Transcript Highlights:

• So they can't go to our community facilities, our minimum security facilities, which we'll talk a little
• And then in the community facility, we have eight community facilities across the state of Washington
• of Corrections facility campus.
• It's not facility-based.
• An intensive behavioral health treatment facility really is a mental health treatment facility.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused first on juvenile rehabilitation system capacity. DCYF officials said the juvenile rehabilitation population is older, includes more adult-sentenced youth, and has longer lengths of stay, especially for “post-25” youth who must remain in secure facilities and cannot go to community beds. They described overcrowding at Green Hill School, placement limits at Echo Glen and Harbor Heights, staffing turnover, mental health acuity, and the need for more medium-security and specialized mental health beds. DCYF said it is pursuing a Parkland facility proposal, a staffing model decision package, and a broader feasibility study and master plan update. No votes were taken; members were asked to follow up with questions later. The committee then heard on behavioral health system capacity from the Behavioral Health Administration and the Health Care Authority. DSHS described growth in forensic and civil bed need, expansion at Olympic Heritage, Maple Lane, and Brockman, and construction of a new 350-bed forensic hospital at Western State expected to open in 2028. HCA reported progress on long-term civil commitment beds, intensive behavioral health treatment facilities, PACT teams, and intensive residential treatment teams, saying the community-based system is being expanded to support step-down care and reduce hospital reliance. Members asked about whether capacity is right-sized, the difference between facility types, and federal match eligibility for services. A federal funding update followed, covering the effects of H.R. 1 and H.R. 5371 on SNAP, Medicaid, marketplace coverage, long-term services and supports, K-12, higher education, and hemp regulation. OFM and agency staff said H.R. 1 adds work requirements, changes non-citizen eligibility, increases state administrative and benefit costs, reduces Medicaid and marketplace subsidies for some groups, tightens redeterminations, and may significantly affect provider payments and state-directed payments. H.R. 5371 extended federal funding through January 30, 2026 and included some agency appropriations and other provisions, including changes affecting hemp producers. Members asked about SNAP error rates and special enrollment periods. Finally, budget coordinator Mary Monroe gave a 2026 supplemental budget preview. She reviewed the state’s near general fund outlook, noting revenue declines since the enacted budget, the effect of reversions, and a preliminary maintenance-level outlook showing a projected increase in NGFO spending over the four-year period. She said the supplemental will reflect updated caseload and cost forecasts and mandatory impacts from H.R. 1, but not policy proposals. No actions or votes were taken during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is all in the surveillance system that we would have access to.
• It would be on the data use agreement because that would give us access to surveillance."
• And through the ND TAP program, she has about 20-some hours to be an LAC in our facility.
• The IMD exclusion also does not apply to facilities of 16 beds or less.
• The IMD exclusion also does not apply to facilities of 16 beds or less.

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• The project has an veteran access.
• . facility. facility.
• open the possibility of facility open the possibility of facility facility<00:36:04.160> expansion
• facility expansion. facility expansion.
• We don't have access to other types of nursing type facilities in our region that some of these others

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:00 Approve Minutes from November 13, 2025- 00:00:55 RiverLink Tolling Operations for Louisville Bridges-Quarterhill Testimony- 00:01:48 Staff Report on Veterans’ Centers- 00:26:45 Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Response to Staff Report- 0:58:53 Adjournment- 1:18:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the November 13, 2025 meeting and then heard testimony from Quarter Hill, the tolling subcontractor for RiverLink on the Indiana-Kentucky bridge system. Quarter Hill described its role in back-office support and call center operations for the Lincoln, Kennedy, and Lewis and Clark bridges, and said the contract began in 2021 with go-live in September 2023. The company reported that revenue has increased since it took over, customer service response times have improved, and it has been operating at a loss because the contract was based on outdated transaction estimates and did not account for higher-than-expected volume and added support costs. Members questioned Quarter Hill about the role of consultants, the low reported collection rate, and why the company was leaving the contract. Quarter Hill said a single large consulting engineering firm had been hired to help shape the RFP and contract, but argued that consultants and overly detailed requirements can create disputes and hinder efficient service. On collection rates, the company said the reported 85% rate reflects the absence of registration holds and other enforcement tools, and that the remaining unpaid tolls are the hardest to collect. The company also said it had lost significant money on the contract and had reached a change order and termination agreement, while emphasizing that the system itself was functioning well. The committee then received a staff report on Kentucky veterans centers. Staff said quality of care is generally high and staffing has improved, but reported occupancy figures are misleading because they are based on certified beds rather than functional capacity after conversions to single-occupancy rooms and capital projects. The report said actual occupancy is closer to 85% than the commonly reported 56%, and that increasing occupancy would not necessarily increase revenue because the state’s cost of care exceeds reimbursement and private-pay revenue. Recommendations included adopting functional occupancy reporting, continuing the move to single-occupancy rooms, reviewing modernization needs at Thompson Hood, including Eastern Kentucky in planning, and referring the Radcliffe HVAC procurement and installation to the Auditor of Public Accounts and Attorney General for review.

