[CCCNFBW] Contact legislators about supporting Accessible Prescription Label bill, Committee hearing this Friday

[Betty Fitzpatrick]

Les and I have also submitted our comments. Betty 

 

 

From: CCCNFBW <cccnfbw-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Corey Grandstaff via
CCCNFBW
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2022 8:42 AM
To: 'Clark County Chapter, NFB of Washington List' <cccnfbw at nfbnet.org>
Cc: corey.grandstaff at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [CCCNFBW] Contact legislators about supporting Accessible
Prescription Label bill, Committee hearing this Friday

 

I left not only my written comment on the bill but also contacted our
senator as well. I urge all of you to please complete both of these steps
today, this is a very important issue our senator needs to hear about. Thank
you.

Corey Grandstaff, chapter president

From: CCCNFBW <cccnfbw-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Marci Carpenter via
CCCNFBW
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2022 5:36 PM
To: Clark County Chapter, NFB of Washington List <cccnfbw at nfbnet.org>;
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org; nfbsea at nfbnet.org
Cc: Marci Carpenter <mjc59 at comcast.net>
Subject: [CCCNFBW] Contact legislators about supporting Accessible
Prescription Label bill, Committee hearing this Friday

 

Greetings,

 

HB 1852 is a bill in the Washington state legislature which contains
language requiring that prescription container labels be provided in
accessible formats for blind, low vision and print disabled people. It
passed the House last week. The Senate companion bill, SB 5840 has a hearing
this Friday morning at 8 AM in the Senate Health and Long Term Care
Committee. We need as many members as possible to register in support of the
bill. In the Committee information the bill is listed as ESHB 1852.

 

The main part of the bill is about providing prescription labels in other
languages for non-English speaking people. There is now an amendment which
says:

By July 1, 2024, the Commission shall adopt rules establishing other
accessibility requirements for individuals who are blind, low vision or
otherwise print disabled for prescription drug labels and prescription
information

The commission the bill refers to is the Washington state Pharmacy Quality
Assurance Commission.

 

 

You can submit comments on the bill or provide written testimony to the
Committee. To comment on the bill go to
https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/5840.  Here you can comment on the bill and
have that comment sent to your legislators. First you must enter your
address (no abbreviations and no  apartment numbers). Your legislative
district will be verified and you can then register your support of the bill
and send comments. The comment section has a 1,000 word limit.

 

To submit written testimony which is sent to committee members and committee
staff go to https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=Senate
<https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifier/Add?chamber=Senate&mId=29811&aId=14643
1&caId=19533&tId=4> &mId=29811&aId=146431&caId=19533&tId=4. Written
testimony can be submitted before the hearing or within 24 hours after the
hearing.

 

If you want to read the entire Engrossed Substitue bill you can find it at
this link;
https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1852
-S.E.pdf?q=20220216172308.

 

Tips for comments and written testimony

Say the you support ESHB 1852 because..

We need prescription label information in a format that we can read
independently.

If you have a personal story (or know a blind person who does) about taking
the wrong prescription because there was not an accessible label, tell that
story briefly.

 

As you can tell from the amendment language above there are no details about
providing labels in audio, braille or large print. The details on this and
other issues will be worked out in the rule making process. We will
definitely make our voices heard in that process. We are focusing now on
getting this bill passed by the Senate Health and Long Term care Committee
and then by the entire Senate. The bill, with the amendment on accessible
labels, has already passed the state House.

 

Again, the committee hearing is this Friday, February 18, at 9 AM. 

 

Thank you for helping to pass this important legislation.

 

Marci Carpenter, President

National Federation of the Blind of Washington

206-604-5507

mjc559 at comcast.net <mailto:mjc559 at comcast.net> 

 

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