Transcript Highlights:

• I currently serve as the vice president of pharmacy and clinical nutrition at Sharp Health Care in San
• biologics like the Stelara and Yucintech example, even when the biosimilar is FDA-approved and clinically
• biologics like the Stelara and Yucintech example, even when the biosimilar is FDA-approved and clinically
• Even when the biosimilar is FDA-approved and clinically equivalent for that patient, this means that
• of that biosimilar is that they are highly similar to the reference product and that there be no clinically

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Summary: The Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee heard SB 1094 by Senator Weber Pierson, which would expand pharmacist substitution authority for biosimilars and allow health plans to require use of lower-cost generic or biosimilar alternatives when available, unless the prescriber marks “do not substitute.” The author said the bill is intended to lower prescription drug costs, improve access, and require insurers to report on whether substitutions reduce out-of-pocket costs and premium growth. Committee amendments were accepted, including changes to align definitions with federal law, require a link to the FDA Purple Book, add a 30-day advance notice requirement for plan-driven substitutions, and allow exceptions for patients or providers. Supporters included Blue Shield of California, Sharp HealthCare, health plans, CVS, the California Chamber of Commerce, and other business and health care groups, who argued the bill would increase competition, reduce costs, and remove administrative barriers to using FDA-approved biosimilars. Opponents and “opposed unless amended” witnesses, including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the California Rheumatology Alliance, and some physician groups, argued the bill goes beyond current FDA interchangeability standards, could undermine physician judgment, and may create patient safety concerns for some chronic-disease patients who react differently to biosimilars or experience problems with multiple switches. Committee members discussed the “do not substitute” option, patient notification, insurance approval, and whether the bill preserves physician discretion. After debate, Senator Arreguín moved the bill, and the committee voted 10-0 to pass SB 1094 as amended to the Senate Health Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• He currently serves as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine
• , Phoenix, and Midwestern University, and as an instructor with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
• Sun... ...as an instructor with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr.
• Sun's clinical interests include obstetric, pediatric, neurological, thoracic, and regional anesthesia
• Members, with a great deal of pleasure, they're welcome to the House today: Jared Heise, who is a clinical

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the journal, and recognition of the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Kai Sun. Members also welcomed newly sworn Representative Cody Rhyme and congratulated Sergeant-at-Arms Chuck Fitzgerald on his recent wedding. Several members introduced guests and visiting groups, including pharmacists at Pharmacy Day at the Capitol, the Arizona Education Association, the Well-Being Collaborative of Arizona, and local officials and constituents from around the state. The chamber then took up House Resolution 2001, which designated March 18, 2026 as Health Workforce Well-Being Day in Arizona. The resolution cited burnout and workforce shortages among physicians, nurses, medical students, residents, pharmacists, and other health professionals, and urged state officials and health organizations to prioritize workforce well-being. It was adopted without objection to waive first and second reading, and Representative Bliss introduced guests connected to the Well-Being Collaborative. The House also considered several bills on third reading. House Bill 2375, relating to housing and historic neighborhoods, drew extensive debate over local control, historic preservation, housing shortages, and concerns about exclusion and segregation; it passed 31-24, but without the required two-thirds vote for its emergency clause. House Bill 2931, concerning the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board, passed 36-19, and House Bill 2992, creating a child sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention pilot program, passed 35-20 after debate over whether funds should instead support broader sex education. Senate Bill 1010, substituted for House Bill 4027 and relating to historic names, passed 33-22. The House also handled committee assignments, referrals, and first readings of additional Senate bills before adjourning until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• He currently serves as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine
• , Phoenix, and Midwestern University, and as an instructor with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
• Sun... ...as an instructor with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr.
• Sun's clinical interests include obstetric, pediatric, neurological, thoracic, and regional anesthesia
• Members, with a great deal of pleasure, they're welcome to the House today: Jared Heise, who is a clinical

Transcript Highlights:

