Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of these nursing homes and hospice facilities are already following these procedures, but I decided
• A lot of these nursing homes and hospice facilities are already following these procedures, but I decided
• Members, I do have the opportunity to sit on the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf and to be able to
• Jana Broussard, acting executive director for the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
• The Department of Health would establish a procedure to determine the need and reissue the licenses.

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 12 and considered a wide range of health, social services, and licensing measures. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably HCR 98, which asks the Louisiana Department of Health to study whether SNAP recipients should be allowed to use benefits for grocery delivery fees. The author said the proposal would not change SNAP rules directly, but would examine access issues for elderly, disabled, rural, and transportation-limited residents. The committee also advanced SB 273, a hospice patient-protection bill requiring documentation of hydration, nutrition, and care decisions in inpatient licensed facilities where hospice is provided, with LDH oversight and enforcement authority; members discussed how responsibility is shared between facilities and outside hospice providers, and adopted technical amendments. The committee then approved SB 415, creating the Empower Louisiana Food Purchase Program, a privately funded charitable food-card program intended to let nonprofits distribute food-only cards to people in need. Members and the author discussed whether the cards would be reloadable, which retailers could accept them, and whether prepared foods could be included; LDH said the program could use all SNAP-authorized retailers, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. SB 437, a cleanup bill for judicially referred residential substance abuse treatment facilities, was also reported favorably with amendments after LDH clarified that facilities providing treatment must be licensed, while residences only housing individuals would not be. SB 451, updating newborn hearing screening terminology and reporting requirements, was reported favorably after testimony that the bill would strengthen early detection and follow-up for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Later, the committee advanced SB 426, which modernizes the addictive disorder regulatory authority and creates a formal peer support specialist licensing pathway. Supporters said the bill would strengthen the behavioral health workforce, improve accountability, and create a progression from peer support to higher credentials; the committee adopted technical and transition amendments and reported the bill favorably with amendments. SB 236, requiring LDH annual reviews and reports on kidney disease treatment services in Medicaid, was also reported favorably with amendments. Additional measures approved included SB 39, allowing provisional licenses for massage therapy graduates; SB 190, which tightens oversight of poor-performing nursing facilities in the CMS Special Focus Facility Program and sets an 18-month improvement timeline; SB 124, allowing hospitals within the same health system to share peer review records without waiving privilege; HR 174, urging study of fenbendazole as a possible cancer treatment; SB 270, allowing terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in health care facilities; SB 359, changing terms for certain Morehouse Parish hospital district commissioners; and HR 194, requesting de-identified school visual acuity screening data for research. The committee adjourned after reporting all measures favorably, several with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of these nursing homes and hospice facilities are already following these procedures, but I decided
• A lot of these nursing homes and hospice facilities are already following these procedures, but I decided
• Members, I do have the opportunity to sit on the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf and to discuss things
• Jana Broussard, acting executive director for the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
• The Department would establish a procedure to determine the need and reissue the licenses.

Bills: HR174, HR194, HCR98, SB39, SB124, SB190, SB236, SB270, SB273, SB359, SB415, SB426, SB437, SB451

Keywords: fenbendazole, cancer treatment, public health, FDA, clinical trials, patient safety, visual acuity, student health, de-identified data, longitudinal analysis, education policy, SNAP, food stamps, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, grocery delivery, delivery fees, service charges, online grocery, food access, food insecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• CoARC, the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, has already approved curriculum.
• Co-Ark, the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, has already approved curriculum.
• So Kasha does support continued modernization of board procedures and the remaining projects, which include
• prescribing medications, including controlled substances, administering vaccines, and performing office procedures
• prescribing medications, including controlled substances, administering vaccines, and performing office procedures

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And with me today, I have Frank Zubia, and he is with the Crimes Reparation Commission.
• Chair, members of the committee, Frank Zubia, Director for the New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission
• And just procedurally, would you prefer that my team introduces themselves first before we proceed into
• It authorizes severe liberty deprivations without youth-specific procedural safeguards.
• This is not a harmless procedural difference.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• through a private right of action, but the administrative complaint process through the Human Rights Commission
• employees and employers, and puts it under the jurisdiction of the Public Employment Relations Commission
• Procedures and timelines are established for PERC to conduct the election and to certify the exclusive
• Procedures are established for the parties to select an arbitrator, to select hearing dates, to submit
• Procedures are established for the parties to select an arbitrator, to select hearing dates, to submit

