Transcript Highlights:

• When children in custody face abrupt school or placement changes, structured notification must immediately
• independent of the agency it is supposed to be a check and balance for, a function that the existing structure
• independent of the agency it is supposed to be a check and balance for, a function that the existing structure
• foster care and those who have aged out as humans with inherent rights to safety, security, family integrity
• The J-PAD report that you've heard referenced numerous times today identifies the serious structural

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities held a hybrid hearing on a series of child welfare bills focused on DCF, foster care, mandated reporting, educational records, and family support. Chair Kennedy and Chair Livingstone opened with accessibility and testimony rules, then heard testimony on bills including S.127 on expanding mandated reporters, S.107/H.235 on a Foster Children’s Bill of Rights, S.106/H.228 on transferring foster care review from DCF to the Office of the Child Advocate, H.258/S.125 on an electronic backpack for foster children’s educational records, H.205 on kinship foster care background checks, H.246/H.266 on minimizing trauma in care and protection cases, and S.159 on support for families after sudden unexpected infant death. Supporters of the mandated reporter bill, led by Sen. Feeney and Foxborough advocates, described a local model that trains all adults who work with children and argued the state should scale that approach statewide to improve recognition and reporting of abuse. Testimony on the foster care bills emphasized the need for clearer rights, better notice to children and attorneys, stronger remedies, and independent oversight. Advocates, youth with lived experience, and legal organizations described placement instability, delayed notifications, abuse in care, poor educational continuity, and the need for rights around safety, family contact, culture, language, and access to records. Several witnesses urged that the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights include enforceable court remedies, not just reporting requirements. On the oversight bill, supporters argued DCF should not review its own foster care system and pointed to poor outcomes, high placement instability, and recent investigative reporting as evidence for moving review responsibilities to the Office of the Child Advocate. On the electronic backpack bill, testimony focused on the need for real-time data sharing and a centralized system so schools can receive foster students’ records quickly and support continuity. On the trauma-minimization bill, Rep. Miskin framed the proposal as a set of practical changes to reduce harm during removals and court involvement. On the SUID bill, Sen. Lovely said families should be given information about available grief and support resources after an infant death. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That tax is coming to an end, and this building, this structure that is owned by the county, we're going
• That tax is coming to an end, and this building, this structure that is owned by the county, we're going
• That tax is coming to an end, and this building, this structure that is owned by the county, we're going
• So, in so doing, we're supporting our communities, we're protecting our state's fiscal integrity, we're
• So, in so doing, we're supporting our communities, we're protecting our state's fiscal integrity, we're

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These values again are aloha, collaborate, respect, ohana, integrity, accountability, compassion, stewardship
• are aloha, collaborate,<01:24:54.600> respect,<01:24:55.639> ohana,<01:24:56.840> integrity
• the Office of the State Fire Marshal, clarified Rosen's responsibilities and its organizational structure
• responsibilities and its rosen responsibilities and its organizational organizational organizational structure
• And we added 22 positions and structure.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• body to maintain fidelity in their positions, wisdom in their deliberations, and to maintain high integrity
• And as you know, the existence of the corporation and that structure goes way back centuries.
• Senate Bill 2598 by Middleton, relating to certain structures located near a national wildlife refuge
• the franchise and insurance premium tax credit for a certified rehabilitation of certain historic structures
• the franchise and insurance premium tax credit for a certified rehabilitation of certain historic structures

Bills: SJR12, SCR39, SB27, SB29, SB241, SB406, SB414, SB464, SB568, SB578, SB609, SB660, SB689, SB693, SB785, SB857, SB879, SB921, SB922, SB955, SB985, SB993, SB996, SB1008, SB1035, SB1036, SB1059, SB1098, SB1120, SB1122, SB1147, SB1188, SB1197, SB1209, SB1227, SB1245, SB1267, SB1307, SB1321, SB1332, SB1386, SB1396, SB1453, SB1484, SB1494, SB1536, SB1537, SB1596, SB1610, SB1664, SB1741, SB1814, SB1822, SB1841, SB1948, SB2065, SB2155, SB2188, SB2230, SB2406, SB2407

Keywords: parental rights, education, constitutional amendment, school choice, child education, border security, southern border, federal immigration policy, illegal immigration, cartels, transnational cartels, fentanyl, drug trafficking, human trafficking, Operation Lone Star, Texas border, National Guard, state guard, border wall, border barriers

