Transcript Highlights:

• They're prohibited for one year and codifies the common practice of allowing someone else to sign a contract
• this supersede, let's say there was some company that was especially egregious in their business practices
• or could they take into account something that might be a local condition or a specific company practice
• interest in the wellbeing of their retirees as well, and so if there's a known bad actor or a known bad practice
• auditor and outside entities like Loft, which are really trained to shore up some of our financial practices

Bills: HB3057, HB3279, HB4428, HB3420

Keywords: government reporting, information technology, child welfare, environmental policy, state agency compliance, employment restrictions, state officers, prohibited acts, government contracts, public service, public finance, pension, pension fund, retirement system, board of trustees, proxy voting, proxy proposal, shareholder vote, shareholder activism, fiduciary duty

Transcript Highlights:

• Four, develop guidelines and best practices for virtual delivery of instruction, including any days or
• And um the first four entities of this is basically, you know, screen-based instructional practices all
• entities of this is basically you know screenbased<00:05:45.600> instructional<00:05:46.160> practices
• <00:05:46.880> all screenbased instructional practices all screenbased instructional practices

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• palliative care physician at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, which is a community oncology practice
• You're getting patients that are just coming into your practice, or are they over the internet, or are
• In our practice, I know there are access points for patients who don't have cancer.
• Maybe you can speak more to how you see your patients, but for me, it's just in my practice that I supply
• mean, if you can pop a gummy and get what you need, that's great, but that's not what most of my practice

Transcript Highlights:

• palliative care physician at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, which is a community oncology practice
• Also question for doctors, do you generally see these patients they're just coming into your practice
• they in other regions like for me, um, I see only the patients who are tied to an oncologist in our practice
• maybe you can speak more to, you know, how you see your patients, but yeah, for me it's just in my practice
• What most of my practice within the medical campus consists of. So, um, you know, I think that.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an old reference in the Texas Estates Code, as the practice of issuing certificates has actually
• for appointment as visiting judges from eight years to six years, prevent visiting judges from practicing
• This is a practical self-help solution to petition the court and have fraudulent deeds declared void
• Bettencourt carried it after hearing from industry leaders and constituents about predatory contracting practices
• expensive for handling title, and so we had an excellent solution presented to us by someone who practices

Bills: SB302, SB1335, SB1734, SB1760, SB1975, SB2127

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Summary: The committee heard several probate, family law, judicial, property, and contract-related bills. Senate Bill 1335, relating to decedents’ estates, would remove outdated references to a clerk’s certificate, allow courts to remove personal representatives on their own motion with notice by qualified delivery method, and add independent administrators to provisions that referenced only independent executors; an estate-planning attorney testified in support, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1760, concerning guardianship transfer fees and procedures, was described as setting a $45 filing fee for transferred guardianship cases and clarifying completion and dismissal procedures; it received no testimony and was left pending. Senate Bill 2127 would shorten the eligibility period for retired judges to serve as visiting judges from eight years to six, restrict practice in their assigned region for two years, and require conflict-related certification; it also was left pending without testimony. Senate Bill 302 would shift the cost of a traveling probate judge to the requesting estate or parties rather than the county; one witness registered in favor, no one testified, and the bill was left pending. The committee then considered a committee substitute for Senate Bill 252, which would clarify the parental presumption in conservatorship cases, require non-parents seeking relief against a parent to file an affidavit showing significant impairment to the child if relief is denied, require courts to state specific findings when overcoming the presumption, confirm the clear-and-convincing standard, and clarify that agreed prior orders do not defeat the presumption. The substitute was explained as consensus language from a work group, public testimony was reopened, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1734, on deed fraud, would create a streamlined ex parte process for property owners to have fraudulent deeds declared void, modeled on the fraudulent lien statute; county clerk and title association representatives testified that it would provide a low-cost self-help remedy for a growing problem, and the bill was left pending subject to the chair. Senate Bill 1975 would prevent Texas contractors from being forced to litigate disputes in foreign jurisdictions and require disputes to be handled in the county where the project is located; it was presented as a repeat of a previously vetoed bill and was left pending. Finally, the committee took up a substitute for Senate Bill 1940, concerning transfer-on-death style beneficiary designations for manufactured homes. The substitute would allow one or more beneficiaries instead of only one, transfer the interest to surviving designated beneficiaries who survive by 120 hours, extend the application period for transfer to 365 days, void the designation if not timely filed, and require mailing by certified or registered mail with return receipt requested. The substitute was adopted without objection. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 732 provides a practical and necessary solution by enabling county agricultural commissioners... .
• ..provides a practical and necessary solution by enabling county agricultural commissioners to encourage
• proliferation, AB 732 will help reduce the reliance on pesticides and promote more sustainable farming practices
• While some stakeholder groups have raised concerns, I believe that... ...farming practices.
• While California is heavily invested in helping farmers scale sustainable agricultural practices, which

