Transcript Highlights:

• a behavioral health multipety group that they can only employ a RA peer support.
• <00:13:59.440> health new addition to a behavioral health new addition to a behavioral health
• multipety group of telling a behavioral multipety group of telling a behavioral health<00:14:03.440
• <00:19:50.160> health what all the other behavioral health what all the other behavioral health
• And I think what we behavioral health.

Keywords: 00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 01:27 - Discussion of 26RS HB 470 29:05 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 470 32:06 - Discussion of 26RS HJR 25 34:49 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HJR 25 37:08 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 470, which was presented as a cleanup and delay measure related to peer support specialists and Medicaid reimbursement. The bill would extend the deadline for registered alcohol and drug peer support specialists to be Medicaid reimbursable, address issues created by delayed regulations under House Bill 505, remove a limit on direct client care hours, and create a work group to examine oversight and possible future board structure for peer professionals. The committee adopted a committee substitute before hearing testimony. Bill sponsor Rep. Kim Moser and supporting witnesses said the change was needed because implementation problems and regulatory backlogs had created a peer support workforce shortage and confusion across multiple peer categories, including substance use, mental health, re-entry, and gambling peers. Elena Swezy argued the bill would stabilize the workforce, improve oversight, and allow time to develop a more effective credentialing framework. Frank Miller Jr. testified in opposition, arguing the bill lacked a proper enabling statute for Medicaid-related changes and would not be enforceable as written. Sarah Vaughn also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on mental health peer specialists, multispecialty behavioral health groups, and whether separate regulations would be needed for mental health and substance use services. Committee members questioned the bill’s structure, fiscal impact, training costs, and whether the work group would be appointed or informal. Sponsors responded that the bill does not require providers to hire anyone, only sets registration requirements if they do hire substance-use peer specialists, and said the work group was intended to help develop a more unified oversight model. Several members expressed concern about the complexity of the issue and the short testimony time, while others supported the bill as a way to improve oversight and reduce fraud risk. The committee approved House Bill 470 as amended by the committee substitute, and then adopted a title amendment; the bill passed with favorable expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medications, behavioral supports, and practical supports.
• It's behavioral health and substance use disorder.
• Through Behavioral Health Education and Recovery.
• And taxation is also a way to push down behavior; to change consumer behavior becomes more expensive
• And taxation is also a way to push down behavior, to change consumer behavior becomes more expensive

Summary: The task force meeting opened with new leadership announcements, including Senator Nick Schroer thanking outgoing chair Representative John Black and naming Representative Del Taylor as vice chair. After some initial technical difficulties with audio and Zoom, members reviewed the task force’s statutory charge under Missouri law: to hold hearings on substance use, explore solutions, draft or modify legislation, and produce recommendations for prevention and treatment. The chair said the goal for this year is to develop concrete legislative ideas for the next session, with hearings focused first on field experts and later on alternative therapies and the Department of Mental Health. Dr. Rachel Winograd gave the first major presentation, describing Missouri’s overdose crisis as increasingly complex and driven primarily by fentanyl, now compounded by xylazine and metatomidine. She said overdose deaths have declined for a third straight year, with preliminary 2025 data around 1,200 deaths, and attributed the decline to a smaller fentanyl supply, wider naloxone availability, and fewer young people entering use. Her main recommendations were to focus on reducing harm rather than trying to eliminate drug use, expand evidence-based medications for opioid use disorder—especially methadone and buprenorphine—improve access to naloxone, and loosen methadone regulations, including take-home doses, the federal 72-hour rule, and broader methadone units. She also emphasized that peer support, housing, transportation, and other practical supports matter, and noted that naloxone can still reverse fentanyl overdoses even when tranquilizers are present. Dr. Heidi Miller, the state medical director, followed with two recommendations: integrate substance use disorder care into whole-person health care and follow the science when considering substance-related legislation. She argued that primary care, maternal health, workforce training, EMS, public health, and methadone access should all be part of a coordinated model, and said reimbursement should support teams rather than isolated providers. She also urged stronger enforcement of parity between behavioral health/SUD and physical health coverage, and highlighted tobacco and alcohol as major, under-addressed causes of death in Missouri. Dr. Doug Burgess then reinforced the need for a coordinated continuum of care, comparing substance use treatment to the seamless system used for heart attacks, and said patients should have standardized assessment, discharge planning from day one, transition coordinators, peer recovery coaches, and better information-sharing between levels of care. Members asked questions about relapse, treatment court, EMS referral barriers, reimbursement, and whether buprenorphine can be started in the field; no votes were taken, and the meeting ended with plans to continue hearing testimony and use it to shape future policy recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• position tracking costs for behavioral position tracking costs for behavioral health<00:15:17.120
• children's services for behavioral children's services for behavioral health.<00:46:35.520> and
• formerly known as Meridian Behavioral formerly known as Meridian Behavioral Health.<01:13:21.520
• section 34 and the shift of behavioral section 34 and the shift of behavioral health<01:58:21.360
• behavioral health services to motans. behavioral health services to motans.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's behavioral health and substance use disorder.
• through behavioral health education and recovery.
• We call it a behavioral addiction, right?
• We call it a behavioral addiction, right?
• And taxation is also a way to push down behavior, to change consumer behavior; it becomes more expensive

