HB 10, the VA Healthcare Freedom Act, will be heard in the House Commerce and Labor Subcom #2 on Thur., 28 Jan., in House Room D (on the 1st floor of the GA Bldg.), immediately following the adjournment of the full committee hearing. The full committee will begin 1/2 hour after adjournment of the House session. My estimate is that the full committee will begin sometime between 1:30 and 2 pm and dispose of 22 bills over at least the next two hours. HBs 576 and 722, comparable to SB 417, will also be heard in subcom.
The C&L #2 members are Dels: Hugo (Chairman), Purkey, Rust, Marshall, D.W., Cline, Miller, J.H., Loupassi, Johnson, Alexander, McClellan, and McQuinn. Please contact them and request that they support the bill. Remember that the subcom’s report is non-binding, i.e., the full committee’s vote is where the bill will ultimately pass or fail its first major hurdle. Even so, this subcom should vote to report to the full committee that this bill be passed.
Because HB 10 is unique and distinctly different than the other similar bills being considered, expect some frank discussion and possible amendments to conform it to the other bills. On the other hand, co-patron Dels. Marshall and O’Bannon might argue vociferously to retain their language. We shall see.
