Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations.
• of State Governments has facilitated the development process for all, I believe, now 21 active occupational
• of State Governments has facilitated the development process for all, I believe, now 21 active occupational
• <00:08:55.200><c> licensing</c><00:08:55.839><c> compacts</c> occupational licensing compacts occupational
• licensing compacts um this occupational licensing compacts um this compact<00:10:46.160><c> will</c>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met on October 23, 2025, approved the September 25 minutes, and heard several informational presentations on occupational licensing and workforce access. The first major topic was the dietitian licensure compact, presented by Rep. Vanessa Gracel, Whitney Duddy, and Caitlyn Bison. They said the compact would be revenue-neutral, improve licensure portability, support military families, expand telehealth and rural access, and preserve state regulatory authority. Testimony noted that 15 states had joined the compact, including Ohio and Tennessee, and that Kentucky would have a seat on the compact commission if it enacted the measure. Members asked about bordering states and possible telehealth competition concerns; witnesses said they had not seen evidence of harmful effects in other compacts and described the compact as expanding access rather than displacing local providers. The committee then heard testimony on music therapy licensure, with Chris Millet, Laura Elliot Buckner, and Dr. Kimberly Cinemore speaking in support of Senate Bill 42. They described music therapy as a clinical, board-certified profession requiring formal education, supervised training, and national certification, and argued that state licensure would protect the public, clarify scope of practice, and help retain Kentucky-trained professionals. Witnesses said the bill would not require new state funding, could be administered through a self-sustaining licensing structure, and would not prevent others from using music in their work. In response to questions, they said licensure could help open doors to insurance, waiver, and HSA reimbursement, but would not guarantee coverage. Finally, the committee heard testimony on expanding physician access through a provisional licensure pathway for internationally trained physicians. Adam Meyer of the Cicero Institute said Kentucky faces a severe physician shortage, especially in rural areas, and argued that qualified international physicians should not have to repeat residency if they meet strict criteria, including an employment offer, prior training and experience, good standing, U.S. exam passage, and a three-year provisional period before full licensure. Rapender Carr of Baptist Health supported the concept, saying it could help fill hard-to-recruit positions across the state and improve access in rural markets. No votes were taken on these policy topics during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also just want to note that I do have a strong background, primarily in infectious diseases around
• This is happening at a critical time where we're seeing a resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases
• All children are at risk. at risk of hospitalization or severe disease from these infections.
• I've taken care of patients with every vaccine-preventable disease except for diphtheria and polio.
• So I would just like to say in summary that I've witnessed a lot of these diseases.

Bills: HB1496 , HB2182 , HB2196 , HB2242

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: patients' rights, healthcare information, medical confidentiality, health data security, healthcare access, abortion, medications, reproductive health, access, healthcare, PANDA, PANS, treatment access, mental health, legislation, preventive services, state authority, definitions clarification, public health, 904

Transcript Highlights:

• We manage your parents' chronic diseases.
• I've taken care of patients with every vaccine-preventable disease except for diphtheria and polio.
• I've lived through two outbreaks of meningococcal disease in Yakima County, one of the diseases whose
• So I would just like to say in summary that I've witnessed a lot of these diseases.
• This requires pertussis and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Dr. Schmeek, you're at time.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three health care bills. HB 1496 would cap charges for electronically stored medical records at $50 for patients and certain authorized recipients, while removing a free-copy provision tied to SSI/SSDI appeals and changing attorney fee language to “prevailing patient.” Supporters, including patient advocates, attorneys, and injured workers, said current record fees can reach thousands of dollars and block access to justice; opponents, including hospitals, home care providers, and records vendors, argued the bill would not cover the labor and HIPAA compliance work involved in large third-party requests and could shift costs to providers and patients. The bill remained in hearing with testimony continuing after the committee moved through other bills. HB 2182 would change how the Department of Corrections distributes its stockpile of mifepristone and misoprostol, removing the requirement that the medications be sold at cost plus a $5 fee and instead allowing, but not requiring, payment while directing DOC and the Department of Health to coordinate distribution to providers and facilities. The prime sponsor and supporters said the bill is needed so the state’s stockpile does not go unused or expire and to remove barriers to access for abortion and miscarriage care; opponents argued the bill subsidizes abortion, raises legal and taxpayer concerns, and should be rejected. Public testimony on HB 2182 was closed after hearing from both supporters and opponents. HB 2196 would require certain fully insured health plans to cover IVIG for PANS and PANDAS, with initial and medically necessary follow-up courses, and would bar denials based on prior treatment, age, out-of-state care when unavailable in Washington, or treatment guidelines that only address psychiatric symptoms. The sponsor, families, and physicians described severe, sudden-onset symptoms in children and said IVIG can be life-changing after other treatments fail, while insurers warned the mandate could add to already rising premiums and noted the treatment can be very expensive. HB 2242 would shift vaccine and preventive-service recommendation authority from federal bodies to the Department of Health, while preserving no-cost coverage for preventive services and updating the reference date for protected services; the governor, insurance commissioner, public health officials, and many physicians supported it as a way to preserve access amid federal instability and rising vaccine-preventable disease, while questions focused on whether the bill would change school or daycare requirements, which staff said it would not.