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Agriculture met with an initial quorum delay, then heard four items: AJR 6 on protecting federal funding for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care program, AB 732 on abandoned agricultural land, AB 1042 on honeybee health, and consent item AB 1506. The chair reviewed hearing procedures and public comment rules before moving through the file in order. AJR 6, authored by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, urged federal officials to preserve funding for local food programs that connect California farmers with school meals and food banks. Supporters, including a farm owner and a school nutrition director, said the program benefits children’s nutrition, helps small farms, and strengthens local economies. There was no opposition, and the committee members who were present voted to adopt the resolution; later absent members were added, bringing it to eight votes and sending it out. AB 732, by Assemblymember Macedo, would give county agricultural commissioners a faster enforcement tool against abandoned or neglected orchards and vineyards by allowing civil penalties instead of relying only on liens. Testimony from growers and a county agricultural commissioner described pest infestations, economic losses, and high abatement costs tied to neglected land, and the bill was presented as a response to SGMA-related fallowing and low commodity prices. The committee voted due pass to the Judiciary Committee, and after absent members were added it also reached eight votes. AB 1042, by Assemblymember Ransom, proposed a Managed Honeybee Health Program with grants, research, technical assistance, and an expanded advisory committee to support pollinators essential to California crops. Witnesses from the fresh fruit and beekeeping sectors emphasized that bee declines threaten crop production and the broader agricultural economy. The committee voted due pass to Appropriations, and the bill ultimately received eight votes. The consent calendar item, AB 1506, was also approved and sent to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• congratulations on the work that you've done, especially in the Bronx courthouse where you've been active in practicing
• It's an act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules in relation to permitting certain testimony and
• An act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules, the Penal Law, the Criminal Procedure Law, the Correction
• An act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules in relation to increasing the value of homesteads, which

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met for its first meeting of the 2026 session and began with congratulatory remarks to the chair and other members. The committee then took up a short agenda of bills, with members repeatedly noting support for the chair’s leadership and for the committee’s work on language access, housing, family court access, and other judiciary issues. The first bill, Print 338 by Senator Bailey, would require certain New York City Civil Court documents to be provided in parties’ native languages; it was moved, seconded, and reported to the floor, with some members speaking in favor of language access. The committee also advanced Print 874, designating Harriet Tubman Day, and Print 2497 by Senator Gounardes, allowing certain testimony and evidence by agents in discrimination proceedings. Print 2597 by Senator Mayer, establishing standards for public access to family court, was also reported to the floor. Additional measures approved included Print 3394A on anti-stalking orders, with support noted for updating protections in the digital age; Print 5066 on housing courts; Print 5278 on new fee rates for large estates, which was described as bipartisan; Print 5285 on who may become a voluntary administrator; Print 5286 on prohibiting self-storage lien enforcement during state disaster or health emergencies; and Print 5968 on increasing the homestead exemption from civil judgments. Most bills were approved unanimously or without recorded opposition, and several were reported to the floor while others were referred onward as noted in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I plan to practice as a general surgeon in a small rural community.
• I plan to practice as a general surgeon in a small rural community.
• , sustainable, and practice feel possible, sustainable, and meaningful.<00:10:06.560> Getting<
• physicians or advanced practice physicians or advanced practice providers,<00:13:09.720> we
• , but when things go wrong, practices, but when things go wrong, access<00:40:36.200> to<00:40