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation, and approved the previous day’s journal. The chamber then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with senators highlighting the university’s growth, medical school, research expansion, and role in serving South Texas. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 368 honoring outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, with numerous senators praising his long public career, leadership in higher education, and statewide impact. Senate Resolution 361 recognizing Texas HBCU Day and Senate Resolution 362 recognizing Denton County Days at the Capitol were also adopted, along with other routine recognitions and gubernatorial appointments being read into the record. The Senate then took up several bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to shorten vacancy posting requirements, allow bilingual certification candidates to retake only failed test sections, give teachers more flexibility with paid leave, clarify classroom removal procedures, and ensure parents are informed of appeal rights. The bill passed to engrossment, the three-day rule was suspended, and it was finally passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment to establish a parent’s right to direct a child’s education, was also brought up and passed to engrossment after a contested suspension vote. The Senate next passed Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, which would require reporting of foreign funding at public universities, bar gifts from adversarial governments, and require training and reporting systems to prevent foreign influence and intellectual property theft in higher education. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the so-called “Dexit” bill, was debated at length for its corporate governance changes, including codifying the business judgment rule and altering internal corporate litigation and records rules; it passed to engrossment, the three-day rule was suspended, and it was finally passed by a 30-1 vote. Senate Bill 857, allowing law enforcement discretion to tow vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed after discussion of towing abuses during flooding and disaster conditions. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536, requiring dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, passed with broad support, and Senate Bill 922, addressing delayed electronic disclosure of sensitive medical test results so physicians can discuss them first, was taken up and passed to engrossment as the chamber continued through its calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, these included statewide integration and NarsCare upgrades to the prescription monitoring program
• The second issue outlines the modification of the agency's budget structure to create a new goal and
• Our commission has embraced an era of significant change with the integration of the state anatomical
• In terms of our funding structure, the Texas Medical Board operates without any reliance on the state's
• And our current fee structure is set to about 90 to 95% of what we are statutorily authorized to charge

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, we're going into structured debate on SM 6C.
• Members are going to structured debate on SB 4C.
• Let us protect those who serve and safeguard our communities with integrity and conviction.
• Let us protect those who serve and safeguard our communities with integrity and conviction.
• Members, we're going to structure debate.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, the Pledge of Allegiance, and adoption of the special order report for the day. The chamber then moved into a special-order agenda focused almost entirely on immigration-related measures, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. The memorial was adopted 85-27 after brief debate, with supporters arguing Florida should help maximize federal immigration enforcement and opponents saying Congress, not the state, should fix immigration policy. The House next took up Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses for illegal entry and reentry by adult unauthorized aliens and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members debated constitutional concerns, due process, racial profiling, fiscal impacts, and whether the bill intruded on federal immigration authority. Several amendments were offered and defeated, including proposals to extend protections to Venezuelans with TPS, to remove the mandatory death penalty, to protect certain long-term immigrant workers and teachers, to expand exemptions for Haitians and humanitarian parole recipients, and to create a task force on best practices for immigration enforcement in schools and other sensitive locations. A final amendment to strip the bill as unconstitutional was also rejected. The bill then passed 85-29. The final measure discussed was Senate Bill 2C, which creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establishes grants and incentive bonuses for local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, repeals the fee waiver for undocumented students beginning July 1, 2025, and appropriates more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as a broad enforcement package, while questions from members focused on the impact on current students who receive in-state tuition and whether the bill would remove incentives for those already enrolled. The transcript ends during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• state so that we can know whether this is something that they find to be appropriate to help the integrity
• to help the integrity of our elections<01:05:32.319> and<01:05:32.799> to<01:05:33.039
• <01:40:00.800> of don'truct understand the structure of don'truct understand the structure
• And that's the question I asked, and it's just the structure of this.
• concern with it is currently structured. concern with it is currently structured.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:54:40.120> of appropriate use and integration of appropriate use and integration of artificial
• Immigrants are an integral part of our community, and their contributions to our culture, our economy
• Immigrants are an integral part of our community, and their contributions to our culture, our economy
• In addition, it is important to highlight that the 118th Congress considered 83 structured rules, a 40
• 42:58.760> 83 that the 118th Congress considered 83 that the 118th Congress considered 83 structured

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, January 3, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I really enjoy the structure and commend the state for at least doing that piece of it, as well as
• So I really enjoy the structure and commend the state for at least doing that piece of it, as well as
• We deal with the effects of not being integrated into a state that has seven of our tribes here.
• Our operations follow OJS policy manuals to ensure accuracy, accountability, and integrity.
• And right now, do they work on 12-hour shifts, or what is their structure?

