Transcript Highlights:

• <00:19:32.360> for making an emergency appropriation for making an emergency appropriation
• Is that not part of this emergency appropriation? That is not part of this appropriation.
• that is not part of this appropriation that is not part of this emergency<00:25:11.840> appropriation
• <01:01:20.799> amount specified and the appropriation amount specified and the appropriation
• important it is for the appropriate important it is for the appropriate patients<02:16:00.840>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1494 on hearing aids. Testimony was generally supportive of expanding hearing-aid coverage, with the Insurance Division raising concern about possible federal defrayment issues, SHPDA supporting the goal of hearing augmentation, DCAB strongly supporting the bill as an important access issue, and health plans and insurers asking for amendments. Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans requested changes to add a medical-necessity standard and clarify annual notice language, while HMSA suggested the proposal should be studied by the auditor. The chair noted concerns about federal preemption and the lack of an audit, and deferred the bill in favor of a related resolution calling for a study. The committee then heard SB 1448, an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii State Hospital. DAGS and the Department of Health supported the measure, with the hospital administrator saying the funding would improve the environment of care, support cleaning, and allow a third-party review of the building. Committee members questioned the size of the request and the status of litigation against the design-builder. Administration witnesses said they were pursuing a comprehensive study involving destructive testing, had made a demand on the design-builder to fund the study, and were using different processes than before. They also said the roof work would be handled through a separate CIP request. No final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 1432, relating to the future responsibilities of the Department of Health and land issues at Kalaupapa after the last patient dies. DOH supported the bill in part but said its long-term role would be limited mainly to environmental cleanup, with operations expected to continue under the National Park Service and land-use decisions left to DHHL and beneficiary consultation. DHHL asked that the measure reflect that any land-use or zoning changes on homeland lands require commission approval and beneficiary consultation. Testifiers from Kalaupapa and Maui County, including Degra Vanderbilt-Papa and Council Member Keani Rollins-Fernandez, supported deferring the bill, saying there had been no meaningful community discussion about provisions affecting Kalaupapa’s future management and possible transfer of responsibilities to Maui County. The committee also read into the record written testimony from Gloria Marks emphasizing that Kalaupapa stakeholders must be included in future discussions. Finally, the committee heard SB 955 on fitness-to-proceed examinations. The Judiciary and the Public Defender’s Office both supported raising pay and standardizing expectations for private examiners, but opposed reducing felony fitness evaluations from three examiners to one and opposed expanding use of expedited reports. They argued that a single examiner would reduce reliability, create a more adversarial process, and likely increase costs and contested hearings, while expedited reports do not contain enough information for a proper fitness determination. The Department of Health also supported the bill’s intent but asked to preserve a three-examiner framework and said the goal was to reduce the number of people sent to the State Hospital, where admissions have reportedly risen about 20% year over year since Act 26. The bill remained under discussion in the excerpt, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also provides for an appropriation for the election recount account.
• revert and are continuously appropriated revert and are continuously appropriated to<00:25:55.120
• specifies that there's appropriated specifies that there's appropriated $200,000 $200,000 $200,000
• > committee Our the joint appropriations committee Our the joint appropriations committee did<
• Is that referred to appropriations?

Bills: SF0028, SF0030, SF0031, SF0032

Keywords: voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• fiscal year 2027, both one-time appropriations from the Workforce Development Fund.
• Senate file 2050 is appropriating Senate file 2050 is appropriating 627,000<00:15:32.759> in<
• The bill appropriates $627,000 in one-time money in fiscal year 2026.
• <00:46:56.680> to Senate file 1934 um is appropriating to Senate file 1934 um is appropriating
• 2024 we've had a direct appropriation 2024 we've had a direct appropriation from<01:10:53.920>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have appropriations for both fiscal years.
• Are the GO funds going to, and were they appropriated to the City of Catlettsburg, or were they appropriated
• appropriation that is correct and also appropriation that is correct and also just<01:03:12.319> because
• 01:04:15.680> county were they appropriated uh to the county were they appropriated uh to the
• of clarification is this an appropriate of clarification is this an appropriate time<01:16:51.080

