Transcript Highlights:

• An act making appropriations from the Public Project Revolving Fund to the Drinking Water State Revolving
• Loan Fund, Local Government Planning Fund, and Cultural Affairs Facilities Infrastructure Fund.
• , Land Grants, Operations, and Finance Committee. to the House Rural Development, Land Grants, Operations
• House Bill 52, introduced by Representative García, is an act relating to taxation, expanding the rural
• This is the bill regarding rural health care.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the energy assistance fund?
• funds are coming from, but yes, it likely, if the funds are coming from the utilities' operations, it's
• And if you have to get other funds... Rep.
• What we have concerns with is the way that House Bill 2373 funds this response.
• constraints of rural cooperative utilities.

Bills: HB2426 , HB2373 , HB2416

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: pollution control, efficiency, appeals process, environmental regulation, hearing board, electric utility, energy assistance, low-income households, monthly bill assistance, energy equity, waste management, energy, climate action, environmental regulations, fair treatment, renewable energy, sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• More than 75% of schools in Idaho are considered rural.
• So that funding and that program fall under what you do in the universities and colleges?
• out in rural schools.
• Some we fund more all the time.
• Some we fund more all the time.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><01:01:55.319><c> Title</c><01:01:55.599><c> One</c> funds are are title funds Title One funds are
• Starting in fiscal 26, this will have to come from our general fund, the same fund that funds our classrooms
• Again, it's not fully funded.
• Again, it's not fully funded.
• Again, it's not fully funded.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Patterson is a growing rural community with no local emergency room.
• They're going to be rural hospitals that are going to come together to close the gaps in rural areas.
• So this funding is to focus on it now.
• That funding was associated already—hundreds of millions of dollars.
• So we are expanding our rural health clinic, which will also have...

Summary: The committee heard AB 1887, which would speed prior authorization for FDA-approved rare disease treatments prescribed by specialists and, if a plan does not act within 30 days, deem the request approved. The author and supporters, including patients and clinicians, said delays can cause irreversible harm, hospitalizations, and death, especially for children and people with progressive rare diseases. Health plans and insurers opposed the bill’s automatic-approval provision and said the measure lacked safeguards for incomplete requests and shared responsibility for timely information. The chair encouraged continued work with opponents, and the author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier version that would have waived prior authorization entirely. The committee also heard AB 1979 on artificial intelligence in health care, AB 2161 on Medi-Cal work requirements, AB 539 on extending approved prior authorizations, AB 2311 on physician employment at public hospital districts, AB 1148 on banning phthalates and bisphenols in food packaging, AB 1825 on mental health offender reentry coordination, and AB 2282 on a temporary emergency stabilization unit in Patterson. AB 1979 would preserve licensed clinicians’ professional judgment, bar AI from directing unlicensed clinical functions, and protect medical records used by consumer chatbots; after amendments, several hospital, medical, and industry groups moved from opposition to neutral. AB 2161 would limit the harm of federal Medi-Cal work-reporting rules by using existing data, improving notices, and protecting due process; it drew broad support from patient, provider, and advocacy groups. AB 539 would keep prior authorization approvals valid for up to one year or the course of treatment, with supporters citing continuity of care and opponents warning about utilization, fraud, and cost concerns. AB 2311, as amended, would let certain high-payer-mix or distressed public health care districts directly employ physicians; CMA withdrew opposition after the bill was narrowed, while some hospital interests still objected to the carve-out. AB 1148 would prohibit two chemicals commonly used in food packaging, with supporters citing cancer and endocrine-disruption risks and opponents arguing DTSC should handle the issue through its existing regulatory process. AB 1825 would improve transition planning and Medi-Cal enrollment for offenders with mental health disorders leaving state hospitals, and AB 2282 would authorize a temporary rural emergency stabilization care unit in Patterson until a permanent hospital is built. Several bills were held for later action because the committee lacked a quorum, and the chair repeatedly noted that motions would be taken once enough members returned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment authorizes FDOT to fund up to 100% of airport projects at certain rural airports, authorizes
• about adequate funds in NICA.
• I've heard a lot, and we all have heard a lot today about funding, funding, funding.
• They can, on those entities that are already in fee assessments, sweep funds from a trust fund.
• The pharma-funded... The pharma-funded... they will compare cases as death.

