Transcript Highlights:

• Examples can be a licensed professional counselor or a licensed clinical social worker.
• It is a different skill set, an additional skill set.
• a compact license.
• First is the entry-level license, which is a vocational nursing license.
• licenses issued.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chestnut: I'm licensed. I'm a licensed Arizona vet. I live in Florida.
• Without reasonable access to a license, companies are forced to lease from existing dispensary license
• The number of licenses is capped, and new licenses are unlikely for decades unless the law changes.
• One is the lack of a license.
• or buy out the license outright.

Bills: SB1176, SB1186, SB1235, SB1286, SB1446, SB1458, SB1515, SB1616, SB1641, SB1668, SB1670, SB1678, SB1747, SB1787

Keywords: stormwater, water storage, replenishment credits, groundwater, aquifer, Arizona Revised Statutes, disclosure, state contracts, procurement records, donations, transparency, EMS, reciprocity, interstate compact, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, licensure, public safety, military personnel, veterinary telemedicine

Summary: The committee approved the minutes and then heard Senate Bill 1668, which would extend the deadline for funeral establishments or responsible persons to submit required documentation from seven calendar days to 14 business days and make related changes involving disposition of unborn or stillborn children, minors, and abortion clinic forms. Funeral industry testimony said the current timelines are difficult to meet and create stress for grieving families, while a mother described problems caused by requiring an ex-spouse’s signature after her child’s death. The bill passed on a 4-3 vote, with some members supporting the timing and family-law fixes and others objecting to the abortion-clinic provisions. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1286, on veterinary telemedicine prescriptions. An amendment shortened the telemedicine prescription period for non-antimicrobial drugs from 60 days to 30 days, allowed antimicrobial prescriptions for up to 14 days based on an electronic exam, and barred further antimicrobial prescriptions without an in-person exam. Veterinarians and the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association moved to neutral on the amended bill but warned about safety, overprescribing, and the limits of telemedicine; supporters argued it would improve access for rural, elderly, and low-income pet owners. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed the bill as amended on a 4-3 vote. Senate Bill 1235, creating the emergency services personnel licensure interstate compact, passed unanimously after sponsor testimony that it would improve reciprocity for EMTs and paramedics and help military personnel. Senate Bill 1446, which would change dialysis-center social worker documentation from monthly to quarterly, also passed unanimously, with DeVita Dialysis Services saying the change would reduce paperwork and align Arizona with federal and most-state practice. Senate Bill 1515, a cleanup bill for the Industrial Commission of Arizona that renames positions, removes outdated duties, and changes publication of fee schedules, passed after an amendment and supportive agency testimony. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1678, which would require direct-care staff in certain facilities to complete patient information forms and reestablish the Vulnerable Adult Systems Study Committee. An amendment removed the form requirement and instead required DHS to investigate complaints from EMS personnel about missing DNR orders; first responders and provider groups supported the revised approach, though some members wanted minority-party appointments added to the study committee. The bill passed as amended on a 6-0-1 vote. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 1747 on social media protections for minors, with the sponsor framing it as a child-safety measure and opponents from NetChoice, TechNet, and Meta warning about privacy risks, age-verification problems, constitutional concerns, and the possibility that teens would evade restrictions; supporters argued parents need stronger controls and pointed to app-store-based alternatives, but no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I'm suggesting is that a licensed practical nurse, who is licensed...
• This set is purely technical.
• This set is purely technical.
• their license.
• This amendment set has 10 amendments in it. This amendment set has 10 amendments in it.

Bills: SB57, SB405, HB62, HB193, HB203, HB222, HB246, HB420, HB475, HB486, HB574, HB584, HB815, HB949, HB1092, HB1214

Keywords: SB 57, Act 735, Act 463, nutrition, public health, food additives, artificial colors, banned chemicals, ingredient labeling, food labeling, FDA, food and beverage regulation, consumer disclosure, school nutrition, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 40, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 17, food manufacturers, food retailers, compliance, effective date delay

Transcript Highlights:

