Transcript Highlights:

• Thirty-seven percent of child welfare services positions are currently vacant, and it will improve the
• child welfare services positions 37% of child welfare services positions are<04:44:17.638><c> currently
• I'm a child welfare attorney at the National Center for Youth Law.
• Child welfare court cases determine nearly every critical aspect of a young person's life: where they
• Child welfare court cases determine nearly every critical aspect of a young person's life: where they

Committee: House Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 154, an act relating to child sexual assault or abuse. Representative Wilner.
• House Bill 174, an act relating to child marriage.
• House Bill 179, an act relating to children's health and welfare physical impact statements.
• House Bill 190, an act relating to licensed child care centers. Representative Baker.
• </c><00:41:22.079><c> care</c> an act relating to licensed child care an act relating to licensed child

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2689 concerns the Working Connections Child Care Program. Mr.
• regions and age ranges for infants, toddlers, preschool, and school-age child care.
• month of payment only if the child is absent for 10 or fewer days in a month.
• Child care providers have played a pivotal role in my own family's history.
• I needed child care to go back to school and build a life for my family.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 2689 on Working Connections Child Care. Staff explained that the proposed substitute would keep eligibility at 60% of state median income, eliminate scheduled expansions to 75% and 85%, reduce future subsidy rates from the 85th to the 75th percentile of market, end enhanced regional rates, and change reimbursement rules from prospective enrollment-based payments back to attendance-based payments with a reduced monthly payment after 11 absent days. Child care advocates thanked the committee for removing the proposed cap on the program but opposed the cuts to provider rates and eligibility expansions, warning of harm to families and providers. The committee then heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5124 on Medicaid network adequacy for post-acute care, with staff noting administrative costs and indeterminate fiscal effects; hospitals supported the bill as a way to reduce discharge delays and reliance on single-case agreements. Senate Bill 5832, which would raise the new motor vehicle arbitration fee from $3 to $6 to support the Lemon Law arbitration program, drew support from the Attorney General’s Office and auto dealers, who said the fee had not been updated since 1995 and the program was underfunded. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5862, providing a one-time 3% COLA for certain PERS 1 and TRS 1 retirees, with retirees testifying in favor and local government representatives warning about added employer costs. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer money from the Transportation Vehicle Fund to other funds if they reduce their fleet and receive OSPI approval; staff said the bill would mainly add administrative work for OSPI, and no one testified. Substitute Senate Bill 5923 would allow a hospital on an island in Skagit County to qualify as a critical access hospital if federally certified; Island Health testified that the designation would help sustain rural services, and a committee member asked about bed count and Medicaid/charity-care pressures. Senate Bill 5944 would require language access providers to bargain over compensation for missed or canceled appointments and clarify that statutes prevail over conflicting contract terms; WFSE supported the bill, saying it would equalize bargaining rights across agencies. Substitute Senate Bill 5972 would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of population size; labor supported the bill as a retention tool, while cities and counties opposed it, arguing it would raise costs and should include ability-to-pay protections. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5988, authorizing the Department of Health to continue accrediting opioid treatment programs and charge accreditation fees, which DOH said was needed to avoid winding down the program. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 6151, which would move Ecology fee revenues for landfill methane emissions and laboratory accreditation into dedicated accounts; Ecology supported the bill as improving transparency and reinvesting fees into the programs, and staff said the lab fee shift would be offset by a related budget action. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6194 would pay a rural hospital on a federally recognized Indian reservation, specifically Astria Toppenish, at 150% of the Medicaid fee-for-service rate beginning in 2027; hospital leaders and community members testified that the hospital serves a high-Medicaid, rural, and tribal population and faces persistent losses. Finally, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302 would direct L&I to investigate possible misclassification of independent contractors on public works projects involving multiple workers doing the same finishing work; labor and business representatives both described it as a negotiated compromise to address underground economy abuses. The committee took no final votes during the hearing and ended by reiterating amendment deadlines for bills scheduled for executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't, there's nothing to my bill that would, that would be, you know, corporate welfare for them.
• You know, corporate welfare for them.
• and then, other than that, the bus was facing this way, so I stopped like we're supposed to, and a child
• Because I can understand, I mean, when it comes to children, I don't want no child hurt at all.
• When you see a bus, you got to stop no matter what, because you don't know if the child has got to go

