Omnibus health and human services bill passed

A measure that makes changes to health licensure and creates an advisory council passed April 12.

LB752, introduced by Sen. John Arch of La Vista, authorizes respiratory therapists to engage in a broader range of allowable practices including the administration of all pharmacological, diagnostic and therapeutic agents for the treatment and diagnosis of cardiopulmonary disease for which the practitioner has been professionally trained or has obtained sufficient education or certification.

The bill also includes provisions of four other measures considered by the Health and Human Services Committee:
• LB15, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Carol Blood, which adopts the Occupational Therapy Practice Interstate Compact. Once in effect, the compact will allow licensed therapists to practice in other member states without having to obtain a separate license as is required currently;
• LB374, introduced by Bennington Sen. Wendy DeBoer, which creates the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council. The 17-member council will examine the needs of individuals living with dementia, services available for those individuals and their caregivers and the ability of health care providers and facilities to meet those needs;
• LB554, introduced by Blood, which adopts the Licensed Professional Counselors Interstate Compact which, if it becomes operative, will allow a licensed independent mental health practitioner with a certification in professional counseling to work in another state that is a member of the compact without having to obtain a new license in that state; and
• LB753, introduced by Arch, which requires Nebraska health care providers to obtain informed written consent prior to administering stem cell therapy. Any patient age 19 or older is required to confirm that their health care provider has explained the treatment, that the treatment has not received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and that the patient understands that the treatment hasn’t received such approval.

Lawmakers passed LB752 on a 46-0 vote.