Nick's Law Update Feb 25, 2008

Nick’s Law is alive and well!

Senators Gumm and Anderson decided on Thursday, Feb 21st, not to present SB 1537 – Nick’s Law - in the Senate Insurance Committee, for fear that it would be voted down. Senate rules prohibit the languageof any bills that were voted down in committee from being used in other bills for the rest of the year. The deadline to hear Senate bills in committee was Thursday, so technically, SB 1537 is dead.

But our Senate authors have vowed to find other germaine bills in which to insert the languagecontained in SB 1537. So Nick’s Law will now be sent to the entire bodyof the Senate as an amendment on another insurance bill. The senators’ decision givesthe language of Nick’s Law several more options for passage out of theSenate. The actual bill or bills that Nick’s Law will be amended into will be determined in the next several days. We have 3 weeks to vote the bill out of the Senate (deadline – March 13th).

Nick’s Law in the House, HB2459 by Rep. Colby Schwartz is still alive as well. Currently, it awaitsa hearing in the House Economic Development Committee. We have until March 6th to have Nick’s Law reported out of this committee.

We are still planning on the next Parent’s Day at the Capitol for Tuesday, March 4th. We will be concentrating on the House. It is appearing that our first trip created a lot of interest and opened the eyes of a lot of legislators. We need to keep up the pressure on our your legislator. Also remind your neighbors and friends to do the same.

More information to be announced later this week as the specifics are determined.

Thank You
Nick’s Law Steering Committee