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Maine Public Health Association

Maine Public Health Association. Legislative and Policy Updates State Coordinating Council June 23rd, 2011. Agenda. MPHA General Public Health Agenda Obesity Prevention Tobacco Control Fund for a Healthy Maine. MPHA’s Legislative Philosophy.

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Maine Public Health Association

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  1. Maine Public Health Association Legislative and Policy Updates State Coordinating Council June 23rd, 2011

  2. Agenda • MPHA General Public Health Agenda • Obesity Prevention • Tobacco Control • Fund for a Healthy Maine

  3. MPHA’s Legislative Philosophy • MPHA’s support or opposition to policy initiatives are always evidence-based. • MPHA takes our capacity into consideration when developing our Legislative agenda and does not duplicate the efforts of others. • Most of our financial resources this session were in the areas of tobacco, obesity and protecting the FHM. • Committee members were able to weigh in on many other public health initiatives.

  4. MPHA General Public Health • LD 64, An Act To Make a Violation of the Laws Governing Seat Belts a Secondary Offense—Dead • Sponsored by Sen. Collins (R-York) • Would have rolled back seatbelt protections • LD 300, An Act To Increase the Availability of Lead Testing for Children—Passed • Sponsored by Sen. Craven (D-Lewiston) • This bill allows a health care provider, Head Start facility or health care facility or clinic that dispenses WIC benefits approved by the Department of Health and Human Services to perform in-office blood lead analyses under the Lead Poisoning Control Act.

  5. MPHA General Public Health • LD 31, An Act To Protect the Safety of Maine Children by Requiring the Express Consent of a Legal Guardian To Dispense Prescription Medication to a Minor—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Cebra (R-Naples) • LD 116, An Act To Require a 24-hour Waiting Period prior to an Abortion—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Clark (R-Easton) • LD 924, An Act To Educate Women on the Medical Risks Associated with Abortion—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Espling (R-New Gloucester)

  6. MPHA General Public Health • LD 412, Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 882: Designation of Bisphenol A as a Priority Chemical and Regulation of Bisphenol A in Children's Products, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Environmental Protection—Passed without signature • Sponsor, Rep. Hamper (R-Oxford) • Accepts major substantive rules • LD 1248, An Act To Require Approval by the Voters of Legislation To Enact or Increase a Tax or Fee—DEAD • Sponsor, Sen. Thibodeau (R- Waldo)

  7. Legislative Agenda (Obesity) • LD 1280, An Act to Establish a Pilot Physical Education Project in Four Maine Schools—passed without funding • Sponsored by Rep. Rochelo (D-Biddeford) • Pilot program to implement strategies for schools to meet national recommendations for PE minutes and PA within the school day. • Fitness surveillance system would be established whereby data is passed from schools to the state. • LD 971, An Act to Improve the Health of Maine Students—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Cornell du Houx (D-Brunswick) • 20 minutes of daily physical activity for all students in grades 1 to 8.

  8. Legislative Agenda (Obesity) • LD 505, An Act to Align State Standards Pertaining to Food and Beverages outside of the School Lunch Program to Federal Standards—Passed as Amended • Sponsored by Rep. Flood (R-Winthrop) • Align with Federal Standards. Exemption for culinary arts programs. Amended as we requested. • LD 813, An Act to Require Every School Administrative Unit to Have a Food Service Director—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Rankin (D-Hiram) • A food service director may be hired by >1 SAU. Meet applicable qualifications of HHFKA 2010.

  9. Legislative Agenda (Obesity) • LD 936, An Act to Conform Maine Menu Labeling Laws to Federal Standards—Carried Over • Sponsored by Rep. Strang Burgess (R-Cumberland) • Follow FDA menu labeling rules from ACA. • Rules not finalized yet so AG recommended carry over. • LD 1446, An Act to Establish the Maine Farm and Fish Program—Passed without signature • Sponsored by Rep. McCabe (D-Skowhegan) • Became a resolve to have AG, MR and ED work with non-profits on 2 pilot programs.

