Transcript Highlights:

• You have the STEM network on row 98.
• You're right that there's money for math on row 98, the STEM network.
• You're right that there's money for math on row 98, the STEM network.
• The notice should include all of that information.
• All of them are massively going to be informed. It seems problematic.

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• This evaluation should be informed by mortgage industry stakeholder input.
• HOA members are also dealing with confusing, inconsistent communications where basic information like
• Ticoy Porter with the National Action Network.
• I am the president of the National Action Network, Sacramento chapter, and senior pastor of the Genesis
• We are a statewide network of API workers, tenants, youth, and elders, and our network organizations

Summary: The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard a series of bills, many focused on homeowners associations (HOAs), along with measures on self-defense, design-professional litigation, mobile home park claims, senior housing, and DEI. Several bills were presented only or discussed with amendments, and the committee repeatedly noted ongoing work with authors and stakeholders. The committee also established quorum partway through the hearing and took up a consent calendar of several unrelated bills, which passed. AB 2584, on civil immunity for lawful self-defense, was presented as a work-in-progress. The author and a UFC/public-safety witness argued that people hesitate to intervene because of fear of civil liability, while committee members said California already has strong self-defense and Good Samaritan laws and that the proposal could create confusion. The bill was not advanced at that time, with the chair emphasizing further conversations. AB 1684, which would prevent HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace compliant cooling systems, drew support from the author, a constituent statement, and supporters from the California Department Association and others; an HOA group opposed unless amended, citing association property rights and grid/power concerns. Members generally supported the concept, and the author said amendments addressed damage and code-compliance issues. AB 1892, a technical cleanup bill clarifying HOA duties on utility repairs, election notices, and electronic voting timelines, passed unanimously as amended. AB 2050, requiring a formula for HOA reserve funding and a phase-in period, also passed with broad support; witnesses said underfunded reserves lead to special assessments, insurance and mortgage problems, and deferred maintenance, while members framed it as a consumer-protection and affordability measure. AB 2106, extending certificate-of-merit protections for design professionals and requiring California-licensed experts in certain cases, passed with strong support from engineers, architects, landscape architects, and civil-justice groups. AB 2145, directing HCD to study seniors’ need and desire to downsize, passed after lenders and financial groups moved from opposition to neutral with amendments; supporters said it could help unlock larger homes for younger families. AB 2238, aimed at deterring meritless failure-to-maintain lawsuits against mobile home park owners by shifting fee exposure to attorneys, passed after amendments narrowed its focus. Supporters said some firms were using vague demand letters and frivolous claims to force settlements and raise insurance costs; opposition said the bill still needed refinement to protect meritorious resident claims. AB 2439, prompted by two authors’ own HOA payment problems, passed despite opposition concerns about community-wide certified-mail requirements and personal liability for board members; supporters said better notice is needed when payment processors change and that liens and collections can be unfairly imposed without notice. AB 2579, responding to the earlier $100 cap on HOA fines, passed as amended to create a Department of Real Estate process for serious health and safety violations; supporters said the cap had weakened enforcement, while members said the bill sought a better balance. Finally, SCR 89, reaffirming California’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, was presented as a response to federal attacks on DEI programs. The author and witnesses from the UC Student Association, National Action Network, and civil-rights and labor groups argued DEI is essential to fairness, access, and opportunity, especially for students and historically underserved communities. Members voiced strong support, describing DEI as central to California’s values, and the resolution moved forward with bipartisan support noted by the author.

Transcript Highlights:

• know, all the things that many of you who not long ago launched from your own families, you had a network
• Launched from your own families, you had a network of adults in your lives that were helping you, advising
• children who are aging out, young adults who are aging out of foster care, don't have that kind of network
• Can you maybe later provide that information for me? That's great, thank you.
• House of Representatives, House Bill 2249 includes in the Parents' Bill of Rights the right to be informed

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We oversee intelligence and information exchange to the Florida Fusion Center network.
• So we have a network where we can share information.
• So hopefully nobody ever say we've had information that we were unable to link together.
• We all of a sudden loose, all that connectivity and all that information sharing.
• Department of Education, download it all their school information into our system.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They'll both be very informative and productive.
• And so there's plenty of information there.
• They hire Emerald Net in Seattle to test and improve their network security.
• How confident is DOR that it's going to be plausible to get that information from the information?
• If that information just is not available from the advertising provider? Well, first...