Transcript Highlights:

• We deal with horse diseases. We deal with companion animal diseases as well.
• We deal with horse diseases. We deal with companion animal diseases as well.
• We deal with horse diseases. We deal with companion animal diseases as well.
• </c> help with responding to that disease. help with responding to that disease.
• Hand, foot, and mouth disease isn't the same as foot and mouth disease.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What you'll see, another occupation that will sneak into this top five here in the next month or two
• This is our in-demand occupation list.
• And he said, Phil, I don't agree with your in-demand occupation list.
• Since I come from Williston, and where are oil field occupations on here? None of them?
• It'll be in skilled trades, but you've got to remember this is occupation and not industry.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the previous minutes, and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has been reviewing statewide cash, liquidity, and investment practices, finding that the state generally manages money well but could improve forecasting, automation, and coordination across agencies. He highlighted that the state has about $35 billion in liquid assets and investments, with most in longer-term investments, and described a change already underway replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work. Members also discussed the impact of House Bill 1176 on Legacy Fund earnings and the possibility of future legislation to avoid losing investment returns when large transfers are made all at once. The board also noted that some agencies still hold funds outside the Bank of North Dakota system, and that this is being reviewed. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the Task Force on Government Efficiency, saying the group has focused on how to measure whether programs are actually working. He said the task force has not yet proposed legislation, but the administration has agreed that new and expanding programs should answer five questions, including who is affected, what outcome is expected, whether there is another way to do it, and how success will be measured. Members discussed the need for dashboards, program evaluators, better data collection, and possible use of artificial intelligence to identify duplicate or outdated programs. Toman said the task force will continue reviewing agency workflows, with upcoming presentations from courts, the university system, the auditor, and other agencies, and that future legislation or rule changes may be needed to require performance metrics. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota presented labor market and program updates. He reported that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5%, labor force participation is about 68.7%, and the state continues to rank near the top nationally. He reviewed job openings, in-demand occupations, and several workforce programs, including H-2A agricultural worker inspections, the Job Placement Partnership Program with DOCR, and virtual and in-person job fairs. Davis said the DOCR partnership has shown strong results, with lower recidivism and higher earnings for participants, and he emphasized that Job Service tracks outcomes and reports them to federal and state partners. Members asked about child care subsidies, workforce participation, agency coordination, and whether more staff are needed for H-2A inspections. Finally, Allen Knutson presented the updated S&P Global revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the last update, making the revenue outlook more favorable but still volatile. S&P’s baseline forecast showed the current biennium’s four major tax collections about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and a much larger increase for the next biennium, though he cautioned that federal tax changes and oil market uncertainty could alter the numbers. In an alternate scenario using higher near-term oil prices, he estimated about $242 million more in oil and gas tax collections and roughly $120 million more for the Strategic Investment Fund. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about changes in tribal oil production assumptions.

Transcript Highlights:

• the non-fatal disease and the fatalities took a spike.
• But the for the non-fatal disease and the fatalities took a spike.
• Not all of those spread diseases, but several of them can. Thank you for that.
• How many carry disease? The West Nile virus is...
• So of the over 30 species that we have, fewer than a dozen actually spread disease.

