Transcript Highlights:

• Some of these stats, I won't read each one.
• patient population and the complexity of their presentation has to match the complexity of the intervention
• 01:03:36.400> the has to match the complexity of the has to match the complexity of the intervention
• <01:03:38.240> So intervention that we're providing.
• So intervention that we're providing.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Families and Children met with a quorum, approved the August minutes, and received an update that the number of children in out-of-home care with active placements was 8,647 as of September 7, 2025. The first presentation was from Isaiah 117 House, a nonprofit that provides a home-like setting for children on removal day so they do not have to wait in a state office. Speakers described the mission as reducing trauma for children, lightening the burden on case workers, and easing transitions to foster or kinship placements. They said the Kentucky home in Logan County opened on August 15 and had already served 10 children in its first six days. Committee members asked about logistics, including whether children placed with kinship caregivers would still come to the house, how long children can stay, who remains responsible for them, and how volunteers are screened. The presenters said children are brought to the house regardless of whether they are headed to kinship or foster placement, that 72 hours is not a hard cutoff, and that a case worker remains in charge at all times while volunteers provide support. They also said volunteers undergo background checks, trauma-informed training, confidentiality instruction, and annual continuing education. In response to questions about funding and expansion, they said Isaiah 117 House is community-funded without state or federal money, and that new homes are opened only when fully funded, with construction costs typically ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 and first-year budgets around $180,000. The committee then heard a presentation from Remy Eastep Homes on its Family Centered Integrated Healthcare and related services. Leaders described the organization’s history from its origins as separate orphanages in Boyd County to residential treatment, treatment foster care, prevention services, and outpatient behavioral health. They said the organization shifted about 15 years ago toward engaging families more directly because family involvement improves outcomes and helps keep children safely at home when possible. The presentation continued into program details, but no votes or formal actions were taken on either presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before we begin, I do have a statement to read regarding conduct at our hearings.
• I think it should be legal for her teacher to read her Green Eggs and Ham.
• So I just, with your permission, Madam Chair, if I could read this note.
• So I just, with your permission, Madam Chair, if I could read this note.
• He wrote this, and I read it for your edification.

Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with the most extensive discussion focused on AB 2189, AB 2615, AB 2496, AB 1750, and AB 1644. AB 2189 would create an $800,000 grant program through the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to support a statewide parent network for special education advocacy and training. Supporters said families need stronger coordination and information to navigate special education, while an opponent argued the bill could duplicate existing family-led organizations. The bill passed 6-0 and was sent to Appropriations, held on call for add-on votes. AB 2615, a cleanup bill to AB 715 on antisemitism and instructional materials, drew the most controversy. The authors said it was intended to clarify prior commitments by removing references to professional responsibility standards, refining the “factually accurate” language, and clarifying how discriminatory materials are handled. Supporters said it would help protect students from discrimination, while many educators, civil rights groups, and other organizations opposed it unless amended, warning that the factual-accuracy language could chill teaching and be applied too broadly. The committee chair and members raised concerns about implementation but ultimately supported moving the bill forward; it passed 5-0 and was held on call. AB 2496 would streamline school accountability reporting by making the California School Dashboard the primary transparency tool, phasing out the School Accountability Report Card over time, and making mid-year LCAP reporting optional. Supporters said this would reduce duplication and administrative burden while preserving access to key data; opponents worried families could lose the simplicity and accessibility of the current SARC and that the mid-year update still serves an important purpose. The bill was approved 3-0 and held on call. AB 1750, which would extend full salary for an additional five months for school employees who exhaust sick leave due to illness or injury, was supported as a dignity and retention measure but opposed by administrators over staffing and cost concerns; it passed 4-0 and was held on call. AB 1644 would require a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in TK-8 and recommend it for high school, with exceptions for instructional and safety needs; supporters said phones are harming attention and learning, while opponents argued districts had just adopted local policies and needed more flexibility. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes it looks like we're reading with the wrong hand.
• Notice many students who are being raised by grandparents that may not be able to read the way that we
• So I hope I didn't miss too much, but I'm just reading the plain language of the bill.
• I bet that most kids don't even read those questions before they check know next to the box.
• , the bill requires that intensive reading interventions be delivered by instructional personnel who

