HOUSE NOTES

The Latest News from the State Capitol Louisiana House of Representatives Regular Session May 25, 2012

As the final days of the session loom, a total of 515 bills have been sent to the Governor for consideration and 278 have been signed into law. This week the administration announced it has decided to forgo plans to move the Dept. of Elderly Affairs from the Governor's Office to the Dept. of Health and Hospitals and House Bill 61, which provides for a cash balance plan for some state employees, was sent to conference committee. It was also announced that fourth- and eighthgraders improved on the state Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test required for promotion to the next grade. The number of fourth grade students who tested on grade level was 82 %, an increase of two percentage points over last year. Seventy-five percent of eighth grade students passed, up a percentage point from 2011. The biggest combined gains were in math and science.

CORRECTIONS
* House Bill 600 which has been sent to the governor, creates the crime of failing to report a missing or deceased child. The proposed legislation increases the penalty for communicating false information of a missing child to imprisonment at hard labor for up to five years. HB600 provides that a child's caretaker must report a missing child to appropriate authorities within two hours of the expiration of 12 hours when the child is 13 years or younger, or 24 hours when the child is over the age of 13. Punishment for failure to report a missing child, if that child is dead, 1

is imprisonment at hard labor for two years up to 50 years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and a fine of $50,000. If the child has remained missing for more than six months at the time of conviction and not dead, the penalty is imprisonment at hard labor for two years up to10 years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and a fine of $25,000. If the child has been physically or sexually abused during the time missing, the penalty would be imprisonment at hard labor for not more than 10 years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and a fine of $10,000. If the child is found unharmed, then the offender is to be imprisoned for not more than six months, or fined $500. Finally, HB600 provides that whoever fails to report the death of a child is to be fined not more than $5,000 and imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years.

HOSPITALS
* Senate Bill 327, which was reported favorably and awaits House final passage, requires all general hospitals to offer influenza and pneumococcal (if ordered by the patient's attending physician) immunizations to patients aged 65 and older prior to discharge, beginning October 1, 2012. Such immunizations would be offered unless contraindicated for the patient and contingent upon the availability of a specific payment in addition to the normal or prevailing level of payment that is equal to the product

cost and the administration costs for the immunization over and above the reimbursement for in-patient care and contingent on the availability of the vaccine.

MEDICAID
* Senate Bill 629, pending House final passage, would require the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to report information concerning the Louisiana Medicaid Bayou Health program and the Louisiana Behavioral Health Partnership and Coordinated System of Care programs to the Senate and House committees on health and welfare. Under the proposed legislation, beginning January 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, DHH would make such reports to ensure that the Louisiana Medicaid program is operated in the most efficient and sustainable method possible in order to achieve the following: (1)Improved care coordination with patient-centered medical homes for Medicaid recipients. (2) Improved health outcomes and quality of care as measured by metric, such as the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set. (3) Increased emphasis on disease prevention and the early diagnosis and management of chronic conditions. (4) Improved access to Medicaid services. (5) Improved accountability with a decrease in fraud, abuse, and wasteful spending. (6) A more financially sustainable Medicaid program. The required Medicaid reporting shall include: (1) Implementation of a Coordinated System of Care for youth and their families or caregivers, (2) Improved access, quality, and efficiency of behavioral health services for children not eligible for the Coordinated System of Care and for adults with severe mental illness and addictive disorders, 2

(3)Smooth and efficient transition of behavioral health service delivery and operations from a regional-based approach to local human service districts or local government entities, (4) Seamless coordination of behavioral health services without losing attention to the special skills of the behavioral health professionals. (5) Advancement of a resiliency, recovery, and consumer-focused system of person-centered care. (6) Implementation of best practices, (7) The efficient use of state general funds. The report concerning the La. Medicaid Bayou Health program would include all facets of the coordinated care network including providers, claims, non-network providers, health outcome comparisons, satisfaction surveys, sanctions, grievances and appeals, hospital classifications, emergency services, and related data.

LEGISLATORS
* Senate Bill 106 would allow legislators to use surplus space in state-owned property within their district as office space, at no cost to the legislator. Under provisions of SB106, a legislator seeking to utilize such a space must make a written request to the commissioner of administration. Priority would be given in the order in which the requests are received. Senate Bill 106 awaits consideration by the full House.

WEAPONS
* Senate Bill 303, a proposed constitutional amendment, requires that any denial, infringement, or restriction on one's right to acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer, and use arms for defense of life and property be subject to a strict scrutiny standard by courts in determining any violation of the right. The proposed amendment will be submitted to the voters at the statewide election to be held on November 6, 2012.

The legislation passed the House by a vote of 77-22 and awaits Senate concurrence in the House amendments.