Transcript Highlights:

• Joining me today is Antonio Romero, a senior at Robertson High School in Las Vegas, where he's ranked
• This obviously includes physicians, but also a number of allied health professionals and our ends.
• Senator, if we give physicians priority, do you believe that this will or will not be detrimental to
• The loan amount for a physician average can be $250,000 to $350,000.
• So with the physicians having a priority for half of the money, the other health professionals usually

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, an invocation, pledges, and a series of announcements and guest introductions tied to several recognition days, including Disability Rights Awareness Day, Elevate the Spectrum Day, Geothermal Rising Legislative Day, DWI Awareness Day, and Adult Education and Literacy Day. Senators also welcomed guests for New Mexico Down Syndrome Day and other constituent visits, and the chamber read certificates recognizing the Hurley family and the New Mexico Military Museum, as well as adult education and literacy programs across the state. Testimony and remarks highlighted the service of the Hurley family, the importance of adult education for workforce and civic participation, and the contributions of people with disabilities and their families. The Senate adopted multiple committee reports and received House messages on several bills and resolutions. On third reading, the Senate passed Senate Bill 96, as amended, which streamlines child care licensing and reduces administrative barriers to opening or expanding child care homes and centers; an HOA-related floor amendment was adopted after discussion about local restrictions and neighborhood traffic concerns. The chamber then passed Senate Bill 14, as amended, which expands the state’s health professional loan repayment program with $25 million in funding split between physicians and allied health professionals/nurses, with questions focused on eligibility, prioritization, and whether the funding would be sufficient to address shortages. Senators also debated the bill’s support for part-time service and its role in helping New Mexico compete for medical workers. The Senate next passed Senate Bill 104 unanimously, establishing a process for removing a wildlife commissioner that requires gubernatorial initiation, notice and a hearing, and direct review by the state Supreme Court; debate centered on due process, the removal standard of incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, and how the new process compares with prior law. Finally, the chamber took up Senate Bill 50, which would give the Law Enforcement Training Standards Council more flexibility to set training curricula for officers, especially in rural departments; sponsors said the bill preserves minimum training while allowing updates for current issues, but several senators raised concerns that the measure could weaken explicit statutory requirements for domestic violence and sexual assault training and asked how those topics would remain protected in the future curriculum.

Transcript Highlights:

• Physicians just want Texans to remain healthy.
• beyond just physicians.
• is listed on the website, and the physician assistant is supervised by an emergency medicine physician
• when they weren't a physician.
• Hopefully, it would bring more physicians into the space to clear up some of the physician shortages

Bills: HB3000 , HB2622 , HB2283 , HB541 , HB1776 , HB1803 , HB1669 , HB2588 , HB220 , HB3415 , HB50 , HB1314 , HB 107 , HB220 , HB50 , HB107

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: ambulance service, rural healthcare, grants, financial assistance, qualified counties, mental health, patient transport, female attendants, security measures, healthcare regulation, epinephrine, anaphylaxis, health care, school safety, training, emergency response, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services

Transcript Highlights:

• Program in the Public Hospital Physicians program.
• Essentially, the physician Supplemental program applies the faculty physician practices at participating
• Physician training Public hospital physicians program applies to faculty physician practices at participating
• My first question, follow up on what ranking member Woodson asked about that.
• are in and provide the physician services.

Transcript Highlights:

• , perhaps, for illegal drugs that may be prescribed by a physician perhaps for someone who is living
• Thank you, Madam Chair, Ranking Member Harris, members of this committee.
• Chair Wellman, Ranking Member Harris, members of the committee.
• Good morning, Chair Wellman, Ranking Member Harris, members of the committee.
• Thank you, Chair Wellman, Ranking Member Harris, members of the committee.

