Transcript Highlights:

• and nurses assistants in the 2018 legislation, we realized that there is a gap where treatment is lagging
• So currently, we don't have a home care licensure program. You know, we're trying to change that.
• , which, as we heard, is the first state long-term care insurance program in the country.
• And during the presentation... ...long-term care insurance program in the country.
• a broad-based stakeholder coalition to move any program forward.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Aging and Independence/Elder Affairs Committee heard testimony on several bills, with the main focus on H.769/S.468, an act to improve care and prepare for the new era of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Legislators and advocates described the bill’s provisions, including expanded dementia training for first responders, a dementia services coordinator/director in state government, improved hospital discharge and caregiver access protections, dementia care coordination benefits for certain MassHealth members, public awareness and data collection requirements, and expanded support for geriatric workforce recruitment. Representative Danielle Gregoire and Senator Gomez framed the measure as a zero-cost, bipartisan continuation of the 2018 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Act, while the Alzheimer’s Association, Boston Public Health Commission, police representatives, clinicians, and family caregivers all testified in support, emphasizing public health needs, early diagnosis, caregiver involvement, and safer emergency and hospital care. The committee also heard testimony on H.796/S.476, which would establish an Office of Older Adult Advocate and a special commission on a statewide long-term services and supports benefit program. Representative Steve Ultrino supported an independent older adult advocate to help navigate fragmented state services and improve constituent services, while committee members asked about funding and the office’s relationship to existing secretariats. On the long-term care commission bill, NAFA Massachusetts and LeadingAge Massachusetts supported creating a stakeholder commission to review actuarial findings and explore public-private financing options for long-term care, stressing that neither public nor private coverage alone is sufficient and that middle-income families need more planning tools and options. The committee also took testimony on H.786/S.466, a bill to protect vulnerable elders by expanding the Executive Office of Elder Affairs’ authority to investigate abuse or neglect in non-traditional custodial settings such as prisons, jails, shelters, group homes, and certain treatment facilities. Prisoners Legal Services said the bill would close a jurisdictional gap that leaves some older adults without an investigative agency once they age out of DPPC coverage. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• So with that, Assistant Attorney General Eisen Trout and/or Assistant Attorney General Stannifer, do
• Assistant Attorney General Eisen Trout, your response?
• So that's the first way they did not assist us.
• We got zero assistance. Helping American Equity update its existing website content, no assistance.
• To other stakeholders, no assistance.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The hearing concerned a Legislative Ethics Board complaint against Representative Tara Simmons in Washington State OAH Docket 401-645. The judge outlined the process, the two issues on appeal—whether Simmons violated RCW 42.52.020 and RCW 42.52.070, and, if so, what penalty should apply—and admitted a number of exhibits by stipulation or prior ruling, while taking one exhibit under advisement pending an offer of proof. The board also moved to sequester witnesses, which was granted, and the judge deferred ruling on a motion to exclude three defense witnesses until after hearing the board staff’s case. Opening statements followed, with staff alleging Simmons used her position to benefit an outside organization and to secure special privileges, and the defense arguing the conduct was lawful, technical in nature, and consistent with prior ethics guidance. Board staff then called Kimberly Gordon, an attorney and founding board member/treasurer of American Equity and Justice Group (AEJG), as its first witness. Gordon testified that AEJG used data dashboards to make justice-system data more accessible, received state proviso funding sponsored by Simmons, and also received two donations from Simmons—$10,000 and $40,000. She said the first donation was intended to help hire Antoine Coleman, whom Simmons had recommended and who was later identified as Simmons’s romantic partner, and that AEJG returned the $10,000 and declined the $40,000 after concluding there was a potential conflict of interest. Gordon also testified that AEJG believed Simmons’s involvement in the organization and her communications about Coleman created ethical concerns. Gordon further testified about a second proviso intended to expand AEJG’s work into education data and its subcontract with Equity in Education Coalition (EEC). She said EEC did not perform the expected deliverables, prompting repeated communications with the Administrative Office of the Courts and a meeting involving Chris Stanley, where AEJG raised concerns that EEC was not complying and that Simmons had intervened in the dispute. According to Gordon, Stanley ultimately directed the parties to rewrite the subcontract and continue, but AEJG later moved forward largely without EEC’s assistance. The board staff introduced AEJG’s complaint and related timeline exhibits during her testimony. After direct examination, the hearing recessed for lunch, and cross-examination by Simmons’s counsel began when the hearing resumed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next is Frank Moran [member_10800], second assistant minority leader in the House.
• Next is Frank Moran [member_10800], second assistant minority leader in the House.
• This basically would have allowed assistant public defenders and assistant prosecutors to be seen as
• That may assist in evaluating how such a union framework would operate within the agency.
• Many of those are administrative assistants. Many of those are investigators.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 2522 / H. 5909, which would amend state labor law to treat the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) as a public employer and allow its employees to seek collective bargaining rights. The chair explained the Article 48 initiative process, noted that no opponents or members of the public had signed up to testify, and said written testimony would be accepted through March 20. The hearing focused on whether CPCS staff should be brought within the public-sector bargaining framework and how that would interact with the agency’s statutory duties. Expert testimony began with an NCSL analyst, who gave a national overview of public employee bargaining rights and examples of public defender unions in other states and localities, including Colorado, New York City, Indianapolis, Cook County, Maryland, and Illinois. Department of Labor Relations officials then reviewed prior failed organizing efforts at CPCS and its predecessor, explaining that earlier petitions were dismissed because the agency was not considered a public employer under existing law. They said passage of the initiative would not automatically unionize employees, but would allow a union to petition for an election or written majority authorization, with normal unit-appropriateness and supervisory/confidential employee issues still to be resolved. CPCS Chief Counsel Anthony Benedetti testified that the agency supports providing information to the legislature but is not taking a position for or against unionization. He described CPCS’s statutory responsibilities, size, and current efforts to expand staffing after recent indigent-defense crises, and said any new bargaining framework would need to operate alongside the agency’s obligations to provide counsel. Proponents from SEIU Local 888 and allied labor groups argued that CPCS employees have long been denied the same collective bargaining rights as other public workers, and that a union would provide just-cause protections, a voice on staffing and working conditions, and better support for recruitment and retention. CPCS attorneys and staff testified in favor of the measure, citing heavy caseloads, rapid expansion, inadequate supervision and office support, and the need for representation in disciplinary and workplace disputes. Committee members asked about bargaining-unit composition, the role of the DLR, the effect of unionization on attorneys’ ethical duties, and the use and cost of paid signature gathering. The hearing ended with no votes taken and no opposition testimony presented.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 130-plus assisted living facilities in Louisiana, and this bill was heard.
• I have Kevin Hayes with me, who represents the assisted living facilities.
• Relative to psychedelic assisted therapy, to establish psychedelic. by Senator McMath.
• Relative to psychedelic-assisted therapy, to establish psychedelic-assisted therapy initiative within
• The program would create a state-supported pathway for clinical research into certain assisted therapies