Summary: The Committee on Rules heard a long agenda of growth-management, elections, education, housing, and professional-licensing bills. The first major item was SB 354 on “Blue Ribbon Projects,” a framework for very large planned developments on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area. After adopting a strike-all amendment, senators debated whether the bill adequately protected conservation land, local government authority, neighboring property, concurrency, and multi-county projects. Supporters argued it would create more orderly, master-planned growth and preserve large areas of land; opponents said the reserve areas were too weakly protected and the bill preempted local control. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably on a party-line style roll call, with Chair Pasadomo and Vice Chair Jones voting no. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates to disclose any foreign citizenship and, through amendments, adds a 2026 congressional qualifying framework tied to apportionment and redistricting, including revised petition rules and deadlines. Members discussed disclosure, redistricting, and candidate vetting, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill, was also amended and approved; the amendments addressed My Safe Florida Home, unclaimed property, firefighter hiring, workforce housing code accommodations, and related financial-services issues. CS/CS/SB 1620, the school board members’ bill of rights, was narrowed by substitute amendment to focus on access to records, fiscal transparency, NDAs, and related rights, and it passed after supportive testimony from school board and superintendent representatives. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material,” after debate over whether the terminology change could affect the seriousness of the crime or existing case law. SB 1548, a Live Local/affordable housing update, was reported favorably with little debate. Finally, the committee approved the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates, after amending it to require immediate supervision by a licensed veterinarian. Throughout the meeting, many public commenters and senators weighed in on the balance between development and conservation, local control, and the scope of state regulation, with several bills drawing both strong support and strong opposition before final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then our rural areas have a shortage.
• In rural critical access hospitals where the nurse anesthesiologists may be the sole Rural critical access
• We heard a lot of you speak about the rural areas within California.
• They have the student tuition recovery fund.
• They have student tissue recovery fund.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate Business and Professions sunset oversight hearing focused first on the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), with chairs emphasizing oversight, consumer protection, workforce access, and the need to evaluate whether licensing boards are functioning efficiently. BRN leadership reported major process improvements since the last sunset review, including faster license processing, streamlined enforcement, improved consumer satisfaction, and growth in nursing education enrollment. Members questioned the board extensively about nurse practitioner scope and supervision, international licensure, online nursing programs and clinical placements, military pathways, the 30-unit LVN-to-RN option, workforce shortages, diversity in nursing, and retention of new graduates. The board explained California’s tiered APRN system, the NCLEX and national certification requirements, clinical hour standards, and its role in approving programs and assigning nursing education consultants. Public testimony on the BRN was mixed: nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and nurse anesthetist groups largely supported the sunset report and especially the proposed APRN-to-RN delegation language, while physician and hospital stakeholders raised concerns about out-of-state NP practice, specialty delegation, ratios, and the need for regulatory parity and clearer standards. Higher education representatives urged reduced duplication in documentation, more flexible clinical placement rules, and better coordination to address bottlenecks in placements and faculty hiring. The committee did not take a vote during the excerpted BRN discussion. The hearing then moved to the Physical Therapy Board of California, where the board’s president began an overview of the board’s mission, structure, vacancies, and public-protection role under the Physical Therapy Practice Act. The transcript excerpt ends before substantive questioning, testimony, or any action on the physical therapy item is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of Public Safety does not have the funds of Public Safety does not have the funds available.
• </c> administration does not have funds administration does not have funds available.<00:10:54.720><c
• This section authorizes the funds.
• This clarifies and strengthens the rural Vermont economic development initiative, defines rural areas
• more to the Education Fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item number 51 is $2 million for the Rural Library Endowment Fund.
• So there was no money in our framework at all for the Rural Library Endowment Fund, and this would add
• Item number 51 is $2 million for the Rural Library Endowment Fund.
• So that was no money in our framework at all for Rural Library Endowment Fund, and this would add $2
• It's really general fund because it's being diverted from the general fund into this fund.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• funds rate.
• the funding for legal aid should not be solely dependent on this avenue of funding, and that with these
• and the funding for legal aid should not be solely dependent on this avenue of funding, and that with
• Like I said, these are client funds that are generating interest and they are funding legal aid.
• exists within that rural area that the boundary separates from the urban areas, those rural areas would