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So how is this going to help your behavior?
• Okay, Madam Chair, Senator Kavanaugh, how is this going to help the behavior?
• "Madam Chair, I think the behavior of a child is helped by the discipline that it receives.
• "Asella, how does this bill offer a solution to student behavior?" "It really doesn't.
• So that would be, I mean, the behavior itself, So that would be, I mean, the behavior itself is what

Bills: SB1074, SB1327, SB1475, SB1582, SB1583, SB1598

Keywords: student discipline, classroom management, temporary removal, administrative action, education policy, foreign relations, university governance, research security, international agreements, Arizona Board of Regents, interscholastic activities, student eligibility, criminal offenses, school district, youth sports, academic participation, conduct, planned communities, homeowners association, HOA

Transcript Highlights:

• You can't even begin to talk or plan behavior modification until you can first stabilize, Or plan behavior
• and criminal behavior has led you to leave victims in the community, that's how these Criminal behavior
• But we have to address those before we can address the behavior.
• When you look at that, we have our behavioral health folks here: behavioral health, mental health, substance
• And you look at, and we have our behavioral health folks here.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was the third public session of the Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. Members introduced themselves, and the commission approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation came from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, led by several sheriffs, who described the role of sheriffs’ offices as independently elected county institutions that operate jails and houses of correction, regional lockups, civil process, 911 communications in some counties, school resource officers, and investigative units. They emphasized that most of their population is pretrial, that admissions and releases are far higher than the Department of Correction’s, and that their facilities now house more people overall than DOC despite having a smaller budget. The sheriffs argued that their work has shifted toward rehabilitation, reentry, and public health, highlighting extensive programming in mental health, substance use treatment, medication-assisted treatment, education, vocational training, and gender-specific, trauma-informed services. They said standardized risk/needs assessments and better funding would help make services more consistent across counties. They also described specialized units and models such as regional evaluation and stabilization units, older-adult housing, emerging adult and gang-intervention programs, and reentry centers that connect people to housing, employment, family support, and community services. Several examples were cited, including Suffolk’s Project Evolve, Middlesex’s older-adult unit, Hampden’s MAGIC program, Worcester’s STOP program, and county reentry centers across the state. A major theme was that these programs are expensive but, in the sheriffs’ view, reduce recidivism and improve safety by stabilizing people before release and supporting them afterward. They pointed to COVID-19 as a period when sheriffs adapted facilities for quarantine and medical care, and said they continue to work with public health partners. They also stressed that their facilities are heavily audited by state and federal agencies and that maintaining humane, safe conditions requires significant staffing and operating costs. Commission members responded favorably at points, noting the importance of the turnover in sheriff populations and the need to understand the different correctional mission compared with DOC. The meeting ended with discussion of future commission dates and a note that the presentation materials would be shared electronically.

Transcript Highlights:

• , complex emotional, behavioral, complex emotional, behavioral, developmental<00:10:57.279> needs
• behavioral health services in the home. behavioral health services in the home.
• We are seeing the incidence of severe behaviors, violent behaviors in child care more than ever before
• I'm sorry. behaviors in child care more than ever behaviors in child care more than ever before.<01:30
• the second strike of of any u behavior the second strike of of any u behavior that<01:40:14.400>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first heard brief presentations on Kentucky’s 2025 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant and Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. Department for Public Health staff explained that the preventive health block grant provides about $2.3 million annually and supports programs such as accreditation and performance improvement, local health department grants, community health workers, prescription assistance, asthma and COPD programs, workforce development, and a sexual assault programs set-aside. They said the Title V block grant provides about $11.7 million, with 35% directed to children and youth with special health care needs and 65% to maternal and child health populations, largely through local health departments and a five-year needs assessment process. After no questions, a motion was made and seconded to approve both block grants. The roll call vote passed 19-0, and the two block grants were approved. The committee then approved the minutes from the prior meeting. The next item was a discussion of the child waiver created in House Bill 6. Committee members raised concerns that the proposed 1915(c) waiver did not match the legislature’s intent, which they said was to move children from the Michelle P. waiver to free slots for adults. Cabinet officials from DCBS, behavioral health, and Medicaid described the proposed “Community Health for Improved Lives and Development” waiver as a targeted home- and community-based program for children under 21 with severe behavioral health or developmental needs, including those stepping down from inpatient or residential care or at risk of out-of-home placement. They said the waiver is designed for about 100 slots, uses a standardized needs-based assessment, and includes case management, community living supports, home modifications, respite, supervised residential care, and clinical therapeutic services. Officials said the public comment period ended July 15, responses are being compiled for August submission to CMS, and the waiver is part of the broader Families First initiative.

