[NationalHarbor] Congratulations to Us Again! Accessible Prescription Labels - SB 940

Fri Apr 7 22:59:50 UTC 2023

Will there be a Signing Ceremony that we can attend?

Janice

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023, 6:55 PM Janice Samuel <jlwsamuel at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yay!!
>
> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023, 10:40 AM Maryland President via NationalHarbor <
> nationalharbor at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Friends,
>> Just a moment ago, SB 940, the Senate cross-file of HB 456 was passed by
>> the
>> Maryland House of Delegates.  So it's official - we have now gotten both
>> our
>> bills on making accessible prescriptions available adopted by the General
>> Assembly, and we just await Governor Moore's signature.  They are
>> identical
>> bills, but it's a true victory to have both bills passed unanimously by
>> both
>> chambers.
>>
>> Well done, us!  This is what collective action looks like!
>>
>> Ronza Othman, President
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 443-426-4110
>> Pronouns: she, her, hers
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Maryland President <president at nfbmd.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, April 6, 2023 2:11 PM
>> To: 'nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org' <nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org>; '
>> nfbmd at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmd at nfbnet.org>; 'greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org'
>> <greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org>; 'nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'md-atlarge at nfbnet.org'
>> <md-atlarge at nfbnet.org>; 'md-sligo at nfbnet.org' <md-sligo at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'nationalharbor at nfbnet.org' <nationalharbor at nfbnet.org>; 'mabm at nfbnet.org
>> '
>> <mabm at nfbnet.org>; 'mdabs at nfbnet.org' <mdabs at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'mdpobc at nfbnet.org' <mdpobc at nfbnet.org>; 'NFB of Maryland, Baltimore
>> County
>> List' <md-baltimore-county at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Congratulations to Us! Accessible Prescription Labels - HB 456
>>
>> Federation Family,
>> Congratulations!  Just moments ago, the Maryland Senate passed HB 456,
>> Accessible Prescription Labels for Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print
>> Disabled Individuals.  This bill now just awaits Governor Moore's
>> signature.
>> Under this bill, the Maryland Board of Pharmacies must promulgate
>> regulations that will go into effect no later than January 1, 2025, to
>> require that Maryland pharmacies provide prescription labels, bag tags,
>> and
>> guides in accessible format for those who are blind, low vision, or
>> otherwise print disabled.  Pharmacies must also have information readily
>> available and accessible so that patients know accessible labeling is
>> available.  The accessible prescription labels, bag tags, and guides must
>> be
>> made available at no additional cost to the patient and in the same
>> timeframe as prescriptions with standard labels.  The Board of Pharmacy
>> must
>> work with the blind community when promulgating these regulations.
>> Finally,
>> the Maryland Department of Health must conduct an analysis by December 1,
>> 2023, to determine if there are ways to help off-set the cost of the
>> labels
>> and labeling technology for certain types of pharmacies.
>>
>>
>> In a nutshell, as of January 1, 2025, any of us in Maryland should be able
>> to walk into our local pharmacy or call in a prescription, tell them we
>> want
>> accessible labels in Braille or large print or audio, and get those
>> prescriptions with the label type of our choice, at no extra cost to us,
>> in
>> the same timeframe as any other patient.
>>
>> I would urge those who can to send an email to our sponsor, Delegate
>> Michele
>> Guyton - Michele.Guyton at house.state.md.us - to thank her and her staff
>> for
>> their extraordinary work on this bill.
>>
>> Also, thank you to each of you who testified, attended a hearing, wrote a
>> letter, made a phone call, or worked to see this bill move from idea to
>> law.
>> Special thanks to our brilliant Director of Legislation and Advocacy,
>> Sharon
>> Maneki, for all of her hard work.  I had a front-row seat for the
>> literally
>> dozens of meetings, in person visits, and conversations with everyone from
>> the legislature to the Governor's Office to the Pharmacists Association to
>> the Maryland Retailers Association to the Maryland Hospital Association
>> and
>> so on for this bill, and Sharon, per usual, handled them masterfully.