Transcript Highlights:

• , with the ability to... advertise a lean sale on a publicly accessible internet website.
• That means... anybody can access it for free.
• You will see storage facility managers holding up the daily court review newspaper.
• So there's three ways to access the information for the storage unit.
• Or availability for storage facility owners to send out notices. for lean sales.

Bills: HB186, HB517, HB 1093, HB 1268, HB1395, HB186

Keywords: social media, children, account verification, data privacy, parental control, property owners' association, residential watering restrictions, vegetation, fine limitations, drought, technology, innovation, economic development, grants, Texas Economic Development, business funding, HB 1395, private passenger vehicle rental, car rental, vehicle rental

Transcript Highlights:

• We have areas that have zero healthcare access, or some that require an hour or more to travel to access
• So that we would have access to more physicians.
• Speaker and gentle lady, we've talked a lot in this body about access to primary care and access to physicians
• Based on the DOH recommendations, help New Mexico act faster, avoiding access and these gaps in access
• It's just about maintaining access and choice.

Transcript Highlights:

• as a safe place as our facilities as a safe place as accessible<00:53:49.920> and<00:53:50.160
• There's just no access to recreational use and facilities, and for those where there are outstanding
• There's just no access to recreational use and facilities, and for those where there are outstanding
• There's just no access to recreational use and facilities, and for those where there are outstanding
• us with our facilities. So being that us with our facilities.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2485, which would require cardiovascular screening for student athletes. The Department of Education and Department of Health said they support the bill’s intent but noted that many screenings are already part of existing school-entry and well-child exams. The Attorney General’s office asked for clarifying language on who performs the screenings, where results go, how “positive findings” are defined, how referrals would work, and whether funding would be appropriated if DOE must hire health professionals. The American Heart Association strongly supported the bill, citing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes and arguing that sports physicals are an effective opportunity for early detection. No vote was taken, and the committee moved on after testimony. The committee then heard HB 89, concerning a school psychologist working group and possible licensing or credentialing of school psychologists. The Department of Education and Board of Psychology supported the measure. The Hawaii Psychological Association said it supports licensing school psychologists but asked to be included in the working group, arguing it is an important stakeholder. The Hawaii Association of School Psychologists opposed including HPA, saying the issue is between school psychologists and DCCA and that HPA is not part of their organization. Testimony and discussion focused on the long-running disagreement over whether school psychologists should be regulated under the Board of Psychology or another mechanism, and on title protection and scope of practice. No action was reported during this portion. The committee also took up HB 2445, relating to standardized emergency responses for immigration enforcement at or near schools. The Department of Education said it already issued internal law-enforcement guidance and questioned whether the bill was necessary, while also raising concerns about the bill’s 1,000-foot buffer language and the limits of school authority over activity off campus. The Board of Education echoed those concerns and suggested the bill may need clearer definitions. Supporters, including the White Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the Legal Clinic, and an attorney testifying on Know Your Rights training, argued that recent federal changes have increased ICE activity near schools and that a law is needed to ensure clear, public protocols, staff training, and family protections. A student testifier said the measure was a top priority of the state student council. The transcript ends during testimony, with no vote or final committee action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• from the Public Facilities Authority.
• c> significant State facilities face a significant State facilities face a significant backlog<00
• but that cost rises to $196,000 for facilities uh state facility teams do an facilities uh state facility
• <00:05:23.120> in maintenance project for a facility in maintenance project for a facility
• 06:38.319> would<00:06:38.479> be shows all facilities that would be shows all facilities