Transcript Highlights:

• pain, behavioral issues, and mobility<00:03:36.920> problems.
• Scratching is a normal behavior for cats.
• The new normal behavior for cats.
• veterinarian has a toolbox of behavioral veterinarian has a toolbox of behavioral modification<00
• , clients about normal cat behavior, clients about normal cat behavior, details<00:10:30.800>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:19:03.000> Health in A funds to Behavioral Health in A funds to Behavioral Health Administration
• Drug Abuse Administration and Behavioral Drug Abuse Administration and Behavioral Health<00:19:15.640
• <00:19:26.080> Health in A funds to Behavioral Health in A funds to Behavioral Health Administration
• <00:19:36.240> Health in A funds to Behavioral Health in A funds to Behavioral Health Administration
• Behavioral Health Administration. Behavioral Health Administration.

Bills: HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• He was given a behavioral intervention plan in second grade, and he knew what his BIP was.
• We must consider how this less-experienced workforce impacts classroom behavior management.
• This led to increased frustration, continued issues with behavior, and limited academic success.
• We should focus on behavior that keeps students in school and learning.
• Those are gifted and talented students who also have behaviors.

Bills: HB1022, HB2856, HB3114, HJR5, HB6, HB120, HB210, HB1458, HB1188, HB3126

Keywords: HB 1022, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Texas State University System, Education Code, higher education, course levels, upper-level college, lower-division courses, community college-style courses, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Board of Regents, academic programs, university expansion, HB 2856, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, clinical training placements, clinical rotations

Transcript Highlights:

• child in danger” in the current bill would have the standard of “inducing to engage in dangerous behavior
• I fully disagree with your analysis.
• Children's Behavioral Health. Children's Behavioral Health.
• The witness also referred to the Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health as the certifying unit within
• of children's behavioral health I know<01:09:32.719> another<01:09:33.040> acronym<01:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with Senate Bill 22-FN, which would expand child care licensing background checks so the Department of Health and Human Services can receive fuller criminal history information, including pending charges and other non-conviction records, similar to the system already used for school staff. Grant Bossi, for Senator Pearl, and DHHS officials Melissa Clement and Christine Sheay testified in support, saying the bill closes a gap that can allow people with disqualifying charges to work with children. They explained that the FBI record is a snapshot in time, that juvenile records are not included, and that the bill would apply to child care programs including residential group homes. Questions focused on what “confidential criminal history” means and how often checks are repeated; DHHS said checks are done every five years or sooner if new charge information is received. The hearing on SB 22 was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 23-FN, which would expand the child endangerment statute and remove the word “purposely” from part of the language. Senator Pat Long said the bill is intended to strengthen protection for children and allow more serious conduct to be charged appropriately. Testimony from law enforcement, including Executive Counselor Dave Wheeler, Sergeant Ryan Rooney of Nashua Police, and Nicholas Georgulis of Manchester Police, supported the bill as a way to distinguish routine misdemeanor cases from the most egregious abuse and neglect cases, such as children living in squalor or being exposed to severe danger. Wheeler and some members raised concerns that the language could be vague or overbroad and cited a prior Manchester firearm-in-a-car arrest as an example of possible unintended consequences; supporters responded that the bill still requires knowingly violating a duty of care and that the serious bodily injury or death standard limits its reach. Rooney also described a fentanyl overdose case involving an 11-year-old and said the current misdemeanor charge did not fully reflect the seriousness of the conduct. The committee recessed SB 23 briefly to open and close SB 161, then returned to SB 23, which remained under hearing with no final vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Behavioral Health Trust Fund was created to provide permanent support for behavioral health services
• Or it's the Behavioral Health Trust Fund or Tax Evasion Reserve that are finalized.
• They are for behavioral health, or for Medicaid, or for early childhood.
• Okay, I thought it was 55-45: 45 to Medicaid and 55 to Behavioral Health.
• No, to Behavioral Health. Sorry. Behavioral Health. Behavioral Health.

