Transcript Highlights:

• Currency based on gold and silver authorizing a fee for the Committee on state affairs.
• AB 1050 by Derazio relating to the award of an attorney fees in certain suits involving a groundwater
• of gold and silver specie and the establishment of a currency based on gold and silver authorizing a fee
• HP 1061 by Bojani relating to the authorization and reimbursement for certain examination fees and other
• administrative penalty requiring a permit to conduct certain research involving hemp authorizing a fee

Transcript Highlights:

• In network, the minimum reimbursement rate shall be 200% of the Medicare ambulance fee schedule as published
• <00:05:07.440> by<00:05:08.240> CMS<00:05:08.800> rate<00:05:09.199> in fee
• schedule as published by CMS rate in fee schedule as published by CMS rate in effect<00:05:09.680>
• uh, we talk about out of network: the minimum reimbursement should be 180% of the Medicare ambulance fee
• Uh, we have a Medicare ambulance fee schedule.

Bills: SB9, HB400, SB9, HB400

Keywords: Alabama Athletic Commission, Attorney General, criminal penalties, unarmed combat, regulation, boxing, mixed martial arts, civil fines, dental insurance, benefit rollover, healthcare, insurance policy, annual maximum, smoking ban, vaping, public health, indoor air quality, clean air, ambulance services, health insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1139 attempts to clarify provisions of the legislature passed, excuse me, regarding impact fees
• weeks ago addressed Nassau County's use of extraordinary circumstance they use to raise their impact fees
• Most importantly, it capped such declarations of extraordinary use at an allowable 100 percent fee increase
• It ties application fees to actual review costs, not a percentage value, and requires clear objective
• The county has to spend $5 million between development application review fees and legal fees just to

Transcript Highlights:

• boards are funded by the Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund, which contains practitioner licensure fee
• In contrast, health care boards in some states have direct access to fees and fines revenue without any
• For example, in Nevada, the Board of Medical Examiners and Board of Osteopathic Medicine deposit fee
• Other states have a mixed model of funding from fees and fines as well as general fund appropriations
• to health care boards for expenditures in addition to trust funds composed of practitioner-related fees

Bills: S0428, S0606, S0192, S0162, S0340

Keywords: drowning prevention, water safety, swimming lessons, swim vouchers, child drowning, infant safety, toddler safety, pool safety, bath safety, safe bathing practices, postpartum education, newborn care, childbirth education, birth centers, home birth providers, Department of Health, public health, water competency, swim instruction, infant supervision

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up several health-related bills, with a strong focus on drowning prevention and patient safety. SB 428 by Senator Yarborough would expand Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7. Supporters, including a pediatric emergency physician and YMCA leadership, cited Florida’s high child drowning rates and argued that swim lessons reduce risk and should be available to more children. Senator Harrell noted the need to consider increasing the program’s funding as eligibility expands. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 606 by Senator Smith, which adds drowning prevention and safe bathing education to postpartum materials provided by hospitals, birthing centers, and, after amendment, no longer home birth providers. A parent who lost a child to drowning testified in support, and senators emphasized the preventability of such deaths. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 340 by Senator Harrell would require nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure; after a strike-all amendment shifted the requirement from nursing programs to the students themselves, the bill received support from advocates and was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also considered SB 162 by Senator Davis, which would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies for using smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. The sponsor said the equipment is relatively inexpensive and already common in many facilities, while opponents and some senators questioned the medical evidence, enforcement, and possible impacts on rural and smaller facilities. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably, with some members voting no. SB 192, presented by Senator Trumbull on behalf of Senator Martin, would remove the $1,500 cap on advances chiropractic physicians may collect for examinations or treatment; the Florida Chiropractic Society supported the change as pro-small-business, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also received an OPAGA presentation comparing Florida’s health care practitioner regulation system with other states, focusing on board autonomy, rulemaking oversight, board composition, appointments, term limits, and funding mechanisms.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, it only collects fees from waste haulers, creating a funding gap that shifts the financial
• House Bill 3158 addresses this gap by establishing application fees for permits and permit amendments
• These non-refundable fees range from $500 to $3000 depending on the permit time.
• These fees are expected to be collected electronically under agency procedures.
• If anything, we'd encourage these fees to be increased to cover the costs associated with the problems

