Transcript Highlights:

• That statistic isn't just a number. It's shocking.
• number to make the transfer.
• So it has been a small rural area struggle with routing phone calls, numbers, crisis lines, and it has
• So it has been, we've had a small rural area struggle with routing phone calls, numbers, crisis lines
• so far, do not count towards our 98 numbers.

Summary: The hearing focused on California’s 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and the broader crisis response system, with members and witnesses emphasizing both the system’s life-saving role and the risks posed by funding gaps, rising demand, and uneven local implementation. Opening remarks highlighted the personal impact of suicide and the need to strengthen crisis response so calls are answered quickly and linked to appropriate care rather than defaulting to 911, emergency rooms, or law enforcement. State officials described the AB 988 five-year implementation plan, which sets goals around public awareness, equitable access, high-quality call/chat/text response, and better integration with ongoing behavioral health services. State agencies reported progress on infrastructure, coordination, and related behavioral health investments. CalHHS said California has expanded mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization units, and youth behavioral health supports, and is preparing additional public awareness and grant programs tied to Proposition 1. DHCS explained that 988 is funded through a federal SAMHSA grant and the AB 988 surcharge, while Medi-Cal separately funds mobile crisis services; officials said the mobile crisis benefit is active in 53 counties and that statewide expansion remains a work in progress. Cal OES described the statewide technical buildout, including network infrastructure in all 11 crisis centers, interoperability with 911, and a pilot of next-generation routing and call-handling tools. The 988 California Consortium said call volume continues to rise sharply, missed calls remain a major concern, text/chat capacity is limited, and centers need more stable funding, better reimbursement, and stronger feedback loops with the state. County and community witnesses stressed that local systems need more flexible, sustained support to match the demand. Lake County described a peer-led rural mobile crisis model that has reduced law enforcement holds and increased housing placements, but said county-run mobile crisis teams still cannot reliably access 988 surcharge dollars and face reimbursement problems from Medi-Cal and commercial plans. Santa Clara County reported strong performance metrics, rapid call answer times, and a broad continuum of mobile crisis services, but said staffing and funding are strained and commercial reimbursement remains slow. The Mental Health Association of San Francisco said the peer-run warm line complements 988 by offering non-emergency support and warm handoffs, but recent budget changes forced cuts to Spanish-language service, federation support, and hours. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; members mainly asked questions about surcharge levels, budget timing, coordination among agencies, data collection, and how to improve collaboration with frontline crisis centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would— that $40 million number is a number that was leaked.
• This would, that $40 million number is a number that was leaked.
• Who's going to determine whether it was one phone call or 50 phone calls?
• So the penalty for one phone call and 50 phone calls would be the same?
• So, I mean, how are we going to locate them whenever it's by an out-of-service cell phone number?

Bills: HB55 , HB608 , HB997 , HB1035 , HB1045 , HB1048 , HB1049 , HB1057 , HB1131 , HB1177 , HB1201

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Keywords: juror confidentiality, public records, criminal procedure, privacy, court disclosure, official journal, public notices, government transparency, local government, municipal website, school board notices, parish council, police jury, special districts, levee district, drainage district, road district, navigation district, sewerage district, newspaper publication

Transcript Highlights:

• Those numbers aren't reported by bank.
• If his phone rang and his caller ID said it was his bank, with that bank's phone number, and they call
• You ranked 35th by the number of complaints filed. You ranked 41st by the number of losses.
• Don't use a phone number in an email or a link.
• Tierney can speak to specific numbers.

