Transcript Highlights:

• <01:35:30.400> may provider agreved under this chapter may provider agreved under this chapter
• care provider agreved under this chapter care provider agreved under this chapter may<01:36:14.639
• <02:06:37.119> It's<02:06:38.000> very >> Are open till 9:00 at night.
• It's very >> Are open till 9:00 at night.
• pharmacy that is open until 9:00. pharmacy that is open until 9:00.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c> 14611,<00:16:32.560> we're Um, pursuant to chapter 14611, we're Um, pursuant to chapter
• We are tentatively looking for Monday, June 23rd, at 9:00 a.m.
• 23rd<00:18:33.360> at<00:18:33.679> 9:00<00:18:34.000> a.m.
• Legislative golf 23rd at 9:00 a.m.
• Let's go ahead and schedule the 30th then at 9:00 a.m.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Capital Project Overview Committee approved the February 24 minutes and then voted to confirm Senator Mark Maki as vice chair. The committee next took up DAS request CAP 25004, which sought permission to use the remaining $713,667 from a $7 million appropriation for the purchase of 25 Hall Street to address deficiencies identified in an engineering study. DAS explained the building was bought for $6.25 million after the study revealed issues, and the funds would be used first for the most urgent repairs, especially the roof. In response to questions, DAS said the roof estimate was about $560,000, with other estimated needs including a skylight at $288,000, plumbing at $59,000, HVAC at $325,000, and electrical work at $547,000; the committee approved the request. The committee then considered CAP 25005, another DAS request to transfer $221,632 from five completed capital projects to the Hillsborough County South cell block renovation project. DAS said the project had been identified years earlier, had only recently entered design, and now appeared likely to cost more than the original appropriation because of inflation and delay. Senator Lang asked whether the transfer would be enough, and DAS responded that there was no final estimate yet but they hoped to engineer the project to fit the available funds. The committee approved the transfer. Later, the committee welcomed Senator Maki, who accepted the vice chair position. Under other business, members discussed a prior proposal in HB 2 that would have changed reporting from quarterly to annual; the committee was told the amendment had been made so that change would not go forward, and that the relevant section remained in HB 25 because it corrects capital budget language in multiple places. The committee set its next meeting for June 30 at 9:00 a.m. and requested that the Liquor Commission attend to discuss the 90/95 sale of property. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Isn't that already part of our election code?
• Senator Miles: Isn't that already part of our election code?
• Senator Miles: So all these things are already in our election code.
• The Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the Education Code.
• By amending Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to increase the criminal penalty for failing