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the January 14 minutes and then considered a large agenda of contracts, including personal services contracts, amendments, memoranda of agreement, and Kentucky Entertainment Incentive Program items. The chair noted the agenda contained 240 items and emphasized the need for transparency in how contract approvals work. Several items were pulled for questions, while the rest were approved without objection. The first major discussion involved seven contingency-fee contracts for the Attorney General’s office. Committee members asked about the apparent $20 million maximum per contract, and staff explained that the amount was a ceiling, not a guarantee, and that under the statutory waterfall in KRS 45A.717 a $20 million fee would require roughly $355 million returned to the Commonwealth. Staff also said the new batch included some new firms, that these contracts are being handled in 6- to 12-month batches, and that no money had yet been spent from the prior cycle. The committee then approved those contracts. Members also questioned a Cabinet for Health and Family Services training contract, which officials said was needed because Finance provides only Kentucky-specific training, while the outside vendor offers broader procurement and federal-funds training; the committee approved that item. A University of Kentucky capital project contract for the State Capitol exterior renovation was approved after questions about the open-ended date, total project cost, and expected completion, with staff saying the overall project is projected for substantial completion by the end of 2026 and final warranty work could extend into 2027. A DCBS amendment for SSI eligibility determinations for children in out-of-home care was explained as an increase caused by a protest, a reissued RFP, and more children entering care; the committee approved it after discussion of the protest and scoring details. The committee also approved a Transportation Cabinet amendment for an I-71 widening and interchange project in Oldham County after staff explained it was a time extension with no additional funds, though the project had evolved due to traffic changes and now includes an eight-lane bridge design. Finally, the committee discussed two Finance Cabinet facilities and support services amendments tied to the Capitol renovation and juvenile justice facility retrofits. Staff said the Capitol project contract covered the full design team, with completion projected around 2029, while the juvenile justice amendments covered additional design work for McCracken and Breathitt facilities, with final bid documents expected in June or July and construction anticipated to begin in the latter half of 2025. Both items were approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• appropriately in that in that regard. appropriately in that in that regard.
• give you a a clear appropriate answer. give you a a clear appropriate answer.
• hormonal disease that when appropriately hormonal disease that when appropriately treated<00:59:
• The data supporting their appropriately.
• that um it's appropriate. that um it's appropriate. Uh<01:16:56.480> Dr.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on February 23, 2026, approved the January 12 minutes, and then focused primarily on Kentucky Medicaid’s coverage and potential expansion of GLP-1 drugs, especially for weight loss. Department for Medicaid Services Commissioner Lisa Lee explained that Medicaid currently does not cover drugs for weight loss, anorexia, or weight gain, but the department had filed a regulation to remove that blanket exclusion so GLP-1s could be covered when used for an underlying health condition. She said the administrative regulation review subcommittee found the regulation deficient, and the co-chairs wanted the board to discuss the policy and financing implications before any change. DMS also said it would be open to adding caveats to ensure coverage would not extend to cosmetic weight loss alone. The department provided several data points on current utilization and spending. In 2025, Kentucky Medicaid paid for appetite-stimulating drugs such as Megestrol, Dronabinol, and Marinol, but did not pay for weight-loss drugs. For GLP-1s, DMS said coverage began in 2025 and is limited to FDA-approved medical conditions, with prior authorization requiring a type 2 diabetes diagnosis code and A1C documentation. DMS reported $234.6 million in GLP-1 spending in 2025 before rebates, about 240,931 prescriptions, and said GLP-1s accounted for 7.3% of pharmacy spend in 2024 and 8.3% in 2025. It also said there were 24,844 expansion members and 13,638 non-expansion members using GLP-1s, with spending of about $156 million and $78.5 million respectively, and that 10 pediatric weight-loss prescriptions were covered under EPSDT. The department said outcome analyses, including whether GLP-1 use reduces insulin or other diabetes treatment, are underway and should be completed in a couple of months. Members asked about cost, rebates, and whether the state should wait for more outcomes data before expanding coverage. DMS said average reimbursement to pharmacies was $975 per prescription and the average dispensing fee was $109; it also said 2025 rebate invoices totaled $90.8 million, with $7.6 million collected so far. Several members expressed concern about the high cost and the need to evaluate whether the drugs improve health outcomes before expanding access, while others noted the potential benefits for obesity and diabetes treatment. Some members also discussed whether GLP-1s are effectively being used for weight loss in diabetic patients and whether broader data collection should be used to assess long-term value. After the Medicaid discussion, Eli Lilly executive Tracy Sims presented on obesity as a chronic disease and the economic burden it creates in Kentucky. She said Kentucky’s adult obesity rate is a little over 37%, that obesity is linked to about 200 diseases, and that untreated obesity costs the state billions in GDP and hundreds of millions in state budget impact. She highlighted recent federal access programs for GLP-1s, including a Medicaid-related program that she said could lower the state share of a Zepbound prescription to about $71 per month after federal matching. No votes were taken on the GLP-1 policy question during the meeting, and the main action was the receipt of testimony and discussion of the department’s proposed regulatory change.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the $2 million annual appropriation and the $2 million annual appropriation base<00:08:15.440
• I'm directly appropriate um that amount.
• the appropriation the appropriation section<00:29:29.440> and section and section and line
• Um, I think the appropriations are the same in both.
• So I would support doing this, but I have concerns about the appropriations. That's appropriate.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in the General Appropriations Act for the feasibility study.
• Rehabilitated and adopted, or put in an animal sanctuary appropriate for its safety.
• But I wanted to stay in my lane because it wasn't an appropriate...
• Golf courses are not appropriate in state parks.
• We want to make sure everybody is getting the appropriate care.

