Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Interim meetings begin today. Legislators are reviewing bills they passed, and deciding which issues to study for next session. Morning committees begin at 10. Afternoon committees meet from 2 to 4 or 5 pm.  
             At 7:30 legislators began a special briefing on federal health care reform and its impacts on Utah’s budget in the State Office Building Auditorium.  They’ll discuss what state decisions are needed, Utah’s health care exchange, information websites, and where Utah goes from here.
            Background information is at http://le.utah.gov  
            
THIS MORNING IN COMMITTEE
The HEALTH SYSTEM REFORM TASK FORCE considers how electronic health records can make health care more effective and efficient.  
            Reports are scheduled from Utah’s Electronic Clinical Health Information Exchange and from MediConnect Global, a South Jordan electronic personal health record retrieval and delivery company.
            HealthInsight demonstration projects to reform payment and delivery for diabetes and pregnancy services will be discussed as well.  (Capitol 250)

In NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT , the Governor’s Balanced Resource Council Chair Ted Wilson will report on the Council’s recent meeting with US Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
            Then the Committee will discuss Utah’s water resources outlook and endangered species issues.  (Senate 210)

REVENUE AND TAXATION staff will hear an overview of state and local revenues and economic trends.
            The committee also will discuss the local Internet network UTOPIA, school property tax funding, and taxes related to the petroleum industry. (Capitol 445)
 
THIS AFTERNOON
The ETHICS COMMITTEE will devote their afternoon to examining ways the Legislative Code of Conduct should be improved. (Capitol 450)
 
EDUCATION committee members will consider requiring all students to wait 12 months before transferring to a new school – including students who want to participate in athletics.
            They’ll discuss ways to equalize education funding statewide, and look at a new website  www.utahfutures.org < http://www.utahfutures.org/ >  that helps students plan their education and careers. (Capitol 445)
 
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS will consider studying agriculture sustainability (preserving farmland) and water banking.  
            They also will look at how well state election laws guarantee that armed service members and other overseas voters can register, vote, and have their votes counted.  
 

 
MORE MORNING COMMITTEES
RETIREMENT AND INDEPENDENT ENTITIES APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (Capitol 415)
Meeting at 9:00 will hear from 8 consultants and actuaries.  They meet again at 1:30 to consider the award of a contract.
 
JUDICIARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT & CRIMINAL JUSTICE will hear about the effects of recent budget cuts on Utah Departments of Corrections and Public Safety.  They’ll also consider whether the Utah Sentencing Commission should be sunsetted. It advises on sentencing and release of juvenile and adult offenders.    (House 30)
 
TRANSPORTATION will hear from Utah Cities, Towns and Counties in response to a staff briefing on local Class B and C Roads.   They’ll also consider a report on how many vehicles have been impounded because they were not carrying evidence of car insurance or their insurance was not in effect according to the Uninsured Motorist Identification Database. (House 20)
 
WORKFORCE SERVICES & COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT will hear updates and recommendations for Committee study from the Departments of Community and Culture and Workforce Services and from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
            A sunset review of the Utah Commission for Women and Families Act is also scheduled.  (Capitol 450)
 
  MORE AFTERNOON COMMITTEES
 BUSINESS & LABOR will review which items they should study during the interim, then consider whether two laws should be sunsetted: catastrophic insurance coverage of mental health conditions and the assessment on title insurance agencies or title insurers.
            Also on the agenda are an administrative rule about permitting alcohol at single events and the Utah Common Interest Ownership Act. (Senate 210)
 
PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY will discuss what passed last session and what to study this interim.  
            Rocky Mountain Power will propose broadening net metering laws to include a variety of renewable energy sources. Net metering allows individuals to produce power and sell what they don’t need back to the power company.
            Rep Craig Frank will suggest that state agencies in some cases could purchase their technology services from the private sector. (House 20)
 
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES will follow up on the morning federal healthcare reform briefing with a Health System Reform Task Force update and reports from the state Health Department.
            Public health funding, Medicaid, an electronic clinical health information exchange, the H1N1 flu situation and healthcare-associated infections will be discussed.  (Capitol 250)




Sandy Peck