Transcript Highlights:

• Members of the Private Occupational School Board, for a term expiring July 1st, 2026: Howard OG of Denver
• Members of the private occupational<00:24:48.240><c> school</c><00:24:48.480><c> board</c><00:24:48.640
• ><c> for</c><00:24:48.799><c> a</c><00:24:48.880><c> term</c> occupational school board for a term occupational
• </c><00:25:01.200><c> school</c><00:25:01.360><c> division</c> the private occupational school division
• the private occupational school division occasioned<00:25:02.000><c> by</c><00:25:02.159><c> the</c>

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, gentlelady, so that would include an occupational therapist, for example. Mr.
• Speaker, gentlelady, I'm glad that we have the occupational therapist. Mr.
• Speaker, gentleperson, is that there is an assumption here that some degrees and some occupations are
• better. ...than other degrees and other occupations.
• Speaker, gentleperson, can you tell me, if we have no abundance of a certain occupation or a certain

Transcript Highlights:

• At the age of 84, he died of a rare neurological disease called PSP.
• He died of a rare neurological disease called PSP, progressive supranuclear palsy.
• I lost my mother when she was 84, also from the same rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear
• This disease has no definitive cause, and in the 21 years since my mother's passing, there continues
• Knowing this disease well, I know that Reverend Jackson went from cane to walker to wheelchair in a relatively

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, heard a prayer and pledge, and then moved through a largely ceremonial floor session with multiple guest introductions and recognitions. Members honored the retirement of long-serving committee secretary Marisa Lancaster, recognized Assemblymember Rubio’s parents on her mother’s 80th birthday, welcomed school and agency guests, and celebrated Crescenta Valley Water District’s 75th anniversary. The body also adopted several resolutions recognizing Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and California FFA, with strong bipartisan support and co-author additions. The main policy item was AJR 27, a resolution urging federal disaster aid for Los Angeles-area wildfire recovery, especially the Palisades and Eaton fires. Supporters from both parties emphasized the need for immediate, unconditional federal assistance for displaced residents, businesses, and communities still rebuilding, while some Republicans argued the state and local governments should move faster on permitting, recovery, and mitigation and criticized state spending priorities. After debate, the resolution was opened for co-authors and then adopted on a 68-0 roll call vote. The Assembly also adopted ACR 133 on Girl Day by voice vote after 70 co-authors were added, ACR 138 honoring FFA with 73 co-authors and voice adoption, and ACR 136 on Engineers Week with 69 co-authors and unanimous consent on the consent calendar. The chamber then heard adjournment-in-memory tributes for Juan Antonio Pacheco and Paul L. McAiley, and adjourned until Monday, March 2, at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the age of 84, he died of a rare neurological disease called PSP...
• He died of a rare neurological disease called PSP, progressive supranuclear palsy.
• I lost my mother when she was 84, also from the same rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear
• This disease has no definitive cause, and in the 21 years since my mother's passing, there continues
• We are a unique family of those who know this rare disease, progressive supranuclear palsy.

Transcript Highlights:

• could have led to vaccines, cancer immunotherapies, and treatments for autoimmune and infectious disease
• the past 36 years, I have dedicated myself to research in non-human primate models of infectious diseases
• Paris Golder, UC Davis graduate student, UAW 4811 member, and rare disease patient, and I support this
• I have a rare genetic disease.
• My mom suffers every day from an autoimmune disease that we don't yet have treatment for.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Taken together, as you all know, rural communities experience rates of chronic disease, provider shortages
• Community paramedics managing chronic diseases in people's homes.
• And then Live Well Together, our health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management
• bucket. ...health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management bucket.
• As a registered dietitian, I really appreciate that we have a health promotion, chronic disease prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• We need research coverage frameworks that stop calling treatment for women's diseases elective.
• And this transition can unmask or worsen heart disease, all metabolic conditions, mental health conditions
• The menopause transition is a critical time to optimize health and reduce risk for cardiovascular disease
• And so if you could just help me understand, because I don't think that there's a lot of disease out
• And so if you could just help me understand, because I don't think that there's a lot of disease out

