Transcript Highlights:

• Other states focus on regulating convenience fees and placing limits or conditions on security deposits
• The states with asterisks have statewide exemptions, conditional limits, or other provisions, some of
• So if we look back at this, a lot of these states do have conditions. ...is greater.
• So if we look back at this, a lot of these states do have conditions for all of these states.
• And I know we can't base this exclusively on market conditions.

Keywords: Virginia Housing Commission - Fees in Residential Rental Agreements Workgroup, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and traumatic brain injury
• and it can even provoke discrimination or stigma when people around them are unfamiliar with their condition
• Tardive dyskinesia is a motor condition that can arise as a side effect of antipsychotic medications
• Many people are unaware that they have the condition.
• those seeking treatment and working to reduce the stigma around mental health and its associated conditions

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then spent much of the session on floor recognitions. Members welcomed the Far West Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and honored its leadership and civic service, including wildfire recovery work and local chapter anniversaries. The body also recognized the 2026 Latino Spirit Award honorees, with remarks tied to Cinco de Mayo and Latino resilience, followed by a series of resolutions and guest introductions. Several resolutions were adopted, including SR 86 on Cinco de Mayo Week, SCR 146 declaring May Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, SCR 154 establishing Green Star Veterans and Families Day, SCR 123 recognizing California Peace Officers Memorial Day, SCR 164 designating Black Health Equity Advocacy Week, and SCR 103 on Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. Testimony and remarks emphasized cultural heritage, shared struggles for justice, veterans’ mental health and suicide prevention, law enforcement sacrifice, and persistent racial health disparities. Most resolutions passed by unanimous roll call votes. The Senate also confirmed multiple Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation appointments, including Kathleen Ratliff and Joseph Tuggle, Jason Johnson, Madeline McLean, Brian Bishop, and Sarah Larson. Senators Grove and others voiced protest over CDCR appointments, arguing for consideration of Frank Silva, but the confirmations still passed overwhelmingly or unanimously. The chamber then approved several bills, including SB 1159 on artificial intelligence and public meetings, SB 1416 shortening refund timelines for duplicate medical/dental payments, SB 1273 expanding tied-house advertising rules for winery instructional events, SB 941 limiting commissary markups in private detention facilities, SB 1099 clarifying local authority to provide public benefits, SB 1195 expanding tied-house exemptions for certain venues, and SB 990 allowing a highway information sign near Ridgecrest. The session concluded with adjournment memories for labor leader and UCLA Labor Center director Kent Wong and recognition of his family and colleagues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes it's people who, because of their health condition, they're able to afford a private policy
• and pay the premiums, but they don't have employment because their health condition is such that they're
• metal level, plan type, exchange status, claim spend, geographic rating area, and which chronic conditions
• 5,000 Minnesotans were subsidized in 2024, including people living with diabetes, asthma, heart conditions
• for motans facing serious conditions for motans facing serious conditions like<00:16:11.600>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 3388, and an A1 amendment was adopted by voice vote. The bill, as amended, would direct the Department of Commerce to seek another federal waiver to continue Minnesota’s reinsurance program and preserve the assessment-and-tax-credit funding model adopted last session. Chair O’Driscoll said the measure is intended to give future legislators options before the current reinsurance structure ends, warning that without it individual-market premiums could rise substantially and more people could lose coverage. Testimony was largely supportive. Dan Andre of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans said reinsurance has been a success since 2018, has lowered premiums by covering a portion of high-cost claims, and helped subsidize care for more than 5,000 Minnesotans in 2024. Ann New Brindley of the Minnesota Business Partnership and Steven Rubis of the Health Plan Partnership of Minnesota also backed the bill, saying market stability is important amid the loss of federal premium tax credits and that continued reinsurance would help prevent further premium increases and cost shifting. Jonathan Carter of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce likewise supported the bill, citing the program’s role in keeping Minnesota’s individual-market premiums among the lowest in the country. Members also discussed how the assessment and tax-credit mechanism works, with Chair O’Driscoll describing it as an assessment on plans followed by a tax credit against state liability. Representative Elkins questioned how insurers self-assess, and Representative Smith said the assessment model is preferable to a general-fund approach if the program continues. Representative Kaggel raised concerns about taxpayer costs and the broader health care system, while also saying the current system is unsustainable and in need of more fundamental change. The committee then renewed the motion to lay House File 3388, as amended, over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Subdivision six requires that a provider purchase a surety bond as a condition of enrollment in MA.
• Subdivision six requires that a provider purchase a surety bond as a condition of enrollment in MA.
• Subdivision six requires that a provider purchase a surety bond as a condition of enrollment in MA.
• Subdivision six requires that a provider purchase a surety bond as a condition of enrollment in MA.
• Subdivision six requires that a provider purchase a surety bond as a condition of enrollment in MA.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chronic conditions such as cancer, MS, etc. We did it for rare diseases.
• And we know age is a pre-existing condition.
• And we know age is a pre-existing condition.
• That's not unique to the health conditions that this bill addresses.
• That's not unique to the health conditions that this bill addresses.

