Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the CFO of Kids Developmental Therapy and Kids Developmental Clinic.
• The impact of underfunding therapy has been borne out in the data reported in HHSC's biannual therapy
• I'm asking that SB 1 include a 10 percent increase to pediatric therapy services. Thank you.
• , and speech therapy, as well as specialized skills services and service coordination.
• Therapy or talk therapy is an early intervention, ultimately reducing reliance on emergency rooms, inpatient

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• reclassifies registered interns as registered associates for clinical social work, marriage and family therapy
• reclassifies registered interns as registered associates for clinical social work, marriage and family therapy
• We have Melinda Pillar with the Florida Family Therapy Alliance, waves in support.
• I'm currently getting my PhD in marriage and family therapy over at Florida State University.
• Therapy over at Florida State University. So is this a different bill? Never mind. I'm so sorry.

Summary: The Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee met with a quorum present and considered two bills. HB 361, by Rep. Nix, would reclassify registered interns as registered associates for clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental health counseling, and would streamline supervision rules by removing the requirement that licensed supervisors be physically present in private practice settings. Supporters said the bill would modernize terminology, reduce barriers to practice, and expand access to mental health care while maintaining supervision and public safety. Several members raised concerns about possible unintended effects on community health centers and Medicaid workforce issues, but the bill drew broad support and passed 17-0, reported favorably. The committee then heard HB 1341, by Rep. Gonzales Pittman, which is aimed at preventing misuse of physician specialty titles and limiting those titles to practitioners who are actually board-certified in the specialty they claim. The sponsor emphasized that the bill does not address the general use of “doctor” or “physician,” only specialty designations such as dermatologist, gynecologist, neurologist, or plastic surgeon. Testimony in support came from medical and professional groups, including anesthesiologists and plastic surgeons, who said clearer titles help patients know who is treating them and improve safety. The Florida Optometric Association opposed the bill, arguing it could create confusion or omit optometric titles and other designations. Two amendments were adopted without objection. One removed a hospital name-tag requirement from the bill. The other changed a claims-denial provision so that denial letters need only disclose that a Florida-licensed physician in good standing made the decision, while the insurer must retain the physician’s identifying information for potential litigation or discovery. Some members supported the privacy protections, while others questioned whether the amendment was germane to the bill. As amended, HB 1341 passed 13-4 and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2773 is a sunset vehicle for the Board of Occupational Therapy.
• A.B 2773 is a sunset vehicle for the Board of Occupational Therapy.
• Jessica Rana, with Capital Advocacy on behalf of the Occupational Therapy Association of California,
• He said AB 2774 is a sunset bill for the Physical Therapy Board of California.
• Carl London, on behalf of the California Physical Therapy Association, offered brief support.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And even for EGA, I think we changed it to Equine Therapy.
• And even for EGA, I think we changed it to Equine Therapy.
• And even for EGA, I think we changed it to Equine Therapy.
• And even for EGA, I think we changed it to Equine Therapy.
• <00:57:07.680> we think we changed it to Equine Therapy we think we changed it to Equine Therapy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of access to non-opioid therapies. of access to non-opioid therapies.
• Step therapy can be know, is a barrier.
• nonalopathic therapies like behavioral therapies<00:07:18.960> um<00:07:19.199> chiropractic
• <00:07:19.919> care, therapies um chiropractic care, therapies um chiropractic care, acupuncture
• therapies as well. therapies as well.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to point out that there are many women who still receive various types of hormone therapy
• receive various types of hormone therapy receive various types of hormone therapy especially<00:
• <00:11:11.480> by uh concerns that estrogen therapy by uh concerns that estrogen therapy by
• hormone therapy for everybody it's<00:11:27.639> Banning<00:11:28.040> it<00:11:28.360
• This session, we're looking to do away with hormone therapy. We just voted to send that out.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They do not receive therapy, yet are still held to the same treatment-based release requirements.
• So therapy is imperative. They should be in therapy, not once a week, not once a month.
• Every day, they should have some kind of therapy.
• If not one-on-one therapy, then at least group therapy should be every day.
• They need to have more therapy than what they currently receive.

