Transcript Highlights:

• So regarding critical access hospitals, I guess they originally said 91% anyway.
• So critical access hospitals have, for, uh, since 2021, we've used directed payments for critical access
• care, and that's working for a global pool that would produce, um, that for critical access hospitals
• <00:17:12.000> hospitals<00:17:12.480> for<00:17:12.720> their critical access
• hospitals for their critical access hospitals for their entire<00:17:13.280> they<00:17:13.520

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first went into executive session on SB 83, which concerns an elderly, disabled, blind, and deaf property tax exemption reimbursement fund, lottery-related changes, and a voluntary statewide self-exclusion database. Representative Ulery moved to retain the bill, saying more work was needed to make the bill clear. The motion passed 17-0 with three members absent, and SB 83 was retained in committee. The committee then took up SB 249FN, a bill relative to the uncompensated care and Medicaid fund. Representative Ulery offered House Amendment 2025-2465H, which was described as incorporating a recent agreement between the state and hospital parties into state law and setting the stage for future action. Medicaid Director Henry Litman explained that the agreement keeps the Medicaid enhancement tax at 5.4%, uses directed payments rather than traditional DSH payments, and is intended to be budget-neutral for the state while increasing hospital payments through a higher federal match. He also said critical access hospitals would continue under the existing directed-payment approach, and that the agreement includes a mechanism to revisit the arrangement if federal law changes substantially. New Hampshire Hospital Association President Steve Hearn said the association supports the amendment and the bill as amended, calling the settlement fair and beneficial to hospitals and the Medicaid program. The amendment and the subsequent ought-to-pass-as-amended motion both passed 18-0. At the end of the meeting, the chair said the committee had now gone through all of its bills and had retained nine in total, with a future meeting planned in September or October to review retained bills. Members briefly discussed possible future committee of conference work and noted there would be no House session that Thursday. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, it protects access to federal Lifeline funding for people with Social Security numbers, which
• AB 1303 enables a diversity of vulnerable populations to access essential communication services at an
• to access health care, housing, apply for benefits, pursue legal action, and interact with the courts
• Furthermore, increasing access to essential communication services improves economic development, civic
• Access to communication services can actually save lives and therefore benefits everyone in California