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from Dr. Reich on the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC), including how the council’s joint executive-legislative forecasting process works, the main state revenue sources, and recent economic conditions. He said Washington’s economy is slowing, with weak employment growth, softer taxable sales, and uncertainty from tariffs, federal spending, and the federal shutdown. He also noted that the September forecast was reduced, mainly because of lower sales tax and real estate excise tax collections, and that the state still expects modest growth rather than a recession. Members asked about whether Washington tends to lag national downturns and how forecast information should affect budgeting; Dr. Reich said the forecast is a revenue tool, not a budgeting decision, and that spending choices remain with elected officials. The Department of Revenue then presented on Washington’s sales and use tax structure and the implementation of Senate Bill 5814, which expands retail sales tax to several services effective October 1, 2025. Steve Ewing explained how sales and use tax are sourced, how reseller permits and the multiple points of use exemption work, and how the new law applies to live presentations, temporary staffing, investigations and security services, IT services, custom website development, advertising services, and custom software. He said DOR held listening sessions, issued interim guidance, and set up a centralized landing page and outreach efforts to help taxpayers understand the changes. He also described a six-month grace period for certain pre-existing contracts through March 31, 2026, but said penalties and interest still apply under the statute. Committee members raised concerns about how businesses and individuals will know when a service is taxable, who is responsible for collecting and remitting tax, and how sourcing will work for services delivered across multiple locations or online. DOR staff walked through examples involving accounting services, live lectures, virtual events, advertising campaigns, and search engine marketing, including the use of reasonable allocation and pool codes when exact sourcing data is unavailable. Members also questioned the administrative burden on small businesses and professionals newly subject to tax, and whether additional legislative fixes or relief from penalties and interest may be needed. No votes or formal actions were taken in the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• red cards and green cards to fill out if you're opposed or in support of a bill, white cards for information
• We do not allow ourselves as a network holder with pharmacists in our network to manipulate the drug
• He would provide information if requested from his Deputy Commissioner of Health with the Department
• Have you had success in being able to get information from those rebate aggregators or GBA?
• That was very, very informative. Senator Bass.

Summary: The Senate Insurance Committee met on May 13, 2026, adopted the May 6 minutes, and then took up several bills dealing with pharmacy benefit managers, prescription access, behavioral health coverage, and Citizens Property Insurance. HB 938, as amended, was the main PBM reform measure. After the committee adopted a large amendment set that narrowed the bill, members heard extensive testimony in support from Mark Bloom, Justin Joseph of Capital Rx, and Kathy Ue of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, all emphasizing transparency, pass-through pricing, reverse auctions, and patient access. Supporters described savings from reverse auctions and administrative models, while the cancer center testified that PBM-owned specialty pharmacy requirements can delay cancer medications and create financial hardship. The committee reported HB 938 favorably with amendments. The committee also heard HB 1154, which prohibits prior authorization for certain generic medications prescribed by qualified physicians, with a $250 cap discussed as a safeguard against higher-cost generics. The bill was supported by representatives from Ochsner Health and the Louisiana State Medical Society and was reported favorably. HB 909, which requires commercial coverage for behavioral health crisis services, was amended to clarify the insurers covered and then reported favorably with support from the Office of Behavioral Health and several outside groups. Testimony on HB 909 focused on reducing emergency room and law enforcement burdens and expanding crisis response capacity across the state. HB 1187, dealing with excess emergency assessment funds from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, was explained by the Insurance Commissioner as a way to transfer remaining Katrina-era assessment funds to the Fortified Roof Program. The committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, SB 511 and SB 512 were deferred and converted into a study resolution approach because there was not yet consensus on the underlying issue. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide us what whatever information provide us what whatever information You'<00:38:26.680>
• <04:05:11.000> a package more just for your information a package more just for your information
• their decisions, and the information from the teacher to inform their decisions.
• their decisions, and the information from the teacher to inform their decisions.
• do have a Statewide student information do have a Statewide student information system<04:26:48.560

