2007 Regular Legislative Session

To convene:  Noon, Monday, April 30, 2007

To adjourn:  No later than 6:00 p.m., Thursday, June 28, 2007

The bills and status of the bills most specific to the livelihood of our rural hospitals are as follows:

HB 1:  Appropriations for UCC Payment. (Alario) - House Appropriations.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker and the President of the Senate.  Sent to the Governor for approval.

HB 263:  Excludes from state sales tax and use tax hospitals designated as exempt from federal tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC and that operates a full-time emergency department. (Montgomery) - House Ways and Means.  Considered on May 15.

HB 269:  Adds to the definition of rural hospital. (Hutter) - Engrossed.  Pending in Conference Committee. Conference Committee Report received by the House.  Conference Committee report adopted by House.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House.

HB 506:  Appropriates from 2007-2008 Fiscal Year for certain payments for uncompensated care costs. (Alario) - House Appropriations.   These funds are for the Uncompensated Care Cost Program for the Community Hospital Pool.

HB 509:  Allows physicians on hospital service district boards to engage in certain transactions. (Guillory) - Engrossed.  Senate and Governmental Affairs.  Pending in the Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Ordered to the House.  Passed to the Senate.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.  Signed by the Governor.  ACT 152.  Effective 6/25/07.

HB 588:  Provides for Medicaid reimbursement methodology for rural hospitals.  (Thompson) - House Appropriations.  Engrossed.  Assigned to Senate Health and Welfare.  Referred to the Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed third reading.  Passed Senate as amended.  Pending House concurrence.  Adopted in House concurrence.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.  Sent to the Governor for approval. Signed by the Governor.  ACT 327.

HB 602:  Provides relative to health care data reporting.  (Jackson) - House Health and Welfare.  Engrossed.  Assigned to Senate Health and Welfare.  Committee amendments. Referred to the Legislative Bureau.  Reported with Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed third reading.  Passed Senate with amendments.  Pending House concurrence. Adopted in House concurrence.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House.  Sent to the Governor for approval.  Signed by the Governor.  ACT 410.

HB 673:  Provides for qualified registered nurses employed by rural hospitals to perform medical screening evaluations in emergency medical treatment situations.  (Anders) - House Health and Welfare. Scheduled to be heard June 5.   See HCR 202.

HB 765:  Provides for supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006-2007.  House Appropriations.  Engrossed.  Passed the House.  Ordered to the Senate.  Assigned to Senate Finance.  Reported with amendments.  Referred to Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed to third reading.  Passed Senate with amendments.  Pending House concurrence.  Adopted in House concurrence.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.  Signed by the Governor.  Act 203.

HB 773:  Provides for supplemental capital outlay appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006-2007.  Engrossed.  Subject to call -- House final passage.

HB 806:  Provides for the Center for Rural Initiatives to implement a Delta Development Initiative in specified parishes in northeast Louisiana and specifies what that initiative shall include.  (Thompson) - House Agriculture, Forestry, Acua. and Rural Development.  Engrossed.  Reengrossed.  Assigned to Senate Finance.  Referred to the Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed Senate with amendments.  House received from Senate with amendments.  Pending House concurrence.  Adopted in House concurrence.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.   Sent to the Governor for approval.

HB 921:  Provides a tax credit for purchase of computer equipment for use in medical offices located in medically underserved areas. (Labruzzo) - House Ways and Means.  Scheduled to be heard June 11.

HB 922:  Provides for an individual or corporate income tax deduction for certain physicians and health care providers located in medically underserved areas.  (Labruzzo) - House Ways and Means.  Scheduled to be heard May 24.

HB 953:  Supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006-2007.  (Alario) - House Appropriations.  Includes $2,432,358 for Uncompensated Care Costs Program for  payments to rural hospitals.  Engrossed.   Reengrossed.  Pending Senate referral.  Assigned to Senate Finance.  Reported with amendments.  Referred to Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed third reading.  Passed Senate with amendments.  Pending House concurrence. Adopted in House concurrence.   Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.  Signed by the Governor.  Act 205.

 HCR 10:  Provides for the expenditure limit for Fiscal Year 2006-2007.  (Alario) - House Appropriations.  Engrossed.  Third and final passage failed to pass 68 yeas/36 nays (need 2/3 votes).  Motion to reconsider pending.  Reconsidered.  Passed 84 yeas/20 nays.  Passed and ordered to the Senate.  Assigned to Senate Finance. Referred to Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed third reading.  Ordered to House.  Received from Senate without amendments.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.