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee met to adopt its 2025-2026 rules and hear three bills. The committee first adopted the rules on a roll call vote, then heard AB 1303 by Assemblymember Valencia, which would clarify that a Social Security number is not required to apply for California Lifeline and would restrict sharing subscriber information with immigration enforcement absent a court warrant or subpoena. Supporters said the bill would help vulnerable Californians, including undocumented residents, domestic violence survivors, unhoused people, and identity theft victims, access essential communications services; there was no opposition. The bill passed on a due pass motion and was re-referred to Judiciary. The committee next heard AB 1271 by Assemblymember Bonta, which would require broadband providers to report pricing and speed-performance data to the Department of Consumer Affairs and make the information publicly available, with privacy protections and a standardized reporting template. Supporters argued the bill would improve transparency and help consumers, local governments, and the state understand what broadband service Californians are actually receiving; testimony highlighted disparities in speed and pricing in low-income communities. The bill was amended in committee and passed on a due pass as amended motion to the Committee on Business and Professions. Finally, the committee heard AB 693 by the chair, Assemblymember Boerner, which would consolidate broadband and digital equity functions into a new Department of Broadband and Digital Equity and create an 11-member commission with decision-making authority. Supporters said the current split between agencies creates delays and coordination problems, while members discussed governance, geographic representation, and whether the proposal would require follow-up constitutional or statutory changes. The bill passed 9-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. Afterward, the committee added AB 1303 and AB 1271 as later add-ons, both of which were also reported out, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Will they be accessible to the public?
• Senator Davis: Are they accessible to the public?
• I want to make sure that I have access to the water personally.
• I want to make sure that I have access to the water personally.
• , that access is already much more difficult.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and heard several member introductions before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, which directs DEP to develop a statewide recycling strategy by 2026 with stakeholder input and a three-year implementation roadmap; the House bill was substituted and passed 38-0. Senators then approved CS/CS/SB 492 on mitigation banking and land development after adopting two McLean amendments, including one on out-of-service credits and another incorporating phosphate mining lands provisions; the bill passed 35-3 after debate over possible constitutional issues. CS/SB 494 on aggravated animal cruelty was also amended and substituted with the House companion to add a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers and a sentencing multiplier, with an agriculture-related exemption; it passed 37-0. The Senate next passed CS/CS/SB 500/HB 711 creating the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, including training and coordinated alert procedures, with a House amendment to align implementation timing and funding; it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 524/HB 1089 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening tests and passed 36-0. CS/CS/SB 592/HB 393 revised the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program by lowering approval thresholds, clarifying eligibility and ownership issues, and adding sliding-door wind-driven rain mitigation devices; it passed 37-0 after discussion about funding and insurance premium credits. CS/SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education allowed charter schools direct access to grant funding and expanded money-back guarantees for certain programs, and it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 822/HB 443 on charter schools generated extensive debate and multiple amendments, including a Jones amendment requiring parent acknowledgment of school rules; the bill would expand charter autonomy, reporting flexibility, enrollment capacity, and governance provisions, and it was placed on the calendar for third reading after the amendment process. Later, the Senate passed HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, which would examine job displacement, wages, vulnerable regions, and training needs, by a 35-0 vote. It also passed CS/CS/SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, CS/SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, and CS/SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment and digitally forged intimate images, all unanimously. CS/CS/SB 1156 on a Home Health Aid for Medically Fragile Children Program was amended to clarify training requirements and passed 37-0 after supportive debate about helping parents care for medically fragile children. Finally, CS/CS/CS/SB 1240/HB 1091 on substance abuse and mental health care was amended to allow designated facilities to retain certain stabilized patients during the 72-hour involuntary examination period and passed 37-0. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, and the chamber also recognized guests and interns throughout the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:06:46.039> to see in the slide includes access to see in the slide includes access to
• They're not—they don't have any update access to the system. So is that access to the system?
• They're not—they don't have any update access to the system. So is that access to the system?
• They're not—they don't have any update access to the system. So is that access to the system?
• They're not—they don't have any update access to the system. So is that access to the system?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a Division 3 budget work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Economic Stability. Karen Hebert, the division director, and Nathan White, DHHS chief financial officer, walked members through the governor’s operating budget pages and a briefing book, explaining that the division was consolidated in 2018 and serves programs aimed at financial stability, poverty reduction, child care access, and related supports. Members repeatedly asked for clearer breakdowns of general fund spending, historical growth since consolidation, and how the division’s broad mission areas map onto specific budget lines. A major portion of the discussion centered on the Bureau of Child Development and Head Start collaboration and the child care subsidy program. Hebert said the child care scholarship/subsidy helps low- and moderate-income families access daycare so parents can work, attend school, or receive treatment, and that eligibility is based on state median income up to 85%. She reported a 45% increase in utilization, 4,032 children receiving daycare support as of the end of January, and about 15% of eligible children being served. She also described the quality improvement system “Granite Steps for Quality,” with 160 providers enrolled out of 717 licensed programs, and noted that 1,200 child care professionals added credentials in the last year. Members pressed for cost-benefit information, asking for data on how much the state pays, how many providers and children are served, and whether the department could quantify unmet need. The witnesses said some projects were funded with short-term ARPA child care dollars and that detailed cost data for specific examples, such as the Gorm Community Learning Center expansion, would need to be looked up. They also explained that the child care fund is a federal block grant with required spending set-asides of 9% for quality, 3% for infants and toddlers, and up to 5% for administration, and that unused funds remain available. The committee also reviewed slide 10’s accounting units, including that the Child Care Workforce Fund is 100% general funds and was created as a priority item under HB 2 from the 2024 session, while some other child care-related units are 100% federal funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to make sure the public has access to the meeting. It's on the feed.
• And so we do have access to all kinds of data about what's happening in court.
• No one should be without access due to administrative failures.
• How does TIDC use your funding to ensure that we provide access to justice for all?
• How does TIDC use your funding to ensure that we provide access to justice for all?

