Transcript Highlights:

• The most common condition rheumatology patients have is arthritis.
• Patients with these conditions experience chronic aching, throbbing, sharp, or burning sensations.
• Sarah Noseido, on behalf of the California Chronic Care Coalition.
• Sarah Noseido on behalf of the California Chronic Care Coalition. Thank you.
• Sarah Ocito, on behalf of the California Chronic Care Coalition, in support.

Committee: Senate Health

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills, beginning with SB 1124 on lung cancer screening awareness. The author and supporters said the bill would require CDPH signage about lung cancer screening eligibility at tobacco point-of-sale locations to address low awareness and low screening rates. Support came from medical students, physicians, and the California Academy of Family Physicians, while retailers raised concerns about sign size, retailer notification, and implementation. Committee members generally supported the bill and noted the need to work through those concerns. SB 1150 sought to require clearer patient notice when cancer cases are reported to the California Cancer Registry. The author described the bill as a response to inconsistent notification practices and privacy concerns, and the chair and other members shared personal stories about learning they or family members were in the registry without knowing it. Cancer registry and university stakeholders expressed appreciation for amendments but continued to have concerns or wanted more time to review the language. The bill was discussed as a patient-awareness measure rather than a change to reporting requirements. The committee also heard SB 1400 on Alameda Health System governance, SB 1094 on biosimilar substitution and health plan policies, SB 1314 on smoke shop regulation and nitrous oxide restrictions, and SB 1309 on eliminating cost-sharing for medically necessary follow-up after lung cancer screening. SB 1400 and SB 1314 drew support from local officials, labor, and public health advocates, with members emphasizing youth protection and local oversight. SB 1094 passed after extensive debate over pharmacist substitution authority and notification requirements, with a 6-0 vote and opposition from biotechnology and physician groups. SB 1309 also passed after members discussed the cost of follow-up care and the value of early detection, despite opposition from health plans over premium impacts; it received a 7-0 vote and was placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're going to be testing 650 to 700 genetic genomes for rare conditions.
• Secondly, this bill would extend protections in 126-Z to people with chronic and debilitating conditions
• </c><02:21:54.800><c> such</c><02:21:55.000><c> as</c> debilitating conditions such as debilitating conditions
• So, it really is removing a lot of guardrails. chronically ill patients, but for the chronically ill
• It extends the scope of treatment from terminal to chronic and debilitating.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• conditions.
• conditions, have issues.
• conditions, mental health needs, and accessible services... ...have additional needs, chronic conditions
• conditions, mental health needs, and accessible services. have additional needs, chronic conditions,
• So we're really looking forward to that as a way older adults with chronic conditions are included as

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the impact of H.R. 1 on older Californians and related county administration issues. Chair Jackson and Chair Addis opened by emphasizing California’s rapidly aging population and the need to protect seniors’ access to food, health care, housing, and in-home support services. Testimony from the Department of Social Services, Department of Health Care Services, and Department of Aging described how H.R. 1 would expand work and reporting requirements in CalFresh and Medi-Cal, increase redeterminations, and create new eligibility barriers. Witnesses and advocates warned that these changes could lead to large coverage losses, especially for adults ages 55 to 64, people experiencing homelessness, caregivers, and some immigrant groups, while also increasing administrative burden on counties. The LAO noted that many provisions do not directly apply to Californians 65 and older, but highlighted indirect effects and some direct impacts, including a new home equity limit for certain long-term care recipients and narrower immigration eligibility rules. Committee members pressed the administration and counties on how exemptions would be identified and implemented, whether data systems could automatically protect eligible people, and how outreach would reach older adults, women, LGBTQ seniors, and people with limited digital access. DHCS and CDSS said they are working to use existing data, cross-program information sharing, and human-centered communications to maximize exemptions and reduce churn, including text outreach, print and radio campaigns, and navigator support. Members also raised concerns about the need for legal aid and county eligibility workers to help people navigate complex rules, and requested updated analyses on the number of people likely to lose both Medi-Cal and CalFresh and the broader human and system impacts. No votes were taken. The second major topic was the administration’s proposal to shift some future IHSS costs to counties by establishing a statewide baseline for average authorized hours per case. CDSS said the proposal is intended to improve consistency in assessments and not reduce services, while counties and labor groups strongly opposed it, arguing that rising hours reflect real increases in need, an aging and higher-acuity caseload, and state-mandated assessment tools rather than county error. County representatives said the proposal would strain already limited local revenues, worsen the effects of H.R. 1, and could force cuts to other safety-net services. Committee members questioned the proposal’s timing and impact, but the hearing ended without action, with the chairs asking for continued updates, additional analysis, and more information before May Revision.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Florida, nearly 80% of our schools are suffering from high and extreme chronic absence rates compared
• absent by clearly defining the terms absence and chronically absent.
• House Bill 1367 will help school districts find and pinpoint root causes of chronic absence, provide
• The heartbreak of losing a child to a detectable and treatable condition.
• We heard the number: one in 300 kids has an undetected cardiac condition.