  10. Legislative Agenda (Tobacco) • LD 216, Resolve, To Prohibit Smokers from Receiving MaineCare Benefits—Passed as amended • Sponsor Sen. Saviello (R-Franklin) • Would have eliminated Medicaid eligibility for smokers. • Rep. Saviello agreed to revise bill to support the continued partnership between MaineCare and the ME CDC in addressing tobacco use among MaineCare members. • LD 481, An Act To Make the Cashier or Clerk Who Sells Alcoholic Beverages or Tobacco to an Underage Person Responsible for Paying the Fine—DEAD • Sponsor Rep. Ayotte (R-Caswell) • Would place liability for underage sales of tobacco and alcohol to minors on the employee, and take liability away from the retailer

  11. Legislative Agenda (Tobacco) • LD 406 replaced by LD 1505, An Act To Clarify the Scope of Practice of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors Regarding Tobacco Use—Passed as Emergency Measure • Sponsored by Rep. Cain (D-Orono) • Allow licensed addiction counselors to provide tobacco treatment counseling. • LD 589, An Act To Increase the Legal Age To Purchase, Use or Sell Tobacco Products—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Les Fossel (R-Alna) • Proposed to increase the age to purchase, use and sell tobacco products to 21.

  12. Legislative Agenda (Tobacco) • LD 1230, An Act To Prohibit Smoking in Private Clubs Except in Separate Enclosed Areas—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Blodgett (D-Augusta) • Seeks to amend rules related to smoking in private clubs, requiring that clubs prohibited smoking in the facility unless confined to designated indoor spaces or outdoor spaces. • LD 1067, An Act To Improve Awareness of Smoking Policies in Maine Rental Housing and Condominiums—Passed • Sponsored by Rep. Sanborn (D-Gorham) • Amended version weaker, but still requires landlords to disclose whether smoking is permitted or not.

  13. Legislative Agenda (Tobacco) • LD 1119, An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Sale of Certain Tobacco Products—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Strang Burgess (R-Cumberland) • Amends law banning the sale of certain flavored tobacco products to include flavored cigar wraps and papers. • LD 536, An Act To Help Deter Youth Smoking and To Help Smokers Quit—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Elsie Flemings (D-Bar Harbor) • Increases the cigarette tax by $1.50 to $3.50

  14. Legislative Agenda (Tobacco) • LD 1226, An Act To Prevent and Treat Cancer in Maine by Implementing Critical Portions of the Comprehensive Cancer Program—DEAD • Sponsored by Rep. Strang Burgess (R-Cumberland) • Equalized tax on ALL other tobacco products with tax on cigarettes. • Uses $4.5 mil over the biennium to fund portions of the State Cancer Plan.

  15. Legislative Agenda (FHM) • LD 1558, Resolve, To Study Allocations of the Fund for a Healthy Maine—Passed as amended, still in progress • Sponsored by Rep. Strang Burgess • Creates a legislative commission to determine if FHM meets current public health needs and to set up a review process. • LD 1224, An Act To Fund the Screening and Early Detection Elements of the Statewide Cancer Plan—on Appropriations Table • Sponsored by Rep. Strang Burgess • Passed as amended, stripping the FHM as the funding source but will most likely die as a result of $2 million General Fund fiscal impact.

  16. Fund for a Healthy Maine LD 1043, “The Budget” • The Governor’s original proposed biennial budget recommended cuts totaling 33.7% of the programmatic budget on top of expected reductions due to decrease in MSA payments. • -Proposed elimination of oral health, substance abuse, family planning • The Governor’s budget proposal also included an amendment to the FHM statutory language , removing the provision that FHM funds be used to “supplement, not supplant” General Fund expenditures. However, he eliminated this provision in his change package. • Some of the program cuts were restored with non-FHM $$ in the Governor’s change package.

  17. Fund for a Healthy Maine • After an intensive education and lobbying effort by the Friends of the Fund for a Healthy Maine, led by MPHA staff, the Legislature voted not to accept these cuts. • The Biennial budget now includes only a 2.4% cut to FHM programs and a 12.2% cut to the Fund overall. • Continued advocacy needed due to 10% now being funded through other sources.

  18. Resources • MPHA Policy: www.mainepublichealth.org/policy.php • Tobacco: www.mainepublichealth.org/tobacco.php • Obesity: www.mainepublichealth.org/obesity.php • Fund for a Healthy Maine materials available at www.slideshare.net/hppofme

  19. To be more successful, we need your voice! Join the Maine Public Health Association & pledge to help with policy efforts. www.mainepublichealth.org/join.php

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