Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:05:07.680><c> no</c> you know, this is expensive care, no you know, this is expensive care,
• </c> are going to go to cover this care. are going to go to cover this care.
• Without this care, more kids will require hospital-level care, which then limits the availability of
• . care. care.
• care for people. people. people.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee on House File 4188 met on May 16, 2026, with a quorum present and indicated it was intended to be the final meeting. The main issue discussed was an amendment to the 62J language concerning home care nursing services for children with complex medical needs. Chair O'Driscoll said the amendment would direct the Departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services to review the fiscal impact on the state, families, and health plans, and to develop possible legislation for 2027. Supporters described the proposal as a pause to allow more review, while also acknowledging it was not a complete solution. Senator Bolden and others testified strongly against allowing the coverage changes to stand, saying the issue affects roughly 200 to 250 families statewide, many of them children who need hospital-level care at home. They warned that capping or denying private coverage would shift costs to Medicaid waivers, strain family waiver budgets, increase state costs, and potentially force more children into hospitals, reducing critical care capacity. Committee members also questioned Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold and department staff about the distinction between home care nursing and home health services, statutory definitions, billing units, essential health benefits, waiver budgets, and the effect of enforcement actions involving HealthPartners. The committee adopted the A30 amendment by voice vote, and the motion prevailed. Members then took up another provision, described by staff as the meat raffle/paddle wheel language, and adopted an amendment to add the game of Haus und Pfeffer before approving the provision as amended. In final remarks, members from both chambers praised the committee’s work and professionalism, but several expressed regret that the home care nursing issue was not resolved in the conference report and said it would need further work next session. They also noted other items that did not make it into the bill, including reinsurance and certain other policy provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> and</c> patient care, treatments, and patient care, treatments, and interventions<00:04:35.280><
• Physician-ordered care is immoral, unethical, demonstrably results in worsening patient care outcomes
• We support HF200 of care.
• care for all Minnesotans.
• We appreciate the care for all motans.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They were not willing to give things to people, to take care of people, to take care of those who are
• We care about people. We truly care about people.
• It puts our health care system in disarray. It makes our health care system weaker.
• We care Democrats, we have this problem. We care about<00:02:54.800><c> people.
• It makes our health care disarray. It makes our health care system<00:04:48.080><c> weaker.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• CYFD was created to provide family first care.
• That commitment continues under universal child care. Universal Child Care.
• full-day care That makes it impossible.
• What we show below is child care.
• That's why building the child care sector is so important to bring health care professionals.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care system has less capacity.
• of a healthy child care sector.
• Child care and our child care program, in general, has been celebrated by other states.
• Care, free care.
• In other care facilities?

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to begin with the simple truth, because abortion care is health care.
• Reproductive care is health care.
• Today, we stand firm that abortion care is health care, and we are placing that care exactly where we
• They are providing care, compassionate care.
• They are providing care, compassionate care.

Summary: The House first took up several local and committee-reported bills, including a Ways and Means amendment to House No. 2370, an act prioritizing patient access to care, and a Senate bill authorizing the Town of Dighton to use a portion of conservation land for public way purposes. The House suspended rules to advance both measures, adopted the Ways and Means amendment to House No. 2370, and ordered that bill to a third reading. It also passed to be enacted a group of local bills concerning Leominster police civil service exemptions, additional liquor licenses in Milton and Southborough, Carlisle town administrator powers, and Watertown tax classification, and passed to be engrossed bills involving Petersham police employment and land transfers in Weston and Marion. The House then approved Senate No. 2735, dissolving the North Carver Water District, by roll call, and House No. 5388, a Marion land transfer bill, also by roll call. The major debate centered on House No. 5595, an act prioritizing patient access to care, which would revise Massachusetts abortion law for pregnancies after 24 weeks by replacing specific statutory exceptions with reliance on the treating physician’s professional medical judgment, and clarifying that outside review boards could not override that judgment. Supporters, including the bill’s sponsors and public health leaders, argued the measure was needed to remove legal barriers, reduce trauma, and ensure patients can receive care in Massachusetts without being forced to travel out of state. They cited testimony from patients, physicians, hospitals, and advocacy groups such as Reproductive Equity Now, Planned Parenthood, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, and the Massachusetts Medical Society. Opposition came from Representative Sotomayor of Bellingham, who said he supported abortion rights generally but objected to removing what he viewed as safeguards, especially reporting and parental-rights concerns, and argued the bill went too far by relying solely on physician judgment. Representative Svara of Northampton responded that the bill still leaves reporting requirements in statute and is intended to prevent patients from being forced to leave the Commonwealth for care. A proposed amendment by Representative McKenna of Sutton was ruled out of order as beyond the scope of the bill. The House then passed House No. 5595 to be engrossed by roll call, 119-33, and later adopted an order to adjourn until the next day at 11 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• How does that impact my ability to get her care? How does that impact my ability to get her care?
• My concern comes from both as a health care surrogate and as a former health care provider.
• House Bill 883 in primary care.
• of care needs.
• of a primary care provider.