Bills: HB1826, HB1969, HB2708, HB2729, HB3618, HB4515, HB4764, SB1021, SB1610

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, inmate release, identification certificate, Texas Department of Corrections, personal identification, driver's license, state law, reentry services, nondisclosure, criminal history, criminal defendants, community supervision, misdemeanors, felonies, rehabilitation, hearsay

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you discharge them from therapy.
• , if patients are not going to therapy, if patients are not going to therapy, you<00:35:30.480>
• We're calling the boards of nursing, physical therapy, and medical imaging and radiation therapy. 2011
• > therapy.
• <01:23:54.480> 2011 imaging and radiation therapy. 2011 imaging and radiation therapy. 2011

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee met on October 14, approved the minutes, and then took up a large group of staff-suggested amendments to multiple regulations. Those staff amendments were approved without objection and were described as technical changes needed to comply with KRS Chapter 13A and other governing law. The committee then moved out of order to consider Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure regulation 2011 KAR 9:270, which governs buprenorphine prescribing and related standards. Board representatives said the regulation has been updated over time since 2015 and that the current amendments are intended to streamline the rule, remove outdated federal references such as the X-waiver, narrow education requirements to addiction-related topics, and create exceptions for settings like emergency rooms and certain pain treatment situations. The agency amendment would also allow buprenorphine monoproduct for up to 30 days when a patient is transitioning from a full opioid agonist, and would add physicians certified in addiction medicine as eligible specialty consultants. Board officials said the regulation was developed through a two-year process with a work group, informal outreach to medical organizations, and multiple comment periods, and they argued the rule is working because overdose deaths have declined and provider numbers have increased. Several witnesses and committee members raised concerns that the regulation remains too restrictive. Senator Rocky Adams noted that major medical organizations had said the proposed language could restrict access and worsen overdose risk, and he questioned whether the committee was being asked to choose between conflicting expert views. Opponents, including a medical student, a recovery advocate, and Dr. Colleen Ryan of the Kentucky Society of Addiction Medicine, argued the rule is outdated, creates unnecessary barriers to buprenorphine treatment, and should be repealed or substantially revised to align with federal guidance and evidence-based care. They said rigid requirements can discourage treatment and that addiction should be treated like other chronic illnesses. No final vote on the medical licensure regulation is reflected in the transcript excerpt, and the discussion ended with the chair preparing to hear from additional opponents.

Transcript Highlights:

• First on our agenda is House Bill 255, an act relating to physical therapy.
• First on our agenda is House Bill 255, an act relating to physical therapy.
• Stephen Curley, I'm the executive director for the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy.
• This bill will update the statutes governing the Commonwealth of Kentucky's physical therapy board.
• There's no changes to the practice of physical therapy.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on March 27, 2025, with a quorum present and first took up House Bill 255, relating to physical therapy. The bill sponsor and representatives of the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy and APTA Kentucky said the measure is mainly a cleanup and modernization bill that updates outdated statutory language, changes PTAs from “certified” to “licensed,” gives the board authority to purchase liability insurance, moves fee and fine caps into regulation without changing current fees, renames temporary permits as provisional licenses, and creates a pathway to more easily recognize some internationally trained physical therapists already practicing in other states. Senators asked whether the bill changed training, scope of practice, Medicaid, or supervised practice standards; witnesses said it did not, and that supervised practice requirements remain in place with out-of-state practice accepted only when equivalent or more stringent. The committee approved HB 255 with favorable expression. The committee then considered House Bill 618, an alcoholic beverages measure with a Senate committee substitute. The bill was described as having three parts: allowing restaurants to buy limited quantities of alcohol from retail outlets to meet customer demand while keeping the three-tier system intact and requiring quarterly reporting; creating a temporary auctioneer license to auction previously retail-sold alcohol in original packaging, such as estate or bourbon collections; and giving quota bar license holders the same opportunity restaurants already have to sell barrel picks by the bottle. Testimony supported the bill as a way to help restaurants, auctioneers, and bars, while a senator raised a question about sales tax on auction sales and another noted that nonprofit or church-related alcohol auctions already require permits under existing law. One senator suggested future guardrails to encourage local purchasing, but no amendment was adopted. The committee passed HB 618 with favorable expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• therapy for autistic children. therapy for autistic children.
• <00:21:28.960> in Pikeville to Bloom Behavior Therapy in Pikeville to Bloom Behavior Therapy
• , occupational therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis.
• ABA is the most effective form of therapy for children with autism.
• . therapy. therapy.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The faster a diagnosis is made, the sooner a patient can work to limit the damage with therapies, medication
• , or clinical trials, which may slow disease progression or... ...therapies, medication, or clinical
• However, while research into enzyme replacement therapy, gene therapy, and other possible treatments
• Ensuring timely access to emerging therapies and participation in clinical trials is critical.
• I have speech therapy twice a week. I have eye therapy. I have therapy all the time.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate met with a quorum, approved the journals, and took up several gubernatorial appointments. Senators confirmed Clint Kellum as Director of the Cannabis Control Department, Jennifer Osborne as Director of the Department of Industrial Relations, Dr. Trinidad Solis and Dr. Gerald Tolbrook to the Medical Board of California, with roll-call votes showing broad support. The chamber also adopted a request to remove SB 830 from the inactive file for return to the Assembly. A major portion of the session was devoted to Senate Resolution 97, recognizing May as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. Senators from multiple caucuses spoke in support, highlighting AAPI contributions to California, histories of exclusion and discrimination, solidarity with other communities, and the importance of visibility and representation. The resolution was adopted 39-0. The Senate also recognized numerous AAPI community honorees and guests, including leaders in advocacy, education, business, and public service. Members then adopted several awareness resolutions: SCR 168 designating May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, SCR 148 declaring May 23, 2026 as GM1 gangliosidosis awareness day, SR 95 proclaiming May as ALS Awareness Month, SCR 156 recognizing Stroke Awareness Month, and SR 110 marking National Hospital Week in California. Each measure was supported by personal testimony or remarks from members and guests, often tied to lived experience or advocacy work, and each passed unanimously or by unanimous consent. The Senate also honored retiring California Professional Firefighters president Brian Rice and heard additional floor recognitions before adjourning until May 14, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• The second one was just to say she can do therapy.
• So that time is critical for folks to get the physical therapy that they need instead of waiting for.
• These children require intensive, frequent, and highly individualized therapy.
• They may also need occupational and physical therapy, early intervention programs, and ongoing support
• We must continue to fight for state and federal investments in special education and therapy services

