We are starting the legislative session off right, getting our issues out in front of legislators at a swift pace as we push for our priorities. Hear more details in our first Policy Call of the session. Join us today at noon! Email Rachel to ask for the call-in number.
Workforce Crisis Discussion
On Tuesday morning, the House Children and Seniors Committee gave us the opportunity to educate them on long term care workforce issues. Our Chief Operating Officer Dana Weaver made her legislative debut Tuesday, and did a fantastic job laying out the drivers behind our workforce challenges (such as poor Medicaid funding), and the many ways our association and our members are seeking solutions. We are very grateful that we were joined by Shelby Shaw, Administrator at Pine Village, and Christina Rudacille, Director of Health Occupations and Practical Nursing at Johnson County Community College. Shelby provided perfect testimony on the struggle homes face in finding not just enough staff, but quality staff. Christina shared her perspective as an educator who hears from CNAs and LPNs about why they do not go to work in long-term care. The main reasons are not enough pay, and too much stress. The committee very much appreciated the sharp information they got from Shelby and Christina.
A huge thank you too Dana, Shelby and Christina! Giving testimony is not for the faint of heart, and they did us proud.
Read the testimony from Dana Weaver, Shelby Shaw and Christina Rudacille.
Electronic Monitoring Issue Moving Quickly
Thursday morning, the Senate Public Health and Welfare committee held a hearing on HB 2232, which is the bill on electronic monitoring in adult care homes. As stated last year, we have maintained a neutral position on the bill after extensive amendments in the house committee.
We did offer neutral testimony at the hearing in order to request that the committee further amend the bill to include language that would require any recordings that are used as evidence in a judicial or administrative proceeding to be unedited. The purpose of the amendment is to avoid issues that have arisen in other states concerning the use of heavily edited and misleading recordings in lawsuits. The language we have suggested comes from Texas regulation for their electronic monitoring law. HB 2232 is based on the Texas law, which has been in place for seventeen years. Consumer advocates objected to the amendment. Short on time, the committee asked that LeadingAge Kansas attempt to draft compromise language with consumer groups. We will, as always, do our best in that endeavor.
Health Committee Hears Long Term Care Issues
Thursday afternoon, the House Health and Human Services Committee invited long term care providers (and their associations) to do an informational hearing on long term care issues. The conferees giving testimony at the hearing covered poor Medicaid reimbursement and the “budget neutral reduction” nursing homes received this fiscal year, the status of the eligibility backlog and mostly positive experiences with the KDHE liaison program, our broken survey and enforcement system, and the serious workforce challenges faced by providers.
The committee members asked many good questions, seeking details on our funding cuts, civil monetary penalties, and the backlog progress. And we are very appreciative of the chairman and committee members for giving us so much time to get our issues in front of them.
We owe a special shout out to Rodney Whittington, CEO of Villa St. Francis who has become a three time all-star in giving testimony to our health committees on the progress of funding and eligibility, providing an extremely valuable provider perspective to legislators. Thank you, Rodney.
Read testimony from Rodney Whittington and LeadingAge.
Read the newspaper coverage in the Lawrence Journal-World and the Topeka Capitol Journal
Bill Tracker
HB 2427 Amends background checks in adult care homes to require fingerprinting, increases fees, and adds various new misdemeanor and felonies to the exclusion list
HB 2232 Electronic monitoring in adult care homes
HB 2458 Expands the type of crimes that qualify as elder abuse
2018 Legislative Calendar
Monday, January 29th
Last day for individual members’ bill requests
Monday, February 5th
Last day for non-exempt Committees to request to have bills drafted
Wednesday, February 7th
Last day for individual members to introduce bills
Friday, February 9th
Last day for Committees, except exempt Committees, (House Appropriations, Calendar and Printing and Taxation, House and Senate Federal and State Affairs, Senate Ways and Means) to introduce bills
Thursday, February 22nd
Last day to consider bills in House of Origin, except by exempt committees
Friday, March 29th
Last day to consider bills not in House of Origin, except by exempt Committees
Friday, April 6th
First adjournment
Thursday, April 26th
Veto Session begins
