Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:12.639> He's language access department. He's language access department.
• <00:15:51.839> of<00:15:51.920> the access access the tool kind of the access access
• can be accessioned.
• Rhodess, our facilities manager here. Rhodess, our facilities manager here.
• if authorized. ...facility.

Keywords: 00:10 Call to order and Roll Call 01:06 Information Items and Introduction of Kentucky Court of Justice 03:02 Discussion of Interpreter State and National Contractor Rates 06:35 Discussion of Certifications 08:44 Discussion of AI use in Interpretation 13:56 Software Service Initiatives 16:47 Data Security and AV system Upgrades 24:38 Drug Court Issues 28:43 Discussion of Jefferson County Record Storage 35:33 Boyle County Courthouse Construction 39.26 KY State Police Driver Testing 45:22 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard a budget overview from the Kentucky Court of Justice focused on mandated services and several growth items in the judicial branch budget. Court officials said the requests were driven by legal and contractual obligations, including higher contractor rates for court interpreters and IT support, annual software-as-a-service costs, and upgrades to the court’s audiovisual record system (JAVS). They also discussed local facilities needs tied to Jefferson County lease space and the Boyle County Courthouse, though the bulk of the presentation centered on the court’s technology and service-delivery costs. Members asked detailed questions about interpreter services, including whether services are provided in person, by phone, or by Zoom, and whether Kentucky could train and certify more local interpreters instead of relying on contractors from around the country. Court officials said the certification process is rigorous, that the branch is working with the National Center for State Courts on an apprenticeship program, and that they believe Kentucky may have flexibility to develop state-level certification if it meets court needs. They also said they are exploring technology and AI tools for translation, but have not found a solution that reliably handles complex courtroom context. Representative Sharp asked whether cases had been delayed for lack of interpreters; officials said they could provide aggregated data later. The court also described its major IT modernization effort, including a statewide case management system, e-filing, and maintenance of many legacy applications. Officials said contractor rates need to be raised to compete for skilled labor during the implementation phase, but that those costs should decline once the new systems are fully built and only maintained. They explained that part of the request covers three SaaS initiatives: ongoing subscription costs for existing systems, annual fees for the CaseWorks system used in pretrial and specialty courts after federal grant funding ends, and adoption of DocuSign to streamline invoicing, procurement, and contract execution. In response to questions from Representative KC Carney, they said cybersecurity is taken seriously, that they recently conducted a tabletop exercise, and that some risk shifts to cloud vendors under contract, though no separate cybersecurity line item was included. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on the JAVS audiovisual court-record system. Court officials said not all courtrooms are on the same version, and they want funding to bring all locations up to the current version and prepare for version 9, which they said would standardize the system statewide and support the official court record. When asked about costs, they said each upgrade can cost about $70,000 to $80,000 per system, that they aim to upgrade about 50 per year, and that the request reflects the need to keep pace with a four-year refresh cycle. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• access hospitals operate on the thinnest of margins.
• facility in the country to be adequately staffed?
• It's not just the new facilities; it's not just the new CBOC; it's taking these older facilities that
• For example, veterans have to travel long distances to access their VA health care facilities, and that
• Hospitals, in the care facilities, at the cemeteries.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some other items on our facility master plan include other.
• . accessibility.
• We also have other facilities at Kauai Test Facility, where we launch some of our hypersonic systems
• Additionally, we have a few smaller facilities.
• We have a very old facility.

Transcript Highlights:

• So of the 162 facilities that are sort of our baseline group of facilities that had to report, the 33
• Facilities have to report.
• Our wastewater treatment facility that we currently have is a 1 million gallon-a-day facility located
• It will be a 1 MGD facility, but it's much more than just a treatment facility.
• And like, we hear a lot about public access reuse, and public access reuse has its downside when we get

