Transcript Highlights:

• Another $822,000 supports allied health programs including occupational therapy, clinical laboratory
• <00:34:42.159><c> science</c><00:34:43.119><c> it</c><00:34:43.280><c> supports</c> Laboratory science
• it supports Laboratory science it supports interprofessional<00:34:44.599><c> our</c><00:34:44.760><
• </c><00:37:04.720><c> to</c><00:37:04.839><c> the</c> that is accredited to the that is accredited to
• </c> occup therapy and medical laboratory occup therapy and medical laboratory Sciences<01:10:57.719>

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Investigator. partnerships with Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, the Los Alamos National Laboratory
• This is really the only one accredited in New Mexico, and what it does is it creates the next generation
• One of the things we believe we can do is continue down the pathway from being an accredited program
• to an accredited school. accredited program to an accredited school, ultimately becoming an accredited
• We are well on our way through the accreditation process to start the first cohort of Master of Social

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• supporting our partners across Minnesota, our Forensic Science Services, which is the state's crime laboratory
• I think we've talked about this before, but one is a critical space need we have for our laboratory in
• My concern is, as you've provided great support, to us to get our turnaround times down in our laboratory
• It's a $68 million project to create a regional office and a laboratory in Mankato.
• This is what we did for many years until we grew to the point where we could operate an accredited laboratory

Bills: HF2432

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• education instruction is delivered through these major components of a complex strategy: classroom and laboratory
• I'm the founder and CEO of Modern Canada Laboratories.
• We are an ISO-7025 accredited lab here in Florida.
• We're also a certified marijuana testing laboratory and an FDACS-approved hemp testing lab here in Florida
• This data was collected over the last six months. 111 samples were tested by our laboratory from various

Committee: Senate Agriculture

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture heard a presentation from Florida FFA state officers Gabby Howell and Macy Jordan, who described FFA and agricultural education as a three-part model of classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience, and leadership development. They highlighted FFA membership growth, Florida’s more than 60,000 members, industry certifications, and state funding that allows all agriculture education students to participate at no cost. Members praised the students and the organization’s role in developing future agricultural leaders. The committee then took up SB 438, which would regulate hemp and hemp extract products, including THC-infused beverages, by adding testing, labeling, retail location, age, and event restrictions, along with penalties and $2 million for testing equipment. Senator Burton said the bill is intended to address public safety, prevent products with illegal THC levels from reaching consumers, and respond to the governor’s prior veto concerns, especially store location and regulation. An amendment clarifying final batch testing was adopted without objection. Testimony was mixed. Supporters, including beverage distributors, law enforcement, and some hemp beverage businesses, backed regulation and said the bill would improve safety and clarity, though some asked for changes to avoid treating specialty beverage retailers like liquor stores. Opponents and some hemp industry representatives argued the bill was too restrictive, would hurt small businesses, and could push products into the black market; they also objected to THC limits, event restrictions, and the proposed regulatory structure. After debate, the committee voted 6-0 to report CS for SB 438 favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• including our acquisition professionals, our test and evaluation. community, our STEM personnel, our laboratories
• TRICARE reimbursement for health care services that don't meet the very, the singular, very specific accreditation
• , not a better accreditation, just an accreditation that's specific that greatly reduces access to health
• All because of this one accreditation that wasn't available.
• But the bill that we passed that's part of the NDAA accreditation.

Committee: Senate Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: Air Force modernization, fighter aircraft, autonomous systems, air superiority, national security, recapitalization

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on military procurement and modernization, with significant discussions surrounding the Air Force's capabilities and strategic needs. Key topics included the urgent need for recapitalization of the Air Force's fighter squadrons, as well as the importance of integrating new technologies like autonomous systems to bolster military effectiveness. Several senators raised concerns about the current resources available to the Air National Guard and the potential loss of skilled service members if recapitalization plans are not swiftly developed. There were also discussions on the importance of maintaining air superiority in light of evolving threats, particularly from adversaries like China.

