Your State House

This week, my committee met on two bills from other committees. My first glance was that both were simple … HB 493, requiring healthcare providers to get education on child abuse and neglect, addressed physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, requiring a one hour course before initial licensing and before renewals, or every two years. … Read more

This week, the House met in session, with 47 bills on the regular calendar and 31 (including two from my committee) on the consent calendar. First, we had memorial remarks for a former member from Hollis. Then we approved the consent calendar, after HB 631 was removed. The sponsor attempted to withdraw HB 431, establishing … Read more

This week, my committee continued public hearings. HB 694, requiring leases by state agencies be at fair market value, looked extremely simple, but the hearing proved otherwise. The problem some counties are facing is that the state rents courthouses and other facilities from them at very low rates, so that the counties are left to … Read more

This week, my committee continued public hearings. HB 180, on critical incident stress management teams, made some minor clarifying tweaks and deleted the requirement for a qualifying test by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. This national group gives standards for training, but the post-training test costs $400, which is too much for many of … Read more

This week, my committee continued hearings on our bills. My HB 216 would end the arbitrary limit of one year’s time on workers comp that can apply towards one’s pension service. No opposition, and the pensions system’s cost estimate was extremely conservative: 10% of all members to gain 6 months additional service credit! Since one … Read more

This week, my committee started with orientation, getting presentations from the JLCAR staff on the administrative rules process; from the retirement system on pensions; and the OPLC (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) on licensing and board operations. This was good background information for the new members and reminders for the experienced ones. We also … Read more