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources met to hear a panel discussion on implementation of Senate Bill 64 (2021), which requires elimination of non-beneficial wastewater discharges to surface waters by 2032. Department of Environmental Protection staff reported that utility plans have been approved, about 570 million gallons per day are expected to be eliminated under the plans, and roughly 176 million gallons per day have already been eliminated. The department emphasized ongoing annual reporting, continued coordination with utilities, and the need for projects such as reuse, indirect potable reuse, wet-weather backup discharges, groundwater recharge, and other beneficial uses to meet the law’s 90% reuse requirement in applicable cases. Representatives from Flagler Beach, Atlantic Beach, JEA, and Hillsborough County described how the law affects different utilities. Smaller and coastal systems said they face major cost, space, salinity, and infrastructure constraints, with limited reuse opportunities and expensive alternatives such as deep well injection or regional transfer. Larger systems described substantial capital programs already underway, including public access reuse, indirect potable reuse, regional recharge projects, and saltwater intrusion barrier wells, with costs ranging from tens of millions to billions of dollars. Members and witnesses discussed the need for flexibility, regional solutions, and case-by-case permitting, and the Florida Rural Water Association asked the committee to consider hardship provisions and funding or exemption adjustments for smaller systems. The committee then took up SPB 7002, a proposed bill by the Environment and Natural Resources Committee relating to water management districts. Senator Broder explained that the bill would increase transparency, improve planning and budgeting oversight, create a gift ban, support local referendum authority for certain ad valorem funding, and provide record-level funding for Everglades restoration. After a question from Senator Smith about whether the ad valorem language was expansive or restrictive, Senator Broder said it would add a new funding tool for districts. The committee adopted a motion to submit SPB 7002 as a committee bill, and it was reported favorably by roll call vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We must improve access to these services while people wait.
• Is that different than what we do for nursing facilities?
• Yes, that'd be different than what we do for nursing facilities.
• We must improve access to these services while people wait.
• Medicaid patients can access life-changing ABA therapy.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the university was unable to gain access during construction to at least two of those facilities
• Uh, the university was unable to gain access during construction to at least two of those facilities
• And it's really facility is.
• <00:26:29.279> for proposing that we'd provide access for proposing that we'd provide access
• :26:38.640> for reality content, as well as access for reality content, as well as access for

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum, so no minutes were approved. The committee then heard a presentation from Western Kentucky University President Timothy Kabone, who highlighted WKU’s recent gains in graduation rate, retention, degree production, graduate enrollment, research activity, and financial stability. He said WKU’s FY 2026 budget is structurally balanced without one-time reserves, and he tied the university’s growth to its strategic plan and to Senate Bill 77, which created a pathway for WKU’s first PhD program. WKU’s initial PhD offering is planned in data sciences for fall 2027, and Kabone said the university continues to pursue R2 research status. Kabone also outlined WKU’s budget requests, including a 4.5% base appropriation increase for each year of the biennium, a $30 million increase in the performance funding pool, a $30 million trust fund for tuition waiver reimbursement, and $2 million per year for the Gatton Academy. He also requested continued funding for the Kentucky Mesonet, 8.9% of proposed asset preservation funding, and support for a $280 million new Potter College facility. He emphasized inflationary pressures, rising fixed costs, and the burden of mandated tuition waivers, and said the university supports performance funding but wants the model adjusted to better reward student success rather than enrollment growth. Members asked about WKU’s student housing situation and the transition away from the former student life foundation model. Kabone said the foundation structure had run its course, that the university had lacked adequate oversight under the old arrangement, and that WKU is moving to a public-private partnership with Gilbane and the College Housing Foundation. He said the new model would not increase the university’s debt load and would replace older residence halls with a roughly 1,000-bed complex, eliminate community-style bathrooms over time, and expand living-learning communities. Representatives McCool and Tipton praised WKU’s graduation and retention results and asked questions about the housing project and its timeline. The committee then heard from CareerVXR and KCTCS about a proposed career exploration pilot. Company representatives said the platform uses web-based and virtual reality experiences to show students real jobs and workplaces, with the goal of addressing an “awareness gap” in workforce participation. They proposed a $1.8 million, two-year pilot to reach 50,000 to 60,000 students in three regions, including Hazard Community and Technical College, Southeast Community and Technical College, and western Kentucky. Members asked about cost, funding source, and locations, and were told the request would come through the KCTCS budget. The meeting ended with notice that the next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, February 26.