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So these are residential facilities.
• common right, in the army we call it a common latrine facility, but a common, you know restroom facility
• That access control...
• My wife and thousands of transgender Texans put no one in danger by accessing restroom and changing facilities
• Both men and women deserve to have access to safe and respectful facilities. of private spaces, and I

Bills: SB7, SB14, SB 7, SB 14

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects

Transcript Highlights:

• promoting access. promoting access.
• Why would we promote access? argued. Why would we promote access?
• who are detained, records, facility officials, and facility personnel.
• They don't have access to food. They don't have access to water.
• They don't have access to food. They don't have access to water.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal from April 23, and then moved through announcements and recognitions before taking up third-reading business. Members recognized a guest connected to the Mason Museum and Learning Center in Aurora, honored the family of a bicyclist killed in a 2021 hit-and-run, and heard reminders about open enrollment and an upcoming Auctioneer Day fundraiser for nonpartisan staff. The chamber also welcomed guests from Concerned Women for America and celebrated a pair of birthdays with the capital choir. On legislation, Senate Bill 95, concerning measures to support victim survivors of certain crimes without changing substantive criminal offenses, passed third reading 58-0 with five excused. House Bill 1132, which would increase pollinator habitats through conservation of native plant materials on state lands, passed 43-18 with four excused. House Bill 1130, requiring baby diaper changing stations in public restrooms, drew extensive debate: supporters said it would improve accessibility for parents and that small businesses were exempted or given flexibility, while opponents argued it was an unfunded mandate that would burden small businesses, raise installation and liability costs, and create safety and maintenance concerns. The bill ultimately passed 35-28 with two excused. The chamber also passed Senate Bill 136, requiring reporting of missing livestock to the Department of Agriculture, by a vote of 63-0 with two excused, and House Bill 1287, continuing certain Division of Real Estate regulatory functions under the sunset process, by a vote of 49-14 with two excused. Senate Bill 43 was laid over until Monday. At the end of the excerpt, the House began receiving committee reports from Appropriations, listing several bills recommended for referral onward.

Transcript Highlights:

• But what that means is you're rationing access, so students that could access a course or otherwise access
• They would submit for a different facility, knowing that that increases the likelihood of the other facility
• Proposition 98 does allow for community college facilities, but it does not allow for K through 12 facilities
• Rebecca Colleen, on behalf of the Community College Facility Coalition, on the facilities funding proposals
• Rebecca Colleen, on behalf of the Community College Facility Coalition, on the facilities funding proposals

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the Governor’s proposed community college budget, including roughly $14.1 billion in Proposition 98 funding, repayment of the $408.4 million apportionment deferral, a 2.41% COLA, 1% current-year enrollment growth that rolls into 0.5% in the budget year, a $100 million student support block grant, and $120.7 million for deferred maintenance. The LAO supported prioritizing COLA and enrollment growth but raised concerns about making some proposals ongoing, including the Healthy School Food Pathways Program and additional credit for prior learning funding. The Chancellor’s Office said enrollment has rebounded to about 2.2 million students and supported the Governor’s growth and maintenance investments, while also asking for a COLA for the Student Equity and Achievement Program and continued support for dual enrollment. Members focused heavily on enrollment growth, the 10% district cap, and hold-harmless districts. The Chancellor’s Office said systemwide growth is closer to 3%, with about $85 million to $90 million needed to fully fund it, and estimated roughly $30 million ongoing would be needed to address the cap for about seven districts. Members expressed concern that underfunding growth could limit course access and asked for a proposal that would fund growth while tying it to outcomes and accountability. The discussion also covered the SCFF, hold-harmless districts, and whether colleges are being right-sized as enrollment patterns shift. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to common course numbering. The Chancellor’s Office described the effort as a major faculty-driven reform already implemented across all 115 community colleges, with six common courses launched and more phases coming. However, it argued that common numbering alone does not guarantee credit mobility or consistent transfer, because articulation is still handled campus by campus, creating thousands of separate reviews and inconsistent outcomes for students. Members pressed on examples such as calculus and ethnic studies, and several said the system still appears to fall short of the intended transparency and transferability. The issue was left open for further work. The committee also reviewed Calbright College funding. The Governor proposed $38 million in additional ongoing support, bringing Calbright to $53.1 million ongoing. The LAO recommended instead transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula, while noting that Calbright’s noncredit, competency-based model makes FTES-based funding difficult to apply. Calbright leaders defended the proposal, citing enrollment growth to about 7,000 students, projected growth to 8,000 to 9,000 next year, and outcomes such as more than 2,200 certificates and wage gains for adult learners. Members asked for clearer enrollment and funding comparisons, and the item remained under discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• So these are residential facilities.
• latrine facility, but a common restroom facility.
• people use the facilities.
• My wife and thousands of transgender Texans put no one in danger by accessing restroom and changing facilities
• I'm sorry, changing facilities.

