies the scope of practice for licensed professional counselors.
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Bill History:
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03-10-08 S Voted do pass as substitute from committee on Senate-Financial/Gov. Org. and Elect
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Saturday, May 17, 2008
Congratulations and THANK YOU to all who contributed to this successful endeavor. As luck and the realities of political and legislative life are, we must immediately begin work to be equally successful next year. Again, thank you for your help, contributions and very hard work. And, finally, special thanks to Mo McCullough and Tom Holloway for their unending vigilance. Thank you both for your very special contribution to this successful outcome.
Jack Croughan, MD
Immediate Past President
EMPS
Friday, May 16, 2008
We won!!!!! No RxP!!!!! No LPC Diagnosing!!!!! Help spread the word.
Mo McCullough
Lobbyist
Friday, May 9, 2008
There is nothing new to report this week. Both SB 917 and HB 1739 (psychologist prescribing/RxP legislation) are dead on their own, but the threat of amendments will continue and actually intensify over the upcoming final week of session. All we can do is remain vigilant and try to fight off any attempts to attach RxP language to a bill that is still alive and moving. The legislature still has a lot to finish this week including a large number of consent bills. Here’s hoping that time runs out. I am optimistic, but nervous, and will be until Friday at 6:01 pm. Spread the word.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
We have survived another week and there are only 10 days, possibly only 9, left in the session. SB 917 is still languishing on the Senate Perfection Calendar and HB 1739 is tucked away in Rep. Jay Wasson’s desk drawer. We are watching closely 3 bills that are potential vehicles, but time is ever so slowly slipping away. The Legislature still has to finish appropriations by Friday May 9, and a large number of consent bills in both chambers must go through before the General Assembly adjourns at 6 pm on Friday May 16. We must, and will, remain vigilant because nothing is a sure thing in this business. Stay tuned.
Mo McCullough
Lobbyist
Saturday, April 24, 2008
The good news is that SB 917 was not heard on the Senate floor this week and HB 1739 remains in the possession of Chairman Wasson and has not been turned in. On their own, these two bills are, for all practical purposes, dead. The bad news is that there is still the opportunity for amendments and this threat will continue until May 16 at 6 pm. We’ll stay vigilant and active and ready for action. Together we can win this battle.
Mo McCullough
Lobbyist
Friday, April 18, 2008
So far, still no vote in the Senate on SB 917. We will keep pushing leadership to delay a vote indefinitely. HB 1739 is still in the possession of Chairman Rep. Jay Wasson. He claims he is not inclined to turn it in anytime soon, if at all. We also will continue to encourage him to maintain this stance.
With only four weeks of session left, these two bills, on their own, are basically dead. BUT, the threat of amendments will not be dead until May 16 at 6 pm. The last two weeks will be the scariest time and we all must be ready to act on a minute's notice. Stay ready and stay tuned.
Mo McCullough
Lobbyist
Friday, April 11, 2008
Well, this week didn't turn out as we had hoped. HB 1739 was voted "do pass" out of the House Professional Registration Committee by a vote of 7 to 3. The three who voted NO were Sam Page, Chuck Portwood and J. C. Kuessner (I'll have to double check on Kuessner). With 83 co-sponsors, we knew the bill ultimately would get a vote and we delayed it as long as we could.
The good news is that Chairman Rep. Wasson said he is not inclined to report it out and, if he does, it won't be for a couple of weeks. Time is running out and the chances of this bill or SB 917 getting through the system grow slimmer by the day. The problem becomes amendments to existing bills that are moving. We know they will try and we will be watching.
In the meantime, we need to keep the phone calls, e-mails and letters coming in. But now they need to be to the full Senate and the full House. We need to emphasize the true numbers of psychiatrist in the state and that allowing psychologists to prescribe will not "fix" the access issue; it will only put Missouri patients at extreme risk.
Let's keep up the good fight.
Mo McCullough
Lobbyist
Legislative Bills to Watch:
HB 1739 (Moore R-020) Creates licensing requirements for prescribing psychologists. 2/21/2008 - First hearing by House Special Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing.
4/8/2008 - Bill Placed on Informal Calendar - S748
5/12/2008 - S Informal Calendar S Bills for Perfection--SB 917-Goodman, et al.
HB 1393 (Dusenberg R-054) Requires only persons younger than 21 years of age to wear protective headgear when operating or riding as a passenger on any motorcycle or motortricycle. Voted do pass as substitue from House Special Committee on Homeland Security.
HB 1620 (Jones R-117) Authorizes certain advanced practice registered nurses to enter into collaborative agreements with physicians to administer and dispense controlled substances. Referred to House Special Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing.
SB 724 (Scott R-28) Gives advanced practice registered nurses prescriptive authority for scheduled drugs. 2/19/2008 Set on the Senate Calendar for third reading by Senate Committee on Financial, Governmental Organizations, and Elections.
SB 855 (Coleman D-5) Adds counseling services under MO HealthNet. Heard 1/29/2008 by Senate Committee on Health and Mental Health.
SB 859 (Rupp R-2) Allows health maintenance organizations to issue high deductible health plans combined with health savings accounts under certain conditions. Referred to Sentate Committee on Health and Mental Health.
SB 1067 (Ridgeway R-17) Exempts persons 21 years of age or older from wearing protective headgear except when operating or riding motorcycles upon interstate highways. Heard 2/12/2008 by Senate Transportation Committee.
SB 1109 (Scott R-28) Modifies the scope of practice for licensed professional counselors. 2/14/2008 Second reading by Senate Committee on Financial, Governmental Organizations, and Elections.
SB 917 (Goodman R-29) Creates licensing requirements for prescribing psychologists. Heard 2/04/2008 by Senate Committee on Financial, Governmental Organizations, and Elections.
HB 1375 (Portwood R-092) Specifies that under the MO HealthNet program providers can receive enhanced reimbursement for certain services. Referred to House Special Committee on Healthcare Transformation.
HB 1325 (Sater R-068) Authorizes a physician assistant or an advanced practice nurse to prescribe a schedule V controlled substance under a collaborative practice agreement. Referred to House Special Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing. |
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