Transcript Highlights:

• Alternate outdoor sustainable land and building practices that emphasize nonchemical methods of pest
• Alternate outdoor sustainable land and building practices that emphasize nonchemical methods of pest
• No, in our experience, as we've talked to these businesses and they've adopted these alternative methods
• , be allowed when if poisons are the preferred method, several effects of all alternatives exist that
• Additionally, these methods allow alternate humane methods to stop SGARs from being transmitted from

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were also provided with scientific research backing the use of such alternative methods of communication
• <00:31:59.440><c> methods</c><00:31:59.760><c> of</c><00:32:00.000><c> communication,</c> alternative
• methods of communication, alternative methods of communication, namely<00:32:02.159><c> the</c><00:32
• </c> alternative methods of communication. alternative methods of communication.
• </c> Vermonters for whom alternative Vermonters for whom alternative communication<00:33:53.279><c> methods

Transcript Highlights:

• Both entities use a mix of traditional public works contracting methods and alternative public works
• contracting methods to award contracts to responsible bidders for project delivery.
• This traditional method is known as the design-bid-build process.
• , the general contracting/construction manager method, and job order contracting.
• Largely untested alternative method, yes, it is used in the federal government, it is used by several

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three transportation-related bills. HB 2467, sponsored by Rep. Timmons, would clarify how fifth-wheel RVs are measured for length purposes by measuring from the king pin to the rear-most point, allowing fifth wheels up to 46 feet under that method without increasing the current roadway length limits. The staff report said the bill has no fiscal impact for most agencies and a small indeterminate impact for Labor and Industries; the proposed substitute makes technical clarifications. The sponsor and several RV dealers, the Association of Washington Business, and the RV Industry Association testified in support, saying the bill would improve clarity, preserve safety, and help Washington dealers compete with neighboring states. No one testified in opposition during the hearing. The committee briefly suspended HB 2467 to hear HB 2495, sponsored by Rep. Thomas, which would give the City of Seattle authority to immediately remove vehicles blocking streetcar tracks or otherwise jeopardizing streetcar operations without waiting for police to first cite the vehicle. Staff said the bill applies only to Seattle, includes an emergency clause, and has no fiscal impact because impound fees are expected to offset costs. Rep. Thomas and Seattle Streetcar Program Manager Alison Redenz supported the bill, describing frequent track blockages and delays to service, especially after hours, and saying the change would speed restoration of transit operations. The committee then heard public testimony on HB 2552, which would authorize WSDOT and Sound Transit to use multiple award task order contracting (MATOC) for transportation construction projects. Staff explained that MATOC would let agencies prequalify contractors and then compete task orders among them, with required award and protest processes. Rep. Zahn said the bill would give agencies another tool to streamline delivery while preserving competition and including WMBE firms. Sound Transit supported the bill as a faster, more flexible procurement method that could broaden opportunities for smaller firms, while the Washington Aggregate and Concrete Association opposed it, arguing the approach is not well tested in Washington, could reduce competition, and should be reviewed by the Capital Projects Advisory Review Board. After testimony, the committee closed the public hearing on HB 2552 and adjourned after caucusing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Review Subcommittee met on Tuesday and reviewed the method of finance, one alternative delivery method
• Review Subcommittee met on Tuesday and reviewed the method of finance, one alternative delivery method
• Review Subcommittee met on Tuesday and reviewed the method of finance, one alternative delivery method
• Chair, I moved the adoption of this report, including a review of method of finance, alternative delivery
• Chair, I move the adoption of this report, including a review of method of finance, alternative delivery

Committee: All ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC)