• And it does not... ...in a clinical setting.
• And then those physicians, they have physicians that man those clinics.
• It's like how much resources does a hospital have to set up those clinics?
• They may be in their own clinic, but they're sponsored by hospitals.
• And I think we're seeing physicians... ...clinic, but they're sponsored by hospitals.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a House committee substitute combining House Bills 1850 and 1975, which was then voted do pass by a 16-0 roll call. The substitute was described as incorporating federal PBM-related transparency and audit provisions, including requirements intended to ensure fair audits, greater transparency for employers and patients, and protections for pharmacies so they are not reimbursed below drug cost and receive a fair fee. Members said the package was a compromise and a needed step because pharmacies are closing. The committee then heard House Bills 2318 and 2368, related to artificial intelligence and mental health. The sponsors said the bills are aimed at truth in advertising, barring AI platforms from marketing themselves as mental health professionals or therapy providers, while not banning AI use in health care generally. Testimony from supporters emphasized concerns about minors and adults relying on chatbots for mental health guidance and the need to protect consumers from misleading claims. The committee adopted an amendment adding social workers to the bill string, rolled it into a substitute, and voted the combined House committee substitute do pass 14-0. Next, House Bill 3313, described as an AOT bill from the prior week, was voted do pass 14-0 without discussion. House Bill 2745 was then amended and passed 14-0; the sponsor explained the changes would require a prompt physical exam for children entering foster care, allow a physician or nurse practitioner to perform it, try to continue existing developmental, behavioral, or emotional care when possible, and require biological parental consent before updating vaccines at the initial visit. House Bill 2463 also received a substitute to close a loophole involving referral payments when a prospective resident or legal representative cancels a contract, and the committee voted the substitute do pass 14-0. The committee also heard House Concurrent Resolution 28, which would designate the last full week of April as Infertility Awareness Week in Missouri. The sponsor linked the resolution to broader efforts to expand fertility access, and supporters, including a patient sharing her infertility experience, spoke about the emotional and physical toll of infertility and the value of awareness. Finally, House Bill 2979, the Rural Missouri Rural Doctors Act, drew extensive testimony. The sponsor and supporters argued it would limit physician non-compete agreements to one year and five miles for nonprofit employers to improve rural access and physician mobility, while opponents from hospitals and health systems said the bill would weaken recruitment, hurt financially stressed rural hospitals, and create uneven treatment between nonprofit and for-profit employers. No vote was taken on HB 2979 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so when... ...we have larger hospital systems that are going around and buying up other clinics and
• But isn't the concern nobody's buying up these other hospitals or clinics?
• So then, if the university buys up regional hospitals and has clinics and a new person wanted to come
• versus what they're paying for Capital, our university clinics?
• It's $500 at the clinic.

Committee: House General Laws

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll give you an example of the Santa Fe Indian Hospital: it's a clinic today at best.
• So again, today it's a clinic at best.
• Serve the Santa Fe Clinic. They go out to the other surrounding Pueblos that are within the area.
• If they are short-handed, that puts a strain on the clinic itself because they end up shorthanded, but
• There's still a dental clinic. And an eye clinic.

Committee: House Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• competency through a regional Don't. that required dentists and dental hygienists to prove clinical
• However, the compact would lower that bar requiring only a clinical assessment, a vague standard that
• The clinical assessment that was referred to—35 states use the same technique as Texas.
• They've done a clinical and national board exam, met their CE requirements.
• I want to briefly touch on two things: first, the importance of physician assistants in the clinical

Bills: HB111

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard a long series of House bills, with most measures laid out by Senate sponsors and then left pending after brief public testimony. Early bills focused on construction and licensing issues, including HB 305 on prompt payment for public construction audits, HB 5093 on restoring public access to notary contact information, HB 2037 on updating landlord-tenant repair and security deposit rules, HB 4214 on a centralized public information request contact database, and HB 5435 exempting higher education institutions from a 90-day notice requirement for certain public-private partnership projects. Testimony was generally supportive on these bills, and no votes were taken; each was left pending. The committee also considered several transparency and regulatory bills. HB 111 would expand the Public Information Act to certain nonprofit state associations and narrow some attorney-client and working-paper exceptions, with supporters arguing it would improve oversight of public funds and critics questioning the scope and thresholds. HB 5129 would protect occupational license holders’ personal identifying information from disclosure without consent, HB 4350 would allow peace officers to redact personal information from online real property records, HB 4748 would authorize multiple-award state purchasing contracts, and HB 4765 would clean up code enforcement officer licensing rules. HB 4134 would allow motor vehicle creditors to charge limited fees for electronic payment options while requiring a free alternative, and HB 1043 would direct a study of blockchain-based property title records; both drew testimony, with some concern about the practical effects and vendor implications of the blockchain study. Several bills addressed insurance, workforce, and digital-asset regulation. HB 3520 would reduce the insurance coverage required for transportation network companies during the period when a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, drawing support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform and opposition from trial lawyers who argued the higher coverage better protects the public. HB 3320 would create a self-insurance pool for religious institutions, with TDI explaining it would still be regulated but operate under a special statutory framework. HB 4233 would modernize rules for digital asset service providers by removing certain auditor-access requirements and updating reporting and licensing provisions. HB 3923 would reduce bachelor’s-degree requirements for some state jobs, though Every Texan argued low pay, not degree requirements, is the main driver of turnover. HB 4518 would create a legal structure for decentralized unincorporated nonprofit associations tied to blockchain governance; business law experts opposed it as unnecessary and potentially risky, while crypto advocates supported it. Finally, HB 1803 would join an interstate compact for dentists and dental hygienists, with supporters citing workforce shortages and opponents saying Texas already licenses quickly and that the compact could weaken state oversight. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly closed testimony and left bills pending, and a quorum was eventually established before later items were heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitals, clinics, schools, and social services often work in isolation of each other, and we end up
• </c> on the health outcomes over clinical on the health outcomes over clinical care. care. care.
• ,</c><01:26:32.200><c> uh</c> community behavioral health clinics, uh community behavioral health clinics
• that clinic setting.
• </c> mental health clinics. mental health clinics.

