Video & Transcript Research : 'Pell grant program'
Page 192 of 500
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- Taxpayer dollars grants received by the program may be used in the following ways.
- So, the grants are to the health care programs. They're not to the individual parents.
- grants are to the health care programs. grants are to the health care programs.
- Um, looking at House Bill 2, it appears that it requires HHS to set up a grant program.
- Is this the M to set up a grant program.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee 4/14/26
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Program.
- And this grant program would be available to K-12 schools of all types: public, private, charter, and
- And this supplements and dovetails well with the Homeland Security Emergency Management grant program
- grants or how does that get distributed? grants or how does that get distributed?
- . grants. grants.
Keywords:
public safety officer, survivor benefits, line of duty death, occupational cancer, firefighter, police officer, paramedic, EMT, correctional officer, first responder, workers' compensation, death benefits, occupational exposure, carcinogen, cancer presumption, mesothelioma, leukemia, lung cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention - 02/27/25
Housing and Homelessness Prevention
Transcript Highlights:
- The program provides grants and loans for acquisition and improvement of manufactured home parks, including
- She said the Manufactured Home Park Redevelopment Program provides grants and loans for the acquisition
- Co-ops, nonprofits, and privately owned parks are eligible to receive those grants, and the program has
- The program has been a great success, but demand for grants continues to exceed available funding.
- Did you know the grant opens up funding? I also do homeowner education programs.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Funding (03/31/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- that is affecting this grant.
- We have the grant.
- We have the grant.
- We have the grant.
- community college and our CTE programs. community college and our CTE programs.
Summary:
The subcommittee met to begin work on HB 742, which would require catastrophic special education aid to be drawn from the education trust fund, and more broadly to study special education aid/differentiated aid and related costing issues. The chair said the group was starting early because the issue has been debated for years without resolution, local districts are being forced to absorb prorated costs, and the committee wants to send the Department of Education and HHS Medicaid a clear request for data and recommendations before retained bills return in the fall. A committee clerk was also selected, with Representative Reverend volunteering to take notes for the meeting.
Members reviewed background materials on special education enrollment, high-cost students, and possible funding formulas, including data on students in high-cost brackets and prior ideas such as category-based funding and caseload-based approaches. The chair also referenced research on other states, including Arkansas, which uses a different special education funding structure and audits IEPs. The committee emphasized that it was focused on the funding mechanics and costs, not on questioning whether services should be provided.
Henry Lipman of HHS explained how Medicaid-to-schools currently works in New Hampshire. He said 172 school districts participate, but utilization dropped during the pandemic and remains below historical levels, in part because districts need the capacity to bill Medicaid. Under the current system, schools receive reimbursement based on half of the Medicaid fee schedule, with the school district effectively providing the state share. He said the federal government is requiring a shift by July 1, 2026, to a true certified public expenditure model based on actual costs, which should allow schools to recover 50% of their true costs and some administrative overhead. The department has received a roughly $2.5 million grant to hire a vendor and support districts through the transition, and an RFP and stakeholder meetings are underway.
Committee members asked about how costs would be determined, whether the new system would use actual district-specific costs rather than averages, and how the department would support districts that do not currently participate. Lipman said the cost model would be based on each district’s own reasonable costs, subject to audit standards, and that the department expects to provide templates and technical assistance through the vendor because its staff is limited. He also said about one in four New Hampshire children are enrolled in Medicaid, that child enrollment has been relatively stable, and that continuous coverage rules should reduce churn. No votes or formal actions on HB 742 were taken during the meeting beyond organizing the subcommittee and beginning testimony and discussion.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 22nd, 2026 at 02:01 pm
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- Really important programs.
- So thank you for that program.
- There are two programs here: the elections program and then the administration and operations program
- There are two programs here: the elections program and then the administration and operations program
- Do you get a grant?
Bills:
HB1
Keywords:
feed bill, legislative appropriations, legislative branch, New Mexico Legislature, general fund, legislative council service, legislative finance committee, legislative education study committee, house chief clerk, senate chief clerk, per diem, mileage, session expenses, interim committees, district staff, capitol complex, capital outlay data system, legislative processing system, redistricting, census redistricting
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Legislative Session - Session 2 - 41st Legislative Day Jun 25th, 2026 at 02:00 pm
Delaware House Floor Meeting
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Orana NASA government relations program Orana NASA government relations program specialist<00:13
- We are willing to run the program.