>>
>> Relatedly, SB 940 just, again, moments ago, received a favorable report
>> from
>> the House Health and Government Operations Committee and should be on the
>> House floor for second reader this afternoon or tomorrow morning.  Even
>> though HB 456 has already passed both houses, it's always wonderful to
>> also
>> get the cross-file across the finish line too.
>>
>> More to come on SB 940!
>>
>> Yours,
>> Ronza
>>
>>
>>
>> Ronza Othman, President
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 443-426-4110
>> Pronouns: she, her, hers
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Maryland President <president at nfbmd.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 5, 2023 8:47 PM
>> To: 'nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org' <nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org>; '
>> nfbmd at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmd at nfbnet.org>; 'greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org'
>> <greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org>; 'nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'md-atlarge at nfbnet.org'
>> <md-atlarge at nfbnet.org>; 'md-sligo at nfbnet.org' <md-sligo at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'nationalharbor at nfbnet.org' <nationalharbor at nfbnet.org>; 'mabm at nfbnet.org
>> '
>> <mabm at nfbnet.org>; 'mdabs at nfbnet.org' <mdabs at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'mdpobc at nfbnet.org' <mdpobc at nfbnet.org>; 'NFB of Maryland, Baltimore
>> County
>> List' <md-baltimore-county at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: RE: Update: Accessible Prescription Labels - HB 456 and SB 940
>>
>> Hi Everyone,
>> Here's an update on our Accessible Prescription Labels legislation.
>>
>> SB 940 was moved out of the House Rules Committee this morning and is
>> before
>> the House Health and Government Operations Committee.  They have a voting
>> session tomorrow and Friday, so we're hopeful it'll get out on time to get
>> to the House floor before Monday.  I've been speaking with the Chair of
>> HGO,
>> and she's committed to do what she can to get it out.
>>
>> Meanwhile, HB 456, the House Companion, has come before the Senate earlier
>> this week for what is called second reader, and we're just waiting on the
>> Senate to vote on third reader.  We thought that would happen today, but
>> the
>> Senate adjourned early for Passover.  So tomorrow's a great day to listen
>> to
>> the Senate Stream because once HB 456 is passed by the Senate, we just
>> need
>> Governor Moore's signature for it to become law.
>>
>> So if you want to listen to the Senate stream tomorrow (Thursday) to see
>> our
>> bills hopefully get final passage both for HB 456 and for SB 535, go to:
>> https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/
>>
>> The Senate is scheduled to convene at 10AM, but they nearly always start
>> late.  Just keep refreshing the browser until the link changes from
>> "adjourned" to "convened" and then select "play" on the browser.  The page
>> will automatically update as bills are heard and voted on.
>>
>>
>> Ronza Othman, President
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 443-426-4110
>> Pronouns: she, her, hers
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Maryland President <president at nfbmd.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, April 1, 2023 8:57 AM
>> To: 'nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org' <nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org>; '
>> nfbmd at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmd at nfbnet.org>; 'greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org'
>> <greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org>; 'nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'md-atlarge at nfbnet.org'
>> <md-atlarge at nfbnet.org>; 'md-sligo at nfbnet.org' <md-sligo at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'nationalharbor at nfbnet.org' <nationalharbor at nfbnet.org>; 'mabm at nfbnet.org
>> '
>> <mabm at nfbnet.org>; 'mdabs at nfbnet.org' <mdabs at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'mdpobc at nfbnet.org' <mdpobc at nfbnet.org>; 'NFB of Maryland, Baltimore
>> County
>> List' <md-baltimore-county at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: RE: Update: Accessible Prescription Labels - HB 456 and SB 940
>>
>> Hi Everyone,
>> The Senate passed out SB 940 earlier this week, and it is now at the House
>> Rules and Executive Nominations Committee waiting to be assigned to the
>> House and Government Operations Committee.  Everything that gets passed
>> past
>> a certain date goes to Rules first and the relevant committee with
>> jurisdiction has to pull it into their committee.  Stay tuned, as if the
>> bill does not get assigned to HGO early next week, we'll need your
>> collective action.  The current legislative session ends in 10 calendar
>> days.
