Transcript Highlights:

• Our newborn hearing screening program ensures nearly 70,000 newborns receive early screenings for hearing
• Our newborn hearing screening program ensures nearly 70,000 newborns receive early screenings for hearing
• You know, our young people have significant trauma histories, and they have very significant trauma-reactive
• They were originally trauma response specialists.
• in becoming trauma-informed and responsive.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was an informational and oversight session of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, with chairs and members hearing agency updates from several commissioners. The Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition described its maternal and child health work, including home visiting, early intervention, WIC, newborn hearing screening, and cross-agency efforts on prenatal substance exposure, respite care, children’s vision, and maternal health initiatives. DPH emphasized that federal grant cuts, layoffs, and the loss of data systems such as PRAMS would weaken services and planning, and members asked about Title V funding and the impact of federal uncertainty. The Massachusetts Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing highlighted communication access services, interpreter and CART referrals, emergency after-hours support, family navigation, and independent living services. Commissioners and members discussed the shortage of ASL interpreters and the need to expand training pipelines, including partnerships with colleges and possible ASL programming for younger students. The Department of Developmental Services reported serving nearly 50,000 people and focused on youth and adult services, transition-age supports, autism services, self-direction, respite, and new high-acuity residential models. Members asked about respite availability, self-direction outcomes, and workforce shortages; DDS said it was expanding clinical capacity and provider rates while monitoring possible federal Medicaid, SNAP, and immigration-related impacts. The Commission for the Blind described services for about 28,000 legally blind residents, most of whom are older adults, including social rehabilitation, orientation and mobility training, children’s services, assistive technology, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 supports. The commissioner discussed a UMass-based effort to build the workforce pipeline for blindness services and said the agency was watching federal restructuring but had not yet seen direct cuts. MassAbility’s leadership then warned about major federal changes affecting Social Security disability determinations, including staff restructuring, office closures, and a new overpayment repayment policy, and said the agency was preparing for possible increases in claims and uncertainty around reallotment dollars that help fund services. The Disabled Persons Protection Commission closed the hearing with an update on its abuse investigations and protective services for adults with disabilities. DPPC reported rising hotline calls and investigations, a growing caseload, its sexual assault response team, the abuser registry, and a new interagency protective services integration system funded by ARPA dollars through 2027. The agency also flagged new federal rules that could affect funding eligibility and said it may need statutory changes to comply. Members asked about funding, reporting pathways, and how complaints reach DPPC, and the commissioner said the agency uses both mandated reporting and proactive outreach to identify and respond to abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, man, the trauma that that caused him, my daughter and son-in-law, I mean, it... Anyway.
• And, man, the trauma that that caused him, my daughter and son-in-law, I mean, it... Anyway.
• And, uh, man, the trauma that that caused him, my daughter and son-in-law, I mean, it... Anyway.
• They don't have screening tools that can help them see where a student is in terms of their trauma when
• I mean, we're trauma-informed.

Summary: The committee held an interim study on how to educate and support students with severe violent or disruptive behavior while protecting classmates, teachers, and school staff. Members framed the issue as one involving students who have often experienced trauma and may be removed from class through suspension, expulsion, or juvenile placement, but who still need a meaningful path back to school. Several legislators shared personal experiences as former educators or administrators and emphasized that schools need clearer criteria for removal and return, along with stronger support for families and staff. Dr. Michelle Butler, an alternative education director, testified that Oklahoma’s current alternative education system is not designed to serve students removed for major discipline issues because placement is generally voluntary and programs are built around students who need a different learning environment, not punitive removal. She argued for early intervention, stronger attendance enforcement, trauma screening, teacher training, and a regional or cooperative model that would combine credentialed educators, social workers, therapists, and family counselors. She also described existing programs such as Trace Academy, Rogers County Youth Services diversion programs, and the limitations of virtual-only models and current funding, saying the system lacks sufficient resources and staffing. Representatives and senators asked about funding, staffing, credentials, and whether statutes should be changed to prevent alternative education dollars from going to programs that do not provide direct services. Other testimony came from Family and Children’s Services and Mid-Del Youth and Family Services, both of which described embedded school-based mental health, crisis response, intensive outpatient services, family engagement, and juvenile diversion programs. Witnesses stressed that wraparound services, school-community partnerships, and a bridge back to the home school are essential, and that many students and families need mandatory or strongly supported participation rather than purely voluntary help. The study concluded with members noting possible next steps, including expanding or supplementing alternative education, improving early intervention, and examining participation requirements and transition supports; no votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• county board screening county board screening duties.<00:12:24.720> Section<00:12:25.200>
• Many families are fleeing trauma.
• people taking the wellness screen also opted into a memory screen along with blood pressure checks and
• people taking the wellness screen also opted into a memory screen along with blood pressure checks and
• FCN also hosted memory screening FCN also hosted memory screening training<01:07:49.200> for<