Summary: A joint House-Senate Insurance and Commerce meeting focused on the growing threat of financial fraud in Arkansas, with members hearing from bankers, regulators, law enforcement, AARP, and mortgage and insurance industry representatives. Witnesses described a wide range of scams, including spoofed bank calls and texts, fake websites and social media impersonation, romance and investment scams, business email compromise, gift card fraud, check fraud, wire fraud, reverse mortgage scams, and crypto kiosk schemes. Several speakers emphasized that fraud is increasingly organized, technology-driven, and amplified by artificial intelligence, and that seniors are disproportionately targeted and often suffer the largest losses. Testimony highlighted both prevention and recovery efforts. Bankers said institutions spend heavily on training, customer education, and fraud detection, but often cannot stop losses once customers have been convinced to authorize transfers. The Attorney General’s office described its Consumer Protection Division, a new Financial Fraud Task Force, and examples of recovering funds quickly from crypto kiosk and wire fraud cases. The State Bank Department and Securities Department said Arkansas’s 2025 crypto ATM legislation and related education requirements have helped, and they urged continued public education. The Insurance Department reported major insurance-fraud trends, including fake insurance cards, forged policies, premium-finance schemes, and staged auto accidents, and said it prosecutes these cases aggressively. Members asked about reporting scams, the security of tap payments, how fraud losses are tracked, the role of crypto kiosks, and whether Arkansas should pursue model legislation or stronger action against telecom and social media companies. Witnesses said tap payments are generally safer than chip or swipe, that crypto transfers are often unrecoverable, and that spoofed caller ID and impersonation ads remain major problems. Paul Benda of the American Bankers Association urged state and federal action against telecom and social media platforms and supported national scam legislation. No new bills were voted on at the meeting, but members approved the November 3, 2025 minutes and several witnesses offered to share model legislation, consumer education materials, and state-by-state fraud data with the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please remember to silence your cell phones. If you need to make a phone call, please step outside.
• Amendments number one and two are technical.
• Amendment number four amends Prohibited Act number eight to failing to provide a mechanism for the consumer
• Amendment number nine changes subsection A in the violations section, number 3304, to require a person
• Amendment number nine is technical.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 750 by Rep. Cox, the “Click to Cancel Act,” regulating automatic renewal contracts. After adopting technical and substantive amendments, members discussed easier cancellation methods, reduced notice requirements, shorter record-retention periods, a 30-day cure period, small-business exemptions, and limiting damages to actual damages. The bill drew support from consumer advocates and opposition cards from industry groups, and it was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 259 by Rep. DeWitt addressed damage to underground infrastructure during BEAD-funded broadband excavation projects, requiring notice before digging and making contractors repair or pay for damage before final payment is released. An amendment added pre-construction coordination, a point of contact, and fault-based liability language. Members discussed rural utility damage, broadband buildout, and the need to protect small water systems; the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then considered HB 220 by Rep. Schlegel, which requires covered platforms to maintain an easy-to-use reporting mechanism for child sexual abuse material and exploitation. After technical and clarifying amendments, the sponsor and members discussed scope, nonprofit and small-business exclusions, AG enforcement discretion, and concerns about clear-and-conspicuous placement. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Next, HB 830 by Rep. Wright required proxy advisors to disclose when anti-management recommendations are not based on written financial analysis and to provide that analysis when it exists. After amendments excluding certain affiliates and 501(c)(3) charities, the sponsor and a witness argued the bill was about transparency and fiduciary duty, while LASERS testified in opposition, saying the measure could make proxy advice unavailable and create a hardship for its internally managed portfolio. The bill was nonetheless reported favorably as amended. The committee also advanced HB 463 by Rep. McMakin, which raises the maximum local 9-1-1 service charge from $1.25 to $2.00, with an amendment requiring annual reporting and local governing authority approval; testimony explained the funding need for Next Generation 9-1-1, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. Finally, the committee began HB 536 by Rep. Coates on wireless communication facilities near schools. After adopting technical and then lengthy substantive amendments narrowing the school proximity zone, adjusting setbacks, adding co-location and permit timing provisions, and clarifying uniform application, members raised concerns about whether the bill duplicated existing safety standards, could delay deployment, and whether it would apply only to new towers. The sponsor and a parent witness emphasized school safety and emergency planning, but discussion remained ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now that's a staggering number, but consider where it is today.
• It will not reduce the overall number.
• Your phone knows how old you are.
• The phone knows how old you are because when we...
• when the phone is purchased, right?

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism Subcommittee

Keywords: Stop CSAM Act, child exploitation, online safety, reporting requirements, tech accountability, NCMEC, survivor support, legislative testimony

Summary: The committee meeting centered around the urgent need to address child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, focusing primarily on the testimony and discussions surrounding the Stop CSAM Act. Several witnesses, including representatives from law enforcement and advocacy organizations, highlighted the significant drop in reports of child exploitation cases despite an alarming increase in actual incidents. Concerns were raised about tech companies' reporting practices, with calls for more stringent requirements to ensure timely and accurate reporting of suspected abuse. The legislation aims to fortify protections for child victims by imposing stricter obligations on tech platforms to report incidents and support law enforcement in investigations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Recently, I had received a phone call from one of my in-home staff after she had a phone call with somebody
• </c> like you described from their cell phone like you described from their cell phone oftentimes<01:
• </c><01:04:24.400><c> there's</c> reach issued cell phones there's reach issued cell phones there's password
• or may not use up to that number of approved units.
• They may not use the full number of units.