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council meeting began with approval of the December 2025 minutes and a presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research on the December revenue report. Dr. Carlos Silva said gross collections were about $4.02 billion, up slightly from the prior year, and net available for distribution was also above last year but down modestly from the previous month because of higher-than-expected corporate income tax refunds. Members asked about corporate tax trends, tariffs, and inflation, and Silva said it was too early to call the corporate decline a trend and that tariff effects would likely show up mainly in sales tax collections. The council then adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee Subcommittee, Administrative Rules, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, PEER, Review, State Insurance Program Oversight, and Personnel. The PEER report drew the most debate because of a Department of Agriculture grant tied to Perry County and Central Arkansas Water; members discussed whether removing the Perry County portion would affect the grant’s competitiveness, and the report was ultimately adopted with the item included. The Review Subcommittee also heard questions about a BDO contract for the rural health transformation program, with DFA explaining that the contractor would manage the program while state agencies would make funding decisions consistent with the state’s application. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Education Freedom Account appropriation tied to LEARNS. Senators and representatives debated whether the program helps families or diverts money from public schools, with supporters arguing it funds students and choice and opponents arguing it is costly, vulnerable to fraud, and harms public school funding. Department of Education officials said roughly 28,000 private school students and 17,500 homeschool students were participating, that EFA students must submit standardized tests annually, and that the requested $32 million was to cover existing participants. After multiple substitute motions and extended debate, the body rejected a motion to strip out the $32 million and then adopted the report and related motions. The meeting ended after routine approvals of additional agency items and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• when a valid alternative test method exists.
• test methods to ensure safety and comparable validity of results to traditional animal methods.
• There are bait alternatives.
• It is not a humane method either. So the method of killing is awful, and the practice is heinous.
• In closing, I urge you to vote no.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The committee hearing covered a wide range of animal, wildlife, hunting, and environmental bills. Early testimony focused on deer management, with Rep. Markey urging creation of a deer commission to address crop damage, vehicle collisions, and Lyme disease, and Sen. Durant supporting bills to allow Sunday bow hunting, expand crossbow use, and reduce the 500-foot dwelling restriction for archery hunting. Supporters framed these measures as practical wildlife-management tools, while questions centered on how they would differ from existing Fish and Wildlife authority and whether they would allow hunting closer to residences. Later, Rep. Sena also spoke in support of a bill to increase protected wildlife management areas and another to require non-lead ammunition, arguing both would benefit biodiversity and reduce environmental harm. A substantial portion of the hearing addressed animal welfare and commerce. Multiple witnesses supported bills to ban or phase out the retail sale of dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs in pet shops, arguing that pet stores rely on puppy mills and obscure the source of animals, while opponents said the bills would hurt responsible breeders, small businesses, and consumer choice. The committee also heard strong testimony for bills to ban the sale of cats and dogs in pet shops, with supporters citing sick animals, consumer deception, and the need to cut off the puppy mill supply chain. In a separate animal-testing segment, witnesses backed bills requiring non-animal testing methods for cosmetics and household products, saying alternatives are more accurate and humane; biomedical research representatives opposed those bills and a related research-animal measure, warning of unintended restrictions on research institutions and arguing animal models remain necessary for many studies. The committee also heard testimony on horseshoe crab conservation, with supporters of H. 898 urging an end to taking horseshoe crabs for bait because of population declines, shorebird impacts, and the species’ importance to biomedical science. On wildlife trafficking, witnesses backed bills to ban intrastate sales of ivory and rhino horn, saying Massachusetts should close loopholes that aid poaching and align with federal law and other states; one antique dealer testified in support, saying he avoids such items and still sees them in the marketplace. Additional testimony supported bans on fur products from factory farms and on force-feeding birds for foie gras, with advocates emphasizing cruelty, public health, and environmental concerns. The hearing was lengthy and heavily attended, with the chairs repeatedly limiting testimony to three minutes and inviting written submissions; no committee votes or final actions were taken during the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The RV industry is a proper method of measuring fifth wheel travel trailers.
• Both entities use a mix of traditional public works contracting methods and alternative public works
• This traditional method is known as the design-bid-build process.
• , the general contracting/construction manager method, and job order contracting.
• Largely untested alternative method, yes, it is used in the federal government, it is used by several

Bills: HB2467 , HB2495 , HB2552

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: HB 2467, fifth-wheel travel trailer, fifth wheel trailer, travel trailer, RV, recreational vehicle, trailer length, vehicle length limits, oversize vehicle, truck and trailer, tractor-semitrailer, semi-trailer, kingpin, Washington RCW, Department of Transportation, WSDOT, highway safety, commercial trucking, towing, motor home

Transcript Highlights:

• Safer alternatives already exist.
• Not voting. Connolly? Aye. Connolly, aye. Ellis? Not voting. Ellis not voting. Bauer-Kahan? Aye.
• Five to two vote. That matter passes. Thank you.
• And then when we talk about the best methods that'll be established, it's specific to best methods to
• But what is a best method?