Transcript Highlights:

• or to build a new facility.
• We want to be able to help providers provide safe facilities and ensure that they have adequate facilities
• To be absolutely sure that we're complying, but that it is access because access leads to opportunity
• I want to make sure that things are accessible.
• So we are now going into the local solar access fund update and the proposed local solar access rule

Transcript Highlights:

• it's a pretty open area that is accessible beyond the trespassing signs.
• Is that happening outside the facility physically?
• It may occur within the facility; it may occur outside of the facility to answer your question about
• “If you called our facility today and asked, ‘Is Joe Smith there?’
• But the one thing I knew I had access to, no matter what, was school.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on several public safety bills, with testimony first on S.2681, Colby’s Law, which would establish safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Supporters, including the family of a child killed at a track, argued the bill is needed because some tracks lack basic protections such as barriers, emergency plans, on-site medical staff, and adequate track maintenance. A motocross track representative opposed the bill as overregulation that could impose major costs and argued existing safety efforts and voluntary safety committees are preferable. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S.2680, which would expand emergency preparedness requirements around aging nuclear power plants and nuclear waste sites from a 10-mile to a 50-mile radius. Supporters from Cape Cod Downwinders, Massachusetts Peace Action, physicians, and other advocates said current law is outdated and insufficient, citing risks from radioactive waste storage, limited federal oversight, and the need for broader evacuation and emergency planning. Testifiers urged the bill’s passage, and no action was taken. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Protect Act, H.5158, dealing with limits on cooperation between state/local agencies and federal civil immigration enforcement. Sheriffs testified about how ICE detainers and notification requests work in practice, emphasizing discretion, public safety, and the difference between sentenced prisoners and pretrial detainees. Supporters from labor, education, and health care groups said immigrant communities are living in fear and asked for stronger protections, including bans on 287(g) agreements and clearer limits on ICE activity in schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations. The hearing also included testimony on H.4697 regarding training and certification of constables and civil deputy sheriffs, with the Hampshire County sheriff saying sheriffs are already working with POST and MPTC on training standards and that the bill may be duplicative.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a couple of post-acute facilities, but other than that, we bring the voice of urban facilities
• and rural facilities.
• facility, or an urban facility, and then there is this supplemental payment.
• areas of the facility.
• For example, my facility has done better as far as a margin than some of the other facilities. within

Transcript Highlights:

• This project is to construct three new communication facilities. to replace the Red Mountain facility
• As such those facilities were closed and the predisposition Juvenile Hall youth were moved to a new facility
• One was at a facility known as Barry J.
• Cuts don't have to come from COVID mitigation and ADA accessibility.
• Justice, access to justice is reality. Thank you for your comments.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and assisted living facilities.
• It is an 81-year-old facility.
• HB 1083, Patient Access to Records.
• And as someone who operated a medical facility, a mammogram facility, we had attorneys all the time requesting
• And as someone who operated a medical facility, a mammogram facility, we had attorneys all the time requesting