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on September 24, 2025, approved the minutes from the September 9 meeting, and then continued its discussion of Medicaid waivers with Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock from the Department for Medicaid Services. Members asked for updates on the 2024 waiver waitlist management assessment recommendations, including aligning waiver policies, standardizing applications and waitlist placement, and modernizing data systems. DMS said that work is being done jointly with Aging and Independent Living and Behavioral Health/Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities through task forces, that ARPA spending delayed action, and that implementation timelines extend through March 2027. The board also reviewed per-member waiver cost averages for fiscal years 2023 through 2025 for ABI, ABI long-term care, HCBS, Model II, Michelle P, and SCL. DMS emphasized these figures were benefit-only averages based on paid claims, not full waiver costs, and explained that true budget neutrality is calculated on an aggregate basis against institutional care comparisons approved by CMS. DMS said all six waivers remain in compliance with budget neutrality and that the most recent 18-month lag review for FY 2022 and FY 2023 found costs at or below institutional care. Members also asked about unused waiver slots; DMS said slots generally cannot be reallocated mid-year if they have been used, except in cases such as death or reserved capacity, because CMS treats participants as unduplicated for the waiver year. A major portion of the meeting focused on the new child waiver created under House Bill 6. Legislators questioned whether the waiver’s design, including the exclusion of participant-directed services and the emphasis on high-acuity children with behavioral health, DCBS, or juvenile justice involvement, matched the bill’s intent to keep children at home. DMS said it used the $14.7 million appropriated for FY 2026 to develop the program, that there is no priority list, and that the waiver is intended to serve the highest-acuity children while also addressing residential needs for those sleeping in offices or placed out of state. Members also raised concerns about the rapid growth of the HCBS waiting list and asked for more detail on age and timing patterns, which DMS said it would provide later. Finally, DMS gave average processing times from application to eligibility determination and from approval to service start, and said the overall average from application to services beginning was about 80 days, while members requested follow-up information on the Carewise assessment contract and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Jerome Foster, and I'm a licensed clinical social worker and a school social worker who's
• practice, pass a national clinical examination, and maintain state licensure.
• practice, pass a national clinical examination, and maintain state licenship.
• fact that this recognizes my colleagues who have a national certification, who also are licensed clinical
• Recertification every five years ensures concentration in school health clinical study, ensuring the

