Transcript Highlights:

• LLS's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, myeloma, and other blood cancers to improve
• the quality of life for more than 1.3 million people in the United States living with blood cancer and
• For people living with blood cancer, prior authorization requirements can cause delays or lapses in care
• I saw a 33-year-old male with type 1 diabetes who had uncontrolled blood sugars on his current medications
• They are clinically complex and understandably anxious about the diagnostic tests and receiving treatment

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on several health care access and insurance-related bills, with most testimony focused on H.1136 to improve the prior authorization process. The Massachusetts Medical Society, Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Health Care for All, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, physicians, and hospital representatives all supported the bill, arguing that prior authorization delays care, increases administrative burden, contributes to clinician burnout, and can worsen patient outcomes. Witnesses described examples involving delayed cancer treatment, diabetes care, COPD medication, shingles pain treatment, and hospital discharge delays. They said the bill would preserve prior authorization but add guardrails such as longer validity periods, continuity-of-care protections, faster responses for urgent care, clearer lists of services requiring authorization, and more transparency and standardization. The committee also heard testimony on H.1142/S.783 regarding equitable reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), with Senator Lovely and CRNA advocates supporting parity with physician anesthesiologists. They said CRNAs provide the same services at the same standard of care, but private insurers sometimes reimburse them at lower rates than physicians, which they argued is inconsistent with federal and state policy and harms access. Senator Keenan testified in support of a bill addressing claim denials and appeals, saying insurers should provide clearer explanations, time to resubmit claims, and timely appeal responses. Dr. Lorraine Schratz supported H.1126 to align state patient disclosure requirements with federal No Surprises Act rules, and Dr. Michael Trimbley supported H.1120 to recognize direct primary care as not being insurance and to encourage primary care participation. The committee also heard testimony on H.1140/S.801 to remove barriers to patient care by updating insurance statutes to reflect nurse practitioners’ full practice authority, and on H.1168/S.A.18 to eliminate the PCP referral requirement for specialty gynecological care. Witnesses on those bills described delays and denials affecting autism diagnosis, nutrition coverage, and endometriosis care, and said the proposals would reduce unnecessary barriers and improve timely access. After testimony and a few member questions, the chair closed the hearing; no votes were taken during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• about that and I'm curious to<00:26:38.320><c> the</c><00:26:38.440><c> last</c><00:26:38.640><c> test
• fire</c><00:26:39.520><c> um</c><00:26:39.880><c> who</c><00:26:40.080><c> operates</c> to the last test
• of fire um who operates to the last test of fire um who operates the<00:26:40.880><c> Fairmont</c><00
• </c> more family than some of your own blood more family than some of your own blood relatives<00:48:
• </c><00:49:58.960><c> related</c> god parents that were not blood related god parents that were not blood

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• private well water, we go down and do blood testing.
• Data or in the mid June time frame about uh our PFOS blood testing, PFOS water testing, uh, and, and
• uh private well water testing, not homes or addresses or anything like that, but we're going to be able
• water for the cattle and and the the dairies have been testing the milk products, etc. so that we are
• We haven't spent that much at Holloman, blood testing, etc. OK, thank you, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Things like test and fill those gaps.
• In Wyoming there's currently only one blood bank available.
• </c> blood donation. blood donation.
• </c> blood bank available. blood bank available.
• Um the Presidential Fitness Test. six. Um the Presidential Fitness Test.