Bills: HF4841, HF4234, HF3697

Keywords: Hennepin County, sales tax, health care facilities, ballpark improvements, tax revenue, HF4234, Minnesota private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, bond cap, aggregate bond limitation, residential rental projects, multifamily housing, affordable housing finance, housing bonds, public finance, bond allocation, private activity bond cap, Minnesota Statutes 474A.02, tax committee, tax refund

Transcript Highlights:

• What I can say is that it is standard practice for zoos that are accredited by the American Zoological
• <00:17:17.160> for<00:17:17.319> zoos there it is standard practice for zoos there
• it is standard practice for zoos that<00:17:17.839> are<00:17:18.039> accredited<00:17:
• So the funding they receive from us helps them with their own personal creative practice separate from
• <00:48:50.040> separate own personal creative practice separate own personal creative practice

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My practice is to do the same for the register. So the register goes up.
• tell employers what to put in practice tell employers what to put in ads?
• > and<03:32:56.560> legal This raises serious practical and legal This raises serious practical
• Um and for private practice.
• administrative burden to the practice. administrative burden to the practice.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:14:34.480> we<00:14:34.600> think<00:14:34.800> that settlement practices
• <01:14:31.360> by those long-standing practices by those long-standing practices by allowing
• Thank you, and I'll regulatory practice.
• result result of these practices. result result of these practices.
• > the<01:53:44.440> PUC, again, current practice at the PUC, again, current practice at

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on best practices across the state<00:16:01.920> this<00:16:02.000> is<00:16:02.160>
• If there's questions, we have the opportunity to clear that up or maybe provide some best practice.
• uh we are provide some best practice uh we are looking<00:34:50.839> at<00:34:51.000> this
• <00:59:28.559> active graic organizers guided practice active graic organizers guided practice
• It is a common and popular practice.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But as a practical reality, if DHCS stops it, they can stop it.
• And as a pharmacist practicing on the bench, we're legally not allowed to substitute once a physician
• But that said, I know in this particular practice, actually, if you're blessed enough to have a friend
• SB 1271 provides a practical, data-driven... ...solution.
• It does not change scope of practice or clinical standards.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not introducing any new practice. It's not lowering any professional standards.
• It's not introducing any new practice.
• ><00:35:00.720> gender-affirming an OB/GYN who practices gender-affirming an OB/GYN who practices
• And also ACIP, which is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
• Immunization Practices. Immunization Practices.

Bills: HB1573, HB1645, HB1875, HB1898, HB2121

Keywords: electronic smoking devices, e-liquids, certification, FDA, state law, penalties, compliance, directory, public health, nonprofit, child welfare, liability, insurance, legal protections, Hawaii, health care, reproductive rights, gender-affirming care, privacy, civil liability

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1573, which would create state enforcement authority over unauthorized e-cigarette products and related tobacco enforcement. Supporters including SHPDA, the Department of Health, the Attorney General’s office, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others said the bill would help protect youth from unauthorized vaping products, give the state tools to enforce an FDA-authorized product list, and add penalties and inspection authority. A committee member asked whether enforcement staff were available and what penalties would apply; the response was that existing tobacco investigators would take on the work, and the bill includes civil penalties, seizure authority, and possible license revocation referrals. The measure drew both support and opposition testimony, but no vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 1645, relating to liability for child welfare service providers. The Insurance Division said it was aware of the insurance-cost problem, had raised the issue with the NAIC, and was exploring a captive insurance option, while suggesting the legislature consider additional appropriations to DHS to cover higher contract costs. Supporters, including Parents and Children Together and Hawaii Insurance Council, argued the bill would help child welfare providers obtain insurance and continue critical services. Opponents, including the Hawaii Association for Justice, warned that removing joint and several liability could leave victims undercompensated and might not actually lower premiums. The insurance commissioner said other states have done tort reform in this area, but the committee was told it is not clear the bill would reduce insurance costs. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on HB 1875, which would protect access to gender-affirming care in Hawaii and shield patients and providers from out-of-state legal actions. Support came from the Hawaii State Youth Commission, LGBTQ+ and public health groups, medical professionals, ACLU Hawaii, Planned Parenthood, and others, who said gender-affirming care is evidence-based, medically necessary, and important for patient privacy, provider stability, and continuity of care. Several witnesses asked for amendments to the bill’s definition language. Opposition testimony came from individuals and groups including Hawaii Christian Coalition, Leeward Republican Women’s Club, and others, who argued the bill could expose children to irreversible decisions and that more research is needed. The chair noted roughly 176 supporters and about 40 opponents testified. No final action or vote was reported in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• But again, what we believe is a practical, conservative, and very effective way to move this funding
• But again, what we believe is a practical, conservative, and very effective way to move this funding
• But again, what we believe is a practical, conservative, and very effective way to move this funding
• And I think this idea offers us a practical and conservative way to do that.
• <00:57:56.400> and offers us a a a practical and offers us a a a practical and conservative

