Transcript Highlights:

• Moving to slide 8, this talks about another division, infectious disease prevention division. disease
• We do respiratory diseases like flu, but we also do other high consequence diseases like if Ebola, we
• We've got our environmental epidemiology and disease registries and so we have disease registries for
• disease, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
• So chronic disease, mental health services, et cetera.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• because pediatricians are experts at caring for diseases of childhood.
• We think about getting up front and ahead of disease.
• Late-presenting disease, advanced cancers that sometimes are beyond the scope of treatment, heart disease
• Last resort are showing at a very late stage of disease.
• Advanced disease is more costly and it causes more suffering.

Summary: The committee held a panel discussion focused on how Florida health care organizations are working to improve access, quality, and affordability. Panelists from Florida Community Care/Independent Living Systems, Sunshine Health, AdventHealth, UF Health, and Nemours described their approaches, including Medicaid managed care, value-based contracting, community partnerships, mobile screening units, smart-room technology, telehealth, and specialized programs for maternal health, children, and complex chronic conditions. Several speakers emphasized that managed care and coordinated care can improve outcomes while reducing unnecessary utilization and costs. Members asked about the impact of Medicare’s V28 changes, mobile cancer screening, urgent care versus emergency room billing, pediatric specialty access, complaint resolution, Black maternal mortality, provider shortages, network adequacy, and the use of AI in prior authorization. Witnesses said V28 has affected providers and revenue, UF Health’s mobile screening program is expanding beyond a few cancer types, and its urgent care model bills patients at the appropriate level rather than both urgent care and ER rates. Nemours said it reduced specialty wait times through scheduling changes, telemedicine, and registry tools, while AdventHealth described postpartum coordination and maternal heart programs to reduce maternal complications and mortality. On complaints and access problems, panelists said their organizations use patient/member advocates, care managers, call centers, and escalation processes to resolve issues, and Sunshine Health specifically discussed a transportation complaint that was addressed with its vendor and the family. Sunshine Health also said it is not using AI for prior authorization, though it is exploring responsible uses elsewhere, and Florida Community Care said it is not using AI in utilization management. In closing, panelists identified workforce shortages, provider burnout, and high-cost drugs as the biggest ongoing challenges. The meeting ended with thanks to the panel and adjournment after Representative Brackett moved to rise, without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• of aging, particularly neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
• ><c> and</c> diseases like Parkinson's disease and diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's<
• disease, right?
• </c> non-terminal disease. non-terminal disease.
• They're terminal diseases, right? you. They're terminal diseases, right?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I lost my dad to this disease.
• </c><00:13:19.600><c> and</c> she was a caregiver to this disease and she was a caregiver to this disease
• </c><00:13:22.720><c> has</c> I'm not the only one this disease has I'm not the only one this disease
• </c><00:13:32.639><c> in</c> the statistics of this disease in the statistics of this disease in Hawaii
• </c> Every Life Foundation for Rare Disease Every Life Foundation for Rare Disease in<00:53:43.839><c

Bills: SB3263, SB3261

Keywords: student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate Committee on Education and Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on several bills related to student health and safety, University of Hawaii programs, and workforce development. For SB 2969, which would appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii to expand and sustain the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Maui Health Registry, testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Witnesses described the ongoing physical and mental health impacts of the August 2023 Maui fires, said the study has identified serious untreated conditions and connected participants to care, and emphasized its role in serving survivors and training students. The committee also heard support from the Department of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Lung Association, Maui residents, and study staff. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then heard SB 2657, which would establish an Alzheimer disease and related dementia research center at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. University of Hawaii and Alzheimer’s Association representatives supported the bill, saying a local center would improve coordination of existing research, build state capacity, and help Hawaii compete for future NIH designation and federal funding. A family member affected by Alzheimer’s also testified in support, citing the disease’s impact in Hawaii. In response to questions, the university said the proposal would follow a five-year phased plan, with the first year funding used to recruit a senior neuroscientist and staff person, at an estimated cost of about $375,000, and that the effort would still strengthen Hawaii’s research infrastructure even if federal funding is not secured. For SB 2612, which clarifies immunity for Department of Education employees and agents who assist students with medication administration under certain conditions, the Department of Education said the bill is intended to protect volunteers and help ensure students can participate in school activities even when staffing is limited. The committee discussed how volunteers would be selected and whether every school would have someone available, and DOE said schools currently rely on health attendants, nurses, and trained volunteers. The committee also briefly discussed liability language and gross negligence exceptions. The hearing then moved to SB 2412, which would fund a bachelor’s degree program in sign language and sign language interpretation at UH Mānoa with a future master’s pathway. Testimony from interpreters, educators, and university officials emphasized the shortage of interpreters, the need to retain local talent, and the program’s role in building a pipeline; university representatives said the initial request would fund a faculty/staff position as a first step, with additional funding needed later. No final committee action or votes were announced in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• SAYS VERY SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDES SPECIFIC CARDIAC DISEASES FROM A COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE MODEL AND THAT
• WITH CHRONIC CARDIAC DISEASES BEING THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES WE MUST BE ASKING
• SP 294 PATIENT OUTCOMES AND CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT.
• HEART FAILURE, CORONARY DISEASE AND CARDIAC RHYTHM DISORDERS.
• WE ARE NARROWLY FOCUSED ON CARDIAC DISEASE, SIGNIFICANT CARDIAC DISEASE, NOT ELIMINATING THE GENERAL

