Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 3/Issue 2 February 28, 2005
Article Photo Bush's Budget: Not All Good News

The President's proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 was submitted to Congress on February 7, 2005. While this proposal does not in and of itself change funding or policy, it does lay the groundwork for this year's health care agenda. The FY 2006 budget totals nearly $2.6 trillion. It continues investments in defense and homeland security programs while reducing discretionary spending to an amount lower than inflation. In addition, the President proposes a number of health care policy initiatives.
ANA-Supported Staffing Legislation Introduced in the Senate

On January 24 of this year, Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) introduced the ANA-supported Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2005 (S. 71). The introduction of a companion bill in the House is expected soon.
Bill to Protect Nurses from Mandatory Overtime Re-introduced in the 109th Congress

The Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act, a bill which would prohibit the use of mandatory overtime as a staffing tool, has been reintroduced in both the House and Senate for the 109th Congress. Reps. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Stephen LaTourette (R-OH) again took the lead in sponsoring the House version of the bill, H.R. 791, which has 10 other co-sponsors to date. The Senate companion bill S. 351, introduced five days earlier was sponsored by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and John Kerry (D-MA), and currently has 13 additional sponsors.
Senator Harkin Introduces Legislation to Protect Overtime Pay for Nurses and other Workers

On January 31, 2005, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Overtime Rights Protection Act (S. 223). The bill, which currently has 14 co-sponsors including Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), addresses concerns, related to the Administration s newly implemented overtime regulations. The new Department of Labor (DOL) rule that revised the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in an attempt to clarify overtime exemptions makes it easier for employers to unfairly classify nurses and other workers as ineligible for overtime pay. Harkin s legislation would restore the right to overtime pay to any worker who was eligible for overtime before the new regulations. In addition, the bill would increase the number of workers covered by overtime protections by raising the minimum annual salary threshold to $30,712 to correspond with the increase in workers wages since 1975.
ANA-opposed Association Health Plan Bill Introduced

On February 2, 2005, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced H.R. 525, The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005. The bill, which currently has 87 co-sponsors, attempts to expand affordable health care coverage, particularly for employees of small businesses, through the formation of association health plans (AHPs). These group health plans, whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, would allow small employers to band together to purchase employee health coverage exempt from state-level protections.


ANA Pushes for State Legislation to Protect Nurses

ANA, in cooperation with state nurses associations, is promoting state legislation designed to protect nurses from potentially career-ending musculoskeletal injuries while increasing a patient's safety and comfort. This will be accomplished through enacting legislation that requires health care facilities to develop safe patient handling programs and utilize safe patient handling techniques and equipment.
copyright 2005, American Nurses Association
For more information contact:
gova@ana.org
Looking Ahead: 2006 U.S. Senate Races

There are 33 Senate seats up for re-election this election cycle, of these, 15 are currently held by Republicans, 17 are currently held by Democrats, and one by the Senate's lone Independent. While 2006 seems a long way off, these races are already developing as incumbents announce whether they will seek re-election and aggressively raise campaign funds to ward off competition, and potential challengers weigh their viability and political capitol.

Proposal to Eliminate the California Board of Registered Nursing Shelved for Now

ANA called California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision this month to pull back his proposal to eliminate the Board of Registered Nursing a victory for nurses and patients. In January 2005, Gov. Schwarzenegger submitted a reform proposal that recommended the elimination of 88 independent regulatory boards and commissions, including the Board of Registered Nursing. According to Schwarzenegger, the elimination of the boards would have removed unnecessary layers of bureaucracy in state government and improved constituent accessibility. He also stated that licensure board disciplinary actions should be separate from the board's regulatory duties to avoid conflicts of interest and maintain objectivity.
Senate Unanimously Passes Genetic Nondiscrimination Legislation

On February 17, 2005 the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2005, which establishes protections against genetic discrimination with respect to health insurance and employment. The bill, S.306 was introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and prohibits employers from using genetic information in employment decisions and insurance companies from denying coverage or basing premium rates on genetic information.
Deadlines for Loan Repayments and Scholarships

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have extended the deadline for applications to the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program to March 18, 2005. Through this program, nurses who work full-time in a facility deemed to have a critical nursing shortage can have up to 85 percent of their outstanding loans paid by the Federal government. Last year, HRSA awarded 857 loan repayments.
Notes from the Intern Desk - A Visitor's View of ANA Government Affairs

Greetings! My name is Jamie Greene and I'm working as an intern at the American Nurses Association. I have just finished the fifth week and am looking forward to great learning opportunities throughout the remainder of the internship.