Bills: HF1662 , HF2115 , HF2159 , HF1095 , HF2160

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: veterans, veterans affairs, State Soldiers Assistance Program, Veterans Stable Housing Initiative, MAXIS, human services data, data sharing, eligibility verification, informed consent, private data, benefits coordination, veteran housing, veteran assistance, Department of Human Services, Children Youth and Families, state benefits, federal benefits, privacy, public assistance, human services

Transcript Highlights:

• Item number one, we'll start with number three.
• We'll do first item number seven.
• We'll do first, item number seven.
• There was a number of other concerns that were brought up by a number of expert witnesses and public
• As we know, cell phone-free, complete cell phone bans have been adopted in 26 states already.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and agreed by unanimous consent to allow cameras on the floor and gallery, excuse several senators, and move to announcements and miscellaneous business. The chamber then adopted a ceremonial resolution honoring Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales for his years of service as Senate president and lieutenant governor, followed by extensive remarks from senators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham praising his leadership, fairness, education advocacy, and personal kindness. Morales briefly responded, thanking members, the governor, and his family, and noting he would offer fuller remarks on his final day. After messages from the House were read, the Senate adopted several committee reports. These included favorable action on Senate Memorial 31; House Judiciary Committee substitute for House Bill 70; House Bill 124, referred to Finance; Senate Joint Resolution 6, referred to Judiciary; Senate Joint Resolution 7; House Bills 103, 154, 165, and 285 as amended; and the Finance Committee’s amended report on House Appropriations and Finance Committee substitute for House Bills 2 and 3. The Judiciary Committee also reported Senate Bill 104 as duly enrolled and engrossed, and the body noted that SB 104 had been signed in open session. During personal privilege, Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth discussed a State Ethics Commission advisory opinion on whether legislators who are attorneys may vote on medical malpractice cap legislation, arguing the issue is governed by Senate rules rather than the Governmental Conduct Act. He said he would continue to disclose his interests and vote under Rule 7-5, and also rejected a newspaper suggestion that he had a conflict in sponsoring a judgeship bill for the First Judicial District Court. The Senate then moved into third reading, beginning with Senate Rules Committee substitute for Senate Bill 264, which Senator Duhigg explained as an election-security measure responding to concerns about federal interference, intimidation, and emergency election disruptions; Senator Nava then spoke in support as a co-sponsor.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I said, on slide 62 is all your phone numbers.
• So to the phone number, I agree with you on that.
• , and so the number is being programmed into their phones.
• And in addition to that, our children have our phone number so they can call at any point in time.
• And in addition to that, our children have our phone number so they can call at any point in time.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• So you said that this is like Big Brother, or our cell phones—does our cell phones collect the same data
• So I think us having cell phones...
• So I think us having cell phones... ...wasn't on my phone. So I think us having cell phones.
• Everybody doesn't have a cell phone, just so you know. Everybody isn't, but they want everybody.
• This council has been working in different formats for a number of years, well over a decade.

Committees: House Emerging Issues , House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Transcript Highlights:

• So overall, the numbers of the, based on the population of the 320 cases...
• We'll start in our physical locations and then we'll move to our phone lines.
• We'll have you come to the table, and afterwards we'll move to the phones.
• We are going to head to our phone lines.
• There may be someone on the phone lines. AvH, do you have anyone for us?

Committee: Senate Commerce and Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• Those three are rigor, um, relevance, and relationships is number one to me.
• Okay, so eight years later now, in my ninth year here, I find out that we've gone down in that number
• are are just going through the numbers are are just going through the roof<00:02:54.319><c> and</c><
• down in that number we were 44th<00:03:26.920><c> and</c><00:03:27.040><c> now</c><00:03:27.159><c>
• So, yeah, but the cell phone—I, I—it’s a problem.

Transcript Highlights:

• It'll basically track your phone so we can see exactly where you are when you're calling.
• So it makes phone calls from a landline-esque telephone over the internet.
• The only difference is that if you're calling from a landline, or like a phone that's not a mobile phone
• that's not a mobile or like a a phone that's not a mobile phone<00:20:54.400><c> like</c><00:20:54.600
• </c><00:26:27.919><c> six</c> is for number six is for number six 662<00:26:30.600><c> and</c><00:26:

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Summary: The committee heard and discussed three nominations to the 911 Board: Matthew Kurara (Governor’s Message 505), Re Mahuna (Governor’s Message 614), and Rebecca Liberman/Weberman (Governor’s Message 661). Kurara, a Honolulu Police Department communications captain, said he would bring PSAP and dispatch experience to the board, with a focus on Next Generation 911, better coordination among PSAPs, and recruiting and retaining telecommunicators. Mahuna, a longtime Hawaiʻi Police Department officer and current board member, emphasized his emergency-response experience during disasters on the Big Island and his support for improving communication through Next Generation 911, including the new joint call center on Hawaiʻi Island. Liberman, the board’s VoIP representative and a Charter/Spectrum government affairs director, said she was continuing her second term and would keep working on legislative and government issues, including the statutory change removing “enhanced” from the board’s name to better support Next Gen efforts. Members asked each nominee about rural coverage, redundancy, training, broadband, radio-system limitations, and how Next Generation 911 would affect service in places like Puna and other rural areas. The nominees generally said the system is designed with redundancy so service would revert to backup systems if new technology fails, and that the main challenges in rural areas are often broader communications or radio issues rather than 911 itself. Kurara and Mahuna both said each PSAP currently handles much of its own training, though there is interest in more standardization and national best practices. Liberman explained that VoIP calls generally work over the internet and may benefit from Next Gen, but that location/address issues for some internet-based calling services may still need further review. The committee also discussed public education about text-to-911, the use of technologies such as FirstNet, and whether the E911 special fund ceiling needed to be raised again. Mahuna said he did not see a current need to raise the ceiling further. Written testimony was received in support of all three nominees, including support from public officials, law enforcement, county agencies, and private individuals. No opposition testimony was noted, and the chair said decisions would be made later with the other nominees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item number one on the agenda is Senate Bill 181.
• Many of you, most of you, pre-cell phone, am I right?
• </c> lose my job there were also 10 phone lose my job there were also 10 phone calls<00:10:26.480><c>
• </c> daughter many of the texts and phone daughter many of the texts and phone calls<00:10:30.320><c>
• </c><00:28:38.960><c> of</c> want you to know you have a number of want you to know you have a number

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Families and Children heard Senate Bill 181, which would require school districts to use only traceable forms of communication for staff, coaches, and volunteers when contacting students, require reporting of known private direct communication, notify parents, protect minors’ anonymity in EPSB investigations, and extend the investigation period for sexual misconduct cases to 120 days. Senator Lindsay Tichenor said the bill is meant to restore safeguards for children and families and address inappropriate private communications between school personnel and students. The committee also heard testimony from Stacy and Brad Brisco, who described allegations that an Anderson County guidance counselor had communicated privately with their daughter, encouraged her to pursue emancipation and CPS involvement, and used school channels to facilitate contact; they said the resulting abuse report was unsubstantiated and that the school system and EPSB had not acted promptly. Ashley Nation also testified in support as a survivor of educator sexual abuse, arguing that traceable communication policies are needed to prevent grooming and misconduct and that the bill does not stop communication, only makes it transparent and accountable. Members asked questions about what counts as traceable communication and whether schools already have policies. Tichenor said traceable communication could include paper notes, email, and apps such as ClassDojo or Google Classroom, and said the bill requires a trail parents can access. She also said some districts have ethical standards but they are not consistently followed, and that state-level action is needed. Senator Denine suggested the bill should allow districts more flexibility to choose among trackable platforms, noting that some systems already use tools like Dojo and Remind; Tichenor said a floor amendment would address that concern. Senators Williams, Meredith, Mills, Wise, and others voiced support, emphasizing child safety and the need for timely EPSB action. The committee then voted 9-0 to pass SB 181 with a favorable recommendation to the Senate floor. Afterward, the committee took up House Bill 242, sponsored by Representative Samara Heavrin, which would increase transparency in the child welfare system by making Kentucky child welfare data available to researchers while preserving privacy protections. With no questions, the committee approved HB 242 as well, also by a favorable vote, and members briefly noted support for the bill and the need for better data to inform child welfare policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to phone a friend.
• So I broke it down into actual numbers.
• And I actually had LCB look into those numbers.
• We'll go to three in Vegas and then to the phones.
• So we are going to move to the phone lines. Okay.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• You even get walk-up music, apparently, to somebody's phone ring.
• We have five employees with numbers less. If you have 100 employees, it's more.
• . investments of cell phone companies go into areas where they have a customer base.
• , and we are ready and sitting on go for these cell phone towers.
• So, when radio communications fail, often we rely on cell phone use.