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The committee opened by explaining it would work through a long list of interim topics one at a time and asked members to complete a selection form at the end. The first topic, long-term care, drew testimony from AARP Wyoming and the Wyoming Long-Term Care Association. AARP emphasized Wyoming’s aging population, the state’s roughly $200 million annual Medicaid spending on long-term care, and the need to examine whether more support for home-based care could reduce nursing home use and costs. The association agreed with supporting people at home as long as possible, but asked that any study also consider increased support for nursing homes and assisted living when home care is no longer feasible. Committee discussion also touched on adult day care and PACE-like services, with Mr. Laycock noting prior Department of Health discussion and limited adult day availability due to reimbursement concerns. The committee then heard proposals for neonatal intensive care unit family leave, expanded midwifery scope, and a modification to workers’ compensation law. The NICU leave idea, presented by the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, would explore leave options for families with premature infants in intensive care, potentially paid or unpaid, while considering business size and the burden on families who may need out-of-state care. The midwifery topic was framed as a way to address rural maternity and women’s health gaps by allowing midwives to practice to the full extent of their training. On workers’ compensation, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities sought to classify dispatch personnel as first responders so they could receive mental health coverage under workers’ compensation; the Department of Workforce Services explained that current law covers dispatchers under workers’ compensation generally, but the first responder mental health provision added in 2018 applies to law enforcement and firefighters and does not currently include dispatchers. Other topics included problematic gaming and program funding, breast cancer diagnostic and supplemental exams, prescription drug coverage for advanced metastatic cancer, SNAP education, behavioral health workforce clinical training site shortages, CPR in schools, and broader midwifery oversight. The behavioral health workforce proposal, brought by a WICHE commissioner, focused on increasing psychology internship slots in Wyoming, noting that the state currently has only three and that expanding placements could improve recruitment and retention. The CPR in schools topic drew strong support from the American Heart Association, which argued that CPR training in high school could improve bystander response in a rural state with long EMS response times; committee members asked about cost and curriculum fit, and the witnesses said hands-only CPR could be taught by school staff rather than requiring expensive certification. The midwifery discussion later broadened into concerns about oversight and standards after a representative described a constituent’s pregnancy loss and said complaints involving midwifery practice and staffing delays in investigations warranted a deeper review. No votes were taken during the portion provided, and most topics were simply introduced, discussed, and left open for further testimony or later committee selection.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no clinical testing.
• A member asked what the cost of the PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, blood test is compared with the
• Jameson replied that the blood test costs maybe $30 to $50.
• test, not so much.
• test, not so much.

Bills: HB2176, HB2333, HB2435, HB2447, HB2617, HB2683, HB2686, HB2725, HB2726, HB2906, HB2953, HB2958

Keywords: health care, licensure, complaints, investigation, safety, patient care, regulatory compliance, prosthetics, orthotics, health insurance, Medicare, medical necessity, disability rights, coverage, reimbursement, internationally trained physicians, medical board, clinical training, provisional license, healthcare workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the Red Cross's most essential initiatives is its nationwide blood donation program.
• Every two seconds, someone in the United States requires a blood transfusion.
• Speaker, I encourage all healthy Americans to consider giving blood or plasma.
• blood</c><02:12:47.599><c> and</c><02:12:47.760><c> the</c> critical need for blood and the critical
• </c><04:27:07.960><c> pressure</c> diabetes asthma and high blood pressure diabetes asthma and high blood

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:20:14.880><c> was</c> and the year the germination test was and the year the germination test
• Number two, they want to include something about testing.
• What they would like to see is agricultural land tested prior to the application of biosolids.
• What we would like to see is an testing.
• That's what this particular test was looking for.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The May revision proposes to reinstate the full asset test limit, no sooner than January 1, 2027.
• About 112,000 individuals became eligible for Medi-Cal when we eliminated the asset tests.
• Motion number 24. million allocation, which was allocated to the Center for Inherited Blood Disorders
• We provide the testing behind emergency blood transfusions, critical diagnoses, infection detection,
• We also oppose the proposal related to the asset limit test and cap on PACE rates.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff were able to do rapid testing to determine whether she had acquired an STI.
• And we have $17 million in federal funding to test this out.
• The transforming maternal health model aligns and then allows us to test different models, different
• , like a liter of blood at their delivery.
• So if you come in low, your chances of getting a blood transfusion is higher.