Bills: SB20, SB21, SB166, SB177, SB181, SB189, SM6

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions
• to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions
• Please listen to the third conditions.
• . conditions. conditions.
• This approach puts the person before the condition or characteristic, emphasizing their humanity rather

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Representative Brenda Steady and then suspended the rules to introduce 12 House bills by number only, referring them to committees. Members also read a House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2025 Milton High School Yellow Jackets boys soccer team on winning the Division 2 championship, and the chamber welcomed the team and coaches to the gallery. The Speaker announced that HCR 163 had been mistakenly placed on the consent calendar and removed it, and also announced committee appointments following a resignation. A series of guest recognitions followed, including visitors from the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, the 2026 Snelling Early Childhood Leadership Institute cohort, mentoring organizations observing National Mentoring Month, the Vermont Historical Society, and former Representative Mari Cordes. Members also highlighted an upcoming Act 73 overview, the first Farmers Night concert, and a Caucus for Vermont’s Economy meeting. No votes were taken on these announcements, but the House formally welcomed the guests and recognized new House leadership and a new committee assistant. On the action calendar, the House passed H.649 on captive insurance companies and concurred in S.60 establishing the Farm Security Special Fund for weather-related farm losses. The House then approved H.534 on community action agencies, with the Human Services Committee describing it as a statute update that changes terminology, strengthens planning and governance requirements, and uses people-first language; the committee reported a 10-0-1 vote. The House also advanced H.84, which allows telehealth appointments to be recorded only with patient and provider consent; the Health Care Committee said it modernizes telehealth law without weakening privacy protections and reported a 10-0-1 vote. The chamber ordered third reading or passage on each bill and then adjourned until Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• But when the conditions aren't safe and staff aren't feeling safe, they don't stick around.
• Where the need is for individuals who perhaps have comorbid conditions or other ongoing needs, so maybe
• There is an exception to that balancing of the 2027-29 outlook biennium if two conditions are met.
• Those two conditions are that employment growth is forecasted for a given fiscal year at below 1 percent
• If two conditions are met and those two conditions are, the employment growth is forecasted for a given

Summary: The committee held a work session focused first on juvenile rehabilitation system capacity. DCYF officials said the juvenile rehabilitation population is older, includes more adult-sentenced youth, and has longer lengths of stay, especially for “post-25” youth who must remain in secure facilities and cannot go to community beds. They described overcrowding at Green Hill School, placement limits at Echo Glen and Harbor Heights, staffing turnover, mental health acuity, and the need for more medium-security and specialized mental health beds. DCYF said it is pursuing a Parkland facility proposal, a staffing model decision package, and a broader feasibility study and master plan update. No votes were taken; members were asked to follow up with questions later. The committee then heard on behavioral health system capacity from the Behavioral Health Administration and the Health Care Authority. DSHS described growth in forensic and civil bed need, expansion at Olympic Heritage, Maple Lane, and Brockman, and construction of a new 350-bed forensic hospital at Western State expected to open in 2028. HCA reported progress on long-term civil commitment beds, intensive behavioral health treatment facilities, PACT teams, and intensive residential treatment teams, saying the community-based system is being expanded to support step-down care and reduce hospital reliance. Members asked about whether capacity is right-sized, the difference between facility types, and federal match eligibility for services. A federal funding update followed, covering the effects of H.R. 1 and H.R. 5371 on SNAP, Medicaid, marketplace coverage, long-term services and supports, K-12, higher education, and hemp regulation. OFM and agency staff said H.R. 1 adds work requirements, changes non-citizen eligibility, increases state administrative and benefit costs, reduces Medicaid and marketplace subsidies for some groups, tightens redeterminations, and may significantly affect provider payments and state-directed payments. H.R. 5371 extended federal funding through January 30, 2026 and included some agency appropriations and other provisions, including changes affecting hemp producers. Members asked about SNAP error rates and special enrollment periods. Finally, budget coordinator Mary Monroe gave a 2026 supplemental budget preview. She reviewed the state’s near general fund outlook, noting revenue declines since the enacted budget, the effect of reversions, and a preliminary maintenance-level outlook showing a projected increase in NGFO spending over the four-year period. She said the supplemental will reflect updated caseload and cost forecasts and mandatory impacts from H.R. 1, but not policy proposals. No actions or votes were taken during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• medical needs that would be considered that you would go to the ER to get services for, such as a condition
• medical needs that would be considered that you would go to the ER to get services for such as a condition
• that places that patient's health at serious condition are serious impairment to the bodily function
• These are conditions that are often silent until they worsen and become more life-threatening.
• These are conditions that are often silent until they worsen and become more life-threatening.

