Transcript Highlights:

• Um, creating a permit system that is based on a, uh, content of the bottle in this, in this case would
• And so enforcing a permit, in this case, 75%, uh, It would be almost, well, at this point, unless, and
• Um, cases of wine.
• We depend on overall worldwide alcohol. Sales are down about 20%, 20, 24% worldwide, all alcohol.
• But that is not the case. And this bill has holes in it.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, enforcing a permit, in this case, 75 percent, would be almost impossible.
• You can make, and we do, there are people sitting behind me that make well in excess of 150,000 cases
• We depend on them. Overall, worldwide alcohol sales are down about 20-24%. Texas is no different.
• But that is not the case, and this bill has holes in it that could cripple my marketing association.
• I myself was a military dependent wife, and we moved several times.

Bills: HB589, HB705, HB1842, HB1874, HB2349, HB2614, HB2827, HB3012, HB3214, HB3308, HB3385, HB3529

Keywords: cosmetology, licensure, interstate compact, state regulations, public safety, workforce mobility, charitable raffles, nonprofit, wildlife conservation, ticket sales, fundraising, master electrician, electrical work, occupational licensing, work scope, Texas law, Texas Real Estate Commission, TREC, real estate broker, sales agent

Transcript Highlights:

• It's heavily dependent on the Murphy administration.
• In the case of labor and delivery, there is no postpartum coverage in this coverage group.
• If we have the neonate service adjuster severity level, we also have different add-ons depending upon
• our nurse abstractors have to go in and abstract those cases.
• So right now we would be reviewing cases for January of 2024.

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met to discuss maternal and infant health, beginning with a presentation from New Jersey’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MiHA). Pamela Taylor described New Jersey’s statewide effort to reduce maternal mortality and racial disparities through the Nurture New Jersey campaign, a strategic plan with more than 80 recommendations, universal home visiting, Medicaid-covered doula care, hospital report cards, limits on non-medically indicated early elective C-sections, and a new maternal and infant health innovation center. Senators asked about doula certification, funding, home visiting, and how New Jersey coordinates across agencies; Taylor said the authority uses quarterly stakeholder meetings, annual summits, and a tracker for recommendations, and that community input helped shape its programs. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer then outlined Florida Medicaid’s maternal coverage and managed care structure. He reviewed eligibility and services for pregnant women, labor and delivery, postpartum coverage, newborn coverage, and family planning, noting 12 months of postpartum coverage, expanded benefits in managed care plans, and new contracts launching February 1 with more maternal-health-focused benefits, quality measures, and a new quality withhold incentive structure. Senators questioned doula certification and duplication with Healthy Start, provider access and network adequacy, kick payments, quality reporting, and whether Florida should consider broader eligibility standards; Meyer said many details are still plan-driven, that quality metrics are public, and that the agency is working on maternal-health work groups and incentives. Department of Health Division Director Shea Holloway followed with an overview of Florida’s maternal and child health programs and data. She cited Florida CHARTS data showing pregnancy-related deaths, severe maternal morbidity, and infant mortality trends, and described the Title V block grant, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the electronic prenatal risk screen, Healthy Babies, BH Impact for perinatal mental health, Healthy Start, WIC, family planning, telehealth maternity care, and the Pregnancy Care Network. Senators asked about delays in mortality review reporting, preterm birth, substance use disorder in pregnancy, WIC participation, cesarean rates, and the impact of the abortion ban; Holloway said the department is continuing to monitor outcomes, expand screening and telehealth, and use data and hospital partnerships to improve care. The committee then adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Isn't it also the case that ivermectin is...
• And in this case, it happened to be not of all the millions of people that died, but in this one case
• Let's be clear: in Texas, only doctors, in limited cases, and in limited cases, nurses, practitioners
• I think we already have our first case of it transferring to humans.
• I mean, we are, in this case, going on top of federal action.

Bills: HB25, HB48, HB149, HB254, HB26, HB192, HCR3, HCR4, HCR5, HCR6, HCR8, HCR14, HCR16, HR1, HR2, HR3, HR4, HR6, HR7, HR8, HR9, HR12, HR11, HR13, HR14, HR15, HR16, HR20, HR22, HR23, HR24, HR25, HR26, HR27, HR28, HR29, HR30, HR31, HR32, HR33, HR45, HR48, HR49, HR51, HR52, HR55, HR56, HR57, HR59, HR60, HR61, HR62, HR63, HR64, HR65, HR66, HR70, HR71, HR72, HR74, HCR2, HCR7, HR10, HR21, HR35, HR36, HR37, HR38, HR39, HR40, HR42, HR43, HR44, HR46, HR47, HR50, HR53, HR54, HR67, HR69, HR75, HCR 5, HCR 6, HCR 8, HCR 14, HCR 16, HR 1, HR 3, HR 4, HR 6, HR 7, HR 8, HR 9, HR 12, HR 11, HR 13, HR 14, HR 15, HR 16, HR 20, HR 22, HR 23, HR 24, HR 25, HR 26, HR 27, HR 28, HR 29, HR 30, HR 31, HR 32, HR 33, HR 45, HR 48, HR 49, HR 51, HR 52, HR 55, HR 56, HR 57, HR 59, HR 60, HR 61, HR 62, HR 63, HR 64, HR 65, HR 66, HR 70, HR 71, HR 72, HR 74, HCR 7, HR 10, HR 21, HR 35, HR 36, HR 37, HR 38, HR 39, HR 40, HR 42, HR 43, HR 44, HR 46, HR 47, HR 50, HR 53, HR 54, HR 67, HR 69, HB 25, HB 48, HB 149, HB 254, HB 26, HB 192

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert

Transcript Highlights:

• FFLs<01:50:16.880> in<01:50:17.199> many<01:50:17.520> cases FFLs in many cases
• But we have them just in case, just like I have a box of AA batteries just in case.
• And I I rarely have just in case.
• I know they're probably expired case.
• Um, depending on what out of my home.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal as corrected, and then proceeded out of order to memorials. House Memorial 1002, honoring former Representative Carl Eugene Miller of Leadville, was read and adopted unanimously, 63-0 with two excused. Speakers highlighted Miller’s service as a miner, Army veteran, Lake County commissioner, state representative, Public Utilities Commission commissioner, and his role in establishing the National Mining Hall of Fame and the Leadville Trail 100. His family was recognized in the chamber. During announcements, members welcomed several visiting groups, including Prowers County commissioners, the Rocky Mountain Cradle to Career Civic Influencers, the Colorado Springs School, and Advocates for Recovery Colorado, which was noted as advocating for recovery support and related policy issues. Members also mentioned upcoming committee meetings, including Finance and Appropriations, and a reminder that the business affairs and labor committee was not meeting that day. The House then set special orders for March 19, 2026, and adopted motions limiting debate time on House Bill 1126 to three hours and on Senate Bills 4 and 43 to two hours each. The chamber then resolved into committee of the whole and began consideration of House Bill 1126, which concerns requirements for dealing firearms. The bill was read at length at the request of the minority leader, who argued that the measure could hurt small, family-owned gun businesses. The bill summary described expanded permit requirements for firearm dealers, additional requirements for responsible persons and employees, recordkeeping and security mandates, reporting of theft or loss, and increased penalties for violations, including fines, suspension, or revocation of dealer permits.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are complete sales and service dealership for Tiger Cat case.
• I checked a culture equipment case, construction equipment and other at brands that relate to our market
• Leaving the scene case.
• And if the owner operate throw me out in my case, probably wouldn't leave.
• And so I hope that we don't have to get to a place where those those cases are being filed.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I could not take that person into custody without jurisdiction in the case.” “Okay.
• My understanding is that basically in most cases, um, that will be done.
• <01:00:01.440> So<01:00:02.079> um most cases um that will be done.
• So um most cases um that will be done.
• three panel is dependent on the charge. three panel is dependent on the charge.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The briefing focused on the Hawaii State Hospital’s overcrowding, construction defects in the new addition, and how Act 26 and related court-ordered processes are affecting admissions and discharges. The chair said the hospital has become increasingly forensic-focused, has lost beds after the closure of Kahimohala, and may face further costs and possible litigation over the defective addition. Hospital and Department of Health officials said they are working with the attorney general and contractors on repairs, and that the hospital is currently using all 292 licensed beds, including 13 waiver beds, while average daily census last fiscal year was 376. Officials explained that the high census is driven by both increased admissions and discharge barriers. They said the loss of Kahimohala returned patients to the state hospital, and that Act 26-related petty misdemeanor cases are contributing to admissions. They also said limited lower-level placement options delay discharges. Hospital staff reported that many patients are repeat admissions, about 22% were unhoused before admission, and a significant share are in categories such as fitness-to-proceed evaluations and conditional-release violations. They said these groups could potentially be reduced if evaluations were done elsewhere and if more community or supportive housing were available. The chair and senators questioned whether some fitness-to-proceed detainees need to be held at the state hospital at all, and whether the Clark consent order requires transfer to the hospital. The attorney general’s office said the Clark injunction does not govern unfitness-to-proceed cases; instead, the requirement comes from state statute, and the statute could be changed. Director Johnson said DCR cannot keep such detainees because the court orders them into the custody of the Department of Health, and the department cannot provide the needed therapeutic level of care in a correctional setting. The discussion also emphasized co-occurring substance use and mental illness, especially among petty misdemeanor defendants, and the need for supportive housing and a decompression plan to reduce readmissions and free beds for civil commitments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Time limits may be imposed depending on the agenda and number of presenters.
• And I accurate, dependable elections.
• Chairman, uh, we occasionally will expedite on a case-by-case basis.
• Chairman, uh, we occasionally will expedite on a case-by-case basis.
• Chairman, uh, we occasionally will expedite on a case-by-case basis.

Bills: SF0028, SF0030, SF0031, SF0032

Keywords: voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• We heard different cases, 300 cases a year, but we also heard 1,400 to 24 cases a year.
• And if it's a case that meets our criteria, then we will identify that case to the Office of Internal
• Yes, so absolutely, PREA cases, when they come to us, every PREA case is investigated.
• At CCWF, three total cases were referred.
• And at CCWF, three total cases referred.

Summary: The hearing focused first on sexual abuse, harassment, and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons, with testimony from CDCR wardens, the Office of Inspector General, advocacy groups, and formerly incarcerated survivors. Legislators and witnesses described a pattern of staff misconduct, fear of retaliation, gaps in reporting, and the need for stronger accountability, better investigations, and more outside access for survivor support organizations. CDCR said it has expanded training, body-worn and stationary cameras, outside partnerships, and PREA-related response procedures, while the Inspector General requested additional funding and staff to monitor more grievances and staff sexual misconduct cases under SB 1069. Members pressed CDCR on why accused staff are not always placed on leave, how cases are referred to prosecutors, and whether current protections are enough; several members argued the state should aim to investigate all complaints and do more to prevent retaliation and repeat abuse. The second issue was rehabilitative and reentry programming in women’s prisons. CDCR’s Division of Rehabilitative Programs and the wardens highlighted education, vocational training, substance use treatment, peer support, and community reentry programs, citing increased enrollment and recent graduates earning diplomas, degrees, and certifications. They said these programs are intended to reduce recidivism and improve public safety. Formerly incarcerated advocates and community providers argued that current offerings are still too limited, outdated, and not aligned with today’s job market, especially around digital literacy and transferable credentials, and they urged more funding for community-based, trauma-informed, gender-responsive programming. A coalition representative asked for a $20 million continuation and expansion of the Wright Grant program, and members discussed additional budget requests for reentry and related women’s services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me throw a cynical case at you and tell me how this would work.
• A lot of it also depends on the paperwork that was mentioned.
• So it would probably look, well, it depends on what you would consider a group home to be.
• The latter in that it's really dependent, per specific patient.
• <01:54:56.239> upon facility or is that just depending upon facility or is that just depending

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: Division 3 opened a work session focused on direct care agencies, with the chair saying the day would center on the Veterans Home and other state hospitals and homes. Members first discussed the upcoming Finance Committee process, including how many bills would be assigned to Division 3, whether they would appear on the House calendar, and how much time would be allowed for each bill. The chair said the division would likely spend about an hour on each bill, then return for a second day of review before making recommendations. Staff later identified three bills expected on the calendar: House Bills 704, 751, and 54. Members also raised a question about the use of educational trust fund money in the budget, but that issue was deferred. The main presentation came from Kim McKay, commandant of the New Hampshire Veterans Home, who described the facility as a long-term care intermediate facility serving eligible veterans. She said the home is licensed for 250 beds, budgeted for 225 veterans, and currently has 135 residents with four more scheduled to arrive. McKay highlighted improvements over the last two years, including a reduction in the admission wait list from more than a year to about three to six months, the creation of an LNA training program, energy-saving and Wi-Fi upgrades, and a new electronic learning management system that will provide mandatory training and continuing education units for staff. She said the home’s long-term goal is to return to a 225-bed census, but staffing remains the biggest hurdle. Members asked about admissions, wait times, staffing, vacancies, and the home’s use of contract nurses. McKay explained that the wait time is measured from the initial application date, not from a completed packet, and that staff now help families gather records and paperwork more quickly. She said the home averages about 45 deaths per year, residents stay about 2.5 years on average, and the vacancy rate is around 35 percent, though some positions are intentionally held open until census grows. She attributed staffing shortages largely to retention problems, citing higher private-sector pay, bonuses, and more flexible hours, and said the home has a handful of contract nurses, mainly on second shift. On finances, she said pharmacy services are contracted, the VA reimburses some medication costs based on disability, and the home is pursuing federal changes to cover high-cost medications and catastrophic disability cases. The discussion also covered the home’s off-book donation account, which is overseen by the state and transferred into the state system when funds are spent.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:21.720> on<00:20:21.880> the um so it would depend on the um so it would depend
• The research I've been able to do says it takes about two to three hours per case to do that.
• The research I've been able to do says it takes about two to three hours per case to do that.
• <01:14:26.719> if in involved in agriculture it depends if in involved in agriculture it depends
• In case you'd like to see the other 18 pages of places that are listed.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We thousands of riders who depend on it.
• connects those who are transit dependent connects those who are transit dependent to<00:24:15.480
• Those residents depend on transit.
• <00:33:52.080> It Those residents depend on transit.
• It Those residents depend on transit.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a very different story on inflation depending on what you're focusing on.
• We have a very different story on inflation depending on what you're focusing on.
• We have a very different story on inflation depending on what you're focusing on.
• In many cases, they're not the first calculation.
• In many cases, they're not the first calculation.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market. Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded. The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• He depends on skilled, registered nurses, not home health aides, not general caregivers, but nurses to
• and making sure that families can trust the coverage they pay for will be there when their child depends
• their child depends on it. their child depends on it.
• can hire expensive lawyers to reinterpret the laws and who can hire lobbyists to come and make that case
• can hire expensive lawyers to reinterpret the laws and who can hire lobbyists to come and make that case

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senators and House members held a press event in support of HF 4188, a bill addressing commercial insurance coverage for home care nursing for medically complex children who also receive medical assistance. Speakers said the issue arose after Medica and HealthPartners began imposing caps on coverage that had been provided for years under Minnesota law, and argued that the change would shift costs to Medicaid and taxpayers, create budget pressure, and force families to reduce other needed services. They emphasized that home care nursing is distinct from short-term home health visits and said the bill would prohibit quantity limits and clarify that insurers must continue covering authorized nursing care. Parents and family members described the impact on children who depend on continuous skilled nursing to remain safely at home, including one family whose child Nash has spent extensive time hospitalized and another speaker who said her niece Isabel’s care showed how many nurses, aides, and hospice workers are involved in these cases. Testimony stressed that the coverage caps could lead to more hospitalizations, ICU stays, and trauma for children and families, while costing more overall than home care. Several lawmakers, including Sen. Matt Klein and Rep. Robert Bierman, said the statute’s original intent was clear in 2010 and that the plans’ reinterpretation and the Commerce Department’s response should be corrected. Lawmakers said the Commerce and Consumer Protection Conference Committee has completed its work but is being kept open for the remaining days of session in hopes of resolving the issue this year. In response to questions, supporters said the bill is intended as a clarification rather than a new mandate, that it would simply bar caps on already-authorized home care nursing, and that they believe there is support to move it through the House and Senate before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• think, you know, this in the early 2030's, I think is when you know, they they ultimately step down depending
• It's a case. You know, there's also some moratorium on rules here.
• Like to clarify that it could affect Florida if the state's payment error rate is above 3%, depending
• I think it varies depending upon what that average commercial rate.
• its use, perhaps for it's used for research studies where disease diagnosis that's in the Niners in case

Transcript Highlights:

• And in that case, the proliferation question comes to mind with nuclear arms states that are treaty allies
• Our deterrence depends not just on our warfighting capability, but also on the ability to sustain our
• So he's accepted the boundary, in which case if you testified he wouldn't invade... then why are we there
• And the dependence we have on other nations hosting our forces. allowing operations from their land.
• We depend on you. We need you all to do your work well.

Keywords: Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. military strategy, China military drills, Taiwan, Philippines, North Korea, defense budget, military modernization

Summary: The meeting focused on significant strategic discussions regarding the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and its military posture in the region. Admiral Paparo and General Brunson were commended for their services, with the Chair noting an alarming shift in the balance of power towards China. Key topics included China's aggressive military drills near Taiwan, the increasing coercion against the Philippines, and the need for the U.S. to reaffirm its commitments to its allies in the region. Concerns were raised regarding China's military modernization and its implications for U.S. forces, alongside discussions on North Korea's threats and its burgeoning nuclear capabilities. The committee emphasized the urgent need for military and defense appropriations to counteract these growing security challenges.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are not responsible on our end for any disturbances on your end, but in case of a catastrophic disaster
• We are not responsible on our end for any disturbances on your end, but in case of a catastrophic disaster
• We have great resources; our economy depends on people coming to enjoy those. Thank you.
• We have great resources; our economy depends on people coming to enjoy those.
• our economy depends on people coming<00:14:50.959> to<00:14:51.120> enjoy<00:14:51.519

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Tourism and Committee on Water and Land heard HB 504, which would raise the transient accommodations tax by imposing a $20 nightly charge on stays booked with points, miles, or other rewards-program benefits, with revenues dedicated to DLNR for natural resource protection, management, and restoration. Supporters said Hawaiʻi faces major environmental funding shortfalls and that visitors should help pay for the lands and waters they enjoy. Testimony in support came from DLNR, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Care for Now Coalition, Hawaiʻi Ocean Legislative Task Force, Hawaiʻi Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Kuaʻulu, Mālama Puka, Resources Legacy Fund, and others, many citing visitor polling showing strong support for an environmental stewardship fee and the need for a dedicated funding source and community grants. Opposition or caution focused mainly on implementation and the tax structure. The Department of Taxation said the surcharge would create administrative difficulties because it would be hard to verify the value of points, miles, and similar bookings, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi said it supported the policy goal but not the funding source, warning that tourists have limited budgets and may choose other destinations. Some members also raised concerns about the $20 rate and administrative complexity, while others said the concept was creative but needed refinement. After discussion, the chair recommended passing HB 504 as HD1 with amendments, including noting DoTax’s concerns and changing the effective date for the surcharge to January 1, 2027. Both committees adopted the recommendation and passed the bill with amendments; one member in Water and Land voted with reservations, and several members were excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• be obligated to in case for some reason be obligated to in case for some reason they're<00:30:24.680>
• I'm not going to go over the backside of the handout I just gave out, but just in case anybody wants
• be 10, depending on the behavior of school districts, depending on whether or not the Secretary of Education
• ,<01:44:30.000> um So that being the case, um So that being the case, um at<01:44:30.920><
• It could be 10, depending five.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's both pathways depending on the program that they're in. So, that varies.
• I don't think that's the case. That the majority, there's only four of us, of states.
• I just want everyone to kind of know the worst-case scenario, but I'm thrilled thrilled beyond belief
• The third-party products are offered to them at a huge discount, and it depends on the vendor and the
• There's actually an opportunity case study in the back, and that's what that's documenting.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Immigrants are workers they depend on.
• That is a slap in the face of so many people that depend on it.
• You of so many people that depend on it.
• :01.839> on<01:08:02.079> the subservience and dependency on the subservience and dependency
• And I yield back. cases, that resulted in emission levels cases, that resulted in emission levels dropping

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 1012, house, all