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:56:18.720><c> but</c> create module for another disease but create module for another disease
• </c> still need to see what type of disease still need to see what type of disease will<00:57:07.359>
• , and also to add other rare diseases to be tracked because a lot of rare diseases are going off the
• It really is disease prevention.
• It really is disease prevention.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• disease is actually diagnosed.
• We know that certain medications, for instance, can make the disease worse, can speed up the disease
• disease is actually diagnosed.
• We know that certain medications, for instance, can make the disease worse, can speed up the disease
• , and that we will be able to end this disease.

Bills: HB2190, HB2202, HB2233, HB2251, HB2252, HB2396, HB2437, HB2689, HB2796

Keywords: physician assistants, licensure compact, medical services, multistate practice, patient care access, healthcare workforce, military families, adverse actions, dementia care, telementoring, healthcare education, rural communities, grant funding, HB 2233, rural health transformation, rural health transformation program, AHCCCS, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Joint Legislative Budget Committee, JLBC

Transcript Highlights:

• , Fabry disease, Gaucher disease, Pompe disease, MPS1.
• Crab disease, Fabry disease, goucher disease, pomp disease, MPS1.
• , that disease will not be tested for.
• for lysosomal storage disease in particular.
• On the Rare Disease Advisory Council and in my own life as a member of a family with rare disease, we

Summary: The House took up several Senate and House bills, often suspending rules to advance them quickly. Early in the session, the chamber handled a Senate bill on student learning and mental health by insisting on its position and appointing a conference committee. It also referred a poverty-related petition away from Judiciary to the Committee on Children and Families after suspending Joint Rule 12. The House then considered a series of Ways and Means bills, including measures on police interactions with people with autism, honoring Blue Star families, Bolton land conveyances, newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus, affordable housing and cultural space in Brighton, increasing access to epinephrine, and civil rights and technology; most were amended, ordered to third reading, or passed to be engrossed. The most extensive debate centered on House 5441, requiring newborn screening for congenital CMV. Supporters described CMV as a common but often overlooked infection that can cause hearing loss, developmental delays, and other serious harms, arguing that universal screening would allow earlier treatment and better outcomes. An amendment to add several rare diseases was withdrawn, and a later amendment to create a broad parental opt-out was rejected by a roll call vote of 153-1. The bill then passed to be engrossed by a vote of 154-1. The House also passed House 5443 on expanded public access to epinephrine after emotional testimony about fatal anaphylaxis cases; that bill passed 149-0. Another major measure, House 5444 on civil rights and technology, would prohibit weaponized drones and robotic devices, restrict threatening or harassing use, and set rules for law enforcement use and warrant requirements. Members emphasized both public safety and civil liberties, and the bill passed to be engrossed by a vote of 154-1. The House also passed the Blue Star families bill, which creates commemorative license plates for immediate family members of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, with members speaking about fallen officers and the importance of honoring their families. Additional bills passed included the autism-related Blue Envelope bill, the Bolton land conveyance bill, and the Brighton affordable housing/cultural space bill. The session included multiple recesses, quorum checks, memorial tributes to Barney Frank and State Trooper Kevin Traynor, and concluded with the House adjourning to meet the next day in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• At one point, there were no treatments for the disease; you get the disease and you kind of just wait
• At one point, there were no treatments for the disease; you get the disease and you kind of just wait
• </c><01:05:00.520><c> that</c> then of like a zentic disease that then of like a zentic disease that
• But if there's ever a situation when that particular animal can transmit a disease and that disease is
• disease is present, then we definitely want to act because we don't want the disease to be spreading