Bills: SB7, SB14

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard testimony on Senate Bill 7, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, with the author and committee substitute explaining that the bill would require public facilities to designate multi-use private spaces by biological sex, restrict access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping quarters, shelters, and correctional facilities, and create civil penalties and enforcement mechanisms. Members asked about how the bill would apply to family violence shelters, children in mixed-family settings, venue layout, and venue for lawsuits; the author said the bill was similar to prior legislation but with stronger penalties and the 15th Court of Appeals as the exclusive intermediate appellate court for challenges, while clarifying that trial venue should generally be local except for state agencies. The committee also heard that the bill would be amended to better address local venue concerns and shelter-related issues. Invited testimony was largely in support of the bill from witnesses who described personal experiences in women’s sports, prisons, shelters, and public facilities, arguing that single-sex spaces are necessary for privacy and safety. Supporters included parents, former incarcerated women, a Republican county chair, a legal advocate, and a prison educator, who cited incidents involving transgender-identifying individuals in locker rooms, shelters, prisons, and restrooms, and said the bill would restore sex-based boundaries and protect vulnerable women and girls. One witness from Texas Values said the bill was needed despite the recently enacted Women’s Bill of Rights, and another ADF witness said the measure would protect privacy in schools and shelters. Opponents testified that the bill would harm transgender and intersex Texans, create harassment and “gender policing,” and expose cisgender women and children to invasive enforcement. Several witnesses argued there is no evidence that transgender women pose a restroom safety threat, while others said the bill would worsen mental health, employment, and school conditions for trans people and could conflict with prison standards and federal law. Family violence advocates urged changes to protect shelter operations and clarify that children can stay with parents, while other witnesses said the bill would create barriers for victims seeking help. The hearing featured extensive public testimony on both sides, but no final vote or committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It aims to ensure price transparency for all healthcare facilities, notably members, all healthcare facilities
• , we can expand, uh, access to pricing information.
• So you're saying if they come to your facility, yes ma'am.
• I've seen firsthand how easy it is for youth to access e-cigarettes.
• Removing access is the most effective form of prevention.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said it is also important that the facilities stay up and running, and that means staff in those facilities
• to<00:35:50.359> take means staff in those facilities to take means staff in those facilities
• <00:48:11.319> to those adjustment impacts and access to those adjustment impacts and access
• <00:53:10.480> seniors irreparable harm to the access seniors irreparable harm to the access
• <01:04:28.160> predict has found that 89% of facilities predict has found that 89% of facilities

Bills: HF1419, HF500

Keywords: nursing facilities, reimbursement rates, elderly care, minimum wage, healthcare funding, nursing home, employment standards, worker rights, Minnesota Statutes, labor compensation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In FY25, 401 youth were booked into our facility.
• to positive pathways. access to positive pathways.
• of your work to run your facility.
• I have probably only been to one or two juvenile facilities. So, the facility that you oversee.
• Do you recognize the facility?

Transcript Highlights:

• We're on track to complete the dispersal facility part of that facility by the end of January 2026.
• facility, or do we know?
• facility?
• The preventative measures at the Rio Grande Valley facility and the Tampico facility are very essential
• fly facility.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border. USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later. Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production. Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in terms of facilities such as access to restrooms and locker rooms, our transgender students are
• allowed to access facilities that are aligned with their gender identity.
• And in terms of facilities such as access to restrooms and locker rooms, our transgender students are
• allowed to access facilities that are aligned with their gender identity. >> Okay.
• facilities use. facilities use.

