Transcript Highlights:

• And it's a way... ...regular basis as a cost-saving measure.
• Two, we need to invest in preventive care.
• That measure is out.
• Measure is still out. We just dispensed with SB 257, Wahab.
• That measure is still out. Item number nine, SB 535, Richardson. That measure is still out.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on health care access, oversight, and affordability. The first major item was SB 306 by Senator Becker, a prior authorization reform bill. Becker and supporters, including the California Medical Association and California Hospital Association, argued that prior authorization delays care, adds administrative burden, and can lead to serious patient harm. The bill was substantially amended late in the process to have DMHC and CDI identify services and drugs to exempt from prior authorization based on utilization data, with safeguards for fraud, waste, abuse, and patient safety. Health plans and insurers opposed the measure as written, saying prior authorization remains an important utilization-management tool and raising concerns about the 90% threshold, drug inclusion, and how modifications are counted. The committee also heard SB 35 by Senator Umberg, which would let cities or counties inspect unlicensed sober living homes if DHCS does not act promptly on complaints. Supporters said the bill would address weak enforcement and protect residents, while one behavioral health directors group opposed it unless amended. Members generally supported the measure, citing problems with unlicensed facilities and the need for local enforcement backup. The committee then heard SB 62, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark if approved by the federal government. Senator Wiener said the package would add hearing aids, durable medical equipment, and infertility treatment including IVF, acknowledging that premiums could rise but arguing the benefits were worth it. Health Access California and other advocates supported the bill, while the California Family Council opposed it. The committee also took up SB 596 by Senator Menjivar, which would tighten the rules for hospitals claiming an on-call list as a defense to nurse staffing ratio penalties. Supporters, including nurses and SEIU, said hospitals have used vague or ineffective on-call practices to avoid accountability and that the bill would improve enforcement and patient safety. Hospital groups opposed it, arguing that staffing is highly dynamic, that hospitals need flexibility to manage acuity and emergencies, and that the bill could increase costs and interfere with collective bargaining arrangements. Finally, the committee heard SB 40 by Senator Wiener, the Insulin Affordability Act, which would cap insulin copays at $35 for a 30-day supply and restrict step therapy unless a plan covers at least one insulin in each drug type. Supporters, including physicians, diabetes advocates, nurses, students, and patient groups, said insulin is life-saving and too often unaffordable, forcing patients to ration or choose between medication and basic needs. There was no formal opposition testimony, though one member questioned why insulin remains so expensive. The committee also began discussion of SB 363, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full presentation or any action on the measures. No votes are recorded in the portion provided, and several bills were noted as consent items earlier in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing no further public comments in support of the measure.
• Seeing no further witnesses in support of the measure, any public comments in support of the measure
• Preventing youth suicide. It's really that simple.
• But if we prevent our school districts.
• Public comments in support of the measure Any witnesses in opposition to the measure, please come forward

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This measure builds on that foundation.
• AB 1634 increases strategic funding for child abuse prevention and childhood injury prevention by doing
• , burn prevention, also to...
• Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death.
• They are life-altering and, in many cases, preventable.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Implementing industry standard preventative measures from the start would have cost a mere fraction of
• This small change will help prevent pollution in Texas beaches and lakes.
• What is the time during which that downward trend was measured? A great question.
• Measurement started to occur. Thank you. To your credit, measurement was started to occur in 2020.
• To pump blood and prevent the formation of clots and therefore strokes.

Bills: HB1341, HB1674, HB4028, SB2321

Keywords: hydrogen sulfide, public health, environmental regulation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ground level concentrations, emissions limit, emissions limits, ground-level concentrations, air quality, PFAS, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, criminal offense, chemical regulation, preproduction plastic, water quality, pollution control, industrial waste, emissions

