The 2007 legislative session began with a flurry of activity and shows no signs of slowing down.

Friday mornings we usually do “floor work,” the process of considering bills that survived out of various committees. This morning we considered about 15 bills on second reading.

Prior to this morning’s floor work, we passed five bills out of Appropriations Committee. The easiest vote of the day was on HB 1100, increasing the diversion for the Older Coloradans Cash Fund from $3 million to $5 million. This money funds health- and survival-related programs for seniors, such as Meals on Wheels.

As chair of the Health and Human Services Committee (HHS), I am intricately involved in a number of bills that aim to protect the health and well-being of Coloradans. An extremely prolific committee, HHS is addressing some very critical issues head-on. While some bills are receiving more media attention than others, many are equally important, such as those pertaining to mental health and state employee health insurance reform.

The HHS Committee meets every Monday and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in room A of the Legislative Services Building, located directly across from the Capitol on 14th Street. Please come observe anytime. Next week we will be conducting hearings on emergency contraception in the emergency room.

Here is a partial list of bills I have introduced this session:

• Emergency contraception for survivors (SB 60): requires hospitals to adopt protocols to inform a survivor of a sexual assault of the availability of emergency contraception, but exempts a health care professional who objects on religious or moral grounds.
• Smoke-free casinos (HB 1269): repeals the casino exemption from the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, which bans smoking in bars and restaurants.
• Child abduction prevention act (HB 1255): allows a court in a child-custody proceeding to consider the probability that a party will abduct a child to another state of a foreign jurisdiction.
• Anatomical gift act (HB 1266): makes it easier to make a document of an anatomical gift, particularly as provided on drivers licenses.
• Emergency responders (HB 1199): allows a health care practitioner licensed in another state to volunteer to provide assistance in Colorado during an emergency, and vice versa.
• Animal physical therapy (HB 1126): allows licensed physical therapists to treat animals after medical clearance by a veterinarian.
• Restrict access to tanning beds by minors (SB 23): prohibits the use of an artificial tanning device by a minor unless specifically prescribed by a physician.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me to express your opinions on these or any other issues. Click on this link for more information on bills – www.leg.state.co.us – and see my contact information below. As your state representative, I very much want to hear from you.

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