Transcript Highlights:

• So it covers quite a few things that pertain to ARCPs.
• And so it covers quite a few things. It pertains to ARCPs.
• So it covers quite a few things that pertains to ARCPs.
• would flip, and I think this amendment covered that.
• Look at and try to cover all. It got up to 111 pages.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The committee first heard SB 145, which would require adult residential care providers, especially assisted living centers, to have generators or other backup power arrangements and to submit preparedness plans to LDH. After technical amendments and testimony from the sponsor, LDH, and the assisted living industry clarifying the bill’s scope and cost concerns, the committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. It then took up SB 433, which would require Medicaid coverage of medically necessary FDA-approved weight loss drugs, including GLP-1 medications, subject to appropriations and fiscally sustainable coverage criteria; the bill was reported favorably after discussion of current Medicaid coverage and costs. The committee also approved SB 52, which requires better coordination between DCFS and LDH so SNAP and Medicaid benefits can follow children more quickly when they are removed from or returned to a home. Technical amendments changed reporting deadlines and required written notice, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 4 on public water fluoridation was amended to allow local governments or voters to opt out through a petition and election process, with support from the Louisiana Dental Association and others after compromise language was adopted; it was reported favorably with amendments. SB 152, which would prohibit the sale of cultured or lab-grown food products for human consumption, was also reported favorably with amendments after brief testimony in support and opposition. The committee next approved SCR 37, which asks the Surgeon General to review Louisiana’s informed consent laws and report back on any gaps, after discussion that the existing medical disclosure panel had not met since 2018. It then considered SB 194, a public assistance bill aligning Louisiana Medicaid and SNAP rules with recent federal changes on non-citizen eligibility and tightening Medicaid’s reasonable opportunity period for citizenship verification. After extensive debate over immigration, emergency care, and whether the bill could harm eligible applicants or rural hospitals, the committee adopted an amendment allowing LDH discretion for emergency health care services and reported the bill favorably by an 8-3 vote. Finally, HCR 113 created a task force to study gestational carrier agreements and assisted reproductive regulation; after debate over surrogacy, ethics, and referral to Civil Law, the committee rejected the referral motion and then reported the resolution favorably, and the meeting moved on to SB 333 on child-in-need-of-care proceedings and legal representation funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it covers quite a few things that pertain to ARCPs.
• And so it covers quite a few things. It pertains to ARCPs.
• So it covers quite a few things that pertains to ARCPs.
• And so it covers quite a few things. It contains to ARCPs.
• benefits would flip, and I think this amendment covered that.

Bills: HR267 , HCR105 , HCR107 , HCR110 , HCR113 , HCR114 , SB4 , SB52 , SB57 , SB145 , SB152 , SB194 , SB237 , SB333 , SB433 , SB483 , SCR37

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: diabetes, amputation, amputations, diabetic foot ulcer, peripheral artery disease, PAD, wound care, podiatry, vascular disease, endocrinology, limb salvage, health policy, public health, healthcare costs, insurance coverage, Louisiana Department of Health, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana Center for Health Innovation, patient education, screening

Transcript Highlights:

• 2019 you need a new policy to cover 2019.
• If you're sued in 2018, you're covered for 2018.
• Then my policy covers me for $25,000. It's above that.
• So anything that's first degree under here is already covered.
• But this bill covered as much as we could cover.

