Transcript Highlights:

• Across Medicaid for the country, rural America feeds the world and it deserves a health care delivery
• Our hope was when you approved the Health Care Delivery Access Act.
• And so, again, Our hope with the Health Care Delivery Access Act was to be able to grow services and
• And so when the language, it reminds me very much now of the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund.
• We've added other ways to improve the delivery of that telehealth.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Kaiser is a key partner in the delivery of behavioral health care in this state, as it ensures over 9
• department's mission is to protect consumers' health care rights and ensure a stable health care delivery
• routine survey of Kaiser's behavioral health services and identified deficiencies related to the delivery
• complaints, on May 16th of 2022, we initiated a non-routine survey of Kaiser's behavioral health delivery
• Kaiser in which Kaiser committed to undertaking a systemic overhaul of its behavioral health care delivery

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee held an informational hearing on Kaiser Permanente’s behavioral health care system, focusing on Department of Managed Health Care enforcement actions, Kaiser’s corrective action work plan, and testimony from patients, advocates, and union representatives. DMHC officials reviewed a long history of complaints, surveys, fines, and settlements involving Kaiser’s access to behavioral health services, including deficiencies found in 2012 and 2016, a 2022 non-routine survey, and a 2023 settlement that imposed a $50 million penalty and required $150 million in community investments over five years. DMHC said it continues to monitor Kaiser through quarterly meetings, complaint review, follow-up surveys, and a reimbursement process for members who could not obtain timely in-network care. Committee members pressed DMHC on what “timely access” and continuity of care mean in practice, how virtual care and group therapy fit into the standards, and what triggers a non-routine survey. DMHC said initial behavioral health appointments generally should not take more than two weeks, urgent care should be within days, and follow-up care within 10 days, with out-of-network care required when plans cannot meet standards. Officials also said Kaiser’s initial corrective action work plan lacked detail, but the revised plan was accepted and will be tracked through quarterly reporting and possible additional enforcement if Kaiser fails to comply. The second panel featured testimony from a Kaiser enrollee, a behavioral health policy expert, a Kaiser therapist, and the NUHW president. The enrollee described serious delays and inadequate treatment for his daughter after a suicide attempt, while the therapist and union leader said Kaiser’s behavioral health system is understaffed, relies too heavily on short appointments, group therapy, and webinars, and treats behavioral health as less important than medical-surgical care. They argued Kaiser’s one-appointment-at-a-time scheduling rule and limited treatment time violate parity requirements and harm continuity of care. Several members criticized Kaiser for not appearing at the hearing and said the testimony underscored the need for stronger oversight, clearer metrics, and faster remedies for patients.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we have asked for money for public schools before and we asked for more money for free meals
• for kids and more money for free meals for kids and um, we come back and we keep asking more and I am
• Because we have asked for money for public schools before and we asked for more money for free meals
• for kids and more money for free meals for kids and um, we come back and we keep asking more and I am
• Because we have asked for money for public schools before and we asked for more money for free meals

Transcript Highlights:

• , also representatives from all of the state agencies that touch points to behavioral health and delivery
• Of these seven state agencies that are engaged in this whole behavioral health delivery system.
• I still haven't heard specifically who's responsible for the direct delivery.
• state agencies to who's providing direct delivery in 295 school districts?
• But that is why I was asking the question about who's involved in direct delivery versus what can we

Summary: The House Education Committee held a work session on the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group and its school-based behavioral health and suicide prevention subgroup, followed by a public hearing on House Bill 1634, as amended in a proposed second substitute. Work group leaders Lisa Callan and Tisha Kirschbaum described the group’s statewide, cross-agency structure, its Washington Thriving strategic plan, and the goal of moving toward a more integrated “system of care” for children and youth. They emphasized that behavioral health, physical health, and education are interconnected, that families and schools often face a fragmented system, and that Washington’s youth flourishing outcomes show a need for stronger supports. Committee members raised concerns about regional disparities, rural access, language and cultural responsiveness, and the burden on schools and educators, while the presenters stressed that schools should be supported to identify needs and connect students to outside clinical services rather than carry the full burden themselves. Representative My-Linh Thai and Christian Stark then outlined the school-based subgroup’s work and recommendations. They said the subgroup meets monthly, includes students, parents, educators, providers, and agencies, and has focused on prevention, early identification, early intervention, and crisis response in schools. For the 2026 session, the subgroup recommended maintaining current investments in school behavioral health programs, strengthening statewide guidance on school behavioral health, and creating a coordinated technical assistance and training network for schools. They explained that the proposed substitute for HB 1634 would direct OSPI and the educational service districts to work with behavioral health agencies and community partners to conduct a needs assessment, map resources, and build a statewide framework for technical assistance and training, with public posting required by August 1, 2027. Testimony in support came from school staff, OSPI, behavioral health professionals, students, parents, and advocacy groups, who described high student anxiety, suicide risk, staffing shortages, and the need for coordinated, accessible supports. One witness from a psychiatric watchdog group opposed the bill, arguing it could increase labeling and drugging rather than holistic care. No vote was taken in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Preventing illegal internet sales and deliveries helps reduce tobacco use by blocking access to tobacco
• Although the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act, the PACT Act, includes some remote delivery
• provisions, and Washington has its own laws regulating remote delivery sales, including internet sales
• Act, the PAC Act, includes some remote delivery provisions, and Washington has its own laws, regularly
• remote delivery sales, including internet sales.

