HHS COMMITTEE CONTINUES WORK SESSIONS ON BIENNIAL BUDGET PROPOSAL

Last week, the HHS Committee conducted work sessions on the Governor's FY 2018-2019 biennial budget proposal, L.D. 390. The Committee went through each section of the DHHS budget with various members of the Commissioner's staff.  The Committee continues to familiarize itself with the budget details and they have not yet started voting on the various provisions.  Another full week of budget work sessions is scheduled for this week, so no public hearings on other pieces of legislation will take place for at least another week.

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARS BILL TO REQUIRE EMS PERSONNEL TO HONOR A TATTOOD "DNR" ORDER

Last Thursday afternoon, members of the Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on L.D. 125, An Act to Allow an Order Not to Resuscitate to be Presented in the Form of an Indelible Mark. The bill would require EMS personnel to honor a DNR order in the form of "DNR no CPR" by tattoo on the chest of an individual.  A woman with EMS credentials was the primary citizen behind the bill.  There was no other support for it.  The MMA and the Maine Ambulance Association opposed the bill.  The Maine Hospital Association testified "neither for nor against" the bill.