Transcript Highlights:

• so they staff them with nurses from nursing agencies.
• So what happens if, like for Bedford Nursing Home or Hillsborough Nursing Home, they like the nurse,
• Bedford um nursing home a Hillsboro Bedford um nursing home a Hillsboro nursing<01:07:43.559><c> home
• </c><01:07:46.680><c> she</c> nursing home um they like the nurse she nursing home um they like the nurse
• </c><01:24:24.760><c> and</c><01:24:24.920><c> nurses</c> agencies for nurses and nurses agencies for

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so then once the bed opens up at the screening agency, they’ll do a doctor-to-doctor or nurse-to-nurse
• “The agency will do a doctor-to-doctor or nurse-to-nurse handoff.
• Arizona's got a comprehensive program.
• Unlike physicians and nurse practitioners do.
• They're all registered nurses.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to people 65 and older to also offer them to Medicare beneficiaries under 65 with ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections tied to 65-year-old rates. Supporters, including dialysis and ALS advocates, said the bill would help a small population facing high out-of-pocket costs and could improve access to transplants and care; opponents argued it would shift costs onto older seniors and raise Medigap premiums. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 12-0 vote. The committee also heard House Bill 2593, appropriating $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps obstetric and pediatric providers quickly consult on perinatal depression, postpartum psychosis, suicidality, and other mental health crises, improving outcomes for mothers, children, and families and reducing costly emergency and crisis care. The bill received a do pass recommendation on a 10-1 vote. House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, drew emotional testimony from a young woman with spina bifida and another speaker supporting the sanctity of life. Some members objected that the state should focus on practical supports such as paid leave, child care, and health care access, while others supported the resolution as a statement of human dignity. The resolution passed the committee 7-5. The committee then approved House Bill 4010, creating a Board of Genetic Counselors and licensure standards, after testimony from genetic counselors and a patient advocate about the need for qualified counseling and better access; it passed 11-1. Later, the committee approved House Bill 2196, which would require pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse non-affiliated pharmacies at least their acquisition cost and pay a dispensing fee, and establish an appeals process. Independent pharmacists and their coalition said PBM practices are driving closures and unfairly favor affiliated pharmacies, while PBM and employer representatives warned of major cost increases and said the bill would interfere with private contracts; the bill passed 11-1. The committee also adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, and then gave the amended bill a 12-0 do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, with the sponsor and board staff saying it would help implement routine ventilator care in the home; it passed 12-0. The committee then began hearing House Bill 2404, a strike-everything amendment on inter-facility transports for behavioral health patients, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• program.
• So I learned when I return to the college here that it's a great program.
• nursing program, which I'd like to make better.
• program.
• program.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education convened with a quorum and first took up CS for SB 1694 on technology education. The bill would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and would encourage high school computer science courses that include AI to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal settings. The bill sponsor and several supporters emphasized preparing students for an AI-driven workforce while teaching critical evaluation and ethical use; one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to preserve real-world skills. Senator Davis supported the measure and suggested introducing similar instruction earlier, possibly in middle school. The committee voted the bill favorably, with Senator Leak later recorded in the affirmative. The committee then heard a large block of confirmations for higher education boards, including appointees to Tallahassee State College, the University of South Florida, the University of North Florida, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally highlighted backgrounds in education, health care, law, business, technology, and public service, and described priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, affordability, fiscal responsibility, and institutional growth. One nominee to Tallahassee State College was asked about low NCLEX pass rates and said the college had a plan approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. Another nominee discussed Florida Poly’s STEM mission, and several members praised the nominees’ community ties and professional experience. After hearing the appointees, the committee voted to report the block of confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The committee then received a high-level overview of the higher education budget, totaling $11.9 billion, with major emphasis on workforce training and development. Highlights included increases for school district workforce education, the Florida College System, workforce development capitalization, a rural educator recruitment program, funding for the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s literacy and math initiatives, UF’s autism and neurodevelopment center, and a postsecondary guardian program for campus security. Members asked a brief question about a workforce fund transfer, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds added. No public comment was offered, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those programs are provided in group settings, so they're not individual education programs.
• the farmer's market program.
• So the Our Kids B program, 897, that's for operational expenses administering the program?"
• That is for our Kids B program. It is for our CHIP program, Children's Health Insurance.
• multiple nursing homes close.