Summary: The Tribal and State Relations Committee met at Standing Rock and heard extensive comments from tribal council members, state legislators, and tribal program leaders about ongoing state-tribal coordination issues. Early discussion focused on the committee’s purpose, the need for better communication, and frustration that the meeting agenda and time allotted did not include enough state department heads or program experts to address child welfare, ICWA, Medicaid, and other human services concerns. Tribal leaders emphasized that Standing Rock wants more direct, regular communication and more practical follow-through from prior meetings. A major theme was health and human services, including concerns that the state’s rural health transformation efforts and human service zone structure do not fit tribal needs, especially for a direct-service tribe that relies on federal funding and Indian Health Service. Members also raised foster care delays, housing shortages that force children off-reservation, substance abuse treatment capacity, and the need for cultural competency in child welfare and education. Other issues included missing and murdered Indigenous people, law enforcement cooperation, extradition and banishment ordinances, cross-deputization, roads, water and sewer infrastructure, census accuracy, and the need for updated lists of tribal liaisons and bills affecting tribes. Economic development and sovereignty issues were also discussed. Standing Rock leaders raised concerns about e-pull-tabs and charitable gaming, saying state regulation has reduced tribal gaming revenue and that e-tabs should be treated as Class III gaming. They also objected to county-issued fireworks and liquor permits that affect reservation communities, arguing that state and county authority often conflicts with tribal sovereignty. In response, legislators said e-tabs and charitable gaming were likely to return as legislative issues and suggested possible solutions such as restricting e-tabs near tribal lands. The committee also discussed the need for more information on tribal-related bills and for legislators to receive cultural and treaty training. Several tribal projects and programs were presented. Joseph McNeil described Sage Development Authority’s 235-megawatt wind project, which is paused because of federal permitting delays, and asked for state support to move it forward. Dave Arshambo described Wojou’s land regeneration, buffalo, food sovereignty, youth, and wellness programs. Later, Cheryl Carey of Sacred Pipe Resource Center introduced the needs of the urban Native population in Bismarck-Mandan and statewide, noting that many Native people live off-reservation and often fall through the cracks in state-tribal discussions. The committee adjourned for lunch and planned to continue with additional presentations afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a structural failure that is pricing out people who keep our communities running, and frankly
• And importantly, the way this bill is structured, we will create more sites, which is the key.
• This is a structural failure that is pricing out people who keep our communities running, and frankly
• And importantly, the way this bill is structured, we will create more sites, which is the key.
• Instead, it protects the integrity of the policy by ensuring that the benefits are tied to actual housing

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Climate-resilient building codes need to take into account the external conditions a structure faced
• Given rising temperatures, our parks need shade structures and water features and fountains for people
• The desire to make profit and the structural pressure to do so is so...
• The desire to make profit and the structural pressure to do so is so pervasive.
• This is a $100 million infrastructure plan to raise a town-owned, structurally sound causeway, preserving