Bills: HB2355, HB2151, HB2372, HB2472, HB2409

Keywords: labor protections, domestic workers, wage standards, employment rights, worker safety, factory built housing, commercial structures, national standards, construction regulation, building safety, workers' compensation, benefits, employment, injury claims, insurance, liability, fire protection, sprinkler systems, licensed contractors, certified fitters

Transcript Highlights:

• fields: the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission
• participate in an interview or provide supporting documentation, the only remedy available under criminal procedure
• guardianship paperwork, drafting paperwork, filing court documents, advising about local rules and procedures
• Under Washington law, local and state law enforcement agencies have to adopt policies and procedures
• continues the work of our existing reasonably identifiable statute, which only applies to state-commissioned

Bills: SB5865, SB5880, SB5912, SB5837, SB5855

Keywords: garnishment, debt, form standardization, financial protection, legal processes, toxicology testing, laboratories, accreditation, public health, standards, indigent defense, task force, criminal justice, legal aid, public defense, guardianship, conservatorship, protective arrangement, protective arrangements, supported decision-making

Transcript Highlights:

• fields: the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission
• participate in an interview or provide supporting documentation, the only remedy available under criminal procedure
• guardianship paperwork, drafting paperwork, filing court documents, advising about local rules and procedures
• Under Washington law, local and state law enforcement agencies have to adopt policies and procedures
• continues the work of our existing reasonably identifiable statute, which only applies to state-commissioned

Summary: The committee began with introductions and then heard Senate Bill 5865, which would repeal statutory garnishment answer forms and require use of Washington Pattern Forms Committee forms instead. Staff, the prime sponsor, and judges’ association witnesses said the bill is a technical fix that would make garnishment calculations more accurate and efficient without changing substantive law. A collectors’ association witness said the current statutory form can be used if needed until new forms are available and raised concerns about the timeliness of pattern form updates, but was open to working on language. The public hearing on SB 5865 was then closed. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5880, which would allow blood and breath toxicology results to be admissible if tested by an ISO/IEC 17025-certified or accredited forensic lab. The sponsor and supporters, including the Seattle city attorney and traffic safety experts, described severe backlogs at the state toxicology lab, with some DUI blood results taking many months or longer and cases expiring before charges can be filed. Counties, prosecutors, sheriffs, and defense representatives generally agreed the backlog is a serious problem, but several warned the bill could shift costs to local governments, create uneven access to private testing, and raise due process concerns unless discovery cooperation is required. The committee then closed the hearing on SB 5880. Senate Bill 5912 would reinstate the indigent defense task force to study Washington’s public defense system and report recommendations by 2028. Supporters from counties, cities, public defense offices, and tribal interests said the statewide shortage of defense attorneys and rising costs are straining local budgets and delaying access to counsel, especially in rural and eastern Washington. Some witnesses urged the bill be amended to add more stakeholder representation, including clients and practitioners, and cautioned that the task force should not delay immediate action on funding and caseload standards. The hearing on SB 5912 was then closed. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5837, a broad update to guardianship, conservatorship, and protective arrangement procedures. The bill would lower the minimum age for a proposed guardian from 21 to 18, expand notice options, clarify appointment of counsel, and streamline service and hearing procedures. Testimony was largely supportive, especially from kinship caregivers, legal aid, and estate-law practitioners who said the bill would reduce costly publication requirements and improve access to justice, though some witnesses requested amendments on notice, waiver language, emergency procedures, and counsel provisions. The committee reported 40 pro and 70 con sign-ins on the bill, then moved on. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 5855, which would prohibit law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from wearing facial coverings during public interactions except in limited circumstances such as undercover work, SWAT operations, or health and safety needs. The sponsor and supporters said the bill is intended to increase transparency, accountability, and trust, especially for immigrant and marginalized communities, while opponents argued it could endanger officers, conflict with federal authority, and is tied to ongoing litigation over similar California legislation. Testimony was sharply divided, with some witnesses emphasizing public fear and trauma from masked officers and others arguing the bill would make officers more vulnerable and create constitutional problems. The hearing continued with additional public testimony after the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we follow the procedures of that particular ordinance in that particular city or county.
• think the point you're getting at is that those utilities were there based on following all the procedures
• Our agreement that they sign, that is approved by the Public Service Commission, stipulates in the back
• Our agreement that they sign, that is approved by the Public Service Commission, stipulates in the back
• that take place, and you do get disputes in the field with, you know, following the appropriate procedures