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• This session, senators worked within tight budget targets to fund the state's programs and priorities
• </c><00:04:24.560><c> homes,</c> help out Minnesota nursing homes, help out Minnesota nursing homes,
• </c><00:04:44.560><c> Uh</c><00:04:44.880><c> the</c> that we've seen in this program.
• Uh the that we've seen in this program.
• or nursing homes are seeing cuts.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Contreras: To that point, I taught a pharmacology course in our nursing program.
• well, nurse midwives, and they would be able to, if you have a quality assurance program with key indicators
• I am a certified nurse midwife, which means I hold degrees both in nursing and midwifery.
• Protecting the program integrity.
• But this program is very simple.

Summary: The committee began with a presentation from the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter and Dr. Anna Burke of Barrow Neurological Institute on the growing impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia in Arizona, the need for earlier diagnosis, better provider education, caregiver support, and continued research funding. They described current gaps in training and access to specialists, but also highlighted new therapies, lifestyle interventions, and Arizona-based research efforts. Members expressed support and optimism, but no action was taken on the presentation. The committee then heard HB 2202, which appropriates $300,000 from the general fund over fiscal years 2027 through 2029 for a dementia care tele-mentoring grant program through the Department of Health Services. Supporters, including the Alzheimer’s Association, a dementia specialist, and a patient advocate, said the program would help primary care providers diagnose dementia earlier and improve care. The bill was passed out of committee on an 11-0 vote. Next, the committee took up HB 2251, the midwifery bill, which would authorize certain licensed midwives to dispense and administer specified medications and devices, require liability insurance disclosure and annual reporting, and create a Midwifery Advisory Committee. A committee amendment removed some medications and renamed the bill the Jordan and MacTerry Act. ACOG and the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association opposed the bill as drafted, citing concerns about oversight, peer review, and the medication list, while licensed midwives and other supporters argued the bill would improve safety, transparency, and alignment with national standards. The bill was held for further stakeholder work, with members indicating more amendments were likely. The committee then heard HB 2252, which would allow certified nurse midwives, certified professional midwives, or licensed midwives to accompany a patient in a ground ambulance during an out-of-hospital birth if approved by medical direction. Supporters described cases where continued midwife involvement during transport helped newborns and mothers, while firefighters and EMS representatives opposed the bill as written, saying it created ambiguity about command and scene control and could raise safety concerns. The chair said the bill would be held for further stakeholder meetings and possible language changes. After a recess, the committee reconvened for presentations on federal Medicaid and rural health funding impacts, beginning with JLBC’s overview of H.R. 1’s Medicaid provisions and the rural health transformation grant program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Psychiatric nurses have the training capacity, and it's in their scope of work.
• Psychiatric nurses have the training capacity, and it's in their scope of work.
• If a psychiatric nurse is on the floor, you can get the order immediately.
• He reconnected with his family and continues to engage in recovery programs.
• We've mimicked other ombudsmen, like the one for seniors at DOEA and the nursing facility at AHCA.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met to receive an update from the Florida Department of Children and Families on implementation of House Bill 7021, which revised the Baker Act and Marchman Act and was funded with a $50 million appropriation. Deputy Assistant Secretary Bill Hardin reported that the department has updated reference guides, training, administrative rules, and forms; launched regional behavioral health collaboratives; and created the Office of Children’s Behavioral Health Ombudsman. He said early data show continued declines in Baker Act use, high diversion rates from involuntary examinations through 988, mobile response teams, and care coordination, along with generally positive provider feedback on changes such as allowing psychiatric nurses to initiate emergency treatment orders and clarifying the 72-hour examination period. Hardin also described Marchman Act changes, including a streamlined petition process, remote testimony, improved discharge planning, and a new annual data report. He said the department has completed or is completing multiple training courses for providers and law enforcement, and has adopted or is finalizing numerous rules and forms. He reported that the regional collaboratives are identifying common statewide needs such as service capacity, resource sharing, funding flexibility, and peer support, while the ombudsman office is handling complaints and helping families navigate services. Members asked about whether the current funding is sufficient, future budget needs, outreach for the new ombudsman office, and services for juveniles. Hardin said DCF has posted legislative budget requests for additional forensic FACT services and short-term residential treatment beds, including children’s beds, and noted the ombudsman office is staffed with two FTEs and supported through existing complaint-management and regional systems. He said outreach is being done through regional collaboratives and coordination with other agencies, especially the Department of Education, and that juvenile transport and placement issues have improved with the new law. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentation and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the Program Director for the Health Professions Bureau at...
• I am the Program Director for the Health Professions Bureau at... 01-2501.
• I am a program director at DOPL.
• I'm a program director for DOPL.
• I am a program director for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee met to consider a series of temporary and pending administrative rules, mostly from the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) for health-related boards. Early actions focused on fee reductions or fee flexibility for the Idaho Boards of Midwifery and Nursing, and the Board of Dentistry, with members asking about cash balances, why refund language was removed in one rule, and how merged boards and fee holidays might affect future rates. The committee voted to extend the temporary rules to July 1, 2026 and then approved the corresponding final rules for midwifery, dentistry, and nursing. Members also discussed a nursing reinstatement fee set at $35 to align with Idaho Code and standardize fees across boards. The committee then considered a proposed fee increase for the Occupational Therapy Board, which DOPL said was needed because the board’s cash balance was below statutory limits and projected to go negative without action. Testimony described prior cost-cutting efforts, including reduced staff time, travel, and meetings, but several members objected to the increase as a tax-like burden and questioned whether other budget changes or board mergers could solve the problem. The Senate had already rejected the docket, and the House committee ultimately voted to reject it as well. Members also raised concerns about whether DOPL consolidation has increased costs for smaller boards and whether the board’s public safety role justified licensure. The committee approved a new Speech, Hearing, and Communication Services rule creating a video remote interpreting provider license authorized by House Bill 311, with a $150 fee for up to five interpreters at a business. DOPL said the license is new nationally, had no public comments, would not affect the general fund, and would be the lowest fee of its kind in the country. Finally, the committee considered a Physical Therapy Licensure Board fee increase from $25 to $40, which DOPL said was needed because the board’s cash balance was low and projected to decline further despite cost reductions and modernization through the online licensure system. Members debated the impact of DOPL consolidation and fee disparities across professions, but after a substitute motion, the committee voted to reject that docket as well. The meeting concluded with announcements about visiting physicians from the WHAMMY program and then adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• > I</c><00:52:04.480><c> or</c> current program DOE program rules I or current program DOE program rules
• . programs. programs.
• I just wanted to share that these programs are not new programs.
• I just wanted to share that these programs are not new programs.
• Okay, recess. nurse registered nurse within the state nurse registered nurse within the state uh<01:34

