Video & Transcript Research : 'tech training'

Page 15 of 500
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 11th, 2025 at 09:30 am

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • We might have a deliverable of you're going to train all of our staff because we all have.
  • We might have a deliverable if you're going to train all of our staff because we all have day jobs, it's
  • really hard to train, you know, all of the people at the county level or the zone level that would be
  • So we might have a deliverable that they have to do training, that they have to put together all of the
  • So we might need training tools for them. That would be a deliverable, that you will meet this.
Bills: SB2015
Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met to finalize changes to the human services budget bill and related amendments. Members discussed several items, including a proposed $5 million appropriation for the Altru Hospital project to address inflationary costs, with the rest of the funding question left for conference committee. They also agreed to keep the 10-year operating requirement language for the project and remove a matching-funds provision that was no longer needed. The committee spent considerable time on the OASIS child welfare IT system. Donna Auckland explained that the project is still in the RFP stage, with vendor selection and contract negotiation likely taking months, and that the system will require 50-50 federal matching authority. Based on that testimony, the committee agreed to reduce the general fund amount from $14 million to $6 million and use a line of credit for the remaining authority, while preserving the federal match authority so the contract can be signed and the project can proceed. Members also approved a technical fix to add governor’s designee language for the Children’s Cabinet, which had been missed in another bill already on the governor’s desk. Keith reviewed updated long sheets showing additional budget adjustments, including provider inflation changes, a $50,000 Family Voices grant, reductions to CARES Act COVID funds, and moving the $5-per-day basic care rate increase from ongoing to one-time funding. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, and the committee adjourned with plans to reconvene Monday if the final bill version was ready.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 10th, 2025 at 02:00 pm

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Bills: SB2015
Summary: The committee first discussed a wastewater infrastructure bill, centered on whether state support should be provided as a grant or through the existing Clean Water State Revolving Fund as a low-interest loan program. Department of Environmental Quality official David Brushwine explained that the SRF already finances wastewater projects, can leverage federal funds with state bond proceeds, and could accommodate the Washburn, Lincoln, and Peasant projects if they are ready to proceed. Members noted that losing federal grant support would make projects harder for local residents to afford because costs would be recovered through utility rates or special assessments, but the projects would still be eligible for loans. Senator Magrum indicated he would likely concur with the budget after this discussion, and the bill was set aside for later consideration. The committee then turned to a proposed amendment for a four-plex housing project for people with disabilities or other special needs. Senator Mathern described Sections 7 and 8 as creating a design consultation appropriation and a revolving loan fund modeled on existing hospital and nursing home loan programs, while Section 9 would transfer $3.3 million from the state infrastructure fund. Members debated ownership, rent subsidies, repayment terms, and whether the state should finance the project directly or leave it to a private developer with Department of Human Services oversight. Concerns were raised that the state should not own the housing and that the proposal needed more work to be workable, but the committee ultimately reached consensus to adopt Sections 7 and 8 and leave out Section 9 for further conference committee discussion. The committee also reviewed provider inflation and long-term care rate issues, with members discussing whether to support a 2% and 1.5% inflation adjustment and how to handle the $5-per-day basic care rate. Staff explained that the $5 payment was already in the base budget, but members debated whether it should remain ongoing or be treated as one-time funding and paired with a study of rate rebasing. The committee agreed to have draft language prepared to remove the $5 from the base budget and add study language, then moved the bill forward for drafting.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 10th, 2025 at 09:30 am