Transcript Highlights:

• Due to behavioral issues arising, he was given a BIP, a behavioral intervention plan in 2nd grade, and
• Um, When he was in 8th grade, he was having a behavioral day.
• Those repeated or consistent behaviors.
• This led to increased frustration, continued issues with behavior, and limited academic.
• Those are gifted and talented students who also have behaviors.

Bills: HB6, HB120, HB210

Keywords: hemp, consumable hemp products, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, cannabidiol, CBG, cannabigerol, Texas hemp law, hemp regulation, cannabinoid products, delta-9 THC, intoxicating hemp, hemp gummies, hemp vape, retail registration, product registration, QR code labeling, child-resistant packaging, youth access, minor sales

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:16.159> for strategies to address the behavior for strategies to address the behavior
• how to build in more positive behavior how to build in more positive behavior supports<00:04:04.239
• and behaviors coming through our doors. and behaviors coming through our doors.
• behavior support plan for his IEP. behavior support plan for his IEP.
• When a student behavioral crises.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the behavioral health article. treatment program within 48 Hours of treatment program within
• This section codifies the Intermediate School District Behavioral Health Grant Program.
• Section 20 is new language that allows a certified community behavioral health clinic to enroll as a
• <00:11:52.760> Health<00:11:52.959> Grant to school linked Behavioral Health Grant
• Intermediate School District Behavioral Intermediate School District Behavioral Health<00:12:05.920

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to recognize the community behavioral health providers and members of the Colorado Behavioral
• to recognize the community behavioral to recognize the community behavioral health<00:28:50.559>
• They behavioral healthc care safety net.
• units being built on behavioral units being built on behavioral healthcare<00:30:02.960> campus
• 13 in the world of behavioral health. 13 in the world of behavioral health.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with 55 members present and 10 excused, established a quorum, and approved the journal of Monday, January 26, 2026, as corrected. The chamber then took up Senate Joint Resolution 5, designating Colorado 4-H Day. Representatives Johnson and McCormick spoke in support, noting the visit from 4-H members and reciting the 4-H pledge. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 59-0, with six excused. The remainder of the meeting consisted largely of announcements and recognitions. Members highlighted upcoming legislative receptions for the Colorado Airport Operators Association and livestock groups, committee meetings including SMART Act hearings, Judiciary Committee items, Transportation/Housing/Local Government business, and a House Finance Committee meeting. Several members also recognized visiting groups and constituents, including behavioral health providers, Aurora Mental Health and Recovery, Heritage Heights Academy students, and House District 6 community leaders. A significant portion of the floor time was devoted to a personal privilege statement by Minority Leader Caldwell, who responded to concerns about immigration enforcement, emphasized the rule of law and due process, and criticized rhetoric he said endangered law enforcement and others. The House then moved into recess later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's incompatible, but the system is not caught up to what the behavioral needs are.
• Well, there are different behavioral facilities that exist. Thank you. Where do they go?
• Well, there are different behavioral facilities that exist.
• ...difficult to house because of their behavioral issues, were they housed in the state hospitals?
• So what usually happens with the behavioral individuals is someone will say, all right...

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard a presentation from Marty Wright, CEO of the West Virginia Healthcare Association, on the state’s long-term care system. He described the continuum from home care to assisted living to skilled nursing facilities, emphasizing that these settings increasingly serve short-term rehab-to-home patients as well as older adults needing round-the-clock care. He also outlined the number of facilities in West Virginia, the predominance of Medicaid as the payer for long-term nursing home care, the private-pay nature of assisted living, and the role of OFAC/CMS in regulation. A major focus of the presentation was workforce shortages and turnover, especially for CNAs, LPNs, and RNs, along with declining interest in nursing careers and the impact of regulatory burden and burnout. Wright said the system is also struggling to serve younger patients with substance use disorder, mental illness, or other behavioral needs, who are often not well suited for traditional nursing home placement but have limited alternatives. Senators raised concerns about where such patients are being housed, the long-term effects of opioid and behavioral health issues, and the gap between school-age special needs populations and adult care needs. Wright said Medicaid can cover long-term nursing home care for those who meet financial and medical eligibility requirements, but affordability and spend-down requirements remain major barriers. He also warned that Medicare Advantage can create confusion and shorter covered stays for rehab patients, and he urged early planning around long-term care insurance and estate planning. No votes were taken on the presentation, and the committee adjourned after questions and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is especially applicable with skilled nursing facilities, behavioral health centers, and long-term
• on a day-to-day basis are some of the ineligibility of dual-eligible patients, individuals with behavioral
• Some of these patients have behavioral health needs that make it very hard to manage in an acute care
• And this graph is in relation to populations that have behavioral health or substance use...
• children and those with any type of aggressive behaviors combined with medical complexity.