HCR 75:  Requests DHH to engage in a cooperative effort with other public and private organizations and institutions in establishing the La. Health Care Quality Forum.  (Representative Durand and Senator McPherson) - Senate Health and Welfare.  Passed the Senate.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.

HCR 152:  Directs DHH to research the use of incentive packages to recruit qualified family practitioners to rural areas.  House Health and Welfare.  Engrossed.  Passed House.  Ordered to Senate.  Pending Senate referral.  Passed to Senate without amendments.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.

HCR 202:  Requests the La. State Board of Nursing to study the scope of practice of registered nurses to work as qualified medical personnel to perform medical screening evaluations required by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act in rural hospitals.  (Anders)   Assigned to House Health and Welfare.  Engrossed.  Passed to third reading.  Ordered to Senate.  Senate concurred.  Ordered to House.  House received from Senate without amendments.  Enrolled.  Signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.  Filed with the Secretary of the State.

SB 1:  Authorizes the Department of Health and Hospitals to develop and implement a health care delivery system for Medicaid recipients and low-income uninsured citizens. (McPherson and Cheek, Representative Jackson) - Senate Finance.  Engrossed.  Assigned to Senate Finance.  Reengrossed.  Assigned to House Appropriations.  Referred to Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed third reading.  Passed House.  Ordered to Senate.  Senate received from House with amendments.  Pending Senate concurrence.  Adopted in Senate concurrence.  Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.  Sent to the Governor for approval.

SB 111:  Provides for the creation of the North Louisiana LSUHSC-S/Rural Hospital Network Act. (Hines and Representative Thompson) - Senate Health and Welfare.   Engrossed.  Reengrossed.  Assigned to House Health and Welfare.  Referred to Legislative Bureau.  Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed third reading.  Passed House.  Ordered to Senate.  Senate received from House with amendments.  Pending Senate concurrence.  Senate rejected House amendments.  Pending in Conference Committee.  Conference Committee report received.  Senate adopted Conference Committee report.  Subject to call - Senate Conference Committee report.

SB 186:  Enhances the ability of hospital service districts to compete in the health care industry. (Quinn) - Reported favorably by the Senate Health and Welfare. Engrossed.  Reengrossed.  Assigned to House Commerce.  Considered on June 18.

SB 209:  Excludes from state sales and use tax hospitals designated as 501(c)(3) and that have a full-time emergency department.  (Mount, Kostelka and Michot) - Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs.  Scheduled to be heard on June 4.

SB 230:  Authorizes certain activities involving health care providers and public rural hospitals.  (Hines) - Senate Health and Welfare.  Engrossed.  House Health and Welfare.  Reported with Legislative Bureau amendments.  Passed House.  Ordered to Senate.  Received from House with amendments. Adopted in Senate.  Enrolled.  Signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.  Sent to the Governor for approval.

SB 241:  Provides for additional rural hospitals under the Rural Hospital Preservation Act.  (Boasso) - Senate Health and Welfare.  Engrossed.  Passed Senate Floor.  Assigned to House Health and Welfare.  Scheduled to be heard June 20.

SB 322:  Provides for the authority of registered professional nurses to administer anesthetics.  (Chaisson) - Senate Health and Welfare.  Engrossed.  Reengrossed.  Assigned to House Health and Welfare.  Scheduled to be heard June 20.

SCR 35:  Requests DHH to establish the La. Health Care Quality Forum.  (McPherson) - Senate Health and Welfare.  House Health and Welfare.  Passed House.  Enrolled.  Signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. 

SCR 88:  Urges the La. Interagency Task Force on the Future of Family Medicine to work with DHH to develop evidence-based strategies to increase the primary care medical workforce in Louisiana and expand the surveillance of the state's family medicine, primary care, and rural health workforce and medical education programs.  (McPherson)  Pending House referral.  Enrolled.  Signed by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House.  Filed with the Secretary of the State.  

For the most up-to-date status on these bills and any others of interest to you, visit the Louisiana State Legislature website.

Links to a list of Rural Hospital Coalition members and their respective legislators are as follows:

Louisiana Representatives     Louisiana Senators 

To contact your Senator on the Senate Floor, call 225.342.2040.

To contact your Representative on the House Floor, call 225.342.6945.