Summary: The Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee met with a quorum present and first heard HB 11 from Representative Robinson. The bill would address an unintended consequence in Florida’s municipal utility surcharge law by requiring the same water/utility rate for residents when a utility facility is physically located within one municipality but owned by another, rather than allowing the owning municipality to impose a 25% surcharge. The sponsor and several members described it as a fairness issue affecting residents who do not receive local tax support for the facility but still bear the surcharge. Public testimony included support from AARP and Miami-Dade County and opposition from North Miami Beach. The bill was reported favorably on an 18-0 vote. The committee then held a panel discussion on utility use of public rights-of-way and utility relocation. Panelists from FDOT, county government, gas, water, electric, and communications sectors described the permitting process, noting that FDOT uses a detailed utility accommodation manual and that local governments may use permits, franchise agreements, or ordinances depending on the utility type. They emphasized that utilities often must coordinate early with agencies using long-range work programs and project plans, and that the process differs by utility and jurisdiction. Communications witnesses discussed Chapter 337 and the 60-day local permitting shot clock, while others noted the role of Sunshine State One Call in locating facilities before excavation. A major focus was who pays for relocations when road or infrastructure projects require utilities to move. FDOT and several panelists said utilities generally bear the cost when they are in public right-of-way, with exceptions such as certain interstate/interchange projects and easement impacts. Utility representatives said relocations are often effectively new builds, can be costly, and are ultimately reflected in rates or customer costs. Members also asked about easements versus right-of-way, damage and disputes during construction, broadband workforce needs, and whether legislation could improve coordination. Panelists largely said the existing process works best when agencies, contractors, and utilities communicate early and continuously, and that more legislation may not be necessary compared with better planning, staffing, and use of technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• What this commission is charged with doing, and why the Legislature adopted this commission, has been
• What this commission is charged with doing, and why the legislature adopted this commission, What this
• commission is charged with doing, and why the legislature adopted this commission has been to try to
• was a shutdown commission.
• Hello, members of the Commission.

Summary: The hearing focused on the future of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and the work of the special legislative commission studying whether and how the facility should continue. Senators and representatives said the Legislature has continued funding Pappas, that the hospital cannot be closed before the commission reports, and that they are seeking to extend the commission’s deadline. Multiple commissioners and witnesses described Pappas as a unique setting combining inpatient medical care, residential programming, special education, therapy, and campus-based activities for children with complex medical needs. Union leaders, staff, parents, and local officials argued that Pappas is being quietly depopulated through blocked admissions and continued discharges despite the formal pause on closure. They said the hospital’s integrated model cannot be replicated elsewhere, that families and staff are being left in limbo, and that the state should invest in repairs, modernization, and possibly temporary modular space to reopen admissions. Several witnesses emphasized the impact on children who have benefited from Pappas and on workers who fear losing a specialized workforce built over decades. Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein said the state is committed to keeping Pappas open and stable while the commission works, but that admissions must meet hospital-level-of-care standards and the current infrastructure limits who can safely be served. He said the administration has been expanding outreach, hiring staff, and exploring ways to broaden services, including outpatient and therapy programs over time. Commissioners pressed him on why admissions remain so limited and whether the facility is being effectively depopulated, while Goldstein maintained that the restrictions reflect legal and safety requirements rather than an effort to close the hospital.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> college commission college commission and<00:26:32.320><c> believe</c><00:26:32.640><c> this</c>
• If we're problem that's procedural.
• commission commission &gt;&gt; as<03:11:56.399><c> amended.
• Agency 091 stable token commission no.
• </c> Conduct and Ethics Commission. Conduct and Ethics Commission.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• enlisted as a field artillery fire control specialist in the National Guard in 2009 and later commissioned
• And next year I'm filing a process and procedure bill called the Brodeur Act. I dare ask.
• As the profession and as the industry, they follow certain rules of procedure.
• And listen, the people on the Miami Beach Commission are, they're not all Democrats.
• You could stuff a county commission with his people. And he's done it, and he will do it again.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:12:30.960><c> for</c> absences and have procedures for absences and have procedures for addressing
• We do have some procedures in place, but I think every case is unique.
• </c> have Hawaii Civil Rights Commission have Hawaii Civil Rights Commission offering<03:12:03.200><c
• Commission has also um around this bill.
• Quick question for the commission.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Education met on February 17 and announced it would limit public testimony to one minute because more than a thousand testimonies were expected on one measure. The first bill heard was HB 1934, relating to the Imagination Library of Hawaii. The state librarian and Friends of the Library supported the bill, saying the program is a proven, cost-effective way to improve early literacy and should be expanded statewide for children ages 0 to 5. Friends of the Library said the current 50/50 match requirement would be too difficult to meet immediately and asked for state funding for the first few years to help launch the expansion. Testimony included eight supporters and one opponent, and members asked whether the proposal was an expansion of an existing program; the state librarian said it would expand service beyond currently targeted communities. The committee then heard HB 20004, which would extend the floating librarian pilot program. The state librarian, Department of Education, HSTA, and several individuals testified in support. Supporters said the program helps address staffing needs and improves student readiness, especially for college and information literacy. One retired community college librarian said school librarians help students prepare for college and are increasingly important in teaching critical evaluation of misinformation and AI-generated content. Members asked about implementation of the existing pilot, including recruitment of certified librarians for neighbor island and Oahu complex areas; DOE said those positions had been identified and recruitment was underway, and existing funds remained intact. The final major discussion was HB 2398, which clarifies the library system’s role in RNMSP-related projects and public library construction on or near school land. The state librarian and public library system supported the bill, while the Department of Education and Attorney General’s office raised concerns about vague language, especially the phrase “land controlled by the board,” and suggested amendments. In questioning, the state librarian explained that the bill was prompted by conflicts on shared or adjacent school/public library sites, including traffic, pickup and drop-off access, and other operational issues. DOE described significant disruption from one project’s traffic changes and said planning for such projects should involve early coordination and formal agreements. The state librarian responded that the new bill would clarify oversight and help avoid delays and disputes over property control and future renovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• They protect nursing staff, deliver patient care, safeguard physicians during medical procedures, and
• ,</c><00:47:44.160><c> maintaining</c> during medical procedures, maintaining during medical procedures
• ><01:03:39.599><c> a</c><01:03:39.760><c> uniform</c><01:03:40.240><c> law</c><01:03:40.640><c> commission
• </c><01:03:42.000><c> um</c> that was a uniform law commission um that was a uniform law commission um
• </c> um it was a uniform law commission um it was a uniform law commission proposal.<01:04:00.960><c>

