HHS omnibus bill amended, advanced to final round
Lawmakers amended an omnibus health and human services proposal March 31 to include provisions of several other measures before advancing the bill to the final round of debate.
LB912, sponsored by Gering Sen. Brian Hardin, would create the Community Health Worker Training Endorsement Act.
Under the bill, the state Department of Health and Human Services would be required to establish a statewide process to endorse community health worker training programs that meet minimum standards of quality and ensure services provided by community health workers are eligible for reimbursement by Medicaid and private insurers.
The measure was amended on the first round of debate to include provisions of several additional bills, including LB1211, introduced by Ralston Sen. Merv Riepe. That proposal would update the Automated Medications Systems Act to allow licensed pharmacies to operate automated pickup kiosks that securely store and dispense prescription medications to patients and caregivers.
Riepe offered an amendment on select file to update those provisions, which would require a licensed pharmacy to obtain annual licensure for each kiosk. Under the amendment, the application fee for each initial kiosk license could not exceed $200 and the fee for annual license renewals could not exceed $50.
The amendment was adopted 34-0, and the provisions would take effect May 1, 2027.
Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln also offered an amendment during second-round debate to add the amended provisions of his LB825 into the committee package.
The amendment, adopted 32-1, would require practitioners licensed under the Mental Health Practice Act to complete a minimum of two hours of continuing education in domestic abuse counseling every two years.
Individuals who apply for a provisional mental health practitioner license also would be required to complete three hours of domestic abuse training, including training on:
• appropriate screening tools;
• indicators of high lethality or risk;
• documentation standards;
• appropriate referrals;
• advocacy and systems navigation;
• impacts on children;
• ethical practice; and
• trauma informed and victim-centered care and safety planning.
The amendment would require such training be conducted by an individual who has a minimum of three years of experience working with offenders or victims of domestic abuse and has completed an additional 40 hours of domestic abuse related training.
Ballard said the measure stems from a recommendation by the Nebraska Domestic Abuse Death Review Team to provide focused education on domestic violence for mental health professionals who may encounter victims or perpetrators of intimate partner violence.
“At its core, this proposal is about prevention and preparedness [and] making sure professionals who may be in the position of recognizing warning signs have the baseline training necessary to respond appropriately,” he said.
Another select file amendment, brought by Niobrara Sen. Barry DeKay and adopted 36-0, added the amended provisions of his LB796 to the measure.
Under his amendment, an individual employed by a facility where dispensed drugs and devices are delivered from a pharmacy to be picked up by a patient or caregiver would not be considered to be engaging in the practice of pharmacy if counseling was offered to the patient prior to or at the time of dispensing, and if the prescription is not a controlled substance, has been prepaid and remains in its original packaging with proper storage.
A drug or device that has not been picked up within 30 days of delivery must be donated, destroyed or returned to the pharmacy.
The facility also would be required to maintain documentation of delivery of the drug or device, including the date received, name of the pharmacy and patient, the signature and printed name of the individual picking up the prescription and the date it was picked up, donated, destroyed or returned to a pharmacy.
Finally, Hardin offered an amendment that included provisions of his LB914. Those provisions would repeal a state law that holds physicians or physician groups liable for negligent acts or omissions of physician assistants who are acting under their supervision.
Hardin said the amendment would ensure physicians and physician assistants are fully liable for their own actions under standard malpractice law.
“This does not reduce patient protections, change supervision requirements or expand scope of practice,” he said. “It removes an unnecessary legal deterrent that can discourage physician and PA collaboration, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and better aligns Nebraska law with how care is delivered today.”
The amendment was adopted 35-0, and lawmakers advanced LB912 from select file on a voice vote.