Bills: HB2096 , HB2134 , HB2323

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: confidential identification, investigators, attorney general, security, law enforcement, transportation planning, greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, regional planning organizations, environmental policy, blue envelope program, healthcare, patient privacy, state laws, medical records

Transcript Highlights:

• rural hospitals and rural clinics, this particular bill is an expansion of the Rural Health Care Delivery
• The changes to the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund statute will do two things.
• So, to summarize, the past Rural Health Care Delivery Fund was for the expansion or initiation of services
• Would there be an expectation that you would have an increase in delivery of service? Mr.
• Never have I seen health care delivery become the economic development. Issue it is today.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:20.079><c> for</c><00:37:20.319><c> all</c> access and Delivery for all access and Delivery
• I'm going to start with labor and delivery services.
• I'm going to start with labor and delivery services.
• I'm going to start with labor and delivery services.
• I'm going to start with labor and delivery services.

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Delivering<00:04:31.199><c> of</c><00:04:31.759><c> delivery</c><00:04:32.160><c> of</c><00:04:32.479
• ><c> services</c> Delivering of delivery of services Delivering of delivery of services presents<00:04
• Unfortunately, the private equity model is the exact opposite of what health care delivery is.
• investors in health care to make profit-driven medical decisions affecting care quality, service delivery
• Uh, in Minnesota, 45% of rural hospitals no longer provide labor and delivery services.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And right now, Boeing is a little behind, Airbus is behind on their narrow-body delivery.
• Airbus is behind on their narrow-body deliveries to a lot of the major airlines.
• And so as those narrow-body order deliveries start happening in the next year to two years, they'll start
• And we're not just talking about small drones that you get drone delivery about—we're talking about fast
• or some of the Amazon drone deliveries happening in the DFW Metroplex, there's this thing called the

Summary: The committee met for an oversight update on how one-time and recurring transportation-related appropriations are being implemented. Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Director Grayson Artees reviewed ARPA and PREP-funded airport and aerospace projects, including completed or nearing-completion work at Will Rogers, Woodward, Ardmore, Tulsa’s air traffic control tower, and multiple hangar, terminal, taxiway, utility, and UAS infrastructure projects statewide. He also discussed one-time FY25 and FY26 appropriations for airport development, the repurposing of an unneeded Lufthansa project allocation into other aerospace projects, and the department’s aerospace education grants, classroom labs, aircraft-build programs, and internship support. Members asked for lists of participating schools and for a clearer overall accounting of the funding; Artees said the department would provide those materials and estimated roughly $400 million has been invested in aerospace and defense since PREP and ARPA, with about $250 million directed to airport infrastructure. The committee then heard from ODOT Secretary Tim Gatz on the Retro Fund, lake and industrial access roads, ports of entry, and the PACT Fund. Gatz said Retro, created in statute and funded with $200 million in both 2024 and FY25, is helping accelerate rural high-impact road and bridge projects; he reported $249 million awarded so far, supporting about $1.4 billion in construction, with most projects expected to be awarded by September 2027. He also described lake and industrial access projects, including work at the Port of Inola, and updated members on ports of entry, internal way stations, and the replacement of the aging OkiPROS permitting system with ProMiles. On PACT, he said the county road and bridge allocations are being administered, but the Tax Commission’s role in distributing the county road share has created unnecessary bureaucracy; he urged a statutory fix so the money can go directly to counties. Members asked for lists of approved lake/recreational projects and for clarification on the Tax Commission issue; Gatz said ODOT would provide the project list and that he would welcome Tax Commission input on a legislative remedy. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the updates and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our grandson suffered a brain injury during labor and delivery due to the gross ineptness of a midwife
• Upon delivery, it took ten solid minutes of CPR to bring him back.
• Fifty dollars per delivery is minimal when you look at the hospital rates charging these days.
• , or immediately post-delivery resuscitation.
• or immediate post-delivery resuscitation.