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on April 28 with a quorum and took up several Senate bills, beginning with SB 113 on the local health care provider participation program in Calcasieu Parish. The committee adopted a technical amendment and heard that the bill would shift the local sponsor from the parish to the city if needed by a June 1 deadline. After brief discussion and no opposition, SB 113 was reported favorably with amendments. The committee then approved SB 23, which exempts certain assisted living facilities licensed by LDH from the definition of food service establishment, and SB 150, which would allow LDH to scan and electronically store vital records supporting documents and return originals to citizens. SB 221 also advanced after testimony that it would allow EMS providers to be reimbursed by Medicaid for emergency responses where treatment is provided on scene but the patient is not transported. Members discussed that the bill could reduce unnecessary ER use and likely would require some rulemaking, but it was reported favorably. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 404, a broad vision benefit plan reform bill. Supporters, including optometrists, said the measure would improve transparency, patient choice, and access to eye care by limiting restrictive plan practices; opponents from the vision care plan industry argued it was an unprecedented, provider-driven overhaul that could raise costs and reduce flexibility. After extensive testimony and an agreed amendment clarifying network participation, the committee reported SB 404 favorably with amendments. The committee also reported SB 32 favorably with amendments after emotional testimony from parents and advocates about perinatal bereavement care, cooling devices, and training for hospitals to give grieving families more time and dignity after infant loss. Finally, the committee heard SB 43, which would create a psychedelic-assisted therapy initiative within LDH for clinical research and treatment involving ibogaine and psilocybin, with testimony from veterans, researchers, and advocates describing potential benefits for PTSD, substance use, and traumatic brain injury. The bill was reported favorably with amendments and set to pass a courtesy sheet. The committee then began SB 253, a bill regulating peptides and compounding pharmacies, adopted technical amendments clarifying provider liability, and continued discussion as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• It did not affect the program.
• It did not affect the program.
• of the intensity of the desire to have this program go forward.
• Thank you, Madam Assistant Chair, I appreciate it.
• behind the database, the program includes the programming behind the database, we told him not that