Summary: The committee took up a large health and human services agenda and first approved HB 711, the Spectrum Alert bill, which would create a statewide alert system for missing autistic children and require FDLE to coordinate training with state and local agencies. The measure drew a supportive waiver from the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and passed unanimously, 24-0, reported favorably. Members then considered CS for HB 229 on health facilities, which modernizes the Health Facilities Authority Act to allow additional nonprofit health system structures to use tax-exempt financing. Two amendments were adopted: one requiring advance notice, public hearings, and stakeholder notifications before a nonprofit hospital closure, and another removing a property tax exemption for a nonprofit hospital that closes and fails to maintain emergency services for 120 days, applied retroactively to January 1, 2025. The Florida Hospital Association opposed the amendments, citing workforce and nonprofit-status concerns, but the bill as amended passed 24-0. The committee also approved CS for HB 1405 on juvenile justice status offenders, expanding early truancy intervention, parent involvement, and shelter placement review timelines; it passed 24-0. CS for HB 27, joining the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, and its linked public records bill CS for HB 29 both passed unanimously after supportive testimony from several advocacy and business groups. The committee then debated HB 111 on out-of-network referrals and HB 1083 on patient access to records. HB 111 would require referring practitioners to inform patients in writing when a referral is out of network and to apply out-of-network payments to deductibles; it drew opposition from medical groups over administrative burden and patient-care concerns, but passed 17-8. HB 1083 would shorten the time for producing medical records to 14 working days and standardize access rules, with amendments clarifying portal access and delaying the effective date to January 1, 2026; despite opposition from some health information and provider groups over HIPAA and access concerns, it passed 19-7 as amended. Later, the committee approved HB 883, allowing autonomous practice for psychiatric nurse practitioners with the required credentials, after strong support from nurse practitioner groups and opposition from psychiatric and medical associations; it passed 23-3. HB 1297, which aligns Florida’s electronic prescribing exceptions with federal law and removes several state exemptions, passed 19-7 despite opposition from hospice, emergency physician, rheumatology, and medical groups concerned about paper prescriptions in emergencies and hard-to-find medications. HB 1353 on home health care services and CS for HB 989 on foster home licensure transfers both passed unanimously after supportive amendments. The committee also heard HB 1505 on parental rights, which would require written parental consent for many health care services, surveys, and biofeedback devices for minors and expand parental access to records; the bill drew extensive support testimony but also questions and concerns about confidentiality, abuse reporting, and existing exceptions, and the transcript ended before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's urgent care, urgently needed, to make sure care is appropriate and aligned with the individual child's
• Well, it's a care plan, right?
• So the STARS program is a care plan that is sent out to EMS workers to make sure that they have the care
• So that's built into the care plan.
• Are they going to come get that care?

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> they agree with about their health care they agree with about their health care and<00:04:18.919
• </c> patients had no other access to care patients had no other access to care this<00:18:31.200><c>
• </c><00:18:55.640><c> this</c> she could not have received care this she could not have received care
• to care for a patient.
• </c> system of care where the level of care system of care where the level of care patient<00:25:59.279