Summary: The Senate first adopted a motion by Senator Zaffirini to suspend Senate Rule 5.14 and move the intent calendar deadline to 8:00 p.m. that day, also allowing the Secretary to make the calendar available as soon as practicable. The chamber then took up and passed several House bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. HB 2128, relating to a study of rural firefighting and technical rescue capabilities, passed unanimously. HB 4157, on liability protections for commercial spaceflight and exploration, passed 28-3. HB 2240, concerning certain void marriages, passed after adoption of a Birdwell amendment extending filing deadlines to 90 days for certain active-duty service members and Foreign Service officers. HB 367, on verification of excused absences for students with severe or life-threatening illnesses, passed unanimously after clarifying school district forms and TEA model forms. HB 1506, expanding expedited handgun license eligibility to certain retired county court judges, passed 29-2. HB 4449, on alcohol sales in annexed municipal areas, passed 29-2. HB 3812, on health plan prior authorization requirements, passed 30-1. The Senate also announced a long list of bills and resolutions signed in the presence of the Senate. A major portion of the meeting centered on HB 521, a voting-related bill on curbside voting for voters with disabilities. Senator Paxton described it as an anti-misuse measure requiring a signed eligibility form for curbside voting, creating a 20-foot electioneering buffer, limiting election officer assistance in marking ballots unless a second officer is present, and adding reporting requirements for people who assist seven or more curbside voters. Senators Miles, Menendez, Johnson, Campbell, Cook, and others questioned whether the bill would burden disabled voters, create a de facto registry of volunteers, and impose a harsh Class A misdemeanor penalty for failing to complete the form. Paxton said the bill was intended to protect legitimate curbside voters and curb abuse, and the chamber adopted Paxton Floor Amendment No. 1 after a recorded vote. Zaffirini’s Floor Amendment No. 2, allowing an escorting voter to receive his or her own ballot at the curbside or entrance, was adopted. Menendez’s Floor Amendment No. 3 to reduce the penalty failed. The bill was then passed to third reading on a 20-11 vote, with a motion by Senator Miles to have the exchanges reduced to writing and placed in the journal adopted. The Senate also passed HB 3000, creating a grant program for rural ambulance service providers, after a comptroller-related amendment; HB 5616, establishing the Texas Presidential Library Promotion Program and funding for traveling exhibits, after narrowing the bill to mobile exhibits only; HB 4211, addressing certain residential property interests controlled by entities, which passed 30-1; HB 1178, creating temporary educator certificates for out-of-state certified educators and military spouses, which passed unanimously; HB 2243, creating the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention, which passed after debate over the need to streamline education mandates; and HB 42, increasing and reallocating the constitutional Higher Education Fund appropriation by 50% to $1.18 billion, which passed 31-0. Finally, HB 2512, a Fort Worth-specific bill limiting ETJ release for land subject to active development agreements, passed after debate over broader ETJ and de-annexation policy, with a local-only clarifying amendment adopted and a proposed broader amendment withdrawn. The meeting ended with the Senate beginning consideration of HB 3372, which would bar school district administrators from receiving financial benefits tied to outside consulting or contracting with education entities, though the transcript cuts off during questions on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 2024-25 General Appropriations Act in Chapter 2024-28, Laws of Florida, authorized the Agency to
• The 2024-25 General Appropriations Act in Chapter 2024...
• The 2024-25 General Appropriations Act in Chapter 2024-228, Laws of Florida, authorized the agency to
• was some changes and we made some adjustments to the regions as well, went from what 11 regions to 9
• now. we made some adjustments to the regions as well went from what 11 regions to 9 now so we've kind

Summary: The Legislative Budget Commission met with a quorum present and considered 12 budget amendments, most of which were adopted without opposition. The first amendment transferred $8.2 million in Department of Corrections general revenue authority from salary incentives to contracted services to support the phased demobilization of Florida National Guard troops assisting with correctional staffing. Senator Pizzo questioned the length of the Guard’s deployment and urged a long-term staffing solution, while the department said the Guard presence was being reduced and that about 2,200 employees were in training. The Department of State received an additional $618,391 in federal grant authority for library grants and private cloud costs, and the Department of Transportation’s two amendments were zero-sum work program changes: one realigned funds to production-ready projects and another added three projects over $3 million each to the current-year work program. The commission then approved several Agency for Health Care Administration amendments tied to Medicaid supplemental payment programs. These included funding for the Florida Cancer Hospital Program, indirect medical education payments, disproportionate share hospital payments for the state mental hospitals, the Low-Income Pool program, physician supplemental and public hospital payments, Florida KidCare, and Medicaid services realignment. Members asked about possible federal disallowances in the LIP and physician/public hospital programs, and agency staff said some disallowances were likely but the amount was not yet known. For KidCare and Medicaid, staff explained the changes were based on the December estimating conference, enrollment shifts, and updated actuarial assumptions, including changes to managed care regions and program design. The final amendment restored budget authority for a hospital direct payment program after a prior payment, including a $24.3 million CMS-related amount and $3.2 million in administrative fees, was not processed before fiscal year-end and reverted. Senator Pizzo pressed the agency on how the payment was missed and whether any penalty applied; staff said the invoice was not received and processed in time and that communication issues contributed. After brief debate on each item, the commission adopted all amendments, with one recorded nay on the final item, and then adjourned.