Bills: HB0111, HB0112, HB0122

Keywords: capital construction, state funding, Wyoming, major maintenance, community colleges, task force, legislative services, budget appropriation, unexpended funds, sunset clause, healthcare, rural health, transformation program, funding, incentives, training, access, perpetuity fund, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• act the current medical medical practice act the current medical practice<00:43:14.800> act practice
• act practice act the<00:43:16.960> ones<00:43:17.760> in<00:43:18.000> fact<00:
• I think the nursing board and the medical board both ought to have somebody that's practiced medicine
• medicine as as one of the practiced medicine as as one of the investigators.<00:53:57.119> That's
• that falls under the listed practices that falls under the rural<01:03:36.400> physician<01:03

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 1:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy and the Mississippi State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, followed by the physical therapy board. The Pharmacy Board said it licenses pharmacists, technicians, students, and many facilities and supply-chain entities, including wholesalers, manufacturers, 3PLs, PBMs, and nonresident compounders. Its main requests were a 3% salary increase for specialized staff, about $118,000 for contract help to evaluate pharmacists with substance abuse or mental health issues under a recently passed public health bill, and additional IT spending authority for system upgrades and cloud migration. Members discussed the board’s role in protecting the public, vetting out-of-state facilities, and the need to keep sensitive data secure; no vote was taken. The Chiropractic Examiners board described itself as a small, contract-staffed agency with about 700 active licenses and a database system that is no longer supported by Microsoft. It said it had requested about $173,000, but the legislative budget recommendation was $134,000, and it needs roughly $40,000 more to upgrade or rebuild the system, including security fixes and online renewal capability. Members focused on the cybersecurity risk of using unsupported software and the need to protect personal information; the board also noted that its licensing data does not include banking information because payments are handled through the state portal. The Physical Therapy Board said it regulates physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, with 4,242 licenses and 252 complaints in the last fiscal year, and that demand for the profession continues to grow. Its requests included $6,000 in salary progression for long-serving staff, about $360 more in PDM salary authority, and roughly $38,610 for a one-time upgrade to its LMS licensing system, plus related cloud-migration costs. Senators noted the board’s strong reputation, discussed the burden of annual or biennial renewals, and supported the technology upgrade because the current system is no longer supported and could create liability risks if not addressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will be implementing new evidence-based practices, but also on the reimbursement side.
• When you're on the inpatient unit, you're not practicing any of that.
• But I would like to really raise up that we need innovative practices.
• Young people are asking for innovative practices. In one line, youth want mental health access.
• We were able to practice it on each other, know how to do it properly, and we do that with CPR.