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division 2 work session first took up HB 506, a bill dealing with the return of seized firearms. Members discussed how the measure would shift background-check processing for firearm returns through the Department of Safety, while the physical firearms would still remain with local police unless State Police had taken custody. The department said the bill would change which cases come to it, and members clarified that the bill concerns the background-check decision rather than possession of the firearms. The committee then voted OTP on HB 506 FN by a 7-0 roll call. The committee next discussed HB 671, establishing a kindergarten literacy readiness program. Department of Education staff explained that the bill grew out of a COVID-era Waterford contract that provided home-based early literacy support for families using federal relief funds, at a cost of about $600,000 per year, but that the program ended when those funds expired. Members raised concerns that the bill’s $1 appropriation was not realistic, that the prior program lacked sufficient outcome data, and that the references to ESSA tier-one benchmarks were unclear. The department said it was conducting a broader literacy needs assessment and updating the state literacy plan, including data from the zero-to-five range, K-5, and dyslexia-related work. Waterford representatives described the program as an early-literacy, pre-K readiness service for children ages zero to five, originally designed to work in homes with computers and internet provided where needed, and later expanded in some settings such as daycares and pre-K classrooms. They said the program used assessments at the beginning and end, had served hundreds of children, and was intended to support family engagement and kindergarten readiness. Despite that testimony, members remained concerned about funding and the lack of clear results, and one member moved to retain the bill for more information. The discussion ended with the bill retained rather than advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• History on information technology. Thank you, Chair.
• Up next, we will hear from our State Chief Information Security Officer.
• Our mission at the Office of Information Security is simple.
• I'm happy to dig in if I have the information.
• You cannot access that information.

Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting to examine Florida’s information technology governance, budgeting, cybersecurity, data management, and telecommunications operations. Chair Schneider and other members framed the panel as a new joint policy-and-budget forum focused on reducing jargon, improving accountability, and asking whether technology investments are feasible, aligned with state goals, cost-controlled, and secure. State Affairs Chairman Will Robinson and members emphasized that the committee should avoid buying “shiny new objects” without clear business cases and should focus on long-term value, cybersecurity, and operational efficiency. Florida Digital Service and Department of Management Services leaders provided an overview of the state IT enterprise. Secretary Pedro Allende described DMS as the state’s business, workforce, and technology service provider, while State CIO Warren Spanholz outlined Florida Digital Service’s four core areas: cybersecurity, project success, data interoperability, and enterprise architecture. Chief Data Officer Ed Ryan said the state data catalog is about 400,000 elements and roughly half of agencies are participating, and he described efforts to identify authoritative data sources and improve interoperability. Chief Information Security Officer Jeremy Rogers discussed the state cybersecurity operations center, enterprise risk management, incident response exercises, and a recurring $35 million cybersecurity resiliency budget. Chief Technology Officer Leo Schoonover described oversight of major IT projects over $10 million, updated project management standards, and a shift toward smaller phased implementations and more flexible methodologies to reduce delays and overruns. Other presenters covered telecommunications, data center operations, and cybersecurity workforce development. Director Denise Atkins said the Division of Telecommunications manages Suncom and MyFloridaNet, with nearly $336.9 million appropriated for fiscal year 2024-25, and is procuring the next network contract while emphasizing security controls and vendor flexibility. Tim Brown said the Northwest Regional Data Center operates on a chargeback basis, serves state and local customers, and returned surpluses to customers in recent years. Cyber Florida Director Ernie Ferraroso described training, workforce pipelines, K-12 outreach, a cyber range, and research programs aimed at building Florida’s cyber workforce and improving public-sector readiness. Members asked about budget setting, project delays, change orders, cybersecurity reporting, data catalog participation, interoperability, and expanding cybersecurity operations centers. Officials said chargeback rates are based on actual direct and indirect costs, project delays often stem from unclear scope and insufficient upfront planning, and cybersecurity success is measured by mean time to detect, respond, and recover. They also said the state is moving toward more modular project delivery, broader agency participation in shared cybersecurity services, and expanded CSOC locations within existing staff and budget where feasible.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide informed written consent.
• informed written consent. uh disclosure informed written consent. uh disclosure is<00:06:30.400> expressed
• require your consent for information require your consent for information that<00:11:14.240>
• good friend Senator Chanley informed me. good friend Senator Chanley informed me.
• That was good information.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can provide that information to you.
• to strengthen the network and cybersecurity for $250,000. and cybersecurity enhancement.
• An endpoint management solution will collect information from every department's network-connected device
• JJ is the system that maintains all the information on the youth.
• I've asked at the state level; we do not need any identifying information.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the utilities at reasonable and affordable prices that insured their transmission and distribution network
• the utility of where the areas of the service area, That would help them better inform the utility of
• I don't have that information in front of me. I'm sorry. I can get it for you, though.
• I don't have that information in front of me. I'm sorry. I can get it for you, though.
• Being a customer of an electric utility, you want to be informed.