Summary: The meeting focused on hospital “avoidable days” and the difficulty of discharging medically stable patients who still need post-acute placement or social services. Presenters from Saint Anthony Hospital Midtown, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, City Care, and OU Health described common barriers including lack of skilled nursing, rehab, long-term care, behavioral health, and hospice placements; insurance prior authorization delays; Medicaid and Social Security eligibility delays; guardianship and Adult Protective Services bottlenecks; limited home health and private duty nursing; and the challenge of placing unhoused, uninsured, or medically complex patients. Several speakers emphasized that these delays reduce bed availability, increase emergency department boarding, contribute to staff burnout, and expose patients to hospital-acquired conditions and other harms. The testimony included multiple examples of patients remaining in acute care for days, weeks, or even months after being medically ready for discharge, including patients awaiting guardianship, disability determinations, or placement in facilities willing to accept them. Speakers also highlighted special populations such as patients with behavioral health or substance use disorders, medically fragile children, patients with criminal histories, and unhoused individuals who need respite or hospice care. City Care described its planned 40-bed medical respite facility, set to open in 2027, as a way to provide clinical support and housing navigation for patients too sick to recover on the street or in shelters. Witnesses recommended policy and system changes such as standardizing preauthorization protocols, expanding rural swing-bed and home-based services, increasing public guardianship resources, improving data collection on homelessness, expanding private duty nursing hours, and creating more placement options for complex patients. They also suggested better coordination between hospitals, DHS, APS, the Health Department, and post-acute facilities, including a database of facility services to improve discharge planning and keep patients closer to home. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the transcript, but the chair indicated the issue would require collaboration across multiple agencies and partners.

Transcript Highlights:

• And she is asking—an appointed member of the Behavioral Health Consortium, an executive board member
• Delaware values some behavioral health professionals more than others. That's simply wrong.
• Delaware values some behavioral health professionals more than others. That's simply wrong.
• We know our students learn best when their behavioral health is not impeding their academic focus, so
• We know our students learn best when their behavioral health is not impeding their academic focus, so

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with enough members present to conduct business and approved the June 17 minutes. It first heard HB 459 with House Amendment 1, which would prohibit the sale of energy drinks on public middle and high school campuses during school hours or school events. The sponsor and Department of Education explained that the bill targets beverages containing caffeine and marketed as energy drinks, not ordinary soft drinks or coffee/tea products. Public testimony from the Medical Society supported the bill on health grounds, while the beverage industry said its companies already voluntarily limit school offerings and that the bill does not reflect current practice. No vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then heard HB 461, a follow-up to prior legislation on New Castle County property reassessment and school tax rates. Senator Cruz said the bill would let New Castle County school districts adjust and reset tax rates to reflect reassessment changes without increasing projected operating revenue, and that it includes a sunset. DSEA supported the measure, saying fair property values are important to public education funding. The committee also heard HB 452, which would require additional background checks and training for DIAA sports officials and strengthen DIAA enforcement procedures. Members questioned how checks would be handled, who would see the results, and who would provide training; the DIAA compliance coordinator said the checks would be maintained through the state process and that associations would verify eligibility. The bill’s sponsor and DIAA said the goal was to align officials with existing child-safety standards. Next, the committee considered HS1 for HB 425, which raises the salary supplement from 6% to 12% for nationally certified school counselors, nurses, and school social workers, and allows DOE to identify additional qualifying positions by regulation. Supporters, including school social workers, nurses, and DSEA, argued the change would improve retention and recognize advanced credentials. Senator Hansen raised concerns that school psychologists were not included; sponsors said a broader study and possible future legislation or budget language would address other nationally certified school-based professionals. The committee then heard HS1 for HB 358 on student elopement notifications, inspired by Ace’s Law, but administrators and the chair raised concerns that the bill may be too prescriptive and difficult to implement in practice, especially when schools may not immediately know a student has left campus. Finally, the committee discussed HB 379 on the comprehensive school discipline improvement program; DOE said the substitute was intended to consolidate prevention and intervention supports and avoid competition for funding, while DASA asked that the bill be paused or tabled. The meeting ended before action on the remaining bill, and HB 443 was deferred to a future executive meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, what you've heard referred to today as CCBHCs, are behavioral
• Every Missourian has access to behavioral health services at a certified behavioral health clinic.
• With respect to the community behavioral health clinics. Yes, ma'am.
• She added that behavioral health is health, and separating behavioral health from blood pressure and
• I don't do behavioral health exclusively. I don't do pain management.

Keywords: 959, house, all