Transcript Highlights:

• one-time monies for wolf depredation response and control, inflation for fisheries facilities and laboratories
• one-time monies for wolf depredation response and control, inflation for fisheries facilities and laboratories
• diplomas from any nonpublic school, so private, religious, or homeschool, are equivalent to an accredited
• met all the qualifications of age, training, and passed the exam, but because she did not have an accredited
• high school, only accreditation, she was not able to get her license.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's for the laboratory.
• That's for the laboratory.
• conducts Laboratory laboratory that conducts Laboratory Testing<03:20:33.880><c> for</c><03:20:34.120
• </c> the water testing fees for laboratory the water testing fees for laboratory equipment<03:21:46.600
• </c> various Water Analysis yep laboratory various Water Analysis yep laboratory testings<03:28:39.680

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division III work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services budget. Department staff said Public Health has a relatively small budget compared with other DHHS divisions, is supported mostly by federal and other non-General funds, and contains nearly 100 accounting units and more than 50 federal grants. They emphasized that the governor’s budget did not include significant cuts, but that federal funding uncertainty and the winding down of pandemic-era resources were major factors affecting the division. The division also explained that some apparent budget growth reflects reorganizations, including moving the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery and some programs from other DHHS divisions into Public Health. The presentation described Public Health’s mission as serving the entire state through food and water safety, disease surveillance, emergency response, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, WIC, community health center support, and public health data collection. Members asked about bird flu, and staff explained that human-health response would involve Public Health’s lab, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness units, while animal-health issues are handled with the Department of Agriculture; they also noted ongoing milk testing requested by FDA and USDA. The division said its organizational structure includes bureaus for Family Health and Nutrition, Infectious Disease Control, Public Health Protection, Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Wellness, Statistics and Informatics, and Public Health Laboratories, with about a 15% vacancy rate. Committee members questioned whether the division’s budget and staffing had really grown since pre-COVID, and staff responded that full-time authorized staffing is about the same as in 2018, with the increase largely due to federal pandemic funding that has since receded and to program transfers between divisions. They said Public Health’s General Fund share is about $24 million out of roughly $1.1 billion in DHHS General Fund spending, or about 2.2% of the department total. Members also asked about the 3,000-position cap and unfunded positions; staff explained that the cap remains in chapter law through June 30, 2025, that 394 positions were unfunded in the governor’s budget, and that the division expects flexibility to move money from personnel lines and fill unfunded positions to manage changing needs. No votes or formal actions were taken in this portion of the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we've listed some of the accountability structures starting on page 9, starting with the accreditation
• With the implementation of the accreditation process, they must use their Ed Plan to inform their budgets
• Representative Garrola, this afternoon you're gonna be hearing about the accreditation process from..
• The accreditation process, which is currently in its pilot year, essentially requires that a district
• I think we've lost a lot of that, you know, where they were supposed to be laboratory schools to try

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Gerwig, House Bill 1347, a bill to be entitled an act relating to clinical laboratory
• This bill addresses Florida's ongoing shortage of qualified clinical laboratory personnel by aligning
• Representative Gerwig, House Bill 1347, a bill to be entitled an act relating to clinical laboratory
• This bill addresses Florida's ongoing shortage of qualified clinical laboratory personnel by aligning
• Representative Gerwig, House Bill 1347, a bill to be entitled an act relating to clinical laboratory