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing during a snowstorm, with members participating both in person and via Teams, and the chairs said testimony would be kept open for an additional week. The first bill heard was H.4796, an act relative to organ transplant vehicles. NORA New England testified in support, arguing that dedicated organ transport vehicles need authority to use lights and sirens so time-sensitive organs can be moved more quickly and safely without relying on EMS systems already stretched by 9-1-1 calls. No opposition was heard and the bill was then set aside as the committee moved to the next item. The bulk of the hearing focused on H.4838, an act expanding access to perimenopause and menopause care. Chair Decker, who filed the bill, said it was the product of a year of meetings with dozens of individuals and organizations and was intended as a starting point to identify gaps in care, training, access, and coverage. Testimony overwhelmingly supported the bill and described widespread misdiagnosis, dismissal of symptoms, limited clinician training, insurance barriers, medication access problems, and workplace impacts. Speakers included patients, clinicians, advocates, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, and out-of-state and international experts, many of whom urged better education, public awareness, research, and workplace accommodations. Several witnesses emphasized that menopause affects whole-body health, including cardiovascular, bone, mental health, and work outcomes, and that Black women and other marginalized groups face greater barriers and worse outcomes. Some speakers noted the bill is important but largely a framework that will need further work to address coverage and access more directly. Blue Cross Blue Shield said it supports the bill and already covers menopause-related care and training, though the chair used the exchange to criticize broader insurer and state decisions on GLP-1 coverage for obesity. The committee took no vote during the hearing, and the chairs closed by thanking witnesses and stating that additional written testimony would be accepted.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> height of the federal occupation. height of the federal occupation.
• I'm an occupational therapist involved in several community groups and co-founder of Papel Artesanal,
• ><c> involved</c> I'm an occupational therapist involved I'm an occupational therapist involved in<00
• And this is all due to federal occupation. These entrepreneurs did not fail their community.
• . occupation. occupation.

Bills: HF4477

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: Minnesota business recovery loan program, small business loan, zero-interest loan, forgivable loan, business recovery, economic development, small business emergency loan account, Minnesota Initiative Foundations, nonprofit lenders, greater Minnesota, Twin Cities metro, seven-county metropolitan area, immigration enforcement, business interruption, revenue loss, job preservation, business stabilization, state appropriation, forward fund, loan forgiveness

Transcript Highlights:

• So the idea of the own occupation or profession had little meaning to us.
• And that's why we put the public at large, not your own occupation.
• So um I'll give you a occupation. So um I'll give you a potential<01:18:55.840><c> example.
• ><c> had</c><01:20:03.040><c> little</c> occupation or profession had little occupation or profession
• Um so that would be one occupation.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 1 adds a simple sentence: cities, towns, and municipalities shall not mandate that occupants
• </c><01:16:13.760><c> requirements</c><01:16:14.520><c> for</c> regarding occupancy requirements for
• regarding occupancy requirements for unrelated<01:16:15.159><c> people</c><01:16:15.360><c> in</c><01
• Follow-up: the section dealing with mandates that occupants and housing units be related by blood or
• <01:23:46.600><c> in</c><01:23:46.719><c> the</c><01:23:46.800><c> same</c> occupants in the same occupants

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas, for example, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's Division
• And whereas also in 2023 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health
• </c><00:09:33.400><c> Prevention</c> Center for Chronic Disease Prevention Center for Chronic Disease
• <00:09:55.800><c> Control</c><00:09:56.200><c> and</c><00:09:56.320><c> Prevention's</c> Disease Control
• and Prevention's Disease Control and Prevention's National<00:09:57.560><c> Center</c><00:09:57.920>

Transcript Highlights:

• We control plant and animal diseases, and in doing so, we try to protect the state's natural resources
• We breed new varieties of wheat, berries, tree fruit, and several other products to fight diseases and
• From those disease and pest threats.
• You mitigated the diseases around, though.
• You mitigated the diseases around, though.

