Transcript Highlights:

• services, home care nursing services, and adult rehabilitative mental health services.
• . services. services.
• </c> many state programs and services. many state programs and services.
• </c> for critical services. for critical services.
• </c> continuity of service. continuity of service.

Bills: HF1338

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Anybody that's providing any services of care to that Medicaid recipient.
• ... ...received was regarding the oral surgeons' dental services.
• services for special needs.
• Any general licensed dentist can perform these services.
• It's common services like extractions and stuff like that—one of the more important services provided

Summary: The committee reviewed a series of Arkansas DHS and Department of Health rules, most tied to 2025 legislation. Early items covered Medicaid changes including presumptive eligibility application timing, adding a fictive kin definition for foster child eligibility, raising the able account disability onset age to 46, allowing continuous glucose monitors to be billed by both pharmacy and DME providers, increasing the RSV vaccine administration fee for children, a telemedicine exemption for ET3 ambulance services, and a physical therapy access rule that also included occupational therapy. Members generally asked limited questions and most rules were reviewed without objection. A major portion of the meeting focused on the dental rate increase rule under Act 1025. DHS said it implemented rate increases for certain pediatric, special-needs, and oral surgeon services, but not orthodontics, and it interpreted the act as applying only to oral and maxillofacial surgeons, not general dentists. The Arkansas State Dental Association and legislative sponsors testified that the intent was to cover general dentists performing oral surgery procedures for special-needs patients, estimating the broader interpretation would add about $1.5 million annually. Committee members debated the plain language of the act versus legislative intent, and the rule was reviewed, but with testimony noting the issue should be fixed in future legislation. Later items included the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies rule adding doula and lactation consultant billing and remote monitoring benefits; an adverse decisions rule extending provider appeal time from 35 to 65 days; CNA training program updates; PASSE network-status disclosure rules; certification rules for community-based doulas and community health workers; cosmetology, massage therapy, lead-based paint, radiation, radiologic technology, and RV park rule updates. Most of these were described as technical, statutory, or federally driven changes and were reviewed without objection. The committee briefly reopened the CGM rule after a motion to expunge the prior vote, and Representative Wardlaw said he would hold the rule for further review because he believed the billing changes did not match the law’s intent. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• as opposed to federal active service.
• as opposed to federal active service.
• </c><00:09:19.519><c> as</c> mobilized to state active service as mobilized to state active service as
• </c> opposed to federal active service. opposed to federal active service.
• with their veteran service officer in their home record.

Transcript Highlights:

• , services, services, House<00:06:12.760><c> Bill</c><00:06:12.960><c> 265,</c> House Bill 265, House
• </c> general fund for expired debt service. general fund for expired debt service.
• </c> dollars and in the Public Service dollars and in the Public Service Commission,<00:35:11.800><c>
• In Debt Service, we add language to cap the amount paid by Fish and Wildlife on their debt service for
• </c> services and increased contract costs. services and increased contract costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it clearly a behavioral health call for service?
• We start trying to provide those services to them.
• to receive those services.
• More service providers.
• to try to get to the appropriate services.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Specifically, if we only count the instructional services and the residential services combined.
• Cooperative Extension Service.
• So if we're selling them to the Forest Service, we'll ask the Forest Service to pay some of those fees
• More than $30 million went toward Protective Services, and $4.6 million to Juvenile Justice Services.
• We requested $25 million to sustain and grow rural air service or commercial air service flights in local

Transcript Highlights:

• State Library Services is committed to supporting a wide array of library services for all 5.7 million
• </c><00:02:13.800><c> and</c> our uh about State Library services and our uh about State Library services
• </c><00:03:50.879><c> all</c> wide array of Library services for all wide array of Library services for
• is State Library Services uh State Library<00:04:04.640><c> Services</c><00:04:05.079><c> is</c><00:04
• </c> um and upcoming and a youth services um and upcoming and a youth services early<00:05:03.039><c>

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• as a partnership between Human Services and DPI.
• , medical services, and public health.
• , medical services, and public health.
• Juvenile justice diversion services, $500,000.
• DOCR and $750,000 to Human Services to provide services to people in that program.

