Louisiana Enacts IT-Related Measures for Healthcare, Crime and Homeland Security

Yesterday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and administration officials recapped accomplishments of the 2008 legislative regular session. IT related items included:

• Health Care -- Achieving transparency in health care through the Louisiana Health Care Consumers Right to Know Act, which gives Louisiana consumers clear, reliable information about the cost, performance and quality of the health care providers they depend on. Louisiana Health Care Consumers Right to Know Act, SB 287, is the state's new health information transparency initiative. When individuals are equipped with information about cost and quality measurements, they are able to make more informed decisions about where they seek their medical care.
• Crime -- Requiring lifetime registration for sex offenders: Authorizing a presiding judge to sentence a sex offender to lifetime registration for any sex offense and requiring a sentence of lifetime registration for multiple offenses. Increasing minimum sentences for solicitation of a minor: Increasing the minimum sentence for computer-aided solicitation of a minor from one year to a two-year minimum when the victim is between the ages of 13 and 16; and a 10-year minimum when the victim is 12 years old or younger. Prohibiting sex predators from texting kids: Prohibiting the use of electronic textual communications to establish other forms of communications in order to persuade, induce or entice a minor to engage or participate in sexual conduct. Increasing funding for crime lab by $1.8 million to purchase new equipment for the DNA Unit and the Physical Evidence Unit to promote more timely identification and detection of criminals and reduced time for prosecution.
• Homeland Security -- Senate Bill 788 establishes a permanent governance structure for emergency management in the state of Louisiana by designating the Unified Command Group as a strategic, proactive decision making body during non-disaster periods, and establishes three subcommittees that give first responders, emergency managers, and other local government officials a direct voice to decision makers at the state level. Currently, the Unified Command Group is only activated when there is a major disaster or once a year during the annual hurricane exercise. The subcommittees include parish OEP directors, first responders, and interoperability (currently known as the Statewide Interoperable Executive Committee). House Bill 01-11 (General Appropriation Bill) provides GOHSEP with the budget spending authority of $38.1 million ($24.1 General Fund, $14.0 million Public Safety Interoperability Communications Grant) to enhance the Statewide Communications System including the following: Office of Interoperability; establishes an office within GOHSEP to provide leadership and provide oversight for the statewide communication system including the Interoperability Subcommittee established under SB 788. The Interoperability Subcommittee consists of 20 members representing first responder associations, state agencies and 9 regional representatives. The subcommittee is charged with "designing, constructing, and assisting in administering and maintaining a statewide communications interoperability plan for first responders." Infrastructure Expansion; utilizing the funding out of the PSIC Grant and State General funds, the state will expand coverage of the existing communications system to Central and Northern Louisiana. This will initially provide 95 percent mobile coverage from the PSIC Grant and increase capacity and coverage with State General Funds. Mobile and Portable Radios; state will be procuring $7.0 million worth of radios and dispatch consoles from the PSIC grant for first responders throughout the state; over 85 percent will be going to first responders at the local level.
  Medical Special Needs Generator Program; $4.2 million was included to fund nine generators. These generators will be placed at Louisiana Medical Special Needs Shelters to provide support during emergency operations.

A complete list of items is available online.