Transcript Highlights:

• And he literally trims the facility fee down by almost half.
• And he literally trims the facility fee down by almost half.
• Physician fee and facility fee, all-inclusive.
• ; they get to charge a facility fee.
• Reducing those types of facility fees could be substantial.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It includes a study about facility fees to be conducted by All payer claims database eliminates the ban
• on facility fees for all preventive services Provides an exception to the ban on facility fees for telehealth
• facility in order to protect certain rural care delivery mechanism expands the definition of Facility fee
• provide equity facilities Added in a 90-day notice before the facility or provide change for facility fees

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or they're not gonna cut their consultant fees.
• fees and other fees before they would ever think about cutting teachers.
• Colangelo: Well, that would be an application fee.
• I don't think we're talking about two different fees there.
• Colangelo: I have not looked at application fees. I can do it.

Bills: HB 3

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• were highlighted in that audit, what they offer, I would agree, is nominal, or I believe is a nominal fee
• I believe that the nominal fee that's associated with them will, arguably, save lives, and we should
• I believe that the nominal fee that's associated with them will in arguably save lives, and we should
• I'm not sure I've seen anywhere where if you challenge and are unsuccessful, we still pay all the fees
• , including the expert fees and the attorney fees on this, so we are opposed.

Bills: SB1071, SB1315, SB1317, SB1416, SB1493, SB1537, SB1542, SB1584, SB1626, SB1740, SB1751, SB1804, SCR1047, SCR1049

Keywords: Arizona Rangers, statutory repeal, security, state law, regulatory changes, school safety, interoperable communications, law enforcement, emergency response, funding, reentry programs, criminal justice, grants, recidivism, attorney general, missing children, kidnapping, reporting requirements, child safety, training

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1071, which would repeal the statutory framework for the Arizona Rangers. The sponsor argued the bill was about accountability and transparency, citing concerns about missing training and firearms qualification records; Arizona Rangers representatives and several sheriffs opposed the bill, saying the Rangers provide valuable volunteer support and that the real issue was adding oversight rather than eliminating protections. After discussion, the committee voted 4-3 to give SB 1071 a do pass recommendation, with members noting they expected amendments later. The committee then heard SB 1315, requiring school districts and charter schools to maintain interoperable emergency communications with law enforcement and to submit annual affidavits confirming testing and compliance. Testimony from school safety officials and sheriffs emphasized the value of real-time communication during emergencies and the need for secure sharing of campus maps and floor plans; concerns about cost and information security were addressed by supporters. The bill passed unanimously, 7-0. The committee also advanced SB 1317, which appropriates opioid settlement funds for county reentry planning programs; sheriffs and association representatives supported it, citing reduced recidivism and jail populations, and it passed 7-0. Several public safety and missing-children measures were considered next. SB 1416, as amended, revises missing child reporting requirements, adds runaway children back into reporting, requires faster photo and information sharing, and expands training requirements; advocates for missing children and law enforcement supported the compromise language, and the bill passed 7-0. SB 1740, which updates Turquoise Alert training and procedures, was also advanced 7-0 after discussion about statewide versus geographically targeted alerts and the need to keep alerts effective. Later, SB 1493, a strike-everything amendment affecting police officer termination appeals and fee shifting when an employer rejects a favorable administrative ruling, passed 5-2 despite opposition from chiefs’ representatives. SB 1537, renaming the Peace Officer Training Equipment Fund and repealing its advisory commission, passed 5-2. The committee also approved SB 1751 and SCR 1049, which expand execution methods to include lethal gas and firing squad and make firing squad mandatory in certain cases involving the murder of a law enforcement officer; opponents raised constitutional, ethical, and practical concerns, while supporters framed the measures as aligning Arizona with other states and providing additional options. Both measures passed 4-3. Finally, SB 1542, which would create a framework and funding for MDMA research and treatment for PTSD in first responders and peace officers contingent on FDA approval, was heard with testimony describing promising clinical trial results and the need for Arizona research; the bill was then moved forward, though the transcript cuts off before the final roll call result is fully shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fund, the Department of Cannabis Control can sustain existing enforcement activities without imposing fee
• Most notably, it increases the forest registration fees and begins transitioning a portion of seasonal
• , it requires marketplace facilitators to remit this fee to the Department of Tax and Fee Administration
• This trailer bill increases the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's fees across various
• This allows the department to sustain existing enforcement activities without imposing fee increases