Summary: The committee met to receive implementation updates on recently enacted health care laws from AHCA and the Department of Health. AHCA reported on rural emergency hospitals, explaining the new Class 4 hospital designation, rule changes completed June 1, 2025, and that no Florida hospitals have yet converted, though one North Walton/DeFuniak Springs-area hospital has expressed interest. AHCA also reviewed the non-emergent care access plan requirement for hospitals with emergency departments, saying 83 plans had been received since July 1 and 63 approved, with plans emphasizing patient education, referrals to primary care or urgent care, and coordination for Medicaid managed care enrollees through the Florida HIE/ENS system. Members asked about HIE capacity, data collection, and whether the plans would identify shortages or trigger accountability measures; AHCA said it had moved to a new HIE vendor and would continue gathering data. AHCA also updated the committee on the TEACH workforce program, reporting $6.8 million in FY 2024-25 spending across 59 parent organizations and 229 facilities, with more than 1,800 students and nearly 380,000 clinical hours reimbursed, and said a federal 1115 workforce waiver was unlikely to move forward under CMS. On KidCare, AHCA said House Bill 121’s expansion to 300% of the federal poverty level remains blocked by federal litigation and CMS action tied to premium nonpayment rules, and members and public witnesses urged prompt implementation and asked for enrollment/disenrollment data and the rural health transformation funding outlook. Public testimony largely supported the NCAP and TEACH programs and pressed for action on KidCare. Representatives from health centers said NCAP has strengthened hospital-health center relationships and improved care coordination, including reduced recidivism in some hospitals. A Bond Community Health Center physician said TEACH is helping offset the burden of training students and could help address workforce shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas. Advocacy groups urged the committee to push for implementation of the KidCare expansion, citing children in the coverage gap and rising uninsured rates. The Department of Health then presented on several programs from the 2024-25 session. It reported on the Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education (FRAME) program, including 78 dentists and 15 dental hygienists funded under the dental track and nearly 1,300 medical professionals funded overall, with 123 dental applications and 71 funded dentists in the most recent cycle. DOH also updated the Screening and Services Grant Program, the Health Care Innovation Revolving Loan Program, the statewide telehealth maternity care program, and the swimming lesson voucher program, noting strong participation and outcomes such as reduced ER visits and improved postpartum follow-up in the maternity program. Finally, DOH said implementation of the HIV prevention drug/pharmacist dispensing law is underway, with three certification courses approved and five certifications issued. Members asked about barriers to wider use of HIV prevention drugs, more detailed maternal outcome data, and the dental workforce program report; DOH said more detailed reports would follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• When treating a specific disease or medical condition, RDNs may provide nutrition counseling as a part
• That have at least one chronic health condition can directly impact the nutrition quality of the food
• And right now, the conditions for which children receive this benefit, um, it seems like it would be
• easy to say that those conditions would be medically appropriate and cost effective to provide these
• Uh, but would you look at other conditions beyond what's now available for both children, um, And adults

Bills: HB 26, HB 140, HB 141, HB 142, HB 215

Keywords: Medicaid, nutrition support, maternal health, chronic conditions, pilot program, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, child abuse investigations, child neglect, child exploitation, advisory committee, Family and Protective Services Council, council abolition, foster care, due process, investigative procedures, child welfare, parental rights, family preservation services

Transcript Highlights:

• We have guys that have life-threatening mental health conditions.
• Once you have an established and identified life-threatening condition.
• Um, the air conditioning, as you all know, it's getting ready.
• We come up, we have, uh, the, it's a big argument on getting the air conditioning into the system.
• One of the things about MRIS is you have to have like a terminal illness or condition.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the labor market, conditions remain solid and appear to have stabilized.
• Overall, a wide set of indicators suggest that conditions in the labor market are broadly in balance.
• Basically, we're going to be looking at reserve conditions, conditions in reserve markets, and trying
• What kind of conditions would have to happen for you to start going back to quantitative easing?
• And I just wanted to talk broadly about these market conditions that you see.