• They need a license for this.
• They need a license for this.
• If what you want to say is, I want to stop AI training, then you set one set of policies.
• And we set out to get that.
• It's found in this set as well.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee and Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational hearing at Stanford on the intersection of artificial intelligence, copyright, transparency, and California’s creative economy. Chairs and members emphasized that the hearing was not on a specific bill and no vote would be taken. Opening remarks framed the issue as balancing protection for artists and other rights holders with the need to keep AI innovation and related economic activity thriving in California, while noting that federal action is unlikely and that state policy may influence national standards. The first panel featured Professor Pamela Samuelson and Stanford researcher Rishi Bommasani. Samuelson reviewed the current copyright litigation landscape, including dozens of lawsuits over AI training, and explained the fair use framework, the Google Books precedent, and the uncertainty around newer theories such as market dilution. She said states can likely regulate transparency, deepfakes, privacy, and safety, but warned that some proposals may be preempted by federal copyright law. Bommasani described widespread opacity around training data among major California AI companies, discussed AB 2013 and the EU AI Act as transparency models, and identified gaps in disclosure design, enforcement, and whether transparency alone can address copyright and IP concerns. Members asked about open-source models, opt-outs, machine unlearning, user data, and state options for protecting creators. The second panel included SAG-AFTRA board member Jason George, Animation Guild president Danny Lynn, and OpenAI copyright counsel Mark Gray. George and Lynn argued that AI training on performers’ and artists’ work without consent or compensation threatens jobs, bargaining power, and reputations, and they supported stronger transparency and licensing requirements so creators can identify when their work is used. Gray said AI is already being used as a productivity tool and highlighted partnerships between AI companies and publishers, record labels, and studios, while arguing that specific harmful uses such as deepfakes should be regulated directly rather than restricting general-purpose AI development. Committee members discussed labeling and watermarking of AI-generated content, transparency around model use, and whether state law should require more detailed disclosure of training data; no formal action was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• After being delivered to the clerk, the license... ...license is recorded and then mailed to the couple
• That includes the marriage licenses.
• The scanning of that diminishes the quality of the license and affects the appearance of the license.
• As you know, a marriage license is a permanent record, and as written, the bill doesn't set any clear
• So if a couple were to lose their original license... ...license than the bill is written would make

Bills: HB557, HB732, HB1892, HB1954, HB2301, HB3180, HB3405, HB3650, HB3758, HB4035, HB4621, HB4795, HB4870, HB5069, HB5137, HB5149

Keywords: child support, arrears, court enforcement, contempt, legal protections, healthcare, insurance, cost reduction, accessibility, regulations, impotency, marriage annulment, Family Code, Texas law, family law, Texas legislation, dissolution of marriage, annulment, marriage, child custody

Transcript Highlights:

• single crisis nursery licensing single crisis nursery licensing package.<00:03:48.040> Um
• <00:18:05.640> with<00:18:05.880> minimally sets will be designed with minimally sets
• these limited data sets? Mr. these limited data sets? Mr. Gildemeister.<00:23:52.240> Mr.
• So, the lowest price data is a sets.
• The customized data set to maintain.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4466, the Health Finance and Policy bill, and first adopted the A8 amendment, described as a set of technical fixes. Members then considered a large A9 amendment that bundled a wide range of Children and Families provisions, including child care licensing modernization, crisis nursery licensing, SNAP/MFIT-related language, child care provider self-reporting, a physical abuse recognition poster, child protection and welfare provisions, funding for parent support outreach, and forensic interview training scholarships. Supporters described it as bipartisan work with relatively small fiscal impact, while opponents said it greatly expanded the bill and should be handled separately; after a roll call, the A9 amendment failed 7-14. Representative Scott then offered the A11 amendment, raising concerns about new all-payer claims database language and whether it should have been heard in the Judiciary and Civil Law Committee. Department of Health staff explained the data-sharing safeguards, de-identification process, fee structure, and enforcement provisions, but Scott remained concerned about privacy and the scope of the program and withdrew the amendment. The committee then moved to final bill discussion. Members and authors described HF 4466 as a lean health finance bill largely conforming Minnesota law to federal HR1 Medicaid-related changes, including work requirements, retroactive eligibility limits, cost-sharing, and home equity provisions. Supporters argued conformity was necessary to avoid major federal funding losses and noted a few additional member bills in the package; opponents criticized the federal changes as harmful, especially for vulnerable populations such as victims of trafficking and domestic violence. Fiscal staff said the bill would save just over $2 million in FY 2026-27 and almost $98 million in FY 2028-29. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• licensing this establishes licensing<00:32:04.559> requirements<00:32:05.080> for<00:32
• :05.360> Human<00:32:05.600> Service licensing requirements for Human Service licensing
• licensure Community residential settings licensure Community residential settings day<00:33:42.399
• certain children in out of home settings certain children in out of home settings it<00:34:06.440
• <00:37:22.200> treatment licensed treatment licensed treatment facilities<00:37:24.480> um<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But we encourage reconsideration of the $10,000 license and renewal fee for that license type, which
• We have 1,800 micro businesses that have applied for a license, and that license is uncapped.
• As of now, 3,529 businesses have applied for a license type. They looked at all the licenses.
• in a so-called super license.
• and licenses that are already set.