Bills: HB9, HB10, HB16, HB44, HB46, HB61, HB101, HB126, HB153, HB164, HB233, HB242, HB436, HB455, HB571, HB594

Keywords: HB 9, HB9, Act 527, Shreveport, Stuffed Shrimp Capital, state symbol, Louisiana symbols, municipal designation, honorary title, cultural designation, tourism, local pride, seafood, shrimp, stuffed shrimp, cuisine, city branding, Louisiana Revised Statutes 49:170.26, legal holiday, Acadia Parish

Bills: HB33, HB35, HB274, HB56, HB287, SB229, SB201, SB216, HB33, HB35, HB274, HB56, HB287, SB229, SB201, SB216

Keywords: HB33, Alabama, ALEA, driver license, driver's license, learner permit, learner's permit, school attendance, truancy, high school diploma, GED, dropout, student withdrawal, enrollment verification, disciplinary points, homeless student, job training, youth employment, minor parent, public safety

Bills: SB1936, SB1612, SB1543, SB1260, SB1988, SB1859, SB2041, SB1257, HB4272, HB3277, HB3148, HB3651, HB3323, HB4287, HB4105, HB3304, HB3345

Keywords: forfeiture, criminal offenses, law enforcement, Class D1 offenses, property seizure, SB1612, mandatory reporting, violent injury reporting, gunshot wound, stab wound, poisoning, burn injury, explosive injury, medical reporting, healthcare providers, law enforcement notification, evidence preservation, patient video records, confidentiality waiver, misdemeanor penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• not the person working or has the franchisee, from denying renewal, threatening termination, or penalizing
• not the person working or has the franchisee, from denying renewal, threatening termination, or penalizing

Bills: HB418, SB138, SB215, HB418, SB138, SB215

Keywords: financial services, banking, insurance, debanking, social credit score, ESG, environmental, social, and governance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI, religious freedom, free speech, viewpoint discrimination, political discrimination, firearms, gun industry, ammunition, fossil fuels, oil and gas, mining, timber

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we go on to talk about all of those lists, what the standard charges are, what the codes are on page
• But when they're found to be out of compliance, they're not immediately fined or penalized.
• immediately of compliance, they're not immediately fined<01:15:03.840> or<01:15:04.080> penalized
• <01:15:04.880> They're<01:15:05.120> they're fined or penalized.
• They're they're fined or penalized.

Bills: HB0117, HB0126

Keywords: informed consent, abortion, civil liability, coercion, healthcare rights, fetal heartbeat, termination of pregnancy, medical emergency, Wyoming legislation, rights of minors, healthcare regulations, parental consent, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But secondly, whether it's AB 2011, SB 9, many of these big bills that have really made headlines in
• We've worked very closely with the California chapter of the Community Associations Institute.
• Next is file item 9, AB 2035 by Dixon. We need a motion. Oh, that needs— I apologize. Dixon?
• So we'll proceed now to file item 9, AB 2035, Dixon.
• So that is 9 to 0. Okay, that bill is out on a vote of 9 to 0. That completes our agenda, correct?

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill repeals several sections of code as obsolete and outdated.
• That code section was last amended in 1923. Thank you. Are there any questions of counsel?
• this to repeal Chapter 18?
• There is a committee amendment to cure code conflicts with House Bill 4364 and House Bill 4089.
• under Article 4 of Chapter 49 on page 25.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its prior meeting and then took up House Bill 5537, a bill to repeal several obsolete or outdated code sections. Counsel explained that the bill would remove provisions related to professional development, a behavioral interventionist pilot program, county lists of facilities for child daycare, and high school graduation rates, with a proposed amendment adding another outdated education code section from 1923. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 5537 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass as amended. The committee then considered House Bill 4656, which would shift truancy policy toward chronic absenteeism and earlier intervention. Counsel said the committee substitute would replace punitive status-offense treatment with wraparound services, student support specialists, and a new child-in-need-of-supervision process, while also ending compulsory attendance at age 18 and removing criminal penalties for 18-year-olds. Members questioned how the new thresholds would work, including the role of attendance directors, prosecutors, judges, and the Department of Human Services, and whether the bill would change current diversion funding or court authority. Witnesses from Fayette County, Greenbrier County, and Taylor County largely opposed the bill or urged caution. The Fayette County attendance director said current truancy procedures, including school-based probation and court involvement, help secure family participation and services, and warned that removing the status offense would weaken enforcement. A Greenbrier County probation officer said diversion programs are effective and that court involvement often leads to needed services. A Taylor County juvenile prosecutor said status-offense jurisdiction gives courts meaningful leverage and flexibility, and asked that counties be allowed to keep existing approaches that work locally. After testimony, the committee voted to report HB 4656 to the full Senate without recommendation and with a recommendation that it be re-referred to the Committee on Education, then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any questions on slide 9?
• There was an appropriation made in chapter 79, laws of 2023, HB 2, for the Foster Grandparent Program
• 79 laws of 2023 in chapter 79 laws of 2023 hb2<00:48:11.720> uh<00:48:11.800> there<00
• here so if you were to turn to chapter here so if you were to turn to chapter 106<01:29:15.199><
• <01:40:08.199> and think you all have broken the code and think you all have broken the code