Bills: HF2115, HF2276, HF1644, HF99, HF2068, HF2707, HF2704, HF2406, HF1674, HF1579

Keywords: human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator

Bills: HB145, HB164, HJR6, HR1, HB20, HB65, HB66, HB80, HB166, HB295, HB306, SB29, SB37, HB99, HB206, HB213, HB270, HJR5, SB104, SB193, HJM2, HJM3, HJM1, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM32, HM13, HM47, HM20, HM51, HM1, HM31, HM35, HM36, HM46, HM53, HM54, HM39, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50

Keywords: high-wage jobs, tax credit, job creation, New Mexico, economic development, lobbying, transparency, public records, government oversight, accountability, constitutional amendment, legislative sessions, veto override, New Mexico legislature, session length, House Resolution 1, HR1, House investigatory subcommittee, special committee, legislative investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• A timer will appear on the screen when you begin speaking.
• with trauma in the DMH-funded facilities.
• When we talk about trauma, I'm also a trainer for Wildflower Alliance.
• I have never in those 20 years seen the potential for resolution of trauma, especially that complex trauma
• I don't have a particularly tragic, trauma-based backstory.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from House Chair Mindy Domb and Senate Vice Chair Robyn Kennedy, who outlined procedures for the hybrid public hearing, noted the committee would hear testimony on 15 bills related to treatment settings, and recognized members present. The first major bill discussed was H. 4200, authorizing a pilot program for psychedelic-assisted treatment in licensed facilities. Representative Jim O’Day and witnesses from Control Z supported the bill, describing it as a tightly controlled, medically supervised pilot with DPH oversight, limited sites, and screening requirements. Committee members asked about the number of sites and whether Column Health still existed; witnesses said the bill contemplated three separate pilot programs and that Column Health no longer existed after being purchased by another company. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1405 to make the drug stewardship program permanent by removing its 2026 sunset date. Senator John Keenan and others said the program helps collect and safely dispose of unused medications, reduces diversion, and should remain in place because manufacturers should bear disposal costs. A member from Boston added support based on local concerns about people searching through bags for drugs, and Keenan explained the original sunset reflected pilot status and industry pushback. A large portion of the hearing focused on S. 1394 and H. 2193, which would strengthen implementation of the 2023 Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform. The Children’s Mental Health Campaign, Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, and Elliott Community Human Services testified that the roadmap’s helpline, community behavioral health centers, and crisis services are important but unevenly implemented. They urged a single point of accountability within EOHHS, regular strategic planning, a public data dashboard, and financial analysis of the behavioral health system and the access and crisis intervention trust fund. Witnesses said commercial insurance often does not fully reimburse community behavioral health center services, making sustainability difficult, and asked for better coordination across agencies and crisis response systems. Committee members asked whether the roadmap includes substance use disorder; witnesses said it is intended to cover behavioral health broadly, including mental health and substance use. The committee also heard testimony on bills to ban aversives and on suicide prevention signage. Lisa Jean Graff testified in support of S. 1394 by urging a statewide ban on aversive practices, including electric shock, withholding food or bathroom access, and other painful interventions, arguing disabled people deserve the same protections from harm as others. Fonda Bryant and Carol McLean supported a bill requiring suicide prevention signs on tall parking garages, describing personal experiences and saying the signs could create a brief pause and connect people to 988 or other help. McLean said her son died by suicide from a parking garage and that signage might have made a difference. The committee also heard strong testimony in support of creating intensive stabilization and treatment units within DMH facilities (S. 1398/H. 2204), with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and a DMH nurse arguing that