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe you handed me a letter that says, "Don't worry, vote Curry." That's correct.
• Please vote positively for HB3830 and remember, don't worry, vote Curry every time.
• A universal data exchange format would provide a standardized method for taxpayers to ...receive property
• We'll vote. If no more questions, I close. Very good, thank you, Ms. Pearson.
• the ability to raise the maintenance and operation taxes. tax rate up to 8% yearly without a public vote

Bills: HB485 , HB1367 , HB1370 , HB1827 , HB1879 , HB2032 , HB2133 , HB2357 , HB3581 , HB3830 , HB4060 , HB4085 , HB4270 , HB4979 , HB5217 , HB5268 , HB5478 , HJR96 , HJR97 , HJR119 , HJR195 , HJR209 , SB4 , SB23 , SJR2 , SJR85 , SB 4 , SB 23 , SJR 2

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, access, affordability, public health, emergency services district, sales tax, gas and electricity, residential use, tax exemption, emergency services, gas, electricity, HB 485, ESD, use tax, residential utilities, utility tax, local option tax, Texas Health and Safety Code

Transcript Highlights:

• It is two separate votes, so there will be a motion on that. All right, it is two separate votes.
• So how can we vote on this? There was a motion to deny, so we are going to take a vote.
• So if you want the motion to pass to deny it, you vote yes. A vote no is to approve. Okay. Okay.
• The House side is voting. We do not have a vote on this side because there was no objection.
• It does not have to meet exactly, you know, an alternative project delivery method or a complex project

Summary: The joint Senate and House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works committees met on March 3, 2026, and first considered several requests for approval to use the construction manager at risk (CMAR) method for local projects. The first item, Caddo Parish’s proposed $9.6 million pickleball park, drew extended questioning about whether the project was truly complex, whether CMAR would save money versus public bid, the project’s location and accessibility, and whether it fit the statute’s timing and risk criteria. The House initially voted to deny the request, while the Senate had moved to approve; after discussion about the statute and CMAR policy, the House motion was reconsidered and the Caddo project was ultimately approved. The committee then approved CMAR requests for an Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office indoor shooting range, a Calcasieu drainage district pump station rehabilitation/replacement project, St. Tammany Parish Hospital District No. 2’s Slidell Memorial emergency department expansion, St. Charles Parish Hospital’s entry registration/PACU renovation, and the Port of Vinton dock project in Calcasieu Parish. Testimony on the approved projects emphasized complexity, operational continuity, and schedule concerns. The Ascension Parish shooting range was described as involving bullet protection, ventilation and lead-control systems, and multiple training configurations; the drainage district project was presented as critical infrastructure serving much of Lake Charles and requiring staged construction to maintain flood protection; the hospital projects were justified by work inside operating facilities and the need to avoid disrupting patient care; and the Port of Vinton project was tied to an LED-related deadline and the need to keep port operations running during construction. Members generally supported these projects, with motions to approve made on both sides and no objections recorded. The meeting also featured a broader policy discussion about CMAR use. Several members, especially Representative Fontenot, questioned whether the committee had been too permissive in approving CMARs for projects that did not appear especially complex, and raised concerns about public bidding, taxpayer savings, and impacts on minority contractors. Senator Price said future legislation may tighten CMAR requirements, while Senator McMath and Senator Carter noted that the statute’s listed factors are not exhaustive and cautioned against abruptly changing practice for pending projects. The committee recessed after completing the CMAR agenda and planned to hear a DOTD presentation afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• And alternative test methods, though, are several years out. Several years out.
• </c> I read it alternative I read it alternative method<03:50:02.640><c> test</c><03:50:02.920><c> method
• We can take out the type and number of alternative testing methods and strategies used.
• </c> products if you have an alternative products if you have an alternative method.
• or alternative test methods or strategies conducted. >> Yeah, that's what they're reporting.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Open it up for a vote. Close the vote. Clear the vote.
• Open up for a vote. Close vote, declare the vote.
• Teachers who come in by alternative programs of progressively easier methods do not have those, and the
• Teachers who come in by alternative programs of progressively easier methods do not have those, and the
• Close vote, clear the vote. Close vote. Clear the vote.