Summary: The hearing focused on youth mental health and treatment access in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that youth distress, self-harm-related emergency visits, and difficulty obtaining care remain elevated, while workforce shortages and reliance on one-time funding continue to limit access. Assemblymember Lori Davies echoed concerns about unstable funding and said lawmakers need to hear directly from providers and families as they prepare for the budget and legislation. The chair framed the hearing as a chance to hear from county, school, provider, and student perspectives, especially in San Diego County, where needs are high and investments have not always matched demand. County and school officials described the current system and recent state initiatives, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, school-linked fee schedules, payment reform, and the Behavioral Health Services Act transition. San Diego County Behavioral Health said it serves Medi-Cal youth with specialty mental health needs through a broad continuum of care, including outpatient clinics, school-based services, crisis response, residential treatment, and new crisis and residential facilities. San Diego County Office of Education and San Marcos Unified School District described efforts to expand school-based services and reimbursement through CYBHI, but said implementation is slowed by complex billing rules, insurance-data collection concerns from families, administrative burden, and uncertainty about sustaining staff positions funded by grants or soft money. School counselor testimony highlighted reduced stigma through campus outreach and clubs, but also noted that counselor-to-student ratios remain well above national standards and that budget cuts threaten supports. Provider testimony stressed that the system remains fragmented and that youth often move between emergency rooms, inpatient care, outpatient therapy, schools, and county programs without smooth handoffs. A child psychiatrist described crisis cases in which the main choices are brief hospitalization or discharge with limited follow-up, and argued for stronger warm handoffs, more outpatient and intensive outpatient options, better school-clinic coordination, and broader use of mobile crisis and 988. Rady Children’s Hospital and Aurora Behavioral Health described large increases in behavioral health demand, expansion of integrated care, and major barriers tied to low reimbursement rates, delayed payments, and administrative complexity. Across the panel, witnesses called for more stable funding, clearer reimbursement rules, better parent education on warning signs, and stronger collaboration among schools, counties, hospitals, and community providers to reduce stigma and improve timely care for youth.

Transcript Highlights:

• authority and can practice independently and without physician supervision.
• These qualified clinicians practice within the scope of their national certification, state licensure
• In this current practice environment, Massachusetts insurance statutes related to ASD treatment coverage
• To be clear, this bill does not expand scope of practice for nurse practitioners or psychiatric nurse
• I practiced family medicine for 50 years and am now retired.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of health insurance and public health bills, with most speakers focused on expanding coverage for specific treatments and services. Bills discussed included H. 1187/S. 792 on rehabilitation counselors, H. 1173/S. 692 on patient navigation, S. 2600 on scalp cooling for chemotherapy patients, S. 2599 on medically necessary treatment for port wine birthmarks, H. 1164 on licensed educational psychologists for child and adolescent mental health services, S. 754/H. 1254 on autism diagnosis and treatment by nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists, S. 714/H. 1137 on infectious disease response and coverage, and S. 791 on making nature a prescriptive therapeutic intervention. Speakers generally argued these bills would improve access, reduce out-of-pocket costs, and address gaps in current insurance reimbursement rules. Testimony in support emphasized personal stories and clinical evidence. Cancer patients and providers described the benefits of patient navigation and scalp cooling for dignity and quality of life during treatment. Boston Children’s Hospital staff and families said port wine birthmark treatment is medically necessary, can prevent complications, and should not be denied as cosmetic. Rehabilitation counselors and school psychologists argued their services are effective, cost-saving, and underused because they cannot bill insurance. Autism advocates said current insurance statutes are outdated because nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists already provide evaluations and should be recognized for reimbursement to avoid delays in early intervention. Public health and GLAD Law testimony supported stronger infectious disease coverage to remove barriers to testing, treatment, and PrEP access. The hearing also included extensive testimony on H. 1172, a bill requiring insurance coverage for detransition-related care. Supporters said it would ensure coverage for medically necessary care for people who regret or reverse gender transition, while opponents argued it would legitimize anti-trans narratives or, conversely, that detransition care is needed because transition procedures can cause harm. The committee also heard strong support for S. 791 from advocates who described nature access as a health intervention that could help with trauma, anxiety, substance use recovery, and environmental justice, with claims that insurance coverage and reduced park fees would improve access. No votes were taken during the transcript, and the chair repeatedly thanked speakers and moved through the long list of public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So sometimes we can get more specific, but there are practical challenges sometimes associated with that
• It's not best practice necessarily either way, but that is just something to keep in consideration for
• That is the reason that I think this bill, when it comes to motion practice rules, is important.
• That seems to be the biggest issue, I think, with regard to the way our motion practice works in regard
• Another rule, when a rule already exists, is not going to make them practice it uniformly.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there's also a practical side to this."
• I am the director of the services practice area at the National Health Law Program.
• Our work is divided into several strategy areas and practice areas that you can see outlined here.
• closely with our disability practice area, which handles our work around mental health services.
• This is a very ambiguous policy from CMS that has really been shown to have no teeth in practice.

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.