Summary: The committee took up a large health and human services agenda and first approved HB 711, the Spectrum Alert bill, which would create a statewide alert system for missing autistic children and require FDLE to coordinate training with state and local agencies. The measure drew a supportive waiver from the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and passed unanimously, 24-0, reported favorably. Members then considered CS for HB 229 on health facilities, which modernizes the Health Facilities Authority Act to allow additional nonprofit health system structures to use tax-exempt financing. Two amendments were adopted: one requiring advance notice, public hearings, and stakeholder notifications before a nonprofit hospital closure, and another removing a property tax exemption for a nonprofit hospital that closes and fails to maintain emergency services for 120 days, applied retroactively to January 1, 2025. The Florida Hospital Association opposed the amendments, citing workforce and nonprofit-status concerns, but the bill as amended passed 24-0. The committee also approved CS for HB 1405 on juvenile justice status offenders, expanding early truancy intervention, parent involvement, and shelter placement review timelines; it passed 24-0. CS for HB 27, joining the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, and its linked public records bill CS for HB 29 both passed unanimously after supportive testimony from several advocacy and business groups. The committee then debated HB 111 on out-of-network referrals and HB 1083 on patient access to records. HB 111 would require referring practitioners to inform patients in writing when a referral is out of network and to apply out-of-network payments to deductibles; it drew opposition from medical groups over administrative burden and patient-care concerns, but passed 17-8. HB 1083 would shorten the time for producing medical records to 14 working days and standardize access rules, with amendments clarifying portal access and delaying the effective date to January 1, 2026; despite opposition from some health information and provider groups over HIPAA and access concerns, it passed 19-7 as amended. Later, the committee approved HB 883, allowing autonomous practice for psychiatric nurse practitioners with the required credentials, after strong support from nurse practitioner groups and opposition from psychiatric and medical associations; it passed 23-3. HB 1297, which aligns Florida’s electronic prescribing exceptions with federal law and removes several state exemptions, passed 19-7 despite opposition from hospice, emergency physician, rheumatology, and medical groups concerned about paper prescriptions in emergencies and hard-to-find medications. HB 1353 on home health care services and CS for HB 989 on foster home licensure transfers both passed unanimously after supportive amendments. The committee also heard HB 1505 on parental rights, which would require written parental consent for many health care services, surveys, and biofeedback devices for minors and expand parental access to records; the bill drew extensive support testimony but also questions and concerns about confidentiality, abuse reporting, and existing exceptions, and the transcript ended before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• facility operators at risk.
• They had a massive fire in 2017 that burned down the facility.
• And this is one facility in the Bay Area.
• Local governments are seeing more and more vapes in our facilities.
• What they need is access. Commercial production is uniquely positioned to provide that access.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that you had to have access.
• where whereby some of these facilities where whereby some of these facilities just<00:31:49.120>
• their facility and their facility's culture, have tremendous difficulties in accessing some of these
• Chairman, the issue of facilities.
• Chairman, the issue of facilities.

Keywords: 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:22 Roll Call 00:01:56 Discussion on SB 85 00:14:03 Vote on SB 85 00:16:15 Explanation of Agency Amendment 00:19:04 Voice Vote on Amendment 00:19:33 Discussion on Kentucky Foster Children Housing, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 85, sponsored by Senator Meredith, which would move the Office of the Ombudsman from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the State Auditor’s office and make related cleanup changes. Meredith said the bill grew out of a prior task force and a two-year transition from Senate Bill 48, and he argued the move would create independence, improve access to the ITWIST database, ensure complaints are not lost in the handoff, and add confidentiality protections for whistleblowers. Auditor Allison Ball and her staff said the bill would codify access and procedures after earlier disputes and a court-mediated settlement, and they described the measure as necessary to make the new structure work effectively. Members asked how the Ombudsman would handle complaints and verify services in cases involving waiver recipients and other cabinet services. Ball and her staff said the Ombudsman would investigate complaints, make inquiries, and provide accountability outside the cabinet structure, with timelines and procedures similar to the Auditor’s office. The committee also discussed staffing and whether the office would need more personnel; Ball said the office already had about 100 people but could use more. The bill passed 10-0 with favorable expression. The committee then approved an agency amendment to administrative regulation 922 KAR 1:001490 concerning foster parent background checks. Cabinet staff explained the amendment corrected a drafting error by removing references to civil determinations in a second section of the regulation because the system cannot search those determinations, while still allowing the required checks under state and federal law. Senator Herron asked what a civil determination meant, and staff said it could involve a court finding in a custody or abuse case, though such findings are now typically handled through the child abuse and neglect registry. The amendment was adopted. Afterward, the committee began a discussion on Kentucky foster children housing and related issues. Ball and Ombudsman staff presented a preliminary assessment of children placed in office buildings, saying the review covered 49 children placed over a four-month period and showed a different picture than the public narrative of only older, high-acuity youth. They reported that some children had no documented behavioral or disability issues, many came directly from home, the average age was 13, the average stay was four nights, and placements were spread across several regions rather than centered only in Louisville. Members raised concerns about the lack of formal policies and procedures, staff safety, and how to ensure children are treated appropriately, and Ball said the Ombudsman was continuing a deeper review. No final action was taken on that discussion in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Strengthen access to care for simple.
• and<00:04:14.159> workforce about access stability and workforce about access stability and
• And accessible and to improve quality.
• And most importantly, accessing care.
• <01:04:23.119> to in the future um impacting access to in the future um impacting access to