Bills: S0598 , S0934 , S1260 , S1300 , S1452 , S1510 , S1566 , S1580 , S1668 , S7034

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Transcript Highlights:

• It says, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B of this section, a person may receive delivery
• Louisiana retail establishment in the state, which is licensed to sell those products, provided that delivery
• occurs in person. ...which is licensed to sell those products, provided that delivery occurs in person
• , and the third party verifies the age of the recipient at the time of delivery.
• that nicotine use can harm developing brains, that nicotine is an addictive chemical, and that most delivery

Committee: Senate Judiciary B

Summary: The Senate Judiciary B Committee met on May 27 and first approved the minutes from the May 21 meeting. The committee then took up House Bill 75, as amended, which would increase the promotional play tax deduction for gaming facilities from $5 million to $7 million and apply the change to racetracks and other brick-and-mortar casino properties on a phased-in basis. The bill’s author and gaming industry witnesses said the measure would help Louisiana compete with neighboring states, drive visitation, and support horse racing purses and tourism. The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 75 favorably. The committee next considered House Bill 623, which creates a three-tier system for vapor products and includes related technical changes, including a provision allowing in-person delivery of vapor, alternative nicotine, or smokeless tobacco products by third-party contractors from licensed Louisiana retailers with age verification. Amendments were adopted to correct language and address an effective-date issue tied to another bill. The committee then reported HB 623 with amendments. House Bill 302, which would prohibit the sale of vapor products near schools, was also amended and heard with testimony from the New Orleans Health Department and the American Lung Association. Both witnesses supported youth protections but urged clarifying language to ensure local governments can keep or adopt stricter rules and to avoid conflicts with existing local ordinances; the health department also noted concerns that the bill focuses only on vapor products while youth nicotine use is broader. After discussion, the committee reported HB 302 with amendments. The meeting ended with thanks to staff and members, and the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• introduction a month ago, you mentioned that some things that may be on the horizon would be like delivery
• c><01:25:49.880><c> would</c><01:25:50.080><c> be</c><01:25:50.560><c> like</c><01:25:50.840><c> delivery
• </c> be on the horizon would be like delivery be on the horizon would be like delivery or<01:25:52.119
• So is that maybe the transfer of money from rooms and meals to municipalities got put into the budget
• So is that, um, maybe the transfer of money from rooms and meals to municipalities got put into the budget

Summary: The committee first reviewed House Bill 1, focusing on the legislative branch budget, especially the Senate and House lines. Members discussed that the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 adjusted authorized amount was higher than 2024 actual spending, largely due to personnel, benefits, and travel, and one member proposed a $500,000 annual cut. Staff explained that any reduction would need to be allocated across specific line items such as personnel, benefits, and travel, and noted that the Senate budget is entirely General Funds. After discussion of how the adjusted authorized figures were calculated and why the branch no longer staffs some joint committees as it once did, the committee moved on without taking a vote on that section. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from the New Hampshire Retirement System. NHRS officials described their statutory administrative budget, which is funded through the retirement trust rather than the General Fund, and said the FY 2026-2027 increase is driven by IT modernization, cybersecurity, a new strategic plan, and additional staff positions. They also reviewed the system’s funding progress, clean audit opinions, investment performance, and changes to asset allocation, while noting that several recent pension-related laws required major database changes. Members questioned the large increase in salaries and benefits, the need for new employees versus contractors, the purpose of training costs, and the source of the Group Two benefit funding. NHRS said the governor’s budget includes General Funds for Group Two benefit changes, with $5 million in FY 2026 and $27.9 million in FY 2027, and that the figures reflect the governor’s recommendation and related HB 2 provisions. Committee members also asked about employer and employee contribution rates for Group Two police and fire members, which NHRS said were not included in the budget document but were about 31.2% for police and 30.35% for fire, with employee shares around 11.55% and 11.8%. The committee did not make a decision on the NHRS budget during this exchange and indicated it would review the details further before returning to it later. The committee then heard from the Community Development Finance Authority on the State Treasury Department budget line for the required state match to administer the federal Community Development Block Grant program. CDFA explained that its $280,000 annual request for FY 2026 and FY 2027, totaling $560,000, supports administration, technical assistance, contracting, and monitoring of roughly $19 million in annual federal CDBG funds. Members asked about the leverage of the state match, oversight of projects, staffing, and grant prioritization. CDFA said it has 18 employees, uses public hearings and a scoring system to prioritize awards, and conducts both desk and on-site monitoring, with annual audits to ensure compliance. No vote was taken on the CDFA item in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we also improved our procurement and delivery strategies.
• in a manner that reflects both current the project's momentum and advance delivery in a manner that
• And we have launched a code development agreement, and accelerate delivery.
• This plan identifies policy and implementation reforms necessary to streamline delivery and maintain
• The system must be completed into the downtown San Francisco terminal, which requires delivery of the

