Transcript Highlights:

• This advisory committee must provide...
• I am both a provider and a parent of youth who have experienced homelessness.
• Just to quickly provide some background on this: community residential service business providers are
• We can't verify it for more than 85% of the people we provide ongoing support for.
• Further tracking staffing will help providers better support and advocate for their staff.

Summary: The Early Learning and Human Services Committee opened its 2026 session with member and staff introductions, then took up four bills. HB 2185 would expand the Homeless Youth Advisory Committee to include more members with lived experience of homelessness or involvement in public systems, broaden youth representation up to age 25, and allow members who turn 25 to finish their terms. The prime sponsor and testifiers from homeless youth advocacy organizations supported the bill, saying it would improve representation and the quality of advice to the Office of Homeless Youth. The hearing on HB 2185 was then closed. The committee next heard HB 2319, which renames Washington’s residential habilitation centers by removing the word “school” from their titles and updating related statutory references. The sponsor said the change is meant to reflect current services and reduce confusion, and advocates from The Arc of Washington, Disability Rights Washington, and self-advocates supported the bill as a needed terminology update that would better describe the facilities and avoid misleading the public. No opposition was heard. HB 2230 would limit DSHS to one annual routine review in specified subject areas for community residential service providers and require more document-sharing across divisions to reduce duplicate oversight. The sponsor and provider witnesses said the bill is intended to cut redundant audits and site visits so staff can spend more time on client care, while still preserving investigations and required oversight. HB 2200 would direct JLARC to review safety and stability outcomes across developmental disability residential settings and require a public dashboard comparing data such as 911 calls, ER boarding, placement terminations, and staff retention. The sponsor and several witnesses supported greater transparency, while provider representatives raised concerns about raw data being misleading without per-client or percentage-based context and about possible fiscal impacts. The committee did not take final votes on the bills in the transcript and adjourned after public hearings and caucus time were announced.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so then we'll just bring a money judgment against Medicaid providers.
• These generally stay low unless we have a big provider.
• So you're filing them in the jurisdiction where that provider is located.
• be a provider?
• I know there's also front-end education for providers provided by DHS.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-MEDICAID SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• use to self-harm, while also providing increased observation.
• They found out 68% of those providers were ghost providers, meaning that for a variety of reasons, they
• My current provider then would also be a ghost provider because he's not seeing any more patients directly
• of providers.
• We provide feedback on bills, rules, policy, and budgets.

Committee: Joint Health and Human Services Interim Committee

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that provides Julie Meade: a bigger overview of the actual settlements.
• We have all the outside providers.
• They provide sick visits, well visits, sports physicals, take care of injuries, provide behavioral health
• They provide safe, supportive environments where students build trust with their providers, and even
• Not all of those provide data about the kind of services they're providing, but we know they're out there

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• providers, non-TNCs.
• I think in general, what's been very helpful in both of the examples we provided today is providing enough
• Speaking of how Lyft provides...
• Have you all provided any kind of a formula for—” “Have you all provided any kind of a formula for the
• You're providing a service.

Summary: The hearing focused on transportation network companies in California, with the chair framing it as an informational hearing on the history, regulation, safety, climate, accessibility, and data issues surrounding Uber, Lyft, and smaller or autonomous TNC services. The CPUC described its decade-long regulatory role, including safety rules, background checks, insurance requirements, reporting obligations, and two major legislative programs from 2018: the Clean Miles Standard and the Access for All program. Members asked about complaint trends, data collection and disclosure, program implementation, and how the CPUC uses annual reports for policymaking, compliance, and program oversight. Uber and Lyft said the statewide framework has supported growth while providing safety and access benefits, but both companies emphasized that insurance is a major cost driver and argued that California’s UM/UIM requirement is unusually high compared with other vehicles. They said the Clean Miles Standard is pushing electrification but faces headwinds from EV affordability and charging infrastructure, while Access for All has expanded wheelchair-accessible service but still needs continued support. They also discussed transit partnerships, wildfire response, and the potential role of autonomous vehicles, with both companies saying human drivers will remain important and that future regulation should account for new technology. The final panel, including the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and UC Berkeley researchers, presented evidence that TNCs have increased congestion and reduced transit ridership, especially in dense urban areas. They described prior research showing TNCs contributed to congestion growth in San Francisco and noted that this work helped spur local taxes on ride-hailing trips to fund safety and transit improvements. The panel also discussed the CPUC’s evolving data-disclosure decisions, arguing that public access to TNC trip data is important for understanding transportation impacts and informing local policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• an effective date, and providing a sunset date.
• an effective date, and providing a sunset date.
• a code reference, and declaring an emergency and providing an effective date.
• a code reference and declaring an emergency and providing an effective date. 677303 Idaho Code to provide
• a code reference and declaring an emergency and providing an effective date.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What this does is provide voters...
• I feel I appreciate the context you provided.
• The health plans can negotiate rates with providers.
• It was the providers that wanted the further competition." "...than there are for the larger providers
• So if I am just going to use examples. ...with providers.