highly assaultive patients need specialized, more secure units to protect staff and other patients and to improve care. Additional testimony supported creating a dedicated board for licensed mental health counselors (H. 4696/S. 1382), with Rep. John Badger, the Mass Mental Health Counselors Association, and others saying LMHCs are a large and growing workforce that needs its own licensing board, clearer standards, and faster implementation of existing licensure reforms. The committee also heard extensive testimony on H. 2223 regarding benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. Survivors and advocates described severe withdrawal, lack of informed consent, cognitive harms, and long-term disability, while a physician supported the bill as a way to improve disclosure of risks. Finally, the committee heard multiple witnesses in favor of H. 2231/S. 1383 to establish peer-run respite centers statewide. Advocates and people with lived experience said peer respites provide non-coercive, home-like alternatives to hospitalization, can reduce trauma and repeated admissions, and may be especially important for marginalized communities; they also cited cost savings and existing positive outcomes from current respite programs. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing portion reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• This patient now has the traumas of a suicide attempt and having been harmed by our health care system
• All Californians should have access to trauma-informed screenings by health care providers that they
• AB 29 authorizes them to receive Medi-Cal reimbursements for conducting ACE screenings.
• This bill will ensure more equitable access to trauma-informed screenings.
• Culturally centered, trauma-informed care is the core of our work.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long series of health-related bills, with most measures focused on access to care, administrative simplification, and behavioral health. Early items included AB 583, allowing nurse practitioners to sign death certificates; AB 492, requiring DHCS to notify local governments when new alcohol or drug recovery facilities are licensed; and AB 280, which would tighten provider directory accuracy requirements, add enforcement benchmarks, and allow use of a centralized database. Testimony on AB 280 highlighted the harms of “ghost networks,” while insurers and some provider groups opposed the bill as written, arguing it placed too much responsibility on plans and did not fully address provider-side data problems. AB 280 passed on a roll call vote, and several other bills were placed on consent and approved. The committee also advanced AB 636, expanding Medi-Cal coverage for medically necessary diapers for children up to age 21 and lowering the age threshold for access; AB 1041, streamlining physician credentialing with a uniform form and 90-day review deadline; and AB 787, requiring health plans to help enrollees find in-network providers quickly when directories fail. Supporters of these bills emphasized family financial strain, delays in care, and the burden of administrative red tape, while opponents of AB 1041 and AB 280 raised concerns about provider participation, accuracy, and liability. All three measures were approved and sent to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 4 and AB 29. AB 4 would allow income-eligible Californians to buy Covered California coverage regardless of immigration status, and AB 29 would authorize Medi-Cal reimbursement for community health workers and doulas conducting ACE screenings. Both bills drew strong support from immigrant-rights, health access, and community-based organizations, and both passed on roll call votes, with AB 4 receiving some no votes. The committee also approved AB 416, which would allow emergency physicians to place 5150 holds in certain circumstances; supporters said it would reduce delays and overcrowding in emergency departments, while Disability Rights California and others warned it could increase unnecessary involuntary hospitalization and transfers to locked facilities. Despite those concerns, the bill passed and was sent onward for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a specialty in trauma, and I run a practice that specializes in treating trauma, and that's what
• You know the potential for cancer on a screening mammogram if you get a screening.
• Just a quick question on the additional screening. Do you mean a diagnostic mammogram or another?
• Because it's still a screening study. So you could get a screening ultrasound study.
• Screening or anything like that.