Bills: SB257

Keywords: supply chain resilience, critical supply chains, critical goods, manufacturing, domestic manufacturing, reshoring, nearshoring, supply chain security, supply chain shock, supply chain disruption, critical infrastructure, emerging technologies, semiconductors, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, advanced manufacturing, blockchain, cybersecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• Maternal mental health conditions are the leading complication of pregnancy, yet far too many cases go
• And despite how common these conditions are, most women do not receive the care they need due to provider
• When left untreated, these conditions Women without support during a critical time.
• When left untreated, these conditions can have serious consequences for both a mother and child, including
• She used this experience in her professional career to advance the conditions that folks in the disability

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a series of gubernatorial appointments and floor items. The chamber confirmed Dina Eltawasi as Director of Caltrans, Allison Salt Install to the Court Reporters Board, and Olivia May Assumption to the California Commission on Disability Access, and later confirmed William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board. Each appointment was presented by Senator Grove and approved on roll call, with final confirmation votes recorded after calls were lifted. Several measures were taken up on third reading. SCR 143, by Senator Umberg, honored Hmong and Laotian special guerrilla unit veterans who served with U.S. forces during the secret war in Laos; Senator Archuleta also spoke in support, and the resolution passed unanimously. SR 96, by Senator Cortese, proclaimed April as National County Government Month and highlighted the role of counties and CSAC; it also passed unanimously. SB 1347 clarified that stock albuterol authorization applies to all public schools, including preschools; SB 977 required chain restaurants offering children’s meals to provide at least one healthier option meeting nutrition standards; SB 1234 required fentanyl testing when juvenile dependency drug testing is already ordered; SCR 161 designated May 2026 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month; SR 101 updated the Senate Rules Committee membership by replacing Senator Jones with Senator Ochoa Bogh; and SB 1111 addressed liability for unauthorized AI-generated digital replicas. All of these measures were approved, most by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Senate also adopted SCR 128, by Senator Perez, declaring April 13–24, 2026, as High School Voter Education Weeks to encourage civic education and youth participation in elections. The consent calendar was then approved after Senator Cervantes removed SB 1381; the remaining consent items passed 35-0. Throughout the session, members introduced visiting groups, including Hmong and Laotian veterans, CSAC representatives, and students in the gallery. The day concluded with Senator Wiener’s adjournment in memory of disability rights activist Alice Wong, after which the Senate announced its next floor session and recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• workers' compensation insurance, and the body of the bill doesn't raise any flags for us, but the conditional
• The bill doesn't raise any flags for us, but the conditional enactment section did catch our attention
• That's because the bill conditions the enactment of only a single subsection in the statute, not the
• We wanted to let you know that and our recommendation that the conditional enactment section be removed

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Rules Committee met to consider a mass motion declaring Senate Bills 1041, 1118, 1168, 1189, 1274, 1286, 1428, 1457, 1497, 1503, 1519, 1582, and 1713 constitutional and in proper form. The Rules Office reported that the measures were generally constitutional and properly drafted, but raised a concern about the Strang-Everting Amendment to SB 1428. Staff said the amendment’s conditional enactment provision could amount to an unlawful delegation of legislative authority because it makes part of the statute dependent on approval by a private outside entity, the Association for Cooperative Research and Development. They recommended removing the conditional enactment section and, at minimum, replacing the specific entity name with a general description to avoid continuity issues. After questions and comments, the committee voted on whether to recommend the measures in the mass motion as constitutional and in proper form. The roll call resulted in seven ayes and one absent, and the motion was approved. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <07:09:58.558> on politically driven conditions on politically driven conditions on disaster
• Our rule has always been disaster help without conditions.
• Oklahoma did Democrats demand conditions Oklahoma did Democrats demand conditions on<07:22:59.600
• <07:28:11.840> political<07:28:12.478> conditions<07:28:13.000> to set conditions
• political conditions to set conditions political conditions to this<07:28:13.440> Aid<07:28:14.040

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The number, variety, condition, and age of DNR facilities all contribute to a significant capital need
• The number, variety, condition, and age of DNR facilities all contribute to a significant capital need
• The number, variety, condition, and age of DNR facilities all contribute to a significant capital need
• The number, variety, condition, and age of DNR facilities all contribute to a significant capital need
• The number, variety, condition, and age of DNR facilities all contribute to a significant capital need

