""""""""""" In the House of Representatives, the Budget Committee is slated to meet on Sunday at
2:00 pm and again on Monday at 9:00 am. The committee will do final mark-ups on the
2021 state budget in preparation for bringing the budget before the full House next week. In
order to meet their constitutional duty of presenting a budget to the governor, House
members will be in full session on Wednesday and possibly Thursday next week, after which
they will recess for spring break. It is unclear at this time when they plan on returning to
Jefferson City, but some observers are predicting a two- or three-week absence for House
members until more is known about the spread of the coronavirus. The only thing certain at
this point is that many legislative priorities are now in jeopardy, with the exception of the
budget. ""
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Advances
""""""""""" The designation of Missouri being the only state in the nation without a prescription
drug monitoring program may be coming to an end. After passing the House nearly a month
ago, HB1693 was brought before the full Senate on Monday for consideration. After a debate
that lasted nearly eight hours, a compromise was reached which allowed the bill to move
forward. At the heart of the matter for opponents were patient privacy concerns over a
government run database containing health information of thousands of Missourians.
Supporters of the measure countered that a statewide database could help turn the tide on
the ever-increasing number of opioid deaths."" The deal that was struck around midnight
would allow the implementation of a “Joint Oversight Task Force” instead of the Department
of Health and Senior Services to oversee the drug monitoring program. The task force would
be made up of two physicians, two pharmacists, one advanced practice registered nurse, and
one dentist. “The idea was to move it out from a governmental entity and make it more a
private-sector approach where the actual prescribers and dispensers would be in control of
the PDMP,” said Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, who handled the bill in the senate. An
additional piece of the puzzle was language that prohibits law enforcement from accessing
the program. Once those provisions were in place, those opposed to the bill ended their
filibuster and allowed a vote to take place. Ultimately, the senate passed the bill by a 21-10
margin when the bill was brought before the body for a final vote. The measure now returns
to the House for their concurrence with the changes made in the senate. It is anticipated for
the new version to pass easily and then head to the Governor for his signature."
ACTION ON BILLS OF INTEREST
Police Officer Residency
On Monday, the House of Representatives took up HB1604 for a final vote before it heads to
the Senate. The bill states that no municipality can establish a residency requirement for
police officers any more restrictive than a one-hour response time. Several St. Louis area
Representatives rose to speak in opposition, but House leadership cut off debate with a