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a companion measure to House Bill 2722, which was passed out of committee during House committee
• one way, and every other state in the union measured them a different way.
• The underlying statute, we believe, was enacted to help prevent auto theft.
• Legislation to clarify the proper method of measuring fifth-wheel travel trailers.
• Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6066 concerns establishing crash prevention zones.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The measure passes.
• The measure passes.
• or reporting measures.
• The measure passes. Passing to items 81, 82, 83, and 84.
• The measure passes. Back to our file order.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The measure is out 9-0.
• The measure is out 9-0.
• The measure is out 10-0.
• The measure is out 7-0. Wilson? Aye. The measure is out 7-0.
• The measure is out 10-0.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Overdose prevention centers are an evidence-based intervention that can be remarkably effective in preventing
• </c> 957 relating to overdose prevention 957 relating to overdose prevention chair's<00:25:15.840><c>
• Thank you. testify in support of this measure while testify in support of this measure while it's<00:
• The measure was adopted.
• The measure was adopted.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on several measures related to child welfare, health care access, overdose response, disability services, and waste management. For SB 710 on child welfare, the Department of Human Services, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Attorney General’s office, and multiple advocacy groups testified in support, with the Governor’s office noting support but deferring to the Attorney General on implementation because of separation-of-powers concerns. For SB 952 on child welfare services, DHS, the Governor’s office, and child- and trauma-informed care advocates supported the bill, saying it would help families access services, provide basic material support, and reduce strain on the child welfare system. SB 954 on a home health services rate study also drew support, including from DHS, the Hawaii Healthcare Association, and a public testifier who said the study would help ensure funds reach low-income, disabled, and kupuna recipients. SB 957 on overdose prevention received support from the Department of Health and the Attorney General, who said overdose prevention centers are evidence-based but raised federal-law concerns and recommended amendments; the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and others also testified in support. The committee then moved to the 1:00 regular calendar and heard SB 850 on disability health disparity, which was supported by the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, self-advocates, and others. Testimony emphasized that a disparity study could improve workforce development, training, and services for people with disabilities. SB 838 on continuous glucose monitoring drew support from health agencies and advocates, with testimony stressing that monitors can be critical for some diabetes patients. SB 829 on health care was supported by the Department of Health and health care stakeholders, who said it would help rotating physicians serve neighbor islands without local hospital privileges and align with CMS rules. SB 446 on waste management drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health and several public entities provided comments, the County of Maui opposed, and environmental advocates urged stronger aquifer protections and limits on ash reuse. During decision making, the committee adopted recommendations to pass SB 298, SB 322, SB 299, SB 450, SB 451, SB 949, SB 710, SB 957, SB 69, and SD 952 with various amendments, including technical changes, blank appropriations, and defective dates. SB 323, SB 324, SB 712, SB 950, SB 954, and SB 959 were deferred, largely because companion House measures were moving or similar Senate measures had already passed. The chair also announced recesses to find quorum and noted that some bills from the earlier Monday calendar were being deferred to avoid duplication.

Transcript Highlights:

• Treatment is often measured in days and weeks. Recovery is measured in months, in years.
• Only New York and Rhode Island in the United States have legal opioid prevention, overdose prevention
• So our overdose prevention coordinator was doing some of this work, and then all of our prevention staff
• Regarding measuring success, and it's been talked about a little earlier, how does your team measure
• How do you measure coordination?

Summary: The task force heard extensive testimony on recovery support, harm reduction, and community-based care. Dan Haniken of Into Action described his own recovery from addiction and incarceration and argued that treatment alone is not enough; he said recovery housing, peer support, employment, accountability, and stable housing are what help people stay sober and avoid relapse. Members asked about funding, housing shortages, transportation, treatment courts, and support for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Haniken said Into Action relies on a braided mix of federal, state, county, city, foundation, and private funding, and that recovery housing needs longer-term support than many current funding streams provide. He also said Missouri should expand recovery housing, peer recovery support, and recovery community centers, and improve awareness and access to MAT in recovery settings and after incarceration. Matt Cushman, a community paramedic with Raytown Fire Protection District, urged Missouri to expand harm reduction, including syringe service programs and broader access to clean needles and drug-checking tools. He argued that stigma and abstinence-only approaches keep many people from seeking help, and said harm reduction reduces disease transmission, overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and other harms while creating pathways to recovery. He cited naloxone distribution as a successful example and said similar strategies should be decriminalized and expanded. Members asked about naloxone access, community paramedicine funding, and whether safe consumption sites should be considered; Cushman said syringe exchange should be a near-term priority, while safe consumption sites are a longer-term policy question. Representatives from Ozarks Medical Center/COMC and Four Rivers Community Health Center focused on the need to reimburse peer support specialists and community health workers, especially in rural and underserved areas. COMC’s Monet Lehman shared her trauma and recovery story and described her jail reentry work, helping incarcerated people with housing, benefits, IDs, employment, MAT, and community supports before release. Four Rivers said its care coordinators and CHWs provide wraparound services such as transportation, housing help, Medicaid enrollment, clothing, and same-day MAT access. Members and staff discussed confusion over reimbursement rules, noting that CCBHCs can bill for peer services through Medicaid while FQHCs generally cannot, and that CHWs are often funded through grants rather than reimbursement. No votes were taken; the meeting consisted of testimony and member questions, with several requests for follow-up information on funding, transportation, and reimbursement rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we measure our success?
• Ignition prevention—we have to prevent as many of these catastrophic fires as we can.
• That new tab is called Prevent. And it's got a...
• Prevent. I'm sorry. Prevent.
• And it's got a “Prevent,” I’m sorry, “Prevent,” and it’s got a drop-down.