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Bills: SB2015
Summary: The committee met to review revised long sheets and section-by-section language for a human services/health budget bill, with much of the discussion focused on how to present block grant funding and full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for behavioral health clinics and CCBHCs. Members debated whether to keep FTE counts in the budget at all, ultimately leaning toward removing or zeroing out the FTE references while keeping the dollar authority, and reducing the salaries-and-wages block grant by about $4.75 million. They also discussed public health federal authority, agreeing to remove about $60 million in unused federal spending authority tied to COVID-era funds, and clarified that if federal money later becomes available it could be requested through the Emergency Commission. A major topic was the provider inflation increase. The House version had 2% and 2%, while members debated alternatives and appeared to settle, at least for further work, on 2% in the first year and 1.5% in the second year, with staff asked to recalculate the fiscal impact. The committee also reviewed FMAP changes, noting a revised 2027 FMAP estimate and its effect on general fund and other funds, and discussed whether to adjust public health and other line items accordingly. Several members emphasized that many of these numbers are still tentative and will be refined before final action. The committee also touched on several policy items and capital-related provisions, including behavioral health services, Medicaid expansion, the moratorium on new ICF beds, and a proposed amendment for a medical homes/fourplex-related item that would show a $400,000 legislative investment with repayment from a developer. There was extended discussion of the All True hospital/facility proposal, with some members favoring leaving it in with a smaller initial commitment and others preferring to remove it and revisit later in conference committee. The meeting ended with staff asked to continue updating the bill language and members instructed to review remaining sections before the next meeting; no final votes were taken in the portion provided.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 7th, 2025 at 09:30 am

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • the budget, wherein the department would use that amount of dollars to provide... ...to provide training
Bills: SB2015
Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources division met with a quorum and spent much of the meeting on a proposed “medical home” concept for people with significant disabilities and medical needs. Matt Schwartz described the need for small, community-based homes so adults like his daughter could live in a least-restrictive setting without losing housing if service providers change. Architect Jeff Eubel presented a conceptual budget for one roughly 5,000-square-foot facility for four residents, explaining that the design would likely include four large sleeping units, common space, support areas, and medical infrastructure such as emergency power, oxygen, sprinklers, and accessibility features. Committee members and George Sink, joining by phone, raised questions about layout, zoning, ownership, staffing, and whether families would actually move loved ones into such facilities if they were far from home. The department said the concept was not in the governor’s budget and identified staff who could continue discussions; the committee did not take final action and instead discussed refining the language with interested members. The committee then turned to amendments related to long-term care and behavioral health funding. One amendment would reduce a planned $4 million general fund incentive payment and instead create a withhold-based quality program for nursing facilities, to be developed collaboratively by the department and providers and reported to Legislative Management by September 2026. The department said it could live with the language but preferred the governor’s timing; several senators questioned whether the committee should be directing an operational policy change and whether the study would simply delay implementation. No vote was taken, and the amendment was set aside for later consideration. A second amendment would clarify use of an existing $2 million general fund item for behavioral health services in nursing homes and basic care facilities, directing it toward training, technical assistance, consultation, and direct patient care for residents with medically based behavioral health disorders. Members noted the funding was already in the bill and discussed it in the context of other budget items, but again deferred action. The committee also clarified that a separate $750,000 juvenile justice diversion appropriation in House Bill 1425 was distinct from a similar amount in the budget and should likely remain in that separate bill. The chair indicated a goal of having amendments ready by the end of the week, and the committee recessed without final votes on the discussed items.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee Feb 11th, 2026

Ways and Means Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • without having to workforce training without having to leave<00:19:06.880> their<00:19:07.200
  • Um, and we've trained their staff and put materials into those clubs so that they can bring science to
  • of being rolled out through trainings of being rolled out through trainings and<00:33:40.240>
  • Um and we've trained to get younger.
  • Um and we've trained their<00:34:32.879> staff<00:34:33.200> and<00:34:33.520> put
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Edfin Committee Meeting - 2025-04-03

Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • , has offered specific leadership training for elected officers and regional representatives.
  • To provide additional leadership training opportunities to all MAP regions in Minnesota. 3.
  • It's an idea that was developed by young people, specifically on overdose recognition, training, and
  • Math Corps tutors receive extensive training, and it is done in partnership with the schools.
  • Now, I am not very tech-savvy, but in my experience. It was easy to use the Portfolio Program.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Education Finance Committee 4/3/25

Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • In addition, MAP Stars offers one training for elected student officers, and the previous grant funding
  • has offered specific leadership training for elected officers and regional representatives.
  • <00:03:50.599> for addition Stars offers one training for addition Stars offers one training
  • MathCore tutors get extensive training, and it is done in partnership with the schools.
  • He said he is not very tech-heavy, but in his experience the portfolio program was easy to use.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Education May 19th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • There's already training. There's already a requirement for training.
  • responds to that training.
  • Training is very specific.
  • require trainings.
  • So when you say we have the training already, the one-hour training, Okay.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