Bills: HF1545, HF2426, HF1615, HF2403

Keywords: medical cannabis, cultivation, cannabinoid products, plant canopy, Minnesota statutes, cannabis, hemp, lower-potency, edibles, regulations, licensing, local control, consumer safety, age restrictions, commerce policy, financial institutions, insurance regulation, limited long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement, health insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• What happens is the program kicks in, and there's a hold on my license when I go to renew it. my license
• And then when it comes time to renew the license, it puts a hold on the renewal of the license, correct
• The other 402,000 are on expired licenses, meaning that they currently cannot renew their license due
• A bouncer checking IDs sees the SO marker on the driver's license. license and asks them to leave or
• I have a license to carry, a privileged license to carry, and I have been a concealed carry instructor

Bills: HB1455, HB1777, HB2101, HB2136, HB2609, HB3142, HB3552, HB3846, HB4155, HB4514, HB4879, HB4995, HB5014, HB5139, HB5228, HB5436, HCR40

Keywords: mental health, jail diversion, law enforcement, reporting requirements, criminal justice, data collection, criminal justice reform, intellectual disability, mental illness, data reporting, public safety, reporting, substance abuse, sex offender, driver's license, identification, gunshot detection, unreported gunshots, municipal police, crime investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• If there's barriers that need to be removed from DPS's ability to get those licenses set up.
• Are those dispensaries set up?
• We're talking about setting up a set of Texas laws. It'll be in violation of federal law.
• Set that aside.
• Were we to set that process up?

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB9, SB42, SB15, SB5, SB11, SB12, SCR1

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:58:28.000> Licenses they'd be re-licensed again.
• Licenses they'd be re-licensed again.
• licensed chiropractors. licensed chiropractors.
• license was terminated. license was terminated.
• licensing fees.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Therapy um to health therapy settings.
• <00:04:06.879> mental educated, trained, and licensed mental educated, trained, and licensed
• c><00:05:12.639> to mental health professionals licensed to mental health professionals licensed
• <00:12:22.959> mental new requirements for licensed mental new requirements for licensed mental
• Licensing boards already have of AI.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:43.560> health page three it does say a licensed health page three it does say a licensed
• physician to a licensed physician in Kentucky with an unrestricted license, because what we’ve had is
• <00:19:46.159> um<00:19:47.120> but driver's license um but driver's license um but
• <00:20:01.960> someplace says if they have a license someplace says if they have a license
• If you would set that alarm early.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and first considered House Bill 9, which would create a Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board modeled after the Public Pension Oversight Board. The sponsors said the board is intended to bring together the executive branch, legislative branch, and stakeholders to study Medicaid policy and its fiscal impacts before changes are made. Members generally supported the concept, with questions focused on board size and representation from providers and community-based service organizations. The bill was reported favorably by unanimous vote, including a title amendment. The committee then heard House Bill 152, which would create a Medicaid supplemental directed payment program for public EMS agencies, including fire departments and city, county, or taxing-district EMS providers. The sponsor said the measure is designed to draw down a higher federal match without any general fund impact, and noted support from local government groups. After brief discussion, the bill passed with favorable expression by unanimous vote. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 688, a two-part measure. One part would give the Board of Nursing more discretion to review out-of-state nursing credentials by changing mandatory acceptance of certification to permissive language, in response to concerns about fraudulent or substandard nursing programs and the effects of multistate licensure. The other part would allow certain diabetes medications to be stored and administered in schools, with training for school personnel and civil immunity for those acting in good faith. Some members supported the bill as a way to protect patients and maintain standards, while one senator voted no because of concerns about slowing licensure during a nursing shortage. The bill passed 10-1 with favorable expression. The committee announced it would meet again Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we're setting that aside.
• So, we're setting that aside.
• So, we're setting that aside.
• So, we're setting that aside.
• So, we're setting that aside.