Bills: HB2775 , HB2874 , HB2940 , HB4014 , HB4067 , HB4115 , HCM2010 , HCR2051

Committee: House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Keywords: international organizations, government resources, public institutions, Arizona Board of Regents, foreign adversaries, campaign finance, contributions, termination statements, reporting, penalties, electoral processes, healthcare, public benefits, eligibility verification, fraud prevention, Medicaid, SNAP, transparency, accountability, state land

Transcript Highlights:

• the rate that it once provided.
• the rate that it once provided.
• And so the therapist can, is no longer providing the rate that it once provided.
• care and help the providers and help the nurses provide patient care.
• Help the providers and help the nurses provide patient care.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health-related bills, beginning with AB 2651 by Bonta, which would require schools to notify parents when school vaccination rates fall below herd immunity thresholds. Supporters, including family physicians, PTA representatives, and medical groups, said the bill would improve transparency and help parents protect children and vulnerable family members. Opponents argued the data could be misleading, could identify medically exempt or conditional students, and might lead to stigma or discrimination. The bill was later moved out of committee on a due-pass-as-amended motion, with one no vote recorded on the roll call. The committee also heard AB 2123 by Aguirre-Curry on medical debt relief, AB 1570 by Wilson to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary breast diagnostic and supplemental imaging, AB 2201 by Berner to restore Medi-Cal eligibility and renewal flexibilities, AB 2448 by Berman to strengthen privacy protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care records, AB 2034 by Addis on food additive safety and transparency, and AB 2598 by Krell to require better notification of next of kin when a patient dies in a hospital. Each bill drew strong support from authors, advocates, and affected individuals, while some drew opposition from insurers, industry groups, or transparency critics who raised concerns about cost, duplication, implementation, or unintended harm. Several bills were moved forward on due-pass-as-amended motions, including AB 2123, AB 2201, AB 2448, AB 2034, and AB 2598. The committee also heard AB 2551 by Elhawary, which would require health plans to collect and publish data on how often enrollees must go out of network for behavioral health care and why. Supporters said the measure would expose access barriers and high out-of-pocket costs, especially for communities of color and people with language access needs; opponents said it would add another reporting mandate and might not solve provider shortage problems. Members generally expressed support for the bill’s goals and several described personal or district-level experiences with behavioral health access problems. The bill was then moved out of committee on a due-pass motion. The committee also took up consent items and other procedural motions, with multiple bills reported out and some placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide for them.
• my team to provide the care.
• We urge DHCS to provide clear guidance.
• We urge DHCS to provide clear guidance for health plans and contracted CHWPRs and providers on how to
• I am an IHSS provider.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 and related federal actions on Covered California, Medi-Cal, and immigrant access to care. The chair framed the discussion around three main issues: expected losses in marketplace coverage as enhanced federal premium subsidies expire, new federal work and renewal requirements that would add administrative burden to Medi-Cal, and the loss of eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. Covered California testified that H.R. 1 and new federal rules, combined with the end of enhanced premium tax credits, are driving higher premiums, lower new enrollment, and more cancellations, especially among middle-income, Latino, and Black enrollees. The agency said California’s $190 million state subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees but cannot replace the lost federal assistance, and it noted that roughly 120,000 lawfully present immigrants in Covered California will lose federal tax credits in 2027. On Medi-Cal, the Department of Health Care Services said H.R. 1 will require work and community engagement verification, six-month renewals for certain adults, and other changes that the department expects will reduce enrollment substantially. DHCS estimated 233,000 members could lose coverage by June 2027 from the work requirement and 289,000 from six-month renewals, with losses rising much higher by 2028; it also said it is using automation, outreach, clinic navigators, coverage ambassadors, community health workers, and street medicine providers to reduce procedural disenrollments. The department described a two-phase outreach plan and said it is working with counties on implementation, while the Department of Finance said the Governor’s budget maintains $190 million for the state subsidy program and does not propose additional changes at this time. The LAO said its independent forecast is somewhat higher than the administration’s, estimating about 2.1 million fewer Medi-Cal enrollees by June 2028, and urged the Legislature to review county administrative workload and readiness. Public testimony and member comments focused on the human and fiscal consequences of coverage losses. A representative from the Sacramento Native American Health Center warned that reduced reimbursement and coverage losses would destabilize community health centers, increase uncompensated care, and worsen outcomes by pushing patients into emergency care. Members raised concerns about paperwork burdens, county capacity, outreach effectiveness, and whether the state should do more to preserve coverage, including possible modeling of additional H-CARF spending and support for middle-income consumers and immigrant enrollees. The hearing did not take any votes or formal actions, but it ended with public comment and continued discussion of implementation and budget options.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:53.639><c> other</c> discounted prices to provide other discounted prices to provide other
• c><00:09:16.880><c> outpatient</c> now be safely provided in an outpatient now be safely provided in
• We provide over 31 medical specialties through our affiliations and our relationships, and we provide
• We provide over 31 medical specialties through our affiliations and our relationships, and we provide
• </c> where our Medical Group and providers where our Medical Group and providers work<00:20:53.760><c