Keywords: 974, senate, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• , provide technical assistance, and set clear goals.
• My son had many friends, and those friends are now participants in the program.
• When you fund CVI, you're not funding just violence prevention programs.
• When you fund CBI, you're not funding just violence prevention programs.
• It means we can build real infrastructure instead of patchwork programming.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety met with a quorum and adopted the June 4, 2026 minutes. The committee first took up Senate Bill 712, adopting the S-2 substitute, which expands residency requirements to include adjoining districts and removes a provision allowing a district to appoint someone employed by the district. The committee then reported SB 712 to the floor. It also considered House Bills 4025 and 4026, described as safe storage tax exemption bills; the committee heard one supportive written card and reported both bills to the floor, each on a 5-1 vote. The committee next heard testimony on Senate Bill 885, which would create a statewide Parent and Child Legal Representation Commission and Office within LARA to address child protective legal representation. Senator Singh and Alicia Moon of the Michigan Supreme Court described the current county-by-county system as uneven, with attorney shortages, inconsistent pay, and limited specialized training. They said the bill would set standards for training, caseloads, client contact, and compensation, while requiring public comment and future appropriations before implementation. Testimony and written cards from a broad range of organizations and judges supported the measure, and the committee reported SB 885 to the floor on a 6-0 vote. The committee then heard extensive testimony on Senate Bills 1015 and 1016, which would create an Office of Community Violence Intervention and Prevention within MDHHS and establish a grant program to support community violence intervention efforts statewide. Sponsors and witnesses from Force Detroit, D-Live, Seize the Smoke, Advance Peace, public health, law enforcement, and advocacy groups described CVI as a public health and public safety strategy that reduces shootings, supports survivors, and saves public costs. Several witnesses cited local data showing reductions in shootings and homicides in Detroit and Lansing, while one witness from the Michigan Sheriff's Association opposed the bills as written. The committee voted to report both SB 1015 and SB 1016 to the floor, each on a 5-0 vote with one pass, and then adjourned after additional testimony and reading of support cards.

Transcript Highlights:

• The National Guard educational assistant program offering life-changing opportunities for those who serve
• We know that this program works.
• Program.
• know that there's necessarily a large number Of arts programs or music programs in those.
• You know, the program at this point has been basically an income-based program based on the adjusted

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the 90-day transition program. We have a mental health transition program.
• This includes the Arizona ESA program.
• The Air Force sent us here to Arizona because Arizona had the ESA program, and at the time the ESA program
• This program alive. And I think I know the answer tonight.
• And all of our assistants, come on, let's give all of our assistants a hand.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are saying that IDs of students and public assistance can't be used. Why?
• Assistance Program.
• He's a member of the Florida State University Honors Program.
• It also sunsets the program on July 1, 2013. That is the amendment.
• The House removed the provision referencing my Safe Florida Condo Pilot Program.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of recognitions for interns, staff, and guests. Members also honored retiring Senate staffer Susan Miller and recognized a veteran injured in combat. After routine announcements, the chamber moved to returning messages from the House and began taking up bills and amendments. The Senate concurred in House amendments and passed SB 118 on RV park assessments and SB 572 on ethics for public officers and employees, both by 38-0 votes. It then took up the elections bill, CS/CS/HB 991, which drew extensive debate. Supporters said it would strengthen election integrity by tightening citizenship verification and ID rules; opponents argued it would burden eligible voters, especially students, seniors, disabled voters, and others without the newly required documents. The bill passed 27-12. The chamber also passed the education package SB 182 after adopting a Senate amendment to the House amendment, and approved SB 474 on military affairs, SB 425 on historic cemeteries, HB 929 on local regulation of chickees, and HB 35/SB 1370 on habitual traffic offender designation, all with unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Senate then considered SB 902/ HB 733, the Department of Health package. Members adopted an amendment and amendment-to-amendment that preserved most Senate provisions while modifying or removing several House additions, including some early steps and medical marijuana-related changes, and the bill passed 37-0. The chamber also began work on HB 905, the foreign influence bill, with a strike-all amendment offered to expand restrictions on foreign influence, sister-city agreements, linkage institutes, and related activities, but the debate on that measure was still underway when the transcript ended. Several other returning messages and bills were temporarily postponed, and the Senate recessed briefly before resuming business.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the very successful no-cost calls communication program as well.
• The Section 35 program is set at $14 million, while the no-cost calls program is $12 million in this
• They are participating in the Professional Fellows Program, a U.S.
• Department of State two-way global exchange program.
• The Professional Fellows Program is a two-way global exchange program designed to promote mutual understanding