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing opened with House Bill 1462 on crisis services. Testimony from the Department of Law Enforcement, the Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Department of Health supported expanding behavioral health crisis services as an alternative to arrest or incarceration. Witnesses said additional crisis sites would help divert people in mental health crisis to appropriate care, and the Department of Health described its current crisis center in Ewa, including the need for renovations such as a padded room and the time required to get the facility operational. In response to questions, the department estimated the Ewa center’s budgeted cost at about $4.3 million, not including rent or startup repairs, and said a second site’s cost would depend on whether it was freestanding or attached to an existing facility. The committee then heard House Bill 700 on cognitive assessments. The Executive Office on Aging supported the bill’s intent but asked that it be amended to make assessments optional rather than mandated, to pilot the program first, and to allow flexibility in handling HIPAA-protected data. SHPDA also supported the measure but said it should not be mandatory and suggested that payers reimburse for assessments when requested by patients, families, or physicians. The Alzheimer’s Association and caregivers strongly supported standardizing cognitive assessments to improve early detection and access to newer treatments, while noting the existing opt-out provision. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the bill but asked that the age 65 threshold be removed because cognitive decline can begin much earlier for people with Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and related conditions. In response to a question, the Office on Aging said a pilot project could likely be done for about $150,000, with data security being the main added cost. The final bill discussed was House Bill 237 on peer support programs. Testimony from Family Hui Hawaii, Early Childhood Action Strategy, peer support workers, and families described peer-to-peer programs as a cost-effective way to reduce isolation, strengthen families, and provide long-term community support. Speakers said these programs help parents and caregivers navigate crises, child welfare involvement, addiction recovery, and other challenges, and can have lasting benefits for children’s development and family stability. Several witnesses tied the bill to broader state goals, including infant and early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and child welfare reform. Written testimony from about a dozen organizations and individuals was also noted in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• But major depressive disorder is a real clinical disease, or psychiatric disease, and it's the leading
• or neurodegenerative diseases, because they're kind of all in that same realm.
• and Alzheimer's disease before.
• and Alzheimer's disease before.
• It cannot diagnose you with any sort of disease or any sort of disorder.

Summary: The Committee on Science and Technology met to hear a presentation from Ananya Lakaraju, a Hamilton High School junior, on her research into the biology of major depressive disorder. She described a project using saliva metabolomics and machine learning to identify potential biomarkers of depression from a UCSD dataset of 261 patient samples, explaining that the goal was to move beyond subjective screening toward more objective, biology-based diagnosis. She also discussed using multiple statistical methods and an ensemble AI model, along with SHAP and permutation importance, to identify top metabolites and related pathways, and said her work suggested some novel biomarkers and possible links to depression-related pathways. Lakaraju further explained a drug-discovery component of the project, in which she used pathway analysis and molecular docking software to identify a potential target protein and test candidate compounds, saying flupinazine showed the best binding energy in her simulations. She noted that the model achieved about 90% accuracy and a 97% AUC, and said she also built an app to collect mood and activity information to complement the biological data. Members asked questions about the metabolites, whether the findings were novel, how the saliva data were obtained, and how the app and future at-home testing might work. She said the biomarkers were computationally identified, the saliva data came from an online UCSD dataset rather than direct collection, and the app was intended to support more holistic diagnosis rather than replace clinicians. Committee members praised the presentation as impressive and timely, especially in light of the growing role of AI in medicine and the need for AI regulation. Lakaraju also spoke about her interest in coding and biology, her experience in robotics, and receiving the Governor’s Future Innovator of the Year Award. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• where the disease is found to react quickly and begin mitigation sooner rather than later.
• And that's the surveillance in endemic areas where we know the disease exists.
• And that's the surveil endemic areas where we know the disease exists.
• Do we need testing like in Orleans Parish for chronic wasting disease?
• And that's the closest disease we have to CWD.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee continued discussing recommendations for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and response in Louisiana’s wild and captive deer herds. Members and staff reviewed current surveillance results, noting that LDWF had met goals in 32 of 64 parishes and that voluntary hunter-harvest sampling was falling short in other areas. Several ideas were raised to improve sample collection without making it broadly mandatory, including incentives for hunters, taxidermists, and possibly processors; use of DMAP properties and mobile sampling units; and targeted sampling of older bucks and other higher-risk animals. Members also discussed whether to use parish-level or other geographic control areas, and whether to mirror aspects of Arkansas’s approach, including testing to reduce or remove restrictions when prevalence remains low. The committee also heard from LDWF and LDAF about captive herd surveillance and reporting. LDAF described its licensed deer facilities, a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish that led to depopulation and quarantines, and follow-up testing that has remained negative at quarantined farms. Witnesses said the agencies currently share information informally and through USDA/NVSL channels, but there is no specific law or regulation requiring 24-hour notification between agencies. The Wildlife Federation and several members recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory reporting of positives, and clearer coordination between LDWF and LDAF. Members also discussed the cost of testing, with LDWF saying USDA grants covered diagnostic testing for the last two deer seasons, while department self-generated funds covered earlier costs. A major portion of the meeting focused on how to respond when a positive wild deer is found. Some members favored immediate restrictions, while others argued for keeping existing season rules in place through the season and using the positive as a trigger for intensified sampling, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary penalties and encouraging hunters to submit samples. There was also discussion of whether baiting should be prohibited, allowed during hunting season, or phased based on testing results, with Arkansas’s statewide baiting allowance and county-based disease management zones used as a comparison. The chair emphasized that no final recommendation would be adopted at this meeting; instead, staff was directed to compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April meeting, when the committee expects to vote and the commission may need to act quickly through its notice-of-intent or emergency rule process before the next hunting season.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Melo: Next up, PCS for HB 513, Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Initiative.
• Three years ago, the House passed House Bill 299, which established education about Alzheimer's disease
• Florida has the second-highest number of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease in the country.
• PCS for HB 513 requires the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee to meet annually to evaluate and make
• I would say Alzheimer's is one of the most challenging diseases for families to have to deal with.