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Transcript Highlights:

• This is my reality and that of so many emergency physicians across America.
• Orange County consistently ranks as one of the safest in the nation.
• Because, as Ranking Chair mentioned, the conversation really begins at home.
• I want to thank you for having this hearing and the Ranking Member as well.
• Westlake, you are an emergency room physician.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Ranking Member Kimball. Here. Representative Butts, Greg. Here. Manser. Mayhew. Miller. Here.
• Ranking Member Kimball. Aye. Representative Butts. Representative Gregg. Aye. Manser? Mayhew.
• Ranking Member Kimball. Aye. Representative Butts? Gregg. Aye. Greg. Aye. Manser. Aye. Mayhew.
• Ranking Member Kimball. Aye. Representative Butts? Gregg. Aye. Manser. Aye. Mayhew? Miller. Aye.
• of nurses, people that the state of Missouri, and over 2,000 physicians and thousands of nurses, people

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The Commerce Committee met in executive session and voted do pass on House Bill 2717 by a 7-0 vote. It then adopted a House Committee substitute for House Bill 2465, described as changing a number from two to one, and passed the substitute bill 8-0. The committee also adopted an amendment and House Committee substitute for House Bill 1791, which adds an emergency permit provision allowing a 30-day extension to obtain a full permit, and passed that substitute 8-0. Representative Manser raised a question about whether the bill would align with federal disaster recovery grant requirements, and the chair said he would look into it further. The committee then heard House Bill 2927, which would revise Missouri’s bad faith/time-limited settlement demand statute. Sponsor Representative Parker said the bill is intended to clarify that settlement demands used to support extra-contractual or bad faith claims must be in writing, remain open for at least 90 days, and reference the statute. Supporters, including representatives of the Missouri Insurance Coalition, Shelter Insurance, and health care and business groups, said the bill closes a loophole created when plaintiffs avoid the current “time-limited demand” language and instead use untimed or vaguely timed demands, which they argued increases litigation and insurance costs. Opponents, including attorney Blake Marcus, argued the bill would make it harder for injured people and policyholders to hold insurers accountable, would encourage delay, and would increase the need to hire lawyers earlier. No vote was taken on HB 2927 in the transcript. The committee also heard House Bill 2057, a technical fix for an entertainment district in Osage Beach. Representative Vernetti said the bill corrects language from last year’s legislation after the Senate used the wrong population figure, and supporters said it would allow patrons to move between venues within the district under controlled alcohol rules similar to other Missouri entertainment zones. The committee then heard House Bill 1707, which would exempt credit card surcharge amounts from sales tax. Sponsor Representative Coleman and supporters from the business community said the Department of Revenue has been taxing these surcharges in audits, creating a burden for small businesses, and that the bill would clarify that fees tied to the extension of credit are not taxable. The committee adjourned after the hearings, and no further votes were taken on those bills in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will ask the chair, the ranking member, if he wishes to have something included on the published agenda
• Cassidy and Ranking Member Sanders and members of the committee. I'm humbled to be before you here.
• You have a very distinguished career as a physician.
• They're done with these drugs without any kind of physician supervision, without any physicians there
• As a physician, sending women abortion pills without a complete evaluation of the justice system. of

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: nominations, labor, health, veterans, Social Security, Elon Musk, transparency, government accountability

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on various executive nominations and their implications on labor and health affairs. Significant discussions surrounded the nomination of Mr. Sonderling as the Deputy Secretary of Labor, with members expressing concerns about workforce cuts affecting veterans and Social Security employees. There was also a debate led by a member regarding the authority and influence of private individuals, specifically citing Elon Musk's involvement in government decisions. Such discussions raised questions about transparency and accountability within governmental agencies, leading to a proposal for Mr. Musk to provide testimony before the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um we have seen about where we rank. Um we have seen some<00:13:58.639><c> improvement.
• Again, my hospital is a small rural hospital, and I heard repeatedly you can't recruit physicians to
• Secondly, when I talked to my medical staff about recruiting physicians, their first reaction was, no
• I developed a medical foundation to hire physicians, and I don't like that.
• So that became the model for our physician recruitment in my community, and I went from seven doctors

Summary: The committee first considered Senate Bill 38, sponsored by Sen. Richardson, which would require Medicaid to reimburse pharmacists for services already within their legal scope of practice. Richardson and Taylor Williams of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association argued the bill would improve access to care, especially in rural areas, reduce emergency room use, and lower Medicaid costs by using pharmacists as lower-cost providers. Members asked whether the bill’s language simply aligned Medicaid with an earlier commercial parity law, and Richardson confirmed that it did. He also cited prior study work, research articles, and examples such as strep/flu testing and medication therapy management as covered services. The bill passed unanimously, and several members commented in support, including concerns about pharmacy access and the need for pharmacists to remain available to patients. The committee then took up a concurrent resolution sponsored by Sen. Meredith calling for a feasibility study of a proposed new Medicaid delivery model. Meredith argued that Kentucky’s Medicaid spending is growing unsustainably and that current managed care arrangements are not improving outcomes enough. He proposed an accountable community health care organization, described as a locally owned, not-for-profit public-private partnership combining elements of accountable care models, with the goal of reducing bureaucracy, improving outcomes, and lowering costs. He said the study would examine a five-year program and ultimately test the model in five regions, with initial focus on the Lincoln Trail, Green River, and Barren River area development districts. Members asked about the study timeline, vendor costs, rural versus urban impacts, and provider recruitment; Meredith said the resolution would be studied by November and that no fiscal note had been prepared. The resolution passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've got to emphasize that people should be screened and looked at by their physicians as early as
• I'm a general surgery resident physician at UC San Diego.
• Natalie Pita, on behalf of the California Academy of Family Physicians, in support.
• On behalf of the California Academy of Family Physicians in Support.
• Assembly Bill 1309 asked the state to pay Cal Fire rank-and-file firefighters within 15% of the average

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public health, wildfire recovery, local finance, transportation, and rural health care. SB 1124 by Senator Archuleta would require the California Department of Public Health to create and post signage at tobacco retail locations about lung cancer screening eligibility. The author and a UC San Diego thoracic surgery resident testified that lung cancer screening is underused because many Californians do not know it exists, while retailers and convenience store groups raised implementation concerns about sign size, store space, and notice before penalties. Members discussed penalties and screening access, and the author said he was willing to reduce the penalty in later amendments. The bill passed 4-0 and was sent to the Committee on Health. The committee also considered several disaster-related tax measures. SB 1352 by Senator Valadao and Senator Allen would clarify that wildfire victims can rebuild homes up to 110% of the original size without losing their Proposition 13 base-year value, and it received support from the Los Angeles County Assessor, the California Association of Realtors, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. SB 1343, presented by Senator Allen on behalf of Senator Dahle, would create a $4,000 income tax credit for sales tax paid on furniture and appliances purchased after a disaster for a primary residence; the chair raised concerns about administration and benefits flowing to higher-income households, and CTA opposed. Both bills were approved and sent to Appropriations, with SB 1352 passing 5-0 and SB 1343 passing 5-0 after committee amendments were accepted. SB 1172 by Senator Hurtado would place limits and transparency requirements on consultant compensation in local tax-sharing agreements, responding to examples from Shafter and Dinuba where local revenue was allegedly diverted to consultants. The city of Shafter, League of California Cities, and California Retailers Association supported the bill, while some members worried it could infringe on local control; the author and sponsor argued it would protect local tax dollars without eliminating local discretion. The bill passed 4-0 and went to Appropriations. SB 1408 by Senator Arreguín would authorize Contra Costa Transportation Authority to place a countywide sales tax measure of up to 1% on the ballot to continue transportation funding; supporters included transit agencies and county officials, while Howard Jarvis and the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association opposed. The committee emphasized that the measure only lets voters decide, and the bill passed 4-1. The committee also took up SB 1404 by Senator Stern, which would restore a fee on property owners in state responsibility areas to help fund Cal Fire wildfire prevention and suppression, with the author saying he wanted to reduce administrative costs and work on hardship protections. NRDC and PG&E supported the concept, while rural county representatives, Howard Jarvis, and Butte County opposed, arguing the fee would unfairly burden rural and fixed-income residents and function like a tax. Members split over affordability and local impacts, but the bill passed 4-1. Finally, SB 1102 by Senator Dodd would create a $2,000 tax credit for frontline nurses working in rural hospitals; supporters said it would help retention and access to care in underserved areas, and the bill passed 5-0 after committee amendments were accepted. The consent calendar and other listed bills were also approved on unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've got to emphasize that people should be screened and looked at by their physicians as early as
• I'm a general surgery resident physician at UC San Diego.
• Natalie Pita, on behalf of the California Academy of Family Physicians, in support.
• On behalf of the California Academy of Family Physicians, in support.
• Assembly Bill 1309 asked the state to pay Cal Fire rank-and-file firefighters within 15 percent of the