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House took up several routine and ceremonial matters first, including a resolution honoring the Solomon Northup Committee and commemorating the arrival of the Solomon Northup sculpture in Boston, which was adopted. Members also adopted an order extending the Revenue Committee’s reporting deadline on House No. 4606, concurred in a Senate sick leave bank petition for Jeffrey Yatson, and suspended Joint Rule 12 for a similar sick leave bank petition for Jean McCarran. The House then advanced House No. 4413, a bill on the terms of certain Commonwealth bonds, to third reading and later passed it to be engrossed. The main floor debate centered on House No. 4601, the fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill. The bill was described as a $2.25 billion supplemental budget with a net Commonwealth cost of about $750 million, covering MassHealth, snow and ice deficiencies, Home Base, universal school meals, reproductive health care supports, a sports and entertainment fund, and other items. The bill also included outside sections on public health and finance, and it ratified seven collective bargaining agreements. The House adopted Amendment 70, which added Health Safety Net funding measures, including higher hospital assessments and a $50 million transfer from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, after supporters said it would help avert a projected shortfall and generate federal Medicaid revenue. A separate amendment on Home Base eligibility was rejected. The House also adopted a consolidated amendment that included provisions affecting western and central Massachusetts municipal health insurance costs and changes to violent injury benefit language for first responders, including clarifying the definition of a weapon and tightening the standard for covered injuries. Another consolidated amendment was adopted by roll call, and the bill itself was then passed to be engrossed by a recorded vote. The session ended with an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. and a motion to adjourn in memory of former House members Thomas and George, which was agreed to before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• the existing program. the existing program. >> Representative<02:19:58.880> Johnson.
• Thank you, um, Madame Assistant Majority Leader. Thank you, Mr. Assistant Minority Leader.
• Thank you, um, Madame Assistant Majority Leader. Thank you, Mr. Assistant Minority Leader.
• Thank you, um, Madame Assistant Majority Leader. Thank you, Mr. Assistant Minority Leader.
• Thank you, um, Madame Assistant Majority Leader. Thank you, Mr. Assistant Minority Leader.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in Teaching Fellowship Program.
• Now, in order to be in this program, this was a new program that we worked on throughout the agency,
• So, you know, we've been looking back at this program. This is year one of the program.
• This program, going through this, what's the most important, This program, going through this, what's
• This specific program, the teacher fellowship program, was to…” “The teacher fellowship program was to

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas has a robust voter regime, excuse me, voter regime registration list maintenance program.
• And respectfully, ma'am, I would say we haven't been without a cross check program.
• Can you tell me about any programs or anything that we're doing?
• did we start this program?
• The program is efficient, accurate, and is. audible.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ever uh which is a really cool program ever uh which is a really cool program that<00:02:59.920>
• <00:10:19.360> and Technical and financial assistance and Technical and financial assistance
• businesses uh our our connects program businesses uh our our connects program is<01:13:12.840>
• of this program but also the pro program of this program but also the pro program of<01:26:17.639
• Those programs are ever evolving.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, in order to be in this program, this was a new program that we worked on throughout the agency,
• So, you know, we've been looking back at this program. This is year one of the program.
• One of the big programs is part of our master teacher designation program or mentoring other teachers
• One of the big programs is part of our master teacher designation program or mentoring other teachers
• This specific program, the teacher fellowship program, was to... ...the fellowship program was to find

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• , hydrogen, additional alternative energy, or other programs that we partner with the feds on.
• just to access food assistance that already exists.
• California invests billions of dollars in food assistance programs.
• SB 1025 does not create another food program.
• SV-1025 does not create another food program.