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing focused on a broad set of climate, energy, and environmental justice proposals. Early testimony strongly supported the Climate Change Superfund or “Polluter Pays” bill (H.1014/S.58), which would assess the largest fossil fuel emitters for a one-time fee based on historic emissions to fund climate adaptation. Sponsors argued the bill is modeled on Superfund cleanup principles, would target only the largest multinational polluters, would not be passed on to consumers, and would direct a significant share of funds to environmental justice communities. Committee members asked about the number of companies covered, consumer impacts, and whether the bill would address other forms of environmental destruction; sponsors said it was limited to major fossil fuel companies with a Massachusetts footprint and did not cover other pollution sources. The committee also heard testimony on a fusion energy compact proposal (S.673) that would direct the administration to develop a framework for a New England regional compact to accelerate fusion research, workforce development, and supply-chain growth. Supporters from MIT and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities said fusion could become a major clean-energy and economic opportunity, but acknowledged the technology is not yet commercially viable and still has unresolved technical, cost, and waste-management questions. Members pressed on environmental impacts, siting, waste, costs, and whether the bill would create a compact or only a framework; sponsors said it would only create the framework and that the administration would need to negotiate with other states. Another major topic was a pilot program for nature-based climate solutions (H.971/S.??), backed by legislators, Boston Harbor Now, and UMass Boston’s Stone Living Lab. Witnesses said the bill would help speed permits for research and demonstration projects such as living shorelines, marsh restoration, and hybrid “green-to-gray” flood protections, while maintaining safeguards and protecting Indigenous and historic resources. Committee members asked how the proposal would interact with other permitting reforms and whether it could conflict with housing or wetland-related streamlining; supporters said it was complementary and aimed at making projects faster, more affordable, and more data-driven. The hearing also covered climate-safe buildings and climate adaptation funding bills. Supporters of H.1004/S.583 said current building codes do not adequately account for future flooding, heat, and wind, and the bill would add climate expertise to the building board, allow stretch resilience codes, expand floodplain standards, and create a retrofit program. Related testimony backed H.938/S.572, which would create a dedicated climate and community resilience fund financed by a small fee on property insurance premiums; advocates said it would provide stable long-term revenue for adaptation, especially in environmental justice communities, and help replace unreliable federal funding. One witness from CLF supported the climate-safe buildings and funding bills but opposed S.560/H.939 as too broad. The committee also heard testimony on airport air-quality legislation (H.997) calling for more monitoring and mitigation of ultra-fine particulate pollution around Logan Airport and Massport communities. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:12:22.400> is within the same agency the structure is within the same agency the structure
• those um some of it was a structural those um some of it was a structural change<03:48:57.000>
• Equity structure so you're saying that Equity structure so you're saying that the<04:17:19.760> non
• and emerging uh this is just a structure and emerging uh this is just a structure that<04:18:14.159
• <04:19:53.399> that to employ and we try to structure that to employ and we try to structure

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held an orientation for new and returning members of the House committee on agencies and administration, with introductions from members and staff. Chair Carol Maguire outlined her expectations for hearings: keep questions focused on the bill, be respectful to witnesses, and use the committee’s orientation opportunities to learn about the jail staff, retirement system, and Office of Professional Licensure. Members also discussed related assignments on other bodies, including the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and the Joint Committee on Employee Classification, and noted that some members already serve on those panels. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the State Building Code and the committee’s upcoming workload. Members explained how the state code is intended to provide a common baseline while allowing limited local options, and why municipalities must formally adopt and publish any local amendments. They reviewed several anticipated bills: a consolidation bill to gather building-code enforcement materials in one place, a bill to update the state energy code, a bill to restrict municipal adoption of building-code changes, and a bill to update the electrical code. Members also discussed how building codes apply to older homes and commercial buildings, and why code updates are important for safety and clarity. The chair said the committee had 36 bills currently scheduled, including many early bills that must move by March 6 because they will be heard by two committees. She said the committee would use subcommittees for harder bills, with three subcommittees this year: pensions, licensing, and likely state building code. She also outlined the hearing schedule, including lighter bills on February 12 and the expectation of executive sessions later in the month. No votes were taken during the orientation, but members were told that public hearings do not require a quorum and that hard copies of bills would be distributed by committee staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• The way that OHA was previously structured, we have very discrete functional areas like compliance or
• 12:23.199> OHA<00:12:23.720> was<00:12:24.360> previously<00:12:24.920> structured
• <00:12:25.800> we that OHA was previously structured we that OHA was previously structured
• The way that OHA was previously structured, we have very discrete functional areas like compliance or
• <00:40:39.200> um while protecting cultural Integrity um while protecting cultural Integrity

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 410, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ biennium operating budget. OHA asked for a modest increase over its base budget, including $1.2 million to fund 13 new full-time positions for a strategy and implementation team tied to its long-term plan, with emphasis on housing, education, health, and economic resilience. OHA also described a broader effort to work directly with executive branch departments to improve outcomes for Native Hawaiians. Testimony was largely supportive, with several individuals speaking in favor and one testifier expressing strong frustration about Native Hawaiian rights and access to resources. The chair noted there were 38 additional written/supporting testimonies and three in opposition. Members asked about OHA’s funding sources and public land trust revenues; OHA said it is not receiving the full 20 percent share, described a public land trust working group and system issues, and said a related bill would seek funding to begin an inventory. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then considered House Bill 304, which would make the Hawaiian version of a law binding when the law was originally drafted in Hawaiian and later translated into English. The Judiciary supported the bill, saying it reinforces Hawaiian as an official language and looks to the original language for legislative intent. The Attorney General supported the intent but recommended narrowing the bill with a proviso to avoid ambiguities, limiting it to laws originally drafted in Hawaiian that were not later amended, codified, recodified, or reenacted in English. Public testimony was generally supportive, though one speaker raised broader sovereignty concerns. Members questioned how many laws would be affected and whether the proposed amendment would undercut the bill; the Attorney General said the amendment was meant to address uncertainty in interpretation. No final action was reported. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 603, which would direct OHA to administer a Native Hawaiian business marketing program to promote Native Hawaiian-owned businesses through marketing and technical assistance. OHA supported the concept, saying a label or branding program could help consumers identify and support Native Hawaiian-owned businesses, but requested that funding be redirected to a working group to study program design, implementation, enforcement, and long-term viability. The chair noted four supportive testimonies had been received, and a member asked OHA to confirm that its programs serve all Hawaiians, not only those eligible for homelands; OHA said it serves all Hawaiians in the state. The transcript ends before any vote or further action on HB 603.

