Here is a look at this week’s latest news from Legislative Consultant, Dawn Watson, who has been working hard to support OAFP at the Capitol while members are in Session. Vaccines took center stage for the second week of session and will likely do so again in the coming week.

Highlights and coming action:

• Tuesday’s upcoming House Public Health meeting is full of anti-vaccine measures and scope of practice bills. Here is a link to the agenda:Click Here
• The agenda came out after the coalition worked to get HB1112 voted down in the same committee on Feb. 11 and we were told the measure would not be brought back up again. The author amended the bill right before committee to be targeted at HPV. Here’s a link to the bill: Click Here. And the amendment: Click Here
• Please consider coming to Immunization Awareness Day at the Capitol if you can. It is Tuesday which is the same day as the House Public Health meeting. The day starts with an orientation at the Oklahoma State Medical Association at 10 a.m. and then visits to the capitol. Public Health is at 1:30. Here is the link to register:Register Here.
• Public comment is still open on the State Health Department rule that would require people to go to their county health departments to watch a video before getting the form to exempt their children from vaccinations for public school attendance. The coalition is pushing for a lot of comments because the anti-vaccine people have made many. Here is the link to comment:Comment Here
• Other measures of note moving through the process:
  • HB2503, tax credit for preceptors, passed its first committee hearing with zero no votes. Still working to get sister bill SB1892 heard in Senate committee.
  • SB801, CRNA measure, is scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor Monday. This is the compromise language that was worked out with a mediator. Here’s the amendment:Click Here.
  • SB1290, which expands who is included in the definition of assault on a medical professional, passed through its first committee vote.
  • SB1276, increases PMTC subsidies used for underserved and rural health care training, from 50 percent to 75 percent. This measure passed through committee as well.