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• a med-peds doctor at Hattiesburg Clinic, but he is also a director of the Office of Mississippi Physician
• </c><00:08:41.360><c> workforce</c><00:08:42.479><c> and</c><00:08:42.880><c> he</c> Mississippi physician
• workforce and he Mississippi physician workforce and he brings<00:08:43.599><c> with</c><00:08:43.839
• </c><00:35:14.320><c> Gentleman</c><00:35:14.720><c> from</c><00:35:14.960><c> Rank</c><00:35:15.200>
• Gentleman from Rank and Mr. &gt;&gt; He passes. Gentleman from Rank and Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• New Mexico does rank last in home permitting among states in the Southwest.
• Senator Soules, Senate Bill 222, Physician Residency Programs. Physician residency programs.
• We have a problem with physicians. This is a direct way to address that problem.
• In the 90s, they thought we were going to have too many physicians.
• This needs to be something that continues so that New Mexico has plenty of physicians.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 211, which would appropriate $5 million for the Las Vegas Rodriguez Park. Senator Campos said the money would help continue upgrades to baseball, softball, and little league fields and address fencing, flooding, and other park improvements as part of a larger regional park plan. There was no public opposition, and the bill received a unanimous do pass recommendation, 7-0. The committee then took up Senate Bill 131, a broad housing and zoning reform measure sponsored by Senator Maestas. The bill would allow more housing types by right, including accessory dwelling units, duplexes, townhomes, apartments in commercial zones, small-scale commercial uses in neighborhoods, and would eliminate minimum parking mandates; an amendment to remove height restrictions was adopted unanimously. Supporters, including Pew, housing advocates, chambers of commerce, builders, and some local officials, argued the bill would increase supply, lower costs, and modernize outdated zoning. Opponents, including the Realtors, Municipal League, neighborhood representatives, and several senators, argued it would preempt local control, ignore community differences, and could create infrastructure and neighborhood impacts. After extended debate, the committee tabled SB 131 by a recorded vote. Senate Bill 183 was next, proposing a feasibility study for a regional urgent care or emergency facility in Torrance County. The sponsor and local officials described long ambulance transports, heavy use of I-40, and the need for quicker access to care for rural residents and travelers. The bill drew support from a former hospital administrator and no opposition, and it passed 9-1. The committee then considered Senate Bill 222, which would appropriate $20 million for physician residency programs outside the federal system to help retain doctors in New Mexico. The sponsor and supporters said the state loses many medical graduates because of limited residency slots, while one witness urged accountability for large hospital systems. Some senators questioned the premise and feasibility, but the bill advanced on a 6-4 do pass vote to Finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• The physician had person died.
• I'm looking to the ranking member and the assistant ranking member.
• </c> member and the assistant ranking member. member and the assistant ranking member.
• ><c> the</c><03:13:27.120><c> prime</c> madame ranking member, is the prime madame ranking member, is
• </c> come back I'll talk with the ranking come back I'll talk with the ranking member.<04:27:38.399><

Committee: House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Epstein, what kind of physician are you? An emergency physician. I'll help you out, Dr. and Mr.
• That's about 8% of our physician workforce.
• About eight percent. of our physician workforce.
• Over one-third of its physicians are nearing retirement.
• We've been dealing with a retiring population of physicians.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And you understand, similar to how a gynecologist, that special relationship you have with your physician
• as a woman, in HIV care, ...that special relationship you have with your physician as a woman, in HIV
• care, you build a very sacred relationship with your physician.
• And it requires emergency departments to designate a physician, nurse, or paramedic as the lead person
• As you know, Florida ranks third in cases of human trafficking in the entire country.

