House Committee on Health and Environment (01/31/2012)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Date:	01/31/2012	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:35 PM to 02:52 PM	Bradford	E
		Brown	E*
Place:	LSB A	Fields	X
		Joshi	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Kefalas	X
	Representative Summers	Kerr J.	E
		Massey	X
This Report was prepared by		McCann	X
	Amanda King	Peniston	X
		Schafer S.	X
		Young	X
		Acree	E*
		Summers	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB12-1041 HB12-1058 SMART Act Strategic Plans Recommendations		Amended, Referred to Finance Referred to the Committee of the Whole Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only

01:35 PM -- House Bill 12-1041

Representative Labuda presented House Bill 12-1041, concerning the creation of an electronic death registration system in the Department of Public Health and Environment. The bill requires the Department of Public Health and Environment to create an electronic death registration system to allow persons responsible for reporting death information to the Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics to do so electronically. She explained the proposed system would be similar to the system currently used for birth certificates. She stated that Colorado is one of the few states that still uses a paper system for issuing death certificates.

01:36 PM -- Ron Hyman, Department of Public Health and Environment, explained the current process for issuing death certificates. He explained issues related to identity theft that can arise after a death occurs. He explained the process proposed by House Bill 12-1041 to electronically issue death certificates, including the cross checks the new system would provide. The committee was provided a map illustrating the electronic death registration system by jurisdiction (Attachment A). Mr. Hyman explained the fee increase proposed by the bill for death certificates.

01:46 PM

Mr. Hyman responded to questions from the committee about how the electronic birth certificate registration system is working, the details of the electronic system that would be utilized for death certificates, the security of the electronic system, how signatures would be obtained, and if the current birth certificate system could be used for issuing death certificates. The committee continued to dialogue with Mr. Hyman about how birth certificates are obtained for identity theft purposes, the proposed fee increase for death certificates, and if Social Security Administration funding would be available to Colorado for the implementation of House Bill 12-1041. Mr. Hyman responded to questions about the benefits to consumers, whether the certificates would have the proper seal affixed, and further questions about the proposed fee increase. Mr. Hyman responded to questions about where the electronic death certificates would be able to be accessed. The committee and Mr. Hyman dialogued about the information contained in the fiscal note.

02:05 PM -- Lora Thomas, Colorado Coroners Association, explained the print-to-drop feature that could be utilized by coroners, if necessary, for paper copies. She stated the electronic death certificate system would provide better customer service. Ms. Thomas addressed questions about the security of the electronic death certificate system. She explained the time lag that Colorado experiences without the electronic death certificate system.

02:09 PM -- Chuck Bowman, Colorado Funeral Directors Association, expressed support for the implementation of an electronic death certificate system in Colorado. He explained how other funeral costs would be reduced if the electronic death certificate system was implemented. Mr. Bowman responded to questions about the proposed fee increase on death certificates, including if a grant could be established to offset the cost to consumers.

02:22 PM -- Kirk Mlinek, Legislative Council Staff, responded to questions about the information contained in the fiscal note, specifically related to cash flow of the electronic death certificate system from year-to-year, the cost of the electronic death certificate system, and the long-term impact of the implementation of the electronic death certificate system.

02:30 PM

The committee dialogued with Representative Labuda about the funding mechanism proposed by House Bill 12-1041 for the electronic death certificate system.


BILL:	HB12-1041
TIME:	02:34:45 PM
MOVED:	Brown
MOTION:	Moved a conceptual amendment to require a report from the Department of Public Health and Environment within two years about the progress of the electronic death certificate system and if FTEs or fees could be reduced based on any savings actualized by the implementation of the system. The motion passed on a vote of 8-3.
SECONDED:	Peniston
		VOTE
	Bradford	Excused
	Brown	Yes
	Fields	No
	Joshi	No
	Kefalas	No
	Kerr J.	Excused
	Massey	Yes
	McCann	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Acree	Yes
	Summers	Yes

YES: 8 NO: 3 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	HB12-1041
TIME:	02:39:41 PM
MOVED:	Massey
MOTION:	Moved to refer House Bill 12-1041, as amended, to the Committee on Finance. The motion passed on a vote of 9-2.
SECONDED:	Young
		VOTE
	Bradford	Excused
	Brown	Yes
	Fields	No
	Joshi	Yes
	Kefalas	Yes
	Kerr J.	Excused
	Massey	Yes
	McCann	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Acree	No
	Summers	Yes

YES: 9 NO: 2 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:44 PM -- House Bill 12-1058

Representative Joshi presented House Bill 12-1058, concerning the requirement that the Department of Public Health and Environment provide infant eye prophylaxis. The bill eliminates the duties of the Department of Public Health and Environment relating to the provision of a prophylaxis for use in treating the eyes of newborn children, and requires the health care provider in charge of the birth to treat a newborn child with an eye prophylaxis in accordance with the current medical standard of care. The bill eliminates certain requirements for county, district, and municipal public health directors related to prophylaxis-related cases.


BILL:	HB12-1058
TIME:	02:46:37 PM
MOVED:	Massey
MOTION:	Moved to refer House Bill 12-1058 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 10-0.
SECONDED:	Kefalas
		VOTE
	Bradford	Excused
	Brown	Yes
	Fields	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Kefalas	Yes
	Kerr J.	Excused
	Massey	Yes
	McCann	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Young	Excused
	Acree	Yes
	Summers	Yes

YES: 10 NO: 0 EXC: 3 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:48 PM -- SMART Act Strategic Plans Recommendations

Representative Summers provided an opportunity for the committee to further discuss the strategic plans of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Department of Human Services, and Department of Public Health and Environment related to the SMART Act contained in House Bill 10-1119. He explained it should be an on going process and at anytime during the session issues can be raised by members of the committee.

Representative Schafer raised the issue of the number of deaths related to neglect and abuse cases and the understaffing of the Department of Human Services that was reported in the Denver Post. Representative Summers asked for a status report on the issue from the Department of Human Services at a future date.

02:52 PM

The committee adjourned.