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 132, a health care conscience-protection measure. Supporters said the bill would protect health care professionals from being forced to participate in procedures or services that violate sincerely held religious or ethical beliefs, while explicitly excluding emergency care. They argued it would help recruit and retain providers, preserve ethical integrity in medicine, and has worked in several other states. Supporters also emphasized that the bill is aimed at procedures or services, not at denying care based on who a patient is, and noted that the bill includes a civil cause of action to give it enforcement teeth. Several supporters described personal experiences. A nurse said lack of conscience protections affected her career choices and limited her path into women’s health. Dr. Warman said he had requested not to perform anesthesia for abortions and later chose non-narcotic pain management because he objected to heavy opioid prescribing, saying conscience protections allow professionals to practice responsibly. Senators asked about examples, the bill’s scope, whether it could be used to discriminate, and which states have similar laws; Mississippi, Florida, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, and Arkansas were named. Questions also focused on the bill’s civil enforcement provisions and whether it could be used against patients based on identity or religion. Opponents warned the bill was overly broad and could allow refusals of care by a wide range of health workers, including clerks, ambulance drivers, pharmacists, nurses, and physicians. Dr. Karen Abrams said it could lead to denial of birth control, Plan B, blood transfusions, and other care, especially in rural areas with few alternatives, and could worsen Kentucky’s provider shortages. David Conway said the bill lacked patient protections, could increase delays and discrimination, and could prevent reassignment of objecting staff. The chair noted there were seven people signed up in opposition, limited testimony to two minutes each, and said the committee would return to the bill after hearing additional opposition and other pending bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• So more than just child care, we also do adult day care, foster care for both children and adults, a
• , adult foster care, and some of our family adult day care services.
• It includes our child care licensing, child care center, and child care certification teams, and the
• care and Child Care both family child care and Child Care Centers<00:39:26.200><c> um</c><00:39:26.359
• </c><00:50:01.880><c> center</c> care providers and for child care center care providers and for child

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• On other health care matters, from abortion to universal health care, Mr.
• care services.
• That's one of the things primary care physicians should understand: addiction care.
• specialist care, and 85% getting urgent care. 95% ease of filings.
• Satisfaction with getting specialized care is 82%, and 82% getting urgent care.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, the Agency for Health Care Administration manages all the other managed care plans in the
• Currently, the Agency for Health Care Administration manages all the other managed care plans in the
• Currently they are carved out of managed care contracts and the They are carved out of managed care contracts
• So we want—we're in the home care business.
• As we know, it's much more expensive to receive care in a hospital, an ER, or urgent care.