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division of Long-Term Supports and Services presented its budget and program overview as part of the Department of Health and Human Services operating budget review. Leadership described the division’s three bureaus—Aging and Adult Services, Developmental Services, and Family-Centered Services—and explained that the division provides guidance, technical assistance, quality monitoring, and contracted provider oversight across the lifespan. Members also discussed staffing, with reported vacancy rates of 4% in Aging and Adult Services, 15% in Developmental Services, and 6% in Family-Centered Services; the division said the higher BDS vacancy rate is partly due to the small number of authorized positions. The governor’s budget had left eight positions unfunded in the division, including three in Aging and Adult Services and five in BDS. A major topic was the division’s roadmap initiatives, especially building a system of care for healthy aging and strengthening developmental disabilities systems through a new reimbursement rate structure. The division said it contracted with an actuary to study DD service costs and found rates had not been reviewed since 2017 and were significantly below actual costs and other states’ rates, contributing to provider shortages even when services are authorized. Members asked about the impact on service delivery and whether rates would need to rise overall; the division said its strategy is to focus on lower-cost services that help people remain in the community. The division also reported waiver enrollment figures, including about 4,161 people on the Choices for Independence waiver, 3,688 average nursing facility residents, 5,061 people on the DD waiver, 228 on the acquired brain disorder waiver, and 488 children on the in-home support waiver, while noting there is no funding waitlist but provider availability remains a constraint. The division highlighted IT modernization as a major accomplishment, especially moving Adult Protective Services and Developmental Services into the New Heights system. Officials said these changes improve case-note access, data retrieval, service authorization tracking, and transparency for providers, and they asked for future oversight discussion focused on IT leverage. Members noted that New Heights maintenance is budgeted in the Office of the Commissioner under class 27 and suggested better transparency on system costs and benefits. The division also reported that it closed out a long-running CMS corrective action plan for BDS on July 1, 2023, and said it is now focused on strengthening the system rather than compliance alone. Other discussion covered the Aging and Adult Services bureau’s name change from Elderly and Adult Services to Adult and Aging Services, intended to avoid negative connotations and better reflect preventative services. The bureau described Adult Protective Services trends involving scams, financial exploitation, self-neglect, and isolation, and explained that it administers the CFI waiver, determines medical eligibility for nursing facility level of care, and braids funding from Medicaid, state funds, Older Americans Act money, Social Service Block Grants, and other grants. Members asked about waiver growth targets and federal consequences if enrollment remains below projections; the division said it would explain the shortfall in a future waiver amendment and did not anticipate a federal penalty. The meeting ended without any votes or formal actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• makes grammatical corrections in sections 1 through 8 and amends various sections to comply with KRS Chapter
• The staff-suggested amendment amends various sections to comply with CARE as Chapter 13A.
• at a public meeting to implement additional increases to comply with statutory authority and KRS Chapter
• Fish and Wildlife Code. So, 16 U.S.
• the drafting requirements of KS Chapter the drafting requirements of KS Chapter 13A<00:19:27.679

