Green: Legislature enters crucial second half of session
by Devon Green, Vice President of Government Relations, VAHHS We’re officially in the second half of the session. Anything that didn’t get passed out of its committee of jurisdiction is dead… unless it’s a money bill; or dispensation is requested; or it is turned into a committee bill; or it gets tacked on to a different bill. Nothing is ever truly dead until the gavel falls for adjournment. Key bills include: Workforce: A lot of movement on workforce this week with the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee passing out a workforce bill; The House Health Care committee is passing out the interstate counseling compact, the physical therapy licensure compact, the audiology and speech-language pathology compact and a psychology interjurisdictional compact; Adult Protective Services Bill: The House Human Services Committee advanced H.171, an update to the vulnerable adult abuse and neglect statute; Cybersecurity: This was the equivalent of a March Madness Cinderella basketball team—H.291 passed out of committee in a flash.