TRSA Members Urge CA Lawmakers to Update Outdated Rule

Over 20 TRSA members gathered in Sacramento, CA, for the second of TRSA’s State Legislative Conferences. The conference was developed to support AB 2679, TRSA’s effort to reform the outdated Title 22 regulation on the laundering of healthcare facility linens. The conference also provided valuable information on the upcoming California Air Resources Board “Last Mile Delivery” rule.

TRSA has been successful to this point getting AB2679 through the legislative maze and is currently waiting for the State Senate to act.  The legislation would replace the prescriptive method of laundering linens in 160° water for a minimum of 24 minutes as currently required by Title 22 and base the laundering process on recommendations from the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC).

The group gathered for a general session and issue briefing by Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s Vice President of Government Relations and R.J. Cervantes of the advocacy firm Fernandez & Cervantes Government Solutions, which is TRSA’s Legislative Representative in California. The goal was to provide everyone with up-to-date information on the issue and learn the ins and outs of lobbying.

The sponsor of AB 2679, Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-70), was a guest speaker at the general session.  During an evening reception, Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-12) provided attendees with an outlook on the legislative session.

The next day, the TRSA “lobbyists” went to the State Capitol to meet with their individual legislators as well as key legislative leaders to ensure that the TRSA legislation would get a favorable position when it is eventually brought up for consideration on the Senate floor. In all, the TRSA delegation visited over 30 state legislative offices for meetings with lawmakers and key staff members.