MMA Legislative Committee Chairs Jay Mullen, M.D. and Lindsey Tweed, M.D. welcome you to participate in the weekly conference calls of the MMA Legislative Committee.

The last MMA Legislative Committee weekly conference call for the First Regular Session of the 129th Maine Legislature will take place Tuesday, May 7th, at 8:00 p.m.

Legislative Committee members and specialty society legislative liaisons are strongly encouraged to participate. Any physician, practice manager, or other staff member who is interested in the MMA's legislative advocacy also is welcome to participate. It is not necessary to RSVP for the calls. To date the Legislature has printed approximately 1700 bills, and as the deadline for committee consideration is approaching the number of bills printed each week is beginning to dwindle. While that makes the work of the legislative call shorter, it also allows for more in-depth discussion of significant matters.

Please use the following conference call number and passcode. These will remain the same for every weekly call during the session.

Conference call number: 1-603-766-5646

Participant ID - 699139#

The purpose of the weekly conference calls is to discuss the MMA's position on bills printed the previous week, to hear the views of specialty societies on the new bills or their concerns about any current health policy issues, and to discuss the highlights of legislative action of the week. The calls rarely last longer than an hour.

The following are bills of interest to the physician community printed last week. (For those not familiar with the term, a "concept draft" is a bill that contains only a title and a brief description of what it is intended to do. It does not contain the actual bill text.) We will discuss the priority bills marked with an asterisk (*) first.

Following are the bills of the week: 

May 7, 2019

*LD 1672,  An Act Regarding the Admissibility of Certain Health Care Records as Evidence. Simplifies the admission of medical records in court, without testimony.

*LD 1673,  An Act To Prohibit Prescription Drug Advertising. As stated, makes ad untair trade practice with daily violation. Includes broadcast, print, internet.

LD 1674,  An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program. Rules for enrollment in group health insurance.

LD 1678,  An Act To Authorize the Commissioner of Corrections To Designate Additional Employees of the Department of Corrections To Collect Biological Samples. Any trained DoC staff may collect non-blood biological samples, not just facility employees.

LD 1679,  An Act To Establish the Maine Climate Change Council To Assist Maine To Mitigate, Prepare for and Adapt to Climate Change. As stated. Requires 80% of electricity be from renewable resources after 2029, 100% after 2049.; updates greenhouse gas emissions laws; state climate action plan to be updated every 4 years.

*LD 1688,  An Act To Protect Original Birth Certificates.Repeals requirement of new birth certificate upon adoption and sealing of original. Does not affect persons born in foreign country or persons born before 10/1/19. Requires amendment of birth certificates to include adoptee’s new name and adoptive parents’ data.

*LD 1689,  An Act To Address the Opioid Crisis through Evidence-based Public Health Policy. Expands needle exchange programs to include naloxone distribution, HIV and Hep C testing, counseling. Removes criminal penalties for possessing and furnishing needles.

*LD 1694,  An Act To Amend the Mental Health Insurance Coverage Laws. Requires filing of mental health and SUD parity reports by insurers, HMOs, hospitals, and medical service organizations. Limits prior authorization and step therapy for SUD treatment.

LD 1696,  Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 28: Allowances for Rehabilitative and Community Support Services for Children with Cognitive Impairments and Functional Limitations, a Late-filed Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Health and Human Services. Provides as stated.