Bills: HF2358, HF3496, HF3504, HF2169, HF3440

Keywords: public safety, coercion, criminal penalties, law enforcement, victim protection, HF3496, supervision abatement, earned compliance credit, earned compliance credits, conditional release, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, restitution, willful nonpayment, probation-like supervision, release supervision, community supervision, lifetime conditional release, early termination of supervision

Transcript Highlights:

• on Mental Health, and the Children's Commission.
• Moving on to item 8, the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.
• I'll be presenting the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
• , leave the commission with public discipline.
• Um, we are funded, uh, primarily by the Texan Defense Commission.

Transcript Highlights:

• and for the Commission to evaluate these claims.
• These claims are made upon submission of information to the Commission.
• It's a staff at the commission.
• And secondarily, the commission has hired a contractor. The name.
• Earlier this year, the commission upheld an earlier decision.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The only reason for my absence is that I have an urgent heart procedure already scheduled for today,
• It wasn't even at our recorded, like, online county commission auditorium.
• And also, you know, we have monthly meetings in the county commission that people are also free to go
• meeting, they're starting to, as a matter of fact, in their commission meeting, Thank you, Mr.
• Okay, so the county commission or the city commission cannot all vote and agree on something that would

Summary: The subcommittee first took up HB 387 on ADS-B airport billing. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would stop airports and third-party vendors from using federally required automatic dependent surveillance broadcast data to calculate landing or touch-and-go fees, arguing the technology was intended for safety and collision avoidance, not invoicing. An amendment clarifying touch-and-go landings and other fee calculations was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably 15-0. Members then heard several local and policy bills. CS/HB 803 on private-provider building permits and inspections drew broad support from industry groups and was reported favorably 14-1. HB 451 and HB 4053, local fire-district assessment bills, were presented as relief for homeowners and churches facing higher non-ad valorem assessments; both were reported favorably after amendments, with testimony emphasizing impacts on houses of worship and local communities. PCS/HB 1329 on local government spending transparency prompted extensive debate over searchable budget formats, posting requirements, and possible unfunded mandates; supporters framed it as taxpayer access and accountability, while opponents argued many local governments already provide this information and that the bill could impose costs. It was reported favorably 8-4. The committee also advanced PCS/HB 927 on local land planning and development, which would allow qualified professionals to assist with pre-application reviews; local government representatives raised concerns about preemption and environmental restrictions, but the bill was reported favorably 13-2. HB 929 on chickee huts, PCS/HB 4081 on expanding a local water and sewer district by referendum, and HB 489 conveying the Trenton Train Depot to the city and county all passed unanimously or near-unanimously. HB 1211, a Department of Military Affairs bill updating leave and assistance-program provisions, was amended and reported favorably. HB 1041, creating business incentives for veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses, also passed 13-0 after amendment and supportive testimony from members and veterans. The final item shown was HB 1001, a bill restricting county and municipal DEI-related actions and contracting; the sponsor described it as a response to division and waste, and members began questioning its definitions, scope, and potential effects on training and civil actions, but the transcript cuts off before any vote or final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment outlines duties of the Arizona Corporation Commission in enforcing this act.
• In fact, we were doing a surgical procedure in Central America.
• So we finished that procedure with flashlights.
• They had to admit to the Corporation Commission.