Keywords: 00:00 Introductions 02:46 Roll Call 03:35 Discussion on SB 14 46:13 Vote on SB 14 48:07 Discussion on SB 17 50:38 Vote on SB 17, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Health Services opened with the chair welcoming several new members and outlining session rules: hearings would start and end on time, the committee would limit the number of bills heard each meeting, prioritize bills heard during the interim, and generally avoid using the consent calendar except in extreme circumstances. The committee then briefly considered administrative regulations, which were treated as approved if members had no questions. The main item was Senate Bill 14, a measure addressing the 340B drug discount program. The chair said the bill had already passed the Senate in a prior session and had been heard in interim, so he did not present it again. He described the bill as prohibiting drug manufacturers from discriminating against 340B covered entities by refusing 340B pricing when the same drug is offered at that price in the state. He also said the committee would not debate the federal 340B program itself, but would hear testimony on the bill. Hospital leaders and Kentucky Hospital Association representatives testified in support, arguing that 340B savings are essential to rural hospitals, oncology services, transportation support, chronic care, addiction recovery, and new service lines such as chemotherapy and hepatitis treatment. They said the program helps keep care close to home and that manufacturer restrictions on contract pharmacies have reduced access and cost hospitals millions. Opponents from BIO Kentucky and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions argued the bill would expand federal law beyond Congress’s intent, create administrative burdens, and not lower patient out-of-pocket costs. The chair repeatedly pressed opponents to address why Kentucky should be denied the same 340B pricing available in other states. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• An injured worker must seek medical care from a provider within L&I's medical provider network, except
• Generally, a medical provider who treats injured workers as part of L&I's provider network must follow
• medical provider network.
• It allows an injured worker to receive treatment from a provider outside the medical provider network
• and allows the provider to appeal.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several labor-related bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5874, staff and Senator McEwen described a proposal to let the Employment Security Department waive penalties for minor quarterly reporting errors by employers, especially inadvertent electronic filing issues involving occupational codes and job titles. No one testified in opposition, and the public hearing was closed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5847, which would expand injured workers’ access to medical providers, allow medically appropriate departures from L&I treatment rules, prohibit employers from requiring treatment from a specific provider, and set timelines for utilization review. Supporters, including workers’ advocates and union representatives, said the bill would improve access to care and reduce delays, while business groups opposed it as weakening the provider network and raised concerns about costs and claim duration. L&I said it could implement the bill with a technical fix and noted that the fiscal note was still being updated. A previously adopted claims-manager staffing amendment was discussed but not included in the version heard. On Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5061, the committee heard testimony on requiring public works contracts to update prevailing wage rates annually rather than freezing them at bid time. Labor groups supported the bill as protecting workers from wage erosion on long projects, while contractor groups opposed it unless amended to allow change orders for wage increases above 5 percent, citing unpredictable jumps in prevailing wage rates and added risk for small contractors. L&I requested a delayed effective date to July 1, 2028 because of IT changes. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 5944, which would make missed or canceled appointment payments bargained economic compensation for language access providers, and on Substitute Senate Bill 5972, which would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of county population. Labor groups supported both bills; counties and a city representative opposed 5972 over cost concerns and asked for fiscal safeguards. Finally, the committee heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302, which would require L&I to investigate possible misclassification when three or more independent contractors are used for the same type of finishing work on a public works project. Labor and contractor groups both supported the amended version, saying it targets misclassification without banning legitimate independent contractors. The hearing ended after testimony, with no votes or final committee actions taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh an insurance shall provide uh an insurance shall provide reimbursement<00:12:21.320><c> for</
• are provide.
• No provider, no service.
• The data they're looking at is data that the ambulance providers are providing.
• are providing this ambulance providers are providing this is<01:12:45.159><c> not</c><01:12:45.560><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee discussed three ambulance reimbursement bills and tried to distinguish their approaches. House Bill 185 would require insurers to pay the full amount billed by an ambulance provider when there is no contract rate, with no balance billing to the patient; the Insurance Department clarified that emergency ambulance services are already covered under the benchmark plan, so the bill’s reference to policies without ambulance coverage is effectively meaningless. House Bill 725 would set reimbursement at 325% of the Medicare rate for non-contract ambulance services and prohibit balance billing. House Bill 316 was described as addressing the broader problem that Medicare/Medicaid rates are low and that current balance billing shifts costs to patients or municipalities; its sponsor said the bill would require insurers to pay a rate that gives providers a fighting chance to remain in business, and he viewed 325% of Medicare as the most logical option. Members debated whether insurers should pay the billed amount, a negotiated in-network rate, or a regulated percentage of Medicare. Some argued that out-of-network ambulance providers are underpaid and that in-network rates are often too low to sustain service, especially for emergency providers who cannot steer patients. Others said ambulance companies should not be able to bill whatever they want and questioned the fairness of charging insured patients or insurers more than the service is worth. There was also discussion of whether rate schedules should be reviewed by an oversight body and whether different costs in rural areas justify different reimbursement levels. A recurring issue was balance billing and who ultimately bears the shortfall. Several members said balance billing harms patients and often does not get paid, leaving cities and towns or property taxpayers to cover the difference for municipal ambulance services. Others argued that shifting the cost to insurance premiums would spread the burden more fairly, though it could raise premiums by a few dollars per person per month. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the discussion focused on clarifying the bills and weighing their policy tradeoffs.

