Transcript Highlights:

• We sought out multi-agency approval within the Department of Public Health and were licensed by both
• State regulations and are subject to evaluations by the Department of Public Health.
• it would be part of DPH and the idea of having it licensed and having DPH create the framework for it
• This is important for the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Youth Services because
• It directs the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Education to study how many children

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery opened its first public hearing of the 2025–26 session with remarks from the Senate and House chairs outlining the committee’s priorities. They noted recent work on addiction and recovery legislation, the ongoing youth behavioral health crisis, and that members might need to leave periodically for floor votes. The chairs explained hearing procedures, including three-minute testimony limits, written testimony deadlines, and reporting deadlines for Senate and House bills. The hearing then focused on several bills related to youth mental health, overdose prevention, and psychedelic treatment research. A major portion of the hearing centered on bills to improve youth crisis response and overdose prevention. Testimony strongly supported bills to print the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards, with speakers from mental health organizations, crisis centers, and individuals sharing personal stories of depression, suicide attempts, and the importance of making 988 as familiar as 911. Another set of bills would require schools to stock naloxone and provide overdose prevention education. Physicians, harm reduction advocates, students, and grieving family members testified that school-based Narcan access and education could save lives, reduce stigma, and help students recognize overdoses and understand Good Samaritan protections. Senator O’Connor and Tamika Perry also testified for a bill to strengthen substance use prevention education and reduce overdose abandonment, emphasizing the need to teach students about overdose risks and the legal protections for calling 911. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to authorize a pilot program for psychedelic treatment in licensed facilities. Senator Friedman and several medical and behavioral health professionals argued the proposal was a narrow, research-based approach distinct from the broader ballot question rejected in 2024. They said the bill would allow only a small number of supervised clinics to use psychedelics for conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders, with data reporting and Department of Public Health oversight. Supporters described it as a cautious way to study promising treatments while avoiding unsupervised or commercialized use. Finally, the committee heard support for a bill to create a special commission and five-year strategic plan for children’s behavioral health services, with testimony that the current system is fragmented, difficult for families to navigate, and strained by workforce and funding challenges. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the Department of Health and Human Services policies related to child care licensing.
• And then the Department of Health and Human Services provided staffing and administrative services for
• of licensing and how are they the same or how are they different?
• and today I'll be presenting an update on our program evaluation of the Department of Health and Human
• is underneath the Department of Health and Human Services.

Committees: Joint Human Services , Joint Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Lacey Kirchner, Counsel for the Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Lacey Kirchner, Counsel for the Department of Labor and Licensing.
• Ralph Hudson, Department of Labor and Licensing Division of Labor Director.
• Council of the Department of Labor and Licensing.
• the Department of Labor and Licensing.

Committee: All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The message is crystal clear: no regulator and no bank is above the principles of fairness and market
• for the actions and rules of the federal banking regulators.
• and important part of bank regulation.
• A lot of these debanking is a direct result of regulators kind of doing a wink and a nod.
• And that's what I mean by a distortion of the relationship between regulators. And Congress.

Committee: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So you've indeed removed beverages that is and can be intoxicating from the bill of under being regulated
• However, I do think that this body needs to do what's in the best interest of the children and regulate
• the bill that would, after many years and a lot of work and a lot of concern from a lot of people in
• And then you had epidemics of rape and kidnapping and murdering.
• conditions that were offered in Department of Corrections. if you haven't completed the terms and conditions

Transcript Highlights:

• health</c> and appreciative of the health and appreciative of the health department<00:31:53.080><c>
• of the state licensing regime, and while state licensing of group homes is important and, of course,
• Human Services and the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health<01:31:15.480><c> as<
• when in fact thorough and extensive licensing regulations within the Department of Human Services, the
• ><c> of</c><01:41:08.320><c> Human</c> The Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Human