ECD Public Hearing - Fri Mar 20, 2026 @ 9:30 AM HST

Economic Development & Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • trained trained uh<00:45:28.880> throughout<00:45:29.200> the<00:45:29.280> entirety
  • themselves of these dementia training themselves of these dementia training services<00:46:43.680
  • Uh however, I don't know if the training Uh however, I don't know if the training services<00:47
  • they're all the um dementia training they're all the um dementia training programs<00:49:50.200>
  • it kind of ties into a lot of tech it kind of ties into a lot of tech things<00:51:55.760> and
Summary: The committee opened by reviewing hearing procedures and then took up SB 2580, which concerns Hawaii’s film production tax credit and related incentives. Testimony was strongly supportive overall, with witnesses saying the measure would help attract productions, extend the sunset date, include streaming platforms, and strengthen the state’s competitiveness. Several supporters asked for cleanup language on grant administration, tax credit management, local-hire uplifts, and limits on third-party audit requirements for smaller productions. The state film office said the bill was generally strong but suggested clarifying language and noted that DBEDT and DOTAX already provide oversight of the current credit. No vote was taken in the transcript, but the bill drew broad support with a few comments and one opposition noted later in the hearing. The committee then heard SB 2578 SD1, a measure to create a film commission and related grant structure. Testifiers said the proposal would formalize industry input, improve accountability, and help the state compete globally, but they also raised concerns about how a new grant program would interact with the existing tax credit system. The film office said the grant program and tax credit should be separated operationally, that the advisory structure should include industry voices and possibly union representation, and that county film commissioner language may need technical adjustment. A testifier also suggested a Hawaii film museum and related tourism opportunities. The measure was described as having 42 supporters, one opposition, and five comments, with no final action shown. The committee next considered SB 2259, a dementia training measure. Supporters, including the bill’s drafter and the Alzheimer’s Association, described personal caregiving experiences and said free dementia training could help workers and families. Suggested amendments focused on clarifying the relationship between EOA and DBED and allowing retraining every two years because of workforce turnover. DBED said the bill is worthwhile but is not really an economic development initiative, and it should align with existing dementia programs and be easy for businesses to use, preferably online. The committee then moved to SB 3084 SD1, which HTDC said would expand its R&D matching program beyond SBIR to other federal research grants because of uncertainty at the federal level; the transcript ends as testimony begins, with no vote or final action recorded.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/20/2026 - Senate Judiciary and Elections