Transcript Highlights:

• for remedies and enforcement, and to provide exclusions and prohibitions on certain waivers, providing
• for remedies and enforcement and to provide exclusions and prohibitions on certain waivers, providing
• a short title, to define terms, to provide for certain customer access to restroom facilities, to provide
• a limitation of liability, and to provide an effective date.
• a short title, to define terms, to provide for certain customer access to restroom facilities, to provide

Summary: The House convened with 68 members present and approved the House Journal from the previous legislative day. The chamber also received notice of a temporary substitute for Legislative District 17, Seat B, and a Senate Joint Memorial transmitted from the Senate. House Concurrent Resolutions 23 and 24 were introduced and referred for printing; HCR 23 seeks a U.S. constitutional convention to impose congressional term limits, while HCR 24 honors fallen Kootenai County and Coeur d’Alene firefighters and supports Idaho first responders. Standing committee reports moved several bills forward. The Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee reported House Bills 532-539 printed and referred them to the Transportation, Local Government, and State Affairs committees as appropriate. The Business Committee recommended House Bill 514 do pass. The House also received first readings for a large group of bills, including measures on juvenile correction public records, child enticement, social media restrictions for children, public employee retirement contributions, military leave, counselor licensure for military chaplains, restroom access, cosmetology licensing, boating enforcement, hospital district dissolution petitions, midwifery authority and rules, and property tax assessment. On the Third Reading Calendar, Representative Ben Adams asked unanimous consent to hold House Bill 493 for one legislative day while the sponsor works with an affected stakeholder; there was no objection. During announcements, members welcomed visiting county officials, the Idaho Vacation Rental Alliance, nurses in the gallery, and noted upcoming meetings including the Rural Health Transformation Program and an Energy Caucus luncheon. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn and recessed until 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:41.279><c> an</c> be with you here today to provide an be with you here today to provide an
• </c> of Minnesota duth and this provides of Minnesota duth and this provides Education<00:20:44.480><
• </c><00:29:58.039><c> provide</c> forecast programs that provide provide forecast programs that provide
• Some providers do provide this, but most are actually using a paper-based recordkeeping system.
• </c> approach some providers do uh uh provide approach some providers do uh uh provide this<01:31:37.480