Committees: House Transportation , House Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• Was that she had told the father that he had to read to his child every night.
• Child sexual abuse investigations. We'll start with Assistant Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• A rise of over 20% in suspected online child exploitation cases.
• The child sexual abuse material investigation and how the AI was generated through those, yeah.
• Those are tips of people that are suspected of downloading or uploading child pornography.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we believe work is good, because we believe that a welfare culture that is repetitive generation
• after generation is bad. ...because we believe that a welfare culture that is repetitive generation
• So as a former welfare mom SNAP recipient, I'm a prime example that work is good.
• The bill defines eligible persons as a child younger than 18, a dependent college-age person up to 26
• He's also the poster child for perseverance. I always talk about myself as being perseverant.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including a resolution honoring Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a special-order calendar with multiple bills, many of them paired with House companions and amended before final passage. Early action included adoption of a tax conformity bill tied to federal changes in the Internal Revenue Code, with a 34-0 vote. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758, a Medicaid and SNAP reform bill. The sponsor described provisions to strengthen fraud enforcement, impose work requirements for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid drug purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Democrats offered amendments to delay work requirements until Medicaid expansion and to add protections for SNAP users such as caregivers, seniors, disabled individuals, and domestic violence survivors; both amendments failed. Senators also questioned implementation details, exemptions, and potential effects on vulnerable populations. After debate, the bill was placed on the calendar for third reading. The Senate also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a public records exemption and related Parkinson’s Disease Registry measures, designation of the SS American Victory as the state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on legal tender recognition for gold and silver, public records protections for financial and digital-asset custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government budget transparency, digital voyeurism, insurance customer representative licensing, and a medical freedom bill with amendments on vaccine-related materials and anti-kickback provisions. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though the public records bill for gold/silver custodians and the legal tender repeal drew a few dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we believe work is good, because we believe that a welfare culture that is repetitive generation
• So as a former welfare... Thank you, Mr. President.
• So as a former welfare mom, SNAP recipient, I'm a prime example that work is good.
• The bill defines eligible persons as a child younger than 18, a dependent college-age person up to 26
• He's also the poster child for perseverance. I always talk about myself as being perseverant.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1421, McGuire, California Child and Family Service Review System, due pass as amended to revise the
• SB 1421, McGuire, California Child and Family Service Review System, due pass as amended to revise the
• SB 420, Padilla, welfare exemption definition, do pass. That's out on a B roll call.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Many social services in New Mexico are delivered by LMSWs in schools, child welfare, rural clinics, and
• I'm the Chief Operating Officer for the Child Youth Family Department.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Many social services in New Mexico are delivered by LMSWs in schools, child welfare, rural clinics, and
• I'm the Chief Operating Officer for the Child Youth Family Department.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Director of Child Protection Policy at Texans Care for Children, and we support this bill.
• least 50% of the youth referred to the juvenile justice system have previously been involved in the child
• welfare system, and approximately 90% of foster children end up in the juvenile justice system.

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

Committee: House S/C on Juvenile Justice

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, let's take up Tab 2, SB 614 on child care facilities.
• Senators, let's take up Tab 2, SB 614, on Child Care Facility and Program Background Screening Requirements
• His or her action was necessary to preserve the minor from danger to his or her welfare.

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills related to children, families, elder affairs, mental health, disability services, and child care. SB 1050 on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities was amended and reported favorably after discussion of expanding the voluntary IDD managed care pilot statewide, improving transparency on the APD wait list, creating a statewide family care council, addressing transition services for youth leaving foster care, and seeking federal approval for an adult pathways waiver. Testimony from providers and a parent emphasized workforce capacity, county-level identification of clients, Medicaid delays, and the importance of keeping the pilot voluntary; the bill passed with support and some discussion about possible future clarifications on services and Medicaid eligibility. The committee also passed SB 1310, which directs OPPAGA to evaluate student mental health outcomes tied to school mental health assistance funding, and members discussed the need for better data, coordination with managing entities, and avoiding duplication of services. SB 976 on court-appointed social investigators was amended and approved, with the sponsor describing due process protections and fee-shifting provisions for parents challenging court-appointed psychologists. SB 886, creating a crisis care coordination team pilot in Volusia and Polk counties to reduce Baker Act recidivism and improve follow-up care, was reported favorably after the sponsor described its law enforcement and community provider partnerships and an independent evaluation requirement. Later, SB 614 on child care facility and program background screening requirements was amended and passed; the bill requires a public educational webpage explaining Level 2 screening, the clearinghouse, disqualifying offenses, exemptions, and related job listings and timelines. Finally, SB 276 on sheltering or aiding unmarried minors was approved; it increases the offense from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, creates a presumption regarding knowledge of the minor’s age, and adds a defense when the conduct was necessary to protect the minor from danger. All bills considered were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned at the end of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1690, Arambula, young child tax credit, holding committee.
• AB 1688, Creo, child abuse or neglect reporting, do pass out on an A roll call.
• AB 1688, Creo, child abuse or neglect reporting, do pass out on an A roll call.
• AB 2083, Jackson, child care special districts, held in committee.
• AB 1643, Nguyen, child support, held in committee.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• In Houston, a child was being socially transitioned.
• I have one child that is gender expansive.
• It is truly Orwellian that a teacher might lose her job or a child. the child could be simply punished
• Social transition is not just a change of name and a uniform for a single confused child.
• That impacts not only the transitioning child but the entire class in school.