Summary: The committee took up a series of criminal justice, health, and public safety bills, with several measures reported favorably after brief sponsor presentations and mostly no opposition. CS for SB 1782 on dangerous excessive speeding, CS for SB 306 on Medicaid provider network access, CS for SB 716 on mandatory minimums for certain sexual offenses by registered offenders, CS for SB 1084 on intimate image dissemination and digitally forged images, and CS for CS for SB 1604 on corrections-related litigation and sentencing changes all passed the committee. Members also approved CS for SB 1838, which increases protections for court officials from tampering, harassment, and retaliation, and CS for SB 1252, which directs FDLE to study a statewide pawn data database. CS for SB 468 on fleeing or eluding, CS for SB 490 on off-duty concealed carry for certain officers, and CS for SB 890 on blood clot screening and treatment also received favorable votes, with SB 890 drawing supportive testimony from the bill sponsor, medical and patient advocates, and family members affected by blood clots. The most extensive debate centered on CS for CS for SB 1804, which would create a capital offense for adults trafficking children under 12 or mentally incapacitated persons for sexual exploitation. Senator Martin defended the bill as a response to especially heinous crimes and argued it fit within constitutional punishment principles, while several members raised concerns about the Eighth Amendment, the risk of lengthy and costly litigation, and the possibility of retraumatizing victims. The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers testified in opposition, citing moral objections, due process concerns, and constitutional precedent; the bill nevertheless was reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for CS for SB 572, the “Pam Rock Act,” which tightens dangerous-dog rules, adds enclosure, microchip, insurance, and penalty requirements, and allows stronger enforcement actions after serious attacks. The Rock family and animal control supporters testified in favor, describing the bill as a response to fatal dog attacks and urging stronger accountability for owners. For SB 572, members discussed insurance requirements, the role of local authorities in classifying dangerous dogs, and whether the bill would affect ordinary pet insurance or only liability coverage after a serious attack. The sponsor said the measure is not breed-specific and is aimed at dogs that have already caused significant harm. The committee also heard testimony from family members of Pam Rock and other victims, along with supporters from animal control and sheriff’s offices. All of the bills taken up in the meeting that were voted on were reported favorably, and no roll-call votes failed.

Transcript Highlights:

• the the smaller amount of appropriation the the smaller amount of appropriation that<00:37:25.599
• the appropriation from Senate Bill 654 FN, lines 24 through 28, which is just a $40,000 appropriation
• <01:29:22.480> on end of the page for an appropriation on end of the page for an appropriation
• <01:29:48.960> from language for the appropriation from language for the appropriation from
• And we're adding the appropriations And we're adding the appropriations language<01:32:24.239>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal
• In the Education and Appropriation Committees, and I respectfully ask for your aye votes.
• To make it an appropriation. Assemblymember Valencia, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
• I am re-referring file item 323, AB 247 by Assembly Member Bryan to the Appropriations Committee.
• And I continue to be open to the conversation about whether 120 days is appropriate for the notice.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:24.240> and speaks to you know appropriate and speaks to you know appropriate and medically
• it's age appropriate we should be talking about birth control.
• Medically accurate includes all appropriate options.
• Is it biologically clear and appropriate education?
• appropriate appropriate education<01:01:38.920> and<01:01:39.200> high<01:01:39.440>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :15:58.680> sure<00:15:59.000> that<00:15:59.120> there's<00:15:59.319> appropriate
• making sure that there's appropriate making sure that there's appropriate capacity<00:16:00.279>
• We just want to make sure that those are clinically appropriate services.
• uh as as folks have kind of appropriate uh as as folks have kind of interpreted<00:29:15.440> this
• appropriate appropriate services<00:29:23.480> and<00:29:23.760> that's<00:29:24.039><

