Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Appeals Court Rules That Researchers Can Access California Gun Owner Data
San Francisco Chronicle: 9th Circuit Upholds California Law Providing Gun Data To Researchers
A California law allowing researchers to obtain records of all guns and ammunition bought in the state does not violate gun owners’ privacy or their right to keep and bear arms, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. The law, AB173, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 but blocked in November 2022 by a San Diego judge in a privacy-rights suit by gun advocacy groups. It was reinstated a year later by a state appeals court, which said the studies provide valuable information on reducing deaths and violence from firearms. (Egelko, 5/8)
The CT Mirror: CT Bill To Lower Wheelchair Repair Wait Times Gets Full Passage
A bill aimed at curbing wait times for wheelchair repairs won final approval at the General Assembly on Tuesday. Lawmakers in the House unanimously passed House Bill 308, An Act Implementing Task Force Recommendations For Wheelchair Repair. It goes to Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk for final signature. (LeMaster, 5/8)
CBS News: Colorado Lawmakers Approve Millions Of Dollars To Address Youth Mental Health Crisis
On the last day of the legislative session, state lawmakers approved one of the biggest investments in child welfare in years. The legislation comes as hundreds of kids with severe behavioral health needs are forced to seek care out of state because Colorado doesn't have enough residential treatment. The lack of treatment is primarily due to a lack of providers. The bill will help recruit and retain more providers and give hope to families who feel their kids have been failed by the state. (Boyd, 5/8)
WFSU: New Florida Law Can Help Make Police Aware Of Drivers With Disabilities
The law will be part of the motor vehicle registration process. Sponsors say it will make officers mindful of possible medical conditions of someone in the vehicle who may not respond to commands as expected. (Andrews, 5/8)
North Carolina Health News: Parents Push To Expand Good Samaritan Law
As North Carolina continues to lose more people to overdoses every year — a record 4,339 in 2022 — parents and families are calling for a change in state laws that they say would encourage people to call for help, even if they had used drugs themselves or had supplied the potentially fatal dose. (Fernandez, 5/9)
Houston Chronicle: Cy-Fair ISD Board Removes Vaccines, Cultural Diversity From Textbooks
More than a dozen chapters including content on vaccines, cultural diversity, climate change, depopulation and other topics deemed controversial by conservative Cypress-Fairbanks ISD trustees will be removed from textbooks in the state's third largest school system for the 2024-2025 school year. Trusteed voted 6-1 late Monday to omit the material, after an hourslong discussion about a $138 million budget deficit that is forcing the district to eliminate 600 positions. (Sander, 5/8)
Also —
Stateline: Many States Are Eager To Extend Medicaid To People Soon To Be Released From Prison
A new policy that allows states to provide Medicaid health care coverage to incarcerated people at least a month prior to their release has drawn bipartisan interest and a slew of state applications. (Hassanein, 5/8)
Stateline: More Addiction Patients Can Take Methadone At Home, But Some States Lag Behind
Matt Haney’s home in San Francisco isn’t far from a methadone clinic. ... His neighbors wait for the daily dose of methadone that relieves their cravings and minimizes opioid withdrawal symptoms. Despite methadone’s effectiveness, a labyrinth of state and federal rules — meant to guard against its misuse — keeps it inaccessible to many people who desperately need it, Haney said. (Claire Vollers, 5/8)
KFF Health News: Paid Sick Leave Sticks After Many Pandemic Protections Vanish
Bill Thompson’s wife had never seen him smile with confidence. For the first 20 years of their relationship, an infection in his mouth robbed him of teeth, one by one. “I didn’t have any teeth to smile with,” the 53-year-old of Independence, Missouri, said. Thompson said he dealt with throbbing toothaches and painful swelling in his face from abscesses for years working as a cook at Burger King. He desperately needed to see a dentist but said he couldn’t afford to take time off without pay. (Dyer, 5/9)