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held an interim work session focused on Washington agriculture’s viability, competitiveness, and the effects of federal policy and trade. Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sanderson outlined the agency’s role in inspections, food assistance, pesticide and fertilizer oversight, disease control, and marketing, and described Washington agriculture as a diverse, export-oriented sector facing declining farm numbers, high labor and input costs, low commodity prices, trade barriers, drought, regulatory burdens, and pest and disease pressures. WSU CAHNRS Dean Raj Kosla emphasized the land-grant mission, extension network, education programs, and research capacity, highlighting precision agriculture, broadband needs in rural areas, and the importance of research and outreach to support growers and rural communities. Members asked about farm loss, workforce challenges, precision agriculture, and the cost of technology. Kosla said precision agriculture can help address labor shortages but is often cost-prohibitive and dependent on rural broadband; he described it as applying the right input, in the right amount, place, time, and manner. He also noted that WSU’s research and extension system supports crop development, soil health, forestry, youth programs, and agricultural training, and that the college is eager to partner with the legislature on priorities. Sanderson said the department is working on local food systems, farm-to-school grants, infrastructure, market development, pest and disease response, climate resilience, and access to land for new and underrepresented farmers. The committee then heard from WSU economist Randy Fortenberry on an agricultural competitiveness study and trade impacts. He said the study used producer surveys, case studies, and shift-share analysis for dairy, grapes, hops, potatoes, apples/tree fruit, wheat, and small/diversified farms, comparing Washington to national trends and peer states. His findings indicated that Washington’s competitiveness is declining in most sectors, with potatoes as the main exception; labor and regulatory compliance costs were especially significant in dairy, grapes, potatoes, and tree fruit, while small farms were more constrained by land access, capital, and profitability. On trade, he said Washington is highly export-dependent and vulnerable to retaliation, citing past losses in wheat, apples, pulses, and cherries when tariffs disrupted access to China and India, while noting current uncertainty around Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, and India. No votes were taken. The committee discussed next steps, including a December interim report on food security and agricultural viability and a final report expected by June 2026. Sanderson said the department had already held a stakeholder workshop and is continuing internal and external review, while the chair asked WSU to connect the committee with policy experts who could help identify practical solutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of the amendment, uh, dealing with the rare disease advisory council.
• had approached me and asked me to make a change there because of the terms of office on the rare disease
• /c><00:11:23.839><c> with</c><00:11:24.000><c> the</c><00:11:24.160><c> rare</c><00:11:24.480><c> disease
• </c> uh dealing with the rare disease uh dealing with the rare disease advisory<00:11:25.480><c> council
• advisory council and it was disease advisory council and it was problematic<00:11:40.880><c> to</c><

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• On Florida Institute for Pediatric were diseases by Senator Burton.
• Senate Bill 13. 58 6, excuse me. 30 56 crease of Florida issue for pediatric rare diseases at Florida
• State University to position Florida's leader in genomic and precision medicine for rare pediatric disease
• So that parents will have access to testing for rare diseases at the time their child is born.
• What we know is that the earlier diagnoses occurs with a child with a rare disease.

Transcript Highlights:

• California residents were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 9,320 died from the disease, which is more
• Lung cancer is an aggressive disease. Lung cancer is an aggressive disease where timing matters.
• Delays in follow-up can mean the difference between early-stage, treatable cancers and advanced disease
• Plus the social and emotional impacts, disease progression, and the list goes on.
• Lynn Kinst, on behalf of the Bleeding Disorders Council of California and the California Rare Disease

Committee: Senate Health

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills, beginning with SB 1124 on lung cancer screening awareness. The author and supporters said the bill would require CDPH signage about lung cancer screening eligibility at tobacco point-of-sale locations to address low awareness and low screening rates. Support came from medical students, physicians, and the California Academy of Family Physicians, while retailers raised concerns about sign size, retailer notification, and implementation. Committee members generally supported the bill and noted the need to work through those concerns. SB 1150 sought to require clearer patient notice when cancer cases are reported to the California Cancer Registry. The author described the bill as a response to inconsistent notification practices and privacy concerns, and the chair and other members shared personal stories about learning they or family members were in the registry without knowing it. Cancer registry and university stakeholders expressed appreciation for amendments but continued to have concerns or wanted more time to review the language. The bill was discussed as a patient-awareness measure rather than a change to reporting requirements. The committee also heard SB 1400 on Alameda Health System governance, SB 1094 on biosimilar substitution and health plan policies, SB 1314 on smoke shop regulation and nitrous oxide restrictions, and SB 1309 on eliminating cost-sharing for medically necessary follow-up after lung cancer screening. SB 1400 and SB 1314 drew support from local officials, labor, and public health advocates, with members emphasizing youth protection and local oversight. SB 1094 passed after extensive debate over pharmacist substitution authority and notification requirements, with a 6-0 vote and opposition from biotechnology and physician groups. SB 1309 also passed after members discussed the cost of follow-up care and the value of early detection, despite opposition from health plans over premium impacts; it received a 7-0 vote and was placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2024, an estimated 16,920 Californians were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 9,320 died from the disease
• Lung cancer is an aggressive disease. Lung cancer is an aggressive disease where timing matters.
• Delays in follow-up can mean the difference between early-stage, treatable cancers and advanced disease
• Plus the social and emotional impacts, disease progression, and the list goes on.
• Lynn Kinst, on behalf of the Bleeding Disorders Council of California and the California Rare Disease