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you read Section B, it says a municipality or county shall allow the...
• If you read Section B, it says a municipality or county shall allow the establishment in all districts
• life, changed our family's trajectory, and it made all the difference in the world to have early intervention
• one of my biggest concerns is our loss of recognition of the impact and the importance of early intervention
• I have a question, though, because when I read the bill, it says participation in the program is voluntary

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up a series of health and human services bills, beginning with CS/SB 1602, which would require hospital emergency departments to have evidence-based pediatric care protocols, staff training, child-sized equipment and medications, a pediatric care coordinator, and participation in a national pediatric readiness assessment. The bill was reported favorably after no public opposition. CS/SB 1224, aligning Florida law with federal requirements for paramedics to administer controlled substances under physician or nurse practitioner direction, also drew supportive testimony from the Florida Fire Chiefs Association and was reported favorably. CS/SB 1182, requiring coverage of continuous glucose monitors under both pharmacy and durable medical equipment benefits, was likewise reported favorably after brief support from AARP. The committee then considered CS/SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which addresses venous thromboembolism by defining certain conditions as chronic diseases, creating a statewide registry, and requiring screening and training in hospitals, surgical centers, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Family members and blood clot advocates strongly supported the bill, but assisted living representatives objected to being included, arguing the bill would impose unrealistic medical expectations and liability on residential care facilities. Senators also raised concerns about the assisted living provisions, but the bill was reported favorably after the sponsor said more changes were likely later. CS/CS/SB 954, dealing with recovery residences and treatment centers, was amended to reduce the number of active patients from 500 to 300 and then reported favorably after extensive debate over zoning, clustering, neighborhood impacts, and access to recovery housing. CS/SB 1050, which expands the developmental disabilities pilot program and creates an adult pathways waiver option, generated the most extensive testimony. Supporters said it would help reduce the long APD waitlist and expand services, while many families and advocates warned against managed care, citing provider shortages, weak oversight, and the importance of consumer-directed care. Committee members emphasized that participation is voluntary and that people can disenroll, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 614, requiring a public educational webpage about background screening and level-two screening requirements, and CS/SB 1578, expanding breast cancer screening coverage, were both reported favorably with little opposition. CS/SB 1060 created a joint legislative oversight committee for Medicaid financing and operations; after an amendment expanding the committee from three to five members, it was reported favorably. CS/CS/SB 1240, updating DCF substance abuse and mental health procedures including 988, methadone assessment, forensic evaluators, and Baker Act transfer timing, was amended and reported favorably after debate over transfer deadlines and facility responsibilities. Finally, the committee began hearing CS/SB 526, a major nursing education bill aimed at improving Florida’s low NCLEX passage rates by tightening program standards, requiring exit exams and remediation, mandating reporting and inspections, and limiting accreditation extensions. A strike-all amendment was introduced that would also require certain low-performing programs to offer a three-month graduate preceptorship. The transcript cuts off before the bill’s full debate and final action are completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you read Section B, it says a municipality or county shall allow the...
• If you read Section B, it says a municipality or county shall allow the establishment in all districts
• life, changed our family's trajectory, and it made all the difference in the world to have early intervention
• one of my biggest concerns is our loss of recognition of the impact and the importance of early intervention
• I have a question, though, because when I read the bill, it says participation in the program is voluntary