Bills: SF0045, SJ0001

Keywords: pari-mutuel wagering, simulcasting, historic horse racing, HHR terminals, horse racing, gaming commission, Wyoming Gaming Commission, local control, city approval, county approval, municipal approval, permit renewal, gaming permit, wagering regulation, racetrack, live pari-mutuel event, district court appeal, public notice, land use, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• The ones that we are looking to add through this amendment are licensed clinical social workers, licensed
• , licensed master social workers, licensed master social workers, and licensed provisional marital and
• LCPs, LMSWs, and licensed and provisionally licensed marital and family therapists all do this job of
• Our primary need is for CCBHCs to allow, to be able to allow their licensed clinicians, those licenses
• All these people are licensed professionals. All these people are licensed professionals. Yes, sir.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What this bill is doing is making sure that that set up...
• it should be more than just clinical setting.
• But in the clinical setting, in the practice of medicine, and in the licenses we have in Florida, there
• Senate Bill 1758 sets in law these reforms.
• So there's a real catch-22 in the way that we have set this up.

Bills: S0036, S0864, S0268, S0844, S0514, S1404, S0914, S1758

Keywords: nursing title, advanced practice registered nurse, advertising, professional standards, disciplinary action, uterine fibroids, public records, health privacy, epidemiology, medical information, emergency department, physicians, privacy, personal information, sickle cell disease, sickle cell anemia, pain management, controlled substances, prescribing education, continuing medical education

Summary: The committee first considered SB 268, a public records exemption for emergency physicians. Senator Rodriguez’s strike-all amendment narrowed and clarified the exemption, and testimony from an emergency physician described threats, harassment, and safety concerns tied to mandatory reporting and patient encounters. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. Members then heard SB 514, creating the Dula Support for Healthy Births Pilot Program in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties for pregnant and postpartum women affected by substance use disorder. Senator Osgood explained the pilot would provide non-medical doula support and data collection, and an amendment changed the funding source to specific appropriations in the General Appropriations Act. Supporters said doula care can improve maternal and infant outcomes and complement medical providers. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also approved SB 36 on use of professional nursing titles after extensive debate over whether nurses with doctoral degrees should be allowed to use “doctor” in clinical settings, with concerns raised about patient confusion and the need for clearer identification. The bill was amended to align with the House version and then reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee next approved SB 864, a public records exemption for uterine fibroid research data, after a technical amendment setting a July 1, 2026 effective date; Senator Sharif said the exemption is needed so the Department of Health can collect sensitive data for the related research bill. SB 844, requiring continuing education on sickle cell disease care management for certain licensed physicians and nurses, was also reported favorably after emotional testimony from patients and advocates describing delayed care and bias. Later, the committee approved SB 1404 on memory care, after a strike-all amendment creating a new memory care specialty license for assisted living facilities that advertise or provide specialized memory care services, while allowing optional supportive services without the new license. Supporters from the senior living industry backed the clarification. The committee then passed SB 914, which clarifies that licensed occupational therapists may perform dry needling, after an amendment adjusting supervision and continuing education language. Finally, the committee took up SB 1758, a broad Medicaid and SNAP reform bill that would strengthen fraud enforcement, impose Medicaid work requirements for certain able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services, modernize drug purchasing and prior authorization, and require SNAP fraud-reduction measures. Several amendments were adopted, and members questioned the work requirement, implementation costs, EBT card photo identification, and due process concerns; debate continued as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are more than 330,000 licensed security officers who protect apartment buildings, 30,000 licensed
• It also sets standards for AI use in therapeutic settings by requiring informed consent disclosure and
• making sure that a licensed clinician is in the decision-making loop.
• Practicing therapy without a license is already illegal.
• The distinction between a licensed clinician and an automated response is not merely technical.

