Rep. Allison Tant

Offenses Evidencing Prejudice; Expands grounds for reclassification of offenses to include prejudice based on gender or gender identity of any person; specifies reclassification occurs if commission of offenses is based on prejudice towards any person on specified grounds; replaces term "mental or physical disability" with term "disability"; defines "disability."

Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defenses; Prohibits individuals from using nonviolent sexual advance or specified perceptions or beliefs about another individual as defense to criminal offense, to excuse or justify conduct of individual who commits criminal offense, or to mitigate severity of criminal offense.

Elimination of Court-related Financial Obligations for Juveniles; Removes juveniles from numerous provisions relating to court fees; provides that fees & court-ordered costs previously ordered to be paid are unenforceable & uncollectable; provides for reinstatement of driver licenses suspended for failure to make specified payments.

Offenses Against Firefighters; Provides enhanced penalties for certain offenses committed against firefighters engaged in performance of their lawful duties.

Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids for Children; Requires individual health insurance policies & individual HMOs to provide coverage for hearing aids for children 18 years of age or younger; specifies coverage requirements; provides insured & subscriber are responsible for certain costs that exceed policy limit.

Insurance Coverages for Drugs and Medical Procedures and Treatments; Prohibits health insurers & HMOs from requiring, before providing prescription drug coverage for treatment of stage 4 metastatic cancer & associated conditions, that treatment have failed with different drug; prohibits insurers & HMOs from excluding coverage for certain drugs on certain grounds; prohibits insurers & HMOs from requiring home infusion for certain cancer treatment drugs or that certain cancer treatment drugs be sent to certain entities for home infusion unless certain condition is met; specifies requirement for prior authorization form; specifies requirements for, & restrictions on, health insurers & pharmacy benefits managers relating to prior authorization information, requirements, restrictions, & changes; specifies timeframes in which prior authorization requests must be authorized or denied & patient & patient's provider must be notified.

Acceptance of Cash Payments by Businesses; Requires certain businesses to accept cash payments for services; prohibits fees or conditions for such transactions; provides exceptions, penalties, & rulemaking authority.

Identification of Persons with Special Needs; Requires DHSMV to include an individual's name in specified databases when they receive developmental disability designation on their ID card or driver license; authorizes person with Alzheimer's disease or dementia-related disorder to have designation placed on his or her ID card or driver license & requires DHSMV to include such an individual's name in specified databases.

Professional Licensing Requirements for Barbers and Cosmetologists; Provides period of time when conviction, or any other adjudication, for crime may not be grounds for denial of licensure as barber or cosmetologist; requires applicable board to approve educational program credits offered to inmates in certain institutions or facilities for purposes of satisfying training requirements for licensure as barber or cosmetologist.

Pub. Rec./Public Employees Relations Commission; Provides exemption from public records requirements for personal identifying & location information of chair, commissioners, & hearing officers of Public Employees Relations Commission & personal identifying & location information of spouses & children of such personnel; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides statement of public necessity.