Summary: The committee took up a series of health and human services bills, beginning with CS/SB 1602, which would require emergency departments to have evidence-based pediatric care protocols, training, appropriate child-sized equipment and medications, a designated care coordinator, and participation in a pediatric readiness assessment. It was reported favorably. CS/SB 1224 followed, aligning Florida law with federal requirements so paramedics may administer controlled substances in the field under physician or nurse practitioner protocols; it also passed favorably after supportive testimony from fire chiefs. The committee then adopted a strike-all for SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which addresses venous thromboembolism by creating a statewide registry, requiring screening and training in hospitals and long-term care settings, and adding assisted living facility response requirements. Assisted living representatives objected to the ALF provisions as unrealistic and potentially harmful, while supporters argued the bill would save lives; the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 1182, requiring continuous glucose monitors to be covered as both durable medical equipment and a pharmacy benefit, also passed favorably with support from AARP. The committee next considered CS/SB 12, a claim bill for a child severely injured after a DCF home visit allegedly failed to meet standards, and it was reported favorably without opposition. CS/CS/SB 954, dealing with substance abuse treatment centers and recovery residences, drew substantial debate. The bill would limit local zoning restrictions on treatment facilities and allow larger recovery residences if staffing ratios are increased; a late-filed amendment reduced the maximum active patients from 500 to 300. Municipal and county representatives warned that the bill could override local reasonable-accommodation efforts and create institutional-scale facilities, while supporters said housing is essential to recovery and that clustering concerns are overstated. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. CS/SB 1050, expanding the developmental disabilities pilot program statewide and creating a statewide family care council, also passed after extensive testimony from families and advocates. Supporters emphasized the long waitlist and the need for more services, while some speakers opposed managed care and warned about provider shortages and loss of individualized supports. Later, CS/SB 614, requiring a public educational webpage about background screening clearinghouse and level two screening requirements, was reported favorably. CS/SB 1578, which would require coverage for mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screening in certain circumstances, was also reported favorably. CS/SB 1060 created a joint legislative oversight committee to review Medicaid operations and financing; members discussed the need for stronger oversight of large midyear spending adjustments, and the bill passed favorably. CS/SB 1240, a Department of Children and Families substance abuse and mental health bill, was amended to clarify Baker Act transfer timing and notification requirements after debate over whether facilities could hold patients too long; it was then reported favorably. Finally, Senator Harrell presented CS/SB 526, a major nursing education bill aimed at Florida’s low NCLEX passage rates. The bill would require nursing programs to use exit exams, remediation, reporting, and stricter oversight, and the strike-all would add graduate preceptorships for low-performing programs and temporary provisional licenses for graduates pending NCLEX passage. The transcript ended while that bill was still being explained, before final action was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk will read the title and a brief description of the bill.
• Clerk will read the title and a brief description of the bill.
• The clerk will read the summary of the resolution.
• The clerk will read the summary of the bill.
• The clerk will read the summary of the bill.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest recognitions, and a quorum call before moving into committee reports and floor action. Committees reported a number of bills and resolutions, including measures from Local Government, Energy, Health, Judiciary, Appropriations, Rules, and Finance. The chamber also announced caucus and committee meetings, then recessed and later reconvened for final consideration of legislation. Several bills passed the House finally, including House Bill 2299 on body cameras for county probation officers, House Bill 167 designating a scenic byway along Allegheny River Boulevard, House Bill 95 requiring disclosure when content or advertising is generated or substantially modified by artificial intelligence, House Bill 1944 expanding medical amnesty and Good Samaritan protections on campuses, House Bill 2443 creating a child victim recovery fund, House Bill 246 updating references from the Public Welfare Code to the Human Services Code, and House Bill 2586 establishing title protection for music therapists. The House also adopted House Resolution 463 recognizing Korean-American Citizenship Day, House Resolution 499 recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day, and House Resolution 547 directing a study of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration. The House spent significant time on amendments to House Bill 133, which concerns reinstatement of parental rights, and House Bill 138, which addresses parental incarceration and termination of parental rights. Both bills received bipartisan amendments adding guardrails and exceptions, and the amendments were adopted unanimously. The chamber also debated House Bill 2224, the Fair Act, with multiple amendments on utility rates, return on equity, and scope; some amendments were adopted, several tied votes failed, and the bill was left amended for reprinting. House Bill 2544, dealing with school administrators’ rights and negotiations, saw an amendment to allow individual bargaining, but that amendment failed and the bill was agreed to. The session ended with a correction to the record on House Bill 1944, a motion to recommit several bills to Appropriations, and adjournment until June 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• has been a that Delta's intervention has been a consistent<00:46:57.359> roadblock.
• <01:15:07.920> through<01:15:08.080> the do we you know just reading through the do
• Chair, um, sir, I guess my questions are reading through this bill, if I'm reading it correctly, this
• Chair, um, sir, I guess my questions are reading through this bill, if I'm reading it correctly, this
• Sir, I guess my questions are reading through this bill, if I'm reading it correctly, this affects not