Bills: SB2015

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met with all members present and took up several bills, focusing most of the discussion on SB 1577 and SB 1619, along with a detailed review of the HHS budget bill draft. On SB 1577, Senator Magrum explained that the bill was being revised to focus on wastewater rather than raw water, possibly shifting the Washburn project to the Department of Water Resources so it could access matching funds, and potentially converting the bill into a line of credit if federal money is restored later. Members discussed whether to keep an emergency clause or instead use a date-based approach, and agreed the bill would likely be handled through the full committee and possibly reconsidered later. On SB 1619, Senator Davison said amendments were still being worked on, including changes requested by the Bank of North Dakota, and the committee planned to hold it for possible amendment before full committee consideration. The bulk of the meeting was a section-by-section review of the HHS appropriations bill draft. Members discussed one-time funding items such as technology projects, child care programs, housing programs, behavioral health facility grants, infant and toddler care provider support, juvenile justice diversion, medical housing, and other public health and human services projects. Several adjustments were noted, including reductions or changes to IMD-related funding, incarcerated-person treatment funding, the child welfare technology project, and the provider rate increase. The committee also discussed the FTE block grant structure at length, with staff explaining that the apparent increase in positions reflected budgeting mechanics, zero-dollar “phantom” positions, and positions approved previously but not counted in the FTE total. Members raised concerns about transparency and whether the bill should list FTE numbers, but staff said the block grant was intended to give the department flexibility while quarterly reporting would provide oversight. Other topics included Medicaid expansion funding and provider reimbursement rules, the move toward certifying human service centers as certified community behavioral health clinics, a moratorium on new ICF beds, and studies or reports on Medicaid, obesity, disability services, truancy, and behavioral health facility grants. The committee also discussed removing or revising broad intent language in Section 31 so the department would report findings rather than implement changes without further legislative action. No final votes were taken in the transcript; instead, members agreed to make a few technical adjustments, continue reviewing the bill, and likely revisit it the next day before moving it to conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• amendments and also incorporates amendments that were adopted in Chair Schumacher's bill in human services
• Uh the bill also contains a proposal related to personal data protection for human services judges.
• Uh in 2024 human services judges.
• and provide clarity in statute that DCT can bill counties for these services.
• I'm with the Department of Human Services.

Summary: The committee heard House File 2260, a Judiciary Committee clone of portions of the larger DHS policy bill, and adopted the A1 amendment, which was described as largely technical but also incorporating changes from the related human services bill. The bill was presented as covering several DHS-related policy areas, including background studies transparency, anti-kickback provisions for medical assistance and child care assistance, and personal data protections for human services judges. The amendment also added a number of provisions related to direct care and treatment, competency restoration billing and data sharing, fraud enforcement tools, behavioral health fund eligibility, and clarifications to prior law. Testimony from DHS Office of Inspector General legislative director Ardian Diddy emphasized that the bill would improve transparency in background studies, update investigative and arrest data access, extend a limited set-aside to similar provider types, and correct an effective-date error from last session. He also said the anti-kickback language would mirror federal Medicaid law for medical assistance and create a state-level prohibition for CCAP, giving DHS and law enforcement more tools to investigate fraud and misuse. Additional provisions would add human services judges to existing personal data protections for judicial officials. Diddy also explained amendment sections from the governor’s fraud package, including authority to act against entities convicted of fraud or theft, data-sharing improvements, and a disqualification from management and billing positions. Members raised questions about possible conflicts of interest involving DHS employees with outside LLCs and about the need for stronger safeguards against fraud. The chair and other members referenced recent fraud cases and said the bill would help prevent similar abuses. Christy Grumman of DHS testified on the judge privacy section, saying there are about 35 human services judges and describing a recent incident in which a judge received violent threats serious enough to require the family’s temporary relocation by the State Patrol. Representative Hudson supported the anti-kickback provisions as a needed codification of agency authority. The committee then approved the amended bill and recommended it be re-referred to the Committee on Public Safety, Finance, and Policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide services to people who are blind and have low vision.
• funding for ESL services in the upcoming fiscal year.
• I'm also here in support of the ESL services funding request.
• I'm also here in support of the ESL services funding request.
• The funding from the California Library Services Act supports two critical services that support public