Transcript Highlights:

• The biggest killer in Missouri is actually heart disease.
• But once you get substance use disorder, it is a chronic disease.
• and chronic disease can overlap—but it's in different categories.
• So it is a chronic disease of the brain, absolutely.
• By background, I'm an infectious disease doctor.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rare disease does not discriminate, and neither should we.
• According to the National Organization for Rare Disease, there are well over 10,000 known rare diseases
• Rare disease does not discriminate, and neither should we.
• Vaccines are essential in preventing disease, the spread of disease, and promoting the health of individuals
• Medicaid census... ...and geriatric psychiatric diseases.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on a large docket of bills focused on MassHealth benefits and reimbursement, health equity, behavioral health, public health, dental access, 340B drug pricing, tobacco cessation, and coverage for children. The chairs emphasized rising health care costs, provider shortages, administrative burdens, and persistent inequities by income, race, geography, and immigration status. Much of the testimony centered on H.1416/S.901, an act to advance health equity, with legislators and members of the Health Equity Compact arguing for statewide benchmarks, stronger health equity leadership, reimbursement for interpreter services, community health workers and patient navigation, Medicaid graduate medical education support, and a health equity zone trust fund. Witnesses described disparities in life expectancy, maternal mortality, access to primary care, and the impact of federal Medicaid and social service cuts, and urged the committee to report the bill favorably. The committee also heard strong support for H.1368/S.847 on rapid whole genome sequencing for critically ill MassHealth children. Testifiers from industry, academia, hospitals, and families said early sequencing can end long diagnostic odysseys, improve treatment decisions, shorten hospital stays, and save money, while also providing emotional relief and information for families. The hearing then moved to H.1407 on MassHealth rate parity for inpatient behavioral health providers, where Rep. Scanlan and the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems said the bill would codify existing administrative parity so managed care plans cannot pay less than the MassHealth fee-for-service rate. On H.1392/S.853 to preserve and protect public health, witnesses supported higher vaccine administration fees to improve provider participation and immunization rates. The committee also heard testimony on H.770/845 to protect 340B providers in MassHealth, and on S.848 to require reporting and transparency around 340B revenues and outside administrative costs. Additional bills drew testimony on tobacco cessation coverage for MassHealth members, with advocates supporting broader access to counseling and medications through medical, behavioral health, and dental providers. On H.1409, a nursing home operator asked for more flexibility in a MassHealth staffing-related penalty tied to patient days per resident. On H.1401/S.888, supporters of the “Take 10” dental access proposal said adult MassHealth dental coverage is underused because too few dentists accept MassHealth, leading to long travel times and avoidable emergency room visits; they urged incentive payments for dentists serving new adult MassHealth patients. Finally, on H.1403/S.855, “Cover All Kids,” advocates and immigrant community members urged removal of immigration status as a barrier to full MassHealth coverage for children, while also backing a related bill to ensure 12 months of continuous coverage for children. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and asked questions on costs, reimbursement levels, and implementation details.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Centers for Disease Control is to stop the spread of disease, but alpha-gal is non-communicable from
• So when we deal with disease surveillance, where we're trying to find out how frequent like disease surveillance
• : it isn't, but it is a disease of concern.
• We count people who have the disease. We count people who have the disease.