• But we've been consistent in what we've been arguing down here at the Capitol and down at the Commission

Summary: The committee took up several energy, transportation, and land-use bills. HB 2428, dealing with county and ADEQ authority to issue voluntary permits certifying emission reduction credits for mobile and non-road sources, received neutral testimony from ADEQ and support from Maricopa County; the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed the bill 10-0 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2145, which expands who may request certain gasoline fuel reformulation actions and is contingent on EPA approval, also passed on a 5-4 vote after brief staff explanation and no amendment. The committee then considered HB 2331, a strike-everything amendment requiring electric utilities to ensure 85% of generating capacity serving retail load comes from “reliable resources” by 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor and Arizona Free Enterprise Club, argued it would protect affordability and grid reliability by favoring dispatchable power; opponents, including the Sierra Club and Rural Arizona Action, said it would effectively favor fossil fuels, raise costs, and limit cleaner resources. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 6-4. HB 2795, which would bar counties from using zoning to block small modular reactors once federal permitting conditions are met, drew strong support from the sponsor and industry advocates who framed it as pro-property-rights and pro-nuclear, and opposition from county, city, and environmental groups who raised preemption, local control, safety, waste, and siting concerns; it passed 6-4. The committee also passed HB 2340, which allows the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to evaluate proposed generating facilities along with transmission lines, on a 5-4 vote. HB 2400, an emergency measure to suspend the motor vehicle fuel tax in Areas A and C during part of the year and replace the lost revenue through state highway funding, drew opposition from cities and counties over transportation funding impacts but support from the sponsor and some members focused on gas affordability; the Griffin amendment was adopted and the bill passed 6-4. Finally, HB 2401 was introduced as a requirement for ADEQ to conduct a biennial review of available fuel formulations and their air-quality impacts in Areas A and C, but the transcript ends before testimony or action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment outlines duties of the Arizona Corporation Commission in enforcing this act.
• In fact, we were doing a surgical procedure in Central America.
• So we finished that procedure with flashlights.
• They had to admit to the Corporation Commission.
• This calls for the Arizona Corporation Commission and requires utilities to get 85% of their power from

Bills: HB2014, HB2113, HB2145, HB2331, HB2340, HB2389, HB2400, HB2401, HB2428, HB2494, HB2696, HB2756, HB2795, HB2955, HCM2008

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, utility consumer, rate intervention, public service corporation, Arizona Revised Statutes, residential rates, consumer protection, fuel reformulation, gasoline standards, environmental regulations, ethanol supply, Air Quality, energy reliability, electric service providers, reliable resources, public power entity

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Public Utilities Commission.
• Um there was no changes in commission.
• So this is an accounting procedure change requested.
• The department is saying that this is standard procedure.
• Hampton Beach Commission to um to do us Hampton Beach Commission to um to do us do<00:54:59.520><c> some

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill adds one FTE to HHSC, one full-time employee to the Health and Human Services Commission.
• Since this bill establishes an internal report, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will be
• The response provided from the commission indicated there were no audits.
• So we are required, with our state funds, to go through the Health and Human Services Commission.
• Batiste, Health and Human Services Commission is neutral on the bill. Is that all correct?

Bills: HB2510, HB3589, HB4611, HB4655, HB4665, HB4666, HB4670, HB4700, HB4730, HB4798, HB4838, HB5136, HB5243, HB5302, HB5539

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy