This summer has been a great learning opportunity for me.
Bill Development
Over the summer, I have been working with several stakeholders on key issues. Here are a few of the more time-consuming ones:
Moving the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation – I sponsored HB 325 during the session to move the USOR from the State Office of Education to the Department of Workforce Services. A lot of work has gone into implementing this move over the summer. I have been meeting with those involved to make sure that everything goes smoothly and to resolve any potential issues before they become problems.
- Government Accountability – There are several issues relating to government accountability that deserve our attention and that I have been following and exploring – 1) empowering and motivating health care consumers to shop for higher value health care, 2) reducing the regulatory burden and barriers on professions and careers, 3) improving the incentives of our welfare system to help pull people out of poverty.
- Public Health – Last session, we spent a lot of time working on changes to laws regarding vaccine preventable illnesses with nothing to show for it. I have been working with stakeholders this year to see where the common ground lies to see whether we can make needed improvements.
National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Legislative Summit
Earlier this month, I got to spend three and a half days in Chicago meeting with legislators from all over the country (and a few from other countries). Meetings started early each morning and each day was full of opportunities to learn about the topics all states are struggling with.
Here are a few sessions that I found particularly interesting:
- Prescription Drugs and Costs
- Personalized Student Learning: The Future of Education?
- SmartLabel – Delivering Transparency to Consumers
Summary: Break-through products such as biologics and specialty drugs promise extended lives or first-ever cures for individuals. Yet some price tags in this $310 billion U.S. market have shocked those who foot the bill–including state governments, Medicaid, employers, health insurers and patients themselves. States are considering a variety of legislation to rein in costs, assist consumers or shift the burden. Terms such as “medically necessary,” “medication adherence,” “fail first,” “preferred drug lists,” “value-based purchasing” and “interchangeable biosimilar substitution” make state capitals sound like pharmacies. Hear state and medical experts sort out the headlines, the noise and the results so far.
Summary: States and school districts are experimenting with personalized learning in which student progress is tailored to student interests and based on mastery of content rather than seat time. Learn about state approaches and policies that support this transition.
Summary: Consumers are demanding to know more about the products they buy and consume, from food and beverages to body lotion and laundry detergent. Meanwhile, federal and state policymakers are engaged in conversations regarding the future of food and beverage product labeling. Hear a briefing from Pennsylvania Senator Rob Teplitz and The Hershey Company regarding the new industry product transparency tool, SmartLabel™–a mobile and digital tool that delivers detailed product information to consumers on demand.