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• confirming provider eligibility.
• </c> health providers throughout the state. health providers throughout the state.
• payments to providers.
• </c> benefits and provider payment. benefits and provider payment.
• </c> regarding eligibility for providers. regarding eligibility for providers.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's step one, statewide provider.
• for a provider after that.
• provide you with a brief.
• Homeless youth providers across the state are really worried, Homeless youth providers across the state
• I'm chief program officer representing Stand Up Placer, a victim services provider providing domestic

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation heard updates from the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Department of Justice. Cal OES Acting Director Tina Curry described the department’s proposed budget, disaster response and recovery work, Los Angeles wildfire recovery, FEMA reimbursement delays, hazard mitigation grant applications, planning for major events like the FIFA World Cup and LA28 Olympics, and the state’s next generation 911 priorities. Senators raised concerns about Operation Stonegarden, small-disaster recovery delays, FEMA reimbursement timing, VOCA funding, and the need for more detailed reporting on federal grants and recovery costs. The committee then focused on Next Generation 911. Cal OES staff said the current regional deployment encountered call-routing and transfer failures, leading the department to pause further rollout and propose a new phased plan centered on a statewide provider, followed by an open procurement for a long-term vendor. They said the plan is intended to improve reliability, simplify architecture, and support Los Angeles-area PSAPs ahead of the Olympics, with a target of full statewide transition by summer 2030. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the Legislature to pause major changes until it receives more information, including a clearer explanation of the problems, alternatives considered, costs, cybersecurity and privacy issues, and oversight needs. Members expressed mixed views, with some supporting a joint oversight hearing and requesting quarterly fiscal reports and monthly progress updates. The Department of Justice then presented its overall workload, emphasizing public safety enforcement, fentanyl and human trafficking prosecutions, housing enforcement, civil rights work, and extensive federal litigation against the Trump administration. DOJ said the additional federal accountability work has significantly increased staffing and overtime demands, though it has hired 44 additional employees. The committee also heard DOJ’s firearms workload proposal, including funding for SB 704 implementation, continued firearms IT modernization, and a proposed shift of Bureau of Firearms costs to the General Fund. The LAO recommended using special funds and loans instead of ongoing General Fund support where possible, and asked DOJ to develop a framework by January 2027 for determining which firearms and ammunition workload should be supported by fee revenue. The Department of Finance largely agreed with the need for SB 704 funding but disagreed with the LAO’s proposed loan approach for the firearms account.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's step one: statewide provider.
• We're going to the statewide provider in the interim, and then an open solicitation for a provider after
• provide you with a brief.
• provide you with a brief.
• I'm chief program officer representing Stand Up Placer, a victim services provider, providing domestic

Summary: The committee heard an overview from Cal OES on disaster response, LA wildfire recovery, federal FEMA reimbursements, security monitoring, and the state’s 911 transition. Cal OES said its budget supports disaster preparedness and recovery, including ongoing work in Los Angeles, where it reported about 700 FEMA public assistance applications totaling roughly $1.2 billion and about $545 million in state wildfire response and recovery funding already allocated under AB 100. Members pressed for more detail on FEMA delays, hazard mitigation grants, federal event planning, and the status of Operation Stonegarden, while also raising concerns about small-disaster recovery, federal shutdown impacts, and the need for more timely reporting. A major portion of the hearing focused on Next Generation 911. Cal OES described problems with the current regional deployment, especially call-routing and transfer failures, and said it now plans to shift to a statewide provider as an interim step, then run an open procurement for a long-term vendor. The agency said it expects to execute a bridging contract in the coming weeks, release an RFP in the second quarter of 2026, award a long-term contract in the fall, begin transitioning Los Angeles-area PSAPs ahead of the 2028 Olympics, and complete statewide migration by summer 2030. The LAO urged the Legislature to pause further implementation until it has more information on the problems, alternatives, costs, privacy/security issues, and oversight needs, and recommended quarterly and monthly reporting if the project proceeds. Several senators echoed concerns about cost, redundancy, cybersecurity, and whether the statewide model could create new risks, and the chair said she would pursue a joint oversight hearing with the Emergency Management Committee and seek input from the State Auditor. The Department of Justice then presented its overall workload and budget pressures. DOJ highlighted its work on fentanyl enforcement, human trafficking, firearms recovery, housing enforcement, consumer protection, environmental and civil rights litigation, and a large federal litigation workload, saying it has filed 59 lawsuits against the Trump administration and won most of them. DOJ said the added federal cases and other mandates have strained existing staff, though 44 additional hires have been made. Members praised DOJ’s work on immigration, housing, and federal accountability, and asked for more information on detention facilities and staffing. The committee also reviewed DOJ’s firearms-related budget proposals. DOJ requested funding for continued firearms IT modernization, implementation of SB 704 on firearm barrels, and a temporary shift of Bureau of Firearms costs to the General Fund. The LAO supported the IT modernization request but recommended funding SB 704 from the Dealer’s Record of Sale Special Account, with startup costs covered by a loan from the Firearm Safety and Enforcement Special Fund, and suggested limiting the General Fund shift to one year and treating it as a loan. The LAO also asked DOJ to develop a framework by January 10, 2027, for deciding which firearm and ammunition workload should be supported by fee revenue rather than the General Fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• Corporation, to provide for definitions, to provide for the disposition of certain monies, to provide
• costs, to provide for reporting requirements, to provide for effectiveness, and to provide for related
• Thank you. of claims to provide for definitions, to provide for rulemaking, to provide for bad faith
• of glucose levels or weight loss, to provide coverage requirements, to provide for definitions, to provide
• for applicability, to To provide for definitions, to provide for applicability, to provide for an effective