Bills: HB2987 , HB3026 , HB3076 , HB3288 , HB3315 , HB3467 , HB3711 , HB3885 , HB4427 , HB4359 , HB4363

Committee: House Education Oversight

Summary: The Education Oversight committee heard and advanced several bills, with most receiving due pass recommendations by voice vote. HB 4359, by Speaker Pro Tem Moore, would move the annual testing window to the last three weeks of the school year; members asked about district scheduling and possible cost impacts, but the bill passed 10-0. HB 4363 updated outdated statutory references tied to OSU’s early development and also passed unanimously. HB 3467 would extend school-teacher maternity leave protections to include adoption of newborn children, and it passed without opposition. HB 2987 would change how academic standards are handled if the legislature takes no action within 30 legislative days, deeming them disapproved rather than approved; supporters said it preserves legislative oversight, while concerns were raised about leaving outdated standards in place, but it passed. HB 376, as amended, would create a new alternative teacher certification pathway through third-party certifiers; debate centered on whether easier pathways would weaken traditional teacher-prep programs or help fill vacancies, and it passed after extended discussion. The committee also advanced HB 4427, which adds guardrails to the adjunct teacher program by limiting adjuncts in core subjects in grades K-4 and requiring them to work toward certification. HB 3026 would let children of U.S. military allies stationed in Oklahoma start kindergarten according to their home-country timelines, and it passed. HB 3288 would restore physical education emphasis in schools, and HB 3315 would direct a feasibility study on 90-hour bachelor’s degree programs; both moved forward. HB 3711 would require schools to post the percentage of spending devoted to instructional expenditures on their websites and bond applications, with the sponsor declining to extend the same requirement to private schools receiving public tax-credit dollars. HB 3885 drew the most debate. It would establish suspension and expulsion standards for students who physically attack teachers or school employees, with supporters arguing it gives administrators clearer authority to protect staff and students and opponents warning it could conflict with existing protections for students with disabilities and create legal risk. The sponsor said the bill is intended to address intentional violence and allow case-by-case judgment, while critics cited prior civil-rights concerns over disproportionate discipline. Despite the objections, the bill passed on a due pass recommendation. The committee adjourned after announcing it would meet again Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have great alternatives. I use cast iron mostly. I have great alternatives.
• Chair voting no.
• Chair voting aye. Vice Chair voting no. Bauer Kahan, aye. Back can I and I.
• Yes, not voting. Ellis not voting. Barakhan? Aye. Barakhan, aye. Castillo... Voting.
• Chair voting aye, Vice Chair voting no. Castillo, you are not voting before? I'm just checking.

Summary: The committee heard SB 404 on metal shredding facilities, SB 601 on water quality protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, SB 682 on phasing out PFOS in certain consumer products, and later SB 646 on prenatal vitamins and toxic metal contamination. SB 561 had been pulled from the hearing. In each of the measures, the authors and supporters emphasized environmental and public health protections, while opponents raised concerns about overregulation, implementation, and unintended economic impacts. The committee also spent time on the policy details of each bill, including how smaller operators would be treated under SB 404, how “nexus waters” would be defined under SB 601, and whether alternatives and testing standards were adequate under SB 682 and SB 646. For SB 404, Senator Caballero said the bill would create a permitting and enforcement framework for metal shredding facilities, with operational standards for fire prevention, stormwater, and releases of shredder residue, while supporters argued it would bring needed certainty to a critical recycling industry. Opponents, including small recyclers and community/environmental advocates, said the bill was either too broad or not strong enough, with some warning it would burden smaller facilities and others arguing it would fail to protect overburdened communities. The committee approved SB 404 on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, with recorded support from the chair and some members and opposition from others. SB 601 sought to restore state-level protections for waters that lost federal Clean Water Act coverage after Sackett, using a “nexus waters” framework and revised enforcement provisions after amendments removed the private right of action. Supporters said California needed to preserve protections for seasonal streams and wetlands and avoid backsliding, while opponents from business, agriculture, water districts, and local governments argued the definition remained too broad and could create uncertainty, costs, and unintended consequences. The committee also approved SB 601 on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, again with split votes. SB 682, which the committee also advanced, would phase out intentionally added PFOS in six product categories, including cleaning products, cookware, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging, and juvenile products, with an amendment delaying cookware implementation until 2030. Supporters framed it as a source-control measure to reduce PFAS contamination and lower long-term water treatment costs, while manufacturers and cookware interests argued the bill was overbroad, lacked workable testing standards, and could push consumers and businesses toward uncertain alternatives. The committee chair recommended an aye vote, and the measure passed to Appropriations. SB 646 was then introduced on prenatal vitamins, with supporters saying it would require testing and disclosure of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, while the opposition said disclosure must be handled carefully so as not to confuse consumers or undermine confidence in prenatal supplements.

Transcript Highlights:

• about the alternatives and how do we move that way when we know there are existing alternatives.
• about the alternatives and how do we move that way when we know there are existing alternatives.
• about the alternatives and how do we move that way when we know there are existing alternatives.
• about the alternatives and how do we move that way when we know there are existing alternatives.
• the</c><00:32:07.279><c> method</c> only is it not the method uh the method only is it not the method

Summary: The committee took up House File 737, which would amend Minnesota’s lead- and cadmium-related product restrictions and was re-referred to the Committee on Environment, Finance and Policy. Representative Bjorn Olson said the bill was prompted by a constituent who could no longer make cadmium-based art supplies in Minnesota, and he argued the law unintentionally swept in professional art materials that are used safely and are important to Western art culture. The committee first adopted the author’s A2 amendment, which broadened the bill to include additional exemptions beyond paint and pastels, including certain pens, mechanical pencils, and vehicle keys/key fobs. Testimony in support came from Darren Reenie of Wet Paint Artist Materials and Framing, who said artist paint and related supplies account for a significant share of sales and that the ban threatens independent art supply businesses and artists’ access to essential pigments. Josh Fiser of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation supported the key and key fob exemption, saying the current law is overly broad, exposure risk is minimal, and Minnesota should align with California and European Union standards. Bill Morgan of the Arts and Creative Materials Institute and Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association also supported the amendment, arguing there was little scientific basis for including pens, mechanical pencils, and professional artist materials, and citing prior reviews in the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the European Union. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, through Assistant Commissioner Kirk Kadelka, opposed broad exemptions and emphasized that no amount of lead is safe for children. He said the law was based on evidence from consumer products associated with elevated blood lead levels and argued that safer alternatives exist for many of the items in the amendment, including pens, mechanical pencils, and some key components. He also raised concerns about exposure during production and disposal. Committee members questioned the scope of the exemptions and whether the industry had workable alternatives. The A2 amendment was adopted, and the bill was then advanced for further consideration and re-referred as noted by the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not voting. Castillo, not voting. McKenna, McKenna, aye, Papin.
• I have great alternatives. cast iron mostly, but there are also other alternatives, non-stick alternatives
• The current vote has two ayes. One no, Chair voting aye, Vice Chair voting no, Barrah-Kahan? Aye.
• No, not voting. Ellis, not voting. Barra-Cahan? Aye.
• That has six aye votes. Item number two, SB 601, Chair voting aye, Vice Chair voting no. Lee? Aye.

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Transcript Highlights:

• There is an alternative.
• There is an alternative.
• There is an alternative.
• There is an alternative.
• > method</c> only is not the method uh the method only is not the method uh the method used<00:49:58.880

Bills: HF737 , HF247 , HF325 , HF1330

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Please vote yes. Thank you. Great. Thank you.
• We urge you to vote yes on this bill.
• Chairman, is also an alternative licensure. 40% of New Mexico's teaching staff are second career alternative
• Chairman, is also an alternative licensure. 40% of New Mexico's teaching staff are second career alternative
• The vote. I'm sorry?

Bills: SB234 , SB210 , SB243 , SB244 , SM16 , HB8

Committee: House House Education

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 37, the High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act, which would strengthen reading instruction and educator preparation around the science of reading. The sponsor and supporters said the bill requires evidence-based, culturally and linguistically responsive literacy instruction, including support for English learners and students in bilingual and dual-language programs, use of approved high-quality instructional materials for K-3 reading and interventions, a K-3 reading assessment, literacy coaches, and parent progress reports. An amendment package was adopted to clarify biliteracy language, broaden references to bilingual/dual-language and Indigenous language settings, remove awkward phrasing, and adjust reporting requirements from monthly to four times per school year. The committee then moved forward with the amended bill. Public testimony was largely supportive. Students, educators, school leaders, advocacy groups, and tribal representatives said structured literacy has improved reading outcomes and can help struggling readers, including students with dyslexia and multilingual learners. Several speakers emphasized that the amended bill better protects bilingual, dual-language, and Native language programs, and some noted the importance of parent communication and early intervention. Supporters also cited recent literacy gains in New Mexico and said the bill aligns teacher preparation, materials, assessment, and coaching. Opposition focused mainly on concerns that the bill could still privilege English over Indigenous languages, that high-quality materials requirements may be too restrictive or costly for districts, and that testing and reporting could add workload. Tribal speakers from Acoma and Taos said they could not support the bill without further changes to explicitly protect Native language revitalization. Other opponents raised concerns about funding for materials and coaches, the burden on teachers, and whether the assessment and HQIM requirements would be flexible enough for local needs. In committee discussion, the sponsor and PED said existing funds and staff could support implementation, that the assessment would be formative and teacher-focused, and that the bill was intended to complement, not replace, Native and bilingual education programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salvatore DiDomenico votes? Salvatore DiDomenico votes no. Senator Moore votes no.
• Comerford votes no.
• Driscoll Jr. votes yes. Senator Fernandes. Dylan A. Fernandes votes yes.
• Joan Lovely votes no.
• Fernandes votes yes. Soon the remote voting receives adopted by the Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salvatore DiDomenico votes? Salvatore DiDomenico votes no. Senator Moore votes no.
• Creighton votes no. Senator Collins. Thank you, Madam President. Nick Collins votes no.
• Driscoll Jr. votes yes. Senator Fernandes. Dillon A. Fernandes votes yes.
• Brady votes no. Senator Kennedy. Robin K. Kennedy votes no. Senator Brownsberger.
• Senator Lovely votes no.

Summary: The Senate first considered several amendments to a primary care/health care bill. Amendment 1, on artificial intelligence in health care and mental health services, was withdrawn by unanimous consent. Amendment 37, which would have required a rate band for outpatient primary care reimbursement, was debated and then defeated on a roll call, 5-33. Amendment 39, on direct primary care arrangements and deductible credits, was also defeated 5-33. The chamber then took up and passed the conference report for An Act Relative to Teachers Preparation and Student Literacy (H. 5511), with senators emphasizing the need for evidence-based literacy instruction, universal screening, dyslexia screening, teacher training, and implementation funding; the bill was enacted and sent to the Governor after a 39-0 roll call. The Senate then returned to Amendment 60 on the primary care bill, which would have created a “safety valve” allowing alternative payment systems to be proposed to the Health Policy Commission. After debate over whether the bill already allowed flexibility, the amendment was defeated 5-33. Amendment 50, requiring stronger health equity reporting, was adopted. Amendment 66, a technical fix setting commercial payment rates for community health centers at the MassHealth PPS rate, was adopted. Amendment 24, excluding pharmaceutical spending from the primary care spending baseline and target, was adopted. Amendment 45, a study on expanding the role of allied health professionals, was withdrawn. Amendment 48, a group purchasing cooperative pilot, and amendments 53, 61, and 63 were also withdrawn. The Senate adopted Amendment 64, which prohibits prior authorization from delaying FDA-approved medications for serious mental illness, and rejected Amendment 68 on reporting private equity investment in primary and specialty care, as well as Amendments 71 and 72 on scope of practice and ownership disclosure. Amendment 62, a technical change modernizing the definition of primary care and clarifying the care team, was adopted. Amendment 21, the Senate Ways and Means amendment, was then adopted, the bill was ordered to a third reading, and the Senate passed An Act relative to primary care for you (S. 3116) to be engrossed on a 35-4 roll call. The Senate then adjourned to a later date, with memorial references at adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salvatore DiDomenico votes? Salvatore DiDomenico votes no. Senator Moore votes no.
• Comerford votes no.
• Driscoll Jr. votes yes. Senator Fernandes. Dylan A. Fernandes votes yes.
• Brady votes no. Senator Kennedy. Robin K. Kennedy votes no. Senator Brownsberger.
• Votes. Senator Fernandes. Dylan A. Fernandes. Dylan A. Fernandes votes yes.

Summary: The Senate considered a series of amendments to a primary care health care bill and also took up a separate literacy bill. Several amendments were withdrawn, including one on artificial intelligence in health care and others related to cost controls, direct primary care, and provider studies. The Senate adopted amendments on preserving access to treatment for serious mental illness, modernizing the definition of primary care, clarifying payment rates for community health centers, excluding pharmaceutical spending from primary care expenditure calculations, and strengthening health equity reporting. Other amendments on rate bands, alternative payment systems, private equity reporting, scope of practice, and ownership disclosure were rejected. The Senate then approved the Ways and Means amendment and ordered the primary care bill to a third reading. The chamber also took up final passage of An Act Relative to Teachers Preparation and Student Literacy, with senators describing it as a long-awaited compromise focused on improving early reading outcomes. Supporters said the bill requires evidence-based K-3 literacy curricula, regular student screening and family notification, dyslexia screening protocols, professional development for teachers, and a free state-developed curriculum option. Senators emphasized the need to address declining third-grade reading proficiency and equity gaps. The bill passed to be enacted by a unanimous roll call and was sent to the Governor. After the literacy bill, the Senate returned to the primary care bill, where senators again debated cost containment, innovation, and access. The final version included the adopted amendments and was passed to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 35-4. The Senate then adopted an adjournment order and recessed, adjourning in memory of Henry Thomas III, former Representative Ben Swan, and Mr. Dennis Frane.

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul voting aye. Show Ms. Garcia Bear voting. aye. Show Mr. Verdell voting aye.
• Record vote. The clerk will ring the bell. Mr. King voting aye. Mr. Little voting no.
• Have all members voted? Chair: Garcia voting aye. Have all members voted?
• Record vote. Clerk, ring the bell. Have all members voted? Have all members voted?
• Record vote. Clerk, ring the bell. Mr. Ashby voting aye. Have all members voted?

Bills: HB 118 , HB388 , HB 114 , HB205 , HB2789 , HB2791 , HB499 , HB2960 , HB3163 , HB3135 , HB2427 , HB1618 , HB1672 , HB1722 , HB1338 , HB787 , HB2618 , HB879 , HB 1126 , HB4134 , HB3513 , HB718 , HB1536 , HB1445 , HB1640 , HB1893 , HB1734 , HB3229 , HB3306 , HB 1276 , HB3272 , HB3276 , HB3516 , HB4145 , HB1585 , HB4810 , HB2989 , HB2558 , HB3014 , HB2742 , HB1695 , HB29 , HB 125 , HB145 , HB171 , HB255 , HB50 , HB363 , HB 116 , HB491 , HB1495 , HB368 , HB 1285 , HB1905 , HB2002 , HB917 , HB2723 , HB2067 , HB 1238 , HB745 , HB 1188 , HB1606 , HB2003 , HB2147 , HB2355 , HB2546 , HB2495 , HB2818 , HB2249 , HB3228 , HB3240 , HB1507 , HB658 , HB1748 , HB1851 , HB1922 , HB2798 , HB 107 , HB1587 , HB3684 , HB 118 , HB388 , HB 114 , HB205 , HB2789 , HB2791 , HB499 , HB2960 , HB3163 , HB3135 , HB2427 , HB1618 , HB1672 , HB1722 , HB1338 , HB787 , HB2618 , HB879 , HB 1126 , HB4134 , HB3513 , HB718 , HB1536 , HB1445 , HB1640 , HB1893 , HB1734 , HB3229 , HB3306 , HB 1276 , HB3272 , HB3276 , HB3516 , HB4145 , HB1585 , HB4810 , HB2989 , HB2558 , HB3014 , HB2742 , HB1695 , HB609 , HB630 , HB420 , HB767 , HB1708 , HB1404 , HB2457 , HB140 , HB227 , HB913 , HB2198 , HB2763 , HB 1261 , HB 1135 , HB1318 , HB2358 , HB2765 , HB2735 , HB3307 , HB 1242 , HB2842 , HB333 , HB201 , HB694 , HB2415 , HB155 , HB272 , HB405 , HB519 , HB 1136 , HB 1275 , HB1437 , HB1532 , HB1675 , HB1868 , HB1888 , HB1990 , HB2286 , HB2523 , HB3129 , HB3251 , HB3354 , HB3479 , HB3803 , HB3804 , HB3805 , HB3806 , HB3887 , HB4163 , HB4238 , HB 1240 , HB1842 , HB2029 , HB2622 , HB3255 , HB654 , HB4643 , HB4945 , HB3611 , HB3724 , HB3623 , HB3810 , HB4127 , HCR78 , HCR12 , SB767

Keywords: HB 388, HB388, coordination of benefits, COB questionnaire, health benefit plan, health insurance, insurance commissioner, Texas Department of Insurance, uniform form, primary payer, secondary payer, multiple coverage, dual coverage, Medicaid, CHIP, managed care, HMO, small employer health plan, school district health coverage, self-funded plan