Senate committee advances three health bills in executive session, refers tribal-hospital measure to Ways & Means

The Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee advanced two bills and referred a third in an early-morning executive session on Jan. 22.

Committee members voted by voice to send Senate Bill 6102 — which aligns the ambulance transport fund’s quality assurance fee with federal regulations — a 'due pass' recommendation to the rules committee. A separate voice vote sent Senate Bill 6103, which would make payments to rural emergency hospitals subject to appropriation, with a 'due pass' recommendation. The chair announced both bills 'passed subject to signatures.'

Senate Bill 6194, a measure that would allow payments based on allowable costs for services provided by rural hospitals located on federally recognized Indian reservations, was referred to the Ways and Means Committee without recommendation.

No roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the public transcript; the committee used voice votes. Committee staff had briefed members in advance on the bills and noted that there were no amendments to the underlying versions discussed in the executive session. The committee returned to public hearings after completing executive business.

The committee’s formal notices indicate these actions require post-session signatures to be official.

Next steps: SB 6102 and SB 6103 will proceed to the rules committee per the committee’s due-pass recommendations; SB 6194 moves to Ways and Means for further consideration.