Transcript Highlights:

• Across 10 counties, no less than 46 structures have been destroyed, 470 more threatened, at least 600
• Are we going to wait 30 years again until the structural deficit exceeds $5 trillion a year when you
• <03:01:37.439> But<03:01:37.600> I the structural deficit we have.
• But I the structural deficit we have.
• Well, we sure have a massive structural deficit today.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, if removing a system would undermine the integrity of an underlying structure, then that can be closed
• In some situations, an underground storage tank might be under another structure and would cause a structural
• If removing a system would undermine the integrity of an underlying structure, then that can be closed
• > uh<02:09:50.800> given uh a uh structural problem for uh given uh a uh structural problem
• of an underlying underlying integrity of an underlying underlying structure<02:10:00.079> then

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee held an open work session on HB 1766-FN, a bill addressing cruelty to livestock, and focused on proposed language changes from the Department of Agriculture. Assistant State Veterinarian Nathan Harvey, speaking for the commissioner, explained concerns about the term “imminent danger,” arguing that the bill should allow seizure based on probable cause when an animal is starving or has a life-threatening condition, rather than tying action too closely to whether the owner is arrested. The department also proposed language on “extreme suffering” that would require euthanasia if the cost of treatment would exceed the allowable reimbursement amount under AGR rules, though members immediately raised concerns about using a dollar limit to require euthanasia. The department further suggested clarifying who may participate in investigations by allowing the state veterinarian or a designate, and noted that the current draft could be read too narrowly. Members discussed the $5,000 emergency care cap in the rules, with Josh Marshall confirming it is an aggregate emergency veterinary care limit. Several legislators said they were uncomfortable changing the bill from “may” to “shall” euthanize, arguing that treatment costs vary widely by species and condition and that a fixed monetary threshold could be too rigid. Representative Bixby also raised a separate concern that the bill’s language may be broader than intended and could apply to all animals rather than livestock only. The department agreed the bill should be limited to livestock and suggested using existing statutory definitions or adding a new section to make that clear. The discussion also turned to humane societies and other organizations that might investigate complaints or board seized animals. A representative from a humane organization said the groups with expertise in care often also have expertise useful to investigations, and that removing them entirely could be impractical because only a few facilities in the state can provide boarding. Members and witnesses explored alternative language that would allow for-profit and nonprofit organizations to participate in either the investigation or the care of livestock, but not both, to avoid conflicts of interest while preserving needed expertise. No votes were taken; the work session ended with agreement to consult the Office of Legislative Services and the department to refine the bill before the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• in our election integrity on both sides. in our election integrity on both sides.
• This is just a further waste, and we are in a structural deficit. We need to do better.
• We need to do in a structural deficit.
• So, the first thing you should do is look at our lack of competitiveness because our tax structure is
• Madam Speaker. structure and see that taxes structure and see that taxes people<01:48:09.560> vote