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am Nina Guerrero, the clinical director at Sounding Joy Music Therapy, the only nonprofit music therapy
• Please help us have these people... telea Health speech therapy services telea Health speech therapy
• , including CT cell therapy treatment.
• , including CT cell therapy treatment.
• , including CT cell therapy treatment.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Finance informational briefing on grants and aids was held February 14 and was organized as a high-volume public testimony session with strict procedures: no Q&A, one representative per applicant, one minute per testimony, in-person testimony first, and then Zoom participants. The chairs also announced a recess at 11:00 a.m. for floor sessions and a reconvening at 1:00 p.m. Testimony was heard first from neighbor island applicants, then Oʻahu applicants, with members repeatedly directing speakers to line up and keep remarks brief. Neighbor island testimony focused on a wide range of capital and operating requests. Health and community projects included Hawaii Island Community Health Center’s workforce housing in Kau, Wuli Hawaiian Homestead Association’s learning center and predevelopment work, Rescue Tube Foundation’s beach rescue tube expansion, Puna Community Medical Center’s planned hospital/ER campus, Maui Humane Society’s free veterinary care after the wildfires, Hawaiʻi Care Choices’ palliative care readiness, and the Lyman Museum’s HVAC replacement. Other requests included the Maui Advanced Manufacturing Alliance’s Pāʻia Mill redevelopment, Laua 2020’s preschool and learning lab, Mālama Aina’s USDA-compliant meat processing facility, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association’s water safety programs, Kaha P Organization’s agriculture education support, Ohana Arts’ youth performance project, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center’s emergency closet, EOA Pacific’s Marshall Islands teacher training, and the Central Pacific Youth Athletic Club’s new facility. Oʻahu testimony included the YWCA Oʻahu/Pythink Center’s renovation of Juliet M. Atherton Hall and its community kitchen, West Oʻahu Community Health Center’s wildfire protection and security needs, the Early School’s playground improvements, Surfing the Nations’ food distribution center expansion, and Sounding Joy Music Therapy’s weekly services for people with disabilities. Speakers generally emphasized community benefit, workforce development, health access, food security, disaster recovery, and support for children, seniors, and underserved populations. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE BILL AUTHORIZES SPECIFIC DOCTORS TO PERFORM FDA APPROVED STEM CELL THERAPIES FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL
• CLARIFIES THE DEFINITIONS OF STEM CELL THERAPIES AND ALSO MAKES SURE THAT THE THERAPIES ARE UTILIZING
• CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING THESE TYPES OF THERAPIES ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. >> Chair
• WHO DEAL WITH VERY DIFFICULT SITUATIONS BUT THE PROMISE OF STEM CELL THERAPIES IS PRETTY SUPERIOR TO
• AND REALLY CREATING THE GUARDRAILS AROUND ALLOWING THESE THERAPIES TO HAPPEN HERE IN THE STATE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and occupational therapy students from across Texas to your Capitol.
• Occupational therapy is a vital profession that empowers individuals of all ages to live fuller, more
• We know that occupational therapy is not just about rehabilitation.
• We remain committed to policies that expand access to occupational therapy services across our state.
• To all the occupational therapy practitioners that are here today and all the students, thank you for