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to those affected by the Florida State University shooting and recognition of Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, John Thrasher, student advocacy groups, conservation organizations, and visiting school groups. Members also adopted Senate Resolution 1878 honoring Coach Abdur-Rahim. The chamber then moved into special order business and considered a series of bills, many of them with House companions substituted in and passed by wide margins or unanimously. Among the measures passed were bills updating child care and early learning provider regulation, imposing costs on false swatting reports, extending protections against extraordinary hospital collection actions, expanding hazardous walking conditions for schoolchildren, creating young adult housing support for foster and homeless students, clarifying school choice disclosure requirements under the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, adjusting interest rules for trust accounts supporting legal aid, revising transportation and traffic enforcement provisions, expanding public records exemptions for certain judicial and health care investigators and appellate clerks, changing municipal water and sewer utility rates in Miami-Dade, strengthening motor vehicle offenses involving impersonation and obscured plates, increasing trespass penalties at certain law-enforcement-controlled sites and large ticketed events, requiring refunds of patient overpayments, authorizing certain stem cell therapies, allowing relatives and direct support professionals to administer insulin in group homes, addressing rideshare impersonation and transit funding rules, and updating the Uniform Commercial Code for digital assets and emerging technologies. Several bills drew notable debate. The trust fund interest bill prompted extended discussion over legal aid funding, bank participation, and whether the measure would reduce support for legal services; it ultimately passed 28-10. The transportation bill was heavily amended, including removal of speed-limit increases and changes to school bus camera enforcement and micromobility rules, and passed 37-0. The Miami-Dade water and sewer rate bill sparked debate over fairness, fiscal impact, and accusations of racism, but passed 36-2. Public records bills protecting agency investigators and JQC employees also drew questions about accountability and transparency before passing. Most other measures passed with little or no opposition, and a few bills were temporarily postponed or set aside.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the ABC funding back in 2009 was 4,000... 105.
• So the ABC funding back in 2009 was 4,000. So the ABC funding back in 2009 was $4,860 per child.
• It was always funded through the CCDF funding, through the money.
• I also would like to know, do we have a plan for rural Arkansas of how we're going to address the rural
• But we're constantly looking at rural Arkansas, all of Arkansas, really. ...constantly looking at rural