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum call, and several recognitions, including tributes to former members and law enforcement. The chamber then adopted the special order report and moved to the day’s special-order calendar. Early bills passed unanimously, including CS/HB 401 on FDLE security details for major party nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, CS/HB 1063 on gubernatorial transition procedures, HB 593 on governmental agencies and personnel, CS/CS/HB 655 on confidential attorney-client meetings for local governments in pending litigation, and HB 6011 on ethics gift/honoraria reporting procedures. Each of these measures was explained by sponsors as transparency, security, or administrative process legislation, and each passed 115-116 to 0. The chamber then took up CS/HB 125, designating October 14 as Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance. The bill drew extensive and sharply divided debate over whether a state remembrance was appropriate for Kirk, with opponents arguing he was a polarizing political figure and that the House should focus on affordability and other constituent concerns, while supporters framed the bill as a defense of free speech and opposition to political violence. A proposed amendment to replace the designation with a George Floyd remembrance was ruled not germane. After structured debate, the bill passed 82-31. Members also considered transportation designation measures. SB 628, substituted for CS/HB 885, included multiple road and bridge namings and an amendment designating a 124-mile stretch of State Road 80 as the President Donald J. Trump Highway; the amendment and bill passed 82-26. CS/HB 33 similarly designated portions of roads as Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue and President Donald J. Trump Boulevard, prompting another lengthy debate over the appropriateness of honoring political figures and the use of public roadways for such designations; it passed 82-30. The House then began debate on CS/HB 35, “Isaiah’s law,” which would add driving without a valid license to the habitual traffic offender list after repeated offenses, with sponsors citing a fatal hit-and-run and opponents questioning prosecutorial discretion and the bill’s practical effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 5988 establishes fee authority for the Department of Health for costs related to providing accreditation
• Senate Bill 5988, establishing fee authority for accreditation services.
• Substitute Senate Bill 5880 establishes the validity of blood and breath tests conducted by laboratories
• certified or accredited pursuant to specific international standards.
• city or county wishes to privately test evidence it previously submitted to the state toxicology laboratory

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met in executive session on February 9, 2026, first hearing a staff briefing on Senate Bill 6346, which would impose a tax on individuals earning over $1 million. Staff described the bill’s revenue and spending impacts and reviewed a proposed substitute and 11 amendments addressing items such as public defense funding, charitable deductions, out-of-state tax credits, small business credits, diapers, constitutional issues, and a contingent constitutional amendment. The committee later took up the bill and rejected all of the offered amendments, then advanced the substitute bill with a due pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. Members supporting the bill argued it would help address tax fairness and fund public services, while opponents raised concerns about constitutionality, economic harm, and the effect on businesses and charitable giving. The committee also acted on a series of policy bills. It advanced a substitute bill on grocery store closures in food deserts after adopting a narrower substitute, despite concerns from some members about burdening grocers. It approved a substitute bill expanding voting access for military, overseas, Native American, and disabled voters, adopting a second substitute that removed a cybersecurity review requirement. The committee also advanced bills on tort claim arbitration against governments, victim and witness protections in sexual assault and domestic violence cases, JLARC review of student aid fraud, agricultural collective bargaining, labor relations if federal preemption ends, a cost-of-living adjustment for Plan 1 retirees, workers’ compensation and medical care access, line-of-duty death reimbursements, law enforcement background checks and eligibility, veterans’ discharge definitions, and extraordinary medical placement. Several of these bills had amendments adopted, including changes to tort claim oversight, victim-requested standby counsel, agricultural labor definitions, workers’ compensation penalties, law enforcement volunteer support, and extraordinary medical placement criteria. In the second group of bills, staff briefed measures affecting property taxes, housing, cannabis, disaster-related tax relief, technical tax code changes, aircraft fuel tax revenues, the estate tax, and a pesticide tax exemption. The committee heard that a substitute for the fire protection district bill would alter how city or town levy capacity is reduced and include consultation requirements and board-creation provisions. It also heard that the property tax relief expansion for seniors and disabled retirees needed a substitute to make the consolidated school levy revenue-neutral. Other bills would expand tax exemptions for low-income housing and nonprofit homeownership, authorize local cannabis excise taxes, extend disaster repair tax relief, expand housing-related local sales tax uses, make technical tax code changes, redirect aircraft fuel tax revenues to aeronautics, reduce the estate tax rate, and extend a pesticide tax exemption. The transcript ends during the committee’s consideration of Senate Bill 6346, with the committee debating and rejecting amendments before moving the bill forward.