Summary: The Texas Senate convened with a quorum, heard the governor’s emergency message outlining priority issues for the session, including property tax relief, water supply and infrastructure funding, universal education savings accounts, teacher pay, career and technical education, creation of a Texas Cyber Command, and bail reform. The governor also submitted a State of the State message and several appointment nominations for Senate confirmation. The chamber then took up a series of ceremonial resolutions and recognitions for McAllen Day, UTSA and UT Health San Antonio Day, Wise County Day, and Houston East End Chamber of Commerce East End Day, along with visits from the Houston Realty Business Coalition, Cedar Creek Chamber of Commerce, Webb County/Laredo delegates, UT Dallas McDermott Scholars, Andrews County officials, and occupational therapy professionals and students. Several senators spoke in support of the recognitions, highlighting local economic development, higher education, public health, and regional history. McAllen was praised for its growth, business climate, and cultural significance; Laredo and Webb County were recognized for trade, the Washington’s Birthday Celebration, and cross-border ties; UTSA and UT Health were commended for research, cybersecurity, and health science work; and UT Dallas scholars were recognized for academic achievement and public service. Wise County, the East End of Houston, and Andrews County were also described in terms of their economic contributions and community heritage. The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 27 for McAllen Day and Senate Resolution 32 for UTSA and UT Health San Antonio Day without objection. It also adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, which granted permission for either house to adjourn for more than three days between February 5 and February 11, by a recorded vote of 30 ayes and 0 nays. Additional resolutions listed on the calendar were adopted without objection, and the Senate recessed until noon on Wednesday, February 5.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the other three, ...that I represent, Madam Chair, are occupational therapy.
• , speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and emergency EMS.
• We are now on House Bill 12, Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, and there is a substitute.
• We're on the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact.
• So we are next on House Bill 13, Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota has been a world leader in utilizing cellular therapies for these disorders.
• And more recently, we've assisted in international trials testing gene therapies, as we believe these
• Earlier this week at our clinic, I saw three babies that have undergone gene therapies for neurological
• Both are recently treated with gene therapy, where their blood stem cells were removed and engineered
• A little boy who is here from Kansas is a few weeks behind in his therapy, and his enzyme levels are

Transcript Highlights:

• CAR T-cell therapy is a treatment that uses a patient's own immune system to fight cancer.
• House Bill 357, relating to health benefit plan coverage for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy
• House Bill 357, relating to health benefit plan coverage for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy
• To health benefit plan coverage for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.
• House Bill 3749, relating to the regulation of the provision of elective intravenous therapy.