Bills: HB99 , HJR5 , HM39 , HB206 , HB213 , SB41 , SB153 , SB165 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Summary: The committee first took up a lengthy informational presentation on the Patient Compensation Fund (PCF) and New Mexico medical malpractice insurance. Teresa Hassey, a plaintiffs’ attorney, described the PCF’s origin in the 1976 Medical Malpractice Act, its role as a state-backed excess coverage system, and her view that it was mismanaged when hospital participation expanded without individualized risk assessments. She argued that hospitals underpaid surcharges, that the fund was depleted by claims, and that the 2021 amendments and later legislative infusions were meant to shore up deficits and phase hospitals out. Superintendent of Insurance Alice Kane and LFC analyst Julia Rodriguez presented a different perspective, emphasizing recent general fund infusions, current surcharge collections, the use of actuarial reviews, and the PCF’s budget and settlement activity. Kane said the market is highly concentrated, New Mexico’s malpractice costs and defense expenses are high, and the fund still provides lower-cost coverage than the open market, while also noting ongoing issues with future medical claims, TPA transition, and investment management. Committee members questioned the presenters at length about why New Mexico malpractice premiums are so high, whether defense costs were being conflated with claim payouts, how the PCF works with primary coverage and excess coverage, and whether hospitals were properly assessed when they entered the fund. Several senators raised concerns about punitive damages, corporate practice of medicine, and whether the state’s legal environment is driving doctors away. Others challenged the data comparisons, noting differences between one-year figures and multi-year averages, and asked why New Mexico’s costs remain far above neighboring states. Kane and Hassey disagreed on the causes, with Kane pointing to high claims and defense costs over time and Hassey arguing that hospital participation and punitive-damage exposure distorted the market. The chair concluded the discussion by saying the committee had not exhausted the topic and that he still wanted a clear path to reducing doctors’ insurance costs. After a break, the committee moved on to Senate Bill 41. Senator Charlie introduced the bill, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for the most serious sexual crimes in New Mexico. He argued that trauma, coercion, fear, and delayed disclosure often prevent survivors from reporting promptly, and said the law should reflect that reality. The bill was presented as a response to survivor testimony heard in a prior hearing, and the sponsor framed it as part of a broader effort to modernize the justice system for sexual violence cases.

Transcript Highlights:

• No single entity has the jurisdiction, authority, or resources to develop and implement a broad strategy
• the study and the roadmap so that that would be covered.
• Our district covers more than 2.2 million acres across the greater Lassen-Modoc region, where we work
• But too often these efforts depend on one-time funding and the capacity of local entities to identify
• But too often these efforts depend on one-time funding and the capacity of local entities to identify

Committee: House Water, Parks, and Wildlife

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This NIC memo kind of covered a roadmap for everything.
• This NIC memo kind of covered a roadmap for everything.
• Uh, I met with most of the entities, brought them into my office and said we was going to add uh SEIB
• Uh I met with most of the entities,<00:18:19.520><c> brought</c><00:18:19.679><c> them</c><00:18:19.840
• ><c> into</c><00:18:20.160><c> my</c><00:18:20.400><c> office</c> entities, brought them into my office

Bills: HB424 , SB63 , SB269 , HB424 , SB63 , SB269

Committees: House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce , House Insurance

Keywords: HB424, Montgomery County, sheriff, county sheriff, salary increase, expense allowance, local act, county general fund, retirement contributions, public official compensation, law enforcement pay, elected official salary, Montgomery County legislation, sheriff compensation, term-based salary, immigration, law enforcement, fingerprints, DNA collection, illegal aliens

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, I think when you have that kind of support, you probably have covered your bases and you got
• Senator, I think when you have that kind of support, you probably have covered your bases and you got
• And within that entity, we still have our committees, budget and finance, different other. little house
• They were never notified by the Navajo Nation Or any other entity about their degree of Indian blood
• All right, well, I think that covers most of my questions.

Bills: SB273 , SB37 , SB100

Keywords: SB273, appropriations, general fund, hold harmless, local government finance, municipal revenue, county revenue, correctional facility, jail contract, private prison, detention facility, immigration detention, revenue bonds, clawback, child welfare, juvenile justice, protective services, school improvement, New MexiCare, aging services

Transcript Highlights:

• Although we will not dive into a lot of that detail because I think we've covered a lot of that ground
• We have over 90 clinics; we couldn't cover them all, but please know that it is still there.
• When I say we, **Bernalillo County**, the Second Judicial District, as the regional planning entity for
• And one of the things we did when I was in state government is we made governmental entities as qualifying
• entities to be behavioral health providers.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• If it's a taxpayer, public-supported entity, that's our primary audience.
• We serve only public entities. We're very proud of that fact.
• And again, we serve public entities, our focus on these loans here is just the public.
• How dependent are we on the state to cover that?
• It covers the globe about 16.7 times, so you can see that we have a lot of pipeline in this state.

Committee: House Energy Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that covers, I'd say, the vast majority of our state. Follow-up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• I think the alliance language covers that.
• And so, you know, they may be paying, you know, $50,000, $60,000 of fees that aren't covered because
• So in the bill, there's five different entities that are eligible for this.
• Is there a scale like there is on alcohol for driving that is covered in your bill?