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with enough members present to conduct business and approved the June 17 minutes. It first heard HB 459 with House Amendment 1, which would prohibit the sale of energy drinks on public middle and high school campuses during school hours or school events. The sponsor and Department of Education explained that the bill targets beverages containing caffeine and marketed as energy drinks, not ordinary soft drinks or coffee/tea products. Public testimony from the Medical Society supported the bill on health grounds, while the beverage industry said its companies already voluntarily limit school offerings and that the bill does not reflect current practice. No vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then heard HB 461, a follow-up to prior legislation on New Castle County property reassessment and school tax rates. Senator Cruz said the bill would let New Castle County school districts adjust and reset tax rates to reflect reassessment changes without increasing projected operating revenue, and that it includes a sunset. DSEA supported the measure, saying fair property values are important to public education funding. The committee also heard HB 452, which would require additional background checks and training for DIAA sports officials and strengthen DIAA enforcement procedures. Members questioned how checks would be handled, who would see the results, and who would provide training; the DIAA compliance coordinator said the checks would be maintained through the state process and that associations would verify eligibility. The bill’s sponsor and DIAA said the goal was to align officials with existing child-safety standards. Next, the committee considered HS1 for HB 425, which raises the salary supplement from 6% to 12% for nationally certified school counselors, nurses, and school social workers, and allows DOE to identify additional qualifying positions by regulation. Supporters, including school social workers, nurses, and DSEA, argued the change would improve retention and recognize advanced credentials. Senator Hansen raised concerns that school psychologists were not included; sponsors said a broader study and possible future legislation or budget language would address other nationally certified school-based professionals. The committee then heard HS1 for HB 358 on student elopement notifications, inspired by Ace’s Law, but administrators and the chair raised concerns that the bill may be too prescriptive and difficult to implement in practice, especially when schools may not immediately know a student has left campus. Finally, the committee discussed HB 379 on the comprehensive school discipline improvement program; DOE said the substitute was intended to consolidate prevention and intervention supports and avoid competition for funding, while DASA asked that the bill be paused or tabled. The meeting ended before action on the remaining bill, and HB 443 was deferred to a future executive meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It refers to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics when they change their scope
• often are clinics requesting rate adjustments, how often are they approved, and then the third one:
• how often are non-rural designated clinics, often sharing the same spaces but reimbursed at a fraction
• , and they could create that clinic, that would be an example of how that would happen.
• I do have one of these clinics in my area, and they did go from outside dental to bringing the dental

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• and non-clinical roles.
• and non-clinical roles.
• One of those things is that we have built up our own clinical bench.
• One of those things is that we have built up our own clinical bench.
• support within the homes, staffed by clinicians, as well as clinical oversight.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from Senate Chair Robyn Kennedy and House Chair Chynah Tyler, who emphasized that the fiscal year 2026 hearing was focused on the Health and Human Services budget, asked members to keep questions budget-related, and noted that no public testimony would be taken. They also highlighted the choice of Doherty Memorial High School as the venue to showcase Worcester’s investment in career and technical education. Committee members then introduced themselves before the first panel, the Executive Office of Veterans Services and the state veterans homes, began testimony. Secretary John Santiago said the governor’s FY26 proposal would support implementation of the HERO Act, which he said is now about 95% implemented, including higher disabled veteran annuities, expanded behavioral health benefits, and other service expansions. He described efforts to reduce veteran homelessness, including nearly $20 million in ARPA-funded housing and outreach initiatives, and said the agency has delivered more than 100,000 supportive services to nearly 8,500 veterans. Leaders from the Chelsea and Holyoke veterans homes reported on staffing, quality measures, electronic medical records, and major construction projects at both facilities, including a new Chelsea campus and the new Holyoke home. Members asked about funding transfers, geographic equity in access to the homes, outreach to women veterans and veterans of color, suicide prevention, Gold Star family support, and the impact of federal uncertainty; Santiago said the homes are now licensed and certified, that the current budget is sufficient, and that the agency is expanding engagement and data collection. The second panel, the Office of the Veteran Advocate, testified that its FY26 request is about $3.3 million, up from the current $2 million, to cover staffing, a larger office, and higher technology costs. Veteran Advocate Bob Notch said the office is a new independent oversight agency created in 2022 to examine systems, coordinate with local veteran service officers, and investigate fatalities or serious harm involving veterans in state care. He said the office’s work depends on research, data, and collaboration with other agencies, and that current funding is only enough for minimum operations. In response to questions, Notch and Deputy Commissioner David O’Callaghan discussed the difficulty of tracking veteran suicides, the need for better data across agencies, and the office’s role as an oversight body rather than a direct service provider. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is our emergency room and our clinic staying open through every season for the residents, for the
• I represent over 1,000 clinic services.
• Northshore Health, together with our colleague Satuth Mountain Clinic, which is a federally qualified
• </c><00:25:03.039><c> services,</c><00:25:03.760><c> and</c><00:25:04.080><c> pharmacy</c> care, clinic
• services, and pharmacy care, clinic services, and pharmacy access<00:25:05.039><c> in</c><00:25:05.279