Summary: The committee met to hear invited presentations on storm recovery and storm protection from the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric, Chesapeake Utilities, and the Office of Public Counsel. The PSC reviewed the history of storm restoration financing and utility hardening efforts after major storms such as Hurricane Andrew, the 2004-05 hurricane seasons, Irma, and Michael, explaining storm reserve funds, storm recovery bonds, and the current three-year storm protection plan process. The commission’s role in approving plans and later reviewing prudence of actual costs was emphasized, along with the types of work included in the plans such as vegetation management, pole replacement, undergrounding, feeder hardening, and substation flood protection. The utilities described their own storm-hardening investments and recent storm performance. FPL said it has spent about $4.9 billion on storm protection and recovery-related efforts, highlighted improved restoration times during Helene and Milton, and said it is expanding undergrounding, feeder hardening, and smart-grid technology. Duke Energy reported more than 40,000 hardened poles and structures since 2021, major gains from self-healing grid technology, and faster restoration during recent storms. Tampa Electric described a roughly $200 million annual storm protection effort, including vegetation management, undergrounding, substation hardening, and new storm surge protections, and Chesapeake Utilities discussed its smaller-scale hardening program, vegetation work, pole replacement, and rapid restoration after Helene in Nassau County. Committee members asked about how utilities prioritize neighborhoods for lateral hardening, whether maps of planned projects could be shared, how much each utility has spent on undergrounding and hardening, and how reliability comparisons are normalized against the national average. Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler argued that storm recovery and hardening costs fall too heavily on investor-owned utility customers, said the current framework lacks a meaningful cost-benefit or prudence check at the planning stage, and urged broader sharing of storm costs because the benefits extend to the whole state. Senators also discussed whether the commission can review the reasonableness of approved programs and whether future reports or recommendations from Public Counsel would be helpful. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• a data service to verify that information.
• through a data service to verify that information.
• And the compliance with the SNAP mandatory employment and training, information.
• This is for your information.
• Does anybody have any question related to that item and that information?

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• accurate and transparent information. accurate and transparent information. and<00:18:30.400>
• You can start to dismantle that network, and you can start to go after some bigger fish.
• Now, we're starting to unravel networks.
• Now, we're starting to unravel networks. Now, we're starting to unravel networks.
• :05.199> as<01:27:05.360> the records basic information such as the records basic information

Bills: HF3423, HF2354, HF3634

Keywords: healthcare, provider enrollment, medical assistance, legislation, state funds, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, service verification, Medicaid, human services, electronic documentation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1557 informed consent, medical interventions. Health and even services.
• SB 1557 informed consent, medical interventions. Health and even services.
• SB 1557 informed consent, medical interventions. Health and even services.
• SB 1629, behavioral health contracts, network adequacy. Finance. SB 1630.
• SB 1629, behavioral health contracts, network adequacy. Finance.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school or middle school or in high school, but you've got to have a more wrap-around social services network
• school or middle school or in high school, but you've got to have a more wrap-around social services network
• school or middle school or in high school, but you've got to have a more wrap-around social services network
• <00:18:34.920> from<00:18:35.120> the pending further information from the pending
• further information from the state<00:18:35.560> to<00:18:35.720> justify<00:18:36.840>