Summary: The hearing focused on California wildfire resilience, with the first panel discussing statewide funding, policy, and strategic priorities, and the second panel shifting to home hardening and defensible space. The LAO outlined the state’s wildfire risk, the large increase in resilience spending in recent years, and the fact that most funding has been one-time rather than ongoing. Testimony emphasized that wildfire risk varies greatly by region, that the state must balance response spending with prevention, and that success should be measured more carefully than by acres treated alone. Witnesses also noted the importance of local, federal, utility, and Proposition 4 funding sources, as well as the need for long-term maintenance and strategic prioritization rather than scattered projects. Cal Fire leadership and other witnesses stressed that California’s wildfire problem is not uniform: forested areas, chaparral, and wildland-urban interface communities require different strategies. In Northern California and forested watersheds, speakers emphasized fuels reduction, prescribed and cultural burning, strategic fuel breaks, watershed protection, and maintaining forest health. In Southern California, testimony focused on wind-driven fires, ember intrusion, ignition prevention along roads and power lines, and the limits of large-scale vegetation clearing. Several witnesses argued that the state should invest where it can leverage local and regional partnerships, support capacity-building programs like Regional Forest and Fire Capacity, and improve data systems to track treatment effectiveness and project outcomes. Members repeatedly pressed witnesses on how to prioritize limited funds, asking what should be done more of, less of, and first. The chair argued that protecting homes and communities through hardening and defensible space should be a major priority, especially near structures, while also acknowledging the need for broader landscape work and watershed protection. There was discussion of incentives such as insurance discounts, property tax treatment, and community certification for hardened homes, along with the need for multiple payers rather than relying on the state alone. Cal Fire reported new and expanding data tools, including treatment trackers, defensible space inspection dashboards, and a fuels treatment effectiveness program that evaluates whether nearby treatments affected wildfire behavior. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is about education, prevention, and partnership.
• measure that will save lives.
• Gordon, constitute a package of prevention policies that, if adopted, would prevent abusers from working
• These bills, the whole prevention package, will save lives.
• of abuse prevention.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation also prevents language.
• measure and it will not change the market as it is right now.
• measure and it will not change the market as it is right now.
• So this is really a preventative<00:21:00.640><c> measure</c><00:21:01.280><c> and</c><00:21:01.520><
• c> it</c><00:21:01.760><c> will</c><00:21:01.919><c> not</c> preventative measure and it will not preventative

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there someone else that would like to testify in this measure?
• Prevention is the key to lowering the stats on drowning here in Hawaii.
• </c> safety education and injury prevention safety education and injury prevention right<00:04:05.920
• ><c> key</c><00:04:08.159><c> to</c> right so prevention is the key to right so prevention is the key
• So, back to the second measure on the agenda, Senate Bill 1222.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard testimony on SB 1221 and SB 1222, both relating to storm water management and detention/retention ponds. Testifiers, including the Department of Health, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, and a family member affected by a drowning death in a poorly maintained detention pond, strongly supported stronger statewide safety standards, inspections, and maintenance requirements. Several speakers urged that the bills be combined or aligned so they would cover both existing and future ponds, and there was discussion about whether responsibility should remain with DOH or be shifted to DLNR, which members said has more relevant expertise. The committee ultimately amended SB 1221 to move responsibilities from DOH to DLNR, add two positions, and include existing ponds, then passed SB 1221 with amendments. SB 1222 was deferred. The committees also heard SB 1432, concerning changes to the Department of Health’s responsibilities related to Kalaupapa as the patient population declines. DOH testified in support, saying the bill begins the conversation about future responsibilities after there are no longer patients at Kalaupapa. Testimony from K
4dhana O Kalaupapa, descendants, and community members emphasized that the affected community and other stakeholders should be included in planning, and several speakers asked for more detail on the state’s transition plan, financial responsibilities, and preservation of the site’s cultural and historical significance. Members discussed the need for a coordinated plan among DOH, DLNR, and DHHL, and asked for more detailed cost information and a clearer roadmap. The committee passed SB 1432 with amendments, including stakeholder consultation language and a requirement for a state plan and financial details to be reported back. Later, the committees heard SB 1339, which would create a program to characterize statewide carbon sequestration potential and underground water resources. DBEDT and the Chief Energy Officer testified in support, describing it as part of a broader coordinated effort involving DHHL, DBEDT, the University of Hawaii, and the Energy Office to advance geothermal and related research. No vote or final action on SB 1339 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please refer to CCR number measure.
• Members, please turn to page measure.
• </c> measure. Thank you madam speaker. measure. Thank you madam speaker.
• Instead, this measure improperly.
• </c> like to be recused from this measure. like to be recused from this measure.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a skull, measuring femurs, measuring, uh, the bones that are left over, and based on the construction
• a skull, measuring femurs, measuring, uh, the bones that are left over, and based on the construction
• a skull, measuring femurs, measuring, uh, the bones that are left over, and based on the construction
• a skull, measuring femurs, measuring, uh, the bones that are left over, and based on the construction
• a skull, measuring femurs, measuring, uh, the bones that are left over, and based on the construction