Bills: S0068 , S0096 , S0340 , S0428 , S0606 , S1480 , S7018

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment first on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the iBudget waiver. Testimony on the HIV program warned that proposed Department of Health changes could disrupt care for thousands of clients, create confusion, and force people off life-saving medications; a senator suggested affected clients explore medically needy and FQHC/340B options. Testimony on iBudget urged support for a roughly 7% rate adjustment for direct support professionals, citing rising costs and the need to sustain the developmental disabilities workforce. The committee then considered several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7 and was reported favorably. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligning reporting dates with the House was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1718 lengthened the time an adult may stay in an out-of-home placement before being treated as a visitor, reduced background screening burdens for foster families, made the Step Into Success program permanent, and created a best-practices program; it was also reported favorably. The committee next approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials and requires related compliance records, and SB 96, which expands the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level; an amendment removed the bill’s specific $500,000 appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing education to include a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure, and SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain area-of-critical-need health care providers if federal designations change, both of which were reported favorably. The committee adjourned after all bills passed their roll calls.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, an investment in developing a multi-campus physician assistant consortium.
• Its OECLAB... ...public optometry school in the state and is ranked number one in the nation.
• Among universities, the University of California ranks first in the nation for patents granted.
• However, in rankings of technology transferred to business,... For patents granted.
• However, in rankings of technology transferred to businesses, no UC campus ranks in the top 10, and only

Transcript Highlights:

• This obviously includes physicians, but also... ...of health professionals.
• This obviously includes physicians, but also a number of allied health professionals and our ends.
• Senator, if we give physicians priority, do you believe physician's priority.
• The loan amount for a physician average can be $250,000 to $350,000.
• The loan amount for a physician can average $250,000 to $350,000.

Transcript Highlights:

• The physician that's treating you—we put a lot of faith in our physicians.
• So when your physician, whether it be a female physician or it may be a male physician, says, 'I'd like
• you to go see this physician for a specialty,' that's going to be on the physician to make sure that
• This onus should not be on these primary care physicians.
• I want to also thank a ranking member. I want to thank you again, ranking member.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for fallen Oviedo Officer Jimmy Serrano-Torres, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Chief Joseph Tuminelli as law enforcement officer of the day. The Rules and Ethics Committee report setting the special order calendar was adopted, and the Speaker announced schedule changes for the following week, including canceling the floor session on Monday and starting Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The main floor action centered on CS/HB 7033, the House tax package. Sponsor Rep. Duggan described broad tax changes, including reducing the state sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%, exempting certain bullion sales, repealing the aviation fuel tax, delaying the natural gas fuel tax, changing corporate income tax treatment for charitable trusts, reducing the pari-mutuel tax on card rooms, and major changes to tourist development tax (TDT) use. The bill would redirect most TDT revenue toward property tax relief, dissolve tourist development councils, and include related property tax and local tax administration changes. Several amendments were debated: a Driscoll amendment to preserve local TDT flexibility failed; Duggan’s amendment giving local governments 25% discretion over TDT revenues was adopted; Eskamani’s combined-reporting amendment failed; and a Duggan amendment requiring audit certification of compliance with the TDT/property tax relief provisions was adopted. After debate, CS/HB 7033 passed 78-29. The House then took up CS/CS/HB 1221 on local option taxes, which was presented as a companion-style measure to give local governments more flexibility while redirecting TDT revenues toward property tax relief. Supporters argued the bill would provide immediate relief to property owners and restore accountability in local tax use, while opponents warned it would undermine tourism funding, infrastructure, and local services. An amendment allowing local governments to retain 25% of TDT revenues for general purposes was adopted, and the bill passed 62-45 after floor debate. The final item shown was the reading of CS/CS/HJR 1257, a proposed constitutional amendment related to property tax exemptions and assessment limits, but the transcript cuts off before debate or action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Ranking Member Campbell: HERE. >> Rep. Barnaby: HERE. >> Rep. Bartleman: HERE. >> Rep.
• WE HAVE TONY LARGE, FLORIDA COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS IN SUPPORT.
• RANKING MEMBER CAMPBELL. >> Ranking Member Campbell: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
• YOU CAN'T EVEN GET AN APPOINTMENT TO THE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN.
• CHAIR ANDERSON, VICE CHAIR MICHAEL, RANKING MEMBER CAMPBELL AND COMMITTEE.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Ranking Minority Member Willner, here. >> Chair Moser. >> I am here. Okay, we have a quorum.
• > &gt;&gt; Ranking minority member Wilner &gt;&gt; Ranking minority member Wilner &gt;&gt; here.
• </c> Um, I have been an attending physician Um, I have been an attending physician at<00:52:22.160><c
• </c><00:54:03.040><c> As</c><00:54:03.280><c> a</c><00:54:03.440><c> physician</c> As a physician treating
• c> &gt;&gt; Ranking Minority Member Wilner, &gt;&gt; Ranking Minority Member Wilner, &gt;&gt; yes.

Committee: House Health Services