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your service. My name is Amy Sky.
• Back in 2005, I began advocating to add service-disabled vets to the Texas HUB program.
• Veterans possess tremendous skills from their service that are invaluable.
• The truth is their service doesn't end. It Troy Skeen: evolves. They're still active.
• As we speak, my firm is preparing a response to a state RFP for Health and Human Services.

Bills: SB390 , SB1197 , SB1271

Committee: Senate Veteran Affairs

Summary: The Committee on Veterans Affairs heard several bills related to veterans and military installations. Senator Birdwell presented SB 1197, which would extend existing drone restrictions over military bases and airports to Texas spaceports, with exceptions for authorized operators; there was brief supportive testimony and the bill was left pending. Chairman Hancock presented SB 1271, allowing Texas to accept concurrent jurisdiction over military installations to improve handling of juvenile offenses through state and local involvement; no public testimony was offered, and the bill was left pending. SB 390, by Senator Middleton and explained by Senator Menendez, would expand the definition of historically underutilized businesses to include veteran-owned businesses certified by the SBA, regardless of disability rating, to increase veteran participation in state contracting. The bill drew extensive supportive testimony from veterans and business advocates, while Senator Eckhardt raised concerns that broadening the category might not satisfy the disparity-study basis typically used for HUB programs. The committee also took up pending bills later in the meeting. SB 651 was advanced after adoption of a committee substitute and received a unanimous committee vote to do pass and be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 897 likewise had a committee substitute adopted and was reported favorably by a unanimous vote, with a recommendation for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 1814 was reported favorably and recommended for the local and uncontested calendar by a unanimous vote. SB 1197 was also voted out favorably and recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 1271 and SB 390 were left pending at the end of the meeting, and the committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we don't even have a commissioner Services, the agency most overrun with Services, the agency most
• When autism services and housing stabilization services grew by multitudes year-over-year, the state
• For example, many states require electronic visit verification for PCA services and other services.
• </c> services and other services. services and other services.
• addiction services.

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• Calling the Health and Human Services Committee.
• </c> and support Hawaii Youth Services and support Hawaii Youth Services Network<00:04:21.280><c> and
• Services yes um first up we we have okay Services yes um first up we we have okay it's<00:05:01.440><
• </c> Daisy Hartsfield Social Services Daisy Hartsfield Social Services Division<00:05:16.240><c> administrator
• First up was SB 298, relating to Human Services.

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on several measures related to child welfare, health care access, overdose response, disability services, and waste management. For SB 710 on child welfare, the Department of Human Services, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Attorney General’s office, and multiple advocacy groups testified in support, with the Governor’s office noting support but deferring to the Attorney General on implementation because of separation-of-powers concerns. For SB 952 on child welfare services, DHS, the Governor’s office, and child- and trauma-informed care advocates supported the bill, saying it would help families access services, provide basic material support, and reduce strain on the child welfare system. SB 954 on a home health services rate study also drew support, including from DHS, the Hawaii Healthcare Association, and a public testifier who said the study would help ensure funds reach low-income, disabled, and kupuna recipients. SB 957 on overdose prevention received support from the Department of Health and the Attorney General, who said overdose prevention centers are evidence-based but raised federal-law concerns and recommended amendments; the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and others also testified in support. The committee then moved to the 1:00 regular calendar and heard SB 850 on disability health disparity, which was supported by the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, self-advocates, and others. Testimony emphasized that a disparity study could improve workforce development, training, and services for people with disabilities. SB 838 on continuous glucose monitoring drew support from health agencies and advocates, with testimony stressing that monitors can be critical for some diabetes patients. SB 829 on health care was supported by the Department of Health and health care stakeholders, who said it would help rotating physicians serve neighbor islands without local hospital privileges and align with CMS rules. SB 446 on waste management drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health and several public entities provided comments, the County of Maui opposed, and environmental advocates urged stronger aquifer protections and limits on ash reuse. During decision making, the committee adopted recommendations to pass SB 298, SB 322, SB 299, SB 450, SB 451, SB 949, SB 710, SB 957, SB 69, and SD 952 with various amendments, including technical changes, blank appropriations, and defective dates. SB 323, SB 324, SB 712, SB 950, SB 954, and SB 959 were deferred, largely because companion House measures were moving or similar Senate measures had already passed. The chair also announced recesses to find quorum and noted that some bills from the earlier Monday calendar were being deferred to avoid duplication.