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• reinstated, including with interlock, is the $680 that is required under statute as a reinstatement fee
• I did want to circle back on the reinstatement fee piece that you raised and asked Senator Latz about
• As I understand, there's a shifting in order of the payment of the fee.
• of $250 and a search a reinstatement fee of $250 and a search charge<00:29:36.159> of charge
• I mean, I tried a few years ago to change this reinstatement fee around, and depending on how you do

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some believe that reducing the fee from five times the amount to three times is a compromise, but let
• which prohibits charging a veteran a fee which prohibits charging a veteran a fee for<00:18:31.360
• that reducing the fee from the five<00:18:36.000> times<00:18:36.240> the<00:18:36.400
• We're not against other organizations in the state doing this for a fee, absolutely not.
• absolutely not every I mean for a fee absolutely not every I mean we're<00:25:52.000> not<00:

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear a bill aimed at regulating paid veterans’ claims consultants and protecting veterans from bad actors. Chair Denine opened by emphasizing transparency, the need to hear concerns, and that the meeting was a hearing only, with no immediate vote expected. Senator David Yates, the sponsor, said the bill is intended to protect veterans by requiring clear written disclosure when a veteran uses a for-profit consultant, including that the consultant is not accredited or affiliated with VA or veterans’ service organizations. He said the proposal was based on best practices from other states, would include guardrails rather than a total ban, and was being slowed to allow further review and possible amendments. Testimony reflected both support for the bill’s intent and disagreement over its scope. A committee member and later witnesses stressed that veterans should be able to make informed choices and that some private consultants and law firms have helped veterans, but they also acknowledged bad actors and the need for rules, accreditation, and fee limits. James Toby of the VFW opposed the bill as written, arguing it conflicts with federal rules by allowing fees on initial claims and urging the committee to reject it in favor of legislation that mirrors federal law and imposes real penalties. Mark Christensen of Veterans Guardian said veterans need more options because Kentucky has too few VSO representatives, supported guardrails and accreditation reform, and suggested the bill could be improved with a dollar-based fee cap, no late fees or interest, and clearer ethical rules. Daryl Casey of JVO said his organization supports the bill’s goal of leveling the playing field, noting that veterans service organizations do not charge fees and that any limits should apply consistently across providers. The chair did not take a final vote during this hearing and instead encouraged the sponsor to circulate committee substitute language and continue discussions with veterans’ organizations and committee members before the next meeting. The sponsor said he was not pushing the bill forward that day and wanted more time to address concerns, especially around accreditation and disclosure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we have $2 million for legal fees.
• Thank you, and get those legal fees back, Chair. Thanks for the latitude on this one.
• Thank you, and get those legal fees back, Chair. Thanks for the latitude on this one.
• Need 2.4 for the study, you need $2 million for this legal fees. What else?
• clear budget no cap on assessment fees clear budget no cap on assessment fees and<02:21:33.399><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• producers, including myself, that's in a notice of violation, a $500 fine, plus my $250 reinspection fee
• producers, including myself, that's in a notice of violation, a $500 fine, plus my $250 reinspection fee
• producers, including myself, that's in a notice of violation, a $500 fine, plus my $250 reinspection fee
• producers, including myself, that's in a notice of violation, a $500 fine, plus my $250 reinspection fee
• for something that I reinspection fee for something that I cannot<00:10:11.040> afford<00:10:

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 40, authored by Representative Burkel, was heard and laid over. The bill would remove the statutory requirement that farmed deer/elk facilities maintain a physical barrier preventing contact with wild deer, and it would also strike language allowing revocation of registration and seizure/destruction of animals for fencing or escape violations. Burkel argued the current law is unfair to deer farmers, treats them differently than other livestock producers, and amounts to a regulatory taking of a legal agricultural enterprise. Supporters from the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association and Minnesota Deer Farmers Association said the 2023 secondary-fence requirement is expensive, difficult to implement on long-established properties, and has pushed some breeders out of the industry. They described costs ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, said the DNR’s guidance is case-by-case and unclear, and argued that the penalty structure is too harsh for what they view as minor or unavoidable escape incidents. One testifier said the industry is being driven out of business and that the state should help pay for the fencing if it remains required. The DNR opposed the bill. Its enforcement representative said the physical-contact barrier is intended to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease transmission and that removing penalties would leave little incentive for compliance. He said the agency continues to work with the roughly 10 noncompliant whitetail farms and that the DNR provides case-by-case review because farm topography varies. In committee questions, members discussed whether wild deer commonly travel along fence lines, whether ear-tagged deer have been found, and whether there is a standard approved fence design; the DNR said there is no single standard fence, only suggestions and review. Representative Burkel closed by reiterating his support for the bill and the committee then laid it over.