Summary: The Senate first adopted a motion by Senator Zaffirini to suspend Senate Rule 5.14 and move the intent calendar deadline to 8:00 p.m. that day, also allowing the Secretary to make the calendar available as soon as practicable. The chamber then took up and passed several House bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. HB 2128, relating to a study of rural firefighting and technical rescue capabilities, passed unanimously. HB 4157, on liability protections for commercial spaceflight and exploration, passed 28-3. HB 2240, concerning certain void marriages, passed after adoption of a Birdwell amendment extending filing deadlines to 90 days for certain active-duty service members and Foreign Service officers. HB 367, on verification of excused absences for students with severe or life-threatening illnesses, passed unanimously after clarifying school district forms and TEA model forms. HB 1506, expanding expedited handgun license eligibility to certain retired county court judges, passed 29-2. HB 4449, on alcohol sales in annexed municipal areas, passed 29-2. HB 3812, on health plan prior authorization requirements, passed 30-1. The Senate also announced a long list of bills and resolutions signed in the presence of the Senate. A major portion of the meeting centered on HB 521, a voting-related bill on curbside voting for voters with disabilities. Senator Paxton described it as an anti-misuse measure requiring a signed eligibility form for curbside voting, creating a 20-foot electioneering buffer, limiting election officer assistance in marking ballots unless a second officer is present, and adding reporting requirements for people who assist seven or more curbside voters. Senators Miles, Menendez, Johnson, Campbell, Cook, and others questioned whether the bill would burden disabled voters, create a de facto registry of volunteers, and impose a harsh Class A misdemeanor penalty for failing to complete the form. Paxton said the bill was intended to protect legitimate curbside voters and curb abuse, and the chamber adopted Paxton Floor Amendment No. 1 after a recorded vote. Zaffirini’s Floor Amendment No. 2, allowing an escorting voter to receive his or her own ballot at the curbside or entrance, was adopted. Menendez’s Floor Amendment No. 3 to reduce the penalty failed. The bill was then passed to third reading on a 20-11 vote, with a motion by Senator Miles to have the exchanges reduced to writing and placed in the journal adopted. The Senate also passed HB 3000, creating a grant program for rural ambulance service providers, after a comptroller-related amendment; HB 5616, establishing the Texas Presidential Library Promotion Program and funding for traveling exhibits, after narrowing the bill to mobile exhibits only; HB 4211, addressing certain residential property interests controlled by entities, which passed 30-1; HB 1178, creating temporary educator certificates for out-of-state certified educators and military spouses, which passed unanimously; HB 2243, creating the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention, which passed after debate over the need to streamline education mandates; and HB 42, increasing and reallocating the constitutional Higher Education Fund appropriation by 50% to $1.18 billion, which passed 31-0. Finally, HB 2512, a Fort Worth-specific bill limiting ETJ release for land subject to active development agreements, passed after debate over broader ETJ and de-annexation policy, with a local-only clarifying amendment adopted and a proposed broader amendment withdrawn. The meeting ended with the Senate beginning consideration of HB 3372, which would bar school district administrators from receiving financial benefits tied to outside consulting or contracting with education entities, though the transcript cuts off during questions on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• See where they're sending their patients for things like MRI, physical therapy, and things like that.
• What they're trying to do is implement utilization management or step therapies or that sort of thing
• , or maybe the child of one person who needs one of these therapies, and that therapy could cost, you
• Now, again, these are therapies; these are life-saving treatments.
• Not everybody will want to get this treatment because of how intensive this therapy is.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , excellent work in play therapy, excellent work in play therapy, congratulations<00:07:15.480>
• occupations, massage therapy occupations, massage therapy advertising,<00:25:53.560> favorable
• issued by the Massage Therapy Board. issued by the Massage Therapy Board.
• The bill modifying CDS drug therapy.
• midwife to participate in a therapy midwife to participate in a therapy management<00:28:34.760>

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened on March 10, 2026, established a quorum, and began with an invocation by Reverend Damien Flowers, which was journalized without objection. The chamber then recognized several guests and honorees, including Dr. Courtney Glickman for being named 2025 Play Therapist of the Year, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Dr. Sonja B. Santelises for her leadership of Baltimore City Public Schools, students shadowing legislators, Navy Alliance representatives, the Maryland Alliance for Advocacy for Sickle Cell, and Ms. Kimberly Body for her lupus advocacy. The Senate also journalized prior remarks about the 6888 regiment. The Finance Committee report then moved several bills forward. Senate Bill 348 would allow hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to contact, rather than only call, patients after high-risk pregnancies; its amendments were adopted and the bill was ordered to third reading. Senate Bill 390 on Wicomico County liquor licenses was laid over under the rule. Senate Bill 492, addressing massage therapy advertising and prohibiting misleading sexual-service advertising, was amended and sent to third reading. Senate Bill 562, concerning pharmacist-prescriber agreements for opioid use disorder treatment, was amended and advanced. Senate Bill 773 would let pharmacists order certain vaccines, including intranasal flu vaccines, for self-administration and was advanced without amendment. Senate Bill 53, on Maryland Port Administration land acquisition notice in Anne Arundel County, was amended and advanced. Senate Bill 428 would bar cost-sharing for collaborative care model services under Medicaid and private coverage and was advanced without amendment. Senate Bill 473 would require human trafficking awareness training for for-hire and transportation network drivers; its amendments were adopted and it was sent to third reading. Senate Bill 585 would shift administration of the human relevant research fund from Health to Agriculture and was advanced. Senate Bill 606, the Easy Pass Commuter Fairness and Transparency Act, would require an MDTA report on commuter plans and unused trips; its amendment was moved as the transcript ended. During debate on Senate Bill 917, which would expand the definition of audiology practice to include certain screenings and non-radiographic imaging, a senator questioned whether the bill would make Maryland the only state restricting a health occupation from performing Medicare-required screenings. The floor leader said the committee had heard that claim in testimony but had not verified it, and the senator moved to special order the bill for amendment, which was granted without objection. Most other bills were reported favorably, with committee amendments adopted without objection and several bills ordered printed for third reading.