LymeNet Flash: The "Before and After"- what can happen to bills

This is topic The "Before and After"- what can happen to bills in forum Activism at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :

It is VERY important when considering a bill that you know what can happen to it in an unfriendly environment like what we have here in Maryland.

EXAMPLE-

See the previously introduced (2005) Maryland Task Force bill and how it was totally gutted and made IDSA favorable by legislators.

Note that the words ``Task Force'' are not even mentioned in the final "Task Force" bill after the Senate Health Committee got a hold of it.

Before:

http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/bills/hb/hb1323f.pdf

After:

http://mlis.state.md.us/PDF-Documents/2005rs/amds/bil_0003/hb1323_81423701.pdf

Just for fun- Below are some of the changes made during this same bills process when going through the legislative review steps.

It shows how a Lyme-related Task Force bill, or ANY bill can quickly be changed from patient friendly to IDSA friendly (and we have NO control over it and neither does the sponsor):

http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/bills/hb/hb1323t.pdf

http://mlis.state.md.us/PDF-Documents/2005rs/amds/bil_0003/hb1323_66608601.pdf

And as Grandpa would say... "Let this be a lesson to you sonny."

[Big Grin]

Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :

Here are some of the "important" words to note in the final IDSA's tampered with version of the Task Force bill.

(A) THE BOARD SHALL DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE A DOCUMENT TO ALL LICENSEES REGARDING THE MOST RECENT DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT INFORMATION FOR LYME DISEASE AND OTHER RELATED TICK-BORNE ILLNESS.

(B) THE DOCUMENT DEVELOPED AND DISSEMINATED UNDER SUBSECTION

(A) OF THIS SECTION SHALL:

(1) INCLUDE THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION REGARDING THE USE OF LONG-TERM ANTIBIOTIC OR ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY; AND

(2) BE DISTRIBUTED ANNUALLY.

Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :

You are a smartypants detective Monk! Most excellent points, TC. I'm scratching my noggin.

Posted by lymewreck36 (Member # 4395) on :

So, what does this mean? Did this altered, unfriendly version get passesd?