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I didn't have a chance to read it in full.
• chance to read it in full. chance to read it in full.
• I didn't have a chance to read it in full.
• In some cases, victims are even coached to lie to avoid intervention.
• Just weeks ago in Elk intervention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<01:13:54.800> the providers regarding interventions, the providers regarding interventions
• Sometimes we will read about them, sometimes we'll learn about them.
• Um, if you read the fiscal note, we spent about 1.7 million a year.
• <04:09:12.479> Um,<04:09:12.800> if<04:09:12.960> you<04:09:13.040> read<
• Um, if you read money you're saving."

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have read the entire bill.
• With due respect to people who suggest otherwise, they have not read the bill.
• So forgive me for reading, but... So forgive me for reading, but okay.
• At that point, her favorite thing to do was read, and she was going blind.
• I will note I have read the bills, and I do recognize the...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health opened its first hearing of the session and heard testimony on bills in three areas: emergency medical services/AED access, athletic training and student safety, and end-of-life options. Committee chairs outlined testimony rules and noted that written testimony would also be accepted. Some bills had no live witnesses, while others drew extensive testimony from advocates, professionals, and legislators. On AED-related bills, the American Heart Association supported requiring automated external defibrillators at sporting events and athletic fields, citing sudden cardiac arrest survival rates and urging cardiac emergency response plans as an added safeguard. A parks and recreation professional supported AED access but raised concerns about the cost, staffing, maintenance, and feasibility for municipalities with limited resources. Athletic trainers supported expanding their scope of practice and removing workplace restrictions, arguing it would improve injury prevention, reduce costs, and help retain professionals in Massachusetts. The committee also took extensive testimony on end-of-life options legislation. Supporters included legislators, physicians, hospice volunteers, clergy, patients’ family members, and advocacy groups, who described the bills as allowing terminally ill, mentally capable adults to choose a peaceful death with strict safeguards and self-administration requirements. They emphasized personal stories of suffering, public support, and the claim that other states have not seen abuse. Opponents, including faith-based, disability-rights, and family policy representatives, argued the bills amount to physician-assisted suicide, could pressure vulnerable people, and may be influenced by prognosis errors, coercion, or financial incentives. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• master's degree in library science told us a story about a 14-year-old woman who, 14-year-old child, who read
• district that voted three to two to keep a book that I'll pass around in a second if someone will read
• And I will say that at least the way that I read the bill, if there are DEI aspects in there, but they're
• take a review of the accrediting agencies first before we decide that some kind of legislative intervention

Bills: HB2950, HB2978, HB3132, HB3242, HB3467, HB3700, HB3701, HB4115, HB4274

Keywords: postsecondary education, standardized test scores, educational equity, higher learning access, Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, HB2978, school libraries, library media center, library media program, community standards, sexually explicit conduct, obscene material, age-appropriate materials, school curriculum, book challenges, book banning, censorship, public schools, school board, education committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think we will go around for introductions of everybody because read the name tags, or if somebody
• the list of them for the locations in North Dakota, just because sometimes those squares are hard to read
• Nobody should be, everyone should be able to read what's on our website through that translation feature
• physicians across the board in all areas using nutrition more as a, like, prescription lifestyle intervention