Keywords: 00:00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:25 - Discussion of 26RS HB 689 00:15:15 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 689 00:17:02 - Discussion of 26RS HB 407 00:45:40 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 407 00:49:25 - Discussion of 26RS HB 713 00:55:50 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 713 00:56:54 - Discussion of 26RS HB 676 01:06:42 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 676 01:08:43 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 689, which would authorize Kentucky to seek federal approval for a Medicaid state-directed payment program for physician and non-physician professional services delivered through qualifying hospital-affiliated groups, beginning in 2026. Rep. Amy Neighbors and witnesses from Owensboro Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare said the bill would bring in about $29 million in new federal Medicaid dollars without using general fund money, help retain physicians, support rural and underserved access, and tie payments to quality metrics. Witnesses described staffing shortages, rising costs, and the need to sustain services such as OB care, primary care, and preventive outpatient services. After questions about how the funding would work and whether private practices were included, the committee voted on the bill and passed it with favorable expression. The committee then moved to House Bill 407, as substituted, which would streamline Kentucky’s certificate-of-need process. Rep. Marianne Proctor and supporters from the Pacific Legal Foundation and the Institute for Justice said the bill would not repeal CON but would modernize a system they described as outdated and overly restrictive, citing national trends toward reform and arguing that Kentucky’s process has changed little since the 1970s. They said the substitute added language requiring the cabinet to contact a dominant provider when needed for data to make CON determinations. Mark Gilfoil, speaking in opposition for St. Elizabeth Healthcare, argued that CON is not a barrier to care in Northern Kentucky and said the bill would weaken the process by limiting who can request hearings, present evidence, and appeal decisions, effectively giving applicants control and making approvals nearly automatic. He said St. Elizabeth serves as a safety-net hospital for low-income and publicly insured patients and warned the bill could harm that role. Members questioned both sides about the appeal process, the definition of safety-net hospitals, and whether the bill could increase facilities and create waste or abuse. The discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• for all four-year-olds and access for all school access for all four-year-olds and access for all three-year-olds
• It's other aspects of TK facilities.
• We have facilities. There are age-appropriate facilities, right?
• We have facilities. There are age-appropriate facilities, right?
• We have facilities. There are age-appropriate facilities, right? And there was another question.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start. Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay. The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've visited the facility myself, and it's great for these kids.
• During that testimony, I talked about my time being placed in a TYC facility.
• Youth in these facilities face unacceptable circumstances, such as the Giddings facility where children
• operated by the state and not county facilities.
• But last time we put in $200 million for TJJD to build two facilities.

Bills: HB1967, HB3442, HB5525, HB5561, HB5653, HB5667, SB1171

Keywords: juvenile justice, correctional facilities, reform, rehabilitation, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, alcohol awareness, court-ordered programs, substance misuse education, deferred disposition, youth, parole reform, inmates under 18, mental health, educational achievement, reintegration, foster youth, behavior intervention, community services, diversion policies, HB 5653

Transcript Highlights:

• Inter-facility transfer quality measures. Inter-facility transfer quality measures.
• And I think, you know, that's fair because that's supported by data, open access, open appropriate access
• So, but the other thing, too, is just with how busy the medical facilities are and not having access
• to those facilities.
• They are working every day at the facility.