Judiciary and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • So there does need to be some training, but under the current system, attorneys go out to the homes,
  • It took a whole day, but I encourage those of you who have questions on this to take that training.
  • It's an all-day training just on signatures.
  • Research in social psychology shows that implicit bias is not easily eliminated by training in situations
  • that discretion and high bias have greater influence on policing outcomes, and traditional bias training
Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard and advanced several election, judiciary, child welfare, and criminal justice measures. SB 1489 would require paid petition circulators for initiatives and referenda to disclose their name, state of residence, and paid status verbally and on a badge, add registration requirements for certain local circulators, prohibit pay by signature for local measures, and apply strict compliance and funding-disclosure rules to local initiatives. The ACLU opposed it as compelled speech and a burden on political expression, while the Arizona Chamber supported it as transparency and parity with state-level rules. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 4-3 vote. SB 1609, an emergency measure concerning political party names, would require proposed party names to be distinguishable from existing parties and bar use of terms like “independent” or similar variations. The Arizona Independent Party opposed it as a retroactive change and “cartel protection,” while county election officials and the Arizona Association of Counties supported it as reducing voter confusion. The committee adopted an amendment and recommended the bill do pass on a 7-0 vote. SCR 1040, a voter-approved constitutional referral, would raise the mandatory retirement age for judges and justices of courts of record from 70 to 75; supporters argued it reflects longer life expectancy and preserves experienced judges, while opponents said voters previously rejected a similar proposal and that an age limit is preferable. It passed 5-2. The committee also considered SB 1234, which changes juvenile court representation rules by requiring a guardian ad litem in dependency and termination cases and allowing appointment of an attorney for the child depending on age and ability to express an opinion. Sponsor Senator Werner said the bill was part of a broader child-safety reform effort informed by cases such as Rebecca Baptiste, arguing that a guardian ad litem with attorney authority would better protect children’s best interests. Child welfare attorneys and advocates opposed the bill, saying children need a dedicated attorney-client relationship, confidentiality, and a voice separate from the court or DCS; DCS remained neutral. The committee adopted an amendment and recommended the bill do pass on a 5-2 vote. SB 1661 would allow a presumed father to be relieved of child support obligations if genetic testing shows he is not the biological father; supporters described cases where men remained liable despite exclusionary DNA results, and the bill passed 6-0. Later, the committee heard election administration and transparency bills. SB 1392 would give governing bodies canvassing elections access to locations where election materials are created, handled, processed, tabulated, or stored, so they can observe procedures and review records while protecting secrecy and security; county officials raised concerns about the term “agent,” and the bill passed 4-3. SB 1634 would require ADOT to provide county recorders with a copy of an applicant’s handwritten signature when facilitating voter registration; county officials said it would improve signature comparison, and the bill passed 5-2 after a vote correction. SB 1743 would redact an individual donor’s employer street number, employer name, or residence address from public campaign finance reports, with penalties for improper disclosure; supporters cited privacy and safety, while opponents argued employer information is important for transparency and identifying influence. It passed 5-2. SB 1099, a strike-everything amendment, set statutory criteria for defamation claims involving public or private figures and public or private concerns, including falsity, reckless disregard, and context; it passed 4-3. After a recess, the committee heard SB 1535, which increases penalties for buyers of sexual conduct, including making the conduct a class 6 felony and adding a $200 assessment to support anti-human trafficking services. The sponsor and supporters, including survivors, law enforcement, neighborhood advocates, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, said the bill targets demand that fuels trafficking and neighborhood disorder. Opponents from criminal justice and anti-violence groups said the bill should include a rebuttable presumption to better protect trafficking victims. The committee adopted an amendment and recommended the bill do pass.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Health and Human Services (Part II) May 7th, 2025

Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • What did you say on the internet or on Facebook you can be trained to defraud the state?
  • The molecule is broken down within hours to days after doing its job, whether that job is training the
  • believed that Texas is dedicated to science, and I still do, as I plan to receive every step of my training
Summary: The committee first reopened testimony on House Bill 2216, which would strengthen child welfare requirements by expanding “active efforts” to help families avoid removal and support reunification, while also raising standards related to removals and terminations. Supporters from child welfare and family defense groups said the bill would better protect families and align Texas more closely with ICWA-style principles, but several warned it would require significant new funding, staffing, and community services such as mental health care, housing, child care, and substance use treatment. The committee then left HB 2216 pending. The committee next heard Senate Bill 1782, aimed at boarding and group homes. Senator Miles said the bill closes enforcement gaps left by prior law by requiring retention of background-check records and creating misdemeanor penalties for failing to conduct or keep them, or for knowingly hiring people with serious convictions. Harris County sheriff’s investigators testified in support, describing illegal boarding homes, operators who evade permits and background checks, and exploitation of vulnerable residents; the bill was left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 481 on emergency preparedness for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, adopted a new committee substitute that softened some requirements and removed the fiscal note, and left the bill pending. The committee then heard House Bill 388, which would require the Texas Department of Insurance to create a single standardized coordination-of-benefits form for dual health plans to reduce errors and surprise bills; it was left pending. Senate Bill 1590 would move paternity registry searches for adoptions to an electronic process with a 10-day target, and House Bill 2809 would track child suicide attempts in managing conservatorship and require related reporting and parental notice; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1887, which would prohibit administering mRNA-containing products for immunization for 10 years, with exceptions for cancer and genetic disorders. Supporters argued the bill was needed for safety, informed consent, and medical freedom, while opponents from the medical, research, and public health communities said mRNA vaccines are well-studied, save lives, and that the bill would harm access, research, and Texas’s biotech economy. The bill remained under discussion as testimony concluded.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Health and Human Services (Part I) May 7th, 2025

Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • It addresses unnecessary, outdated training placed on long-term care facility surveyors.
  • Our cesarean, I can't even, I've lost my train of thought, but our...
  • I am here because I had one remarkable nurse who was trained in bereavement care.
  • That's why compassionate, specialized training is so critical.
  • I'm a cardiologist by training and practice.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met with a quorum and took up several House and Senate bills, with public testimony limited to two minutes per witness. The committee first heard HB 2358, a cleanup bill requested by HHSC that would repeal outdated training and conference requirements for long-term care facility surveyors and certain providers; there were no witnesses, and the bill was left pending. The committee then heard HB 18, the rural hospital stabilization bill, which would create financial assessment tools, a rural hospital finance office at HHSC, an academy for rural hospital officers, multiple grant programs, enhanced Medicaid reimbursement tied to average cost, OB/GYN add-on payments, expanded pediatric telehealth connectivity, and a rural pediatric mental health program. Senator Perry and witnesses from TORCH, a rural hospital, AARP Texas, and ARCHI strongly supported the bill as a way to stabilize rural hospitals, improve OB access, and address workforce and financial pressures. Committee members discussed rural hospital closures, low-volume quality metrics, system affiliation, and the need for predictable monthly reimbursement; the bill was left pending after testimony and questions. The committee next heard HB 37, which would create a perinatal bereavement care initiative for families experiencing stillbirth, neonatal death, or intrauterine fetal demise, including counseling, staff training, and access to cooling devices, with possible grants and a recognition program for hospitals. Senator Huffman explained the bill, and several witnesses testified in support, sharing personal stories about infant loss and the importance of time with the baby, trained staff, and cuddle cots or similar devices. A neonatologist also supported the bill while suggesting clarification that hospitals should not be penalized if state funding is unavailable and recommending use of regional advisory councils to help implement training. Public testimony was then closed and the bill left pending. The committee also heard HB 879, which would create a streamlined licensing pathway for veterans with medical or nursing experience to practice in Texas, and HB 913, which would add new state hospitals to statute and split the North Texas State Hospital into two separate hospitals with their own superintendents; both bills had no opposition testimony and were left pending. Later, the committee heard SB 2744, a heart disease screening bill that would update the 2009 Texas Heart Attack Prevention Act to require insurance coverage for coronary CT angiography with plaque analysis, including soft plaque detection, as a preventive screening tool. The author and invited witnesses argued the technology is more effective than calcium scoring alone, can identify patients before symptoms appear, and could save lives at a cost comparable to or lower than colonoscopy. An insurance industry witness opposed the bill, arguing the technology has not been recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for universal screening and that the mandated coverage and payment level would raise costs; the bill was left pending after testimony. Finally, the committee heard HB 1151, a parental rights bill clarifying that refusing psychotropic medication or psychiatric treatment is not neglect unless the child is harmed. Supporters, including parent advocates and attorneys, said the bill would protect parents from CPS overreach and preserve medical decision-making authority, while one witness urged broader attention to physical causes of behavioral issues. Public testimony was closed and HB 1151 was left pending.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Education 2ND REVISED Apr 14th, 2026 at 10:00 am

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • House Bill 2961 creates a Tech Sergeant Marshaldkota Roberts Goldar Surviving Act.
  • Goldar recipient with free tuition, fees, and room and board to a state public university or career tech
  • This Tech Sergeant lost his life overseas.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Commerce Committee Meeting - 2026-03-26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • They passed this law already as kind of a low-tech tool to get at fraud because for banks, uh, this is
  • We should not sit back and let Big Tech capture the lives of our children.
  • should not sit back and let Big Tech should not sit back and let Big Tech capture<00:53:08.880><
  • <00:53:38.280> and over their data to Big Tech and over their data to Big Tech and sometimes
  • This bill allows for civil actions that could lead to defensive filtering by tech companies.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House of Representatives Apr 22nd, 2026