Bills: HF1937 , HF2407 , HF1678 , HF1477 , HF2040 , HF1840 , HF257

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It is typically obtained from FDA-licensed and regulated distributors, and it is typically obtained for
• It is typically obtained from FDA-licensed and regulated distributors.
• of twofold: best practices to regulate and oversee the production and distribution to ensure that it's
• developed and offered by state or local public health departments and licensing... ...boards, where
• lack of a of knowledge on zylazine wounds and and with Lack of knowledge on xylazine wounds and withdrawal

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:

• nuts and bolts of it.
• of the package and and make that part of the package deal
• Senate Bill 189 is a consumer protection measure, of course, to regulate and license virtual currency
• of course to regulate protection measure of course to regulate and<00:06:45.039><c> to</c><00:06:45.199
• <c> licensing</c> and license a comprehensive licensing and license a comprehensive licensing and<00:

Committee: Senate Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that we've contacted the DNR and the Department of Commerce, and you're still in conversations
• have at this time. ...transparency and an understanding for the Department of Commerce actions and alleviates
• Vice Chair Perryman has spoken with the Department of Commerce and they are neutral on the bill and we
• of the bill is to provide the information at point of sale and then distinguish between what a licensed
• So, we are heavily regulated by the Department of Commerce, all 50 states.

Bills: HF3604 , HF2236 , HF3709 , HF3766 , HF2400

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• the standards of a definition of a restaurant and their license.
• For the record, my name is Mark Armagan, and I’m the chief of liquor enforcement and licensing.
• For the record, my name is Mark Armagan, and I’m the chief of liquor enforcement and licensing.
• For the record, my name is Mark Armagan, and I’m the chief of liquor enforcement and licensing.
• For the record, my name is Mark Armagan, and I’m the chief of liquor enforcement and licensing.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• and Family Services, to provide for the authority of the secretary of the Department of Children and
• These clinics abide by the same state and federal regulations and provide the same standards of care
• And I eventually got the Department of Insurance to step in on that, and some things changed.
• ... ...without any of the same regulations, the same licenses, all of the same things.
• Milk ordinance and our existing statutory language regulating milk at the Department of Health.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The committee met on April 1 and considered several health-related bills and one resolution. HB 933, by Rep. Charles Owen, would create commemorative birth certificates and adjust vital records fees; after adopting a technical amendment, the committee reported the bill favorably. HB 288, by Rep. Boyer, would require the term “miscarriage” to appear alongside “spontaneous abortion” in medical documentation and billing; after an amendment changed the bill from mandatory “shall” language to permissive “may,” the committee heard emotional testimony both in support and opposition and then reported the bill favorably as amended. HB 420, by Rep. Berault, would require criminal background checks and registry review for all DCFS employees, not just those with direct contact with children; it was reported favorably. The committee also voluntarily deferred HB 927 and HB 962. The committee then heard HB 971, by Rep. Stagney, which seeks to equalize Medicaid reimbursement rates for independent rural health clinics and hospital-owned provider-based clinics. Supporters, including clinic owners and practitioners, testified that independent clinics provide the same services under the same rules but receive far lower reimbursement, making it difficult to retain staff and avoid sale to hospital systems. The author said the bill is intended to prompt discussion and eventual parity without harming hospitals, and the committee reported the bill favorably. HB 815, by Rep. Carver, would allow federally insured financial institutions to receive death certificate information from vital records to reduce losses and help reconcile account issues after a death; credit union representatives supported the measure, and it was reported favorably. The committee also adopted HR 74, by Rep. Sterling, which urges the Department of Education and local school authorities to report on how schools accommodate students with seizure disorders. Sterling described personal experience with epilepsy and said the resolution is meant to gather data on implementation of existing seizure action plan law and identify gaps in access to rescue medication and training. Finally, the committee took up HB 915, by Rep. Dickerson, which would place Medicaid prior authorization and utilization management timelines into statute. After technical and substantive amendments, including changing some deadlines from five business days to seven calendar days, the bill drew support from providers and health groups concerned about delays in care, and the committee reported it favorably as amended. The committee also began consideration of HB 944, by Rep. Hilferty, creating a women’s consortium within LDH focused on menopause and related women’s health issues; technical amendments were adopted and testimony emphasized coordination of existing research and resources, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• On page Three, it we added at the request of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
• The line That a feral hog hunting facility operated by ODAff and that department is one of the departments
• operated by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
• body appointed by the commissioner of health and they look at sanitation, consumer protection, and regulations
• Jan Lee Owlett with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