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee met with a quorum and took up seven bills, all of which were reported favorably. First, HB 1367 on school attendance was presented as a response to rising chronic absenteeism; it would standardize attendance definitions and reporting statewide, and it passed 18-0 after supportive testimony from education and business groups. HB 949 would prohibit student use of wireless devices during the school day, while allowing district policies for designated use areas and existing medical/disability exceptions; members discussed classroom disruption, bullying, public safety, and accommodations, and the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved PCS for CS for HB 1135, requiring ECGs for student athletes in grades 9-12, with exemptions for religious objections and provisions on cost, liability, and medical clearance; the bill drew extensive emotional testimony from parents and advocates who described children lost to sudden cardiac arrest and was reported favorably after unanimous support. Members then approved CS for CS for HB 597 on diabetes management in schools, which would allow schools to keep glucagon pens and authorize trained personnel to administer them in emergencies; an amendment clarified charter schools are included as public schools. HB 1309 on reading interventions and instruction would expand reading support and training for grades 4-12 and require district reading plans to include evidence-based interventions; it also passed without opposition. CS for HB 981 on athlete representation and compensation would cap certain NIL agent fees, allow some high school athletes to earn NIL compensation, and create a framework for registered advisors; members raised concerns about predatory practices and coach involvement, but the bill passed favorably after amendment. Finally, HB 1111 would eliminate the certificate of completion option for students who do not meet graduation requirements, with the sponsor arguing it would better motivate students to earn a standard diploma and improve postsecondary and workforce opportunities. Members discussed the need for stronger supports to help students meet graduation standards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee adjourned after completing all agenda items.

Transcript Highlights:

• access on medical products at just a few companies, and these are, you know, adults and kids with chronic
• conditions like epilepsy, cancer, debilitating autoimmune diseases, and other conditions for which cannabis
• This includes kids who, with medicinal cannabis, when they have conditions like this, it allows them
• </c><00:04:51.880><c> conditions</c> adults and kids with chronic conditions adults and kids with chronic
• like this, it allows them to conditions like this, it allows them to do<00:05:07.840><c> things</c><

Transcript Highlights:

• The stem cell bill that's presented here would help all Arizonans move to getting cures for chronic conditions
• Chronic disease is at an all-time high. Deaths of despair are at an all-time high.
• diseases like diabetes and other conditions.
• diseases like diabetes and other conditions.
• condition, and an obesity study committee for AHCCCS was established.

Bills: SB1014 , SB1094 , SB1146 , SB1177 , SB1192 , SB1194 , SB1214 , SB1372 , SB1390 , SB1398 , SB1399 , SB1494 , SB1557 , SB1561 , SB1564 , SB1602 , SB1603 , SB1621 , SB1628 , SB1629 , SB1713 , SB1752 , SB1776 , SB1813 , SB1814 , SB1821

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Keywords: gender transition, gender detransition, health insurance, medical procedures, insurance claims, official documents, Arizona law, gender reassignment, civil liability, minors, medical consent, detransition, dependent children, foster care, periodic review, court hearings, child welfare, public funds, prohibition, Arizona legislation

Transcript Highlights:

• Rheumatoid arthritis is an incurable, severe, chronic autoimmune disease.
• Victims of cancer, chronic diseases, and chronic pain need options.
• Victims of cancer, chronic diseases, and chronic pain need options.
• this condition.
• My name is Melody Walt, and I'm a 20-plus-year chronic pain patient.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• I had both liver damage, my ALT was well over 100, and I had chronic kidney disease.
• So this is where this diabetes is not a chronic progressive disease.
• It is a reversible, preventable condition.
• I would also point, just to give you an example... condition.
• conditions.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2401, which would require physicians to complete continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health as part of the state’s rural health transformation effort. HHS supported the bill, saying it would help physicians better address chronic disease and preserve federal grant points tied to the state’s application. A member of the public also testified in favor, arguing that better nutrition education could improve diabetes outcomes and reduce costs. The committee then adopted an amendment to add the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice to the background-check statute so the occupational therapy compact could proceed, and it passed the bill as amended on a roll call vote. The committee next heard House Bill 1621, which would require the Presidential Fitness Physical Fitness Test in elementary, middle, and high school physical education courses. HHS said the bill was part of the rural health transformation application and could help preserve federal funding, but members raised many questions about the test’s criteria, adaptive options for students with disabilities, equipment needs, and whether the bill should apply to non-public schools. Senator Clemens offered an amendment to limit the requirement to public schools, but it failed. Senator Hogan then offered an amendment to clarify exemptions and allow DPI to align implementation with federal guidance; that amendment passed. A further amendment adding language allowing DPI to establish criteria for and exceptions to the test also passed. The committee then approved the bill as amended on a roll call vote. The committee also considered House Bill 1622, which joins North Dakota to the physician assistant licensure compact. HHS said the compact would improve access to care, especially in rural areas, support military families, and help preserve rural health transformation funding. Members noted the compact had been discussed in a prior session and that many earlier concerns had been resolved. After brief discussion about the compact process and its consistency with other interstate compacts, the committee voted to do pass the bill. Finally, the committee began Senate Bill 2402, which expands pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution powers. HHS and the Board of Pharmacy supported the bill as a way to improve access to care and maintain rural health transformation funding. Senator Roers introduced a detailed amendment negotiated with the Board of Medicine and Board of Pharmacy to narrow and clarify the bill, including notification requirements, limits on certain drug categories, and patient-protection language for therapeutic substitution. The Board of Pharmacy then testified in support of the broader bill and explained the CLIA-waived testing provisions and the repeal of the older, narrower pharmacist-testing language. The hearing and amendment discussion were still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the top, mental health conditions, 27.7%.
• conditions, infection, hemorrhage, and embolism.
• Chronic disease, sometimes undiagnosed chronic disease in these patients, knowledge of the patient, provider
• A lot of people start thinking, okay, chronic, when I think of chronic use, and that's where the issues
• Like, that becomes chronic.

Committee: Joint Health Care Committee

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a detailed annual presentation from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and review findings. He explained the committee’s structure, the de-identified review process, and the distinction between pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths. He said national maternal mortality has declined from its 2021 peak, but mental health conditions, substance use, overdose, suicide, cardiovascular disease, hemorrhage, infection, and embolism remain major causes. He emphasized that many deaths are preventable, with especially high rates among non-Hispanic Black women and in the American Indian/Alaska Native population, and noted that a large share of deaths occur after 42 days postpartum. Committee members asked about suicide, domestic abuse, pregnancy testing in unexplained deaths, and the role of home births and midwife training. Dr. Arnold said the committee is adding a caseworker, exploring post-mortem pregnancy testing in suspicious cases, and working with coroners and forensic officials; he also said home births and untrained midwifery pose safety concerns and that better public education and facility-based care are important. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matt Clark on cigarette ignition propensity standards and fire prevention. He recommended updating North Dakota’s cigarette ignition legislation to the current national standard and also considering legislation requiring fast-breakaway oxygen tubing, citing fatal fires involving smoking around home oxygen. He explained that his office verifies manufacturer testing and maintains certification for cigarettes sold in the state, but does not itself conduct the testing. Members asked about implementation, cost, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Clark said he would follow up with cost information and additional details, and that he had not seen evidence of a major issue on tribal lands but would look further. Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services presented the North Dakota Stroke System of Care report. She described the statewide network of two comprehensive stroke centers, four primary stroke centers, and 30 acute stroke-ready hospitals, along with the stroke registry and quality-improvement efforts. She reported that most strokes are ischemic, that the median stroke patient age is 71.5, and that common risk factors include hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. She highlighted improvements in door-to-CT, thrombolytic treatment times, dysphagia screening, EMS pre-notification, and interfacility transfer performance, and said new priorities include hemorrhagic stroke quality measures and standardized EMS stroke screening tools. Members asked about the VA hospital’s participation, and Greff said she would pursue outreach. After a break, the committee heard testimony from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals as part of the prior authorization study, focused on non-opioid pain treatment. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to acute pain treatment and may push patients toward opioids, especially in the critical 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window. He cited data showing that even short opioid exposure can increase the risk of long-term use and said prior authorization is often a barrier for physicians and patients. Khan recommended open access with a quantity limit rather than prior authorization, suggesting a 14-day limit supported by the product’s data and an episode-of-care approach. Members asked about dental use, payer discussions, and cost; he said the product’s wholesale acquisition cost is about $16.10 per tablet, with patient assistance available, and that he would follow up on payer and comparison-cost questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• that provides... comprehensive medical rehabilitation services are required by current law as a condition
• Thank you. question that psychiatric conditions can be, physical conditions can masquerade as psychiatric
• conditions.
• The process for adding new conditions to federal and state... state screening panels can take years,
• However, if you're a patient who has a chronic condition and you know that you're going to have tens