Bills: SB2003

Keywords: Mauna Kea, land management, University of Hawaii, astronomical observatories, leasable lands, natural resource management, stewardship authority, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts and Education heard testimony and discussed SB 20003, which would require the auditor’s report under Act 255 to include a recommendation on whether the Monarch Stewardship and Oversight Authority is fit to continue managing Monaca lands. Testimony focused on the bill’s reversion language, the role of the auditor, and whether the measure gave the auditor too much discretion without clear criteria. The Office of the Auditor’s position, read into the record, was that it had strong reservations because the bill did not provide standards for assessing fitness and asked that the requirement be held or amended. Other testimony suggested a work group with relevant agencies and Hawaiian practitioners to manage the transition and reduce conflict. Committee members debated whether the bill should simply restore the original reversion language or also require an audit-based fitness determination. Several members questioned the need for a 2031 audit when Act 255 already provides for a performance and financial audit in 2031 and noted that the bill could shift authority away from the legislature. In response, the committee chair explained that the measure was intended to restore language removed during conference and to address the transition back to the University of Hawaii if the authority was not meeting the act’s purpose. The committees ultimately recommended SB 20003 be passed with amendments. The amendments would strike the auditor/audit section, add language addressing timelines by providing a 10-year lease extension and sublease extension, and make technical changes including a defective date. The committees voted to adopt the amended measure and send it forward as an SD1. The transcript also included a separate Education Committee hearing on SB 3286, which would require the University of Hawaii to develop a facilities and student housing master plan and report to the legislature. University of Hawaii testimony said the system supports the intent but that the bill’s requirements are a heavy lift across 10 campuses and should follow development of a broader academic strategy. Members raised concerns about deferred maintenance, shifting priorities, and the lack of a systemwide plan, while the university said it already has a six-year capital improvement plan but acknowledged it does not fully incorporate the broader academic and housing strategy the bill contemplates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Does that include who accessed the record and when they accessed it? ...be disclosed.
• Does that include who accessed the record and when they accessed it to make a change?
• So currently, health care facility authority law only allows not-for-profit corporations to finance facilities
• And I thank you. ...access to health care with the least barriers possible.
• It's a very complicated, difficult situation to access to do that.