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The program covered three main topics: Minnesota’s February economic forecast, gun violence prevention efforts, and the growing debate over data centers. Minnesota Management and Budget reported a stronger-than-expected outlook, replacing a projected deficit with a $3.7 billion surplus for FY 2026-27 and a projected positive balance for FY 2028-29, though officials warned the state still faces a structural imbalance and possible federal funding losses tied to Medicaid reimbursements and fraud-related federal actions. Lawmakers also discussed affordability concerns, with Senate Republicans promoting a tax-relief package focused on property taxes, vehicle tab fees, and ending taxes on tips and overtime. A lengthy segment focused on gun violence prevention, including a Capitol rally by Annunciation Catholic Church families, students, and advocates. Senator Ron Latz said an interim working group he co-led with Senator Zeinab Mohamed gathered public and expert input and helped shape ideas for the session. He said there is no single solution, but cited measures such as red flag laws, universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, high-capacity magazine limits, safe-storage requirements, ghost gun and binary trigger bans, and more school counseling and wraparound mental health supports. Latz emphasized that he sees these as compatible with the Second Amendment and said he hopes to build bipartisan support, especially around school counseling and other “common-sense” measures. Latz said the short session and narrow margins mean compromise will be necessary, and that if a package does not pass this year, lawmakers will return to the issue next session while voters should hold legislators accountable in future elections. The final segment introduced the data center discussion, with Senator Bill Liske describing how data centers have grown from small server rooms into large industrial facilities and noting that some communities are considering moratoriums or restrictions because of neighborhood impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• that we're getting those information. that we're getting those information.
• to an informed decision is by having to an informed decision is by having information<00:59:59.760>
• so that they're, again, making an informed decision, and again, the alert networks so absolutely thrilled
• There's a lot of information. I've got some information in the office for the members.
• There's a lot of information. I've got some information in the office for the members.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The first meeting of the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force focused on the task force’s mission and on recent Kentucky flooding disasters. The co-chairs described the need to better prepare for increasingly frequent and costly natural disasters, including flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, and ice storms, and emphasized coordination among local, state, federal, and interstate partners. The discussion also stressed the importance of budgeting for mitigation, infrastructure resilience, housing, insurance, and recovery planning, with several members sharing personal experiences with disaster impacts in their districts. Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson gave the main presentation, responding to questions about the February and April flooding events. He said the February event affected the entire state, with 11,825 individuals registering for assistance and 1,194 public-assistance projects written so far; he also reported 134 households still sheltered, 190 households moved to permanent housing, and three disaster recovery centers still open after a regional consolidation. For the April event, he said 37 counties had individual assistance, 83 counties were still pending public assistance, and no hazard mitigation had yet been declared; 5,893 people had registered for individual assistance, and 144 households were sheltered, with 83 families already moved to permanent solutions. He noted that counties without public assistance would have to cover expenses locally unless state or federal aid is approved. Gibson also outlined Kentucky Emergency Management’s tools and resources, including a 24/7 state operations center and warning point, embedded National Weather Service meteorologists, five regional warehouses stocked with water, MREs, blankets, and kits, a statewide web-based damage reporting system, laundry trailers, generators, a disaster needs hotline that has received 6,972 calls, and a mutual aid system used to deploy resources such as water tankers. He highlighted ongoing work on urban search and rescue, qualification systems for emergency operations personnel, and aerial documentation of storm damage. No votes or formal actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a network of 40 communal organizations, JCRC is the largest collective voice of the organized Jewish
• Doulas can support families and help identify when something is wrong, but we need a strong network of
• When people are met with culturally responsive, trauma-informed support.
• care, trauma-informed teams, organizations, reflective supervision, early childhood development, and
• And when the wait for a properly trained provider in my network was over six months long, we made the