Keywords: :54 – Board of Pharmacy 2:00 – Board of Social Work 3:44 – Board of Licensure for Occupational Therapy 4:43 – Board of Registration for Professional Geologists 7:27 – Board of Imaging and Radiation Therapy 8:33 – Board of Emergency Medical Services 10:38 – Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources 17:37 – Transportation Cabinet 18:37 – Department of Education 25:00 – Department of Workplace Standards 27:06 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, 958, all

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a series of agency regulations, most of which had staff-suggested amendments. The Board of Pharmacy regulation on remote prescription processing was amended to make grammatical and KRS Chapter 13A compliance corrections, and the Board of Social Work regulation on continuing education, telehealth training, waivers, and related fees was deferred at the agency’s request. The Occupational Therapy Compact rule update and the Professional Geologists fee increase regulation both received staff amendments and were approved, with the geologists’ board explaining the increases were driven by rising oversight costs and declining revenue. The committee also reviewed emergency regulations from the Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, the Board of Emergency Medical Services, the Transportation Cabinet, and the Department of Workplace Standards. The EMS package covered licensing classifications, compliance audits, ambulance service rules, and electronic forms; the Transportation Cabinet’s emergency rule established procedures for street-legal special purpose vehicles; and Workplace Standards’ emergency rules updated Kentucky requirements to align with federal standards and House Bill 398, including shortening the discrimination complaint filing deadline from 120 days to 30 days and adjusting appeal procedures. Staff amendments were approved where offered, and members asked several clarifying questions about the rationale and effect of the workplace and EMS changes. The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources explained rules on aircraft and drone use in taking wildlife and on reciprocal hunting and fishing agreements with neighboring states. The agency said the drone restriction was intended to align with federal law and address hunter complaints, while the reciprocal agreement rule was a cleanup of older agreements that had lapsed or been overlooked; the committee deferred the wildlife regulation 301 KAR 2:031 at the agency’s request. The Department of Education also presented multiple KHSAA-related and standards updates, including academic eligibility, sports timing, health and physical education standards, and career studies/financial literacy standards; staff amendments were approved, and members questioned the athletic forms and the designation of KHSAA as the state’s athletic agent. Finally, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services presented emergency regulations to support a pediatric teaching hospital expansion and related certificate-of-need changes, which the agency said were aimed at improving pediatric and neonatal access to care; staff amendments were approved, and the committee concluded by setting its next meeting for October 13 at 1:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 231 receives a favorable report by vote of 9 yeas and 0 nays.
• House Bill 78 receives a favorable report by vote of 9 yeas and 0 nays.
• The chapter title of the code is referenced above, and there was some ambiguity as to whether this act
• <00:51:37.040> the<00:51:37.200> code<00:51:37.520> is the chapter title of the
• code is the chapter title of the code is referenced<00:51:38.240> above<00:51:39.200> and