Bills: HB231, HB231, HB475, HB488, HB632, HB821, HB1786, HB1955, HB2036, HB2060, HB2659, HB2677

Keywords: HB 231, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, permit exemption, dam, reservoir, erosion control, flood control, floodwater control, sediment control, watershed protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, local sponsor, water appropriation, small dam, water diversion, maintenance, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• Another thing trauma-informed care.
• Yeah, because the trauma, if I can ask—apologize—the trauma that's manifested, if it's a third-degree
• burn, the trauma is, you know, all the physical damage, trauma, um, mentally, um, you know, and so we
• trauma um that's ask apologize the trauma um that's manifested<01:18:48.480> if<01:18:48.640>
• is you know all the physical trauma is you know all the physical damage<01:18:53.360> trauma<

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on the second anniversary of the Maui wildfires, with Chair Dela Alani framing the discussion around emergency preparedness, recovery, and lessons for future disasters. The main presentation came from researchers involved in the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, who described the project as a grassroots academic-community partnership that has enrolled more than 2,000 adults and children for health screenings, social assessments, and biomonitoring. They said the study has documented elevated mental and physical health conditions, housing instability, unemployment, barriers to care, and exposure to heavy metals and other toxicants, while also noting some modest improvement in adult mental health and self-rated health compared with the prior year. The presenters emphasized that wildfire impacts remain severe two years later. They reported that about half of adult participants had worsening health since the fires, roughly 40% had direct or frequent fire exposure, and many adults showed chronic disease burdens such as hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory impairment. They also said about half of adult survivors reported depressive symptoms, about a quarter had moderate to severe anxiety, more than 4% had considered suicide in the prior month, and nearly one in four had PTSD. A clinician from the Lahaina Certified Community Behavioral Health Center described the clinic’s no-turn-away model, with case management, therapy, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management for anyone who needs it, and urged lawmakers to fund and expand that approach. The researchers also highlighted environmental findings, saying urine testing of more than 1,200 adults found heavy metal signatures that differed between burn-zone residents and those on the perimeter, with higher levels associated with displacement and ash re-exposure. They said about 20% of participants had higher-than-expected heavy metal levels 6 to 12 months after the fires, and cited a negative association between nickel levels and lung function. They argued for long-term monitoring, better cleanup methods, and a centralized health surveillance system tied to community outreach. No vote or formal committee action was taken during the briefing; the chair said the presentation materials and related reports would be posted for public access, and members were invited to ask questions after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• response can you define what screened response can you define what screened outt<00:49:38.720>
• In that reddish color with the report screened in, you’ll also see that there’s a decrease in screened-in
• farh so we are implementing a trauma farh so we are implementing a trauma informed<01:37:54.440>
• The secondary trauma is intense.
• The secondary trauma is intense.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Division 3 House Finance Committee opened a work session and announced scheduling updates, including a second Medicaid work session on March 5 at 9:00 a.m. and a reminder that recommendations or budget amendments must be moved to the full finance committee by the end of March. Members were told no motions, roll calls, or votes would be taken, and the chair also reviewed upcoming meeting dates and weather-related cancellation procedures. The day’s presentation was a budget work session on the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), with officials Marie Nunan and Nathan White introducing the agency’s budget materials and mission. DCYF’s presentation focused on its core mandates and recent operational changes. Officials described child protective services, juvenile justice services, and the Sununu Youth Services Center, then highlighted workforce improvements, including reduced vacancy rates for assessment caseworkers, juvenile justice officers, and youth counselors. They attributed the staffing gains to legislative pay raises, mass recruitment posting changes, a more stable and trauma-informed model at SYC, and broader flexibility after prior budget cuts and hiring freezes. Members asked about full-time versus part-time staffing, and DCYF said most positions discussed were full-time, with some harder-to-fill part-time youth counselor roles at SYC. The committee also discussed DCYF’s emphasis on serving families earlier through its Community Navigator hotline referrals and community-based voluntary services, which are intended to connect families to supports before abuse or neglect escalates. Officials said the Community Navigator program had received 807 referrals since August 2023. On juvenile justice, DCYF described its assessment and diversion process and said it had reduced juvenile probation involvement by 30% from 2019 to 2023; members were directed to slide 17 for 2024 data, and officials said the trend continued toward fewer in-home juvenile justice cases. The agency also reported progress in kinship care, saying initial out-of-home placements with kin now occur 74% of the time and that kinship placements are associated with more reunification. Officials said kinship caregivers are being licensed and paid similarly to foster parents, and that the legislature’s kinship law has helped. Finally, DCYF outlined transition-age youth supports, including the HOPE program, Youth Villages LifeSet, and housing vouchers. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We felt the system should be trauma responsive.
• Then a larger screen, a version of the same short screen, later after they'd been in custody for 45 days
• The state was able to create those screens.
• They include a mental health screening and developmental disability screening.
• That also causes trauma.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's half federal, half state, and this is to improve breast and cervical cancer screening practices
• This is for transportation and coordination of resources related to the Arkansas trauma system.
• to a higher-level trauma system center.
• to a higher level trauma system center.
• This is for ongoing assessments of the quality of care provided through the trauma system.