Bills: HB0108, HB0039, HB0091, HB0070

Keywords: audit, transparency, government reporting, accountability, public access, firearm rights, restoration of rights, criminal justice, felony convictions, Wyoming law, artificial intelligence, social scoring, biometric data, privacy rights, government regulation, foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws

Transcript Highlights:

• So what's the outcome if the sales measure fails?
• Well, S3, the regional measure in the Bay Area, there are, I believe, a 14-year measure.
• Many of them have regional measures and other significant regional funds.
• Many of them have regional measures and other significant regional funds.
• Many of them have regional measures and other significant regional funds.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ayes 60, noes 0, the measure passes.
• Ayes 63, noes 0, the measure passes.
• Ayes 66, noes 0, the measure passes.
• Ayes 75, noes 0, the measure passes.
• I rise in support of this measure.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It specifies how miles are measured for the purposes of relocation of a child.
• Our statute does not define how to measure 75 miles.
• Louisiana case law is full of court battles over how we measure 75 miles.
• Our statute does not define how to measure 75 miles.
• Louisiana case law is full of court battles over how we measure 75 miles.

Summary: The Civil Law and Procedure Committee met on March 10, 2026, with a quorum present. At the outset, HB 292 and HB 437 were voluntarily deferred at the request of the authors. The committee then heard HB 112, which clarifies how the 75-mile distance for child relocation is measured. Representative Behan and witness Claire Jacobs argued the bill would reduce ambiguity and avoid costly custody litigation. The committee reported HB 112 favorably without objection. The committee next considered HB 190, which establishes a standard of reasonable care for certain software and computer programs, especially interactive digital products. Representative Schlegel and Louisiana State Law Institute witnesses explained the bill was developed after prior work on digital products liability and is intended to impose a negligence-style duty of reasonable care without resolving breach, causation, damages, or constitutional issues. Members asked about the meaning of “person,” vicarious liability, the scope of the duty, and how the bill relates to content moderation and Section 230. The bill was reported favorably without objection. HB 410, dealing with recording in direct in-person conversations, was voluntarily deferred by the chair after the author said an amendment would clarify that notice, not consent, would be required. HB 427, which revises the duty of care for online platforms that contract with minors and aligns definitions with existing Louisiana law on harmful material to minors, was then heard and reported favorably without objection. Finally, HB 78 increased the civil jurisdictional limit of the Bogalusa city court from $25,000 to $50,000; the author said local stakeholders supported the change, and the committee reported it favorably without objection. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wanted to thank our sponsors for their work on this, not just this, but a number of measures in
• And so I think that a number of these measures go toward that aim, and at the appropriate time, I would
• It is not justice, and we must do more to prevent violence and protect Native lives.
• So these are incredibly meaningful measures. I really appreciate the whistleblower protection.
• This bill extends protections under the domestic violence prevention...

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires an operator to implement measures to prevent a chatbot from producing visual material of
• It requires an operator to implement measures to prevent a chat bot from producing visual material of
• It requires an operator to implement reasonable measures to prevent a chatbot from engaging in certain
• It requires an operator's protocols to include reasonable measures to prevent the generation of content
• It requires an operator's protocols to include reasonable measures to prevent the generation of content

Bills: HB2397, HB2417, HB2157, HB2186, HB2225, HB2351

Keywords: fire services, reimbursement, state agencies, local jurisdictions, mobilization plan, military justice, victims' rights, militia, Washington code, legal protections, artificial intelligence, AI regulation, algorithmic discrimination, high-risk AI, machine learning, generative AI, synthetic content, impact assessment, risk management policy, consumer protection