Bills: SB66 , SB79 , SB108

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: environment, cleanup, contamination, uranium mining, abandoned sites, state funding, mosquito control, public health, surveillance, prevention funds, local government grants, food security, agriculture, food bank, regional program, appropriation, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We inspect those, make sure they're disease-free, insect-free, and that, you know, nothing like that
• Our administrative and support staff includes animal disease traceability, communications, financial
• Mitigation of the disease requires ongoing surveillance, outreach, and preparedness activities.
• Uh, numerous vulnerabilities, uh, Potentially allowing for entry of foreign animal diseases.
• We'll switch gears to pest and disease.

Committee: House Agriculture & Livestock

Transcript Highlights:

• people by training culturally competent providers, centuries of land dispossession, treaty violation, disease
• of land dispossession<00:00:53.399><c> treaty</c><00:00:53.960><c> violation</c><00:00:54.960><c> disease
• </c> dispossession treaty violation disease dispossession treaty violation disease exposure<00:00:56.399
• The first three awards reveal the importance of the immune system and various disease states.
• </c><00:42:08.079><c> uh</c> Insidious um and lethal disease uh Insidious um and lethal disease uh called

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive and
• fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to the
• neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to the loss
• Institute of a rare variant of the disease at the age of 64.
• Jim is retired due to the ALS diagnosis and progression of the disease after spending over 30 years in

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the big pain diseases is osteoarthritis. It's a pain disease.
• One of the big pain diseases is osteoarthritis. It's a pain disease.
• It's a pain disease. is osteoarthritis. It's a pain disease.
• </c><00:03:57.040><c> Uh</c> disease for the most part. Uh disease for the most part.
• </c> rare diseases. rare diseases.

Committee: Joint Medicaid

Keywords: Medicaid - Room 216, 4 February, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of mine, a member of the city council in Columbia, Missouri, and the president of the Missouri Occupational
• As well as Social Worker Month, it is Occupational Therapy Month, and I have the pleasure—yes, right,
• As has already been mentioned, we have our occupational therapists in for Hill Day today.
• To my left and your right, we have four students from our Missouri State Occupational Therapy Program
• She is an occupational therapy student at the University of Missouri at Columbia, and I would like you

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Missouri House met with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for March 3, 2026 by a 122-0 roll call vote. The chamber also spent a long portion of the morning recognizing special guests, including Special Olympics athletes, occupational therapy and social work students and professionals, teachers, civic leaders, and other visitors in the gallery. On legislation, the House perfected and printed House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2974, which would codify telehealth access within Missouri’s licensed reciprocity law. Supporters said it would help seniors and rural residents access care and ensure reciprocity licensees can provide telehealth services. The House also perfected and printed House Bill 2934, a bipartisan St. Louis convention-center governance bill that would merge existing entities, create a new board with city, county, and state appointments, and clarify funding and tax authority for the convention district. An amendment narrowing governor appointments to two city, two county, and one at-large member was adopted before final approval. The House likewise perfected and printed House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2057, a technical fix allowing Osage Beach to create an entertainment district; supporters said it would promote tourism and economic development and align the city with similar districts elsewhere in Missouri. The most contentious debate was on House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1839, 2921, and 3515, which require age verification for pornographic websites. Supporters framed the measure as child protection and cited the Supreme Court’s Texas decision and the Attorney General’s enforcement rule; opponents raised privacy concerns, questioned effectiveness, and argued it could push users toward less scrupulous sites. A proposed amendment to extend the bill to firearms and ammunition websites was ruled not germane, the previous question was ordered 92-44, and the substitute was adopted. The combined bill package was then perfected and printed by a 104-16 vote with 20 present, and the House recessed until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I do think if I owned commercial property that had occupancy, I think insurance companies will look
• These barriers separate occupancies, hazards, and areas with greater life safety consequences.
• These barriers separate occupancies, hazards, and areas with greater life safety consequences.
• maintain compartmentation; two, limit smoke migration; and three, support tenable conditions for occupant
• Occupants can evacuate through the building as designed.