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1783, which would expand public-private partnership options for charter school facilities. The Department of Education offered comments, the Charter School Commission and SFA supported the bill, and Hawaii Technology Academy, Hawaii Kids, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, HGA, Aloha Project, and several individuals testified in support, while UPW opposed it. Supporters said charter schools need faster and more flexible ways to address severe facility shortages and high costs, and SFA described the bill as a pilot model that could leverage developer partnerships and state contributions, citing Maryland as an example. Members asked whether the bill was limited to charter schools; DOE said the language could be read to include other public school facilities, but if focused only on charter schools, DOE was less concerned. The Charter School Commission also described an existing public-private preschool model through Parkway Village Preschool and PACTED. The committee then took up HB 1778, which would establish a CIP database for school facilities. SFA supported the bill, saying it would create a more disciplined, transparent basis for funding decisions by documenting facility condition, needed repairs, classification, and timing. DOE initially said it rested on its comments, then responded to questions by saying it already maintains deferred maintenance lists, uses systems such as Maximo, CPT, GIS, and finance software, and sends legislators project-status letters twice a year. DOE said it is working on improving its outward-facing dashboard and integrating its systems, but questioned whether the bill would add value beyond existing tools. Members emphasized the need for a publicly accessible, real-time transparency tool, while DOE said it was still evaluating its current systems and was not yet seeking funding for a new IT program. For HB 2344, creating an Independent Public School Realignment and Closure Commission, DOE said it wants to remain part of any consolidation process to keep students and education central, while SFA said the bill is timely and framed it as a restructuring response to changing conditions and possible federal funding cuts. SFA compared the proposal to the federal BRAC process for military base closures and said Hawaii has the same enrollment as in 1961 but many more schools, arguing that the state needs a more deliberate approach to school closures and land reuse. The Attorney General’s office raised technical concerns about several sections, including unclear references to administrative support, a governor-approval sequence, a possible conflict with existing statutes governing closed-school disposition, and a missing section number. Testimony on HB 2345, which would establish a geographic CIP district, began with DOE in opposition; DOE said the bill would duplicate existing work, add confusion by creating two agencies doing the same thing, and spend money inefficiently because district project coordinators and project lists already exist.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> psychologists, and residency programs psychologists, and residency programs for<00:15:25.279><c>
• </c><00:21:55.760><c> and</c> that CMS outlined for the program and that CMS outlined for the program
• </c> programs and support. programs and support.
• </c> financial program from HR1. financial program from HR1.
• </c> program was designed here in Minnesota. program was designed here in Minnesota.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Select Subcommittee first took up adoption of three previously prepared nonpartisan committee summary reports dated October 15, November 13, and November 21. Senator Rasmusson objected to the lack of advance notice about the day’s testifiers and criticized the practice of having nonpartisan staff summarize what he described as a partisan agenda. The chair responded that the committee’s purpose is to gather information, not hear bills, and that the summaries were intended as neutral resources for the Senate. Senator Coopek moved adoption, the motion was opposed by Rasmusson and another member, and the motion passed. The committee then turned to the day’s hearing on federal impacts on Minnesota, with the chair focusing on federal funding threats and the effect of congressional budget actions on health care, especially in greater Minnesota. The first presentation came from the Minnesota Department of Health on the state’s rural health transformation work. Assistant Commissioner Carol Broom introduced the team and described the rural hospital transformation program as a major opportunity to invest in rural health, while acknowledging longstanding challenges such as demographics, transportation barriers, and the financing of care. Nitha Moibi outlined the state’s rural health chart book and data showing an aging population, workforce shortages, and many health professional shortage areas, and described proposed strategies including workforce pipelines, bridge payments for low-volume birth hospitals, telehealth access points, mental health urgent care, and chronic disease prevention. Acting Assistant Commissioner Anna Ashby of the Minnesota Management and Budget office explained the state’s application to CMS for the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created in federal law and awarded Minnesota just over $193 million for federal fiscal year 2026. She said the application was shaped by public comments, stakeholder meetings, and legislative outreach, and included initiatives on preventive care, workforce, care access, behavioral health, and provider financial stability. She also reviewed implementation constraints, including a January 30 revised budget deadline, limits on administrative spending, restrictions on using funds to offset Medicaid losses, and the need to show measurable progress to remain eligible for future funding. The presentation noted that most year-one funding would go to rural hospitals, with additional support for federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, tribal partners, and technical assistance.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the programs. We operate year round.
• Miss Wayne and guardianship programs.
• </c> second to that is individuals in nursing second to that is individuals in nursing homes<00:30:19.679
• </c> Um we do do investigations into nursing Um we do do investigations into nursing homes.<00:43:08.319
• </c><00:43:41.280><c> home</c> consider going to visit a nursing home consider going to visit a nursing

Keywords: 1. Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:24 2. Discussion of The Center for Courageous Kids – 00:02:46 3. Discussion of Adult Protective Services and State Guardianship Programs – 00:25:22 4. Discussion of Annual Report of the External Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel – 01:00:34 5. Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 01:33:41 6. Adjournment – 01:42:07, 958, all

Summary: The committee’s first interim meeting opened with roll call and a reminder that Kentucky had 8,641 children in out-of-home care with active placements as of June 1, 2025. The first presentation was from the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK), a donor-funded camp in Scottsville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s history, its year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medical and accessibility supports, and its impact on campers’ confidence and independence. They said CCK has served more than 43,000 campers from 46 states and 13 countries, including 22,000 from Kentucky, and noted plans to reach all 120 Kentucky counties. CCK also outlined future capital needs: a new art barn and a medical lodge. The organization said the art barn project would cost $2.5 million, with a legislative request of $1.5 million, and the medical lodge would cost $2.875 million, with a legislative request of $1.75 million. Members responded very positively, with several praising the camp’s work and one member asking about operational challenges. CCK said its main challenges are awareness, staff and volunteer recruitment, and expanding medical and housing capacity; it also said it is accredited by the American Camp Association and receives health and safety visits and audits. The committee then moved to a presentation on adult protective services and state guardianship programs from Jessica Wayne and Cliff Bryant of DCBS. They explained the legal framework for guardianship, the difference between full and limited guardianship/conservatorship, emergency appointments, and the state’s role as a last-resort guardian when no family member or private entity is available. They reported 4,464 individuals under state guardianship as of June 1, with most cases involving dementia, developmental disability, intellectual disability, nursing home or long-term care placement, severe mental illness, or brain injury. They also said the division has 89 field workers across 14 regional offices, with an average caseload of 52 and a goal of reducing that into the mid-40s through additional hiring.

Transcript Highlights:

• This program is estimated to gap.
• They have a school of nursing program in Owensboro, a BSN program attached within the hospital that the
• They have a school of nursing program in Owensboro, a BSN program attached within the hospital that the
• . program. program.
• </c> nurse, I um completely agree with you. nurse, I um completely agree with you.

Keywords: 00:00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:25 - Discussion of 26RS HB 689 00:15:15 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 689 00:17:02 - Discussion of 26RS HB 407 00:45:40 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 407 00:49:25 - Discussion of 26RS HB 713 00:55:50 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 713 00:56:54 - Discussion of 26RS HB 676 01:06:42 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 676 01:08:43 - Adjournment, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a representative of Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners.
• I have been a nurse for 22 years and a forensic nurse examiner for the past 13.
• don't have to assemble and maintain a program.
• I am a sexual assault nurse examiner in Central Texas.
• I'm a full-time forensic nurse. I have been for years.

Bills: HB220, HB783, HB2240, HB3336, HB4202, HB4449, HB4904, HB3441, HB4284

Keywords: sexual assault, healthcare facilities, forensic examination, survivor support, emergency contraceptive, online impersonation, civil liability, social media, identity theft, defamation, counseling damages, injunctive relief, public health, safety regulations, community health, state standards, healthcare access, HB 3336, alcoholic beverage tax credit, spent grain

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide medical, nursing, allied health, patient, and caregiver education.
• ><c> alli</c> We provide medical, nursing, alli We provide medical, nursing, alli health,<00:20:38.480
• </c><00:21:15.440><c> on</c> hellstream module to train nurses on hellstream module to train nurses on
• </c> three nurse practitioners and one RN. three nurse practitioners and one RN.
• and physicians, four nurse practitioners and six<00:26:04.320><c> RNs.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• programs.
• surgery program.
• So we've done that for our Song-Brown nursing program.
• So we've done that for our Song-Brown nursing program.
• Joseph program as well and in the CalMedForce program as well. Thank you.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a hearing focused first on the impact of H.R. 1 on medical student financing and physician access, then on state residency-support programs. The chair framed the discussion around expected federal Medicaid and student loan changes, warning that higher borrowing barriers could reduce access to medical school for lower-income students and worsen physician shortages, especially in underserved regions. The LAO explained that H.R. 1 would cap federal loans for professional students, eliminate Grad PLUS for new borrowers, and likely shift more students toward private loans with less favorable terms; it said the bigger concern may be who can afford to attend medical school rather than a sharp drop in enrollment. HCAI described three physician loan repayment programs—the State Loan Repayment Program, the Stephen M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program, and the County Medical Services Program loan repayment program—and said retention data show many awardees remain in California and in underserved or safety-net settings after service obligations end. University of California and UCSF witnesses described California’s physician workforce shortages, especially on the Central Coast and in rural and agricultural communities, and said affordability, limited medical school capacity, and burnout are pushing some doctors into concierge practice or out of underserved areas. They emphasized that students from low-income backgrounds and underrepresented communities are more likely to be affected by loan limits and that residency location strongly influences where physicians ultimately practice. Members asked about medical school capacity, out-of-state students, residency retention, and whether the state could expand slots or better target aid to keep physicians in California and in high-need communities. Public commenters urged the Legislature to consider shortages in anesthesia, pediatric subspecialties, midwifery, and culturally concordant care, and to support broader workforce pathways and public-service loan programs. The second panel reviewed graduate medical education programs, especially CalMedForce, CalMedForce Plus, and Song-Brown. UC and HCAI said CalMedForce has supported new residency slots since 2018, while Song-Brown funds primary care residency training and has recently supported new programs in rural areas such as Del Norte County. The LAO said the state should decide whether residency support should remain a budget priority, whether these competitive grant programs are the best mechanism, and whether their structures are too rigid or duplicative. It noted that most awardees receive funding more than once and that the programs overlap substantially, suggesting possible coordination or consolidation. A family physician from the California Academy of Family Physicians argued that stable funding for primary care residencies is essential, that many California-trained physicians stay where they train, and that future funding should be more deliberately directed to primary care and high-need communities. The hearing ended with discussion of emergency room crowding, geographic inequities in residency distribution, and HCAI’s plan to develop supply-and-demand models to guide future funding decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Density Grant Program, and the line extension programs, and that they also handled data.
• and Low Population Program.
• is the line extension program and state is the line extension program and in<00:45:15.599><c> 2022</
• > businesses</c> program this program actually businesses program this program actually businesses and
• and Deployment Program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants, also known as advanced practice
• Nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants, also known as advanced practiced
• Under current law, treatment programs and facilities receiving public funds and narcotic treatment programs
• Marie Lopez, California Nurses Association, in support.
• Programs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> year you had a hearing on the program year you had a hearing on the program integrity<00:04:34.720
• programs that benefit from state funding, like disability services or nursing homes, are seeing cuts
• </c> a billion dollars in cuts to nursing a billion dollars in cuts to nursing homes<00:09:41.600><c>
• </c> that they need like for the nursing that they need like for the nursing homes.<00:10:18.399><c>
• </c> plate for our solar pollinator programs. plate for our solar pollinator programs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ECNS, which uses nurses to triage 9-1-1 calls to reduce unnecessary ambulance use.
• ECNS, which uses nurses to triage 9-1-1 calls to reduce unnecessary ambulance use.
• We need to evacuate that nursing home, for example.
• We also run an ambulance strike team program, so we have an ambulance strike team.
• Are you concerned about it in any of your programs? Yeah.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules established quorum and approved several routine items on the agenda, including governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee noted that some 2026 committee changes would take effect February 1, 2026, and that new committees would depend on adoption of a Senate resolution. The committee then heard from Dr. Hernando Garson, nominated as chief medical officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. He described his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, and EMS leadership, and members questioned him about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, statewide standards versus local flexibility, ambulance patient offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and emergency response coordination. Dr. Garson emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local agencies, collaboration with hospitals and EMS stakeholders, and the need for safer alternatives to routine ambulance transport such as community paramedicine, telehealth, and nurse triage. He also discussed disaster preparedness for vulnerable and rural communities and the use of regional and state assets, including ambulance strike teams, during fires and floods. The committee approved his appointment 4-0. The final item was Stephanie Weldon’s nomination as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon, who identified as Yurok-Tolowa and Karuk, spoke about her tribal, county, nonprofit, and state experience, her role as the first Native American woman in the position, and her commitment to health equity, rural communities, and culturally responsive public health work. Senators asked about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, addresses behavioral health, tribal consultation, youth mental health, and how it responds to political pressure around DEI language; Weldon said the office focuses on community-driven, data-informed work and transparency. Public commenters strongly supported her confirmation, citing her leadership on the California Reducing Disparities Project and related equity efforts. The committee approved her appointment 4-0, sending it to the full Senate for confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, if you don't want to be in the program, it's an optional program.
• Again, if you don't want to be in the program, it's an optional program.
• Again, if you don't want to be in the program, it's an optional program.
• want to be in the program, it's an optional<00:21:32.400><c> program.
• the WIC program.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes unanimously and then heard extended testimony from Senator Jimmy Higdon, who reflected on Kentucky’s 2011 childhood obesity task force and said the state’s childhood obesity problem has worsened since then. He described prior recommendations from that task force, including more physical education, nutrition education, classroom-based physical activity, complete streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, and safe routes to school. Higdon also argued that government programs have contributed to obesity and drug abuse, focusing especially on SNAP and Medicaid, and said he has long advocated for a waiver to distribute SNAP benefits twice a month rather than once a month. Higdon said SNAP fraud and abuse are significant, claiming some recipients sell benefits and some retailers bend the rules on eligible purchases. He also said spreading benefits through the month could help families keep fresh food in the home and stabilize grocery store business, especially in food deserts and rural areas. In response to questions, he said he would not support allowing hot prepared foods under SNAP, though he said a grocery-store produce incentive similar to the farmers market match could be beneficial if structured separately. He also said the WIC program is a model for how SNAP could be better administered. Members thanked Higdon for his service and discussed whether the issue is food insecurity or poor nutrition. Senator Douglas emphasized adding stronger guardrails to nutrition-related programs, and Representative Proctor asked about the challenges of operating grocery stores in rural areas and food deserts. Higdon said independent grocers face thin margins, competition, and cyclical market pressures, and that SNAP distribution patterns can worsen those challenges. After Higdon’s testimony, the committee heard from Ann Cressilious, a registered dietitian with the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who began a presentation on the profession and on efforts to improve nutrition and access to nutrition information in Kentucky.