HB 2784 Medical Marijuana Research – AzPHA Supports
This bill will make it explicit that the medical marijuana fund could be used for research regarding medical marijuana. The bill is consistent with our Resolution on this topic and we encourage you to sign up in support of the bill. It’ll be heard in the House Health Committee this Thursday.
HB 2550 ADHS Licensing Surveyors
Appropriates $3M & 44 staff positions in FY 2021 for additional (ADHS) long-term care facility surveyors. Normally, these services would be paid for via a licensing fee. In this case, the bill contemplates a general fund appropriation. The genesis of this bill is as a result of the 2019 Auditor General’s Report that found the ADHS is not adequately following up on complaints at skilled nursing facilities in Arizona. This will be heard in House Health Committee Thursday and we encourage you to sign up in support of the bill.
HB1028 Public Health Surveillance – AzPHA Supports
Adds “an emerging public health threat to the list of things that can trigger ADHS enhanced surveillance orders and compliance with mandatory public health interventions. The idea is that the bill would provide enhanced surveillance authority for emerging public health threats that aren’t yet a full public health emergency- along the lines of doing enhanced surveillance when persons were getting severe lung illnesses from the bootleg vaping products that contained vitamin e acetate. This will be heard in the Senate Health Committee Thursday and we encourage you to sign up in support of the bill.
Here’s a link to our weekly bill tracking spreadsheet thanks to our crack group of policy interns this year. Interesting to note that the bills that would further erode vaccination coverage haven’t been scheduled for a hearing next week. That doesn’t mean they’re kaput, but it’s a good sign.