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It would be great if we could have better access or access at all, to that database to be able to identify
• It would be great if we could have better access or access at all, to that database to be able to identify
• It would be great if we could have better access or access at all, to that database to be able to identify
• And so we access it. The attorney General’s office can access it.
• Many of my comments are my own personal experience of accessing or failing to access class services,

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services convened to discuss interim charges regarding fraud, waste, and abuse in Texas human services, particularly focusing on Medicaid and childcare programs. The meeting highlighted the importance of preventing misuse of taxpayer funds, with testimony from various stakeholders emphasizing the need for increased oversight and accountability in these programs. Key points included the alarming rise in healthcare fraud in other states, the necessity for Texas to enhance its fraud prevention measures, and the potential financial repercussions of failing to meet federal compliance standards. Several committee members expressed concerns about the impact of fraud on vulnerable populations, particularly those relying on Medicaid services. Testimonies from experts underscored the effectiveness of Texas's Office of Inspector General (OIG) in combating fraud, yet pointed out existing vulnerabilities, such as inconsistent enforcement and the need for better data sharing among agencies. The discussion also touched on the challenges faced by hospice care providers, with a significant increase in the number of hospices in Texas raising concerns about quality and oversight. The committee heard from various witnesses, including representatives from health plans and advocacy organizations, who provided insights into the complexities of managing Medicaid and the importance of maintaining program integrity. The meeting concluded with a commitment to further explore legislative solutions to enhance oversight and ensure that resources are directed to those in genuine need.

Transcript Highlights:

• more accessible. more accessible.
• > requirements current ADA accessibility requirements current ADA accessibility requirements or
• :02.880> equitable<00:56:03.520> access It ensures that all park visitors can safely access
• , family visits, and attorney access, family visits, and attorney access, which<01:06:38.000>
• consider, including maintaining access consider, including maintaining access to<01:07:15.039>

Bills: HF3700, HF3982, HF3927, HF3933, HF3949, HF4238, HF4275, HF4476, HF4504

Keywords: Duluth, Lake Superior Zoo, capital improvements, funding, bonds, appropriations, capital investment, port development, grant caps, state assistance, navigation facilities, Dakota County, state bonds, park improvements, infrastructure, transportation, safety, congestion, water infrastructure, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• So, creating that equity and rural access is a big part of this program.
• So, creating that equity and rural access is a big part of this program.
• >> I don't have that data and I'm not sure if we would have access to it.
• <00:51:23.920> We<00:51:24.079> of if we would have access to it.
• We of if we would have access to it.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard presentations from the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and the Governor Scholars Program. The FCCLA student speaker described how career and technical education helped her gain certifications, work in early childhood settings, and recognize a child who needed speech help, emphasizing support for CTE, FCCLA, and related student organizations. The Governor Scholars Program presentation, led by Dr. Jennifer Price with student speakers Max Corbett and Abigail Ziggler, focused on the program’s role in serving about 1,500 rising seniors each summer, its history since 1983, its statewide reach, and its impact on leadership development, college readiness, and keeping students connected to Kentucky. Members praised the students and program, and several shared personal stories about the program’s long-term benefits. Representative Camuel asked about funding, and Dr. Price said the program’s request was $2.1 million to maintain current enrollment levels of about 1,020 scholars for 2026; no vote was taken on that request during this segment. The committee then took up House Bill 498, sponsored by Representative Duvall, with Aaron Looper of Graduation Alliance testifying in support. A committee substitute was adopted after explanation. The substitute broadened eligibility for accredited providers to include public and nonprofit entities, allowed each county an opportunity to provide services with a $200,000 aggregate maximum per county, reduced the dollars per credit to serve more students, and made date corrections. Representative Duvall said the bill was a workforce measure developed from the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force and aimed at adults who lack a high school diploma but have two years or less remaining to graduate. Looper said the bill would create a pathway for adults to earn a regionally accredited high school diploma, paired with workforce and industry-recognized credentials, and stressed that it would not compete with GED programs, which are better suited for adults farther from graduation. He said the model is pay-for-performance, with providers paid only after milestones are completed, and that it would be available online, in person, or in hybrid form to improve rural access. In response to questions, he said students would not be charged fees, providers would handle transcript retrieval and remediation, and the program would include built-in accountability measures. He also said the budget request is $2 million per year, with the goal of maintaining the current level of service and eventually expanding if successful. Members asked about how the program differs from existing adult education options, access in all counties, and whether there are deserts in service availability; Looper said the online model and provider outreach are intended to address those gaps.

