Bill Box – State Legislation & Alerts

Updated 1/4/2013

Below are selected bills that OPA followed during the 129^th General Assembly (January 1, 2011-December 31, 2012). For more information on these bills, contact Bobbie Celeste, Ph.D., director of professional affairs at (614) 224-0034. Full bills can be accessed via the General Assembly website.

Bill and Sponsor	Bill Name	Description	OPA’s Stance and Action Required	Status of Bill
Senate Bill 5 Jones	Revise-Collective bargaining law	Eliminates collective bargaining for government employees	OPA’s Board voted to oppose this bill. A letter was sent to all House members on 3/9/11	Passed House & Senate; signed by Governor. Referendum overturned the bill 11/11
House Bill 86 Blessing Heard PASSED Same as Senate Bill 10 Seitz Stewart	Criminal law and procedure revisions House bill includes juvenile justice provisions that are not in SB 10	Allows for treatment in lieu of conviction for certain mental health and alcohol/drug cases	OPA supported this bill	Became effective 9/30/11
House Bill 153 Amstutz PASSED	Operating Appropriations FY 2012 & 2013	Budget bill with changes to Medicaid, county mental health care, prisons, protective services, and alcohol and drug budgets	OPA Members Dr. Dan Davis and Dr. Frank Ezzo testified for more MH services and money	Bill passed 6/28/11
SB 136 Oelslager Cafaro	To make changes to the law regarding pre-approval of and payment for health care services	Changes “take backs” from insurance comapnies to 6 months & requires payment within 15 days	OPA supports	Sponsor testimony in Senate Insurance, Commerce, and Labor Committee 9/20/11
HB 116 Barnes	School harassment/intimidation/bullying policies	Requires instruction on & parental notice of policies	OPA supported	Effective 5/04/12
HB 155 Fedor Garland SB 127 Schiavoni	Bullying include electronic bullying/events off premises/staff training	Adds cyberbullying and expands and tightens implementation of current rules for schools	OPA supported	PASSED as part of Sub. HB 116
HB 208 Stinziano Antonio	School anti-bullying prohibit trait/characteristic-based harassment	Strengthens list of types of students who are protected	OPA supports	House Education Committee
House Bill 143	Youth Sports-head injury/concussions	Specifies who can send kids back into sports after concussion and calls for training coaches	OPA supported neuropsychologists being included (in addition to physicians) but they were not in the final bill.	Passed Senate and Signed by Governor
House Bill 25 Combs	Cruelty to animals-penalties/prevention/pit bulls not vicious animals unless meet definition	Adds psychological evaluation and counseling for adjudicated youth who abuse animals	OPA supports this bill and has testified in support	Passed House 6/21/11 Assigned to Senate Judiciary Criminal Justice Comm.
Senate Bill 123 Bacon	eLicense Center website information about health professionals	Requires health care providers to list their specialties in an electronic data base with the state that would be open to the public	OPA is studying the bill
HB 335 Antonio McGregor SB Skindell Tavares	Non-discrimination in housing and employment	Adds sexual orientation/gender identity to the classes that cannot be discriminated against	OPA supports this non-discrimination bill
House Bill 96 Celeste Brenner	Dyslexia-a learning disability/screening & intervention Pilot program	Would permit 3 districts to apply for grant money to try program in conjunction with libraries	OPA is neutral	Passed Signed by Governor
House Bill 157 Shuring	Dyslexia-teacher professional development of		OPA is neutral	Passed
House Bill 376 Celeste Garland	Parity for Autism	Would require insurance to pay for autism treatment	OPA supports	Health Comm. sponsor testimony given
HB 487 Amstutz	Mid-review budget	Comprehensive policy bill	OPA pushed for more money for alcohol and drug treatment services	Passed with small gains for alcohol and drug treatment
House Bill 259 Adams Yuko	Complimentary/alternative health care	To allow non-licensed or certified individuals to practice	OPA opposes	Passed House Introduced in Senate – No committee assigned
HB 496 Hackett Garland	Revise law governing psychology	Updates psychology board law	OPA supports	Passed House 12/4/12
SB 205 Skindell Grendell	License to practice art therapy	Gives wide scope but requires supervision to bill, diagnosis or treat mental and emotional disorders	OPA is neutral	In Senate Health Committee Proponent hearings
SB 287 LaRose Cafaro	Chemical dependency counselor law	Does not impede psychologists from full practicing chemical dependency treatment	OPA is neutral	Passed Senate and House Signed by Governor
HB 524 McGregor Heard	Adult/juvenile laws	Allows ex-offenders to apply for certificates to work eliminating the “collateral sanctions”	OPA is neutral	Passed House In the Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 350 Burke	Civil commitment – revise law	Allows for outpatient treatment in addition to hospitalization for involuntary commitments	OPA supports	Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 329 Seitz Burke and HB 603 Blessing Heard	Access to treatment for prisoners demonstration project	Allows specially trained licensed psychologists to prescribe mental health medications	OPA supports	Sponsor and Proponent Testimony in Senate Health and Sponsor Testimony in House Health
HB 598 Grossman Terhar & SB 381 Seitz	Include pervasive developmental disorders in the mental health parity law	Certified ABA’s could diagnose & treat independently	OPA opposes in current form	Sponsor and Proponent Testimony in House and Senate Health
HB 567 Sears	Counselor, social worker, Marriage-family license	Updates law	OPA is neutral	Passed House
HB 607 Wachtmann Gonzales	Health care provider ID	Would require wearing ID badges	Not determined	Introduced in House Health
HB 609 Wachtmann Gonzales	Telehealth Services	Requires Medicaid to pay for telehealth	Not determined	Introduced in House Health and Senate