Summary: The committee took up a large health policy agenda. SB 1568 on electronic prescribing was explained as a federal conformity measure, but members raised concerns about preserving patients’ ability to obtain paper prescriptions and about exemptions for emergency, hospice, and other situations. Emergency physicians testified in support of e-prescribing but asked for flexibility, and the bill was reported favorably despite Senator Harrell’s opposition. SB 1606 on patient access to records sought to standardize record-production timelines and require electronic delivery when available; after an amendment correcting a drafting error, the bill drew concerns about HIPAA, behavioral health confidentiality, and the distinction between personal and legal representatives, and it was reported unfavorably as a committee substitute. The committee then approved SB 1346 on fentanyl testing, with a technical amendment, to require hospitals and campus emergency departments to test for fentanyl in urine testing for suspected overdose or poisoning. SB 1224 on administration of controlled substances by paramedics was amended to clarify language and reported favorably. SB 656 on health care billing and collection activities was substantially revised by strike-all amendment to allow sale of medical debt to third parties under new limits, including no interest or fees and return of debt if charity care applies; it was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 68 expanded health facilities authority financing to include not-for-profit LLCs and parent companies, and SB 524 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to the newborn screening panel; both were reported favorably. Later, the committee approved SB 1842 on out-of-network referrals after multiple amendments, requiring providers to verify network participation at the point of service and notify patients in writing, though several members and physicians warned it could burden providers and increase workload. The committee also advanced proposed committee bill SB 7028, which revises the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, adds oversight and reporting requirements, creates a pediatric cancer research incubator, and establishes the Bascom-Palmer VisionGen initiative; cancer center representatives testified in strong support, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee bill. SB 172 on specialty titles and designations was amended to clarify enforcement and was reported favorably after supporters said it would prevent misleading use of specialist titles, while opponents argued it could confuse practitioners’ titles. Finally, SB 1690 on surrendered infants was reported favorably after supporters said it would codify and expand safe-haven baby box procedures and opponents raised safety concerns about the devices. The committee also noted SB 1606 remained pending for reconsideration next week before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• He is actually a critical access hospital administrator from Cody, Wyoming.
• So we'll start with an assessment of each facility. workforce in the future.
• So we start with an assessment of each facility.
• Critical access hospitals are viable and ultimately thrivable.
• to be poured in area B, and fireproof is being completed where accessible.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee was called to order, the roll was taken, and the March 18 minutes were approved. Members then received several project and program updates, beginning with CHI St. Alexius’s behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks. St. Alexius reported that the Bismarck project remains on track for June 2027 completion, with demolition underway and final design work nearing completion. Williston reported construction is progressing, staffing recruitment is underway for psychiatrists and other staff, and an air handler replacement is creating a roughly $750,000 unbudgeted barrier that will slightly delay the timeline. Grand Forks reported its expansion is about 30% complete, with no major barriers beyond weather, and leaders said the project should be substantially complete in the first quarter of 2027. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented a series of budget and program updates. Donna Ockland explained several recent line-item transfers as technical corrections that net to zero and do not require new spending, then reviewed salaries, wages, and FTE counts, noting the department remains within its authorized staffing levels. Pat Rainer followed with an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying 12 opportunities have been posted, 422 applications received, and $8.4 million obligated so far, with a goal of obligating the full $199 million by September. He described grants for workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community gardens, school wellness, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, equipment, technology, EMS, and other initiatives, emphasizing that the program is intended to be transformational and tied to metrics. Members asked extensive questions about how rural eligibility is defined, how grants will support both rural facilities and hub hospitals, and how future years of funding will build on current awards. The committee also heard an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller, who said North Dakota has been accepted as a demonstration state, implementation is underway in Williston, North Central/Minot, Fargo, and Dickinson, and care coordination and service counts are increasing. Rebecca Askins then reviewed SNAP payment error rates, saying the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89%, with the state aiming to get below 6% through policy updates, training, data tools, and a quality assurance team. Members pressed her on the causes of the error rate, the role of the SPACES software system, and the need for accountability and improvements. Finally, Dirk Wilkie reported the state laboratory project reached substantial completion on June 12 and is on budget at about $69.95 million, though a service elevator had to be redesigned because it was too small for equipment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll double our staff and build out a new laboratory facility.
• around the Santa Fe had a detention facility.
• It's a fantastic facility. We just had a tour. I don't know.
• It's great for families to get access to more affordable rates for private health insurance.
• This loss of access will also strain health care providers across the state.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It becomes much more facility.
• facility to get us 100% operation. facility to get us 100% operation.
• per facility. That's the capacity. per facility. That's the capacity.
• Is that get another facility.
• every facility and every circumstance. every facility and every circumstance.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting opened with the pledge and prayer, a roll call established quorum, and members announced a Veterans Caucus meeting to follow the session. The committee also recognized distinguished veteran Joe Mash Masterson of Bardstown, who was praised for his Army service, long-time advocacy for veterans, and leadership in the American Legion and local veteran organizations. Masterson thanked his family, the American Legion Post 121, and the VA staff, and several members offered remarks honoring his service and the committee’s practice of recognizing veterans. The committee then briefly addressed a referred administrative regulation, 017 KAR 001 030, which leadership described as technical updates to existing policy; no vote was taken. After that, members heard testimony from KDVA and Finance and Administration officials on the ongoing HVAC replacement project at the Radcliffe Veteran Center. Officials said the system had been problematic for years, that design work began early to accelerate the project, and that the work was complicated by the need to replace the system in an operating nursing facility. They explained that the project was bid in March, awarded to Less Mechanical, and that protective measures, shop drawings, and equipment orders were underway. Committee members pressed officials on why the problem had taken so long to resolve, why the original system had been installed, whether the issue had been communicated regularly, and whether the state should be paying for a replacement in a relatively new facility. Officials said the original system’s components and warranties had failed, that they had tried to replace parts before moving to a full replacement, and that the system’s manufacturer and quality differed from a similar facility in Glasgow that had not had the same issues. They said the current phase one contract was about $6 million, with the remaining funds held for phase two to restore full occupancy; phase two design was nearly complete and could be bid later if funding is approved. Officials estimated phase one completion around January 2026 and full completion around March 2027, depending on funding and scheduling.