Bills: SB437 , SB528 , SB626 , SB636 , SB884 , SB968 , SB1044 , SB1608 , SB2336

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Chronic weight disease is a serious problem in the United States.
• That a person suffering with chronic weight disease may experience.
• There's also significant over 200 comorbid conditions that also apply.
• , life-threatening conditions.
• Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, irreversible, chronic neurologic condition marked by abnormal buildup

Committee: Senate Health

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, I have chronic pain.
• As I'm reading, there is a rendition of a bill that says any condition that causes chronic pain.
• This includes people with autoimmune inflammatory diseases, chronic pain, and rare conditions.
• This is a condition that causes chronic pain, which leads a physician to prescribe opioids for my medical
• condition involving debilitating pain.

Bills: HB46 , HB35 , HB4490 , HB4454 , HB2188 , HB3078 , HB4743 , HB2556 , HB46 , HB5342 , HB4783 , HB3785 , HB5278 , HB1639 , HB2581 , HB4224 , HB4070 , HB4099 , HB4882 , HB3794

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not life-threatening unless you factor in mental health outcomes of living with chronic pain for
• It is not life-threatening unless you factor in mental health outcomes of living with chronic pain for
• For someone managing chronic illness, juggling work schedules, or relying on public transportation, this
• First, federal courts have confirmed manufacturers may set reasonable conditions on contract pharmacy
• The federal courts have confirmed manufacturers may set reasonable conditions on contract pharmacies

Bills: SB5904 , SB5915 , SB6025 , SB5933 , SB5990 , SB5981

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: nursing titles, licensure, healthcare professionals, patient safety, professional standards, SB 5915, health technology assessment, HTA, clinical committee, medical technology review, coverage determination, state-purchased health care, Washington health care, RCW, evidence-based medicine, cost-effectiveness, safety and efficacy, Medicare coverage, national coverage determination, clinical guidelines

Transcript Highlights:

• Children who have complex medical needs or rare conditions that are difficult to define and to treat.
• In 2016, when my son was just 8, a second opinion revealed a spinal condition that if left untreated.
• The condition my son has, our pediatrician had never heard of.
• And you all know that poor nutrition is a major contributor to chronic diseases.
• conditions receive the personalized care that they need to manage their health effectively.

Bills: HB136 , HB451 , SB425 , SB466 , SB905 , SB1986 , SB2311 , SB2450 , SB2805 , SB2826 , SB2919 , SB3001 , HB136

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is no small thing, especially if you have a chronic disease like these girls have or a condition
• that requires transfusion. ...to which may include sickle cell, chronic anemia, beta thalassemia major
• And again, these were chronically transfused patients who required blood every three to four weeks.
• So that's our commitment to these patients who are chronically transfused.
• diagnoses that require chronic transfusion.

Committee: House Public Health

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the issue is urgent because of the ending of ESSER funds and current conditions, so they moved
• Legislators are rightfully averse to being overly prescriptive, but the chronic failures in both signs
• When the system isn't chronically working, it's incumbent upon you in the Education Committee to lead
• Legislators are rightfully averse to being overly prescriptive, but the chronic failures in both signs
• When the system isn't chronically working, chronically isn't working, it's incumbent upon you in the

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its 13th hearing, chaired by Senator Jason Lewis and Representative Gordon, and heard testimony on a large slate of bills covering personnel and miscellaneous education issues. The first major topic was House Bill 711 and Senate Bill 327, the “So All Students Thrive” proposal, which would change reduction-in-force rules so districts could consider teacher effectiveness, student impact, staffing needs, and diversity-related factors alongside seniority. Supporters from Educators for Excellence, including teachers and a former school committee chair, argued that current seniority-based layoff rules can push out effective early-career educators and harm efforts to build a more diverse workforce. Committee members raised questions about tenure, union involvement, and how the bill would interact with the Educator Diversity Act and local contract negotiations; members generally said they shared the goal of diversifying the educator workforce and encouraged continued collaboration and feedback. The committee then heard testimony on House Bill 658, which would require educator training on gifted and advanced learners. Parents, teachers, researchers, and advocates said Massachusetts lacks required preservice or professional development on gifted education, leaving many advanced students unchallenged and underserved. Witnesses described students who are bored, under-identified, or even discouraged in school, and argued that training would help teachers recognize and support gifted students, including students of color, multilingual learners, low-income students, and students with disabilities. Testimony also supported related prior bills on advanced learners and emphasized that the state should act on a 2019 DESE report recommending such training. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 736 and Senate Bill 435, which would establish de-escalation training for school transportation. The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council said the measure would improve safety for students and bus operators, fill a gap in current school bus driver certification requirements, and better support students with disabilities. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4720, concerning the Athol-Royalston Regional School District’s state bailout-related reserve requirements; the superintendent said the district has long maintained fiscal stability but is still forced to leave over half a million dollars unspent each year, limiting resources for a high-poverty student population. After testimony concluded, the chairs read the full list of bills on the agenda, thanked the committee and staff, and the hearing was adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• conditions.
• conditions.
• conditions.
• conditions.
• conditions.