Bills: HB2997 , HB2021 , HB3041 , HB1823 , HB3372 , HB1427 , HB3127 , HB3128 , HCR1020 , HB4198 , HB3000 , HB3001 , HB3002 , HB3003 , HB3004 , HB3005 , HB3006 , HB3007 , HB3008 , SB392 , HB3320

Keywords: motor vehicles, administrative fines, license regulation, state agencies, employment levels, after-school programs, grant funding, community organizations, child care, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, credit card transactions, payment methods, service charge, consumer rights, financial regulation, housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, heard an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including guests in the galleries and a special recognition of a doctor of the day and a state volleyball championship team. The chamber then took up a series of bills, with most receiving brief explanations and little or no debate. House Bill 2997, dealing with used-car bait-and-switch enforcement and higher fines, failed on final passage 47-39, and notice was given of a possible motion to reconsider. House Bill 2021, creating a DHS grant program for out-of-school programming through larger community-based organizations, passed 51-29 after questions about eligibility and partnerships. House Bill 3041, adjusting the cap on credit-card surcharges so retailers can recover actual processing costs up to 2%, passed 86-1 and its emergency was adopted. The House also passed House Bill 1823 on Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency compliance with federal HOME grant guidelines, 83-5, with the emergency adopted. House Bill 3372, creating lower-cost financing tools for high-performing charter schools, drew extensive questioning about taxpayer funding, ownership, default risk, and comparisons to public-school bonds, but ultimately passed 53-36. House Bill 1427, as amended by the Senate, was adopted and passed 57-20, codifying current clean-burning vehicle tax-credit practices tied to the bank privilege tax. House Bill 3127, which would have broadened employer drug-testing and zero-tolerance authority beyond current safety-sensitive positions for medical marijuana users, drew the most extended debate over worker protections, constitutionality, and testing standards, but failed narrowly 47-46; notice of reconsideration was given. Later measures passed with broad support, including House Bill 3128 creating a task force to identify workplace barriers and recommend administrative or legislative fixes, 73-21; House Bill 4198 allowing employers to seek protective orders against former employees who pose an imminent threat, 88-12; and a series of sunset-extension bills for professional and advisory boards. Those included House Bills 3000 through 3007, covering the cosmetology board, child death review board, county personnel training commission, chiropractic examiners, optometry board, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education, and DEQ natural resource advisory councils, with most also receiving emergency clauses. House Concurrent Resolution 1020, commending Team USA Olympic hockey teams for gold medals, was adopted by unanimous consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are microorganisms in it, entity.
• We plant cover crops, measure cover crop biomass, actually get our hands dirty right on campus.
• We plant cover crops, biomass samples.
• We plant cover crops, measure<01:09:59.320><c> cover</c><01:09:59.600><c> crop</c><01:10:00.000><c> biomass
• </c> research funds from federal entities. research funds from federal entities.

Bills: HF4698 , HF4608

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: higher education, identity verification, enrollment fraud, funding, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, postsecondary education, community college, university, developmental education, remedial education, remediation, corequisite, co-requisite, English composition, college readiness, adult basic education, ABE, student placement, credit-bearing courses, noncredit courses

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're looking to, rather than have grant contracts with each entity of these local governments for
• </c><01:07:23.400><c> that</c><01:07:23.520><c> will</c><01:07:23.680><c> be</c> for um entities that
• will be for um entities that will be participating<01:07:24.599><c> in</c><01:07:24.799><c> that</c>
• the next proposal is um looking entities the next proposal is um looking to<01:07:55.640><c> ease</c
• of these local governments each entity of these local governments um<01:08:17.880><c> for</c><01:08:

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, I think we covered that. All right, members, you've heard the motion.
• So is it covered in current statute? Yes. Is it covered in the same way? Not to my reading.
• Is it covered in the same way? Not to my reading. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Question, Representative: Is the PAC the only entity that... Chairman, question?
• Those are two separate entities, and how you will move forward to enforce it.