Bills: SB38 , SB287 , SB291 , SB292 , SB508 , SB618 , SB901 , SB1436 , SB1494 , SB1626 , SB1719 , SB1999 , SB1333 , SB 38

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2195 does not excuse unpaid child support.
• My child support obligations began in 1995, and over time, as I could not pay the full amount, my child
• I have a child support case, and my daughter's father owes child support.
• support in paying that child support.
• of a mom who was not getting those child support payments.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of bills, with members repeatedly noting the lack of quorum while testimony continued. AB 1693 by Assemblymember Zbur would streamline local permitting for retail tenant improvements by allowing qualified professional certifiers to review plans and requiring local action within set deadlines; the California Retailers Association supported the bill, citing lengthy permit delays, and there was no opposition. AB 2010 by Assemblymember Soria would expand access to high-volume spay and neuter services, including mobile clinics, to address pet overpopulation; supporters said it would improve access in rural and underserved areas, while opponents and the Veterinary Medical Board raised concerns about safety standards and asked for amendments. AB 2195 by Assemblymember Rodriguez would stop automatic occupational license suspensions for low-income parents behind on child support; supporters argued the policy is counterproductive and hurts earning capacity, while the California Child Support Association and others said license suspension is an effective enforcement tool that brings parents to the table. The committee also heard AB 2311 by Assemblymember Chiu, which would let public health care district hospitals directly employ physicians; supporters said it would improve recruitment and access to care, while medical groups warned about physician autonomy and institutional influence. AB 1796 by Assemblymember Jackson would create a licensure pathway for professional interior designers and add an interior designer to the California Architects Board; supporters framed it as a public safety and professional recognition measure, while opponents said it would create confusion, unnecessary regulation, and no demonstrated public harm. AB 1739 by Assemblymember Ward would make it a crime for clergy providing therapeutic services to engage in sexual contact with a counselee, closing a gap in existing law; it drew strong support from survivor advocates and no opposition. Finally, AB 2497 by Assemblymember Johnson began testimony on modernizing the physical therapy practice act, with the author noting committee amendments that removed imaging and other provisions, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or action on that bill was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• order, we'd like to welcome everyone to the May 12th meeting of the House Committee on Health and Welfare
• For those of you who are parents, I'm sure you recall when your child was born, they have to undergo
• Good to be back in the House and on Health and Welfare. Hey, we're good to have you.
• I mean, Rest Haven in Bogalusa has been there since I was a child, and it's absolutely a lovely place

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 12 and considered a wide range of health, social services, and licensing measures. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably HCR 98, which asks the Louisiana Department of Health to study whether SNAP recipients should be allowed to use benefits for grocery delivery fees. The author said the proposal would not change SNAP rules directly, but would examine access issues for elderly, disabled, rural, and transportation-limited residents. The committee also advanced SB 273, a hospice patient-protection bill requiring documentation of hydration, nutrition, and care decisions in inpatient licensed facilities where hospice is provided, with LDH oversight and enforcement authority; members discussed how responsibility is shared between facilities and outside hospice providers, and adopted technical amendments. The committee then approved SB 415, creating the Empower Louisiana Food Purchase Program, a privately funded charitable food-card program intended to let nonprofits distribute food-only cards to people in need. Members and the author discussed whether the cards would be reloadable, which retailers could accept them, and whether prepared foods could be included; LDH said the program could use all SNAP-authorized retailers, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. SB 437, a cleanup bill for judicially referred residential substance abuse treatment facilities, was also reported favorably with amendments after LDH clarified that facilities providing treatment must be licensed, while residences only housing individuals would not be. SB 451, updating newborn hearing screening terminology and reporting requirements, was reported favorably after testimony that the bill would strengthen early detection and follow-up for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Later, the committee advanced SB 426, which modernizes the addictive disorder regulatory authority and creates a formal peer support specialist licensing pathway. Supporters said the bill would strengthen the behavioral health workforce, improve accountability, and create a progression from peer support to higher credentials; the committee adopted technical and transition amendments and reported the bill favorably with amendments. SB 236, requiring LDH annual reviews and reports on kidney disease treatment services in Medicaid, was also reported favorably with amendments. Additional measures approved included SB 39, allowing provisional licenses for massage therapy graduates; SB 190, which tightens oversight of poor-performing nursing facilities in the CMS Special Focus Facility Program and sets an 18-month improvement timeline; SB 124, allowing hospitals within the same health system to share peer review records without waiving privilege; HR 174, urging study of fenbendazole as a possible cancer treatment; SB 270, allowing terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in health care facilities; SB 359, changing terms for certain Morehouse Parish hospital district commissioners; and HR 194, requesting de-identified school visual acuity screening data for research. The committee adjourned after reporting all measures favorably, several with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• order, we'd like to welcome everyone to the May 12th meeting of the House Committee on Health and Welfare
• For those of you who are parents, I'm sure you recall when your child was born, they have to undergo
• Good to be back in the House and on Health and Welfare. Hey, we're good to have you.
• I mean, Rest Haven in Bogalusa has been there since I was a child, and it's absolutely a lovely place