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on April 23 with a quorum present and first deferred HB 1142. The committee then heard HB 1187, which would direct any excess Louisiana Citizens emergency assessment funds, after related debt is paid, toward the Louisiana Fortified Homes Program or future Citizens debt. Representative Sawyer and Commissioner Tim Temple said the bill would likely redirect about $50 million in one-time surplus funds and would help expand a popular roof-mitigation program that has already awarded more than 4,600 fortified roofs. The bill drew support from several witnesses and was reported as amended without objection. Next, HB 1210, dealing with insurance claim disputes and a pre-suit review process for Louisiana Citizens claims, was discussed. Representative Dana Henry said he was voluntarily deferring the bill and instead pursuing a study resolution after hearing concerns from members and stakeholders. Department and Citizens officials said the proposal was modeled on Florida’s process and could help resolve disputes faster and cheaper, but the bill was ultimately voluntarily deferred after testimony and some opposition cards were noted. The committee then took up HB 1199, which requires coverage for genetic testing and treatment related to SCN2A-associated disorders. Representative Jordan and the Diedon family gave emotional testimony about their daughter Emily’s diagnosis and the importance of timely genetic testing. The bill was amended to require that testing be ordered by a provider and deemed medically necessary by the health plan, with discussion about whether a neurologist should be involved; members said that issue could be refined later. HB 1199 was reported as amended. Finally, the committee considered HB 880, the Louisiana Artificial Intelligence Insurance Fairness Act, which would regulate AI use in underwriting, rating, and claims. After a lengthy discussion about state insurance regulation, McCarran-Ferguson, and concerns that the bill could jeopardize federal broadband funding, Representative Jordan voluntarily deferred HB 880, and HB 920 was also deferred. The committee then heard HB 1221, which would limit the policy data collected for the Louisiana Fortified Program Fund. Former Representative Bowler argued the bill was needed to protect policyholder privacy, while the Department of Insurance and Commissioner Temple said the data is needed for surplus-lines premium tax audits, fraud detection, and consumer assistance after disasters. The discussion continued with questions about what data would be visible and how it would be used, but the transcript ends before a final action on HB 1221 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> provided</c><00:42:58.400><c> High</c> facility only provided High facility only provided High reimbursement
• </c> impact them if they're not providing impact them if they're not providing that<00:45:05.319><c>
• </c> joined with Karen seeri uh to provide joined with Karen seeri uh to provide some<01:12:54.520><c
• </c> Services may be able to provide Services may be able to provide information<01:15:12.679><c> on<
• </c><02:17:24.960><c> a</c> provider uh we do have to provide a provider uh we do have to provide a notice

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:14.960><c> that</c> I worked for a private provider that I worked for a private provider that
• We happened to get a provider we didn't know. He was a specialist.
• My question is: my provider was very conscious about that.
• </c> communicate with the provider communicate with the provider representing<00:09:35.360><c> Carol<
• My question is: my provider was very conscious about that.

Keywords: 1183, house