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Joint Policy Committee met to hear an overview of North Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program before taking up the related policy bills. Department of Health and Human Services staff explained that the state received a $198.9 million CMS award, with funding focused on four pillars: strengthening rural workforce, bringing care closer to home, connecting technology and data, and improving population health through prevention. They emphasized that the program is intended to benefit rural and frontier residents statewide, including areas near urban centers when the project serves rural patients, and that CMS approval, provider readiness, and sustainability will drive what can be funded. Committee members asked about how the program would treat border communities, frontier counties, urban providers serving rural patients, multilingual outreach, tribal consultation, and whether there would be information sessions for applicants. HHS said the website will include sign-up and translation features, more listening sessions and training will be offered, and a rural health tribal liaison will work alongside the existing Medicaid tribal liaison. Members also raised concerns about reimbursement timing, cash flow for providers, and whether projects in urban areas could qualify; HHS responded that urban projects may be eligible if they clearly benefit rural residents. The department then outlined the four policy bills tied to the grant scoring: nutrition continuing medical education for physicians, the presidential fitness test, the physician assistant compact, and pharmacist scope of practice. HHS said these policy actions were incentivized in the federal funding opportunity and that failure to pass them could reduce future funding. The committee did not take final action on the bills in this portion of the transcript and recessed for lunch before moving on.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have intensive interventions academically in all areas.
• It’s much more functional when they get to high school, but they rapidly increase on their reading or
• And I’m not saying that they’re college level, but the more... ...the more that you can read, the better
• I'm a psychologist, and that doesn't always read well.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from November 17 by motion and voice vote. It then heard a presentation from Arkansas State University on its inclusive postsecondary education programs, HOWL and ATLAS, led by Dr. Kristen Johnson and Shane Broadway. The programs serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, by providing on-campus living, academic support, life-skills training, financial literacy, internships, employment support, and community integration. Johnson explained that HOWL is a comprehensive transition program that does not lead to a degree but is eligible for financial aid, while ATLAS is degree-seeking and provides additional supports. She reported strong outcomes, including high goal attainment and a majority of graduates working full time, and emphasized that the programs are designed to help students build autonomous adult lives. Members asked about recruitment, eligibility, costs, school outreach, business partnerships, and transition planning. Johnson said the programs have done extensive outreach through IEP meetings, transition symposia, email blasts, and school visits, but that awareness remains a challenge. She identified major roadblocks as business concerns about liability, fragmented collaboration, and difficulty navigating funding streams such as vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid. She also said more coordinated statewide communication and coalition-building are needed, and noted that ASU is helping launch a state alliance for similar programs, with new programs opening at ASU Mountain Home and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. The committee then heard from the University of Central Arkansas about Project Ascend, a new low-sensory living-learning community for neurodiverse students in Hughes Hall. Dr. Debbie Daly and Jeremy Gillum described it as a voluntary, self-identified program focused on community building, belonging, and retention rather than remediation or degree planning. The program has hosted a few low-sensory social events and plans to expand outreach through campus tours, orientation, and targeted communications. Members asked about recruitment, participation, success measures, and how to avoid duplicating ASU’s efforts; UCA said it is still in its infancy and will measure success mainly through participation, retention, and student engagement. The meeting ended with general support from members, discussion of collaboration across institutions and agencies, and adjournment of the task force.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am dyslexic and I've struggled with reading since kindergarten.
• At the virtual school, I could do... my reading tutoring during the day.
• But they also go on by third grade to have better reading, better math, better attendance, and lower
• There are many misconceptions between what your pediatrician can provide with Early Childhood Intervention

Bills: HB 117, HB2196, HB2689, HCR64, HB117

Keywords: early childhood education, task force, governance, Texas Education Agency, child care, education policy, virtual education, hybrid learning, school funding, average daily attendance, education technology, remote learning, education legislation, workforce development, adult education, high school diploma, industry certification, pilot program, gifted education, education support