Summary: The committee met to review a supplemental agenda, procurement rule revisions, methods of finance, discretionary grants, contracts, and a member disclosure. The Office of State Procurement presented rule changes tied to 2025 legislative changes, including Act 782, with updates to sole-source definitions, unrealistic bids, protest requirements, debarment procedures, and recodification references; the committee voted to accept the supplemental agenda and approve the rules. Members also approved eight methods of finance covering university repairs, equipment replacement, property purchase, and capital projects, along with a large slate of discretionary grants for courts, health, DHS, historic preservation, and tobacco prevention programs. The committee then reviewed RFQs and six ratifications. The ratifications included a Workforce Connections payment to ACT WorkKeys, Department of Health costs from an ice-storm-related water leak, a large Department of Public Safety ratification for Motorola’s Arkansas Wireless Information Network upgrade, Veterans Affairs HVAC and medical-service payments, and a UA Little Rock painting contract. The Department of Public Safety ratification drew extended questioning about why the expired Motorola contract had not been renewed sooner and why the issue took months to reach the committee; agency officials said the project was bond-funded, had not been tracked in ASIS, and involved ongoing negotiations and system updates. Despite concerns, the committee approved the ratifications. Members also reviewed a long list of construction, intergovernmental, out-of-state, and in-state contracts, including numerous university, DHS, health, corrections, and state agency agreements. Several contracts were discussed in more detail, including an SAU custodial contract question about sales tax and transparency reporting, and Department of Corrections aerial application contracts for Tucker and Cummins farms, which officials said served separate facilities in different parts of the state. The committee approved the contract lists, reviewed reports, and accepted a disclosure from Representative Andrew Collins regarding his investment interest in a company leasing property to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services before adjourning.

Bills: SB2065, SB1641, SB1642, SB1589, SB1597, SB1216, SB2173, SB2028, SB2117, SB2127, SB2134, SB2014, SB1805, SB2044, SB1836, SB1380, SB2179, SB1436, SB1558, SB933, SB1651, SB1328, SB1572, SB1966, SB175, SB1475, SB1950, SB2049, SB2052

Keywords: pollinator, state symbols, agriculture, insects, environment, business entities, limited liability company, LLC, foreign LLC, domestic LLC, limited partnership, foreign limited partnership, registered agent, Secretary of State, annual certificate, good standing, certificate of authority, designated office, email address, electronic mail

Transcript Highlights:

• What types of drugs are being screened?
• So when they do drug screening, that they can act on that based on our presentation.
• Children experience less trauma.
• There are a lot of children out there that have a lot of trauma and that have a lot of needs.
• For the children and families involved, and prevents this resulting and often lifelong trauma.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee opened with remarks framing the meeting as a bipartisan effort to improve Arizona’s child welfare system, especially DCS oversight, accountability, and child safety. The chair said the committee would focus on reforms based on Auditor General findings and hear bills and testimony from youth, advocates, foster parents, and attorneys. Roll was taken, and the committee then began considering several child-welfare bills. HB 2611, dealing with group foster home safety, employee drug screening, resident rights, training, and advocates in congregate care, drew extensive testimony. Supporters, including current and former foster youth, described bullying, unsafe staff behavior, drug use in homes, trafficking concerns, and the need for posted rights, mental health services, and stronger accountability. The sponsor and members discussed an amendment that would require quarterly drug-screening results to be submitted, require removal from child contact pending confirmatory testing after a positive result, and give the DCS director more discretion. The amendment was adopted, and HB 2611 as amended received a do-pass recommendation by a 5-1 vote, with some members voting present or expressing procedural concerns but supporting further work on the bill. HB 2035, which expands kinship placement requirements by adding extended family members to search and notification duties and presuming kinship placement is in the child’s best interest, also received substantial testimony. Advocates argued kinship care reduces trauma and improves stability, while several witnesses described cases where children were not placed with available relatives and instead ended up in congregate care. The committee discussed whether the bill duplicated existing law and whether DCS was already required to search for kin; the sponsor said the bill strengthens existing policy and adds written documentation requirements. HB 2035 was given a do-pass recommendation by a 4-2 vote. The committee then heard HB 4049, which would authorize DCS to employ legal counsel or incur legal expenses, along with an amendment that would require the Attorney General or appointed counsel to represent the state’s interests independently in certain cases and not be subject to DCS retaliation for taking a different position. Testimony split between those who argued the current structure creates a conflict of interest and allows DCS narratives to go unchallenged, and those who said the AG’s office already has separate divisions and that keeping representation centralized preserves consistency and oversight. Discussion continued on whether the current system is structurally broken and where counsel would be housed if the arrangement changed; the transcript ends while that debate is ongoing, without a recorded final vote on HB 4049.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the degree to... trauma-based behaviors.
• Often, kids are misdiagnosed; trauma-based behaviors in children are frequently misdiagnosed.
• systems therapy... and there, but trauma systems therapy is really a comprehensive model.
• So that if a child is being triggered by some trauma, they know how to respond to that.
• They know how to identify that trauma and they know how to respond. to respond appropriately.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have a current physical training program and the police officer does not have a current medical screening
• Madam Chair, PTSD is not always the result of a single event, but often the result of cumulative trauma
• officers have access all year long throughout their career, somebody that could help them with PTSD trauma
• officers have access all year long throughout their career, somebody that could help them with PTSD trauma
• sheriffs as heroic when they do their job at their best, and they save lives all the time, but the trauma

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up its only bill, House Bill 132, which would create workers’ compensation presumptions for police officers for certain conditions, including noise-induced hearing loss/tinnitus, PTSD, and heart injury or stroke occurring within 24 hours of responding to or returning from a call or emergency. The sponsor described the bill as a bipartisan effort developed with input from workers’ compensation officials, PERA, and the Albuquerque Police Department, aimed at easing the burden on officers to prove causation while still allowing employers to rebut claims. An amendment was adopted first, refining definitions and adding language that preserves an officer’s ability to prove causation even when the presumption does not apply, and tying the heart/stroke presumption to the existence of a physical training program and medical screening requirements. Supporters included representatives of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the Workers’ Compensation Administration, New Mexico State Police, AFSCME/NMFL, and a workers’ compensation attorney. They argued the bill recognizes the cumulative physical and psychological toll of law enforcement, could improve treatment and retention, and would reduce disputes over causation while remaining balanced. One supporter asked the sponsor to consider changing the 20-year requirement tied to PTSD coverage so officers in smaller departments could access benefits earlier. Committee discussion focused on the amendment’s physical training and medical screening condition for the heart/stroke presumption, with questions about whether all departments have such programs and whether the language could limit coverage. Workers’ compensation staff testified that, from 2016 through 2025, there were 75 statewide claims potentially covered by the bill’s provisions before amendment, including about 20 hearing-loss claims, 11 heart-related claims, and about 44 mental-injury claims. A medical witness said research supports a correlation between law enforcement work and these conditions, though no New Mexico-specific study was available yet. After discussion, the committee voted to give House Bill 132, as amended, a do-pass recommendation, with no opposition recorded.