Summary: House File 369 was the main topic, with House authors Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar, Rep. Robert Bierman, and Rep. Dave Baker arguing that the bill would give Minnesota’s 2024 340B law “teeth” by enforcing protections for nonprofit and rural hospitals’ access to the federal drug pricing program. They said the measure costs the state nothing, aligns with similar laws in more than 20 other states, and is needed before adjournment to help hospitals close funding gaps, support services like emergency care, obstetrics, behavioral health, and pharmacy access, and preserve care in remote communities. Several hospital leaders from across greater Minnesota testified that 340B revenue helps keep their facilities viable and that losing it would threaten services and, in some cases, hospital survival. Witnesses described severe financial pressure on rural hospitals, including reimbursement cuts, workforce shortages, inflation, and rising drug costs. Leaders from United Hospital District in Blue Earth, Lakewood Health System in Staples, Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Northshore Health in Grand Marais, Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet, and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby said their hospitals serve as safety-net providers and often operate with thin or negative margins. They emphasized long travel times to other hospitals, seasonal tourism pressures in some areas, and the importance of local emergency, ambulance, inpatient, and specialty services. The Minnesota Hospital Association president also criticized pharmaceutical company messaging and said nonprofit hospitals are working around the clock to maintain access. In response to questions, Zeleznikar said she had considered other enforcement approaches but now supported using the original Senate-passed bill, citing concerns about fraud and the difficulty of alternative enforcement mechanisms. She and hospital leaders distinguished this bill from a separate hospital stabilization-grant proposal, saying both are needed but serve different purposes. No vote was taken at the meeting, and the speakers repeatedly urged House leadership to bring the bill to the floor before session ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• Coverage decisions must solely rely on medical necessity, consistent with clinical guidelines.
• And some of that is very important clinical trials.
• And some of that is very important clinical trials.
• This is not a population... ...provide health clinic or go to an LGBTQ center.
• and non-clinical care required as people living with HIV age, as well as coordination of stigma-free

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBTQ Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support landscape for older LGBTQ Californians, including people aging with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Opening remarks emphasized the long history of discrimination faced by older LGBTQ adults, the growth of the aging LGBTQ population, and the need to translate existing state commitments into concrete services. Senators highlighted concerns about nursing home vulnerability, the aging of people living with HIV, and the impact of federal actions and Medicaid cuts on California’s safety net. The first panel featured Justice in Aging, CalHHS, the Department of Aging, and the Aging and HIV Institute. Testimony described widespread inequities, including discrimination, social isolation, economic insecurity, and gaps in culturally competent care. State officials outlined the Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, gender-affirming care protections in Medi-Cal, and efforts to improve coordination across departments. Advocates argued the state has been too slow to respond to federal threats and that services are often hard to find or fragmented. Committee members pressed the departments on how survey findings are being turned into action, how rural and underserved communities are being reached, and whether more formal stakeholder coordination or “no wrong door” access systems are needed. The second panel focused on seniors living with HIV. A long-term survivor gave emotional testimony about the “survivorship penalty,” loss of benefits, housing insecurity, and the need for legal and navigation support, housing assistance, and protection from outdated disability standards. The Department of Aging reported on implementation of SB 258, which added HIV status to the definition of greatest social need for area agencies on aging; it said 20 of 33 area plans now identify HIV as a target population and many include specific strategies, such as LGBTQIA mental health connections programs. The Office of AIDS described Project Cornerstone, Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, the Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP, noting these programs serve thousands of older clients and rely on whole-person case management. Case management testimony underscored persistent needs for medication subsidies, transportation, food, and housing. Committee members questioned how ADAP rebate funds might be used, how SB 258 is enforced across local agencies, and how to reduce administrative barriers and auto-connect eligible people to benefits. The final panel began with the Department of Social Services outlining protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219’s nondiscrimination requirements and related provider notices and resident rights materials. The hearing remained focused on identifying service gaps, improving coordination across aging, health, and social service systems, and ensuring state programs better reflect the lived experience of older LGBTQ Californians.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:35.199><c> Minnesota</c> clinical decisions and care.
• Minnesota clinical decisions and care.
• Our union represents over 55,000 workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and self-directed home
• At least 17 small towns in our region have had small-town clinics closed by Mayo since 2017.
• We are proud to and clinical support.

Bills: HF2779 , HF1645 , HF1885 , HF1289 , HF1534 , HF2707 , HF1675 , HF3046

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• that, the point of having this guardianship is also for the guardian to actually consult with the clinical
• situation, >> I feel very our risk management staff works very dil- We have multiple people, both clinical
• as part of the case management, they are looking at both of those issues, both cost and of course clinical
• We have multiple people, both clinical staff and also administrative staff who are reviewing these cases
• </c> clinical care, as well. clinical care, as well.