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard several Senate bills, with most of the discussion focused on worker training, public safety, and consumer protection. SB 1203 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would expand training and de-escalation requirements for private security officers. Supporters, including security workers and labor groups, said the bill would better prepare officers who often respond first to mental health crises and violent incidents. Opponents, including security industry representatives and business groups, argued it would impose major costs, create training bottlenecks, and could reduce licensed security coverage. The committee ultimately voted the bill out on a due pass recommendation to Labor and Employment, with some members noting future amendments to address training capacity and employer-provided training. The committee also approved SB 936 by Senator Blakespear, which would restrict retail sales of nitrous oxide canisters larger than 8 grams while preserving legitimate medical, dental, culinary, and automotive uses. Support came from county officials, public health groups, waste management organizations, law enforcement, and local governments, who described rising misuse, impaired driving, and recycling hazards. No opposition testimony was presented, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1271 by Senator Reyes, aimed at strengthening California’s midwifery training pipeline by requiring data collection on licensed midwife preceptor capacity, also passed unanimously to Health. Supporters said the bill would help address shortages in rural birth care and improve access to training for aspiring midwives. SB 903 by Senator Padilla, which would place guardrails on the use of AI in mental health and psychotherapy settings and prohibit AI from being marketed as a therapist, drew emotional testimony from a mother whose son died by suicide after extensive chatbot interactions. Health and behavioral health groups supported the measure, while several industry and health organizations were opposed unless amended; the committee nevertheless sent it to Privacy and Consumer Protection on a unanimous vote. The committee also approved SB 1165 on consent and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is a driver's license that's issued by a foreign government considered a valid driver's license?
• If we instantly set it when we send the police, fire, EMS response, If we instantly set it when we send
• So we also monitor their driver's licenses like you would with a United States-based license.
• a commercial driver's license, because a commercial driver's license is a different beast.
• driver's license?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard testimony on the DMV’s finalized autonomous vehicle regulations, with a focus on how the rules update California’s oversight of testing, deployment, reporting, and enforcement. DMV and CHP officials said the new framework expands data collection beyond crashes to include immobilizations, hard-braking events, system failures, and notices of noncompliance, while also creating clearer requirements for first responder interaction, remote operations, and heavy-duty AV testing and deployment. Members raised concerns about safety, emergency response delays, freeway and work-zone operations, and whether the state has enough data to compare AVs with human drivers. Witnesses from consumer and labor-related groups emphasized transparency and accountability, arguing that the prior rules were outdated and that public access to the collected data is important for regulators, researchers, and injured parties. Industry representatives said California now has the nation’s most comprehensive AV permitting and reporting system, with phased permits, mileage thresholds, and broad DMV authority to restrict or suspend operations. They supported the regulations as a path to safer, more transparent deployment, while noting that the rules stay within state operational authority and do not replace federal standards for vehicle design and performance. A second panel focused on first responder interactions and remote operations. The San Francisco Fire Department described AVs blocking emergency scenes and generating “sleeper calls” when passengers fall asleep, consuming significant fire and EMS resources. Waymo said it maintains 24/7 emergency contacts, first responder plans, geofencing protocols, and remote support that can help move vehicles or allow first responders to override them. Members asked about license requirements for remote personnel, redundancy during communication outages, and how companies handle sleeping passengers before calling 911. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• I need clinical setting and hospital setting, not just one path.
• I need clinical setting and hospital setting, not just one path.
• hospital or physician's office setting without a license.
• hospital or physician's office setting without a license.
• Yes. hospital or physician's office setting without a license.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 20, 2026, with eight members present and approved the prior meeting minutes. The committee first advanced SB 1224, which requires DCFS to look into cases where a child under 17 is involved in a pregnancy, with added oversight for children under 12; it was reported favorably. The committee also favorably reported SB 1100, described as repealing an outdated statute. White Coat Day remarks welcomed physicians to the Capitol and thanked them for their service, including efforts to improve Medicaid reimbursement. Several health-related bills were then heard and advanced. HB 1220, a continuation of prior work to codify provisions related to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and physician licensure, was reported favorably. HB 1231 clarified that Medicaid coverage for continuous glucose monitoring applies to insulin-dependent patients, including those with gestational diabetes, and was also reported favorably. HB 198, which sets reimbursement rates for ambulatory surgery centers for certain Medicaid procedures such as colonoscopies, eye, ENT, and gastroenterology services, passed favorably. HB 1160, creating a streamlined restricted license pathway for qualified international medical graduates, prompted a lengthy exchange about delayed rulemaking and whether the board had added requirements beyond statute; despite concerns, it was reported favorably. The committee also advanced several resolutions and oversight measures. HCR 67, prompted by a personal family experience with a special-needs child’s acute care needs, creates a task force to study gaps in acute care for special-needs adults and children; it was amended and reported favorably. HCR 27, calling for a statewide evaluation of autism services by LDH and the Department of Education, was reported favorably. HB 223, which recreates DCFS, was amended to shorten the sunset date and require law enforcement reporting through a secure web platform, then reported favorably. HCR 28, creating a task force on school nurse orientation and training for new graduates, was reported favorably after testimony from school nurses about the lack of standardized orientation and the risks of placing inexperienced nurses alone in schools. The committee also took up HB 469, which would allow pharmacy license renewal applicants to designate a portion of fees to eligible schools including Xavier University’s College of Pharmacy; after opposition from Senator Cloud and a roll call, the bill was deferred. HB 1182, a cleanup bill changing the occupational therapy certifying entity and adjusting fees, and HB 1076, eliminating one of two sunset provisions for the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board, were both reported favorably. HB 1216, a major rewrite of clinical laboratory personnel rules, was deferred after concerns that it would restrict existing phlebotomy and lab functions in ways that could conflict with recent law. Finally, HB 457 and HB 616, both by Representative Knox and focused on homelessness, drew extensive testimony: HB 457 established minimum standards for shelters and similar facilities and was reported favorably as amended, while HB 616 would allow audits of homelessness-related funding and databases; after debate over privacy, federal funding oversight, and accountability, the committee adopted an amendment changing enforcement language from "may" to "shall" and continued hearing testimony from opponents and supporters.