Committee: Joint Legislative Council

Summary: The committee met to review and adopt Legislative Council ballot measure analyses, with members repeatedly reminded that the hearing was limited to the accuracy, clarity, and impartiality of the summaries and not the merits of the underlying proposals. Steve Premack explained the statutory role of the analyses in the publicity pamphlet, and staff presented draft language for several measures. The committee considered and voted on multiple amendments, often debating whether proposed wording was clearer or instead crossed into advocacy or added unnecessary legal detail. For SCR 1004, members debated amendments to more closely mirror the measure’s text and to add language about electric vehicles and mileage, but several proposed changes were rejected. The analysis was ultimately adopted by an 8-6 roll call. HCR 2021 was then adopted without amendment by the same 8-6 margin. For HCR 2055, members debated whether the summary should say the Department of Homeland Security must “do everything” or “use all lawful means available,” and whether to add language about cartels acting “individually or collectively”; both amendments were rejected and the analysis was adopted 8-6. The committee next took up SCR 1004 on photo enforcement systems, where members proposed amendments to clarify that the measure would apply to red light cameras, to add “thereafter” regarding recurring voter approval, and to specify that approval would occur at the general election; those amendments failed, and the analysis was adopted 8-6. On SCR 1032, dealing with instructional expenses and classroom site fund reductions, members debated adding a definition of the Classroom Site Fund and spelling out the waiver process in more detail; both amendments failed, and the analysis was adopted 8-6. Finally, on HCR 2001 regarding citizenship identification and early voting, members rejected amendments that would have added background on current law, clarified that mail voting would be affected, added severability and revenue-source language, and struck the measure’s short title; the discussion was lengthy and at times contentious, but the transcript ends before a final roll-call vote on that measure is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• building up a strong network of high-quality services before they changed civil commitment laws to cover
• building up a strong network of high-quality services before they change civil commitment laws to cover
• addiction. quality services before they change civil commitment laws to cover addiction.
• It's really just a form of punishment under the cover of compassion.
• So when a group and entity comes forward and can offer a bed for a significantly longer point of time

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held its fourth public hearing of the 2025-2026 session on bills dealing with involuntary commitment and access to addiction treatment, especially proposals to move Section 35 civil commitments away from jails and prisons and into facilities licensed or approved by DPH or DMH. Chairs Velis and Domb framed the hearing as a discussion of how to support people in crisis with compassion, while also warning against using involuntary commitment as a way to remove unhoused people from public view. The hearing also touched on related concerns about discharge practices, treatment capacity, and the need for a broader continuum of care. Testimony split largely along two themes. Addiction researcher Keith Humphreys argued that many people enter treatment under pressure, that involuntary treatment can be ethically justified in the face of overdose risk, but that it should not be mandated unless high-quality services exist first; he emphasized the need for inpatient care when someone is a grave danger, followed by case management and outpatient support. MAMH’s Kate Alicante supported the bill, saying Massachusetts is the only state that commits people with substance use conditions to jails or prisons and that carceral settings add trauma and stigma; she pointed to prior legislative steps, including the Section 35 commission and the planned closure of DOC’s MESAC facility, as evidence that the Commonwealth is moving toward health-based settings. A major portion of the hearing focused on Stony Brook, a sheriff-run stabilization and treatment center in Hampden County. Boston City Councilor John Fitzgerald, several committee members, and multiple people in recovery described the facility as humane, well-run, and effective, with longer stays, medical monitoring, medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and warm handoffs to aftercare. Several witnesses said Stony Brook saved their lives or helped family members recover, and they argued that the sheriff’s office model should be expanded rather than eliminated. Others, including family members and advocates, countered that even a well-run correctional setting remains stigmatizing and that people should not be treated in facilities run by sheriffs or corrections when they have committed no crime. No vote was taken. The hearing concluded with continued testimony, including Senator Friedman’s support for Section 35 as a civil commitment tool but not in a criminal justice setting, and her separate support for a bill to speed inpatient mental health treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their emergency plan covered disasters and serious accidents but failed to cover epidemics and fatalities
• This plan covers the two that I mentioned.
• In a somewhat unusual interest level, 468 entities dialed in to the Zoom call.
• We'll certainly move some of those questions forward to the entities tomorrow.
• Chairman Perry covered a lot of the ground I wanted to go over.

Committee: House The July 2025 Flooding Events, General Investigating

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• what it does is it provides a provision that should a government entity receive funding, whether it
• on the applicability of the chapter that no manufacturer may use another corporation, individual, entity
• , or any other entity to accomplish what is otherwise illegal in this chapter.
• So the Scout issue in Idaho is, we think, already covered by existing code.
• So the scout issue in Idaho is, we think, already covered an existing code.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in an abundance of caution, we added executive sessions because those are covered under another statute
• meetings that were expected to be somewhat contentious, and the local news media outlets were there to cover
• You know, by a single entity absent the all-important second step of Senate review and confirmation.
• And what my grandparents wanted was not to be a political entity.
• And what my grandparents wanted was not to be a political entity.