• , and it's a silent deadly disease.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House first established a quorum, welcomed special guests, and then took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1855, a reporting bill on Alpha-Gal syndrome. The bill sponsor described Alpha-Gal as a serious tick-borne condition causing delayed allergic reactions and argued Missouri should track it through mandatory lab reporting to the Department of Health and Senior Services, with aggregated annual reporting to the CDC. Supporters said the measure would improve surveillance, identify hotspots, guide public health outreach, and help rural and agricultural communities that are heavily affected. An amendment changing the department’s follow-up language from “may” to “shall” was adopted after members said it would ensure accountability if the legislature funds the work. A second amendment seeking patient consent before reporting was debated at length over privacy and data concerns but failed 41-85, 10 present. The underlying bill then passed perfection and printing. The House next considered House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2230 and 2978, a school policy bill focused on reducing K-5 screen time and encouraging handwriting and cursive instruction. The sponsor said the measure was revised to be less prescriptive, instead requiring school districts to review screen-time policies and creating a state-level “focus group” of educators, parents, and health professionals to study the issue and make recommendations. Supporters argued excessive screen use is linked to weaker literacy, behavior, and mental health outcomes, while some members raised concerns about technology use for special education students and English language learners. An amendment was adopted to exclude the virtual school program from the bill. The House then adopted the substitute and ordered it perfected and printed. Finally, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2355, the “Food is Medicine” initiative. The sponsor said the bill would let Missouri use federal 1115 waiver funds for pilot programs that provide medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, nutrition counseling, and related nutrition supports for health care purposes. Supporters said the program could improve health outcomes, reduce Medicaid spending, and help address food deserts, while one amendment added vitamin therapies and updated a date in the bill. Members discussed concerns about supplement quality and the scope of covered therapies, but the bill advanced after the amendment debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• HE BELIEVED IT TO BE AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE BUT THE BIOPSIES WERE ALL NEGATIVE AND HE COULD NOT TELL ME
• THIS PUTS IN STATUTE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THESE VERY COMPLICATED CARDIAC DISEASES ARE DIRECTLY, THE
• CHRONIC CORONARY DISEASE INCLUDING HEART FAILURE IS NOT SIMPLE. FAR FROM IT.
• HEART DISEASE REQUIRES MANY YEARS OF FORMATIVE MEDICAL EDUCATION INCLUDING MEDICAL SCHOOL RESIDENCY AND
• FELLOWSHIP TRAINING IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's not just children with cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease.
• And then can you talk about what are some of the preventable diseases that vaccines are there to help
• .. ...exhibiting fever symptoms, any other communicable diseases.
• We have hand, foot, and mouth disease. These children are in small environments.
• We certainly do not have the infrastructure to care for those who come with contagious diseases.

Bills: HB2086, HB2248, HB2688

Keywords: vaccination mandates, mask requirements, public health, government entities, COVID-19, medical freedom, healthcare mandates, employment requirements, government regulation, vacant positions, state budget, government efficiency, employment, full-time equivalent positions, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you're at risk for arterial disease in your cardiac muscle, you're at risk for kidney disease, you're
• Without cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but are recognized as having obesity.
• Because obesity drives so many other chronic diseases.
• And so obesity, it's really important to understand that obesity is a chronic disease.
• , Alzheimer's disease, dementia, bladder incontinence, and knee and hip replacements.

Bills: HB231, HB231, HB475, HB488, HB632, HB821, HB1786, HB1955, HB2036, HB2060, HB2659, HB2677

Keywords: HB 231, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, permit exemption, dam, reservoir, erosion control, flood control, floodwater control, sediment control, watershed protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, local sponsor, water appropriation, small dam, water diversion, maintenance, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1800 on Parkinson's disease research funding.
• particularly the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in first responders.
• the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in first responders.
• I could have immune disease that makes me…” “That I don’t get something.
• I could have immune disease that makes me very vulnerable.

