Rachel Laarman & Melissa Kunkel

Review of Utah’s Legislative

session 2011
HB256: Children’s Health Insurance and
Medicaid Administrative Simplification
 Description:
 Requires efforts to simplify the enrollment and renewal process for
Medicaid and CHIP (i.e. apply for grants to fund development and
implementation )
 Allows simplified process to use data from Tax State Commission if
eligibility worker consents
 Requires Medicaid to bid dental benefits
 Commentary:
 Largely-supported bill that attempts to simplify the Medicaid process
 Should make dental benefits more accessible
 Status: Passed, Enrolled
HB211: Community Service Medicaid
Pilot Program
 Description:
 Requires Utah Medicaid to develop community service pilot program
and submit waiver to federal Medicaid for permission to implement
the pilot program.
 Identifies 100 Medicaid recipients who can provide community service
and requires them to perform a certain number of hours as a condition
for receiving benefits.
 Commentary:
 Primarily affects PCN patients, per UHPP
 eliminate Medicaid benefits from those who desperately need the
assistance, per LWV.
 Status: Passed, Enrolled
SB41: Health Amendments for Legal
Immigrant Children
 Description:
 Removes 5-yr residency requirement for legal immigrant
children to receive Medicaid/CHIP
 Commentary:
 If approved, State would receive approx $1.5 million in
federal grants starting in FY 2014.
 Anticipated additional expenditure is $400,000/year
 Federal reform does not provide relief for these children
(per VfUC).
 Status: Failed in Committee
HB89: Protection of Children Riding in
Motor Vehicles
 Description:
 Prohibits a person from smoking in a vehicle if a
child ≤ 15yo is a passenger
 Violation of prohibition is an infraction with max
fine of $45.
 Commentary:
 Much debate in both House and Senate, primarily
individual rights vs child safety.
 Status: Failed in Senate
SB124: Leaving a Child Unattended in a
Motor Vehicle
 Description:
 Makes a Class C Misdemeanor for someone who
intentionally, recklessly, knowingly, or with criminal
negligence leaves a child <9yo in an enclosed motor
vehicle.
 Requires that the conditions present risk of hyperthermia,
hypothermia, or dehydration
 Commentary:
 18 other states have laws related to unattended children in
vehicles.
 Status: Passed, Enrolled
HB258: Child Restraint Device
Amendments
 Description:
 Amends current law to exempt children 5-8yo
from using a car/booster seat when traveling on a
road with a speed limit ≤ 45mph.
 Commentary:
 Makes no mention of the actual speed of the
vehicle.
 Status: Failed in House
SB67: Annual Eye Examination for Children
in Grades Kindergarten through Three

 Description:
 Extends public school vision screening program from age 7 to age 8.
 As such, requires children <8yo entering school for the first time in
Utah to have a vision screen
 Requires a public school that does vision screening to develop a
process to notify parents if a child fails the screening
 Commentary:
 Allows for free screenings in schools but does not require it
 No money appropriated
 Status: Passed, Enrolled
SB61: Education for Prescribing
Controlled Substances
 Description:
 Requires a prescriber applying for a new/renewed
controlled subst licence to take a 4-hr class each licensing
period, effective July 1, 2012.
 Does not increase the total CME requirements for
prescriber licensing
 Commentary:
 Not sure what this will look like: DOPL and Utah Med
Association will develop the training
 Status: Passed, Enrolled
Immunizations for Teen Mothers

 HB13 2nd substitute

 Allows a minor to consent for immunizations
if they are married or pregnant or have
custody of a child
 Applies to imms, pre-school medical exam;
Providers need to document minor’s status
 Passed substitute
Insurance Amendments Relating to
Abortion
 HB 354 2nd substitute
 Does not allow insurances on the state
exchange to cover abortions except in
specific situations
 Allows state to maintain abortion
requirements regardless of federal rules
 Passed as substitute
Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor

 HB 118
 Sexual abuse of minor (14-15 yo) to
defendant 4years or more older than minor
 Unlawful sexual conduct with minor (16-17yo)
to defendant 4years or more older than
minor.
 Defeated
Insurance Coverage for Amino-Acid
Based Formula
 HB 233-1st substitute
 Amend Insurance Code to allow coverage of
Amino-Acid Formula for “eosinophilic
gastrointestinal disorder”
 Allows for hydrolyzed for the DIAGNOSIS
and Rx of eosinophilic disease.
 $9,900 rule development cost.
 Defeated in the Senate
Protection of Athletes with Head
Injuries
 HB 204 1st Substitute
 Amateur sports orgs adopt/enforce a concussion &
head injury policy, require parental consent, removal
of child when suspected concussion/head injury
 Child must be removed from play evaluated by
medical provider who can provide written
documentation of completion of CME related to
evaluation and management of TBI/Concussion
within 3 years
 Passed
Bicycle Helmet Requirements

 HB 342
 Owner of bike moped cannot allow person <
12yrs unless wearing helmet, failure does not
legally mean negligence
 Failed
Preventing Bullying and Hazing in
Elementary and Secondary Schools
 SB 304
 Amended definitions of bullying and hazing
to include cyber-bullying, and made it
reportable to the State School Board
 Includes school employees and students
 Passed
Random Awareness

Clean out the Medicine Cabinet Month Designation

 HB 241: April annually
 Lupus Awareness Month Concurrent Resolution
 HCR 9: May 2011
 Utah Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week
Joint Resolution
 HJR 35: Sept 5-11, 2011
 Patient- and Safety-Centered Prescription Labels
Concurrent Resolution
 HCR 5: urges labeling
 www.le.utah.gov