Transcript Highlights:

• witnessed both the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the transformative power of early intervention
• Um, the way that we're reading the bill, um, the student permit, the photograph would be attached.
• Uh, as Speaker Phelan said, this is directed through TDLR, but, uh, the way the bill reads it, it looked
• of, of looking and, and reviewing is one of the important things that this bill does that, um, as I read

Transcript Highlights:

• I won't read them all.
• I won't read them are listed up there.
• I urge the committee to read that letter.
• <01:40:18.800> I Abeler read the Seamus O'Meara letter?
• intervention, Jake would still be alive. intervention, Jake would still be alive.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• DHS investigations of alleged kickbacks in the early intensive developmental and behavioral intervention
• Sitting on the OLA or Legislative Audit Commission, I immediately read the report and I have to read
• report and immediately read the report and I<00:15:36.160> have<00:15:36.400> to<00:15
• :36.520> read<00:15:36.720> just<00:15:36.880> a<00:15:36.920> couple<00:
• 15:37.200> sentences I have to read just a couple sentences I have to read just a couple sentences

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4566, authored by Representative Franssen, which responds to a recent Office of the Legislative Auditor report on alleged kickbacks in the early intensive developmental and behavioral intervention (EIBDI) program. Franssen said the bill would require DHS to use expedited rulemaking to clearly include kickbacks in the definition of fraud and would allow the department to withhold or reduce payments when there is a verified credible allegation of fraud, arguing this would protect taxpayer dollars and address a fraud scheme that she said cost about $20 million. Former Representative Matt Dean testified in support, saying the OLA report confirmed kickbacks existed and that the bill would give DHS clearer authority to stop them and pursue those involved. Members raised several technical questions about how the bill interacts with existing state and federal law, including whether it overlaps with the illegal remuneration definition enacted last session, whether it could sweep in federal safe-harbor exceptions, and whether it would expand the scope of the anti-kickback rules. Nonpartisan staff said the bill cites existing definitions in Minnesota law, but also noted that the federal-law impact would need further review. Representative Noor emphasized keeping the credible-allegation language separate from the illegal-remuneration provisions to avoid unintended consequences, and Representative Fisher asked about differences from similar language in another bill; staff said the drafting differences could be reconciled. Representative Jacob cited the OLA report’s conclusion that DHS already had authority to act on kickback allegations without legislative changes, while Representative Gander and Dean argued that even small kickbacks can drive much larger improper provider costs. After questions were closed, Representative Franssen renewed her motion to lay House File 4566 over for possible inclusion, and the motion prevailed.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to read it. It's from House Bill 1. Guys, this is our general approach.
• If you really want to put yourself to sleep, that is great reading material.
• Abyssidarian was a five-year intervention from birth through the fifth year of life.
• Because I'm one of those guys that read ahead when you give me a complete deck.
• Still, now you've read. twice.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that implement the expansion and not the so-called administrative state, which, for those of you who read
• Madam Chair, Senator Angius, I appreciate the thoroughness and, when I was reading through how you explained
• along with the signatures of the patient and the witness, the person providing the actual surgical intervention

Bills: SB1017, SB1149, SB1162, SB1192, SB1249, SB1253, SB1331, SB1333, SB1334

Keywords: informed consent, surgical procedures, healthcare professionals, patient rights, regulatory compliance, child welfare, dependency hearings, foster care, court procedures, parental rights, healthcare compliance, behavioral health technicians, licensing, monitoring, administrative burdens, basic first aid, good samaritan, medical licensing exemption, Arizona medical board, A.R.S. 32-1421

Transcript Highlights:

• I won't read them all for you, but I will pick a few out for you to take a look at.
• Next, I mean, you guys have the chart; I don't have to read this for you.
• But what this can become is not only an intervention, as it is right now, to graduation, but it can become