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation provides TDR with explicit statutory authority under Chapter 51 of the Occupations Code
• Members of the committee substitute narrows the scope of the occupational licenses eligible by listing
• Additionally, this bill adds conforming language to current state statute under Chapter 455 occupation
• Chapter 1952 of the occupation code states a person may be registered as a code enforcement officer,
• HB 4766 is a TDLR cleanup bill that addresses and updates outdated language in the occupations code.

Committee: House Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Transcript Highlights:

• , Fabry disease, Gaucher disease, Pompe disease, MPS1.
• This is true not only of those with CCMV, but with any rare disease.
• , that disease will not be tested for.
• Or cure for a particular disease, that disease will not be tested for.
• On the Rare Disease Advisory Council and in my own life as a member of a family with rare disease, we

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• eligibility requirements, uh, to focus on students pursuing programs of study in industries and occupations
• demand occupations, in demand occupations, uh,<00:26:38.640><c> it's</c><00:26:39.039><c> it's</c><00
• But to say that I would condition someone to only these occupations, right?
• I went to these occupations, right?
• We also know that there are various sales occupations that are on the high-demand thing.

Bills: HF2634 , HF2241 , HF2649 , HF2520 , HF2610

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: North Star Promise, scholarship, higher education, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, in-demand jobs, workforce development, career training, job market, high-demand occupations, high-demand industries, college aid, state financial aid, FAFSA, student eligibility, program of study, degree program, certificate program, community college, university, labor market data

Bills: HB2139 , HB1892 , HB1893 , HB1890 , HB2335 , HB2468 , HB2091 , HB2092 , HB1878 , HB2297 , HB2127 , HB1785 , HB2345 , HB2344 , HB1780 , HB1891 , HB2398 , HB1764 , HB2564 , HB1783 , HB2567 , HB1934 , HB1778 , HB1781 , HB2621 , HB2019 , HB1803 , HB2454 , HB1811 , HB1943 , HB1589 , HB1607 , HB1851 , HB2490 , HB2546 , HB2568 , HB1972 , HB2391 , HB2575 , HB1896 , HB2399 , HB2004 , HB1894 , HB2397 , HB2498 , HB2560 , HB2310 , HB2214 , HB2167 , HB2197 , HB2116 , HB1879 , HB1596 , HB2096 , HB2298 , HB2343 , HB2566 , HB1518 , HB2044 , HB2336 , HB1603 , HB1718 , HB1740 , HB1616 , HB2171 , HB2022 , HB2347 , HB1882 , HB1708 , HB2086 , HB2154 , HB2027 , HB2179 , HB1620 , HB1913 , HB2159 , HB1597 , HB2121 , HB1864 , HB2305 , HB2576 , HB1713 , HB1729 , HB1756 , HB2122 , HB2559 , HB1743 , HB1733 , HB1868 , HB1723 , HB1711 , HB1812 , HB2515 , HB1724 , HB1604 , HB2270 , HB1722 , HB1727 , HB1920 , HB1593

Keywords: invasive species, Queensland longhorn beetle, agriculture, environmental impact, University of Hawaii, Board of Education, Hawaii public schools, teacher representative, nonvoting member, bargaining unit 5, HSTA, teachers union, education governance, school board, executive session, collective bargaining, public school teacher, policy-making body, student representative, military representative

Transcript Highlights:

• effective at preventing disease or serious disease, and that's part of the reason why they're on the
• </c><01:38:49.639><c> part</c> serious disease and that's that's part serious disease and that's that's
• </c><01:49:02.760><c> to</c> a person with an infectious disease to a person with an infectious disease
• ><c> of</c> transmitting a disease and the risk of transmitting a disease and the risk of being<03:01
• </c> the end of the day you know a disease the end of the day you know a disease like<03:12:29.479><c

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Biliary atresia, or B.A., Biliary atresia, or B.A., is not a genetic disease.
• It's a rapidly progressing disease. It's the fastest birth-to-death pediatric disease that exists.
• It's a time bomb disease.
• It's a time bomb disease.
• The solve for this terrible disease is simple and cost neutral.