Committee: All EDUCATION- HOUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The Early Childhood Committee met to receive an update from the Office of Early Childhood on Arkansas child care and early learning programs. Committee members discussed the state’s child care crisis, including reported economic losses from lack of access, the need to track access, affordability, workforce shortages, rural and infant/toddler care gaps, and the role of local leads in identifying needs across the state. The committee also approved the February 17 minutes. Office of Early Childhood staff explained their responsibilities under the LEARNS Act, including kindergarten readiness, provider quality, and access to affordable seats. They reviewed licensing, quality efforts, and the two main funding streams: School Readiness Assistance (SRA), a federally funded voucher program serving about 14,600 children with a wait list of more than 3,000, and Arkansas Better Chance (ABC), a state-funded program serving about 23,000 children, with approval to increase to 24,000 slots. Members asked about the difference between market rate surveys and cost analyses, and staff said the office is procuring both, with results expected by the end of the year. Several members raised concerns about funding levels, especially that ABC reimbursement has not kept pace with K-12 funding increases and that child care reimbursement remains below the true cost of care. Staff said ABC requires certified teachers and lower ratios than SRA, but pays less, and that some federal pre-K slots were moved into ABC to preserve continuity of care. They also explained that SRA eligibility changes, including a higher work requirement and ending a child care worker eligibility category, were made to reduce spending and serve families on the wait list. The committee discussed communication with providers and parents, technical assistance for centers, and possible future legislative action to stabilize providers and expand access, but no votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've used the arterial funding to fund and get started another big chunk of projects.
• and that's based on eligibility of funding in addition to criteria for those funding pieces.
• The larger transportation projects, whether they be state funded or federal funded are competitive.
• Not all of the priorities can be funded the funding. It's it's almost like a puzzle.
• And when you look at the funding in Florida, about 25% of our funds come from federal sources, 75% comes

Transcript Highlights:

• And then finally, our partnership funding to reach more landowners.
• The Rural and Family Lands Program The Rural and Family Lands Program is so important to Florida just
• So once you're on the ranked list, you are eligible for funding.
• Once they're on the list, they are eligible for funding.
• Are they all eligible for the funding who apply?

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture met to hear updates on land conservation and agricultural preservation programs. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services presented on the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, explaining that it protects active agricultural lands through conservation easements while keeping land in private ownership and on the tax rolls. The director said the program requires participants to use agricultural best management practices, noted strong demand with 428 ranked projects for 2025, and reported that consistent legislative funding and partnerships with USDA, DOD, local governments, land trusts, and water management districts have expanded acreage protected, much of it within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Committee members asked about eligibility, ranking, local government involvement, and how many projects are typically funded each year. Conservation Florida’s president and CEO testified that both Rural and Family Lands and Florida Forever are critical and complementary tools for preserving working lands, wildlife habitat, water resources, and public access to nature. She warned that uncertainty or cuts in state funding can stall projects, raise land prices, and reduce conservation momentum. In discussion with senators, she said public access is often negotiated case by case and is more common on lands acquired for parks, forests, and other public green space than on conservation easements. The Department of Environmental Protection then updated the committee on Florida Forever, describing it as the state’s premier conservation and recreation land acquisition program. DEP said Florida Forever uses both conservation easements and fee-simple purchases, with about half of acquisitions done through easements, and emphasized that steady funding is needed to keep projects moving. The deputy secretary reported 60 projects on the current work plan, more than $1.4 billion invested since 2019, and recent acquisitions including new state forest, park, and preserve expansions. Members also raised concerns about payment in lieu of taxes for fiscally constrained counties, local notification of acquisitions, and the need for continued support for agriculture, citrus, roads, and conservation funding. No formal votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after member comments and public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it wouldn't be enough to fund everything.
• APA funding, we have paid out to date 81% of the funding, which is 7.955 million dollars. and so 105
• So, really looking at the rural landscape to make sure we're not cutting from small schools in rural
• communities in order to fund our more centralized schools and medium-sized rural organizations.
• Asking for funds when I know it's a flat year.

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• It also introduces a modernization fund, and that will become a mechanism for adding funding to it to
• fund.
• WIKLUND WHETHER OR NOT THESE RURAL PPS HOSPITALS OULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS HOSPITAL STABILIZATION FUND
• Wiklund is: Are the rural PPS hospitals in Minnesota eligible for the hospital stabilization fund dollars
• WIKLUND S ARE THE RURAL PPS HOSPITALS IN MINNESOTA ELIGIBLE FOR THE HOSPITAL STABILIZATION FUND DOLLARS

Transcript Highlights:

• And you can see that there's 57% of the applications and the funding was from rural counties and rural
• and</c><00:40:55.680><c> other</c> funded through general fund and other funded through general fund
• </c> fund appropriations. fund appropriations.
• students who apply for funding after the exhaustion date will not receive funds for the fall.
• students who apply for funding after the exhaustion date will not receive funds for the fall.