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, April 10, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, then the Speaker noted a long day ahead and asked members to be patient as the chamber worked through several remaining bills. The House then handled routine business, including reading the journal and taking up a resolution honoring Delegate Susan K. McComas for her 24 years of service representing Harford County. Members from the Harford County delegation praised her work on behalf of families and children, her service as a former mayor of Bel Air, and her long legislative career. McComas briefly spoke in response, reflecting on her service and thanking colleagues. The chamber then moved through a series of consent calendar items and Senate amendments. House Bill 193 on state procurement transparency, House Bill 261 on competitive proof-of-concept procurement, House Bill 266 on the Information Technology Investment Fund, House Bill 998 on Baltimore City alcoholic beverages districts, and House Bill 1422 on procurement and personnel liquidated damages all received concurrence in Senate amendments and were passed, with roll calls showing overwhelming support; HB 1422 drew nine negative votes, and HB 266 drew one negative vote. The House also received committee reports advancing several Senate bills, including measures on child care credential funding, speed monitoring systems, driver skills examinations, school bus fire safety, veterans cemeteries, IT investment fund uses, Baltimore City alcohol regulations, hospital immigration enforcement policies, and board of education compensation changes. Later, the House considered additional amended bills and adopted the committee amendments before advancing them to third reading. These included Senate Bill 212 on tuition exemptions for spouses and dependents of safety employees and the Maryland Fallen Heroes Death Benefits Act, House Bill 1599 and Senate Bill 558 creating a Chesapeake Bay Enhancement Program and Maryland Seafood Industry Financial Assistance Fund, Senate Bill 366 establishing an intelligent speed assistance pilot program, Senate Bill 431 on endangered and threatened species and migratory birds regulations, Senate Bill 947 on Maryland Transit Administration reform, Senate Bill 480 on physician licensure for foreign-trained doctors, Senate Bill 898 on Medicaid reimbursement for registered behavior technicians, Senate Bill 204 on the Maryland Civic Excellence Program, and Senate Bill 890 on captive insurer premium tax study. In several cases, amendments were described as technical or as clarifying reporting, deadlines, eligibility, or program structure. One member asked about SB 890 after amendments removed the proposed tax moratorium, and the floor leader explained that the bill was now only a study requiring a report back to the General Assembly. The session ended with a quorum call showing 133 members present and the House still in session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do integrate information that is submitted by the licensed water well drillers.
• to continue to have the conversation about what it takes to just have that reported information integrated
• What we call the white areas are the GCDs that have no regulatory structure whatsoever on their groundwater
• And so we've been able to integrate that into the planning to get an understanding of it.
• What I struggle with in the legislature or how we're structured is how things exist in silos.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The districts have three years to integrate them fully.
• Um, also work for workforce readiness, soft skills, and AI integration.
• <00:58:44.080> And<00:58:44.320> so soft skills, and AI integration.
• And so soft skills, and AI integration.
• structuring in curriculums. structuring in curriculums.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think this would provide a codified structure to help make that happen.
• We also want to make sure that that's integrated with the quality of our services.
• with the quality of our um integrated with the quality of our services<00:33:52.240> so<00:33
• It has a lot of integrity, and Medicaid really seems to like how we do the rate studies because they
• We support full integration of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held an informational briefing on the Developmental Disabilities Council and related agencies. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities outlined its 2025 legislative priorities, including a pilot project for guardian ad litem and capacity evaluations in guardianship/conservatorship cases, a supported decision-making bill, a health disparities study for people with disabilities, an ABLE savings outreach/staffing measure, a Medicaid buy-in proposal, an adult changing tables equity bill, and a resolution on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Council representatives emphasized that supported decision-making would complement tools like powers of attorney and medical releases, and that the health disparities study would help identify unmet needs by ZIP code and improve state data on the intellectual and developmental disability population. The Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii described its role as the research and training arm within the DD system, working with the DD Council and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center. It reported activities such as interdisciplinary training, community education, technical assistance, research collaborations, the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, publications, telehealth, ECHO Autism, and counseling for Maui fire survivors. The center said it leveraged about $16 million in outside funding last year and highlighted goals focused on workforce development, community capacity, research with direct participation from people with disabilities, and accessible dissemination of information. The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the state’s protection and advocacy agency, supported the Council’s priorities, especially supported decision-making, which it said could help some people avoid guardianship while preserving liberty and reducing state resource use. The center also raised concerns about the DD system budget and urged legislators to review whether the Developmental Disabilities Division is requesting enough funding, noting possible backsliding in services and eligibility. The Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health then outlined its statewide waiver program serving just over 3,500 people, its service array, and its budget request for increased waiver funding, a federal initiatives coordinator, and IT upgrades to comply with the new HCBS access rule; no votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislative Task Force, Alameda StopWaste, and the following organizations: Yuba County, Sutter Integrated
• Action, 350 Ventura County Climate Hub, Los Angeles City Department of Sanitation, San Luis Obispo Integrated
• Action, 350 Ventura County Climate Hub, Los Angeles City Department of Sanitation, San Luis Obispo Integrated
• The current appeal structure was designed for a much smaller workload and is no longer equipped to handle
• Indivisible Palo Alto Plus, Eiland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

Keywords: 987, senate, all