- Alabama has a highly successful program offering grants for homeowners to put in these really simple
- <00:38:23.720>
offering <00:38:24.040>grants <00:38:24.480>for successful program - offering grants for successful program offering grants for homeowners<00:38:25.160>
to <00:38:
Summary:
The House Committee on Housing held a public hearing on a wide range of housing-related bills. HB 295 on Hawaiian homelands drew support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and individual testifiers who described long waits for DHHL housing, while the Department of Hawaiian Homelands offered comments noting that lowering the Native Hawaiian blood quantum from 50% to 25% would require multiple legal and federal review steps. The committee also heard testimony on several Hawaii Public Housing Authority measures, including HB 99, HB 1096, HB 1097, HB 1095, HB 1093, and HB 1094, which generally received agency support and little or no public opposition during the hearing. HB 1094 prompted questions about the handling and sale or donation of seized property, and the agency said it lacked capacity to manage that work directly and would need to consult the Attorney General on liability concerns.
The committee then heard HB 1056 and HB 1467, both related to a proposed Hawaii Homes or housing resiliency program. DCCA, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Climate Advisory Team, and Hawaii Realtors supported HB 1056, while the Attorney General requested clarification on fund language. The Insurance Commissioner said DCCA was willing to run the program and that strengthening homes would help keep insurance available in Hawaii. For HB 1467, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority and Climate Advisory Team also supported the measure, with the Attorney General raising concerns about delegation, the special fund, and extension authority. Testimony on both bills emphasized hurricane retrofits, with some witnesses urging harmonization of the two similar proposals and one witness warning that the bills could conflict with efforts to reduce building-code minimum standards.
Other measures included HB 1013 on important agricultural lands, which received support from HHFDC, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, DBEDT, the Agri-Business Development Corporation, and Purple Maiʻa Foundation, with some agencies offering comments. HB 1294 on agricultural workforce housing drew comments from the Attorney General, who said commissions may be established by law rather than by the department itself, along with support from OHA, a council member, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus. HB 89 on teacher housing received support from OHA and education groups, while the Attorney General said the bill may have constitutional issues and suggested amendments to set standards for voucher applications. HB 276 on condominiums and HB 528 on residential leases also drew support, with no testimony in opposition.
HB 415 on public safety and fire sprinklers generated the most clear split in testimony: the State Fire Council, a fire department representative, and an individual supported the bill, arguing sprinklers improve safety and can prevent major losses, while BIA Hawaii, Pacific Home and Appliance Distribution, NAAP Hawaii, Gentry Holmes, and DR Horton Hawaii opposed it, saying the added cost would worsen housing affordability and that existing codes already address safety. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing; the chair repeatedly closed each bill after testimony and questions, and the hearing moved through the agenda without recorded committee votes.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Health Finance and Policy Committee 4/15/26
Health Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- the grant cycle that the agency does. the grant cycle that the agency does.
- These sections make changes to the Advanced Practice Provider Clinical Training Expansion Grant Program
- and to the Rural and Underserved Clinical Rotations Grant Program.
- They also make changes to the international medical graduates clinical preparation grant program.
- <00:25:14.040>
that <00:25:14.120>was program, which was a program that was program
Keywords:
HF4401, Minnesota Medical Assistance, dental reimbursement, dental rates, critical access dental providers, Medicaid dental, MinnesotaCare, managed care plans, county-based purchasing plans, fee-for-service, oral health access, safety-net clinics, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Indian health services, state-operated dental clinics, low-income patients, children's dental care, provider reimbursement, dental access
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
Committee on Health and Human Services - 02/06/25
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- In addition to the $24 million, there was a legislatively directed grant program of $6 million.
- In addition to the $24 million, there was a legislatively directed grant program of $6 million.
- on the program.
- County in implementing this with Grant County in implementing this program<00:53:31.960>
um <00 - 1st we signed a grant agreement December 1st we signed a grant agreement with<00:53:49.760>
the
Summary:
The Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee met on February 6, 2025, for an update on emergency medical services (EMS) policy and implementation. Senator Seberger described the work of the EMS Task Force, which traveled statewide to hear concerns from providers about staffing, reimbursement, and retention. She said the task force led to the Sprint Medic model and two innovation zones in Otter Tail and St. Louis counties, and she urged continued monitoring and possible reconstitution of the task force to evaluate what is working and what could be expanded statewide. She also said future EMS work should continue to explore alternative response models and telemedicine, but that the most immediate need is additional funding, especially to address unpaid non-transport calls.
Dylan Ferguson, director of the newly formed Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services, gave a detailed update on the office’s structure and priorities after the transition from the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. He described the office’s three divisions, the appointment of deputy directors, the first meetings of the advisory councils, and work on a statewide EMS strategic plan. He also reviewed the $24 million emergency ambulance aid program, explaining its 40-40-20 formula, the emphasis on rural services, the reporting and spending deadlines, and the positive response from ambulance providers. He noted that the $6 million Sprint paramedic grant program is underway, with Otter Tail County moving forward and St. Louis County still finalizing its application.
Ferguson also outlined the office’s budget request for modest staffing and contract-cost increases, two rulemaking efforts to update outdated ambulance vehicle standards and expand medication options for basic life support services, and ongoing data collection on workforce needs, violence against EMS providers, and ambulance crashes. He highlighted the paramedic scholarship program administered by the Office of Higher Education, saying nearly 300 scholarships have been awarded. Members and Senator Seberger praised the EMS reforms and emphasized that non-transport calls create significant unreimbursed costs, especially for rural and volunteer services, but no votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of The American Legion and multi VSOs: Minority Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A, National Association of County Veterans Servic Feb 26th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Senate Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Mathis, let me also thank you for mentioning the Fox Grant program.
- I think the Fox Grant program is a great example of a program that gives resources to local and state
- The two most important VA grant programs with VA are the State Veterans Home Construction Program and
- the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program.
- For Memorial Affairs, the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program provided roughly 43,000 interments in 2024,
Keywords:
veteran services, homelessness, unemployment, VA funding, mental health, congressional oversight, testimonies, American Legion, Dole Act, suicide prevention
Summary:
This meeting focused on veteran services, emphasizing the urgent need to address the alarming rate of unemployment and homelessness among veterans. Numerous testimonies were presented detailing the impact of mass furloughs and cutbacks at the VA on personnel, notably veterans who were serving as employees. Various representatives expressed deep concern over how these firings could drastically affect the quality of care available to those who have served the nation. There was a strong call for Congress to bolster funding for existing programs aimed at alleviating veteran homelessness and improving overall care quality, especially in mental health services.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Veterans and Military Affairs Division 4/9/25
Veterans and Military Affairs Division
Transcript Highlights:
- Those are the two largest programs<00:07:33.199>
for programs for programs for DMA.<00:07:35.280 - and services program, you'll see the first is reducing the homelessness prevention programs.
- and services uh to the services programs and services uh program.<00:08:04.160>
You'll <00:08: - You'll see the first is program.
- <00:08:50.800>
of five items are all one-time grants of five items are all one-time grants
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Public Safety Committee Apr 29th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- , a wildland fire explore program.
- This is a great program that we are doing in the city of Downey.
- AB 746 expands the existing CDCR labor programs by creating the inmate cooperative program to support
- The Legislature created the mental health diversion program in 2018, and it's since expanded this program
- This legislature granted counties and granted counties the assorting to establish oversight commissions
Summary:
The committee heard several public safety measures, beginning with housekeeping items and the adoption of a four-bill consent calendar. Bills on the consent calendar included AB 476 on metal theft, AB 619 on California Conservation Corps training for formerly incarcerated people, AB 1192 on child abuse or neglect reporting, and AB 1239 on human trafficking data. Several bills were pulled by the authors before hearing, and the committee also announced that AB 379 would be heard with a file notice waiver and AB 63 would be for testimony only.
The most extensive discussion was on AB 366, which would require ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of DUI. The author, Senator Archuleta, and a MADD representative gave emotional testimony about family members killed by drunk drivers and argued the bill would save lives. Support came from law enforcement, fire, medical, auto club, and safety groups. Opposition from public defenders and criminal justice advocates focused on loss of judicial discretion, costs for low-income drivers, and concerns about vendor oversight and effectiveness. The committee voted to pass AB 366 as amended to Appropriations.
The committee also heard AB 1380, which would create a permanent pathway into firefighting careers for formerly incarcerated people who served on Cal Fire hand crews. The author and supporters said the bill would recognize service, improve reentry, and reduce recidivism; a fire labor group withdrew its opposition after amendments were discussed. The measure passed to Appropriations, though it remained on call pending one additional vote. AB 461, which would remove criminal penalties for parents of truant K-8 students and replace them with supportive responses, drew broad support from education and justice advocates but no opposition testimony; it was also passed to Appropriations and left on call pending one more vote. ACR 60, recognizing the Downey Police Department’s special-needs communication program for interactions with people with disabilities or sensory challenges, was adopted unanimously.
The committee then heard AB 746 on creating an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve for incarcerated workers. Supporters said it would build job skills, dignity, and reentry success; there was no opposition testimony. The bill passed to Appropriations and was left on call pending votes. Finally, AB 379 on human trafficking drew strong support from survivor advocates, law enforcement, and local officials for creating a survivor services fund and targeting buyers, but also strong opposition from survivors and civil liberties groups who warned it would criminalize vulnerable people and revive harmful loitering enforcement. The committee discussion continued with members weighing survivor support, public safety tools, and concerns about the bill’s amendments and scope.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- It has a broadening of Greater Minnesota infrastructure grant programs, allowing workforce housing to
- It has a broadening of Greater Minnesota infrastructure grant programs, allowing workforce housing to
- <00:02:54.320>
programs, Minnesota infrastructure grant programs, Minnesota infrastructure - grant programs, allowing<00:02:55.760>
workforce <00:02:56.280>housing <00:02:56.760>- Program under uh Infrastructure Grant Program under uh MSA<00:51:39.840>
or <00:51:40.000> - Program under uh Infrastructure Grant Program under uh MSA<00:51:39.840>
Summary:
The Senate Finance Committee took up Senate File 203, a broad housing bill authored by Senator Port. Port described the measure as a package including $50 million in housing infrastructure bonds, MHFA administrative and investment reforms, expanded Greater Minnesota infrastructure grants for workforce housing, manufactured housing bill of rights provisions, and a private equity restriction on large investors buying certain single-family homes starting in 2026. Fiscal analyst Eric Olafson walked through the spreadsheet and said the $50 million bond authorization would add debt service costs over time, with the total estimated debt service for that authorization at about $75.8 million. Senator Draheim raised concern about the growing cost of bonding and said the state should rely more on cash than debt.
The committee then adopted two technical amendments. The A21 amendment, described by Port as correcting manufactured housing bill of rights language, aligning MHFA board meeting language, conforming a lived-experience exemption to federal law, and fixing a capacity-building grants reference, was approved without objection. The A20 amendment, offered by Draheim, was also adopted and would give the legislature more control and visibility over MHFA funding and how quickly program dollars are reinvested after agency operations.
Members then debated Draheim’s A22 amendment, which would delete the manufactured home park provisions from the bill. Draheim and several Republicans argued the section could function like rent control, could burden good park owners, and might have unintended consequences for park operations and purchases. Port, Senator Boldon’s allies, and other supporters said the provisions were needed to protect residents from rent spikes and private equity abuses in manufactured home communities, where residents own their homes but not the land. The transcript ends during that debate, before any final disposition on A22 or the bill itself is shown.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Finance Division I (03/05/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- <03:16:39.640>
program ...management fund just as a grant program. - <03:22:12.439>
program <03:22:12.760>that The solid waste landfill grant program that - It talks about the grant program.
- It talks about the grant program.
- No, on housing champion designation and grant program fund.
Summary:
The committee took up House Bill 2 provisions affecting the New Hampshire Retirement System, focusing on Group 2/Tier B retirement changes in pages 25 through 39 of the bill. NHRS Executive Director Jan Goodwin and deputy chief counsel Mark Kavanaugh explained that the 2025 bill is largely similar to prior versions and to HB 727, with the main difference being that the 2025 version does not include the earlier increase in the maximum benefit. They also said the fiscal note for HB 2 is based on earlier actuarial work and that an updated valuation was expected later in the week.
A major topic was whether the bill accidentally removed an anti-spiking or special-duty compensation limit. NHRS said the omission appears to be a scrivener’s error caused by moving language between Group 1 and Group 2 definitions, and they planned to flag it in the fiscal note. Members also reviewed the bill’s intent to restore Tier B members to pre-2011 benefit rules, including changes to earnable compensation, average final compensation, and the comp-over-base rule. Some members questioned whether restoring those older rules was appropriate, arguing the 2011 changes were meant to curb pension spiking and that undoing them could be problematic.
The committee also discussed the bill’s cost and funding assumptions. NHRS said the 2025 bill would reduce unfunded actuarial liability by about $98.2 million and would have a more favorable effect than the 2023 version, while employer contribution impacts would remain relatively small. Members noted the bill assumes annual appropriations of $27.5 million for 10 years, but House Bill 1 currently provides only $5 million in the first year, and NHRS had not yet analyzed the effect of that shortfall. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on clarifying the bill’s language, intent, and fiscal impact.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Housing Committee Meeting - 2025-03-26
Housing Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- rental assistance program to allow the agency to distribute funds by formula to program administrators
- This grant program allows... for schools to take on building a home with support from the students.
- up to $100,000 from this challenge program.
- program.
- Additionally, section 6.25 allows for loans in addition to grants.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Out there, public safety, and this program would fund grants to state agencies or political subdivisions
- The grant program itself, what are the specific qualifications?
- That's what's so really important about this type of program at the end.
- When you graduate from that program out there, it's instant.
- It just creates a little bit of money, $500 million a year for these grant programs, and somewhere around
Keywords:
Texas STRONG defense fund, severance tax revenue, oil and gas revenue, constitutional transfers, rainy day fund, economic stabilization fund, state highway fund, oil and gas production, qualifying county, county grants, water infrastructure, first responders, public safety, DPS staffing, commercial motor vehicle safety, gang violence prevention, human trafficking prevention, economic development, TxDOT grants, school districts
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- You know, if a CTE program can be $10,000, and that’s a whole lot more than the EFA grant, right?
- You know, if a CTE program can be $10,000, and that’s a whole lot more than the EFA grant, right?
- . program. program.
- It gets the task force together to study cosmetology program up there and then grants authority to the
- up there and then cosmetology program up there and then grants<01:12:04.760>
authority <01:12:
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- May you also grant each one wisdom to know the difference.
- Um, welcome to your, to your house, and I understand that this, these programs are a great program for
- HB 3577 by Little relating to the creation of a grant program to assist local law enforcement agencies
- HB 3622 by Landgraf relating to certain alternative education programs designed for students.
- Program for the Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development.
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Health & Social Services Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026
Health & Social Services
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 385 creates a statewide nurse preceptor grant program to help health care facilities.
- Creates a statewide nurse preceptor grant program to help health care facilities provide the clinical
- So we would look at stipends, funds, and grants going to the preceptors directly.
- But this program is aimed at the organizations and the employees that they employ.
- Anyone that wants to participate in the program?
Keywords:
human remains, indigent, burial, cremation, next of kin, social services, environmental impact, nursing education, preceptorship programs, healthcare workforce, nurse shortage, clinical training, dry needling, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, referral process, neuromusculoskeletal pain, Western medicine
Summary:
The Senate Health and Social Services Committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the prior two meetings, and briefly acknowledged the tragedy at Christiana Care before moving to legislation. The committee heard House Bill 385, which creates a statewide nurse preceptor grant program to expand clinical training placements for nursing students; testimony from nursing organizations, health care associations, and educators emphasized workforce shortages, the need for preceptor stipends and training, and the bill’s potential to help students complete programs and remain in Delaware. Members asked about eligibility and reporting, and several senators asked to be added as co-sponsors. Public comment was uniformly supportive, and the bill was advanced out of committee.
The committee then considered House Bill 424, which repeals Delaware’s Autism Surveillance and Registration Program and requires DHSS to expunge protected health information collected through the registry. The sponsor and DHSS said the registry is no longer used for research or policy development and that repeal would reduce outdated reporting burdens; Autism Delaware, the Delaware Health Care Association, and the State Council for Persons with Disabilities support the change. A committee member raised the question of whether families would be notified before records are expunged, and DHSS said that process was not yet clear and would need further verification. Members discussed the issue, and the bill also moved forward.
House Bill 419 was next, making children in foster care automatically eligible for the Purchase of Care child care subsidy and extending the same treatment to certain kinship and safety-plan placements through House Amendment 1. The Children’s Department and advocacy groups said the bill would provide immediate stability for children and caregivers, reduce delays from applications and income verification, and support working foster and kinship families. The committee also heard House Bill 359, which would allow cremation as an option for unclaimed and indigent remains when there is no family objection or next of kin cannot be found, addressing a shortage of burial plots and lowering costs; funeral industry testimony focused on preserving next-of-kin rights. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 475, creating a Delaware Nursing Advancement Fund financed by a $10 surcharge on nursing licenses and disciplinary fines to support workforce data collection and analysis through a nonprofit partner, and House Bill 165, authorizing physician associates, occupational therapists, and APRNs to perform dry needling under training and practice standards set by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. All of the bills received supportive testimony, several members added their names as co-sponsors, and the committee adjourned after moving through the agenda.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 24 February, 2026; 3:00 PM
Public Health and Welfare
Transcript Highlights:
- It basically says a temporary permit is granted until a license is granted or until a notice to deny
- So my question would be, it says the temporary permit until a license is granted or until a notice to
- until a license is permit is granted until a license is granted<00:09:22.320>
or <00:09:22.560 - Uh there's a program technicians.
- program. Is that correct? program. Is that correct? >> That's<00:28:47.039>
correct.
Summary:
The committee first took House Bill 1637 off the table and adopted a committee substitute amendment narrowing Public Records Act exemptions to records of the child death review panel, maternal mortality review committee, and fetal and infant mortality review panel. Supporters said the exemption was intended to let providers and hospitals speak candidly in closed-door reviews to identify mistakes and prevent future deaths, while critics questioned how the public and legislature would learn the outcomes. The amendment and then the bill as amended were adopted by voice vote.
House Bill 479, which would extend temporary licensing timeframes for the psychology board and the board of licensed marriage and family therapists from 30 to 60 days, was then considered. An amendment was adopted clarifying that the bill does not alter existing education, supervised training, or examination requirements. Senator Hill raised concerns that the bill’s language could allow a temporary license to last 365 days even if licensure requirements were not met, and the committee ultimately tabled the bill subject to call so the language could be clarified.
The committee also heard House Bill 514, the Mississippi Veterinary Practice Act, which updates the vet-client-patient relationship definition, adds a public member and a certified veterinary technician to the board, removes some fees, and adds title protection for certified veterinary technicians. Witnesses said the changes were meant to support the profession and keep more graduates in-state. The bill passed after questions about the certification’s scope. House Bill 612, authorizing intergovernmental agreements and involving Coast Guard training and installation support services, was tabled subject to call after members said they needed more explanation.
Finally, House Bill 1152, the Right to Try the Medical Cannabis Act, was considered. The bill creates a process for patients with chronic, progressive, severely disabling, or terminal illnesses not already covered by the medical cannabis statute to petition the Department of Health for access, with the treating physician initiating the request. An amendment was adopted to clarify that out-of-state patients receiving care in Mississippi are not excluded if they meet the same process and standards. Members then debated unclear language near the end of the bill about which provisions control in case of conflict; the sponsor said the new right-to-try provisions would govern for the covered patients. The discussion continued with examples of conditions that might qualify, such as non-malignant chronic pain syndromes, and the bill remained under consideration as the transcript ended.