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills, beginning with SB 1124, which would require the California Department of Public Health to create and post lung cancer screening eligibility signage at tobacco point-of-sale locations. The author and supporters said the bill is intended to raise awareness of a screening that many eligible Californians do not know exists; retailers raised concerns about signage size, distribution, and notice to stores. The bill was presented while the committee lacked quorum, so no vote was taken at that time. Members then heard SB 1150, which would require clearer patient notice when cancer cases are reported to the California Cancer Registry. The author and committee chair emphasized patient awareness and privacy, while registry and university stakeholders said they appreciated the amendments and would continue working on the language. SB 1400 followed, proposing changes to Alameda Health System governance to give Alameda County more flexibility and direct oversight; county and labor supporters said the current structure is too rigid for today’s health care environment, and no opposition was heard. The committee also heard SB 1094, which would expand substitution of biosimilars and generics to lower prescription drug costs. Supporters, including health plans and Sharp Health Care, said the bill would reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs, while opponents from biotechnology and rheumatology groups raised concerns about pharmacist substitution, patient switching, and therapeutic equivalence. After quorum was established, SB 1094 passed 6-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1314, which would create a statewide definition for smoke shops, impose a 600-foot buffer from sensitive sites, and restrict nitrous oxide sales; it drew broad support from local government, pediatric, and law enforcement groups and passed 6-0 on call. SB 1309, which would eliminate cost-sharing for medically appropriate lung cancer screening follow-up care, also passed 7-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations after testimony from clinicians, advocates, and insurers. Finally, SB 1199 was introduced to ban copay accumulators, with the sponsor and author arguing it would ensure patient assistance counts toward out-of-pocket maximums and improve medication access.

Transcript Highlights:

• California residents were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 9,320 died from the disease, which is more
• Lung cancer is an aggressive disease. Lung cancer is an aggressive disease where timing matters.
• Delays in follow-up can mean the difference between early-stage, treatable cancers and advanced disease
• Plus the social and emotional impacts, disease progression, and the list goes on.
• Lynn Kinst, on behalf of the Bleeding Disorders Council of California and the California Rare Disease

Committee: Senate Health

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky is carrying a heavy chronic disease burden.
• Conditions like diabetes and heart disease that are deeply connected to diet and access.
• </c> a heavy chronic disease burden. a heavy chronic disease burden.
• that are deeply connected to disease that are deeply connected to diet<00:33:16.240><c> and</c><00:33
• They also know we cannot outspend a chronic disease crisis with treatment alone.

Committee: House Health Services

Transcript Highlights:

• program to educate health care providers on methods to best care for patients having Alzheimer's disease
• program to educate health care providers on methods to best care for patients having Alzheimer's disease
• We also have a second part that we propose: to organize the research component of Alzheimer's disease
• has been around for because the disease has been around for a<00:43:32.240><c> little</c><00:43:32.400
• okay thank you so caused the disease okay thank you so University<00:43:45.359><c> there's</c><00:43

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education met on February 6 and began with decision-making items. SB 663, concerning additional positions for the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, was deferred again after the chair said the university’s response did not include the requested details on vacant positions, recruitment status, and fill dates. The chair said the committee needed the full information before considering new positions, and the university apologized for treating the request as informal rather than a formal committee inquiry. The committee then discussed SB 672, relating to capital improvement projects for the Y. Manalo Research Station. University representatives said the project had been identified late because of timing and that they were still developing a broader plan for SEAR research facilities. The chair questioned how the project fit within the university’s existing Board of Regents-approved CIP priorities and whether any current priorities should be displaced. The university said it could not unilaterally reprioritize the budget, and the measure was deferred pending better direction on how it fits into the overall plan. For SB 557, which would require the John A. Burns School of Medicine to direct a study on physician and dentist recruitment and retention for Maui, the committee heard strong testimony in support from Maui health care providers and community representatives. Supporters described severe shortages of physicians and dentists, long waits for care, and the need for housing, loan repayment, scholarships, transportation, and telehealth support to retain providers. The university said it was willing to help and suggested the work could be done through existing rural health and AHEC efforts. The bill was kept alive for further work, with the chair encouraging the parties to develop a plan. The committee also heard SB 1107, establishing a medical education position at JABSOM to support ECHO-style mentorship and guidance programs. The university opposed the bill, saying it did not believe the measure addressed a problem that needed fixing and that Hawaiʻi already has five ECHO clinics administered through the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association, not JABSOM. The committee then took up SB 1204, concerning integration of the Kakaʻako medical school and cancer center. University leadership asked for time to develop a plan and timeline, possibly with an external consultant, and requested the bill be withdrawn. The chair expressed skepticism, citing long-standing concerns about the cancer center’s finances and planning. Testimony included support from the American Cancer Society and a patient who warned that integration could jeopardize the cancer center’s NCI designation and clinical trials, while a university vice president said the NIH P30 grant does not require the cancer center and medical school to remain separate and that many NCI centers are integrated. No final votes were taken on the measures discussed in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Families rely on those products to protect from diseases like West Nile virus.
• acres in the Central Valley, creating unmanaged landscapes that will be reservoirs for pests and diseases
• And is it damaging enough to the ecosystem or the environment, or is it a haven for a vector for diseases
• ...the ecosystem or the environment, or is it a haven for a vector for diseases, so much so that we have
• They are seeing respiratory disease in their children.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate hearing examined whether California’s pesticide program is meeting its public-protection goals, with opening remarks from committee chairs emphasizing the state’s large pesticide use, the need to transition toward sustainable pest management, and ongoing oversight including a state audit of DPR and county agricultural commissioner enforcement. The hearing also referenced recent concerns in Ladera Ranch about childhood cancer cases and the need for transparent investigation and community access to information. Panel one focused on human health and the regulatory framework. Dr. Anna Maria Mora described long-running CHAMACOS research showing widespread pesticide exposure in farmworker families, links to neurodevelopmental, respiratory, liver, and cardiometabolic harms, and greater impacts on children facing social adversity. She urged biomonitoring, better linkage of exposure data to health outcomes, regulation of chemical classes and mixtures, stronger buffers around homes and schools, and more community-based research. Professor Tim Malloy explained California’s two-tier system of DPR registration and county permitting, said the state’s program is strong but falls short on cumulative exposure analysis and alternatives assessment, and argued that DPR and counties need better tools, training, and funding to implement legally required protections. Committee members asked about biomonitoring, class-based regulation, and how to make pesticide data more usable for the public. Panel two brought testimony from environmental justice and farmworker advocates, who argued that California remains behind other jurisdictions by allowing highly hazardous pesticides, including 1,3-dichloropropene and paraquat, and by relying on a funding structure tied to pesticide sales. Witnesses said DPR often moves too slowly on reevaluations, rarely assesses combined exposures, and does not adequately account for health, environmental, and social costs or conflicts of interest involving pest control advisors. They also described inconsistent county-level implementation, weak outreach, and confusion over whether DPR or county agricultural commissioners are responsible for enforcement, and urged faster phaseouts, tiered fees, stronger local protections, and clearer accountability. Panel three represented regulated entities and agricultural stakeholders, who supported the goals of safer pest management but stressed that California’s registration process must be more predictable, transparent, and timely. They said AB 2113’s staffing and timeline reforms were important, but backlog and delays still hinder access to newer, lower-risk products and can hurt both consumer and agricultural uses. Agricultural witnesses also emphasized the need to invest more in pest prevention, invasive species detection, extension support, farmer training, and practical incentives for sustainable pest management. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with members pressing witnesses on timelines, implementation, funding, and the division of responsibility between DPR and county agencies.