The House of Representatives did not pass our Bill SB-167. We are planning on going ahead with the Task
Force to see what the NH Medical Assistants would like to do next. Please check back for meeting date
and time. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can email us at nhma@comcast.net or check back on the
website for information.
On May 9, 2007 the Health & Human Services committee met in Executive Session. The Committee voted
(19-0) on Bill SB-167 FN to Inexpedient to Legislate for May 16, 2007. From my understanding Inexpedient to
Legislate is a recommendation from a committee that the bill should not become law. However, the House
of Representatives can vote to make it law and not take the recommendation from the committee. As soon
as we hear how the vote went, we will update the information. We are still continuing with the Task Force.
We are looking for volunteers to help on the Legislation Task Force. If you are interested please email your
information to nhma@comcast.net and your information will be forwarded to Traci Burke, CMA - Task Force
Chair. We are looking for anyone who this legislation will effect, CMAs, RMAs, Director of Medical Assisting
Programs at NH Schools, Teachers of Medical Assisting Classes, Human Resource Managers, Hiring
Managers, Office Managers, etc. If you cannot attend meetings, please forward your email address and we
can update you on the progress of the Task Force or check our website for updates.
The House of Representatives Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee will be in Executive
Session on May 9, 2007 at 9:00 am in Room LOB 205.
The Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives will be meeting
on Tuesday April 24, 2007 at 1:00 pm to review Senate Bill 167-FN. They will be meeting in Room LOB205,
Concord, NH.
On February 13, 2007 the Senate Committee met with regards to Senate Bill 167-FN (SB 167-FN), an act
relative to the licensure of medical assistants by the board of nursing. The sponsors of this bill are Sen.
D'Allesandro (Dist 20); Sen Janeway (Dist 7); Sen Sgambati (Dist 4); Sen Fuller Clark (Dist 24); Sen. Burling
(Dist 5); and Sen. Downing (Dist 22).
After testimony from Senator D'Allesandro, Traci Burke, CMA and Cathy Chevalier, CMA, the Committee
went into executive session and unanimously voted to pass our bill onto the next step. Which means, that
it is going to be heard by the full Senate and it will most likely pass there. The bill will then go to the New
Hampshire House of Representatives. When the bill reaches the House we may need to call on as many
Medical Assistants to help our cause.
Please review the bill at the following website: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/billstatus/quickbill.html
If you have any questions, please contact the NHSMA Executive Board. Thank you.
On behalf of the NHSMA Executive Board I am responding to concerns regarding Senate Bill 167-FN.
I first would like to say that Traci Burke (Immediate Past President) has been working diligently with the NH
Board of Nursing, Senator D'Allesandro's office and Don Balasa of the AAMA in coordinating this legislation.
Traci Burke was notified a few days before (I believe on Thursday or Friday) of the Senate Committee
hearing that took place on Tuesday, February 12, 2007. Traci did notify as many Medical Assistants as she
had email's for to attend the hearing. However, with the short notice only 4 of us attended. We did have
letters from Don Balasa and Cindy Feldhousen in support of this legislation. We as an Executive Board also
had concerns regarding the wording of the proposed legislation, however, Don Balasa supports this and he
wrote the wording that is in the proposed legislation. Mr. Balasa suggested to us to keep moving forward
and not to hold up the legislation.
We first starting discussing this legislation about two years ago. We do discuss any details to it at all of
our meetings including the annual convention. We have also asked for volunteers to help with the
legislation, however, no one has come forward. So, as an Executive Board, we have moved forwarded and
sent information when we had it available to us. The hearing that was held on Feb 12 2007 was the first
real movement of this legislation. We sent the proposed wording to the Board of Nursing and to Senator
D'Allesandro's office, once received from Don Balasa. We thought that they would come back to us with the
wording to see if we approved or need to make changes, however, that did not happen and the hearing
happened first. The good news is that it passed this Senate Committee and will go on to the floor of the
Senate where it is expected to be passed.
As far as the particular wording in the legislation, we have brought this to the attention of the Nursing Board
and to Don Balasa and the understanding is to get legislation passed first, the specific language like AAMA,
CAAHEP approved programs only, and Grandfather clauses come next. Don Balasa is well aware of our
concerns and he suggested that we (the Board and other members of the NHSMA) get together and try to
come up with wording that we can agree on. Once this is done, we will forward to him and he can adjust
the terminology (legal terminology) and then forward to the Board of Nursing for the State of NH where they
may need to put into more precise legal terminology to present it to the Board of Nursing.
