ST. PAUL, MN – Today, state lawmakers in the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Health and Human Services Policy Omnibus bill (House File 2402), legislation that HHS Policy Committee Chair and author Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester) says will improve and protect the health of Minnesotans and save lives.
“Our committee put in a lot of work during this short Session to craft this legislation, which includes bills carried by 19 lawmakers,” added Liebling.
HF 2402 passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 86-46.
The bill protects children in foster care from secondhand smoke, protects minors from harmful tanning bed UV exposure, prohibits the use of e-cigarettes on public school property and makes the sale of e-cigarettes to minors a misdemeanor crime, and protects the public from chemically addicted health professionals who pose an imminent health risk.
Smoke-Free Foster Care:
HF 2402 protects foster children from secondhand smoke by requiring licensed foster homes to maintain a smoke-free environment. It prohibits smoking indoors, in motor vehicles and outdoors when a child is present and exposed to smoke. This will help protect very vulnerable children while they are under the care of the state.
Protections From Harmful Tanning Bed UV Exposure:
In response to rising melanoma rates among Minnesota teens, HF 2402 prohibits children under 18 from using commercial tanning equipment. The bill outlines petty misdemeanor fines for initial and subsequent violations. Ultraviolet radiation in tanning beds is as serious a carcinogen as cigarette smoke.
E-Cigarettes:
HF 2402 prohibits use of e-cigarettes on public school property and in state government buildings, allows local governments to regulate e-cigarettes, makes selling e-cigarettes to minors a misdemeanor crime and requires child-resistant packaging for e-cigarette liquid.
Protections From Chemically Addicted Health Professionals:
In response to the Star Tribune’s fall 2013 series on chemically addicted nurses, HF 2402 strengthens professional health licensing boards’ oversight and authority over licensees who pose an imminent public health risk.
HF 2402 clarifies that if a licensee violates the terms of the HPSP participation agreement or does not successfully complete the program, disciplinary action can be taken by the appropriate licensing board.
If a health licensing board believes that a health professional presents a risk of imminent public harm, the appropriate board must temporarily suspend the person’s license.