Summary: The hearing focused on reproductive and maternal health inequities affecting Latina, Black, and Indigenous women in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that disparities are rooted in long histories of exclusion, coercion, and underinvestment. Members and witnesses discussed the need to address language access, immigration-related fear, continuity of care, and the role of community-based supports such as promotora programs, doulas, community health workers, and culturally responsive education. The first panel highlighted the history of forced sterilization and reproductive oppression in California, the work of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Planned Parenthood affiliates’ care and education programs, and Black Women for Wellness’s community-led maternal health advocacy and policy priorities. Witnesses described how current barriers include fear of ICE and public charge, loss of funding for community organizations, gaps in Medi-Cal access, and the erosion of trust caused by discrimination and inconsistent care. Legislators asked about measuring trust, the impact of immigration enforcement on care-seeking, and how to respond to federal funding cuts. Panelists said the state should invest in community-based organizations, maintain public coverage and safety-net programs, and support the ecosystems of care that connect health services with housing, legal aid, and education. The second part of the hearing turned to state maternal health efforts. Officials from the California Department of Public Health and the Department of Health Care Services described programs including Black Infant Health, the Perinatal Equity Initiative, the Pregnancy Associated Review Committee, the birthing care pathway, the postpartum pathway concept paper, and the Transforming Maternal Health model. They said California is updating policies to better support doulas, community health workers, lactation services, and postpartum transitions, and that Medi-Cal coverage is protected for 12 months postpartum. They also noted that most pregnancy-related deaths now occur after delivery and that the highest risks involve cardiovascular disease, mental health, infection, and birth complications. ACOG representatives closed by describing professional education efforts on racism, implicit bias, immigrant rights, and respectful care, and by recommending hospital-level quality improvement projects that use existing data to identify and close equity gaps. They stressed that effective change requires measurable, transparent outcomes, involvement of impacted patients and communities, and sustained institutional accountability. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2021, of drivers who were killed in vehicle crashes and tested, about 50% of those drivers tested
• You know, if they're testing positive, test it positive.
• When tested by blood draw four hours later, her BAC was 0.24.
• In September of last year, he was driving at a 0.26 blood alcohol level.
• We invite you to test it out. Thank you. Hi, I'm Julie Nicholson.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Afterwards, determined that there was blood going in places it wasn't intended.
• to run the test.
• </c> then that you go and you do the testing then that you go and you do the testing on<02:01:51.440>
• to test uh vaccine to test uh vaccine safety<03:37:45.279><c> uh</c><03:37:45.680><c> uh</c><03:37:46.040
• Uh, can you give some examples that did have placebo tests?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs heard testimony on House Bill 606, as amended, a bill aimed at preventing physicians from denying medically necessary sterilizing or fertility-affecting treatment based on a patient’s age, number of children, marital status, or a doctor’s speculation about future reproductive intentions. Representative Ellen Reed, the sponsor, described the bill as a response to her own long experience with PCOS, heavy bleeding, and repeated refusals by doctors to perform a hysterectomy despite her clear wishes. She said the amendment narrows the bill to medically necessary care, adds definitions for “medical condition” and “appropriate reproductive care,” and removes earlier provisions about voluntary sterilization referrals. She also said the bill does not target religious objections, and that doctors could still refuse for medical, payment, or existing religious reasons not addressed by the bill. Committee members asked about religious freedom, informed consent versus waivers, and the scope of the new definitions. Reed responded that religion was not added to the list of prohibited reasons for denial, and that the amendment is intended to protect doctors when patients sign informed consent or waivers. She explained that “appropriate reproductive care” includes procedures such as hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, salpingectomy, and endometrial ablation, and that the bill now focuses on medically necessary treatment rather than elective sterilization. She said the change was intended to make the proposal narrower and more tailored after earlier concerns. Several witnesses supported the bill with personal accounts of being denied hysterectomies or other procedures despite serious symptoms. Representative Lauren Selig described a decade-long effort to obtain a hysterectomy after years of cycle problems and migraines, saying doctors dismissed her concerns and treated her symptoms as normal. Jade Flad also testified in support, saying she had long been told to simply endure her cycle problems and noted that her husband was offered a vasectomy without similar barriers. The sponsor said online support was strong and that there was little or no written opposition testimony. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We carried out the first pilot study by testing 30,000 newborn dried blood spots using the method of
• We check their blood pressure. We educate them on chronic disease management.
• ><c> thinner</c><00:59:00.960><c> via</c> fills his brandame blood thinner via fills his brandame blood
• We check their blood pressure. walk-ins. We check their blood pressure.
• </c><01:09:57.440><c> in</c> middle ground approach first tested in middle ground approach first tested