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber approved routine motions to excuse absent senators, dispense with the previous day’s journal, and allow introduction of bills and committee reports throughout the day. The Senate also received several House messages referring bills to committee, including local constitutional amendments for Limestone, Blount, and Mobile counties, a human cloning bill, a Fair Campaign Practices Act bill, a public education bill, a court fees bill, and a physician assistance bill. Committee reports were then taken up. The Finance and Taxation General Fund, Confirmations, State Governmental Affairs, County and Municipal Government, Education Policy, Banking and Insurance, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Transportation and Energy, and Local Legislation committees all reported a number of bills favorably, many with amendments or substitutes. Several measures were advanced to the calendar for the next legislative day, and the Senate confirmed multiple appointments, including Eileen Meyer and Tiffany Martin to the Alabama Board of Midwifery, Jennifer Ag, Jerry Gross, and Edgar Hower II to the University of West Alabama Board of Trustees, Patricia Sims, Tony Cochran, and Sandy Stimson to the Alabama State Port Authority Board of Directors. The Senate then adopted a special order calendar under Senate Resolution 34, setting the order of business for the 10th legislative day. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 161, the App Store Accountability Act, which was described as a child-protection measure requiring parental permission, age verification by app stores, accurate app age ratings, and limits on minors entering contracts through app downloads. Senators speaking in support said the bill was needed to protect children from harmful online content and preserve parental control, and they discussed an amendment clarifying the meaning of “act” and preserving compliance with other state age-verification laws. The debate was ongoing in the portion provided, and no final vote on HB 161 appears in this excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• chapter chapter [Music] [Music] [Music] 13A<00:07:41.680> sounds<00:07:42.000> like<00
• car is chapter car is chapter 13A<00:08:54.519> would<00:08:54.680> you<00:08:54.800
• KS chapter KS chapter 13A<00:10:46.120> 201<00:10:46.760> KR<00:10:47.440> 36100
• sections to comply with KS chapter sections to comply with KS chapter 13A<00:18:19.840> would
• <00:21:34.840> 13A chapter 13A chapter 13A requirements<00:21:37.559> 907<00:21:38.360>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a long agenda of administrative regulations, most of which were advanced with staff-suggested amendments and no objection. Early items included the Kentucky Public Pension Authority’s 105 KAR 1:451, which updates reporting language and adds the contractor wizard for certain employers, and a large package of Board of Veterinary Examiners regulations that revise fees, facility and AHP registration requirements, continuing education, liability, and practice rules. The Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology’s compact-related regulation and the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors’ complaint and compact rules were also reviewed and approved with amendments, along with fish and wildlife rules affecting elk hunting, youth deer season length, bear-dog approvals, and foxhound enclosure permits. The committee also approved transportation, education, workplace standards, horse racing, and several health and human services regulations, including Medicaid waiver reimbursement updates and a child care regulation that sends certain large claims to the Office of Inspector General for review. Several agencies briefly explained their regulations when members asked questions. Fish and Wildlife said the elk population is strong and the baiting change is intended to support harvest monitoring and fair chase, while the longer youth deer season was meant to give young hunters more opportunity. The Department of Community-Based Services said the $10,000 and $5,000 claim thresholds were meant to clarify rare cases involving possible fraud or unresolved recoupment issues. The Department of Financial Institutions’ 808 KAR 5:305 drew the most discussion: it would allow certain state-chartered credit unions with a low-income designation to participate in federal programs, including limited non-member deposits and supplemental capital, but the regulation was deferred again amid continued discussions. The Kentucky Bankers Association testified against the credit union regulation, arguing that allowing non-member deposits conflicts with existing statute limiting credit union deposits to members and other credit unions, and that an administrative regulation cannot override that statutory restriction. Committee members heard the agency’s explanation that the proposal is intended to help underserved communities and that the non-member deposit authority would be limited, but no final action was taken because the item was deferred. The meeting otherwise concluded with the remaining regulations being called, discussed briefly, and approved or advanced without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• is to ensure that those who are in the country illegally with the intention to do us harm, like the 9/
• In fact, including in the 9/11 Commission Report was the recommendation that the nation needed to deny
• The 9/11 terrorists carried among them over 30 state licenses and identification cards.
• their driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, saw a decrease in hit-and-run accidents between 9
• <01:49:03.480> to believe I think there's a penal to believe I think there's a penal to carrot

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our AAUP chapter, by the way, is more than 100 years old at the university.
• We have the second most regressive tax code in America.
• And who's tired of a tax code that treats us working people like an ATM? We do.
• But we want a fair tax code. What do we want? Fair tax code. And when do we want it? Now.
• But we want a fair tax code. What do we want? Fair tax code. And when do we want it? Now.