Summary: The committee first approved the previous meeting minutes and then heard a detailed annual report from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and policy issues. He explained the committee’s review process, confidentiality protections, and national and North Dakota data showing that most maternal deaths are preventable and that mental health conditions, substance use, cardiovascular issues, infection, hemorrhage, and embolism are the leading causes. Members asked about suicide, domestic violence, midwife training, home births, and whether pregnancy testing at death scenes should be expanded; Dr. Arnold said better coroner education, more investigation of unexplained deaths, and possible post-mortem pregnancy testing could improve case identification, especially in rural areas. He also noted that deaths often occur well after 42 days postpartum and that mental health-related deaths remain a major concern. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark on cigarette reduced-ignition-propensity standards and related fire prevention issues. He recommended updating the state’s cigarette propensity law to current national standards and also raised a separate recommendation to require fast-breakaway oxygen tubing for home oxygen users, citing fatal fires linked to smoking around oxygen. Members asked about implementation, cost, insurance coverage, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Dr. Clark said he would provide follow-up information and was willing to help with any legislation, but no agency bill had yet been planned. Next, Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services reported on the North Dakota Stroke System of Care. She described the statewide network of stroke-ready hospitals, registry-based quality improvement, and performance data showing continued improvement in stroke recognition, imaging, thrombolytic treatment, transfers, and EMS pre-notification. She highlighted new quality measures for inter-facility transfers and intracerebral hemorrhage care, and said the system remains strong but depends on continued legislative and hospital support. Committee members asked about participation by the VA hospital and were encouraged to consider outreach to include it more fully in the stroke system. Finally, the committee began a presentation on prior authorization and non-opioid pain treatment from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to non-opioid acute pain medications, especially in the 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window when pain is most severe, and said delays can push patients toward opioids. He emphasized that prior authorization has a role in utilization management but should not create barriers in acute pain care, and he noted that current use of the company’s non-opioid product remains very low. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Why do we need this facility in Okay. Why do we need this facility in Kentucky?
• A dedicated facility would provide access to behavioral and psychiatric care for these kids.
• > provide A dedicated facility would provide A dedicated facility would provide access<00:10:58.560
• to this type of facility.
• The way this facility is facility.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and took up Senate Bill 125, sponsored by Sen. Danny Carroll, which would create a structure for evaluating and placing juveniles with acute mental illness, including a continuum of care and a process for resolving placement disputes between the Justice Cabinet and Juvenile Justice Cabinet through a judge. The committee adopted a committee substitute before hearing the bill. Carroll described several changes in the substitute, including removing language that would have made juvenile information nonconfidential in certain lawsuits, requiring public escape information to be removed once a juvenile is returned to custody, clarifying escape charges for juveniles absent without leave, and revising language about when hospitals may discharge high-acuity youth until a new facility is built. Carroll and Justice Cabinet officials Mona Wamik and Dr. Clark Lester argued that Kentucky needs a secure high-acuity mental health facility for violent juveniles because detention centers are not equipped to provide psychiatric treatment, private hospitals often refuse these youth, and current staff cannot administer the level of care needed, including intramuscular medication. They also said the bill would support two new female detention centers to help return DJJ to a regional detention model. Carroll cited prior juvenile detention crises, ongoing lawsuits, and a Department of Justice investigation, saying the bill could affect whether Kentucky faces a consent decree. Wamik said the proposed high-acuity facility would serve youth clinically assessed as needing secure treatment and would be designed to balance security with clinical care. Senators asked about how the bill would apply to a violent 14-year-old, whether the facility would simply isolate dangerous youth, what clinical care DJJ can currently provide, and staffing and cost estimates. Carroll said the bill would not change criminal accountability but would apply only if a youth were found to be severely mentally ill and need treatment placement. Dr. Lester said DJJ currently can provide only oral psychiatric medication and cannot administer intramuscular injections or the physical holds needed for acute psychiatric treatment. Cabinet staff said staffing would need to be higher than in a standard detention setting and estimated annual operating costs for the high-acuity facility at about $12 million, compared with about $8 million for a regular juvenile detention facility. No vote on final passage was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• and can only access those.
• So when somebody wants to have a child care facility, because we have a shortage of child care facilities
• We are restricting access because we see now that we can do that to some of the employees that have access
• Those are all the new beds you're talking about, and that includes new facilities and restored facilities
• So, can anybody have access to that?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• facilities.
• its secure facilities in the future. its secure facilities in the future.
• access to care when they need it. access to care when they need it.
• accessing MA. accessing MA.
• . facility. facility.

Keywords: 1183, house