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Rep. Jim Hackworth - House District 33
IMMEDIATE RELEASE April
19, 2007
Bills Target Youth
Suicides, Expectant Mothers,
Stem Cell Researchers,
Low-Income Consumers
House Addresses Urgent
Social Problems Facing Tennesseans
NASHVILLE (Apr. 19) –
According to the Tennessee constitution, state government is responsible
for advancing the peace, safety and happiness of all citizens. The
state House of Representatives tried to fulfill these promises this week
by moving bills that help save young lives and safeguard the bank
accounts of working people, according to Rep.
Jim Hackworth,
D-Anderson County.
Several important
measures addressed the emotional and physical well-being of public
school students. One bill passed by the House in final action, “The
Jason Flatt Act of 2007,” requires suicide prevention training for all
teachers. The two-hour instructional session can be self-directed
and use online sources, including those developed by the Jason
Foundation, Inc., a nationally recognized provider of suicide prevention
curricula.
The foundation’s
president and CEO, Clark Flatt, witnessed the unanimous floor vote
approving the measure. Flatt founded the nonprofit organization
based in Hendersonville. He thanked lawmakers for approving the
most comprehensive suicide prevention training bill in the nation.
His 16-year-old son Jason, for whom the bill is named, committed suicide
in 1997.
“The training is needed
because suicide ravages our communities and steals the futures of
promising young people. This epidemic is the third leading cause
of death for ages 15-24 and fourth for ages 10-14. For every 12
youths in Tennessee, one attempts suicide. More teenagers die of
suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDs, birth defects, stroke,
pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined,” explained
Hackworth.
The House passed a
second bill in a floor vote that further protects young Tennesseans from
serious harm. This measure requires background checks for university
students entering teacher training programs. Student teacher
candidates must supply a fingerprint sample and submit to a criminal
history records investigation. The applicant pays the
investigation costs and receives copies of any reports.
Mothers and babies were
targeted by two bills that advanced to the Health and Human Resources
Committee. One bill, the “Tennessee Pregnant Women Support Act,”
lists a number of wide-ranging goals. These include:
- Collecting data on the
number of abortions in the state and characteristics of
women who abort.
- Developing informational
pamphlets about abortion that include lists of adoption
resources and contraception methods.
- Setting up a toll-free
telephone hotline for pregnant women.
“The bill also prohibits
insurance companies from denying coverage of medical services for women
who were pregnant before their plans started. Guidelines for
screening genetic disorders are included among the provisions. The
number and types of safe havens are also expanded. These are
specific locations where mothers can leave their unwanted infants and
avoid arrest for abandonment,” said
Hackworth.
A related bill would
enact the “Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative Act of 2007.”
Briefly, this measure creates a state commission that develops
public-private partnerships for a network of umbilical cord blood banks.
Any mother giving birth in Tennessee may voluntarily and anonymously
contribute postnatal tissue and fluid.
“Umbilical cord blood is
a unique source of large numbers of young, undifferentiated stem cells.
These stem cells can be used for treating life-threatening diseases.
Results of current research have provided hope for patients and future
stem cell studies. Donating umbilical cord blood poses no health
risk for either mother or child, and it’s easily collected and stored,”
explained Hackworth.
Just in time for tax
season, the House passed two bills in final action that address
pocketbook issues. The “Credit Security Act of 2007” allows
Tennesseans to request a security freeze on their consumer reports. This
action bars consumer reporting agencies from releasing reports or credit
scores without permission. Agencies must freeze reports within three
days, and give consumers identification numbers or passwords that are
used to remove freezes.
Victims whose accounts
are illegally released to identity thieves or resellers of credit
information may sue for actual damages and payment of attorney fees.
The bill also prohibits businesses and state and local governments from
disclosing citizens’ social security numbers taken from their records.
In addition, websites cannot require posting social security numbers to
access the sites.
A unique provision
allows the state attorney general to issue an identity theft passport to
identity theft victims. This document gives legal protection to
victims in cases of wrongful arrest, fraudulent account investigations
and consumer agency disputes.
The other financial
services bill addresses commercial preparers of federal tax returns who
offer tax refund anticipation loans to clients. “This measure
states that the annual percentage interest on the loan must be printed
on the contract. Plus, the preparer must disclose in print the
average time required for the Internal Revenue Service to electronically
transmit the refund to the client’s account,” concludes
Hackworth.
CONTACT:
Kenneth Townsend, Press Secretary, House Democratic Caucus, at
615-741-6620 or email
kenneth.townsend@legislature.state.tn.us.
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