Transcript Highlights:

• prescriptive Authority with a license prescriptive Authority with a license requirement<00:15:10.199
• <00:19:00.559> and<00:19:00.720> Licensing says that the Regulation and Licensing says
• the opportunity for a license.
• I always desire to hold a license.
• We are not against licensing.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Health and Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard two midwifery bills, with testimony focused primarily on HB 1194. Committee chairs opened the hearing with rules for Zoom testimony and noted the bills relate to midwives. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said it supported the intent of HB 1194 and offered comments. Supporters of the bill, including the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, argued that midwifery should remain subject to mandatory licensure to protect consumer safety, citing the state’s regulatory licensing standards and a 2025 state auditor sunset analysis. They said the bill would strengthen educational standards and public protection, and some offered clarifying amendments. Opponents argued HB 1194 would restrict access to care and fail to protect traditional, cultural, and community-based birth practices. Testifiers from the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force, the Hawaii Home Birth Collective, the Libertarian Party of Hawaii, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Pacific Birth Collective, and Papa Ola Lōkahi said the bill would limit licensure pathways, reduce access in rural and underserved areas, and burden Native Hawaiian and traditional practitioners. Several speakers said the measure could worsen Hawaii’s maternal health shortages, especially on Maui, and urged lawmakers to defer HB 1194 or instead advance HB 1328, which they said better protects practitioner access and cultural practices. The Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives said it opposed HB 1194 because it did not align with national or state standards for certified midwives and could create conflicts with Medicaid reimbursement and prescriptive authority. The ACLU also opposed the measure, emphasizing reproductive rights, privacy, and the need to preserve apprenticeship pathways to licensure. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.