On Monday, I wrote about Democrats taking the lead on state legislation to promote children’s health through nutrition and physical-education legislation. Today, I would like to touch upon three more crucial issues in children’s health care: insurance coverage for autism, getting rid of toxic toys, and second-hand smoke in cars.

COVERAGE FOR AUTISM

On July 14, the Chicago Sun Times ran a story about another key children’s health care issue for which Democrats are fighting. Illinois Democratic Gov. Blagojevich added language to House Bill 4225 to create landmark legislation, making his state provide the most comprehensive autism coverage in the nation.

According to the organization Autism Speaks, one in 150 children is diagnosed with autism; a new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes; and it is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the country.

A recent story in Stateline provides a great overview of state laws on insurance coverage for autism. According to the piece, 12 states already require insurance coverage for autism, one state has passed legislation this year, and 12 states have legislation pending.

In Wisconsin, Democrats were blocked in their efforts to pass an autism bill. Democratic Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink wrote a newspaper column about how – after passing the Senate – SB 178 by Democratic Sen. Judy Robson (and co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Russ Decker, among others), died in the Assembly. According to a story in the Daily Cardinal, the Autism Society of Wisconsin supported Democratic SB 178 over Republican AB 901.

In Oklahoma, Democrats were also blocked in their efforts to pass an autism bill. There have been at least 3 attempts this session to pass an autism insurance bill. SB 1537, written by Democratic Sen. Jay Paul Gumm and dubbed “Nick’s Law, did not even make it out of committee. HB 2531, which would require insurance coverage for autism, passed the Senate on a 30-18 vote, but -- despite the pleas of parents of autistic children -- House Republican leadership refused to hear the bill. SB 2118, another attempt to pass insurance coverage for autism, sailed through the Senate, but died in a House committee.

TOXIC TOYS

In Washington, Democratic Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson authored HB 2647, the “Children’s Safe Products Act of 2008,” which bans 3 toxins from children’s toys: lead, cadmium, and phthalates. This bill was signed by the governor on March 13.

In California, AB 1108 (2007) -- the “California Toxic Toys Bill” – was sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and signed by the governor on October 14, 2007.

In New Jersey, Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein and Democratic Sen. Loretta Weinberg have joined the fight for safe children’s toys this year with their introduction of bills for the “Toxic-free Children's Products Act” – AB 2332 and SB 1428.

In Maine, Rep. Hannah Pingree authored LD 2048, “An Act to Protect Children's Health and the Environment from Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children's Products,” which was signed by the governor on April 17, 2008.

In MARYLAND, Democratic Delegate James Hubbard sponsored HB 62, which prohibits children’s products containing lead. It was signed by the governor on May 13.

BANNING SMOKING IN AUTOMOBILES WHERE CHILDREN ARE PRESENT

Democrats are also going after adults who smoke in vehicles when children are passengers in those cars. For an excellent overview of state legislation through 2007, take a look at another story in Stateline. In 2008, we see the Democratically controlled legislatures in Maine and Washington State defending children’s health and safety in this area.

In Maine, LD 2012 -- which is a primary-offense prohibition smoking in a motor vehicle when a person under 16 years of age is present in that vehicle -- was signed by the governor on April 10, 2008. Democratic Rep. Patricia Blanchette sponsored a state-wide ban bill modeled on an ordinance in her town of Bangor, which protects children up to age 18. In the end, Blanchette’s version lost out to a Republican version which lowered the age from 18 to 16.

In Washington, HB 2519 (sponsored by Democratic Rep. Shay Schual-Berke) and SB 6287 (sponsored by Democratic Sen. Chris Marr) both ban smoking in cars with children inside. The House bill would cover children under 18, and the Senate version would include children under 14. Both bills make the violation a secondary offense. While neither bill made it into law this session, future success is very likely since the bills were supported by the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and state law-enforcement agencies, troopers, and firefighters.

One of the most interesting parts of my job as research director of the DLCC is watching the appearance of state legislation on issues that were previously not on the state legislative agenda in earlier sessions. When California passed innovative, landmark legislation in 2006 on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, many other states began emulating this legislation in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

One relatively recent emerging issue is in the area of health care. We all know about the unfortunate reputation of the United States as being a nation of overweight adults. But, increasingly both the news and state legislative agendas have focused on the equally -– if not more -– startling figures on overweight children.

On the Thursday, July 10, editorial page of the New York Times, the newspaper’s editors expressed shock at the recent recommendation issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics that some children as young as 8 years old should be taking cholesterol-reducing statin drugs because of the poor nutrition and exercise habits of many of America’s children.

The Department of Human Services’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a wonderful “Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity State Legislative Database” website that allows one to search a database of state legislation to improve children’s health. One can search topics such as physical education legislation across all states over numerous years. According to the site, 52 bills on children’s physical education were introduced in 2008 in state legislatures across the nation.

While Democrats have always been the leaders on traditional healthcare issues such as expanding children’s health insurance, we are now adding innovative exercise and nutrition legislation to our list of accomplishments on behalf of American children. We see Democrats taking the lead on this children’s health issue across the country—including states like Oregon, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Maryland.

In OREGON, Democrats are tackling the nutrition issue. On the Oregon House Democrats website, you can read about an innovative nutrition program known as farm-to-table or farm-to-school. HB 3601 establishes the Oregon Farm-to-School and School Garden Program to promote nutrition education and wellness in Oregon’s schools. It was signed by the governor on March 11.

In OKLAHOMA, Democratic Senator Mary Easley was a sponsor of SB 1186, which doubles the requirement for physical activity from 60 minutes to 120 minutes a week. The bill was signed by the governor on May 5.

In VIRGINIA, Democratic Senator Janet Howell introduced SB 61 -- a bill that requires the Department of Education to develop a database of best practices for nutrition and physical education. The bill was signed by the governor on March 5.

In MARYLAND, Democratic Senator David Harrington authored SB 955, to study tougher physical education requirements for K-12 to reduce childhood obesity. The governor signed this bill on May 13.

Because of the need for both better nutrition and increased physical activity in combating high cholesterol at all ages, these laws represent a key step towards improving children’s health.