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• other would pay the premium tax and then on a portion of that revenue also pay the business and occupation
• you asked me about the number of taxes: I mentioned in my testimony premium tax, the business and occupation
• the revenue is coming from outside of the insurance company, absolutely do pay the business and occupation
• me about the number of taxes, yeah, so I mentioned in my testimony premium tax, the business and occupation
• the revenue is coming from outside of the insurance company, absolutely do pay the business and occupation

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held its last scheduled public hearing of the year on March 9, 2026, taking testimony on House Bill 2487, Substitute House Bill 2689, and Engrossed House Bill 2681. For HB 2487, staff and the Department of Revenue explained that the bill would narrow a B&O tax exemption for insurance-related businesses after a 2024 Supreme Court decision, make several related changes including annuity and assigned risk plan exemptions, adjust the advanced computing surcharge threshold for certain affiliated groups, and allow a penalties-and-interest waiver with a repayment plan. DOR supported the bill as clarifying the original intent and preventing double taxation, while insurers and health plan groups opposed it, arguing it would create higher costs, retroactive tax liability, and uncertainty; consumer and policy groups testified in support, saying it closes a loophole and restores the intended tax structure. Committee members questioned the retroactivity, the number of affected businesses, and the fiscal estimates, and the chair reminded members that amendment requests were due by noon for the next day’s executive session. For Substitute HB 2689, staff described changes to the Working Connections Child Care program that would keep income eligibility at 60% of state median income, reduce future rate-setting from the 85th to the 75th percentile, block enhanced rates for certain cross-region providers, cancel the planned move to enrollment-based prospective payments, revise attendance-based reimbursement to a full month for absences of 10 days or fewer and half-month for longer absences, and require a 65% market survey response rate for validity. The fiscal note projected substantial savings, offset by implementation and staffing costs. SEIU 925 and Head Start representatives supported the simpler House approach to attendance billing but raised concerns about the new survey threshold and the risk of increased audits and provider burden; they also noted an amendment under discussion to address the 2026 survey issue. Committee questions focused on how a full month is defined under the attendance rules. For HB 2681, staff said the bill would raise annual issuance and renewal fees for cannabis producer, processor, and retail licenses by $400, generating about $866,000 per year for the dedicated cannabis account with minimal administrative cost. No one signed up to testify, and the chair closed the hearing without a vote on any of the bills. The chair also thanked committee staff for their work and reiterated that amendments for the heard bills were due by noon that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is clearly a case of where the cure is worse than the disease.
• They are known causes of neurodegenerative disease.
• This is clearly a case of where the cure is worse than the disease.
• They are known causes of neurodegenerative disease.
• Mosquitoes transmit disease in cats, dogs, horses, cattle, and sheep.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The House Local Government Committee approved the minutes from February 2, 4, and 18, then held a follow-up hearing on HB 747, a bill dealing with mosquito abatement districts, opt-outs from spraying, public notification, aerial applications, and enforcement. The sponsor, Representative Byswinger, said the revised bill was intended to make opt-outs explicit, improve transparency about chemicals used, clarify that drone spraying would not count as aerial abatement, and add accountability for districts he said were not honoring existing law. Supporters argued the bill protects property rights, informed consent, and residents who want to avoid chemical exposure, while several testified that some districts have confusing opt-out procedures or have not respected opt-outs. Opponents, including Canyon County Mosquito Abatement Director Jim Lunders, Madison County Mosquito Director Jared Arnold, Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Huff, and technical advisor Daniel Markowski, said the bill would create major administrative and financial burdens, shift responsibilities to county commissioners without funding, require publication of an impractically large list of possible products, and restrict effective mosquito control. They also warned that requiring a public health emergency before aerial applications would delay response to outbreaks and that limiting access to public lands or making opt-outs permanent through property sales could hinder operations. Supporters from Gem County and elsewhere described health concerns, chemical exposure, and alleged failures by districts to honor opt-outs. After testimony and questions, Representative Hostetler moved to send HB 747 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Representative Weber offered a substitute motion to hold the bill in committee, citing local control and unintended consequences. The committee rejected the motion to hold the bill on a 9-6 roll call vote, then approved the original motion to send HB 747 to the floor with a due pass recommendation on a 9-6 roll call vote.