Senate Democrats introduced a bill this week that takes aim at election security concerns circulating the state since Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was indicted earlier this month for alleged election tampering and misconduct. The bill has a lot of provisions to increase security, but one of the first issues it addresses is the speed with which state courts can issue injunctions.
Lawmakers introduced more than 20 other bills this week, and one of them would cap reasonable fees for attorneys to get medical records at the federal maximum allowed under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act.
Senate Bill 153 — Internal Election Security Measures
Description: Internal Election Security Measures
Sponsors: S. Fenberg and S. Lontine
Summary: The bill would increase election security measures for the secretary of state's office, election officials, candidates for elected office and voters. Current law authorizes the attorney general and the secretary of state to enforce the provisions of the election code by injunctive action brought in the district court for the judicial district where any violation occurs. The bill would require the district court and the Supreme Court, if applicable, to expedite scheduling and the issuance of any orders in connection with an enforcement action so a final ruling is made within specified periods. The bill would also put various other security measures in place.
House Bill 1293 — Medical Record Requests By Attorneys
Description: Medical Record Requests By Attorneys
Sponsors: L. Daugherty, K. Van Winkle, R. Zenzinger and J. Smallwood
Summary: Under current law, attorneys aren’t subject to reasonable fee guidelines when requesting medical records on behalf of a client. The bill would include attorneys among the individuals who can request medical records on behalf of a patient and would subject them to the same reasonable fee limitations for the costs associated with obtaining copies of medical records. The bill would cap the amount that can be paid at the maximum allowed under the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act.
House Bill 1300 — Local Enforcement To Prevent Human Trafficking
Description: Local Enforcement To Prevent Human Trafficking
Sponsors: T. Carver, L. Daugherty, R. Fields and B. Gardner
Summary: The bill would allow a board of county commissioners to adopt a local resolution or ordinance to establish business licensure requirements to regulate massage facilities for the sole purpose of deterring illicit massage businesses and preventing human trafficking. The bill would allow the board to charge an administrative licensure fee for a massage facility. The bill would also allow a board to adopt a resolution or ordinance to regulate and prohibit activities to prevent the operation of illicit massage businesses that engage in human trafficking-related offenses. The bill would let municipalities to access criminal record history information of a licensee of a massage facility furnished by criminal justice agencies, subject to any restrictions imposed by the agencies.
Senate Bill 157 — Information Sharing For Consumer Protection Investigation
Description: Information Sharing For Consumer Protection Investigation
Sponsors: C. Holbert, S. Fenberg, E. Hooton and K. Van Winkle
Summary: The bill would authorize a district attorney or a deputy or assistant district attorney investigating a complaint alleging a violation of consumer protection laws when someone suffered at least $20,000 in reasonable damages to request records from a state or local licensing authority; or two or more regulated persons jointly engaged in conduct that forms the basis of the complaint. The bill would make other authorizations for investigators including authorizing a state licensing authority to enter into an interagency agreement with the attorney general or the attorney general's designee for complaints alleging violations of consumer protection laws.