Transcript Highlights:

• be housed at the Department of Liquor Licensing and Control and other various items like violation fees
• be housed at the Department of Liquor Licensing and Control and other various items like violation fees
• They also switched up slightly the violation fees and classifications and added a few definitions.
• Or it's not, you know, somehow included in their fees or something. Thank you.
• On the floor when this bill was brought, I addressed the sponsor to provide the total outstanding fees

Summary: The caucus reviewed several bills and Senate or conference committee amendments, with members generally noting whether the sponsor intended to concur. HB 2749 would let courts enter a Class 1 misdemeanor conviction for certain lower-level felony convictions, with the Senate amendment requiring at least five years since completion of sentence before eligibility. HB 2082 would create a childhood cancer and rare childhood disease research commission and adjust funding rules, including a five-million-dollar threshold tied to appropriations or federal grants. HB 2096 would allow counties to seek WIFA assistance for cesspool remediation, with the Senate adding an alternative compliance path using ADEQ’s nonpoint source management plan. HB 4001 would regulate alternative nicotine products through the Department of Liquor Licensing and Control; members discussed whether some tobacco-related products remain outside the bill, tribal enforcement limits, and the absence of a tax provision. The presenter said the AG and governor support the bill. The caucus then shifted to conference committee bills. HB 2003 would lower the learner’s permit age from 15.5 to 15 and increase supervised driving time, but several members raised safety concerns and questioned whether the change was needed; the conference amendment would let current instruction permit holders qualify for a license after six months, while still requiring age 16 for licensure. HB 2133 would impose content-verification requirements for commercial websites publishing sexual material, with conference changes exempting pre-effective-date motion pictures and television programming. Members noted the Motion Picture Association still had concerns, though the changes addressed some retroactivity issues. HB 2874 would change campaign finance penalty rules, including a five-day publication requirement for committees owing late-filing penalties, a $5,000 cap on penalties per late report, and retroactive relief for certain inactive committees that filed no-contribution/no-expenditure reports and later terminated; one member said they still had not received the outstanding fee totals requested on the floor. HB 2010 would regulate digital goods sellers and refunds for revoked access to licensed digital content; the conference version kept a five-year refund structure but changed the refund amount to 20% per year, clarified refund procedures, and removed the refund requirement if alternative access is provided. The caucus took no votes in the transcript and ended after the bill presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was passed during a time of extraordinary budget surplus, and it was a fee bill, and nobody thought
• it was possible, because why would we pass a fee bill when we had this huge budget?
• The fee has not been reduced. So it was a proposal. It has been. Oh, it has been reduced. Okay.
• Okay, let's get to the fee question.
• And then that would be where the fee would step in and pay for what is left, to your point, Ms.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on AB 988 implementation and suicide prevention in California Indian communities. Members and the chairs emphasized that 988 was intended to create a behavioral health crisis system with “someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go,” and then turned to the disproportionate suicide burden facing Native youth and the need for culturally responsive outreach and services. Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, the bill’s author, said the law has already saved lives but argued that key parts of the system—especially interoperability between 911 and 988, mobile crisis dispatch, and adequate funding—are not yet working as intended. The first panel of stakeholders and call center leaders largely said California’s 988 network is underfunded and not fully integrated. Speakers from the Steinberg Institute and 988 California said call, text, and chat demand has grown sharply, but staffing and funding have not kept pace, leaving text/chat answer rates far below the state’s goals and sending many contacts to out-of-state backup centers. They also said mobile crisis teams are not being dispatched through 988 statewide, and that the state’s current governance and funding structure is too fragmented. WellSpace Health and other providers described 988 as the “front door” to crisis care, urged more stable funding, and recommended broader use of the CCBHC model to support mobile crisis and behavioral health infrastructure. San Joaquin County offered a local success story, describing a countywide crisis continuum that links 988, mobile crisis, behavioral health access lines, and follow-up services through warm handoffs and coordinated outreach. County officials said the model has reduced reliance on emergency departments and involuntary holds, and they noted that local partnerships and repeated community meetings were key to implementation. Members asked about staffing, tribal outreach, and how to make the system more measurable and interoperable; panelists said staffing projections should be based on actual call volume and contact length, and that tribal-specific outreach has often depended on temporary grant funding. State officials from CalHHS and DHCS then described the five-year implementation plan, the roles of multiple agencies, and current performance data. They said California’s 988 system has handled more than 74,000 contacts in a recent month, with in-state answer rates of 87% for calls and lower rates for chats and texts, and that unanswered contacts are routed to backup centers. They highlighted training efforts, LGBTQ+ competency work after the end of the federal “Press 3” option, and efforts to improve reimbursement for mobile crisis services. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• it was possible, because why would we pass a fee bill when we had this huge budget?
• The fee has not been reduced. So it was a proposal. It has been. Oh, it has been reduced. Okay.
• Okay, let's get to the fee question.
• And then that would be where the fee would step in and pay for what is left, to your point, Ms.
• And then that would be where the fee would step in and pay for what is left, to your point, Ms.