Force to see what the NH Medical Assistants would like to do next. Please check back for meeting date
and time. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can email us at nhma@comcast.net or check back on the
website for information.
On May 9, 2007 the Health & Human Services committee met in Executive Session. The Committee voted
(19-0) on Bill SB-167 FN to Inexpedient to Legislate for May 16, 2007. From my understanding Inexpedient to
Legislate is a recommendation from a committee that the bill should not become law. However, the House
of Representatives can vote to make it law and not take the recommendation from the committee. As soon
as we hear how the vote went, we will update the information. We are still continuing with the Task Force.
We are looking for volunteers to help on the Legislation Task Force. If you are interested please email your
information to nhma@comcast.net and your information will be forwarded to Traci Burke, CMA - Task Force
Chair. We are looking for anyone who this legislation will effect, CMAs, RMAs, Director of Medical Assisting
Programs at NH Schools, Teachers of Medical Assisting Classes, Human Resource Managers, Hiring
Managers, Office Managers, etc. If you cannot attend meetings, please forward your email address and we
can update you on the progress of the Task Force or check our website for updates.
The House of Representatives Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee will be in Executive
Session on May 9, 2007 at 9:00 am in Room LOB 205.
The Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives will be meeting
on Tuesday April 24, 2007 at 1:00 pm to review Senate Bill 167-FN. They will be meeting in Room LOB205,
Concord, NH.
On February 13, 2007 the Senate Committee met with regards to Senate Bill 167-FN (SB 167-FN), an act
relative to the licensure of medical assistants by the board of nursing. The sponsors of this bill are Sen.
D'Allesandro (Dist 20); Sen Janeway (Dist 7); Sen Sgambati (Dist 4); Sen Fuller Clark (Dist 24); Sen. Burling
(Dist 5); and Sen. Downing (Dist 22).
After testimony from Senator D'Allesandro, Traci Burke, CMA and Cathy Chevalier, CMA, the Committee
went into executive session and unanimously voted to pass our bill onto the next step. Which means, that
it is going to be heard by the full Senate and it will most likely pass there. The bill will then go to the New
Hampshire House of Representatives. When the bill reaches the House we may need to call on as many
Medical Assistants to help our cause.
Please review the bill at the following website: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/billstatus/quickbill.html
If you have any questions, please contact the NHSMA Executive Board. Thank you.
On behalf of the NHSMA Executive Board I am responding to concerns regarding Senate Bill 167-FN.
I first would like to say that Traci Burke (Immediate Past President) has been working diligently with the NH
Board of Nursing, Senator D'Allesandro's office and Don Balasa of the AAMA in coordinating this legislation.
Traci Burke was notified a few days before (I believe on Thursday or Friday) of the Senate Committee
hearing that took place on Tuesday, February 12, 2007. Traci did notify as many Medical Assistants as she
had email's for to attend the hearing. However, with the short notice only 4 of us attended. We did have
letters from Don Balasa and Cindy Feldhousen in support of this legislation. We as an Executive Board also
had concerns regarding the wording of the proposed legislation, however, Don Balasa supports this and he
wrote the wording that is in the proposed legislation. Mr. Balasa suggested to us to keep moving forward
and not to hold up the legislation.
We first starting discussing this legislation about two years ago. We do discuss any details to it at all of
our meetings including the annual convention. We have also asked for volunteers to help with the
legislation, however, no one has come forward. So, as an Executive Board, we have moved forwarded and
sent information when we had it available to us. The hearing that was held on Feb 12 2007 was the first
real movement of this legislation. We sent the proposed wording to the Board of Nursing and to Senator
D'Allesandro's office, once received from Don Balasa. We thought that they would come back to us with the
wording to see if we approved or need to make changes, however, that did not happen and the hearing
happened first. The good news is that it passed this Senate Committee and will go on to the floor of the
Senate where it is expected to be passed.
As far as the particular wording in the legislation, we have brought this to the attention of the Nursing Board
and to Don Balasa and the understanding is to get legislation passed first, the specific language like AAMA,
CAAHEP approved programs only, and Grandfather clauses come next. Don Balasa is well aware of our
concerns and he suggested that we (the Board and other members of the NHSMA) get together and try to
come up with wording that we can agree on. Once this is done, we will forward to him and he can adjust
the terminology (legal terminology) and then forward to the Board of Nursing for the State of NH where they
may need to put into more precise legal terminology to present it to the Board of Nursing.
| LEGISLATION UPDATE |