Abstract Details

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9/26/2014  |   2:15 PM - 2:45 PM   |  Topical Session 3   |  Ballroom A

From Public Health Concern to Law: The Legislative Process

In 2013, the Utah Legislature unanimously passed House Bill 81, Cytomegalovirus Public Health Initiative, requiring CMV education and CMV testing for newborns who fail their newborn hearing screening. Representative Ronda Menlove was the sponsor and champion of the legislation. Representative Menlove is a 10-year sitting member of the Utah House of Representatives, is the Chair of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee, and has served in House Leadership. In this session, Representative Menlove will teach participants the legislative process, using the Cytomegalovirus Public Health Initiative as a case study. She will discuss the preparatory steps for proposing legislation that will increase the possibility of policy change; the necessary relationships and steps for successfully navigating a state legislature; and the importance of selecting legislative sponsors that will follow through with the implementation of enacted policies. Representative Menlove successfully navigated a legislature that was not prone to pass a mandate, responded to opposition from the medical field and, together with the department of health, obtained a reasonable budget for CMV Public Health. She successfully added to the budget in 2014 and continues to advocate for CMV awareness and research.

Ronda Menlove (Point of Contact,Primary Presenter), ronda.menlove@usu.edu;
Dr. Ronda Rudd Menlove is serving her fifth term in the Utah House of Representatives. She serves as the House Chair of the Utah Legislature's Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee. Ronda is also a Senior Vice Provost at Utah State University. She has a background in special education and disability issues. Ronda has a granddaughter who is deaf due to a late-diagnosed congenital CMV infection.

ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - Receives Salary for Other activities from Utah Legislature.   Receives Salary,Other financial benefit for Other activities from Utah Legislature.  

Nonfinancial - Has a Personal,Political (Grandparent of child with CMV) (Member of Utah House of Representatives) relationship for Other volunteer activities.  

David Patton (Co-Presenter), DPATTON@utah.gov;
Dr. David Patton has served as executive director of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) since March 2011. Patton oversees nearly 1,000 UDOH employees with the goal of helping Utah become the healthiest state in the nation. Prior to his appointment as executive director, Patton served as the UDOH deputy director. Previously, he was the director of the Center for Public Policy & Administration (CPPA) and Research Professor at The University of Utah. He has worked professionally in the private sector and with state and local governments and has work experience ranging from agency management and labor negotiations to policy research and analysis. Patton has taught at Boise State University and The University of Utah. Patton holds four degrees: Bachelor of Science degrees in economics and political science from The University of Utah, Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University and Ph.D. in political science from The University of Utah.

ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.

Presentation:
339RondaMenlove.pdf

Handouts:
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