A bill that would make a number of changes to reports that the state Department of Health and Human Services is required to provide to lawmakers was discussed on general file March 17 and 19.<\/p>\n
LB376, introduced by the Health and Human Services Committee, would update or eliminate certain reporting requirements, programs and services. Among others, the bill would eliminate several reports related to Medicaid, youth rehabilitation and treatment centers, behavioral health services, newborn hearing tests, work and educational programs, handgun purchase disqualifications, prenatal care and child welfare expenditures.<\/p>\n
The bill also would:
\n\u2022 allow the department to award grants exceeding $10,000 from the Child Care Development Fund;
\n\u2022 eliminate application notices and certain earned income disregards for the Aid to Aged, Blind or Disabled program;
\n\u2022 repeal the spousal impoverishment program;
\n\u2022 add requirements for certain young adults in the Bridge to Independence Program;
\n\u2022 eliminate the autism treatment program;
\n\u2022 update reporting requirements for physicians who perform or induce an abortion to align with the language of a successful ballot initiative;
\n\u2022 terminate the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Act; and
\n\u2022 require counties to maintain office and service facilities until June 30, 2028.<\/p>\n
A pending committee amendment also would repeal a section of state law relating to the reimbursement of office space in the Stone Office Building at the Norfolk Regional Center.<\/p>\n
Gering Sen. Brian Hardin, committee chairperson, said many of the programs and services that would be updated by the bill are subject to federal mandates and do not also need to be outlined in state law.<\/p>\n
Additionally, he said, most of the data in the reports eliminated by the bill also is collected internally by the department or federal agencies, resulting in duplication of effort. LB376 would eliminate these redundancies and inefficiencies, Hardin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of these reports, services and programs are outdated and need to be changed or removed,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen [they] are layered over each other year after year, their importance is diminished.\u201d<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. Christy Armendariz supported the bill, calling it a cost-saving measure for the department that would allow more services to be provided to Nebraskans.<\/p>\n
\u201c[DHHS] is arguably one of the most expensive agencies in state government, and if they can free up more cash \u2026 that is a good thing,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can do more things for more people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh filed a motion to recommit LB376 to the Health and Human Services Committee. She said additional public hearings should be held in order to discuss each of the topics \u201cburied\u201d in what was characterized as a \u201ccleanup\u201d measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if every single thing in this bill I agreed with, even if I thought it was sound public policy, this is still egregious and offensive,\u201d Cavanaugh said. \u201cThis is not how we legislate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln supported the motion. She expressed concern about the removal of certain reporting requirements, such as those relating to cancer rates and cancer research in the state.<\/p>\n
Nebraska has the fifth highest rate of pediatric cancer in the country, Raybould said, and lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that all data related to pediatric cancer is adequately tracked, analyzed and assessed.<\/p>\n
She also said eliminating a report on children with elevated levels of lead in their blood could risk federal funding that assists in the replacement of lead pipes, impacting the state\u2019s ability to adequately address that problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe statistics in these reports are essential,\u201d Raybould said. \u201cIf you are not measuring it, you cannot manage it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before any votes were taken, Hardin requested LB376 be passed over to allow more time to address opponents\u2019 concerns. Lawmakers moved on to the next item on the day\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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