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education heard presentations from the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) on their strategic plans, enrollment trends, and budget priorities. University of Louisville President Bradley highlighted the university’s new five-year strategic plan, its R1 research status, community-engaged and opportunity college classifications, record enrollment of 25,005 students, and its role in serving first-generation, Pell-eligible, military-connected, and rural students. He also emphasized the university’s economic and workforce impact, including athletics, nursing, dentistry, and a recent Speed School building, and previewed major capital and program requests: a $142 million STEMH building, a $15 million one-time request for National Cancer Institute-related cancer research, and $5.3 million for the Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership. He also discussed a planned $260 million health sciences building and the university’s efforts to expand health care access beyond Louisville through regional sites and residency partnerships. Members responded positively, with Representative Tipton asking about agency bond projects and regional health outreach, and President Bradley saying the university is evaluating debt capacity and exploring smaller projects while noting that the STEM building request would rely on state-funded debt service. He described UofL Health’s expansion into places such as Bullitt County, Shelbyville, Madisonville, and Paducah, and its efforts to train physicians for rural practice. Representative McCool praised the university’s military-friendly designation and cancer research priorities and noted personal family ties to UofL. Michaela Aman, a sophomore from Letcher County, also testified about how UofL has supported her as a rural student and emphasized the university’s commitment to opportunity and social mobility. KCTCS President Ryan Quarles and CFO Todd Kilburn then presented the system’s enrollment, completion, and workforce-training results. They said KCTCS now serves more than 110,000 students, graduated a record 24,000 students last May, and has moved from 45th to 4th nationally in graduation rate. They also highlighted that over half of students are first-generation, 60% work while enrolled, 70% of graduates work in Kentucky, and 74% graduate with no student loan debt. KCTCS described its common-course-numbering agreement with Morehead State as part of a broader transfer simplification effort, and said it trains about 200,000 Kentuckians annually when including workforce training and firefighter instruction. The system also outlined efficiency measures, including property sales, a new bookstore contract projected to save $4.3 million over five years, and a new evaluation process for real estate and facilities. KCTCS’s budget and capital requests included operating funding tied to enrollment growth, support for the TRAINs program, the ECTC training facility at Glendale, continued support for Health Force Kentucky, three capital construction projects at Jefferson, Bluegrass, and Gateway, and asset preservation funding focused on safety and security upgrades. Quarles also referenced House Bill 5, saying it would expand KCTCS’s correctional education and re-entry work and could help reduce recidivism. Members asked about the bill and its impact, and KCTCS said it already provides instruction in jails and prisons and sees the proposal as an extension of that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• A dedicated veterans treatment court fund, funded by legislative appropriations, will provide grants
• And we were able to start the first rural Veterans Treatment Court in Arizona and one of the first rural
• And to pick and choose how we fund.
• necessarily funded from state dollars?
• million to our hospitals in rural Arizona to take care of pregnant people in rural Arizona.