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes sense for ADE to thoughtfully consider fitness tests.
• Have your kids had a blood test recently?
• Yet eighth grade test scores stagnated. Academic achievement.
• However, fitness testing inappropriately used can be harmful.
• Everybody, I guess it runs in the blood.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several education-related bills. HB 2395 would create a voluntary Arizona School Fitness Program in ADE to recognize schools that participate in nationally recognized fitness testing, allow schools to note the designation on report cards, and direct ADE to issue guidelines and best practices. Supporters argued it would encourage student activity and improve health and achievement without penalties; it passed with a due pass recommendation on a 6-0 vote, with two members not voting. HB 2409, the Getting Arizona Ready for AI Act, would create an Arizona Artificial Intelligence Program in ADE to offer voluntary summer AI courses around the state, including digital hygiene/civic integrity and small-business/entrepreneurship components, with optional facility use and possible academic credit. The sponsor said the bill was meant to prepare students for AI-driven job disruption while keeping the program voluntary and low-cost. It passed 4-2 with one not voting. HB 2203 would require ADE to review school and agency reporting requirements, identify duplicative or obsolete reports, and recommend consolidation or repeal; a technical amendment was adopted and the bill passed unanimously by those voting. HB 2008 would bar school libraries from using public funds to pay professional associations for libraries and librarians; opponents called it unnecessary and constitutionally problematic, while supporters framed it as limiting public spending. It passed 4-2 with one not voting. The committee also heard HB 2075, which would require school districts to submit superintendent and CFO contracts to ADE, post them online, and maintain a searchable database and annual compensation report. Supporters said it would improve transparency and prevent excessive or hidden compensation, while opponents argued it unfairly targeted district schools and should, if anything, apply to all publicly funded schools. After extended debate over transparency and comparisons to charter schools and ESAs, the bill received a due pass recommendation on a 4-2 vote with one not voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, Senator Gonzales, yes, any warm-blooded animal is susceptible to infestation.
• With the TB testing and the furloughs with the federal government, we're going to have to contract veterinarians
• to come in and help us test these dairies for TB, which is going to put a strain on our fund balance
• avoid the New World Screwworm, and you know for the body and for the audience, you did hear warm-blooded
• I hear that he takes care of some warm-blooded animals, so I'm just going to give him a prime for the

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes sense for ADE to thoughtfully consider fitness tests.
• Have your kids had a blood test recently?
• Yet eighth-grade test scores stagnated. Academic achievement.
• However, fitness testing, if inappropriately used, can be harmful.
• Everybody, I guess it runs in the blood.