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, loss of federal funds, renewed interest in private financing and value capture, and proposed adjustments to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. He also raised concerns about statutory compliance, transparency, and whether the draft plan fully reflects required elements and true costs and timelines. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project has made substantial construction progress in the Central Valley and is moving toward track installation, with the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding providing a stable base. He argued the plan uses design optimization, direct procurement of materials, and revised sequencing to reduce costs and support an early operating segment by about 2032-33. He also promoted broader commercialization of the corridor through real estate, energy, broadband, logistics, and public-private partnerships, saying private sector interest is now real. Several senators pressed him on station locations, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, permitting delays, transparency, and whether the project can realistically reach Los Angeles and San Francisco on the current timeline and budget. The LAO and Inspector General were more skeptical. LAO analyst Helen Kirstine said the draft plan assumes major scope changes, including a shorter segment, a Merced station outside downtown, more single-tracking, and several statutory changes that have not yet been enacted. She warned that the plan may not comply with recent legislative requirements, that funding may still be insufficient even for the reduced segment, and that borrowing against future cap-and-invest revenues is risky because those revenues are uncertain and volatile. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan fails to comply with newer statutory requirements, especially regarding the Merced-to-Bakersfield scope, the funding plan, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the presentation obscures cost increases and schedule delays and limits the Legislature’s ability to compare current estimates with prior reports. Committee members generally supported continued oversight and some form of project delivery reform, but several expressed concern that the plan relies on legislative changes that have not been approved and on private financing that may not materialize. Chaudhry said the authority would address the Inspector General’s findings in the final business plan and continue to pursue federal grants, private capital, and corridor commercialization. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, many locations, many retailers who offer the delivery service use individuals who are actual
• The market for merchandise delivery in Burwell, Nebraska, is not the same as it is in Elkhorn, Nebraska
• Delivery is not new. People have been delivering food for decades.
• What changed isn't the service, not that people are getting delivery, but the structure of how they're
• I don't admire the entrepreneurship of these companies because they didn't invent delivery.

Bills: LB815A , LB838A , LB912A , LB972A , LB1126A , LB962A , LB1114 , LB921 , LB937 , LB803 , LB803A , LB1032 , LB1032A , LB1075 , LB1075A , LB889 , LB878 , LB933 , LB304 , LB304A , LB1096 , LB1096A , LB1165 , LB1165A , LB958 , LB958A , LB762 , LB1187 , LB966 , LB929 , LB962 , LB753 , LB788 , LB913 , LB1055 , LB1195 , LB429 , LB721 , LB722 , LB727 , LB743 , LB745 , LB749 , LB778 , LB787

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky University reported its intent to use the construction manager-general contractor project delivery
• :01:41.840><c> project</c> manager general contractor project manager general contractor project delivery
• method for its renovate expand delivery method for its renovate expand civic<00:01:44.720><c> center
• But um so there's so many special buildouts that it has a little bit to do with the delivery method and
• they're going to construction delivery they're going to have<00:04:30.240><c> a</c><00:04:30.479><c>

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including approval of the February meeting minutes and several information items. Those items covered university equipment purchases, school district and transportation-related debt issuances, Northern Kentucky University’s planned construction-manager/general-contractor delivery method for the medical examiner/crime lab relocation project, a lease-space advertisement, postsecondary asset preservation allocations, and lease-law compliance reports. Members then discussed the Northern Kentucky crime lab project in more detail; staff explained that the memorandum of agreement would cover the construction portion while the lease would cover operations, and members were told the project should move forward without procurement problems. The committee approved a Kentucky Community and Technical College System project to modify the fire academy maintenance building after the related dormitory project was set aside because of major cost overruns. KCTCS said the dormitory would be about $3 million over budget, so it would not be bid; instead, the maintenance building would be expanded to add showers and restroom/locker facilities, bringing that project from $2 million to about $3.2 million. The committee also approved a Transportation Cabinet project for the Hardin County I-65 southbound commercial motor vehicle station relocation, with members asking about the estimate, the lack of a direct prior example, and the fact that the loadometer equipment itself would be purchased separately and was not included in the construction estimate. Finance and Administration Cabinet lease items were then considered. The committee approved a Department of Public Advocacy lease in Christian County and a Transportation Cabinet vehicle regulation lease in Kenton County, both negotiated down from initial asking prices and both including utilities. Two lease modifications were reported without action: a Department of Revenue fit-up in Jefferson County and an expanded vehicle regulation lease in Adair County. Members also approved a package of Kentucky Infrastructure Authority items, including four loans and six Cleaner Water Program grant reallocations, covering sewer and water projects such as MSD’s Patty’s Run flood pumping station, Paducah-McCracken County’s wastewater treatment plant, Mount Washington’s lift station replacement, and Eminence’s wastewater plant expansion. Finally, the committee heard a batch of Kentucky Product Development Initiative economic development grants and approved the action items in one vote. The projects included due diligence and infrastructure work for industrial and site-development projects in multiple counties, with local match requirements and KEDFA approvals described for each. The committee also received three line-item water grants from House Bill 1 that required no action, and the meeting ended after the grant presentations and approvals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item C is your alternative delivery method construction project over $5 million.
• This is the alternative delivery method project. Mr.
• Chair, any questions on this alternative delivery project? Seeing none, entertain a motion. Motion.
• This is the alternative delivery method project. Mr. Chair.
• Any questions on this alternative delivery project? Seeing none, entertain motion. Motion. Second.

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Summary: The ALC-Review Subcommittee reviewed seven methods of finance, including university projects at ASU Jonesboro and Mountain Home, Black River Technical College deferred maintenance, UA Batesville’s Farm Project Gateway Center, UAMS PET cyclotron equipment, a new allied health building at UAPB funded by a federal grant, and UCA’s multi-purpose arena design work. The committee also approved an alternative delivery construction project for UAPB’s Allied Health and Sciences Building, with East Harding Construction selected and AMR Architects as designer. Members then approved discretionary grants from the Department of Health and DHS, including support for a heart attack center designation, community health worker training, homeless services funding corrections, behavioral health transition support, and an enabling technology pilot. In the contracts section, the committee reviewed RFQs, construction-related contracts, intergovernmental contracts, and a large slate of out-of-state and in-state contracts covering topics such as seatbelt survey data collection, Medicaid and DHS systems, state hospital staffing and services, veterans’ services, education assessments, and state IT and procurement projects. Several contracts drew extended questioning. Senators and representatives pressed DHS and the Department of Veterans Affairs about heavy reliance on contract nursing and staffing costs, and officials said they were using pay incentives and recruitment efforts to increase state employee staffing. Members also questioned AEDC’s lithium supply chain study and the Department of Education’s security contract, with concerns about projected costs and repeated amendments. The committee held three in-state contracts—Department of Education security services and two DHS staffing contracts—until Friday, then adopted the remaining contracts and received informational reports on contract amendments, executed contracts, and emergency procurements before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• This pertains to the delivery network company, so I'm going to let Representative Murphy explain the
• There was a lot of controversy over what was a delivery availability time and what was a delivery time
• It really came down to the delivery availability period.
• Of course, the delivery companies are saying, why should we be covering all these people when they're
• That's just by codifying in statute that the delivery availability period, where they're not actually

Committees: House Insurance , House Insurance and Banking

Transcript Highlights:

• This pertains to delivery network companies, so I'm going to let Representative Murphy explain the sub
• There was a lot of controversy over what was a delivery availability time and what was a delivery time
• It really came down to, in the delivery availability period, originally they wanted it so that when you
• One of the hang-ups on it was during this delivery availability period was who covers them, if they were
• That's just by codifying in statute that the delivery availability period, where they're not actually

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• Then Section 42-1102 recognizes the right of a ditch owner to access the water delivery facilities to
• headgate all the way down to the other end of the field and it requires a total realignment of the delivery
• The land prior to their acquisition was cut off from deliveries from the system.
• it happened in early development of this valley quite a bit where subdivisions were built and the delivery
• section to provide clarity in the responsibilities between lateral users associations and water delivery

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• It expands the area within which a personal delivery device may operate to include bike lanes, bike paths
• It provides the addition of a drone delivery service on a parking lot that does not reduce the number
• DoorDash is back, and certainly in Fort Lauderdale, in South Florida, automated food delivery services
• Um, there's the ability for the personal delivery device (PDD) to deliver your DoorDash or whatever it
• devices, and drone delivery. devices, paratransit operations, and enhances the Florida Department of