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UPDATE - HB 1301 HB 1301 was introduced on Feb. 15th and was assigned to House Health and Human Services Committee. Reps. Buescher and Primavera and Senator Williams are the sponsors. The bill establishes the cervical cancer immunization program, requires a cervical cancer public awareness campaign and mandates health insurance policies provide coverage for cervical cancer immunizations. Here is a PDF link to HB 1301. ACTION - HB 1301:Contact members of the House Health and Human Services Committee.Talking points: • Concerns about HPV vaccine safety, efficacy and cost. • DO NOT mandate insurance coverage for HPV Vaccine - mandates drive up the cost of health insurance. • Colorado Taxpayers should not have to foot the bill to push Merck's drugs. • HB 1301 transfers 1.5 million dollars from the breast and cervical cancer prevention, early detection and treatment fund to fund the "cervical cancer immunization fund". If money is taken away from programs that provide cancer screening and pap smears for older women who are at risk and put into a vaccination program for young girls who are not at risk, it could be deadly. House Health and Human Services Committee Members: Representative McGihon, Chairman- 303-866-2921 - anne.mcgihon.house@state.co.us Representative Frangas, Vice-Chairman - 303-866-2954 - kjerry.frangas.house@state.co.us Gagliardi - 303-866-2962 - sara.gagliardi.house@state.co.us Green - 303-866-2951 - gwyn.green.house@state.co.us Kefalas - 303-866-4569 - john.kefalas.house@state.co.us Kerr J - 303-866-2939 - james.kerr.house@state.co.us Primavera - 303-866-4667 - dianne.primavera.house@state.co.us Riesberg - 303-866-2929 - jim.riesberg.house@state.co.us Roberts, -303-866-2914 - ellen.Roberts.house@state.co.us Stafford - 303-866-2944 - debbie.Stafford.house@state.co.us Swalm - 303-866-5510 - spencer.swalm.house@state.co.us UPDATE: Congressional legislation US Congressman Phil Gingrey, MD, (R) GA, introduced the "Protecting the Parental Right to Decide Act of 2007" on Feb. 16th. Rep. Gingrey is an OB-GYN physician. This bill would prohibit all federal funds from supporting mandatory HPV vaccination programs. For more information read: Congressman Gingrey's news release. World Net Daily article: LIFE WITH BIG BROTHER HPV mandates face federal money ban Congressman proposes no funding for states' HPV vaccine requirements ACTION NEEDED - Congressional legislation: Rep. Lamborn and Rep. Musgrave are cosponsors. Call them and thank them, Rep Doug Lamborn (202-225-4422) and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (202-225-4676) Call the other Colorado members of Congress and ask them to also sign on: Rep. Diana DeGette - House District 1 - 202-225-4431 Rep. Mark Udall - House District 2 - 202-225-2161 Rep. John Salazar - House District 3 - 202-225-4761 Rep. Tom Tancredo - House District 6 - 202-225-7882 Rep. Ed Perlmutter - House District 7 - 202-225-2645 Tell friends and family in other states to urge their representatives to do the same, this is a national issue with local and national consequences. UPDATE - SB 97 SB 97 - 1 million dollars of tobacco money into immunization fund for FY 07-08 and 1.4 million for FY 08-09, passed 2nd reading in the senate on Friday, Feb. 16th. It will be up for 3rd reading and final passage by the full senate on Tuesday, Feb. 20th. ACTION SB 97: Call your senator and tell them tobacco money should not go into the Colorado Immunization Fund to be used for "immunizations and immunization strategies" that are not defined. This money could go to purchase HPV vaccine or to the immunization tracking system. Contact information for senators. UPDATE SB 80} HPV vaccine mandate for 6th grade girls has not been rescheduled in senate appropriations as of 2-17. ACTION NEEDED: Keep watching for a date for SB80 to be heard in senate appropriations. |