Bills: HB2008, HB2075, HB2203, HB2395, HB2409

Keywords: school libraries, public school libraries, library funding, professional associations, library associations, librarians, information services, dues, membership fees, public monies, school governing body, county free library district, municipal library, library contracts, library services, books and programs, Arizona education, Title 15, Library Freedom Act, school district transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> town in Italy um the babies can can test town in Italy um the babies can can test at<00:17:38.120
• I had my blood tested, and I have 12 PFAS chemicals that are over the toxic limit that's allowed for
• humans in my blood.
• </c> related because of the the p in my blood related because of the the p in my blood is<00:27:51.919
• He had a blood-fed tumor and would have died choking on his own blood.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 199, which would extend the statute of limitations for civil actions seeking damages from PFAS contamination from six years to 20 years. The prime sponsor and other supporters argued that PFAS contamination in southern New Hampshire has long-term and often delayed health and property impacts, making the current six-year period too short for victims to discover harm, connect it to exposure, and seek relief. Supporters described contamination in places such as Merrimack and surrounding communities, cited health concerns including cancer, developmental issues, and other illnesses, and said a longer period would better preserve legal rights while still requiring proof of causation. The Department of Environmental Services said it was not taking a position but acknowledged the contamination and ongoing work to address it. The Business and Industry Association opposed the bill, arguing that evidence becomes stale over time, memories and documents fade, and a longer window would make it harder to determine causation when other exposures or intervening factors may be involved. Committee members questioned both sides about causation, the difficulty of proving PFAS-related illness, and whether a 20-year period was necessary if a plaintiff already knows of the injury and its source. Supporters responded that PFAS effects can emerge slowly, that scientific understanding continues to develop, and that current knowledge is still incomplete. Opponents said the existing discovery rule already starts the clock when harm and causal connection are known, and that extending the period would reduce clarity and fairness in litigation. After testimony and questions, the chair closed the hearing on HB 199. The committee then opened House Bill 268 FN, which was described as a technical measure to confirm that the Board of Tax and Land Appeals may hold hearings in its Concord hearing rooms. The sponsor indicated the bill reflects current practice and does not require additional facilities. With only one witness listed and no apparent opposition, the discussion was brief and focused on why the authorization should be placed in statute rather than left to practice.

Transcript Highlights:

• The DPS labs are not able to keep up because they have to do a quantitative test, not a test for mere
• We're testing the product for the total THC. They want to apply testing.
• We tested both gas and liquid.
• They're not even testing because they don't have the money, as our labs can't... ...test.
• They tested our flour, they tested our gummies, they tested for meth. Pesticides.

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB 5, SB 11, SB 12

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:

• They had gone directly to the hospital and gave blood tests.
• They had gone directly to the hospital and gave blood tests, everything.
• Looking at the present and the proposed, the only thing I see in the present that says it's the blood
• No, we actually earlier had, we were very high on our blood alcohol content, and we moved several years
• So this is basically just dealing with your first offense of having not the blood alcohol content.

Bills: HR170, HR191, HR206, HR207, HR208, HCR53, HCR60, HCR68, HB714, HB762, SB40, SB48, SB55, SB56, SB69, SB115, SB133, SB151, SB170, SB235, SB278, SB330, SB420, SB438, SB449, SB489

Keywords: U.S. Highway 90, US 90, Highway 90, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, DOTD, bridge removal, closed bridges, bridge demolition, transportation funding, federal appropriations, THUD appropriations, Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, infrastructure, road reconstruction, evacuation route, hurricane evacuation corridor, New Orleans metro area, Mississippi Gulf Coast, public safety

