Transcript Highlights:

• pregnancy rates have steadily declined thanks to in large part to increased access to birth control and emergency
• we've seen 26. six rural hospitals closed since 2011, resulting in a complete lack. complete lack of emergency
• obstetrics and gynecology are not coming to the state. and low-income Texans who are forced into emergency
• rooms care, because they cannot find it elsewhere, face up to twenty-five $2,500 for each emergency

Keywords: Texas, healthcare, reproductive health, Care No Matter What Act, Planned Parenthood, maternal mortality, teen pregnancy, funding cuts, community health

Summary: The meeting addressed critical health care concerns in Texas, highlighting the consequences of funding cuts on access to reproductive health services. Key speakers emphasized the urgent need for the Care No Matter What Act, which aims to restore funding to healthcare providers like Planned Parenthood. They underscored the alarming statistics of maternal mortality and the rising rates of teen pregnancies, particularly in Black and Latina communities. Testimonies shared during the meeting illustrated the real-life impacts of healthcare access issues on individuals and families across the state, illustrating the necessity for legislative action to ensure comprehensive reproductive health services.

Transcript Highlights:

• pregnancy rates have steadily declined thanks in large part to increased access to birth control and emergency
• Resulting in a complete lack, complete lack of emergency and inpatient services for affected communities
• And low income Texans who are forced into emergency room care.
• Because they cannot find it elsewhere, face up to $2500 for each emergency room visit.

Transcript Highlights:

• Isn't it true that the Constitution allows the House to consider all emergency matters as may be submitted
• Is it not true that on Sunday, Governor Rabbitt did designate these emergency items? Mr.
• Is it not true that among the emergency items designated by Governor Abbott?
• Um, property tax relief was listed as one of these emergency items, including, and I quote, to eliminate

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, isn't it true that the Constitution allows the House to consider all, quote, emergency matters
• Is it not true that on Sunday, Governor Abbott did designate these emergency items?
• Is it not true that among the emergency items designated by Governor Abbott.
• Property tax relief was listed as one of those emergency.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A fire emergency has been reported to the building.
• <00:11:13.120> A<00:11:13.360> fire<00:11:13.839> emergency<00:11:14.480>
• A fire emergency has attention, please?
• A fire emergency has been<00:11:14.959> reported<00:11:15.360> to<00:11:15.600> the<
• A fire emergency has been reported to the building. Evacuate the building immediately.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on November 12, 2025, approved the October 22 minutes, and heard an update from Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Steven Stack and Public Health Commissioner John Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for the federal rural health transformation grant. The presenters described the grant as a $50 billion, five-year program with annual CMS scoring and rescorings, no state appeal rights, and a December 31 deadline for CMS to announce awards. They said Kentucky submitted its application on November 3 and had gathered stakeholder comments earlier in the process. The testimony emphasized that the grant is intended to support new models of rural care rather than replace existing funding or pay for clinical services or lost hospital revenue. Officials said the state had to address at least three of five federal strategic goals, including prevention and chronic disease, sustainable access, workforce development, and care/technology innovation. They also reviewed restrictions such as no new building construction, no payment for monthly broadband costs, and a cap of 5% for electronic medical record-related spending. The presenters said CMS has been clear that funding should focus on innovation in care delivery, rural access, and related policy goals, and that the state’s award could vary year to year based on performance milestones. The meeting was interrupted by a building fire alarm and evacuation announcement before the presentation was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• And emergency meetings...
• Emergency meetings are where notice is not required to deal with an emergency involving injury or damage
• And honestly, I'm hoping that's something your commission never has to deal with in an emergency meeting
• And if you're inclined to call an emergency meeting, I do ask that you try to notify me as quickly as

