AzAAP-Where We Stand
This legislative session has been marked by a multitude of bad bills that have occupied our legislators’ time so that the big, big issue of our budget shortfall could be ignored, at least temporarily. Unfortunately, the budget negotiations are still a work in progress and the legislature and the Governor have not yet agreed on how to handle the shortfall for this fiscal year, much less the next. Our main goal then has been to try and help prevent sweeping cuts to programs that are vital for children and our profession.
We have been successful in defeating two bills which were the brainchild of the Church of Scientology and designed to limit our ability to prescribe medications, especially psychotropic medications to children. Many thanks to chapter members for their letters and emails which helped us in defeating these bills.
We are continuing to support:
S1299 - Schools; Diabetes Treatment allows schools to adopt policies and procedures to manage diabetes on school grounds,
S1098 - Adult Immunization Information System which establishes an adult immunization electronic system in DHS, similar to the system for child immunizations.
On another front, the causes and treatment of autism has been making headlines. As many of you know, John McCain, our Senator and Republican presidential candidate made statements to the press which appeared to support the theory that autism was linked to vaccinations. This started a flurry of activity on the part of the AAP to counter these comments as well as the recent court decision regarding a child living in Georgia. On a better note, a bill supporting mandated insurance coverage for the treatment of autism as well as Aspergers and pervasive developmental disorders is moving through the legislature. Although these bills have limited impact because they only apply to certain insurance products they do send a message to insurance companies regarding coverage for behavioral health conditions.
Our legislative successes would not be possible without the strong support of chapter members who take the time to respond to our alerts by contacting their representatives. Together, we can help educate and advocate effectively.
If you have an interest in public policy, or want to have input in AzAAP’s legislative agenda, please contact Mary Rimsza at mrimsza@aap.net.