Committee: House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first took up a discussion-only strike-everything amendment to HB 2211, which would make it unprofessional conduct for certain health care providers to submit offers in independent dispute resolution above 300% of Medicare or the qualified payment amount. The chair said he was not ready to move the bill because more stakeholder meetings were needed. Testimony split between insurers, who said a small number of providers were abusing the No Surprises Act and driving up costs, and provider representatives, who argued the proposal would improperly cap rates, relied on opaque insurer-set QPAs, and could threaten licensure in a billing dispute. No vote was taken on HB 2211. The committee then considered HB 4028 on accessory dwelling units. The bill would remove the 1,000-square-foot cap, change setback rules, bar municipalities from requiring an administrative use permit and certain elevation criteria, and extend the deadline for cities to adopt ADU regulations. The sponsor argued it would give homeowners more flexibility and help address housing affordability, while cities, neighborhood groups, and residents warned it would allow oversized ADUs, reduce local control, create density and safety concerns, and invite investor-driven development. After extensive debate, the committee voted 8-9 with one present, and HB 4028 failed. Next, the committee heard HB 2620, as amended, which appropriates $300,000 annually for five years from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans’ Services for grants to emergency shelters. An amendment removed age and non-congregate-setting conditions for eligibility. The sponsor and a shelter provider said the funding would help shelters better serve homeless veterans and connect them to services. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed HB 2620 on a 17-0 vote with one member not voting. The committee then considered HB 2960, as amended, which creates a veterans specialty court grant program and a dedicated fund to support local veterans treatment courts. An amendment shifted administration of the fund to the Office of the Courts and allowed support for expansion of existing programs. The sponsor, a Lake Havasu judge, and a veteran graduate testified that veterans courts reduce recidivism and save lives by linking veterans to treatment and support. The bill was still being taken up when the transcript ended, with testimony continuing from supporters including a veterans shelter founder.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, visiting with my rural law enforcement agencies, I mean, You know, visiting with my rural law
• And it's the rural counties.
• So crisis funding for crisis services, right? Outpatient treatment funds for adults and kids.
• In 2020, the pandemic hit, and federal funds became available through the enhanced funding that the federal
• These funds are being fully utilized today.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• in rural areas.
• <c> primary</c><00:09:17.880><c> reason</c> Rural development was my primary reason Rural development
• </c> that plays out throughout our rural that plays out throughout our rural areas.<00:09:43.360><c>
• c><00:09:53.080><c> whole</c><00:09:53.320><c> skeletal</c> rural counties, it's the whole skeletal rural
• </c> funds and the cooperation that we have. funds and the cooperation that we have.

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum and adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 28, which would create a framework for the $5 million in agricultural economic development funding included in the 2024 budget. Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell testified that the bill is intended to support agriculture-focused economic development, especially processing and further processing projects, by giving the Department of Agriculture tools to identify opportunities, convene partners, and offer incentives. He emphasized the role of the new economic development division in the department and said the effort is meant to complement, not replace, the work of the state Economic Development Cabinet. Shell and several senators described the bill as a rural development tool aimed at helping smaller communities attract projects that fit their scale. He cited examples such as poultry processing, grain and elevator operations, milling, and specialty crop ventures, arguing that local processing can create jobs, strengthen markets for farmers, and keep more value in Kentucky. Senators discussed the need for return-on-investment metrics and clawback provisions for unsuccessful projects, and Shell said the framework includes those concepts. He also said the department is working on opportunities in sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels, and other markets that could bring more acres into production. Members also raised questions about small-farm innovation, raw milk, and direct-to-consumer opportunities. Shell said raw milk testing and related consumer protection issues are more closely tied to the University of Kentucky and the department’s consumer/environmental protection functions than to the bill’s economic development focus, but he said the department can help expand small-farm programs such as Kentucky Proud, Buy Local, KOAP, CAP, food-as-medicine efforts, LFPA, and farm-to-school initiatives. The discussion also turned to beef processing and feedlot development, with Shell saying Kentucky wants a beef processor but first needs to prove it can feed cattle at scale; he said changing conditions in western states could create an opening for Kentucky if it can build the necessary supply chain.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I have a question about all the funding: is there any local funding that's appropriate toward this
• Russette so the funding requested through this appropriation and So the funding requested through this
• funding from the Clean Water SRF, ...request, along with the funding from the Water Trust Board and the
• funding from the Clean Water SRF Fund, that will help us design and build that part of the system, all
• , such as the Water Projects Fund or the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

Bills: SB22 , SB310

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: motor vehicle manufacturers, licensing, dealers, franchise agreements, consumer protection, water supply, sewage improvements, environment, funding, Mora County