Legislative Session - Week 3 Report

March 21-25, 2005

Life and Death
Women’s Health and Safety Act
HB 1041 (Bean) passed the House Health Care Regulation Committee yesterday by a 9 to 2 vote.  An amendment proposed by Rep. Eleanor Sobel, which would have added a section requiring crisis pregnancy organizations to provide lists of clinics and hospitals that provide abortion services, was withdrawn.  Please contact your representative and thank them for their ‘yes’ vote on this bill to require health and safety regulations for abortion clinics.

Yes votes: Bilirakis, Bowen, Cretul, Garcia, Henriquez, Homan, Poppell, Proctor, Roberson
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The next committee of reference is House Health and Families Council.

End-of-Life Care Decisions
The Florida Senate voted down CSSB 804 (Webster) by an 18-21 vote Wednesday, the last apparent state legislative vehicle to impact the case of Terri Schiavo.  CSHB 701 (Baxley) remains available to the Florida Senate, but is not expected to be taken up. (For analysis and content of CSSB 804 and CSHB 701 see Legislative Session - Week 2 Report.)

The Bishops of Florida have continually offered pleas that Mrs. Schiavo receive all treatments and care that will be of benefit to her.  They have pointed out that we are called to provide basic means of sustenance such as food and water unless they are doing more harm than good to the patient, or are useless because the patient’s death is imminent.  As long as they effectively provide nourishment and help provide comfort, we should see them as part of what we owe to all who are helpless and in our care.   In certain situations a patient may morally refuse medical treatment and such decisions.

Health
Medicaid Reform
The Florida House Committees workshopped components of the proposed Medicaid reform Wednesday, and the Senate’s Committee on Medicaid reform outlined plans for future activities. (See FCC Medicaid reform position paper.)

KidCare
HB 569 (Garcia), which makes KidCare enrollment possible throughout the year rather than the current more limited enrollment periods moved through the Health Care General Committee.  The Senate companion bill moved forward last week.

Education
Summer Nutrition Program
HB 227 (Greenstein) and SB 752 (Wise) - Ms. Willie Ann Glenn Act: This legislation requires each school district board to sponsor summer nutritional programs by encouraging collaboration with not-for-profit entities. The summer nutritional program would be available for all children within each school district for a 40-day period. HB 227 received favorable passage from the House PreK-12 Committee; SB 752 received favorable passage from the Senate Children and Families Committee.

Social Concerns
Farm Labor Vehicles
HB 1059 (Gannon) passed 10-0 in the House Agriculture Committee with an unfriendly amendment that minimizes farmworker protections in accidents.  This bill provides increased safety for farmworkers being transported to work in 15-passenger vans.  Efforts will be made to amend it at the next committee stop, which will be the Transportation Committee.

Next week: SB 1908 (Dockery), Parental Notification of Abortion, is scheduled for Senate Health Care.  This bill would be a re-enactment of the 1999 law.