Summary: The committee first approved the September 19 meeting minutes and then took up a deferred University of Kentucky personal services contract amendment for guardianship services. UK officials explained that the contract covers court-appointed guardians for patients who cannot make medical decisions and are not eligible for state guardianship, with the work funded by UK Medical Center agency dollars rather than the general fund. Members questioned the large increase in the not-to-exceed amount, the number of cases, the hourly billing structure, and whether there are safeguards to prevent unnecessary costs or reimbursement issues if a patient later has resources. UK said the increase reflects shifting work from a prior firm, anticipated new cases, a move from a monthly fee to hourly billing, and the need for a second firm because one prior attorney died and another firm has had difficulty appearing in court promptly. The committee ultimately approved the contract, while Senator Thomas said he would vote aye but urged future review of attorney fee limits and broader guardianship statutes, which he described as outdated and inconsistent. The committee then deferred three Office of Energy Policy memorandum of agreement items to the November 2025 meeting without objection. After that, it approved the remaining agenda items, including the contract lists and deferred items not separately selected for review. The final major item was a University of Kentucky personal services contract related to fundraising and philanthropic outreach. UK representatives said the contract supports marketing and donor engagement efforts to grow the university’s endowment pipeline and philanthropic support. The transcript cuts off before the committee finished its questions or took final action on that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill standardizes the requirements for teacher mentors and clinical educators and requires the Department
• of Education, The requirements for teacher mentors and clinical educators and requires the Department
• of Education to develop criteria for clinical educator training.
• for six months up to a year and get certified in that... ...year and get certified in that using clinical

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee heard and passed two bills. HB 875 on educator preparation would create a uniform core curriculum for teacher preparation programs, establish a new competency-based CERT program, standardize mentor and clinical educator requirements, allow certain certification waivers, and create a Florida Institute of Teaching Excellence at Miami-Dade College subject to appropriation. Sponsor Rep. Rizzo said the bill would not add costs to local districts and would phase in beginning July 1, 2029; Rep. Snyder said the goal was to unify and raise standards across multiple certification pathways. An amendment by Rep. Aristide to reduce clinical hours for experienced teachers seeking counseling certification was withdrawn after discussion. Public testimony included support from the Foundation for Florida’s Future and opposition from the ACLU of Florida and another opponent. The bill passed on a recorded vote, with Reps. Franklin, Bracey Davis, and Campbell voting no. Members then took up HB 681, as amended by PCS, on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program funding. Rep. Mello said the bill focuses on funding transparency, accountability, resolving bargaining issues between local education agencies and apprenticeship providers, and requiring annual reporting to the Legislature to assess return on investment. Public testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from business, trade, and workforce groups, including Americans for Prosperity, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, and others. Rep. Franklin praised the sponsor’s work and said he would support the bill. HB 681 passed unanimously, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• A clinic, a medical clinic, is licensed. A hospital is licensed. That's not what this is.
• A clinic, a medical clinic, is licensed. A hospital is licensed. That's not what this is.
• A clinic, a medical clinic, is licensed. A hospital is licensed. That's not what this is.
• A clinic, a medical clinic, is licensed. A hospital is licensed. That's not what this is.
• And neither grant on either side is a licensed setting. clinic a medical clinic is licensed a clinic

Bills: HF25 , HF4

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Blocking reimbursement for reproductive health clinics denies essential services, weakening providers
• Taxes that strip urban hospitals and clinics.
• From our nurses, our doctors, our teachers, our clinics, our seniors, our veterans, children, women,
• We did a health care minimum wage, and everybody told you that's going to cause our clinics and our hospitals
• individuals who are making painstaking, life-threatening decisions about their care, it impacts our clinics

Transcript Highlights:

• in harm reduction and outreach teams, acute care settings, inpatient, outpatient, and also other clinical
• and non-clinical settings, as well as people who use drugs, which includes people in recovery and the
• outreach treatment teams, harm reduction, inpatient settings, acute care settings, as well as other clinical
• competency as well as non-clinical competency, really prevents access to those treatment settings and
• and non-clinical settings creates enormous barriers to care.