Bills: HF1937 , HF2407 , HF1678 , HF1477 , HF2040 , HF1840 , HF257

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Access to quality care, economic stability, education, and safe living conditions remain fundamental
• Missouri has and will continue to face challenges with rural health care access, preventable chronic
• We’ll move to page 63 for the Cancer and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention core.
• This core reflects programmatic areas that work on prevention of cancer and chronic diseases such as
• And the chronic disease prevention side, there is limited federal dollars that come into the state.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee heard the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services present its FY 2027 budget request, with Director Sarah Wilson and budget staff describing the department’s mission, major divisions, and the impact of federal funding shifts, especially the FMAP change that will shift costs to general revenue. Wilson emphasized prevention, public health infrastructure, workforce capacity, and data modernization, while several members praised the department’s responsiveness and cost-cutting efforts. The discussion repeatedly focused on lapses, excess authority, and the department’s stated practice of spending federal and other funds before general revenue where possible. Members asked detailed questions about local public health agency support, nutrition programs, rural health and primary care, newborn screening, the state public health lab, and the department’s use of flexibility and reallocations. There was extended discussion of substance use disorder funding: the department explained that some funding is being reduced in its own budget because transfer authority is being added for the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Corrections, while some other SUD-related lines are actual reductions. Members also questioned tobacco prevention and cessation cuts, maternal and infant health programs, fetal infant mortality review, and minority health initiatives, with staff explaining program purposes and noting that some reductions were tied to excess authority or to moving programs to other departments. The committee also reviewed specific operational items such as the Health Initiatives Fund transfer, debt offset escrow for loan repayment defaults, donated funds authority, emergency preparedness, environmental health, health informatics, HIV/STI/hepatitis services, local public health incentives, and the COVID/ARPA authority reductions. Several members requested follow-up information on vacancies, lapse trends, grant spending plans, and program details. No final vote or formal action was taken in the portion provided; the chair recessed briefly and the hearing continued with additional budget testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• This investment is especially critical given the latest report from the California... ...conditions.
• Clients often report deplorable health and safety conditions.
• Chronic pain is often treated with Tylenol for those who are lucky enough to get it.
• And chronic conditions often deteriorate, leaving individuals who are likely to be deported with long-lasting
• We've appreciated that since 2017, the AG has reviewed and reported on conditions in these facilities

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on August 27, 2026, with a quorum present and considered two bills. Senator Wahab presented SB 259, which would create new felony and misdemeanor penalties for willful interference with the delivery or receipt of vote-by-mail ballots, framed as a response to threats against election administration and California’s heavy reliance on mail voting. SEIU California supported the bill, emphasizing election protection and noting the penalties would not apply to accidental mishandling by election officials. The committee moved SB 259 out on a due pass basis with a B-roll call, with Mr. Hoover not voting. The committee then heard SB 957 from Senator Prose, the Protecting Vulnerable Immigrant Detainees Model Act, which directs the Attorney General to develop a comprehensive oversight plan for privately operated civil detention facilities. Supporters, including CHIRLA and Inclusive Action for the City, described serious health and safety problems in detention facilities and argued California needs a stronger, ongoing oversight framework. The chair and members expressed support for the bill and its focus on humane conditions and accountability. SB 957 was also moved out on a due pass basis with a B-roll call, with Mr. Hoover not voting. No opposition testimony was presented on either bill, and the meeting adjourned after the committee completed action on both measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medical conditions or disorder, the age of the data is less of an issue.
• If one child is chronically absent, the whole family usually is.
• Chronic absenteeism has fallen over 25% in Hayward. with whole family supports.
• If one child is chronically absent, the whole family usually is.
• Chronic absenteeism has fallen over 25% in here. We know what works.