Bills: SB2108 , SB2121 , SB2171 , SB2061 , SB2112 , SB2138

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 488 on Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles by Senator Masula.
• Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles by Senator Masula.
• SB 488 is the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency package, and I like these types
• title applications and for the issuance of driver's licenses.
• This bill strengthens the regulation and oversight of commercial driving schools in the state of Florida

Bills: S0216 , S0246 , S0356 , S0388 , S0470 , S0488 , S0490 , S0528 , S0584 , S0594

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered ten bills, beginning with SB 594 on local housing assistance plans. Senator Burton explained that the bill would make residents of mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities eligible for SHIP rental assistance and, in some cases, repair or rehabilitation funds, recognizing that many own their homes but rent the lot. Supporters from AARP and the Federation of Manufactured Homeowners said the bill would help seniors and low-income residents remain housed. The bill was reported favorably by a roll call vote. Members then approved two Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles measures: SB 488, the agency package updating Florida’s motor fuel tax compliance with IFTA, allowing online filing and private license plate agencies to act as agents, raising the crash-damage reporting threshold, expanding email communications, and updating tank vehicle compliance; and SB 490, a related public records exemption for email addresses collected for renewal notices. Both were reported favorably without opposition. The committee also passed SB 246, creating a specialty license plate for the UFC Foundation, despite concerns raised that the foundation is based out of state and that the plate was politically motivated; the bill was approved on a split vote. The committee gave favorable reports to SB 216 on reemployment assistance eligibility, which would tighten job-search requirements, require more frequent eligibility verification, and add reporting on fraudulent claims. The bill drew substantial opposition from labor and policy advocates who argued it would add barriers for unemployed workers, especially in rural and skilled-trades jobs, and that the state’s unemployment system remains difficult to navigate. Supporters said the bill was aimed at fraud prevention and ensuring claimants remain eligible. SB 356 on utility terrain vehicles generated extensive debate over safety, local control, and whether UTVs should be allowed on certain roads; supporters emphasized rural utility and law enforcement benefits, while opponents cited manufacturer warnings and crash risks. The sponsor ultimately temporarily postponed the bill. The committee also reported favorably SB 528 on manufacturing, which expands the Department of Commerce’s manufacturing responsibilities, codifies the chief manufacturing officer position, and creates workforce development grant support; SB 584 on commercial driving schools, which authorizes DHSMV agreements with county tax collectors to help enforce school regulation; and SB 388, which raises the annual use fee for the Florida Wildflower specialty plate from $15 to $25 to support the Florida Wildflower Foundation. The final bill, SB 470 on the Fraternal Order of Police specialty plate, was introduced as a measure to broaden eligibility for the existing plate and stabilize funding for law enforcement memorial efforts, but no final action on that bill was reached in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the organizations and groups that come down for Future Farmers of America, the Department of
• , the department of agriculture America, the department of agriculture and<00:07:02.800><c> granite</
• regulations of the Constitution and the laws of our land.
• Uh, sir, the Department of Military Affairs and Veteran Services.
• of the department from the Adjutant General's Department to the Department of Military Affairs and Veteran

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• and Game Department website to determine what they owe the state in terms of sales that month, and then
• Um, and themselves of these licenses.
• I'm the new Department of Fish and Game.
• </c> department of natural and cultural department of natural and cultural resources<00:18:34.240><c>
• budget that the department relies upon to keep this model working comes out of license sales and, conversely