Bills: HR174 , HR194 , HCR98 , SB39 , SB124 , SB190 , SB236 , SB270 , SB273 , SB359 , SB415 , SB426 , SB437 , SB451

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: fenbendazole, cancer treatment, public health, FDA, clinical trials, patient safety, visual acuity, student health, de-identified data, longitudinal analysis, education policy, SNAP, food stamps, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, grocery delivery, delivery fees, service charges, online grocery, food access, food insecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid, facility and professional regulation, public health, mental health and substance abuse, child
• welfare, and health insurance.
• They're organized from individuals that need, are in crisis; individuals exiting the child welfare system

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee received an overview of Florida’s intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) managed care pilot, created by legislation in 2023 to test whether a managed care model could integrate Medicaid medical services with iBudget waiver home- and community-based services for adults in pre-enrollment categories. AHCA explained the existing system, the pilot’s scope in Regions D and I, and the rollout timeline, including federal approval, contract execution with Florida Community Care, and the October 2024 go-live. Officials reported that, as of early February, 370 individuals had been sent for onboarding and 168 more were in queue, with about $35.8 million of the appropriation remaining. APD also clarified the difference between the pre-enrollment categories and the waiver waitlist, and noted that crisis cases can be enrolled more quickly depending on eligibility and funding. Florida Community Care described the pilot as a comprehensive managed care model offering medical, long-term care, and iBudget services, plus enhanced benefits such as bed-hold days, caregiver transportation, and help with legal guardianship costs. The plan said it uses one care coordinator, a 1:18 coordinator ratio, a face-to-face assessment within five days of enrollment, and 180 days of continuity of care for existing providers. The company emphasized that it is recruiting providers by offering higher rates than some iBudget rates, lower administrative burden, and network adequacy incentives, while APD said it continues to monitor provider supply and demand and recruit across service types and regions. Members repeatedly questioned whether the pilot’s costs, provider rates, and service levels were truly comparable to the iBudget system, and AHCA and APD said it was too early to draw firm conclusions because claims data are still lagging. Committee members also raised concerns about communication, enrollment delays, provider shortages, and whether the pilot could scale statewide. APD said it has used letters, phone calls, texts, emails, and community meetings to reach eligible individuals, and that some delays stem from required assessments, Medicaid eligibility checks, and level-of-care determinations. Several members asked for more detailed comparisons of costs and provider reimbursement between the pilot and iBudget, and APD said it would provide additional data. Public testimony at the end was strongly critical of managed care, with a participant and his mother describing poor service, transportation failures, and loss of control under prior managed care arrangements, and urging the committee not to expand such a model without safeguards. No votes or formal committee action were taken before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• They try and accommodate women who have small children, so any child between zero and 5 years old has
• welfare system and a lot about what that system looks like.
• The trauma of taking a child away from a parent so a parent can get treatment is traumatizing.
• </c><00:27:49.960><c> welfare</c> hear a lot about the child welfare hear a lot about the child welfare
• Can you imagine sending your vulnerable adult family member or your child to a facility?

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We're anticipating the birth of a new child. We talk to them about reading to their unborn child.
• that was ready to take a bottle of pills and take their child to the ER.
• Child to do this. I want them, you're already saying they can't go to college.
• There's a room very near here for Child Welfare Services.
• In a different room, Child Welfare is in here.