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to hear from you, but you have access to us on a regular basis. Thank you.
• They do provide this kind of access to parents.
• This could easily be changed by newborn screening, so treatment would be accessible.
• It's important to consider how state lines impact access to newborn screening.
• Finally, this legislation is important to help keep access to care.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on a wide range of bills focused on children’s health, tobacco control, newborn screening, pediatric cancer, palliative care, and professional licensure. Early testimony highlighted Senate bills to expand newborn screening for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency, lysosomal storage disorders, and congenital CMV, with families and clinicians describing severe diagnostic delays, missed treatment windows, and the benefits of early detection. Speakers also supported a bill to improve pediatric cancer research through a dedicated trust fund, and a bill to extend pediatric palliative care services to age 22, with parents and providers emphasizing continuity of care for seriously ill young people. Several witnesses gave personal accounts in support of the newborn screening measures. Families described children who endured years of misdiagnosis before receiving diagnoses such as Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, Pompe disease, Niemann-Pick disease, and CMV, often after irreversible damage had already occurred. Medical and advocacy witnesses said Massachusetts already collects some of the relevant screening data and argued that results should be reported to families, while others urged the committee to add conditions to the state panel because effective treatments already exist. The committee also heard support for a bill to establish a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program and training for providers. On tobacco and youth health, testimony supported bills to ban internet tobacco sales, strengthen youth protections, and reduce lung cancer deaths through point-of-sale information and quit-line access. A student testified about easily purchasing flavored nicotine products online without meaningful age verification, and public health advocates backed measures to keep tobacco out of children’s environments. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to ensure parents have access to their children’s medical records through age 16, with exceptions for sensitive services already protected by law. The committee additionally took testimony on an optometry licensure bill, where ophthalmologists opposed language they said could broaden scope of practice and allow optometrists to use the title “optometric physician,” while optometry educators and students supported the bill as a modernization measure with no scope expansion. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair repeatedly reminded speakers of time limits and noted that written testimony could be submitted for additional comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sure our economy continues to grow with industries that rely on having access to these creeks.
• Many will graduate to access benefits and ultimately Medicare for their own health.
• Without reliable access to these materials, everything built on top of them becomes vulnerable.
• WITHOUT RELIABLE ACCESS TO THESE MATERIALS, EVERYTHING BUILT ON TOP OF THEM BECOMES VULNERABLE.
• Speaker, H.R. 2189 does not allow felons or violent criminals to gain access to anything new.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and so we do at times have access to data.
• >> So we have access to Employment Security here.
• Um, and so we do at times have access to data.
• >> So we have access to Employment Security here.
• So we have access to Employment Security here.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Through strategic partnerships, education, and innovation, we are closing the gap in healthcare access
• HB 1597 by Guillen, relating to the access and use of certain criminal history record information, is
• The quality and accessibility of care for certain Medicaid recipients is referred to the Committee on
• Access program.
• Access to child care and providing paid parental leave for the Subcommittee on Workforce.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:37:11.200> the access, but to be ready to access the access, but to be ready to access
• <01:02:55.760> Meanwhile, simply don't have access. Meanwhile, simply don't have access.
• ultimately determine how I can access ultimately determine how I can access and<01:25:16.400>
• do their schoolwork, which they access do their schoolwork, which they access on<01:32:24.880>
• Parents have 24/7 access to grades.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think in rural Virginia, it's forever and always going to be access—whether it's specialist access
• As we know, our rural areas with health care, we lack access.
• I think we also expanded the, you know, remote access and monitoring of certain illnesses.
• And I know a lot of my constituents don't have access to either of those two things at their home.
• When we say Connected Care Closer to Home, that's our access-to-care-where-you-live bucket.

Keywords: House Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So as a reminder, we this committee has authority over issues related to the access and affordability
• But CMS has access to all information through. Tmz is reporting and they'll be increased reporting.
• We're all facilities, rural community, improve access and improve health care outcomes.
• And that's the cap as in the access allowable.
• What are those things and how do we have access to it?

Transcript Highlights:

• And the second is that DOH should make reported hospital data more accessible to the public.
• And DOH posts data from hospitals online, but could make it more accessible.
• News media can have continued access to this information.
• It helps people who have developmental disabilities access services in their community.
• Or how many clients cannot access services.