Summary: The committee heard several measures focused on economic development, procurement, workforce equity, federal infrastructure funding, and food security. SB 1044 by Senator Reyes would raise and then index to inflation the cap for streamlined state contracts awarded to certified small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises for services and IT work; supporters said the current cap is outdated and limits access, while opponents representing goods suppliers and some small business groups argued the bill could disadvantage goods contractors and should preserve lower thresholds for those contracts. After discussion about the ceiling versus floor effect of the cap and the impact on different types of businesses, the bill was approved as amended and sent to Appropriations. SB 247 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would create a bid preference for projects that hire workers from disadvantaged communities; supporters framed it as a way to connect public infrastructure spending to family-sustaining jobs, while union construction employers opposed it because they said they cannot control worker dispatch through hiring halls and the bill would be difficult to implement. The committee advanced the measure to Appropriations despite those concerns. The committee also approved SJR 6 by Senator Cortese, which urges the federal government to honor commitments under the bipartisan infrastructure law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, with supporters emphasizing the importance of certainty for California infrastructure, clean energy, and semiconductor investments. SB 1025 by Senator Hurtado would establish an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food assistance efforts and develop a statewide food security strategy; supporters from a Kern County food bank and the University of California said the state’s response to hunger is fragmented and needs better coordination, while committee members asked about deliverables and timelines. The bill was sent to Appropriations. The committee also took up consent items SB 700 and SB 1340, which were moved on consent to Appropriations, and the hearing ended with the remaining votes recorded and the bills advanced. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly discussed the need for clearer implementation details, data on program impacts, and how to balance equity goals with operational realities for state agencies, contractors, and small businesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• That early resolution program has disintegrated from my perspective.
• I do want to echo and reiterate what the previous speakers spoke about the early resolution program.
• This is where we're going to need a lot of ongoing assistance from the legislature.
• Knoth Peterson for her assistance.
• A request for laboratory assistance is a single piece of paper. It gets signed.

Summary: The committee held a work session on tort liability and parole, with the chair explaining that the topics were linked because criminal justice reform and state liability often intersect, especially in cases involving child welfare and corrections. Staff first outlined Washington’s tort liability framework, including the state’s broad waiver of sovereign immunity, statutes governing mandatory reporting and investigation of abuse, the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations, and the lack of caps on non-economic damages. Staff and presenters also compared Washington to other states and noted that Washington remains among the broadest states for state liability and childhood sexual abuse claims. Presenters from the Attorney General’s office, Washington State Association for Justice, DCYF, DSHS, and DOC discussed how tort exposure has grown, especially in claims involving DCYF, historical child abuse, juvenile rehabilitation, vulnerable adults, employment discrimination, medical negligence, and negligent supervision. DCYF and AG staff said claims and payouts are rising, with many claims tied to older abuse and new theories of liability, while defense counsel emphasized the human harm behind the claims and argued that tort cases have historically driven accountability and reform. Agency witnesses said they face large volumes of old claims with limited records, rising verdicts and settlements, and staffing and systems challenges, and they highlighted efforts such as early resolution programs, electronic health records, medication-assisted treatment, and improved incident review processes. The committee then shifted to parole. Sentencing experts reviewed Washington’s move from indeterminate sentencing to the current determinate sentencing system under the Sentencing Reform Act, and explained how parole could be integrated with sentencing guidelines through different models used in other states. They also summarized Criminal Sentencing Task Force recommendations related to a determinate-plus approach for three-strikes and persistent offender laws and a second-chance review process, noting there was no consensus on those ideas. Judges from the Minority and Justice Commission and the Superior Court Judges Association said a parole system could support rehabilitation and reduce disparities if it includes data collection, fairness, transparency, due process, and meaningful judicial review; they also pointed to research suggesting parole and structured reentry can reduce recidivism and costs, while warning that access and outcomes can vary by geography and other factors.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so they have seen a lot of use more in that program.
• , education programs, supportive programs, treatment programs.
• These programs exist in prison.
• Statutorily, it is called a release program.
• There's discretion for assistant state attorneys or assistant city attorneys, and there 100% should be

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the management assistant for Spirit Lake Social Services.
• So all of our programs, regardless if it's a certificate or degree program, include Dakota culture, language
• And a lot of our students stay and work in those programs.
• have access to an opioid treatment program.
• I'm a program director from Protection and Advocacy.