Bills: HF1662, HF2115, HF2159, HF1095, HF2160

Keywords: veterans, veterans affairs, State Soldiers Assistance Program, Veterans Stable Housing Initiative, MAXIS, human services data, data sharing, eligibility verification, informed consent, private data, benefits coordination, veteran housing, veteran assistance, Department of Human Services, Children Youth and Families, state benefits, federal benefits, privacy, public assistance, human services

Transcript Highlights:

• , CARES Act appropriations, American Rescue Plan Act appropriations, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
• Act appropriations, appropriation transfers, and Restricted Reserve Fund transfers.
• These are appropriation fund transfer requests for the Game and Fish Commission or Conservation Incentive
• Infrastructure investment and jobs Act Appropriation, appropriation transfers, restricted reserve fund
• These are appropriation of fund transfer requests for the Game and Fish Commission or Conservation Incentive

Summary: The meeting began with a quorum call, prayer, and approval of the previous minutes. Members then adopted a resolution honoring Lori McDonald of the Department of Human Services for nearly 28 years of state service, with remarks praising her legislative work, constituent services, leadership, and emergency response roles. McDonald thanked the committee, and the Senate also presented her with a citation, flag, and commemorative coin. The committee received the May 2026 revenue report, which showed gross adjusted collections of $7.76 billion year-to-date, up 4.4% from the prior year, and a projected surplus of $585.8 million. The executive subcommittee report was adopted, covering emergency rules for DHS and the Department of Education, school district waiver requests, committee fund allocations, cancellation of the July ALC meeting, and authorization for subcommittees to meet in July on urgent matters. The administrative rules report was also adopted after members noted that most rules were approved, with a few pulled by agencies or held. Members then heard a lengthy exchange on the Arkansas Education Department’s ClassWallet contract and delays in expense review for education savings account payments. Department officials said they were meeting regularly with ClassWallet, enforcing contract standards, keeping some reviews in-house, and adding staff and technology improvements to speed processing while maintaining oversight. The committee also adopted reports from Game and Fish and State Police, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Lottery Oversight, Occupational Licensing Review, Peer Review, Review, State Insurance Programs Oversight, and Personnel, including a Department of Commerce reallocation tied to a broader shared-services realignment. Under review of communications, members filed several retirement system investment items as reviewed, approved rural community grant funding, gave favorable advice for state park additions, approved special maintenance funding for state parks, and filed Office of State Technology service-rate changes as reviewed. The meeting concluded with no new business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• New Mexico, a reprimand, is appropriate for violations of House Rule 261.
• <00:27:00.640> for Uh New Mexico a rep is appropriate for Uh New Mexico a rep is appropriate
• <00:32:00.799> reprimand constitutes an appropriate reprimand constitutes an appropriate reprimand
• :32:51.440> matter<00:32:51.679> was was appropriately um a matter was was appropriately
• <00:35:02.880> Is appropriate motions to be taken up.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair will now appropriately.
• There's just over $247 million as an annual appropriation to the program, and the average award last
• <00:08:29.599> to million as an annual appropriation to million as an annual appropriation
• Again, using our statutory authority to bring spending within appropriations.
• appropriations for the programs. programs. programs.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We're happy to respond to questions when appropriate. The Department of Finance.
• I'm happy to answer questions at the appropriate time. Thank you.
• That concludes my remarks, and I'm here for questions at the appropriate time.
• We're happy to take questions when appropriate. Department of Finance.
• The 2025 Budget Act appropriated $294,000.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• important step in 2023 and appropriated important step in 2023 and appropriated a<00:07:32.840><
• uh to developed an appropriation uh to developed an innovative<00:07:36.960> manufactured<00:
• <00:47:36.480> action categories may delay appropriate action categories may delay appropriate
• But current law allows providers to act appropriately when safety concerns arise.
• But current law allows providers to act appropriately when safety concerns arise.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, I would also note these come from 2023 appropriations.
• So those dollars are appropriated money.
• So the House makes this appropriation, as does commerce, but the House has a provision to then go on
• There is a reimbursement contingent appropriation in the Senate bill of $66,500,000.
• There is a reimbursement contingent appropriation in the Senate bill of $66,500,000.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The fellow is appropriate. Anyone tired? The fellow is appropriate.
• That is not appropriate.
• Is that appropriate? Is that appropriate for little kids to see?
• Is that appropriate? You asked me two questions. I'm answering the first one.
• You think that's appropriate to hide from parents?