Louisiana House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • by Representative Brass, provides for eligibility criteria, talent opportunity for students, TOPS Tech
  • traumatic brain injury, special ID card designation, and relative to implementation of law enforcement training
  • injury on driver's licenses, provide relative to new applicants, renewals, penalties, and enforcement training
  • missing children with autism spectrum disorder, to create a Spectrum Alert program and provide for training
  • missing children with autism spectrum disorder, to create a Spectrum Alert program and provide for training
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Finance May 18th, 2026

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • and particularly will not be solely focused on training of new entrants to the workforce.
  • Do we feel like the training, is this short-term training or long-term training?
  • Or what's the term of the training? Is it six months, three months?
  • Do we feel like the training, is this short-term training or long-term training?
  • Or what's the term of the training? Is it six months, three months?
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • Say like if that's an engineering training in the example that the Deputy Director has given.
  • Say like if that's an engineering training in the example that the Deputy Director has given.
  • And that needs clarification. for the supervision and training.
  • And, for the supervision and training.
  • training for the employee. employee. employee.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Health Policy Feb 11th, 2026

Health Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • While such training in the medical community is important, broad required instruction at this stage is
  • So our team works to look at trend data to identify opportunities for education and training that can
  • The bill aims to better support individuals with epilepsy and seizure disorders by requiring training
  • The problem is that this training does not include other staff, such as those who transport students,
  • for five years, and specifically includes charter schools in the training program.
Summary: The committee took up several health-related bills and confirmations. It first heard SB 1414 on congenital cytomegalovirus education, which would require the Department of Health to develop and distribute educational materials to expectant and new parents through maternity, prenatal, newborn, and OB-GYN settings; an amendment removed a section on required instruction for medical professionals, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee then approved a block of appointees on tabs 2 through 7 and separately confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after her testimony on Medicaid accountability, transparency, managed care oversight, rural health, behavioral health, and the state’s technology modernization efforts. Senators asked Harris about Hope Florida, Medicaid redeterminations, the CORE project, an anti-marijuana ad campaign at DCF, and compliance with a federal Medicaid-related court order; she said she would follow up on some issues. The confirmation was recommended favorably, with Senator Berman voting no. The committee next passed SB 186 on student health and safety, which expands epilepsy and seizure-disorder training requirements to more school personnel, including bus drivers and charter school staff, and requires seizure-first-aid posters and updated Department of Health education efforts. It also approved SB 902 on Department of Health issues after amendments narrowed the bill’s scope and added provisions on medical marijuana regulation, early childhood intervention, practitioner accountability, and autism workforce development; one speaker raised concerns about marijuana dispensary location restrictions and low-THC ratios. SB 196 creating a uterine fibroid research database was also reported favorably after an amendment protecting patient privacy; the bill drew emotional testimony from a patient describing severe symptoms and the need for more research. SB 688 on naturopathic medicine was approved after committee discussion about scope of practice, referral obligations, and whether naturopathic care should be adjunctive to conventional medicine; supporters described complementary care and access issues, while opponents worried about delayed treatment for serious disease. Later, the committee passed SB 1574, “Maddie’s Law,” to add biliary atresia screening to newborn screening using the same blood specimen already collected at birth and to launch an education campaign; parents of a child affected by the disease testified that earlier screening could have prevented severe harm. SB 878 on clinical laboratory personnel was reported favorably to address staffing shortages by allowing Florida to rely more directly on federal CLIA standards for qualified lab workers. SB 1092 on podiatric medicine was approved after an amendment narrowed it to cellular/tissue-based products and podiatrists’ use of certain therapies; the bill also addresses continuing education, informed consent, and advertising disclosures. SB 1032 on medical marijuana was amended and passed, aligning physician certification and card renewal timelines, setting 70-day and 35-day supply limits, and reducing the fee for honorably discharged veterans while preserving funding for FAMU; Senator Harrell opposed it, saying the longer timeframes were too much of an expansion. The committee also heard SB 1760 on Medicaid coverage transparency from Senator Brodeur, who said the bill focuses on accountability and fiscal responsibility, but the transcript cuts off before further discussion or action on that measure.