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We're number seven overall.
• Again, you see some numbers on the other side. Our numbers are getting better.
• The problem is not the phone.
• Yes, sir, basically the school phone ban. ...basically the school phone ban has been implemented, and
• those numbers in many... ...we're following those numbers in many of them.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1611 adds just one key thing to the recording: the VIN number, the VIN number of the catalytic
• The VIN number is a clear way to link back to the vehicle.
• You know, does this phone utilize financial transactions?
• phones they’ll use for like a group chat with their friends.
• It follows you home, onto your phone, into your head.

Committees: House Emerging Issues , House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Transcript Highlights:

• When volunteers check in at a volunteer reception center, they can share their cell phone numbers with
• Get on our phones.
• We set up a couple of phone numbers, one for people who suspected that someone in their family, a loved
• Some people didn't use cell phones, and some didn't answer when they received a call from a number they
• In addition to that, each radio has its own unique ID, kind of like a phone number.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it is that the right number? I 175. Is it is that the right number?
• We could have sent an alert to everybody's phone today, but we didn't have everybody's phone number.
• If you remember, the plans were we by... phone. So she can ask questions about phone.
• ><c> everybody's</c><00:53:10.800><c> phone</c><00:53:10.960><c> number.
• </c> didn't have everybody's phone number. didn't have everybody's phone number.

Summary: A presenter from Fast Health Corporation described a proposed Kentucky Health Command System tied to Senate Bill 175, which would create a state-sanctioned AI platform for rural hospitals and telehealth. The company said the system would help rural residents get health information remotely, triage minor issues, and escalate more serious cases to Kentucky providers, with use cases including blood pressure, diabetes, maternity care, smoking cessation, and other preventive-care topics. The presenter argued the system would help rural hospitals compete with out-of-state telehealth companies and keep patients connected to local care. The presentation also emphasized a commercial model the sponsor said would generate new revenue through ads and branded interactions, with the bill reportedly directing 80% of that revenue to rural hospitals and 20% to the state to maintain the system. The presenter said the technology would augment, not replace, doctors and nurses, and claimed it could improve access and convenience in underserved areas. Committee members raised concerns about liability, whether the AI could provide medical advice, and whether there was evidence it had reduced emergency room visits; the presenter said the system could not give medical advice and acknowledged the technology is still very new. The sponsor of the bill said the goal was to help transform rural health care, reduce unnecessary ER use, and capture revenue that would otherwise go to commercial search engines and out-of-state companies. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion ended with questions about branding, loyalty, and the legal limits of the AI system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two separate issues. 988 is the phone number. Right. You could call it at any time.
• As I said, on slide 62 is all your phone numbers.
• So to the phone number, I agree with you on that. So we do have several different options. Two.
• So to the phone number, I agree with you on that.
• , and so the number is being programmed into their phones.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation on LSU Health Care Services Division and Lallie Kemp Medical Center. Staff reviewed HCSD’s roughly $74.7 million budget, much of it tied to legacy obligations for former LSU hospital systems and support for Lallie Kemp. Committee members asked about prisoner care, risk management costs, declining admissions and emergency visits, and the hospital’s 340B drug program. Lallie Kemp officials explained that prisoner care serves multiple state and local facilities, that lower admissions largely reflect more patients being placed in observation status, and that the in-house 340B program provides major savings to patients and the prison system. Members also asked about care for unhoused patients and the hospital’s discharge practices, and the hospital said social services works to find placement when possible. The committee then moved to the Louisiana Department of Health budget, which was presented as just under $23.5 billion, with Medicaid making up more than 90 percent of the total. The presentation covered the Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Medicaid. Major items included the new Rural Health Transformation Program, the transfer of several functions from DCFS to LDH under the One Door initiative, changes to SNAP administration, and large Medicaid adjustments driven by enrollment, utilization, and federal policy changes. Testimony also highlighted the statewide crisis hub and 988, the commodity food program for seniors, women’s health and maternal outcomes, and the department’s efforts to modernize technology and reorganize services. Members questioned LDH officials on a wide range of budget and policy issues, including the rural health grant, crisis services, Medicaid redeterminations, provider taxes, physician and hospital supplemental payments, nursing home rates, HCBS funding, and the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. LDH said the rural health grant would support workforce, technology, and care-delivery improvements; that the crisis hub and mobile crisis units are being expanded to improve access and reduce emergency room use; and that the department is working to keep the SNAP error rate below 6 percent to avoid a projected state cost increase. Officials also said they expect to return next year with additional funding requests for HCBS and other programs, while emphasizing that current budget changes are largely meant to realign funding with actual expenditures and new federal requirements. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.