Bills: HB1800, HB1860, HB2250, HB472, HB649, HB1391, HB1481, HB1509, HB1511, HB1515, HB1518, HB1541, HB1548, HB1576, HB1618, HB1642, HB1643, HB1661, HB1667, HB1678, HB1682, HB1688, HB1692, HB1707, HB1710, HB1711, HB1713, HB1718, HB1721, HB1728, HB1737, HB1740, HB1741, HB1785, HB1801, HB1802, HB1804, HB1810, HB1815, HB1824, HB1838, HB1839, HB1853, HB1854, HB1864, HB1870, HB1881, HB1888, HB1890, HB1891, HB1894, HB1920, HB1959, HB1960, HB1969, HB1973, HB1974, HB2023, HB2050, HB2078, HB2094, HB2095, HB2104, HB2137, HB2152, HB2158, HB2171, HB2207, HB2218, HB2246, HB2270, HB2271, HB2272, HB2279, HB2282, HB2289, HB2293, HB2297, HB2300, HB2309, HB2310, HB2314, HB2319, HB2329, HB2338, HB2339, HB2344, HB2361, HB2385, HB2395, HB2417, HB2429, HB2443, HB2452, HB2474, HB2475, HB2498, HB2505, HB2547, HB2576

Keywords: supplemental appropriations, state budget, Hawaii budget, biennial budget, capital improvement projects, CIP, general fund, special fund, green fee, special land and development fund, clean energy revolving loan fund, agricultural development revolving fund, community grants, nonprofit grants, Office of Community Services, housing, affordable housing, homelessness, health care, mental health

Bills: HB1800, HB1860, HB2250, HB472, HB649, HB1391, HB1481, HB1509, HB1511, HB1515, HB1518, HB1541, HB1548, HB1576, HB1618, HB1642, HB1643, HB1661, HB1667, HB1678, HB1682, HB1688, HB1692, HB1707, HB1710, HB1711, HB1713, HB1718, HB1721, HB1728, HB1737, HB1740, HB1741, HB1785, HB1801, HB1802, HB1804, HB1810, HB1815, HB1824, HB1838, HB1839, HB1853, HB1854, HB1864, HB1870, HB1881, HB1888, HB1890, HB1891, HB1894, HB1920, HB1959, HB1960, HB1969, HB1973, HB1974, HB2023, HB2050, HB2078, HB2094, HB2095, HB2104, HB2137, HB2152, HB2158, HB2171, HB2207, HB2218, HB2246, HB2270, HB2271, HB2272, HB2279, HB2282, HB2289, HB2293, HB2297, HB2300, HB2309, HB2310, HB2314, HB2319, HB2329, HB2338, HB2339, HB2344, HB2361, HB2385, HB2395, HB2417, HB2429, HB2443, HB2452, HB2474, HB2475, HB2498, HB2505, HB2547, HB2576

Keywords: supplemental appropriations, state budget, Hawaii budget, biennial budget, capital improvement projects, CIP, general fund, special fund, green fee, special land and development fund, clean energy revolving loan fund, agricultural development revolving fund, community grants, nonprofit grants, Office of Community Services, housing, affordable housing, homelessness, health care, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• They add treatment service coordination requirements and modify the county board screening duties.
• Homelessness brings day after day of trauma.
• Memory screens are quick, simple tests that evaluate memory and other thinking skills.
• in 22-23 in housing sites and faith communities that included a memory screening opportunity.
• Eighty percent of people—a very high percentage—taking the wellness screen also opted into a memory screen

Bills: HF2115, HF2276, HF1644, HF99, HF2068, HF2707, HF2704, HF2406, HF1674, HF1579

Keywords: human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator

Transcript Highlights:

• Information that's very important, I think, to all of us, is around background screening.
• And right now, it can take apparently several weeks, if not months, to provide background screenings
• , I know—but if there's anything in that screening that shows, it gives them pause or reason, they're
• Information that's very important, I think, to all of us, is around background screening.
• And right now, it can take apparently several. of us is around background screening.