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery held a public hearing on 17 bills focused on behavioral health workforce shortages, studies, and commissions. Chairs Mindy Domb and Senator John Velis opened by emphasizing the severity of the Commonwealth’s mental and behavioral health workforce crisis, the resulting gaps in access to care, and the legislature’s ongoing use of loan repayment programs, studies, and commissions to address these issues. They outlined hearing procedures and noted that testimony would be limited to three minutes, with written testimony also accepted. A major portion of the hearing focused on bills to expand the primary care workforce, including H. 2205/S. 1385, which would broaden eligibility for the Mass RePay loan repayment program. Testimony from the Massachusetts Medical Society, Senator Jo Comerford, and Dr. Kate Atkinson described severe primary care shortages, long wait times, physician burnout, high debt burdens, and the need to recruit and retain physicians in more practice settings and regions. Committee members asked about the likely impact of loan repayment, the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and how to prioritize limited funding. Witnesses argued that primary care investment improves access and outcomes and that the bill would help sustain community-based practices. Another large block of testimony supported H. 2208/S. 1411, the proposed perinatal behavioral health care workforce trust fund, often referred to as the Moms Matter Act. March of Dimes, perinatal mental health advocates, doulas, clinicians, parents, and organizations such as the Boston Public Health Commission and Empty Arms Bereavement Support testified that postpartum depression, anxiety, substance use, and grief are widespread, often untreated, and worsened by long waitlists and a shortage of trained, culturally competent providers. Speakers repeatedly stressed that screening alone is not enough without a workforce to provide timely treatment, and several shared personal stories of postpartum illness, loss, and difficulty accessing care. The bill was also framed as a needed complement to the Commonwealth’s recent maternal health law, which increased screening and therefore increased demand for treatment. The committee also heard support for the Bridge Act, H. 2207/S. 1388, which would create mental health capacity grants for organizations serving communities at high risk of hate crimes or hate incidents. Testimony from the Jewish Community Relations Council and the bill’s sponsor described the mental health harms of hate, including anxiety, trauma, isolation, and loss of trust, and argued that community organizations need resources to build resilience and provide support. In addition, the committee heard from the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association on H. 2218/S. 1380, which would update job classifications to explicitly include licensed mental health counselors and licensed supervised mental health counselors in state behavioral health roles. Witnesses said the change would modernize hiring, expand access, and better reflect current licensure and scope of practice. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the session ended with a motion to adjourn after all testimony was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Dear President Ferguson, I'm writing to inform you of our intent to withdraw the appointment of April
• <00:39:13.360> operators<00:39:14.280> human transportation network operators human
• <00:42:07.920> Technology Information Technology Information Technology State<00:42:09.800>
• Senate Bill 740 is Senator Kramer, Transportation Network Companies Deactivation of Operators.
• Senate Bill 740 is Senator Kramer, Transportation Network Companies Deactivation of Operators.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation from Pastor Delman Coates, and received several guest introductions, including the doctor of the day, student visitors, homeschool advocates, community leaders, and the Braver Angels group. The chamber also journalized remarks welcoming Dr. Coates and recognized a prayer breakfast, with members offering brief thanks and acknowledgments before moving to legislative business. The Senate handled several messages and nominations, including withdrawal of an appointment, Johns Hopkins Police Accountability Board nominations, and Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners nominations, all referred to Executive Nominations. The chamber also received House Bill 156 and an Executive Nominations Committee report recommending confirmation of a slate of appointments, which was special ordered for later consideration. A motion to return Senate Bill 463 to second reader and special order it for Tuesday was adopted without objection, and Senate Bill 473 was also special ordered for Tuesday. On third reading, the Senate passed a large number of bills, including measures on ignition interlock participation, school construction, port hearing notice, veteran status notation for educators, correctional officer scholarships, benefits exploitation, veterans trust fund applications, presidential electors, advance enrollment for children of active service members, retired law enforcement handgun permits, high-risk pregnancy discharge communication, charitable organization audit thresholds, child care criminal history checks, water pollution discharge permits, blockchain task force creation, franchise registration reform, licensing portability for foreign service members and spouses, Medicaid collaborative care cost-sharing, gift card fraud, school for the deaf board membership, vehicle dealer hearings, massage therapy advertising, protective body armor reporting, lithium-ion battery safety, pharmacy prescriber agreements for opioid use disorder treatment, human relevant research fund contributions, state and higher education email requirements, and auto insurance producer commissions. Most passed unanimously or by wide margins; Senate Bill 348 and Senate Bill 585 passed with 30 and 32 votes in favor, respectively. Senate Bill 140, concerning benefits exploitation, drew extended debate over constitutionality and pending litigation, with one senator citing an Attorney General opinion and another citing a Supreme Court case on neutral principles in church property disputes; the bill ultimately passed with 40 votes. Members later changed several votes on the floor, including on Senate Bills 172, 376, 428, and 48. The session ended while the clerk was beginning to read Senate Bill 629, with the remaining calendar not completed in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Elizabeth Landsberg with HCAI, the Department of Health Care access and information.
• We would note that your agenda already provides some initial information on that.
• We partnered with Amnial Pharmaceuticals through an open request for information process.
• Were the other companies that put in requests for information also involved?
• The HPD does include various types of information required to pay health care claims, including information

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , the negative consequence there is that those EPO plans limit APS employees to coverage in their network
• , unlike a PPO plan, where you can access out of network providers.
• So an EPO plan just for context, limits you to providers that are in your network.
• A PPO plan has broader access to providers outside of your network. So, Mr.
• We don't really limit the network. We did have an EPO plan, but we only had like 300 members.