Bills: HB2445 , HB2123 , HB3048 , HB3176 , HB3239 , HB3263 , HB3794 , HB3796 , HB4265 , HB4266 , HB4317 , HB4321 , HB4322 , HB3673

Committee: House Commerce & Economic Development Oversight

Keywords: HB2445, Route 66, Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward Commission, centennial, historic highway, preservation, tourism, historical society, scenic byway, National Historic Trail, Route 66 Alliance, Route 66 Association, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, historic preservation, heritage tourism, public-private partnership, sunset extension, commission extension

Bills: HB1817 , HB2056 , HB2616 , HB1718 , HB1842 , HB1740 , HB1919 , HB1616 , HB1774 , HB1984 , HB1603 , HB2171

Committee: House Water & Land

Keywords: fishing regulation, ʻamaʻama, striped mullet, bag limit, overfishing, Hawaii fisheries, funding, appropriations, Honolulu, housing, construction, grant-in-aid, community development, Banyan Drive, Hawaii community development authority, cultural revitalization, special fund, public safety, economic development, affordable housing

Summary: The committee heard HB 1817, which would create a daily bag limit for amaa/ama fish to protect Hawaii’s fisheries. DLNR said the biggest stressor on amaa populations is diversion of freshwater flows that cut off food sources for juvenile fish, and suggested that place-by-place rulemaking with fishers and stakeholders would be the most effective approach. A teacher and several Waialua Elementary students testified in strong support, describing research on declining catch data, cultural importance, and the need to preserve the fish for future generations. Other supporters said the fish is being outcompeted by invasive species and cited historical declines, including testimony that bag limits in Hilo Bay have helped increase populations. Committee members asked DLNR about traditional and cultural gathering rights, whether the bill’s bag limit would apply to native Hawaiian practices, and whether the limit was 10 per day or per season. DLNR said constitutional Hawaiian practices are protected, but also noted that if the bag limit is set in statute it would limit the department’s flexibility to tailor rules by area. Members also asked about other conservation efforts, and DLNR said fish pond revitalization and amaa production are underway statewide. One member raised concern that a statewide statutory limit might not fit conditions on every island, and DLNR said it has authority to adopt area-specific rules through rulemaking, though that process can take months to more than a year. The committee then moved to HP 206, an appropriations measure for the City and County of Honolulu involving school land transfers, and HP 266B relating to Banyan Drive. On HP 206, the county said the request is a one-time item and estimated costs were about $3.25 million, with the city and county already spending more than $350,000 on the transfers. On HP 266B, HCDA said it is conducting a master planning effort for Banyan Drive and plans a community visioning exercise this summer. Testimony from the Banyan Drive redevelopment agency emphasized the need for more flexible land-tenure rules, while OHA supported the bill with amendments to include cultural specialists and lineal descendants in the redevelopment process and to protect ceded lands. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Bills: HB6 , HB27 , HB123 , HB210 , HB213 , HB222

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: hemp, consumable hemp products, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, cannabidiol, CBG, cannabigerol, Texas hemp law, hemp regulation, cannabinoid products, delta-9 THC, intoxicating hemp, hemp gummies, hemp vape, retail registration, product registration, QR code labeling, child-resistant packaging, youth access, minor sales

Transcript Highlights:

• WILL WAS INTRODUCED BY MY COLLEAGUE, REPRESENTATIVE JULIA BROWNLEY Under current law, only one accrediting
• Their accreditations are also already recognized by private insurance, TRICARE, and some State Medicaid
• Their accreditations are also already recognized by private insurance, TRICARE, and some State Medicaid
• The Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act would address gaps in federal law
• THE PREVENTING ILLEGAL LABORATORIES AND PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH ACT WOULD ADDRESS GAPS IN FEDERAL LAW