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs met with a quorum and considered five bills. SB 1174, by Senator Jones, would simplify the process for transferring a family foster home license when a foster parent moves within Florida. A friendly amendment clarified that the transfer applies to the same licensed person, not a different individual, and directs DCF to prioritize amended licenses. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 558, by Chair Grall, created a framework for voluntary post-adoption contact agreements between adoptive and biological parents, including contact with siblings, with court filing and enforcement procedures. A strike-all amendment changed the child’s party status age from 14 to 12, required court filing in the adoption case, set a preponderance standard, and moved the effective date to January 1, 2026. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 1626, also by Chair Grall, was substantially revised by a strike-all addressing unaccompanied alien children reporting and custody procedures, military family child protective investigations, domestic violence shelter certification, children’s services councils, criminal-background exemptions, group home rates, subcontractor indemnification, child care licensing extensions, small residential group home fire suppression rules, and missing-child jurisdiction issues. After testimony both supporting and opposing parts of the bill, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 738, by Senator Burton, updated child care and early learning licensing rules, including expedited licensing for compliant providers, faster background screening and provisional licensure, online training/testing, exemptions for certain military and employer-provided child care, and removal of a residential insurance provision from the bill. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 304, by Senator Sharief, known as Patterson’s Law, addressed child abuse investigations involving rare genetic or metabolic conditions that can mimic abuse. The strike-all required more detailed medical analysis in reports, allowed second opinions, and set procedures for experienced physician review and judicial resolution. After extensive testimony from affected families, advocates, and DCF, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. At the end, Senators Harrell and Rouson asked to be recorded as voting favorably on additional bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• implement ment a pro a program of trauma implement ment a pro a program of trauma informed<00:23
• I serve as a member of the Hawaii trauma-informed care task force.
• plan and work and makes us closer to a trauma-informed state.
• plan and work and makes us closer to a trauma-informed state.
• HB 1079, relating to trauma-informed care.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several Human Services measures focused on Medicaid access, long-term care benefits, home health reimbursement, SNAP administration, trauma-informed child welfare, and child abuse reporting. HP 702 would increase funding for Medicaid in-home services if federal matching funds are secured, and testimony from disability advocates supported the measure as needed to help people with disabilities cover medical expenses. HB 1477, described as a correction to a prior session’s mistake, would clarify that the monthly needs allowance for certain long-term care residents does not replace state supplemental payments and would raise the ceiling by $25 to fix the prior issue and by an additional $20 as a new benefit; DHS supported it with amendments, and the committee indicated it would amend accordingly. HB 713 would fund a DHS rate study for home health services, with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii strongly supporting it and describing rising labor costs, losses on Medicaid patients, and access concerns if agencies cannot keep serving Medicaid clients. HB 1099 would appropriate emergency funds to DHS after a USDA penalty tied to SNAP response times, with supporters including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others arguing the money should be reinvested in staffing and systems to improve access and avoid further penalties. HB 1079 would direct the Office of Wellness and Resilience and DHS to create trauma-informed assessments and training for Child Welfare Services staff; testimony from state offices and advocacy groups supported it, citing the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group, staff burnout, and the need for a sustainable train-the-trainer model. Finally, HB 239 would narrow when failure to provide a child’s needs constitutes abuse or neglect, but DHS raised concerns that the current wording could broaden abuse findings and leave families in poverty without a clear safety net, while the Honolulu prosecutor’s office opposed it, warning it could weaken mandatory reporting and hinder investigations of child abuse. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided, though the chair said HB 1477 would be amended and several measures were left open for further questions and testimony.