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on Tuesday, May 5, and considered a long agenda of mostly transportation, public safety, and local infrastructure measures. Among the bills reported favorably were Senate Bill 420, which adds Vermilion and Iberia Parish representation to the Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway Commission; Senate Bill 69, which updates appointments to the South Tangipahoa Parish Port Commission after redistricting; Senate Bill 40, which expands Louisiana’s move-over/safety protections for emergency and disabled vehicles; and House resolutions from Rep. Dickerson urging DOTD action on Highway 16 widening, turn lanes on Highway 1024, and a roundabout on Highway 1019. The committee also advanced HCR 53 creating a study committee on oversized vehicle permits, SB 438 increasing per diem for the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, SB 449 giving the New Orleans Public Belt more procurement flexibility, SB 115 allowing DOTD to assume certain federal NEPA duties to speed project delivery, and SB 489 authorizing third-party verification of vehicle insurance coverage. Members heard testimony on several safety and enforcement measures. SB 151 would flag OMV records for people who owe DNA samples under CODIS-related criminal provisions; State Police explained it would help law enforcement collect required samples and aid cold cases. SB 48 would create driver’s license reciprocity between Louisiana and Ireland, and SB 235 would clarify payment and liquidated damages rules for public contracts, with contractors and industry representatives saying it would help ensure timely payment to contractors, subs, and suppliers. SB 55 clarified that seat belts must be worn across both the lap and shoulder, and SB 278 required ignition interlock devices for DUI-related license reinstatement; committee members raised questions about due process, vehicle use, and how the devices would work, but both bills were reported favorably. Several measures drew more extensive debate. HB 762, as amended, would give OMV discretion over referring certain debts to the Office of Debt Recovery or Attorney General, and the amendment passed 14-2 after discussion about relief for drivers who cannot pay. SB 330 on school-zone automated speed enforcement received an amendment preserving existing compliant pavement markings, but a separate amendment to exempt Shreveport, Gretna, Livonia, and Westwego from the law failed on a roll call vote. HB 714, as substituted, would have created a railroad commission and required railroads to address blighted or abandoned lines, but after concerns about federal preemption, definition of blight, and whether a new commission was needed, Rep. Phelps moved to defer the bill, and the committee agreed. The meeting ended with adjournment after a brief recognition of committee staff and visitors.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next piece is regarding clear wave test. It is COVID, flu, and strep clear-wave test.
• It allows pharmacists to do COVID, flu, and strep clear-wave tests.
• It's rapid testing. It'll say you tested positive for COVID, flu, and/or strep.
• So diet and medication, of course, because controlling things like diabetes and high blood pressure,
• So, and it's a pretty inexpensive test. It's a urine test. You don't even have to draw blood.

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Mental Health heard testimony on several measures. HCR 42, sponsored by Representative Perkins, urged Congress to support programs aimed at reducing prescription drug costs for Medicaid and Medicare patients. The sponsor said it would help elderly and low-income residents, while Representative Dahl argued the referenced program could cost more than other pharmacy options and criticized the resolution. No one testified in support or opposition, and the hearing on HCR 42 was closed. The committee then heard SB 878, a pharmacist practice act bill sponsored by Senator Fitzwater. The bill would make permanent several pandemic-era pharmacy practices, including pharmacist administration of certain vaccines, medication therapy plan authority, dispensing of some medical devices and supplies, over-the-counter availability of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine with warning labels and standardized procedures, and nonprofit pharmacy emergency waivers. Supporters said it would improve access, especially in rural areas, reduce delays in treatment, and help pharmacies remain open. Opponents raised concerns about vaccine authority shifting away from the governor, the safety of over-the-counter hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, and whether pharmacists should be treated as equivalent to physicians. The Missouri Pharmacy Association, Walmart, and Walgreens testified in support, and the hearing was closed without a vote. The committee also heard two resolutions. HCR 538, by Representative Hruza, would designate May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month and encourage support for research and advocacy. Members generally supported the resolution, with comments about the severity of ALS and the importance of early communication supports; no opposition was presented. HCR 4661, also presented by Representative Hruza, would encourage awareness and screening for chronic kidney disease, especially among high-risk patients, and promote public-private education efforts around urine albumin-to-creatinine testing. Testimony emphasized the prevalence and cost of kidney disease and the value of early detection. The committee took no votes on these measures and adjourned after the hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Infertility doesn't just test your body.
• It tests your heart, your resilience, and the future you imagine together.
• But through every loss, every test, and every moment of uncertainty, we kept holding on to hope.
• pressure monitoring device and home blood pressure monitoring device services as defined in the bill
• You know, I have received a directive to monitor my own blood pressure. I use a cuff.

Keywords: 959, house, all