Summary: The Health Care Facilities and System Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered five bills. HB 1101 on out-of-network providers drew the most discussion; Rep. Albert said it would require written notice when a patient is referred to an out-of-network provider and would count certain insurer payments toward deductibles. Several members and the Florida College of Emergency Physicians raised concerns about placing the burden on doctors’ offices, possible delays in referrals, and unclear enforcement, but the bill was reported favorably 16-2. Public testimony included support from AARP and concerns from emergency physicians about ER workflow and insurance-network transparency. The committee then unanimously approved PCS for HB 475, reducing fines for ambulatory surgery centers that violate good-faith estimate requirements from $1,000 to $250 per day, with a lower maximum penalty. The bill sponsor said the change was intended to right-size penalties for smaller facilities; witnesses from surgery centers and HCA supported it. HB 797, which would allow a nonprofit retirement community serving veterans and spouses to create veteran-and-spouse nursing home beds and transfer a certificate of need within 100 miles, also passed unanimously after members discussed whether it could affect access for veterans; the sponsor said it would create additional private beds rather than displace existing ones. HB 1085 on the Children’s Medical Services Program was amended and reported favorably 14-3. The bill would move managed care plan operations for medically fragile children from the Department of Health to AHCA, keep clinical eligibility at DOH, and shift PPEC services fully into managed care. The adopted amendment changed the waiver provision to require AHCA to develop and present a comprehensive redesign plan for the Medicaid model waiver for children receiving private duty nursing. Several members supported the goal but raised concerns about eliminating family choice and the impact on medically fragile children. Finally, HB 1353 on home health care services passed unanimously. The bill would remove geographic limits on home health administrators, allow more licensed RNs including contract RNs to perform visits, and revise the home health excellence award program. Supporters said it would address workforce shortages and improve access, while one member warned it could increase costs and competition for nurses. The committee adjourned after reporting all five bills favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Home care aides support people who need extended care due to age or disability in many different settings
• While home care aides often provide care in clients' homes, they also work in adult family homes and
• It mandated FBI background checks for all long-term care workers, which includes home care aides, nursing
• When aides are unavailable, clients either go without care or receive care in more costly settings such
• Some groups had more difficulty obtaining needed care.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on the Restoring Quality Home Care Initiative (I-1163), which created home care aide certification requirements, FBI background checks, and an abuse/neglect registry. Auditors said some requirements likely improve safety, especially background checks and training, but the state lacked pre-2011 data to measure outcomes directly. They also found Washington has a long-term care workforce shortage, though its workforce supply ranks better than many states, and that more stringent entry requirements do not appear to reduce workforce participation compared with other states. The audit’s main concern was that the certification process is slow and burdensome. Auditors reported that most applicants never finish certification, that only about one-third of fiscal year 2025 applicants were certified within the 200-day legal deadline, and that the average time to certification was 463 days. They identified delays between training and testing, limited testing access in some areas, and redundant Department of Health verification of FBI background checks as key causes. The audit recommended streamlining the process by accepting applications later in the process, expanding testing within training programs, and eliminating the redundant background-check verification. Department of Health and Department of Social and Health Services staff largely agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations. They said they have already made improvements, including moving exams into more than 110 training programs, increasing credentialing staff, and reducing barriers through rule changes. DSHS noted testing is offered in 13 languages. Committee members asked about testing contract incentives, language access, and whether the agencies would seek statutory or budget changes to implement the recommendations. No public testimony was offered, and the meeting adjourned without any vote or formal action by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we have before us in health care is the product of 10 health care-focused public hearings, totaling
• family planning, and abortion care coverage, ...funding for dental care, preserves funding for women's
• long-term care coverage, preserves programs for senior care, preserves health care for people with disabilities
• a strong child care system.
• He said taking money out of the health care system would impact access to care.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee heard opening remarks on the 2025 Budget Act, which will be amended into AB 101 and SB 101 for floor consideration. Committee leaders described the budget as a difficult compromise shaped by a $12 billion deficit, federal funding uncertainty, wildfire impacts, and rising out-year costs, while emphasizing a balance between compassion and fiscal responsibility. Each budget subcommittee chair then summarized major actions in their areas, including health care, human services, education, climate and transportation, housing and state administration, public safety, and oversight/transparency. Key policy items included delaying or narrowing some of the Governor’s proposed cuts, especially in Medi-Cal and other safety-net programs; preserving funding for dental care, women’s health, family planning, hospice, long-term care, IHSS, and services for undocumented Californians; and maintaining or expanding child care, foster care, food banks, and CalWORKs-related supports. Education actions included additional Proposition 98 settle-up, reduced deferrals, support for TK-12, teacher recruitment, literacy, mental health, preschool slots, and restored funding for UC and CSU. Other major items included housing and homelessness investments, wildfire and disaster response funding, transit loans and greenhouse gas reduction fund support, Proposition 36 and VOCA-related public safety funding, and oversight measures on federal impacts and state efficiency. Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst staff said the package makes some of the same savings moves as the May Revision but relies more on internal borrowing and fewer reductions, leaving a smaller reserve than the administration’s plan but still maintaining roughly $11 billion in the rainy day fund. Members from both parties largely supported the package while raising concerns about long-term sustainability, Medi-Cal costs, reserve use, and the need for future revenue and program review. The committee adopted the subcommittee actions by roll call, 18-6, with the roll held open for absent members and additional comments continuing after the vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every other managed care program is under AHCA.
• Some are under managed care, some are not.
• Some are under managed care, some are not.
• and access to care, and enhancing patient treatment and continuity of care.
• and access to care, enhancing patient treatment and continuity of care.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services met to consider a full agenda of bills, moving quickly through 20 measures and several amendments. Early bills reported favorably included SB 976 on procedures for challenging court-appointed psychologists in family law cases, SB 306 on Medicaid managed care provider access outside regular business hours, and SB 584 on housing supports for foster youth and college students, which drew supportive testimony from former foster youth and was backed by members as a way to improve stability and educational opportunity. The committee also approved SB 1412 to modernize home health regulations and SB 1800 to create a Parkinson’s research consortium at USF, with members citing the need for more research and future funding opportunities. The committee adopted amendments on several bills, including technical and conforming changes to the Parkinson’s bill and other measures. The committee then advanced a series of health care and child welfare bills. SB 524 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening; SB 1156 revised the Home Health Aide Program for medically fragile children, including training, reimbursement, and work-hour flexibility; and SB 1490 reorganized services for medically fragile children by shifting program administration to AHCA and requiring a redesign plan for the Medicaid waiver. SB 1174 allowed foster home and child-caring agency licenses to be amended when a foster parent relocates, and SB 1620 implemented selected recommendations from the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, including a new research center at USF and school-based behavioral health review requirements. SB 1568 revised e-prescribing exemptions, and SB 78 authorized certain veterans’ nursing home beds and related certificate-of-need transfers. All of these measures were reported favorably after brief debate or supportive testimony. Several bills prompted more extensive discussion and some opposition. CS for CS SB 1270, the Department of Health agency package, included provisions on vaccination-related patient rights, medical marijuana reporting, background screening, temporary licensure, compact participation, and sovereign immunity for volunteer dentists; it passed despite concerns from Senators Berman, Brodeur, and Harrell about vaccination language and board/voting-power provisions. CS for SB 1606 on patient access to records drew strong opposition from physicians and health information professionals over privacy, security, fines, and portal access; it was initially reported unfavorably, then reconsidered and ultimately reported favorably as a committee bill. CS for SB 1736, allowing insulin administration by direct support professionals and relatives for individuals with developmental disabilities, and SB 1808, requiring timely refunds to patients, both passed. CS for SB 1842, requiring referring providers to help patients determine whether referred providers are in-network, also passed over concerns about burden on small practices. The committee also advanced SB 1354, a behavioral health oversight bill requiring audits, performance reporting, and system transparency measures for managing entities, and SB 1768, which authorizes physicians to perform certain stem cell therapies using specified products and requires informed consent; both drew supportive comments but also concerns about patient understanding and oversight. Finally, the committee approved SPB 7032 as a committee bill to create presumptive Medicaid eligibility for permanently disabled individuals during redetermination, and after reconsideration it reported SB 1606 favorably as a committee bill. The meeting ended with members noting their recorded votes on select tabs and adjourning after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have CCTR, General Child Care, State Preschool, and also Private Pay Child Care Center programs in
• child care providers providing for them.
• funded and staffed child care programs.
• care, which is critical for working families who depend on reliable child care.
• Child Care Resource Center alone has over 19,000 children waiting for care.