Summary: At the May 14, 2025 JLARC meeting, members approved the January 9 minutes and adopted the 2025–27 biennial work plan with a minor typo correction. Staff reviewed the new work plan studies, including a drug take-back program fee/expenditure review due in December 2025 and a state energy performance standard compliance review due in June 2027, and noted JLARC’s recent session activity, including several bills passed related to JLARC work and recommendations. The committee then heard a preliminary cannabis market study showing Washington businesses likely produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023. Staff and RAND said LCB’s data systems are incomplete and unreliable, limiting regulation, tax verification, and diversion tracking; they recommended that LCB submit a plan by year-end for collecting accurate data by the end of 2026. Members and LCB discussed the long timeline for a new traceability system, the causes of missing sales and weight data, overproduction, diversion, and the social equity program’s effect on producer licenses. JLARC also presented a preliminary hospital oversight report concluding that the Department of Health is late on many hospital inspections, does not verify third-party inspection standards, does not review adverse health event correction plans, and could make hospital data more accessible. The committee discussed fee funding, language access, and inspection timing, and DOH said it would work on a strategic plan and continue coordinating with JLARC. Members also heard a preliminary report on the public records survivor exemption, which found agencies are using it but need more guidance; JLARC recommended keeping the exemption and having the Attorney General provide additional training. Finally, the committee approved the DDA processes and staffing final report for distribution, which recommended performance metrics, stronger data quality controls, and workforce planning; DDA concurred. JLARC also introduced proposed study questions for a future DCYF juvenile rehabilitation review focused on safety, security, programs, staffing, education, and contraband, and the meeting adjourned after members asked about scope and facility conditions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Centralize it so that patients can access it.
• So that professionals can access it, and the power of those two accessing this would be a registry, a
• Not having access to green space. All of the, I live in the Austin area.
• Um, but you mentioned access and epigenetics. Does this bill change access?
• It's accessible. Almost everybody has a smartphone, right?

Bills: HB46

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• readability and accessibility. Um, Mr. readability and accessibility. Um, Mr.
• We're making changes to ensure that telehealth is actually accessible for medical cannabis patients,
• that teleaalth is actually accessible that teleaalth is actually accessible for<00:07:02.319>
• This would allow adult patients to access their medicine from multiple dispensaries without having to
• These updates are essential to preserving safe, consistent, and non-discriminatory access to care.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• partake in a in a a health insurance options that that are significantly affordable and way more accessible
• Again, we're trying to, you know, the increase access to health care for farmers who live in rural or
• If an employee with access to such information leaves for similar implement with another company and
• So it's not the defining by types of workers is telling us to find it by access to information.
• And during that time I have access to the men's Wearhouse Rolodex of customers, clients who were that

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And will they be accessible to the public? Senator Rodriguez: Thank you, Mr.
• I want to make sure that I have access to the water personally.
• I want to make sure that everybody has access to the waters in Florida.
• , that access is already much more difficult.
• ...not have the wherewithal to pay will not be able to access the courts.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and heard several member introductions and recognitions. The Rules Chair moved CS/CS/SB 622 to the end of the special order calendar, which was adopted without objection. SB 80 on state land management was temporarily postponed, as were later bills SB 716 and CS/CS/CS/SB 1348. The chamber then took up a series of bills, often substituting House companions and adopting amendments before final passage. Measures approved included a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan (HB 295, 38-0), mitigation banking and land development changes with a phosphate mining lands amendment (CS/CS/SB 492, 35-3), aggravated animal cruelty with a searchable FDLE database and sentencing multiplier (HB 255, 37-0), the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism and related training/funding (HB 711, 37-0), newborn screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (CS/CS/HB 1089, 36-0), and revisions to the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program to expand eligible mitigation projects and adjust approval thresholds (CS/CS/HB 393, 37-0). The Senate also passed workforce education legislation allowing charter schools access to grant funding and expanding money-back guarantees (HB 1145, 37-0), a statewide study on automation and workforce impact (HB 827, 35-0), parole guideline revisions (HB 181, 37-0), court-appointed psychologist procedures in family law cases (HB 901, 37-0), sexual cyber harassment protections covering digitally forged intimate images (HB 1451, 37-0), a home health aide program for medically fragile children with training and reimbursement provisions (CS/CS/SB 1156, 37-0), substance abuse and mental health care changes including 988 oversight and involuntary examination procedures (HB 1091, 37-0), a feasibility study for a statewide pond data database (HB 1359, 37-0), and Department of Law Enforcement housekeeping changes and retired police dog reimbursements (HB 1053, 37-0). The most extensive debate centered on the charter schools bill (HB 443), which expanded charter autonomy, reporting parity, enrollment flexibility, and governance rules; after a delete-all amendment and a friendly amendment, it was placed on the third-reading calendar rather than immediately voted on. Several bills were briefly discussed with concerns about transparency, accountability, funding, and constitutional issues, but all bills brought to a vote during this segment passed.