Summary: The special commission on xylazine met virtually to review and discuss the first draft of its final report. Chair Mindy Domb opened the meeting, confirmed quorum, and the commission approved the minutes from its December 11 public meeting. Staff then walked commissioners through the proposed report structure, including background on xylazine as both an FDA-approved veterinary drug and an illicit drug supply contaminant, as well as appendices for public meeting materials and public resources. The commission discussed findings and recommendations for several working groups. For oversight and enforcement, members focused on licit versus illicit sources of xylazine, noting that the illicit supply is typically obtained through online vendors rather than diverted from veterinary use. Recommendations included better storage and reporting practices in authorized settings, review of manufacturing and distribution information, and focusing enforcement on fentanyl trafficking and large-scale xylazine importation rather than personal possession. Commissioners also discussed whether xylazine should remain in Schedule 6 or be subject to additional penalties, and several members emphasized the need for coordination, information-sharing, and possibly a DPH task force or advisory body to monitor emerging drug threats. For outreach and treatment, staff summarized strong existing programs such as drug checking, wound care education, naloxone distribution, mobile and low-threshold care, and self-directed wound kits, while noting gaps including the lack of an FDA-approved reversal agent for xylazine, difficulty distinguishing xylazine from other exposures, and uneven access by geography, insurance, and audience. Commissioners stressed the need for provider education, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, family support networks, and first responders, and for clear guidance on wound care and when more intensive treatment is needed. The education and training section identified first responders, clinicians, non-clinicians, and people who use drugs and their families as key audiences for tailored, stigma-free materials, with emphasis on real-time, centralized data, naloxone and breathing support, recognition of overdose versus xylazine exposure, and adapting materials as the drug supply changes. The meeting ended with discussion of next steps: staff will circulate a revised draft by March 2, the commission will meet again on March 9 to consider the report and recommendations, and an additional late-March meeting was reserved if needed before the statutory deadline.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know, and there's this landmark study that I cite all the time from the Mayo Clinic in 2022, that
• In the medical space, those clinicians here, you know, you have clinical decision support rules.
• Dentists are reflecting complex dental clinical decisions using professional judgments, risk assessments
• They're... ...clinical decisions using professional judgments, risk assessments, and patient priorities
• And so there isn't an exact clinical decision support methodology, right?

Summary: The Care Management Meeting opened with a DSS update on the PCMH program. Staff reported the program remained steady at 124 practices, 553 sites, and 2,548 providers, with some month-to-month fluctuation driven by practice consolidation, retirements, and a few practices leaving the program because NCQA requirements were burdensome. Members asked about declining provider and site counts, member attribution trends, and whether PCMH practices overlap with behavioral health homes; DSS said attribution changes are largely due to members becoming ineligible, moving, or getting other insurance, and that PCMH and behavioral health homes are separate programs that coordinate informally. The committee also discussed why some smaller practices leave the program and whether the requirements could be made easier to support retention. The committee then resumed a detailed presentation on the Husky Dental program. The presenter described the dental benefit’s history, the importance of preventive oral health, workforce and consolidation pressures in dentistry, and the lack of interoperability between dental and medical records. Network data showed year-over-year declines in enrolled dental practitioners and service locations, with access gaps concentrated in rural and eastern parts of the state. Appointment availability surveys showed average waits of 38 days for adults and 23 days for children, but much longer waits at FQHCs than private fee-for-service practices. The presenter said Connecticut remains above the national median on CMS pediatric dental quality measures, though sealant rates remain a concern, and noted that preventive care is associated with lower per-member costs. Members raised concerns about provider participation, large practices dropping Medicaid, mobile dental care, and whether the public directory accurately reflects which dentists are actually accepting new patients. The presenter said the plan uses secret-shopper calls, tracks appointment availability, and has begun using place-of-service coding to better identify school-based dental care. She also noted a new MOU with 20 Head Start programs to share data and provide oral health literacy and navigation support. The final major topic was implementation planning for HR1. DSS said CMS guidance was expected in early June and proposed using upcoming meetings to cover medical frailty, communication strategy, and data integration/ex parte verification. Committee members urged the department to create a dashboard to track disenrollments and other impacts of HR1, to build a process for complaints and problem resolution, and to think through cost-sharing, caregiver verification, exemptions, and notices. Members also asked about using existing eligibility structures such as the working-disabled program as a model. The committee agreed to move the next meeting to June 10 by Zoom, with the agenda to be circulated in advance and any PCMH Plus quality data shared if available.