Summary: The committee took up issue number seven, Child Care Rate Reform Transition Plan, and heard a presentation from the LAO on an eight-part transition plan for the period before implementation of the alternative methodology-based child care rate system. The plan would provide interim rate increases to existing regional market rates and standard reimbursement rates beginning January 1 of the budget year, keep the higher of SRR or ARMR as the single rate, annualize cost-of-care supplements, update hold-harmless language, eliminate the private market cap, authorize one-time systems transition funding with JLBC approval, and require annual reporting on parent co-pays. Members asked about the timeline and public/legislative feedback process, and administration staff said they were working toward the July 1, 2025 deadline while continuing stakeholder engagement through the rate and quality advisory process. Public comment was overwhelmingly focused on child care and early learning funding. Providers, county offices, advocacy groups, and education organizations urged the Legislature to move quickly on the alternative rate methodology, provide interim relief through a cost-of-living adjustment, reimburse based on enrollment rather than attendance, and preserve health and retirement benefits and workforce stability. Many speakers also pressed for funding to expand the promised 200,000 child care slots, warning that waitlists remain long and providers are under financial strain. Several commenters supported maintaining or extending grants and technical assistance for transitional kindergarten, inclusive early education, and mixed-delivery early learning programs. A separate set of comments addressed the Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program, with Sacramento County education officials and others urging a statewide plan that would extend support to the 20 counties not currently receiving grants, especially rural areas. Other speakers raised concerns about facilities and staffing impacts from TK expansion, the need for consistent eligibility rules across subsidized programs, and the importance of statewide systems-level funding. The chair thanked the LAO, administration, and public commenters, said the item would remain open until after the May Revision, and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• care system.
• They need care as well.
• We take turns as institutions to provide care, and part of that is through our charity care.
• It's going to hurt health care.
• Where we're helping primary care physicians in rural communities care for cancer survivors.