Summary: The meeting was a press conference and Q&A led by Rep. Shaun Scott to promote the proposed Well Washington Fund, a new dedicated account intended to raise about $3 billion annually through a corporate payroll tax on wages above $125,000. Scott said the bill would help offset expected federal cuts under Trump-era policies and support programs most at risk, including cash assistance, higher education, health care, housing, and wildfire mitigation. He also referenced two related proposals: restoring wildfire mitigation funding by ending a tax break for large banks, and allowing counties to raise corporate taxes. Several advocates and affected residents testified in support of progressive revenue. Michelle Thomas of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance warned that federal homelessness policy changes and state underinvestment could worsen homelessness and evictions. Christina Savitsky, a disabled veteran, described how Medicaid, food assistance, and work requirements would affect her family. Representatives from the University of Washington AAUP said federal cuts and Medicaid changes threaten teaching, research, workforce training, and hospital finances. Fatima Boxwala of Tech for Taxes and Mikey Stramskis of the Washington Federation of State Employees argued that large corporations and the wealthy should pay more to sustain public services and address understaffing, burnout, and service backlogs. In the Q&A, Scott said the bill may need an emergency clause to make it referendum-proof and argued that the legislature has a mandate to act, citing the 2024 capital gains tax referendum and the state’s regressive tax system. He acknowledged concerns about businesses leaving but said he was more concerned about working people being displaced by unaffordable housing, child care, and health care. No vote or formal committee action occurred; the event was a call for a hearing in the House Finance Committee in 2026 and for legislative passage in both chambers.

Transcript Highlights:

• To give you an example, there's a specific marker for pancreatic cancer called CA19-9, which measures
• When I was diagnosed, that CA19-9 marker was 17,000 units.
• Local boards of health investigate housing code violations.
• My name is Sasha Goodfriend, and I am the Executive Director of Mass Now, the Massachusetts chapter of
• As an organization with over 200 chapters across the country, we've seen firsthand the growing momentum

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on a wide range of bills focused on environmental health, disease prevention, and access to care. Major topics included restricting polystyrene use, creating a pancreatic cancer awareness and early-detection initiative, improving indoor air quality through a task force and new regulations, expanding access to epinephrine in public places, improving access to health care for people with long COVID, creating an OBGYN loan repayment program for underserved areas, expanding access to hygiene products, modernizing licensure for dietitians and nutritionists, updating school postural screening requirements, and restricting harmful diet pills and muscle-building supplements. Several legislators also testified in support of their own bills, including measures on menstrual product access and ingredient disclosure, and surgical smoke protections. Testimony on the polystyrene bill emphasized local municipal bans and the need to reduce plastic pollution. Pancreatic cancer advocates and patients described the disease’s low survival rate, the difficulty of early diagnosis, and the need for an awareness campaign and implementation of commission recommendations. Indoor air quality supporters from environmental justice groups, public health organizations, and residents described asthma, mold, pollution, and the need for a task force with technical expertise; some witnesses urged adding remediation professionals to the task force. On epinephrine access, family members of a man who died after a bee sting and an allergy organization stressed that anaphylaxis can be sudden and fatal and that stock epinephrine in public venues could save lives. Long COVID advocates said the condition affects hundreds of thousands of residents and called for better surveillance and access to care, with a request to include MECFS in the bills’ scope. Other testimony focused on workforce and equity issues. Supporters of the OBGYN loan repayment bill said it would help address maternal health disparities and provider shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities. Hope and Comfort described widespread hygiene insecurity and a long waiting list for basic products, urging a task force to study statewide solutions. Dietitians and nutritionists supported modernization of licensure to clarify standards for medical nutrition therapy while allowing broader wellness counseling. School nurses backed reducing mandatory postural screenings, arguing the current law is not evidence-based, is not reimbursed by MassHealth, and takes time from other student health needs. On the supplement bill, the industry trade group opposed restrictions as overbroad and burdensome, while a public health expert cited research linking weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to serious harms and urged passage. The committee also heard support for menstrual product access and surgical smoke protections, with legislators and advocates describing those bills as longstanding priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 2972 with 22 yeas and 9 nays.
• People of every background, occupying any zip code, knew that they could count on this person because
• After 9/11, I served for 10 years in the Army as a platoon leader, executive officer, detachment commander
• And you saw me digging for the point of order, and you told me it was chapter 4.
• We're grateful for her contributions and know she'll continue to do great things in the next chapter

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• if these, the magnitude and frequencies of these are increasing, is there something in our building codes
• What are building codes?
• And I don't know, it's well outside my field to know what the building codes are, but I do, I am aware
• That’s post-Hurricane Andrew, and then the next one’s right after 9/11, and then the next one’s right
• So building codes and land planning and new parametric algorithms and Rapid and Risk Rating 2.0—I think

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.