Committee: House Fish and Game and Marine Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and members of the committee.
• ><c> of</c><00:19:37.880><c> the</c> to the deans and directors of all of the to the deans and directors
• </c> top of their licensure and training. top of their licensure and training.
• regulation of funeral directors,<00:35:57.040><c> and</c><00:35:57.400><c> I</c><00:35:57.520><c> am
• </c> folks and some of my family family Yeah. folks and some of my family family Yeah.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't give you a dollar number, like I— ...cost of this regulation, and that'll be reflected.
• It would include provisions for regulating the offer and dissemination of travel insurance, licensing
• It would include provisions for regulating the offer and dissemination of travel insurance, licensing
• For the record, my name, my full name is Jinju Choi, and I go by JJ, and I'm with the Department of Financial
• on this bill and that thinking about fraud for our consumers and regulating banks and these types of

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several insurance and consumer protection bills. On engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5928, staff and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner described wildfire risk score and model disclosure requirements for homeowners, including notices when policies are nonrenewed, canceled, or premiums are adversely affected, plus insurer website disclosures about mitigation discounts and rate filing transparency. Supporters, including the OIC, AARP, the mayor of Medical Lake, and a fire chief, said the bill would improve transparency, help homeowners understand and reduce wildfire risk, and protect consumers facing cancellations and rising premiums. Industry witnesses said they supported the goal but warned the bill could add regulatory cost and complexity, and some urged narrower, simpler disclosure language and a delayed implementation date. On engrossed substitute Senate Bill 6031, which would expand the insurance fraud program and create a standalone Class B felony for insurance fraud, the OIC and AARP supported the bill as a tool against organized fraud and restitution for victims. A criminal defense representative raised concerns that the new felony language overlaps with existing misdemeanor insurance fraud law and could create conflicting statutes and harsher penalties for the same conduct. The committee also heard testimony that the bill had already incorporated amendments limiting criminal investigators’ role in regulatory investigations and focusing them on complex schemes. The committee then heard substitute Senate Bill 6248 on travel insurance, described as largely mirroring a House bill already passed by the committee. Testimony from the travel insurance industry said agreed-upon amendments had been incorporated, including changes addressing conflict-of-interest concerns, and urged the bill’s advancement. Finally, the committee heard substitute Senate Bill 6079, which would create the Strengthen Washington Homes grant program to fund wildfire home-hardening and prohibit insurers from using wildfire risk as a disqualifying factor for homes meeting IBHS wildfire-prepared standards. The OIC, fire commissioners, AARP, and the prime sponsor supported the bill as a way to reduce nonrenewals and improve insurability, while insurers opposed Section 7, arguing it could interfere with underwriting and should be removed if the bill is to remain a grant program. The committee also began hearing engrossed Senate Bill 5280 on virtual currency kiosks, with staff and the Department of Financial Institutions describing daily transaction caps, fee limits, disclosures, and receipts to curb fraud; consumer protection and law enforcement witnesses supported the bill, while industry witnesses raised concerns about burdens on compliant businesses and passive retail hosts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our licenses are increasing and that is another indication of the stability of the market here in Kentucky
• It's just a lot of uncertainty, and that has got everyone, as regulators and the companies as well, we
• The licensing and regulation and monitoring of public adjusters to ensure they're acting in the best
• </c><01:04:20.720><c> and</c><01:04:21.119><c> regulation</c> repairs. the uh licensing and regulation
• repairs. the uh licensing and regulation and<01:04:22.079><c> monitoring</c><01:04:22.480><c> of</c>

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September 16 minutes, and then received an update from Insurance Commissioner Sharon Clark and staff on the Department of Insurance. Clark reviewed department activity, including growth in premium volume and licensing, consumer complaints and recoveries, and a rise in fraud referrals. She said the department has 66 open fraud cases and described common schemes such as staged auto accidents, inflated repair or cleanup charges, and roofing scams. She also said the department’s investigators often prepare strong cases but face reluctance from local prosecutors, especially in Fayette and Jefferson counties, to pursue them. Clark reported favorable workers’ compensation news, saying rates will decrease 9.7% next year for the 20th straight year. She contrasted that with a difficult property insurance market driven by storms, reinsurance costs, inflation, labor shortages, and litigation, but said Kentucky’s market remains relatively stable, citing the Kentucky Fair Plan’s small number of policies. She then warned of significant 2026 health insurance premium increases on the exchange: 16.1% for Molina, 23% for Anthem, and 37% for WCare, after CareSource withdrew. She said the rates were reviewed by actuaries and found fair, but that the biggest pressure point is the scheduled expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, which she said could leave about 90% of exchange enrollees facing a compounded increase. Members questioned Clark about fraud prosecution, the number of people in commercial versus public coverage, and the impact of expiring subsidies. Clark said the prosecution issue is mainly with Commonwealth attorneys and that rural counties are more cooperative than urban ones. She also said the health market is individually rated and that older enrollees would be hit harder, while the loss of tax credits could push some people out of the marketplace. One member asked about the attorney general’s recent opinion on SB 188, the PBM bill; staff said attorneys were still reviewing it. Clark closed by noting that Kentucky’s fraud and towing/storage legislation has become a model for other states.

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis County, and it includes the city of Hazelwood, the city of Bridgeton, and a portion of Florissant
• The license plate would read "Disabled Veterans Surviving Spouse" along the top and bottom edges of the
• Shoemaker, over at the Department of Revenue that handles specialty license plates.
• I am the Missouri Association of Veterans' Legislative Chairman and the Department Service Officer for
• I'd have to get back to you and find out from our marketing department where most of those come from,

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Transcript Highlights:

• the police department, and now they know exactly where you are, where you go all of the time, and they
• I’m the Chief of Police for the Apache Junction Police Department, and I’m also the President of the
• I'm a member of Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, and I'm a private licensed investigator.
• intrusive than a camera taking a picture of the back of a car and a license plate, and we're replete
• But we've got a contract with Navajo and social services and the Department of Economic Security.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1114, which would appropriate $1 million to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to investigate patient brokering in behavioral health and substance abuse treatment. Sponsor Sen. Werner described patient brokering as a continuing abuse tied to the state’s Medicaid fraud crisis, especially affecting Native Americans, and said the county attorney had the capacity to handle statewide oversight. The bill was moved and received a do pass recommendation on a 9-0-1 vote. The committee then considered SB 1111, as amended by a strike-everything amendment, to create statewide rules for automated license plate readers. Supporters from law enforcement said ALPRs are important for investigations, missing persons, stolen vehicles, and violent crimes, and argued the bill adds needed guardrails and training requirements. Opponents, including the ACLU, Institute for Justice, and private citizens, warned the systems enable mass surveillance, can be inaccurate, and raise Fourth Amendment and privacy concerns; they also objected to broad terms like “legitimate” law enforcement purposes and the lack of a clear retention limit. The committee adopted the amendment and then gave SB 1111, as amended, a do pass recommendation by a 7-2-1 vote. Next, SB 1116, as amended, was heard to require behavioral health claim denials and appeals at AHCCCS to be reviewed by someone with relevant clinical experience. Sen. Werner said the bill responds to improper denials and appeals handled by staff without behavioral health expertise; AHCCCS was neutral but said the bill could create compliance and staffing issues because “relevant clinical experience” is not well defined. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 10-0. SB 1122, also as amended, would bar AHCCCS from requiring prior authorization or 100% prepayment review for certain behavioral health services under the American Indian Health Plan unless a provider is on a corrective action plan; Werner said it was aimed at ensuring providers are paid and reducing patient brokering. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1122 10-0. Finally, the committee heard SB 1072, which would appropriate ongoing state and Medicaid funds to DES for rate increases for home- and community-based services and room-and-board services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with reporting on workforce outcomes. Supporters from APAD and providers said the direct care workforce is in crisis, with large numbers of vacancies, overtime costs, and unassigned authorizations, and argued the funding is needed to retain staff and maintain care. Members discussed wage disparities, whether funds would reach caregivers, and the limits of legislative control over private provider pay, but no vote on SB 1072 was reached before the transcript ended.