Transcript Highlights:

• services agency.
• services agency.
• services agency.
• </c> service provider side. service provider side.
• </c> service of the summons. service of the summons.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> leadership for their 30 years of service leadership for their 30 years of service to<00:06:14.319
• </c> service. And above all, a dear friend. service. And above all, a dear friend.
• </c><00:23:25.760><c> I</c> prioritize service opportunities. I prioritize service opportunities.
• </c> youth are for help with legal services. youth are for help with legal services.
• </c> service relationship. service relationship.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to our Standing Committee on Social Services.
• So the local social service district has a choice.
• Local social services... Sure. So we are on the line for the bill.
• services online system.
• And that concludes our Committee on Social Services. Thank you.

Committee: Senate Social Services

Summary: The Standing Committee on Social Services met on May 12 with a quorum present and considered seven bills, with four sent to finance and three advanced to first reading. The committee discussed SB 1450A, which would raise shelter allowances up to 100% of fair market rent; several members questioned the impact on county budgets and sought clarification that the bill sets a maximum rather than an automatic requirement. Despite concerns, the bill was reported, with Senator White voting no. The committee also reported SB 2516A on a refugee resettlement program, SB 5505 on mental illness training and temporary housing, SB 6913 on the 211 essential community services online system, and SB 7005 on longer stays at domestic violence shelters, with members characterizing several of these as codifying existing practice or grant-related measures. The remaining bills were SB 7632, which would include households fleeing domestic violence in the family homelessness and infection prevention supplement program, and SB 7754A, which would address finger imaging for SNF benefit recipients. Both were moved forward without substantive debate and reported, with Senator White recorded without recommendation on SB 7754A. Across the meeting, motions were made and seconded by committee members, and the bills were advanced by majority vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• fund and then be dispersed by that service fund.
• They're not currently collecting sales tax on these services for early childhood development.
• If they were, then it would go into the children's service fund, which then provides transparency and
• Representative Davis: Yeah, only the individuals that qualify for this service.
• Yeah, only the individuals that qualify for this service. Although it's the city of St.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of Health and Human Services. of Health and Human Services.
• </c> fund uh, syringe services through DHS. fund uh, syringe services through DHS.
• So outside of the syringe<01:26:00.800><c> services</c> syringe services syringe services uh<01:26:02.560
• </c> syringe service programs. syringe service programs.
• </c> seeks our services. seeks our services.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• services.
• </c> responsibility for those EIDBI services. responsibility for those EIDBI services.
• then to receive that parent services then to receive that parent chosen<00:14:31.199><c> service.
• </c> chosen service. chosen service.
• services.

Bills: HF4893

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> people again can can get the service people again can can get the service which<00:24:13.279><c>
• </c> have a postal service in this country. have a postal service in this country.
• </c><03:48:02.160><c> Um</c> earned through their service. Um earned through their service.
• </c> schools, roads, and community services. schools, roads, and community services.
• </c> appreciation for their public service. appreciation for their public service.