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, offered an invocation, led the pledges, and approved a series of routine motions, including excusing absent members and granting permission for several committees to meet while the House was in session. Members also adopted several memorial and recognition resolutions, including H.R. 1023 honoring Christian Beerbill, H.R. 1033 recognizing International Bereaved Mother’s Day, and H.R. 877 recognizing Urban League Advocates Day. The House also recommitted SB 17 and HB 4211 to committee and postponed SCR 27 and HB 2145 for later consideration. The chamber then took up a long third-reading calendar of bills covering a wide range of topics, including Sunset review measures, health care workforce and pricing, child custody and family law, Medicaid, rural ambulance grants, energy reporting, public information requests, trail development, virtual meeting disruptions, occupational licensing, protective orders, county leave pools, animal cruelty, infrastructure, and higher education. Most bills were explained briefly by their authors and passed with broad support, though several drew notable opposition, including HB 5265, HB 2402, HB 3000, HB 3237, HB 3326, HB 1056, HB 281, HB 3308, HB 1043, HB 1234, HB 1193, HB 294, HB 809, HB 334, HB 2037, HB 285, HB 1353, HB 3960, HB 4044, HB 4264, HB 2807, HB 3349, HB 4406, HB 1593, HB 1899, HB 1201, and others. Several bills prompted extended debate or amendments. HB 3237, extending public energy-use reporting for state and higher-education buildings, passed after questions about its public-sector-only scope and energy savings. HB 3326, addressing public service loan forgiveness credit for adjunct professors, initially failed on a 69-70 vote but later passed after verification and machine corrections. HB 3211, concerning optometrists in managed care plans, adopted a Buckley amendment before passing. HB 2213 on Texas Windstorm Insurance Association board composition adopted a Metcalf amendment requiring certain board members to be Texas residents. HB 412, dealing with harmful materials and sexual performance of a child, generated extensive questioning about its scope, existing legal standards, and effects on educators and medical professionals; the excerpt ends during that debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was just going to move favorable at the appropriate time. Okay, Representative Billings.
• delayed in some way and so they were not anticipated to spend all of the money that they had been appropriated
• that totals about $19.3 million, and those are projects that ended with additional funds or were appropriated
• But that $10 million set appropriated to that one piece of the project, this will allow LED to make that
• It also means you guys, what we're seeing is I think we're going to see a lot of cash appropriated with

Bills: SB406

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Representative Long, that bill is being reviewed, and it will move through at the appropriate time
• Madam Speaker. >> State your point of parliamentary inquiry. >> Madam Speaker, what would be the appropriate
• the appropriate time. the appropriate time.
• the >> Madam Speaker, what would be the >> Madam Speaker, what would be the appropriate
• time for the bill to move to appropriate time for the bill to move to committee?

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The journal from the previous day was approved as corrected, and House Files 5140 through 5143 were introduced and given first reading. The Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration also reported that Senate File 3720 was designated for the calendar for Thursday, May 14, 2026, with a pre-filing requirement for amendments. During the floor session, Representative Long repeatedly questioned the status of Senate File 4067, described as a comprehensive gun violence prevention package, asking where it was located and when it would move through committee. The Speaker responded that the bill, along with other omnibus bills from the Senate, was under review and would move at the appropriate time, which was within the Speaker’s prerogative. Long argued that families affected by gun violence wanted the bill advanced to the floor for a vote and urged leadership to move it forward. Representative Niska then moved that the House recess to the call of the Speaker, and the motion carried. The House announced it would recess, with members also indicating they would meet in their caucuses.