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are no other photo enforcement entities outside of Maricopa County, and answer that question from
• There are no other photo enforcement entities outside of Maricopa County.
• It wouldn't even cover the first part and the second part, not including the surcharges and stuff, with
• So if an entity, a municipality, has a contract with a photo enforcement provider by the end of this
• year, they then... ...if this passes by the voters of the state of Arizona, then those entities, right

Bills: SB1010 , SB1024 , SB1205 , SB1232 , SB1366 , SB1552 , SB1624 , SCM1002 , SCM1006 , SCR1004

Committee: House Transportation & Infrastructure

Keywords: Charlie Kirk, Loop 202, Arizona highways, transportation, renaming, roadable aircraft, registration, vehicle title, license plates, aviation safety, motor vehicle booting, private property, fees, dispute process, regulations, outdoor advertising, military compatibility, zoning, electronic signage, permitting

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, House Bill 1453 prohibits foreign entities and businesses linked to countries under U.S. arms
• regulations or designated as entities of concern from owning real property or agricultural land in Oklahoma
• It's going to be individuals or entities. You're recognized for a follow-up.
• This bill covers civil action.
• You know, we're paying—other good-paying taxpayers are probably covering costs that we shouldn't because

Bills: HB1453 , HB2933 , HB2941 , HB2945 , HB2959 , HB3087 , HB3094 , HB3297 , HB3298 , HB3319 , HB3321 , HB3386 , HB3453 , HB3471 , HB3505 , HB3510 , HB3544 , HB3549 , HB3652 , HB3727 , HB3791 , HB3845 , HB3906 , HB4119 , HB4125 , HB4126 , HB4198 , HB4236 , HB4425 , HB4343 , HB4094 , HB3407

Committee: House Civil Judiciary

Keywords: foreign ownership, property rights, agricultural land, Attorney General, divestment, real estate, felony penalties, insurance regulation, homeowner claims, premium discounts, catastrophe mitigation, civil penalties, fentanyl, overdose, first responders, drug reporting, immunity, controlled substances, penalties, abortion

Transcript Highlights:

• The second being Kanakuk, who covered up the abuse as the institution responsible for protecting children
• But I will say upon reviewing the bill that entities such as S corporations or LLCs are also permitted
• entity investors, and we're not talking about removing or reforming the corporate income tax.
• Representative Gallup covered a lot, and I'm happy to go more deeply into many of the guardrails about
• I'm not sure the relationship between economic development and that entity.

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

Summary: The Commerce Committee met in executive session and unanimously voted do pass on House Bill 1707, House Bill 2927, and House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2057. The committee then moved into public hearing on House Bill 1664, which would extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims from age 26 to age 41. Representative Brian Sites presented the bill as a needed step for survivors, and multiple witnesses and organizations testified in support, including survivors and advocacy, tort reform, chamber, and insurance groups. No opposition was heard, and the hearing concluded without a vote. The committee also heard House Bill 1845, a startup and angel investor tax credit proposal sponsored by Representative Gallick. The bill would create incentives for Missouri-based startups under $5 million in revenue, with higher credits for rural investment, annual caps, oversight by the Missouri Technology Corporation, and a sunset in 2033. Members questioned what taxes the credit would apply to, how it would work if Missouri changes its income tax structure, and what safeguards would prevent businesses from leaving after receiving credits. Business and economic development groups testified in support, saying the bill would help fill an early-stage capital gap and keep investment in Missouri. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3231, a broad economic development and “Missouri Innovation Zone” proposal sponsored by Representative Brad Christ. The bill would let cities opt in to create innovation zones with local permitting and governance changes, tax incentives, office-to-residential conversion tools, and reinvestment of net new revenues into public safety, infrastructure, and a rural development fund. Members and witnesses discussed local control, prevailing wage, revenue diversion, and implementation concerns, especially from the City of St. Louis and labor groups, while chambers, developers, municipal groups, and historic revitalization advocates generally supported the concept. The hearing ended with no opposition testimony and no committee vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the case of the Highway Patrol Academy Fund, yes, other entities outside of the Highway Patrol use
• the academy—Conservation, parks, and other law enforcement entities—and so the patrol charges them for
• from outside of the state of Missouri, are we adequately charging these entities the appropriate amount
• Sometimes they'll cover the ankle bracelet.
• They'll cover it with tinfoil or with other metal to try to prevent the signal from coming out.

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Keywords: 959, house, all