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 7, 2025, with quorum present. The commission approved the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes and then received its annual open government refresher from the Attorney General’s office, which reviewed key requirements under the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including record retention, response deadlines, exemptions, and meeting notice rules. Staff then provided a 2025 legislative session update, noting that the legislature passed 23 tax-preference-related bills, with several signed by the governor and others pending. Highlights included bills that extended or repealed certain preferences, added reporting requirements for newspaper and digital content exemptions, authorized JLARC to adjust its work plan when data is unavailable, and created a new exemption for zero-emission buses. The commission approved updates to the 2026 tax preference review schedule, which includes eight preferences in seven reviews, and approved unchanged testimony questions for 2025. The commission also received the 2025 expedited preference review report covering 52 tax preferences, presented as an interactive table drawing on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies. Staff then outlined the process for developing the next 10-year review schedule for 2027-2036, including surveying the legislature, incorporating new and repealed preferences, and considering a possible rolling 10-year schedule. No public comment was registered. The meeting ended with acknowledgments of Ron Buing’s long service on the commission and an announcement that the next meeting would be held August 6, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• wanted to say that this is the second measure that we've seen come to the floor that talks about an emergency
• They've been wanting a second point of access so that in the event of an emergency, a wildfire, they
• <00:26:47.279> an access so that in the event of an access so that in the event of an emergency
• wildfire,<00:26:48.880> they<00:26:49.120> don't<00:26:49.200> want emergency
• , a wildfire, they don't want emergency, a wildfire, they don't want to<00:26:49.440> be<00:26

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House met with 47 members present and 4 excused, approved deferral of the journal reading, and received no messages from the governor. In Senate communications, the chamber received a Senate concurrent resolution and several House bills returned from the Senate with amendments; Representative Todd moved to disagree with the Senate amendments, and that motion carried by voice vote. The main business was adoption of large groups of standing committee reports. The House adopted reports 1662 through 1696, then 1697 through 1714, and later report 1715, with several members noting “no vote” or “with reservations” on specific measures. One extended floor exchange centered on a measure concerning emergency access in West Oahu, where Representative Souza argued for a second access point for Makakilo residents and referenced wildfire evacuation concerns; other members raised points of order under Rule 287, and the Speaker ruled on the debate. The House also suspended the rules to consider certain Senate bills on third reading by consent calendar. On third reading, the House passed Senate bills listed on page 18, including SB 100 and SB 112, with recorded no votes from several members and support with reservations from Representative Iwamoto, who said SB 100 was a home rule issue better handled at the county level. The chamber then heard announcements, including Representative Takayama’s request for donations of new or gently used women’s business attire for the YWCA Dress for Success program. The House adjourned until 12:00 noon Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, god forbid there's an emergency?
• <01:41:51.440> lane you familiar with the emergency lane you familiar with the emergency lane
• designate a road as a emergency lane. designate a road as a emergency lane.
• that in many towns there are emergency that in many towns there are emergency lanes<01:42:29.920
• emergency vehicle can get to a house. emergency vehicle can get to a house.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just section 13 on the emergency, I didn't see a funding. Any kind of funding there?
• Uh, and Representative Vincent, so uh, the emergency clause would allow for the funding for this legislative
• Chair, do we know how many emergency clauses we'll have?
• Emergency in general life in order for this to.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Just section 13 on the emergency, I didn't see a funding Any kind of funding there?
• Uh, and Representative Vincent, so uh, the emergency clause would allow for the funding for this legislative
• Chair, do we know how many emergency clauses we'll have? How did he how do you know to budget that?
• vote in both chambers to go into effect immediately, so it doesn't mean that there needs to be an Emergency

Bills: HB1

Transcript Highlights:

• impact fees for purchase of emergency impact fees for purchase of emergency vehicles?
• While cities and towns can often garner the emergency response and seek aid in an emergency successfully
• towns can often garner the emergency towns can often garner the emergency response<01:34:34.880>
• response and seek aid in an emergency response and seek aid in an emergency successfully, successfully
• available following an emergency available following an emergency response. response. response.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• point, we account for about 13.3% of all the acute care discharges in the state and also 19% of the emergency
• room and also to be more ADA emergency room and also to be more ADA Compliant<00:08:23.479> as
• room, just for the emergency room.
• emergency room just for the emergency emergency room just for the emergency room<00:47:34.720>
• <01:13:33.239> Medical overtime again Emergency Medical overtime again Emergency Medical Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Health and Human Services committees heard Hawaii Health Systems Corporation’s biennium budget request, with testimony from HHSC leadership on the Hilo/Big Island region (HTH 212) and the Oahu region (HTH 215), plus discussion of capital improvement projects and systemwide partnerships. HHSC described its role as the rural healthcare safety net, serving a high share of Medicare, Medicaid/Quest, and uninsured patients, and said its costs are elevated by state employee fringe benefits, which it said are about 64% compared with roughly 30% in the private sector. HHSC also said pandemic-era federal aid, including relief funds and PPP loans totaling about $100 million, reduced the need for general fund support in prior years. For HTH 212, HHSC said its general fund request for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 was higher than the governor’s recommendation because of rising insurance, pharmaceutical, and contractor labor costs, and because it includes $13.2 million in FY 2026 and $2.3 million in FY 2027 for Epic electronic medical record implementation in East Hawaii. For HTH 215, HHSC said the requested general funds were aligned with the governor’s recommendation, in part because of increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for long-term care facilities under prior legislation. HHSC also said it was restoring a special fund ceiling so the region could spend its cash collections on operations. Members asked about the 64% fringe rate, and HHSC explained the difference was mainly due to defined-benefit pension and retiree health insurance costs, which private hospitals generally do not bear at the same level. Members also asked about the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home, and HHSC said operations would be funded through the general fund corporation for the home when it opens, with management by Ohana Pacific, but no additional legislative operating funds were being requested at that time. Other questions focused on staffing and vacancies, including an abolished procurement position and an ongoing IT help desk recruitment need. HHSC highlighted several capital and partnership projects, including a $25 million state CIP request matched by $25 million from the Benioff family for the Benioff Health Center, an ER expansion and reconfiguration at Corner Community Hospital, and $7.5 million in each fiscal year for Kauai EMR capital funds to join the Epic platform. Testimony also described collaborations with Queen’s, the University of California San Francisco, Hawaii Pacific Health, the Hawaii Cancer Consortium, the Department of Health, and the state hospital to improve specialty access, clinical trials, behavioral health, and patient placement across the system.

Transcript Highlights:

• exist if unintended consequences emerge? exist if unintended consequences emerge?
• <01:52:21.280> room is in an emergency room is in an emergency room uh<01:52:23.160> in
• All of them are high emergency rooms.
• <01:55:55.080> rooms, show up in any of their emergency rooms, show up in any of their emergency
• know what happens in the emergency room? know what happens in the emergency room?

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:15:59.040> happened, and an emergency happened, and an emergency happened, they<01:16:
• We need to keep seclusion for now to continue to manage high-emergent, high-intensity emergencies safely
• We need to keep seclusion for now to continue to manage high-emergent, high-intensity emergencies safely
• We need to keep seclusion for now to continue to manage high-emergent, high-intensity emergencies safely
• We need to keep seclusion for now to continue to manage high-emergent, high-intensity emergencies safely

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > medical Senate bill 159, emergency medical Senate bill 159, emergency medical services<00:03
• , criminal law, emergency response, criminal law, emergency response, animal,<01:58:47.560> prohibited
• Senate Bill 508 is on third reading and final passage and is an emergency bill.
• bill. final passage and is an emergency bill.
• . emergency. emergency.

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, April 10, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House met with 122 members present, heard the journal read, and proceeded through a long series of Senate messages, concurrence motions, and third-reading votes on a wide range of bills. Early business included conference committee appointments on Senate Bill 159 (Emergency Medical Services Vehicles and Ambulances, Required Supplies), Senate Bill 514 (Third Degree Assault), and Senate Bill 866 (Chain Restaurants, disclosure of sodium and added sugars), along with several other bills where the House declined to recede from its amendments and named conferees. The chamber also adopted concurrence on House Bill 1181 (children in out-of-home placement) and House Bill 1219 (climate change/homeowners insurance study), and adopted a favorable committee report on House Bill 1602 (no-cost cancer screening for volunteer firefighters), which was amended to add sponsors, make technical changes, and include retired volunteer firefighters before being ordered printed for third reading. The House then took up a Rules Committee consent calendar and moved a batch of bills to the appropriate committees. On third reading, it passed House Bill 1028 (Caroline County Board of Education compensation increase) and House Bill 1599 (Choptank River Enhancement Program and Maryland Seafood Industry Financial Assistance Fund) by constitutional majorities. It also rejected Senate amendments on House Bill 107 (Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program), House Bill 153 (residential rental apartments air conditioning requirement), House Bill 1063 (hunting management), and House Bill 1067 (lead and lead-based ammunition phase out), appointing conference committees in each case. House Bill 717 (Baltimore City raffles for organizations affiliated with professional baseball and football teams) and House Bill 892 (cemeteries, actions for sale/transfer/alternate use) also had Senate amendments rejected. The chamber then passed a series of Senate bills on third reading, including Senate Bill 309 (precious metal bullion or coins sales tax exemption), 523 (vernal pools identification), 742 (Maryland Protecting People with Disabilities Act), 141 (election misinformation/disinformation and deep fakes), 298 (Maryland Capital Police statewide jurisdiction), 515 (Health Services Cost Review Commission rate setting), 638 (Maryland Heritage Areas funding and grants), 28 (state employee arbitration reform), 72 (Baltimore County off-premises alcohol sales), 361 (Baltimore City alcoholic beverages license extension), 414 (Anne Arundel County nonprofit swim club license), 601 (cybersecurity standards), 305 (incarcerated individual training and reentry grant fund extension), 331 (retired law enforcement handgun permit renewal), 516 (protective body armor requirements and reporting), 651 (transfer-on-death deed establishment), 865 (private passenger automobile insurance work group), 933 (temporary appointment to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities), 261 (money transmission act definition changes), and 823 (Parole Commission selection committee changes). Most passed with little or no debate; Senate Bill 523 drew opposition from a delegate who warned that identifying vernal pools could lead to future regulation and land-use restrictions, while Senate Bill 823 prompted questions about victims’ rights and whether state’s attorneys remained opposed, with the floor leader saying the bill added a victims’ rights advocate to the selection committee and that opposition had been limited to written testimony. Several members later changed votes on Senate Bill 638 and Senate Bill 865 before the House moved on.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of those some the emergency room.
• We are the first and only rural emergency hospital in the state of Minnesota.
• <01:26:19.440> hospital rural emergency hospital rural emergency hospital and<01:26:22.000
• We gave up our emergency hospital.
• Um, and we are a 24-bed emergency hospital.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Select Subcommittee first took up adoption of three previously prepared nonpartisan committee summary reports dated October 15, November 13, and November 21. Senator Rasmusson objected to the lack of advance notice about the day’s testifiers and criticized the practice of having nonpartisan staff summarize what he described as a partisan agenda. The chair responded that the committee’s purpose is to gather information, not hear bills, and that the summaries were intended as neutral resources for the Senate. Senator Coopek moved adoption, the motion was opposed by Rasmusson and another member, and the motion passed. The committee then turned to the day’s hearing on federal impacts on Minnesota, with the chair focusing on federal funding threats and the effect of congressional budget actions on health care, especially in greater Minnesota. The first presentation came from the Minnesota Department of Health on the state’s rural health transformation work. Assistant Commissioner Carol Broom introduced the team and described the rural hospital transformation program as a major opportunity to invest in rural health, while acknowledging longstanding challenges such as demographics, transportation barriers, and the financing of care. Nitha Moibi outlined the state’s rural health chart book and data showing an aging population, workforce shortages, and many health professional shortage areas, and described proposed strategies including workforce pipelines, bridge payments for low-volume birth hospitals, telehealth access points, mental health urgent care, and chronic disease prevention. Acting Assistant Commissioner Anna Ashby of the Minnesota Management and Budget office explained the state’s application to CMS for the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created in federal law and awarded Minnesota just over $193 million for federal fiscal year 2026. She said the application was shaped by public comments, stakeholder meetings, and legislative outreach, and included initiatives on preventive care, workforce, care access, behavioral health, and provider financial stability. She also reviewed implementation constraints, including a January 30 revised budget deadline, limits on administrative spending, restrictions on using funds to offset Medicaid losses, and the need to show measurable progress to remain eligible for future funding. The presentation noted that most year-one funding would go to rural hospitals, with additional support for federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, tribal partners, and technical assistance.

Transcript Highlights:

• for post-secary emergency assistance for post-secary students<00:08:04.560> grants.
• But, as with emergency assistance for postsecondary students grants, there's just been an adjustment
• Um, but as with emergency assistance for post-secary<00:08:58.399> students<00:08:58.800>
• On line 155 is a proposal to provide funding for cardiac emergency response plan assistance.
• On line 155 is a proposal to provide funding for cardiac emergency response plan assistance.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You might note we've got the tail on some of the COVID-19 emergency assistance dollars that we got from
• distributed the uh covid-19 emergency distributed the uh covid-19 emergency rental<00:52:12.440>
• States that did not spend all of their emergency rental assistance.
• Thank you. federal emergency rental assistance but federal emergency rental assistance but they<00:53
• I think it's fair to say we've had hundreds of millions of dollars of emergency assistance available

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an agency overview from Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho. After member and staff introductions, Ho described Minnesota Housing’s mission, structure, and role as a mission-driven financial institution that issues bonds, uses earnings to support operations, and works across the housing continuum from homelessness prevention to homeownership and preservation. She emphasized that the agency is not a builder or regulator, but funds and partners with developers, local governments, nonprofits, and lenders. She also noted the agency’s four divisions, including a new local government housing programs division created after the 2023 legislative session expanded the agency’s responsibilities. Ho reviewed funding and program activity, saying Minnesota Housing spent $1.96 billion in fiscal year 2024 and helped more than 73,000 households. She highlighted that the agency’s work is heavily competitive and often oversubscribed, with many projects selected through RFPs and grants but more applications than available resources. She discussed 2023 and 2024 investments, including homeownership, rental, and manufactured housing projects, and said roughly half of competitive dollars have gone to Greater Minnesota over the last several years. She also explained the difference between funds committed and funds actually disbursed, noting that construction and rehabilitation projects can take many months to close and draw down funds. The commissioner also updated members on new programs created in 2023 and 2024, including first-generation down payment assistance, the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing Development Program, public housing rehabilitation, state housing tax credits, and other local and regional initiatives. She said some programs are already closed out, while others remain in early implementation or are still accepting applications. Ho mentioned a forthcoming technical amendment to adjust a high-rise sprinkler program after eligibility issues limited participation. She closed with examples of projects preserved or funded, including a St. Louis Park preservation deal, public housing preservation in Greater Minnesota, a St. Cloud challenge project, and the first-generation down payment assistance program, which distributed $50 million to about 1,450 first-time buyers, most of whom were Black, Indigenous, or people of color. No votes or formal committee actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• As things stand now, we were doing okay up until about when the COVID peacetime emergency hit.
• <00:48:31.440> Health each other informed of emerging Health each other informed of emerging
• number of ongoing and emergent number of ongoing and emergent infectious<00:50:58.319> disease
• We like to avoid that, and certainly there are emerging issues as well in the well space.
• during the public health emergency during the public health emergency during<01:42:12.360> the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• She sends her regrets that she's not able to attend due to a family emergency. >> Thank you, Chair.
• Medical emergencies.
• Medical<00:49:21.360> emergencies.
• Families call us Medical emergencies.
• <00:49:47.520> room social workers in our emergency room social workers in our emergency room

Bills: HF3877, HF3714, HF3750, HF3024

Keywords: public authorities, dissolution cases, court system, child protection, legal notice, foster care, child welfare, enrollment priority, education programs, child care assistance, foster youth, extended foster care, bill of rights, out-of-home placement, Minnesota Statutes chapter 260C, social services agency, caseworker, permanency team, sibling visitation, relative contact