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, February 2, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think most of you guys know that DLS is a high-complexity laboratory, reference laboratory for the
• </c> Kentucky State Public Health Laboratory. Kentucky State Public Health Laboratory.
• ><c> the</c> laboratory, reference laboratory for the laboratory, reference laboratory for the state<
• </c> laboratory builds and their consultants. laboratory builds and their consultants.
• </c> will be moving into the new laboratory. will be moving into the new laboratory.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:01 Department for Public Health Budget Request 00:01:46 Department for Community Based Services Budget Request 00:31:58 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) 00:57:13, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes, then heard a lengthy presentation from the Department for Public Health on Kentucky’s rural health transformation plan and related budget questions. Commissioner John Langfeld said the state received a $212.9 million federal award, one of the larger awards nationally, and outlined five focus areas: maternal and infant health, integrated EMS/trauma response, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, and chronic disease prevention with an emphasis on obesity and diabetes. He stressed that the effort is intended to be integrated, data-driven, and sustainable, and that the federal funds cannot be used for new construction, clinician salaries, research and development, EHR replacement, or to pay for currently billable services. He also said the program carries accountability requirements and that funds can be clawed back if milestones are not met. Members pressed for clarification on duplication with other budget requests, sustainability after the five-year funding period, and how success would be measured. Langfeld said he was not aware of any duplicate funding with the department’s additional budget requests and said the rural health funds were separate from those requests. He also said the program will be tracked through specific metrics and timelines, using both execution measures and outcome measures such as readmissions, with more rapid-cycle feedback to allow course correction. Representative Fleming raised concerns about possible overlap with navigator funding and asked for more detail on the budget breakdown; Langfeld said a detailed line-item budget had been prepared but was still awaiting final CMS approval before release, and that he would explore sharing more information once restrictions were lifted. The committee then heard from the Kentucky State Public Health Laboratory about a request for a new central lab expansion. The presenter described the current 35-year-old facility as outdated and constrained by aging infrastructure, obsolete equipment, deferred maintenance, and inadequate space, and said the lab performs critical work with no in-state alternative for many services, including newborn screening, select-agent and biosafety level 3 testing, animal necropsy for rabies, genetic sequencing, environmental and food safety testing, and response to emerging infectious diseases. The project is already in design phase C, expected to finish in mid-April, with construction funding sought at roughly $276 million on top of about $35 million already approved for design. Members asked about long-term operating costs, backup arrangements, and whether the current facility would remain in use; the presenter said the current lab would continue to be used by the department while other divisions move into vacated space, and that the lab has mutual-aid agreements with the Southeast Consortium and universities for contingency support. Finally, the Department for Community Based Services began its budget presentation on SNAP and relative caregiver issues. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and budget director Misty Sammons identified the governor’s recommended budget items tied to new federal requirements under HR1, including changes affecting payment error rates. The discussion was just beginning when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um is this intended to be an accredited class?
• </c><00:31:52.399><c> Do</c> intended to be an accredited class?
• Do intended to be an accredited class?
• Um I believe this particular laboratory.
• </c> the administration of this laboratory the administration of this laboratory and<00:41:41.520><c>

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and reporting of electronic health data, to use laboratory data to enhance investigation, response,
• health laboratory and community engagement engagement engagement activities.<00:54:46.079><c> Thank<
• </c><00:55:01.760><c> COVID</c> epidemiology and laboratory COVID epidemiology and laboratory COVID expansion
• Its aims were to enhance<00:55:13.040><c> laboratory</c><00:55:13.760><c> surveillance</c> enhance laboratory
• laboratory testing to advance<00:55:21.440><c> electronic</c><00:55:22.160><c> data</c><00:55:22.480

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He works at PSL, the Physical Science Laboratory, one of the nation's premier university-attached research
• Really, all this does is remove the distinction between regionally and non-regionally accredited institutions
• It would make it in line with our federal accreditation terminology and policies.
• It would make it in line with our federal accreditation terminology and policies as they have been changed

Bills: HB30 , HB120 , HJR1 , SB210 , SB306

Committee: Senate Senate Education

Keywords: teacher residency, Teacher Residency Act, public schools, teacher preparation, educator pipeline, teacher recruitment, teacher retention, student teachers, apprenticeship, co-teaching, mentor teachers, residency stipend, teacher salary, level one teacher, charter schools, school districts, New Mexico education, teacher workforce, principal stipend, cohort model

Transcript Highlights:

• They are laboratories at sea collecting data that fuels critical decision-making here on land.
• </c><03:31:52.160><c> These</c> Laboratories, and US Universities.
• These Laboratories, and US Universities.
• research to applied field laboratory research to applied field work.<03:39:31.279><c> However,</c><03
• This bill would ensure veterans know about the availability of accredited representatives, including

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 19, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to Idaho National Laboratory.
• we could into the laboratory.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory, as well as Pueblo de San Ildefonso.
• and certified laboratories that conducted the actual final analytics.
• The laboratory is in the process of removing a lot of...

Committee: Joint Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Keywords: 996, all