AG 2010 05 17 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ADVOCACY HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ./-LOCAL DISCRETION, INSPECTION FEES -Support legislation that would provide greater discretion at the county level to establish fees for the inspection of food and lodging facilities. • While we were not successful in getting authority to set fees locally, the state-established food and lodging inspections fees were increased to $75 and $250, respectively, which should result in additional revenues for counties. ./ RECORDS SHARING, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES -Support legislation which provides immunity from civil or criminal liability to persons required to provide information and records to health officials conducting communicable disease investigations when such information is not otherwise covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or other federal or state law. H1002 (Amend Public Health-Related Laws) amends public health laws to provide immunity from liability for a person when they are required to provide information and records to health officials conducting communicable disease investiga- tions when such information is not otherwise covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or other federal and state law. H1002, sponsored by Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (Wilson), was ratified by the General As- sembly on Aug. 11. X ALLOCATION FORMULAS, HEALTH AND HU- MAN SERVICES - Support a study with representative stakeholder participation to examine the county allocation formulas applied by the Department of Health and Human Services to determine the sufficiency, equity and efficiency of each formula, assuring that formulas fairly respond to the needs of all counties. ~/ SMOKING REGULATIONS -Support legislation to allow Boards of Public Health, upon request of Boards of County Commissioners, to adopt a rule or regulation regulating smoking in places of public accommodation. H2 (Prohibit Smoking in Certain Public Places) prohibits smoking in all public places and places of employment, defined as those enclosed spaces that invite or permit the public or that employees use. Local health departments will be required to enforce the new law. Local health directors are authorized to impose certain administrative penalties on owners, managers or operators of public places and places of employment who are found in violation. The new law is effective on Jan. 1, 2010. H2 went beyond the Association's original goal by making the statewide smoking ban mandatory. However, the legislation does achieve our legislative goal by granting local boards increased authority to adopt ordinances more re- strictive than state law. H2, sponsored by Rep. Hugh Holliman (Davidson), was ratified by the General Assembly on May 14 and signed by the Governor on May 19. X BACK-UP GENERATORS FOR NEW NURSING HOMES -Support legislation to require all newly constructed nursing homes to have back-up generators. (Adopted by the Board of Directors at its Feb. 18, 2009, meeting) INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS ./ TRANSPORTATION FUNDING -Oppose legislation shifting the state's existing responsibility for funding transportation construction and maintenance projects to county governments. S758 (Transfer Secondary Road to Counties) would have shifted the state's existing responsibility for funding trans- portation construction and maintenance projects to county governments. S758, sponsored by Senator Bob Rucho (Mecklen- burg), was not acted on during the 2009 Session. However, this Ieg~lAtion remains eligible for the 2010 Session. Page 138