Through the Cancer Control Act, Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, hopes to save a lot of lives.

This act, which was signed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal Thursday in Casper, will provide state money to pay for colonoscopies for eligible Wyoming residents.

Scott said colonoscopies not only detect colorectal cancer and are a great preventative measure. Colorectal cancer ranks as the nation's third-deadliest cancer and less than half of the population who should get colonoscopies in Wyoming actually get them.

"It's fairly likely to kill you if you get it," Scott said.

He watched his neighbor die of this and a fellow senator, Sen. Laness Northrup, died almost two years ago from colorectal cancer.

The bill provides $1.2 million toward colorectal screening for those who meet income requirements. Scott said this procedure is expensive, costing anywhere from $1,000 to $4,500, and some people are not getting colonoscopies because they can't afford it.

Even though the Legislature reduced the funding for this program significantly, he was still pleased with how it turned out.

Legislators "gave enough to get us started," he said. "They left the basic premise of the bill." Freudenthal said this bill, along with two others he signed at the Casper Senior Center, is an example of how the Legislature and other organizations are taking significant steps in improving health care for Wyoming residents.

He also signed a bill providing matching funds for rural hospital foundations and a bill that will give senior citizens in the state more quality options in long-term care.

"We addressed this in a human and practical way," he said. "We are trying to get people to take responsibility for their own health care."

The critical access or rural hospital endowment program will help hospitals, such as Powell Valley Healthcare, stay afloat even if a catastrophic event occurs, he said.

Sen. Ray Peterson, R- Big Horn, sponsored the bill that will provide money to the 16 rural hospitals' foundations in matching funds up to $250,000 in the next five years, he said.

It will essential double the amount of money available to Powell Valley Healthcare, he said. David Pollard, executive director of the foundation, said the hospital foundation raises about $200,000 to $250,000 every year.

This bill will allow the foundation to provide some type of ongoing support to the hospital.

"Even if we have some type of crisis, there is some type of cushion," Pollard said. "The hospital is such an essential community service."

Pollard said the matching funds idea will encourage more people to donate to the hospital foundation.

The third bill, the long term care choices bill, provides state money to offer senior citizens alternatives to nursing home care.

Jeri Bottenfield, the director of the Senior Friendship Center in Torrington, thought it was so important she spent about 18 days in Cheyenne lobbying for it.

"It offers more services in the home, where they want to be," Bottenfield said.

Freudenthal said these three bills are part of the reason why his budget is so large this year, with each bill costing several million dollars.

"We're going to spend some money today," Freudenthal said. "The benefits will accrue over decades."