Daines’ Bill to Promote Telehealth Passes Senate
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ bipartisan bill to promote the use of telehealth today passed the U.S. Senate. The Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration, to study technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models and the ability of those models to improve patient care and provider education. “Geographic location should not dictate quality of care,” Daines stated. “This bill will promote opportunities to increasingly open up access to high-quality care in rural communities that is not currently available, such as access to specialists; support
The Daily Inter Lake: Senate OK’s Bill to Improve Rural Health Care
The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that could expand access to specialty health care for rural patients in states like Montana where services are often scattered. The Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act, or the ECHO Act, would pull federal resources toward studying telehealth technology and models to improve patient care in communities often separated from medical support. Catherine Todd with North Valley Hospital said she’s watched telehealth spread through the Flathead Valley in recent years. The Whitefish hospital has used telehealth to expand its behavioral health services to people who Todd said otherwise “fall through the cracks.”
U.S. Senate Sends Daines’ Bill Protecting Consumer Reviews to President
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the unanimous U.S. Senate passage of his legislation to protect consumers who want to write honest online reviews of companies, without fear of financial repercussions from the businesses being reviewed. Daines’ bill, the Consumer Review Freedom Act, would prohibit the use of non-disparagement clauses referred to as “gag clauses,” which are often found in little-read online user agreements. “Today was a good day for the First Amendment rights of Americans,” Daines stated. “This legislation protects folks who provide honest feedback about the products and services they purchase. I look forward to continuing to read
U.S. Senate Passes Daines’ Outdoors Recreation Bill, Heads to President’s Desk
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ bill that allows federal, state and local policymakers to better understand the economic impact outdoor recreation has to the American economy unanimously passed the U.S. Senate this evening. This legislation would inform policymakers and business leaders on the jobs created, and the consumer spending driven by, the outdoor recreation economy. “Montana is well-known for our world-class outdoor recreation that is critical to our state’s economy,” Daines stated. “This legislation will help us to better understand the economic impact of outdoor recreation and the good paying jobs it supports. I look forward to the President swiftly signing this bill into law
Missoulian: Timber Legacy Offers Few Lessons for Industry Future
If you want to visualize Missoula’s timber history, ride a bike. Start at Bonner Elementary School and wonder at the massive yellow structure across the street. That was once the world’s largest plywood plant. Behind it was a sawmill. And right across the river was another sawmill. Logs arrived at first by floating down the Blackfoot River. Through the first half of the 20th century, the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. mainly squared them off for mine tunnel timbers, tossing away slabs that today’s mills would turn into 2-by-12s. Bonner Elementary School had a “slab yard” as big as a playground,
The Wall Street Journal: Whatever Happened to That Old 401(k)?
Suspect you may have lost track of a 401(k) retirement account or pension benefit? You aren’t alone. As Americans jump from job to job, they are leaving more 401(k)-style accounts and pension benefits with ex-employers. Some lose track of the money, forfeiting a piece of their retirement security. While no one keeps exact tabs on the number of lost retirement accounts, human-resources consulting firm Aon Hewitt estimates that as many as 30% of all pension accounts may ultimately fall into this category—either because a plan can no longer locate former employees who move or change names, or because a participant forgets that
Daines Statement on Latest Court Decision to Halt Red Lodge Forest Management Project
BOZEMAN, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris’s ruling on Alliance for the Wild Rockies et al v. Marten et al. “Yet another ruling confirms that we need urgent action to reverse the disastrous Cottonwood decision,” Daines stated. “Too many commonsense forest management projects have been halted because of lawsuits from fringe environmentalists that do more to harm forest health.” U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris on Tuesday cited the Ninth Circuit’s Cottonwood ruling to halt the Red Lodge forest management project through an injunction order. The project would reduce the risk
Daines, Tester Encourage Montana to “Shop Small” on November 26
U.S. SENATE —In recognition of Small Business Saturday, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester are encouraging their fellow Montanans to “shop small.” Daines and Tester are original co-sponsors of a bipartisan resolution to recognize November 26, 2016 as “Small Business Saturday” and to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses. S.Res. 569 unanimously passed the United States Senate. “When small businesses grow, our economy grows,” Daines stated. “Our country was founded on hard work and entrepreneurship and I’m proud that Montana small businesses continue to lead the way and exemplify the best of our country’s heritage. I encourage my
Daines Releases Thanksgiving Video Message
BOZEMAN, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following video message wishing Montanans a happy Thanksgiving. Click here to watch the video. Click here to download the video. Below is a transcript of Daines’ message: “From my family to yours, I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. “On this day of Thanksgiving we celebrate and we give thanks to God for our many blessings. “We can be so thankful for this great country we are blessed to live in, and for our freedom – and for the hardworking men and women who make it so. “Like our men and women in