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And we know this: poverty is not just an economic condition; it is a barrier to learning, health, and
• Poverty is not just an economic condition; it is a barrier to learning, health, and opportunity.
• If we are serious about outcomes, we must be serious about conditions.
• And the conditions of poverty follow children into the classroom.
• And the conditions of poverty follow children into the classroom.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, with Chair Andy Vargas and Senator Adam Gomez opening by thanking committee members and stakeholders for their work during the session. The bills were described as a grant-based, place-based anti-poverty initiative intended to support cradle-to-career services by funding local nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and backbone entities that can coordinate housing, education, health, workforce, and family supports in high-poverty neighborhoods. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers including Strategies for Children, Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Kwame Owusu Kesse and Jeffrey Canada, former Education Secretary Paul Reville, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and others argued that poverty is a systems issue that schools alone cannot solve. They emphasized the need for local control, community voice, coordinated services, and long-term public-private investment, often citing examples from Chelsea, New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, Boston, and other communities, as well as the Harlem Children’s Zone and Maryland’s similar model. Committee members asked several questions about how the bill would function in practice, including what organizations would do on day one, how it would interact with existing efforts like community schools, McKinney-Vento, and the Student Opportunity Act, and how it would be sustained over time. Witnesses said the act would help create or strengthen backbone organizations, reduce duplication, align existing resources, and leverage philanthropy and future revenue sources for long-term sustainability. No vote was taken during the hearing, but multiple speakers urged the committee to report the bill favorably and quickly.

Transcript Highlights:

• the public have access to meaningful information about how these vehicles perform in real-world conditions
• companies must submit detailed safety case information about vehicle design, the AVs operating conditions
• So when and under what conditions should operational restrictions evolve or be loosened as they improve
• Nor do the regulations establish meaningful operation limits tied to California's actual conditions.
• Can you just share with the committee more about how the conditions on the roads and risk factors will

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard testimony on the DMV’s finalized autonomous vehicle regulations, with a focus on how the rules update California’s oversight of testing, deployment, reporting, and enforcement. DMV and CHP officials said the new framework expands data collection beyond crashes to include immobilizations, hard-braking events, system failures, and notices of noncompliance, while also creating clearer requirements for first responder interaction, remote operations, and heavy-duty AV testing and deployment. Members raised concerns about safety, emergency response delays, freeway and work-zone operations, and whether the state has enough data to compare AVs with human drivers. Witnesses from consumer and labor-related groups emphasized transparency and accountability, arguing that the prior rules were outdated and that public access to the collected data is important for regulators, researchers, and injured parties. Industry representatives said California now has the nation’s most comprehensive AV permitting and reporting system, with phased permits, mileage thresholds, and broad DMV authority to restrict or suspend operations. They supported the regulations as a path to safer, more transparent deployment, while noting that the rules stay within state operational authority and do not replace federal standards for vehicle design and performance. A second panel focused on first responder interactions and remote operations. The San Francisco Fire Department described AVs blocking emergency scenes and generating “sleeper calls” when passengers fall asleep, consuming significant fire and EMS resources. Waymo said it maintains 24/7 emergency contacts, first responder plans, geofencing protocols, and remote support that can help move vehicles or allow first responders to override them. Members asked about license requirements for remote personnel, redundancy during communication outages, and how companies handle sleeping passengers before calling 911. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• think it's safe to say, did in fact and continues to protect individuals with behavioral health conditions
• not do, because while it is certainly a restriction on how states can address behavioral health conditions
• CMS subsequently expanded the availability of these waivers to include serious mental conditions.
• In fact, if there's no proper investment in upstream services and preventing worsening of conditions
• not be isolated from the rest of society in order to receive the Individuals with substance use conditions

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• think it's safe to say, did in fact and continues to protect individuals with behavioral health conditions
• not do, because while it is certainly a restriction on how states can address behavioral health conditions
• CMS subsequently expanded the availability of these waivers to include serious mental conditions.
• In fact, if there's no proper investment in upstream services and preventing worsening of conditions
• , should not be isolated from the rest of society in order to receive the... ...conditions should not

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, the conditions are seriously in deterioration. I'm talking about the physical conditions.
• I'm talking about the conditions where human beings are housed.
• Uh, and the conditions have gotten so rough and so inhumane that pretty much everyone agrees we should
• We don't put people into those living conditions and say that we are proud of how we are housing our
• We don't put people into those living conditions and say that we are proud of how we are housing our

Keywords: 1183, house