>>
>> HB 456 is in the Senate Finance Committee and is scheduled for a vote on
>> Monday.  We'll keep you posted on our progress.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ronza Othman, President
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 443-426-4110
>> Pronouns: she, her, hers
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Maryland President <president at nfbmd.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2023 7:10 AM
>> To: 'nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org' <nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org>; '
>> nfbmd at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmd at nfbnet.org>; 'greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org'
>> <greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org>; 'nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org'
>> <central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org>; 'md-atlarge at nfbnet.org'
>> <md-atlarge at nfbnet.org>; 'md-sligo at nfbnet.org' <md-sligo at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'nationalharbor at nfbnet.org' <nationalharbor at nfbnet.org>; 'mabm at nfbnet.org
>> '
>> <mabm at nfbnet.org>; 'mdabs at nfbnet.org' <mdabs at nfbnet.org>;
>> 'mdpobc at nfbnet.org' <mdpobc at nfbnet.org>; 'NFB of Maryland, Baltimore
>> County
>> List' <md-baltimore-county at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Update: Accessible Prescription Labels - HB 456 and SB 940
>>
>> Hi All,
>> Congratulations!  On Saturday, the Maryland House passed HB 456,
>> Accessible
>> Prescription Labels for Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print Disabled
>> Patients.  This bill was sponsored by our good friend and advocate,
>> Delegate
>> Michele Guyton.
>>
>> It moved to the Senate on Monday and we are very hopeful about it's
>> chances.
>>
>>
>> We had our hearing in the Senate on the cross-file of HB 456, which is SB
>> 940 this past Tuesday.  Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee issued a
>> favorable report on SB 940, and it'll come to the full Senate for two
>> rounds
>> of vote starting this morning.
>>
>> What will happen next is that either the Senate will vote on whether to
>> adopt the House bill, or provided the Senate bill passes out of the
>> Senate,
>> the House will vote whether or not to adopt the Senate bill.  One chamber
>> needs to adopt the other's by April 10 when the 2023 legislative session
>> ends.
>>
>> Stay tuned, but for now, we celebrate!
>>
>>
>> Ronza Othman, President
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 443-426-4110
>> Pronouns: she, her, hers
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: president at nfbmd.org <president at nfbmd.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 7:28 PM
>> To: nfb-maryland at nfbnet.org; nfbmd at nfbnet.org;
>> greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org;
>> nfbmdtlc-chapter at nfbnet.org; central-md-chapter at nfbnet.org;
>> md-atlarge at nfbnet.org; md-sligo at nfbnet.org; nationalharbor at nfbnet.org;
>> mabm at nfbnet.org; mdabs at nfbnet.org; mdpobc at nfbnet.org; NFB of Maryland,
>> Baltimore County List <md-baltimore-county at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Progress on Guide Dog Bill
>>
>> Hi everyone, we have some significant progress on our guide dog protection
>> in housing legislation. The Senate Judicial  Proceedings Committee has
>> voted
>> the bill out of the committee with a favorable report. That means in the
>> next few days, the bill will be considered by the full Maryland senate.
>> The
>> Senate will have two opportunities to consider the bill and debate it. If,
>> on the second review, they vote to adopt it, it will then move over to the
>> House of Delegates for their consideration. We will keep you posted as
>> things progress, and hopefully things will move quickly now
>>
>> Ronza Othman, President
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 443-426-4110
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> NationalHarbor mailing list
>> NationalHarbor at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nationalharbor_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NationalHarbor:
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nationalharbor_nfbnet.org/jlwsamuel%40gmail.com
>>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nationalharbor_nfbnet.org/attachments/20230407/87487e28/attachment.html>