Summary: The Health Policy Committee met for its final meeting of the session and handled a very full agenda, beginning with a few housekeeping items and a brief thank-you to staff. Senate Bill 596 was temporarily postponed. The committee then reconsidered and amended SB 1606 on patient access to records, clarifying portal access obligations and deleting a section that would have improperly affected nursing home facility records; the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also recommended confirmation of a block of appointees and separately confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after testimony focused on transparency, financial oversight, Medicaid managed care accountability, and internal controls at AHCA. Harris said she would prioritize staffing, monitoring, and improved reporting, and several health care groups waived in support. The committee next heard and passed several bills, including claims bills SB 28 and SB 22 for South Broward Hospital District settlements, both reported favorably. It also approved SB 772 on undesignated glucagon in schools, SB 998 on allowing physician assistants and APRNs to complete death certificates under hospice/palliative protocols, SB 1412 on home health agency administration and staffing flexibility, SB 1800 creating a Parkinson’s disease research consortium at USF, SB 306 on Medicaid managed care network access during holidays and after hours, SB 1768 on stem cell therapies and informed consent, SB 1602 on pediatric readiness standards in emergency departments, SB 1156 on the home health aide program for medically fragile children, SB 1490 on Children’s Medical Services and Medicaid managed care administration, and SB 1182 on Medicaid coverage of continuous glucose monitors. Most of these bills were amended, generally to narrow scope, align with the House, or make technical changes, and most received support from provider associations, advocacy groups, or affected institutions. The most debated measure was SB 1270, which combined several health freedom and medical marijuana provisions. The strike-all amendment retained language prohibiting discrimination based solely on vaccination status, added protections related to mRNA vaccine documentation requirements, and included medical marijuana regulatory and background-screening language. The committee heard extensive testimony both in support and opposition, including concerns from senators about whether the bill would force providers to treat patients contrary to medical judgment, and support from witnesses arguing it protected patient autonomy and access to care. After a time-certain motion, the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded their votes on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• where the disease is found. ...but certainly where the disease is found, to react quickly and begin
• And that's the surveil endemic areas where we know the disease exists.
• Do we need testing like in Orleans Parish for chronic wasting disease?
• It is a specified disease within its own, and the incident rate is moving slowly.
• And that's the closest disease we have to CWD.

Summary: The committee and invited witnesses discussed chronic wasting disease surveillance and response in Louisiana, focusing on both wild deer and captive deer facilities. LDWF staff said surveillance goals are being met in about 32 of 64 parishes, but there are gaps in low-sample areas, and they described current efforts using voluntary hunter-harvested deer sampling, targeted sampling in higher-risk animals, and coordination with D-MAP properties. Witnesses and members raised possible ways to improve detection, including incentives for testing, use of taxidermists and processors to collect samples from older bucks, possible mandatory testing tied to special doe days or special seasons, and better use of D-MAP or mobile sampling units. Several members also suggested environmental testing, better deer-density data, and clearer mapping of hotspots and source areas. A major portion of the discussion centered on how to respond when a positive CWD case is found. Members debated whether Louisiana should follow an Arkansas-style approach, including allowing baiting during hunting season while using other tools to manage disease, versus stricter no-bait or no-feeding rules. Some members argued that immediate restrictions after a positive discourage hunters from submitting samples and hurt landowners and feed businesses, and suggested delaying new restrictions until the end of the season while intensifying sampling. Others emphasized that any response should be science-based and should preserve hunter participation. There was also discussion of whether control areas should be parish-based or based on geographic distance, and whether the state should establish thresholds that would allow a control zone to be reduced or removed if enough negative samples are collected. For captive deer facilities, LDWF and LDAF staff reviewed the USDA herd certification program and current surveillance practices. They said Louisiana has about 350 licensed deer facilities, including breeder and hunting facilities, and that a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish led to depopulation and 12 quarantine farms; follow-up testing in 2025 found no new positives in the traced facilities. Staff said the state has relied on USDA competitive grants for diagnostic testing in the last two years, covering roughly $100,000 to $150,000 annually, while department self-generated funds covered more than $800,000 over the last three years. Members and witnesses recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory 24-hour reporting of positives to LDWF and USDA APHIS, and clearer, reciprocal communication between LDWF and LDAF when positives are found. No votes were taken; the chair said staff would compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April 9 commission meeting, with the understanding that the committee will later make formal recommendations to the Legislature.