Summary: The joint Assembly Health and Select Committee on Native American Affairs held an oversight hearing on AB 988, California’s 988 crisis line and mobile crisis response system, followed by a discussion of suicide prevention and intervention in California Indian communities. Members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized that AB 988 was intended to create a true alternative to 911 for behavioral health crises, with “someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go,” and that Native communities continue to face disproportionately high suicide rates and barriers to culturally responsive care. The first panel of call center and stakeholder witnesses largely argued that implementation is falling short of the law’s intent. They said 988 call centers are underfunded, text/chat answer rates remain far below call answer rates, staffing is strained, and the system still lacks meaningful statewide interoperability between 988 and 911. Several witnesses said mobile crisis teams are not being dispatched through 988 as envisioned, and that funding formulas and governance are too opaque. San Joaquin County was presented as a local success story, with integrated 988, access lines, and mobile crisis handoffs that have reduced reliance on emergency departments and involuntary holds. Witnesses also discussed the need for better tribal outreach, the role of CCBHCs, and the importance of culturally competent services. State officials from CalHHS and DHCS described the five-year 988 implementation plan, the current governance structure across multiple agencies, and efforts to support training, public awareness, and referral tools. They reported growth in 988 contacts, ongoing training with the Trevor Project, a statewide resource directory, and a tribal awareness campaign. DHCS also outlined proposed trailer bill language that would create a formal designation process for 988 centers, set statewide standards, and require existing centers to obtain designation by 2029. Officials said current funding includes SAMHSA grants, block grant dollars, and an expected $67.3 million from the 988 fund in the next budget year, with a large share earmarked for Medi-Cal mobile crisis services. No formal vote or committee action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're feeling it when it comes to our license tabs fees.
• Um, well, one of them that Senator Jasinski had, um, is the license tab fees.
• Tab fees will revert to the 2022 rate for 1 year.
• Tab fees will revert to the 2022 rate for 1 year.
• Tab fees measures is now moving forward.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the disclosures and other requirements concerning virtual currency kiosk transactions authorizing a fee
• regulation of outpatients behavioral health centers authorizing civil and administrative Imposing fees
• Assures to employment authorizing a fee refer to the committee on public health HB 2853 by Perez of El
• HB 2867 by Gates relating to the late payment fees He's charged by municipality owned water utility for
• And requiring a license application fees or for the committee on state affairs issue or 138 by elders

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ' fees, it again goes well beyond what folks are normally responsible for in a civil action.
• ' fees, it again goes well beyond what folks are normally responsible for in a civil action.
• ' fees, it again goes well beyond what folks are normally responsible for in a civil action.
• ,<00:26:01.919> and<00:26:02.240> attorneys<00:26:02.799> fees.
• So, thank you. talked about attorney fees and I think talked about attorney fees and I think that's<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all