Summary: The committee met at Spirit Lake Tribe and first heard welcoming remarks and introductions from tribal leaders and program directors. Chairwoman Street and other tribal representatives outlined a range of concerns and requests for state action, including taxation of reservation lands, support for non-beneficiary students at the tribal school, homelessness funding, Indian-managed health care, gaming and e-tabs, Feather Alert improvements, industrial farming near waterways, tourism, and better state-tribal consultation. Committee members responded that the meeting was intended to improve understanding and communication, and several members suggested future legislation or resolutions could be used to advance some of the issues. The tribe also offered to provide training on treaties, IHS 638, and compact services to legislators and staff. A major portion of the discussion focused on Spirit Lake fish and wildlife jurisdiction and the lake boundary. Tribal representatives asked for an MOU or co-stewardship agreement with the state to clarify hunting and fishing rights, recognize tribal licenses, and reduce recurring disputes over “gray areas” on the reservation and lake. Committee members discussed whether to draft a bill or resolution directing the executive branch and state agencies to negotiate such an agreement, and asked that North Dakota Game and Fish be invited to a future meeting. Related concerns included aquatic nuisance species prevention, with both sides agreeing that more aggressive boat inspection and cleaning measures would be beneficial. The committee also discussed taxation and county relations. Tribal leaders raised concerns about county resistance to fee-to-trust transfers and about property and vehicle taxation affecting members living on or near reservation lands. Committee members and tribal counsel reviewed federal treaty principles and court cases, and one member noted that the committee had previously taken no formal action on similar issues. Later, Benson County’s tax equalization director explained how the county values taxable land, handles inundated land applications, and tracks land coming off the tax rolls when the tribe repurchases acreage. The discussion ended with a presentation from the president of Sisseton Wahpeton College, who described the college’s programs, economic impact, and funding needs, followed by an HHS presentation on 1115 Medicaid waivers and the IMD exclusion as the committee moved to its next topic.

Transcript Highlights:

• As an assistant Attorney's Office.
• <00:25:48.080> people already stated is to uh assist people already stated is to uh assist
• Might have a little bit more, but we don't have any assisted living.
• Might have a little bit more, but we don't have any assisted living.
• Schustster saying it's okay, I wouldn't be voting yes. assisted living.

Keywords: 00:00:06 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:23 - Review of Referred Administrative Regulations 00:02:00 - Discussion of 26RS HB 485 01:00:40 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 485 01:03:25 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 485, a major mental health measure addressing both KRS 202C and KRS 202A. The committee first adopted a committee substitute and then approved a committee amendment correcting misspellings in the bill. Members and witnesses described the bill as the product of years of work with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, mental health professionals, advocates, and the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health. Testimony on the 202C portion focused on individuals charged with serious violent offenses who are found incompetent to stand trial. Witnesses, including a circuit judge and a family member whose mother was killed by her mentally ill brother, argued that current timelines require repeated evidentiary hearings and impose unnecessary trauma on victims’ families and strain on courts and KCPC. Supporters said the bill would lengthen review intervals, clarify the role and payment of guardians ad litem, and reduce repeated relitigation while preserving due process and public safety. They noted that 202C cases are few in number but consume a significant share of KCPC bed space. The committee then turned to the 202A portion, which covers civil mental health commitments for people who may not have committed a crime. Supporters said current law leaves courts with only two choices—hospitalization or release—and that the bill would create a third option by allowing court-ordered outpatient treatment and other guardrails such as medication compliance and follow-up care. Witnesses emphasized that the bill defines terms such as “benefit” and “serious mental illness,” expands the definition of danger, and aims to provide a least restrictive alternative to inpatient hospitalization. No final vote on the bill itself was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, but the substitute and amendment were adopted and testimony continued in support of the measure.