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee held a panel discussion on Florida’s cancer research and funding programs, including the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program, the Bankhead-Coley Research Program, and Live Like Bella. Dr. Ladapo and leaders from Moffitt, Sylvester/University of Miami, UF Health, and Mayo Clinic described how state funding has helped Florida’s four NCI-designated cancer centers expand research, recruit faculty, increase clinical trials, and build collaborations. They emphasized that the programs are intended to improve cancer care statewide, support innovation, and encourage more institutions to pursue NCI designation. The Governor’s budget recommendation was noted as including additional funding, and members asked about the cost and requirements of becoming NCI-designated and eventually comprehensive. Panelists said NCI designation requires major infrastructure, compliance, research, and training investments, with de novo development estimated at about $1 billion. They described Florida’s collaborative model as unusual nationally, with annual symposia, shared pilot funding, and joint projects across the four centers. Members also asked about rural access, home-based care, and recruitment/retention. Mayo described its “Cancer Care Beyond Walls” home-treatment model and said it could expand to rural counties within months; Moffitt and UF discussed mobile screening, satellite sites, and affiliations with local hospitals and practices. Several members raised concerns about workforce shortages, licensure delays, and the need to reach underserved areas. The discussion also covered outcomes, data reporting, and the broader economic impact of the cancer centers. Panelists cited growth in jobs, federal research funding, and clinical trial enrollment, and highlighted advances in immunotherapy, CAR-T, TIL therapy, carbon ion therapy, AI-driven screening, and the firefighter cancer initiative. They said the Florida Cancer Data System is being expanded to track recurrence and quality-of-life measures. Members also asked about philanthropy, medical tourism, and federal funding risks, including possible indirect cost reductions that could affect research budgets. The meeting ended with general support for continued investment, while some members noted an ongoing policy debate over whether future cancer research dollars should be concentrated in the four NCI centers or spread more broadly across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• will provide care for the patient.
• Part of clinical care. Routine clinical care.
• But care coordination, if one of my team, they know that if they look, Care coordination.
• We use them in the hospital setting and the acute care setting to help coordinate care.
• behavioral health care—coordinate care to rehab placement, referrals to in-house nursing care, PT, OT

Committee: House Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

Summary: The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules met with a quorum and approved the minutes from the prior meeting. Members announced that two Department of Natural Resources rules had been withdrawn, leaving only the Missouri Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) rule proposal for consideration. Public testimony focused on a proposed expansion of PDMP access to additional licensed behavioral health professionals, including licensed clinical social workers, licensed master social workers, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and psychologists, along with related clarifications to delegate access categories such as medical assistants and clinical nurse specialists. Testimony from the PDMP director and supporters from Compass Health and the Department of Mental Health argued the changes would improve care coordination, medication reconciliation, and overdose prevention within multidisciplinary behavioral health teams, especially in CCBHC settings. They said access would remain limited to licensed Missouri professionals working under supervision or collaboration with a prescriber or dispenser, and that the system is intended for treatment-related, view-only use. Opponents and skeptical committee members raised concerns that the rule would expand access beyond the original statutory framework without legislative change, could create privacy risks or misuse in non-treatment contexts such as custody disputes, and might exceed the committee’s rulemaking authority. One public witness opposed the rule, warning it could deter patients from seeking counseling and arguing the change should be made, if at all, by statute. After testimony, committee members debated whether the proposal was a permissible clarification or an impermissible substantive expansion of the law. Supporters of disapproval said the issue was legality, not the merits of PDMP access, and urged the department to seek a bill sponsor if it wanted the change enacted. A motion was made and seconded to disapprove Rule 1 CSR 60-1.010 on the grounds of lack of statutory authority, conflict with state law, and arbitrariness/capriciousness. The committee then took a roll-call vote and approved the motion by 7 ayes to 1 no, disapproving the rule and adjourning with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're defining direct primary care services means those services that a primary care provider is licensed
• Care Act.
• Primary Care Act.
• And when I say, define direct primary care, it says a health care model where patients pay physicians
• were in foster care.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, members, health care and Human Services programs focus on health care, economic assistance, and
• ><c> waivers</c> care facilities long-term care waivers care facilities long-term care waivers and<00
• provided in an the level of care provided in an intermediate<00:30:54.919><c> Care</c> intermediate Care
• foster care licensing.
• foster care licensing.

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house