MINUTES OF THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND LABOR
Sixty-seventh Session
April 22, 1993
The Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor was called to order by Chairman Randolph J. Townsend, at 8:30 a.m., on Thursday, April 22, 1993, in Room 227 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Meeting Agenda. Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Senator Randolph J. Townsend, Chairman
Senator Sue Lowden, Vice Chairman
Senator Ann O'Connell
Senator Mike McGinness
Senator Raymond C. Shaffer
Senator Leonard V. Nevin
Senator Lori L. Brown
GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:
Assemblywoman Myrna Williams, Assembly District 10
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Denise Pinnock, Committee Secretary
Brian Davie, Senior Research Analyst
OTHERS PRESENT:
Terry Rankin, Commissioner, Department of Insurance, State of Nevada
Jerry Whittemore, Ph.D., Nevada State Psychological Association
Fred Hillerby, Lobbyist, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nevada
Bill Prezant, Lobbyist, FHP, Inc.
Chairman Townsend opened the hearing on Assembly Bill (A.B.) 91.
A.B. 91: Requires notice to named insured of purchase of or increase in life insurance coverage under certain circumstances.
Assemblywoman Myrna Williams, Assembly District 10, explained the bill had been drafted due to "increased incidence of wrongdoing due to extreme cases of greed." Mrs. Williams said her committee had not heard any opposition to the bill.
Terry Rankin, Commissioner, Department of Insurance, State of Nevada, stated her department had no problem with the bill.
SENATOR BROWN MOVED DO PASS A.B. 91.
SENATOR NEVIN SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS McGINNESS, LOWDEN, AND SHAFFER WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)
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Senator Townsend closed the hearing on A.B. 91, and withdrew Senate Bill (S.B.) 345.
S.B. 345: Repeals requirements that policies of health insurance provide certain specified coverage.
He said:
Let's start with [S.B.] 345. I would like to offer this to you in the following manner: we have been lucky enough in this state to have two people, Senator Glomb, from Washoe County, and Senator Rawson, from Clark County, be invited on two separate occasions during this session, to attend briefings by Hillary Clinton in Washington on her national health care proposal. They have briefed us twice on these proposals. As a result of that a great many things that traditionally have been left to the states, including some of the reasons you are here today, are being defined in that program by the federal government. Because that is, obviously, if not the single most important thing this administration has put forward, it is certainly a top priority for the current administration. Since anything they do would supersede anything this body does, it would be my intention to withdraw this bill, and monitor what the federal government does. We can meet at the next session and find out exactly what it is they've done. Their theory is that they are going to do something for us. Let's hope they don't do something to us. At that point we can debate what we need to do at the state level to accommodate any gaps in that national program. I have many of your very, very articulate testimony that you have brought forward (Exhibit C. Original is in the Research Library). Since you have not only taken time to put this together, but taken time to come here today, we would certainly be glad to take your testimony. If you think that at this point you are better served by going back and working with your clients, we certainly understand that, too....
Jerry Whittemore, Ph.D., Nevada State Psychological Association, asked the committee to recognize the people in the audience who had flown up from Las Vegas for the hearing. Senator Townsend assured Dr. Whittemore all the printed testimony would be entered into the record.
Senator Townsend explained the requester of S.B. 355 was not available to testify, so the bill would be rescheduled.
S.B. 355: Establishes restrictions for depositing and disbursing funds deposited in escrow.
Senator Townsend opened the hearing on S.B. 397.
S.B. 397: Clarifies that nonprofit corporation for hospital, medical or dental services may issue blanket health insurance.
Fred Hillerby, Lobbyist, Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) of Nevada, explained the current statutes did not allow for writing blanket insurance policies for groups such as students.
Ms. Rankin said by supporting the bill her department was trying to allow nonprofit organizations some of the options on contracts, which other insurers had.
Bill Prezant, Lobbyist, FHP, Inc., offered an amendment to S.B. 397 (Exhibit D), which would clarify who was affected by the bill. Mr. Hillerby stated his organization welcomed the amendment.
Senator McGinness asked if BC/BS had been limited by existing statute in writing policies. Mr. Hillerby said the policy in question had limited flexibility.
Ms. Rankin commented that all the statutes involving insurance really needed to be "completely looked at, maybe consolidated, and some of the variations smoothed out."
There followed general discussion regarding insurance summaries.
SENATOR NEVIN MOVED TO AMEND AND DO PASS S.B. 397.
SENATOR O'CONNELL SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
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Senator McGinness submitted Exhibit E, a subcommittee report on S.B. 214.
S.B. 214: Makes various changes relating to registration of trade-marks and insignia.
There followed general discussion of the bill, and the reasoning behind copying costs.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:25 a.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
Denise Pinnock,
Committee Secretary
APPROVED BY:
Senator Randolph J. Townsend, Chairman
DATE:
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Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor
April 22, 1993
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