Transcript Highlights:

• So the private provider industry started about 10 years ago with 553.791.
• Builders, homeowners can choose a private provider. It's not mandatory.
• So the property provider industry started about 10 years ago with 553.791.
• Builders, homeowners can choose a private provider. It's not mandatory.
• It says zero discount despite the fact that a private provider is doing the work.

Summary: The Legislative Auditing Committee heard several local-government audit requests and unanimously approved each one. The first item was Baker County, where county commissioners asked for an operational and financial audit because of repeated late audits, concerns about the finance office, and lack of confidence in county financial reporting. The county clerk supported an audit but argued it should be countywide and include all constitutional officers; she also described a dispute over access to the county finance system and pending litigation. After brief questions, the committee adopted a 9-0 motion directing the Auditor General to perform an operational audit of Baker County’s financial operations and records, with scope to be finalized during the audit. The committee then approved an audit request for the Concord Estates Community Development District in Osceola County. Senator Arrington said residents alleged excessive board compensation, large unexplained spending, missing financial reports, and refusal to provide records or hold open meetings. Residents and a board member testified about rising assessments, deteriorating amenities, and lack of transparency. The committee voted 10-0 to direct an operational audit of the CDD. It also approved, by 10-0 votes, operational audits of the town of Melbourne Beach, based on allegations of fiscal and operational improprieties and lawsuits that had cost the town more than $150,000, and the city of Apalachicola, where Senator Simon said longstanding water utility failures, grant issues, and consent-order problems warranted review. The final request was for a financial and operational audit of Cape Coral’s Building Department. Representative G. Lombardo said building-fee revenues appeared to be transferred for non-building purposes, permit processing was inconsistent, and the department relied heavily on a private firm while the building official had prior ties to that firm. Industry representatives testified that building funds were being diverted, service levels were suffering, and private-provider inspections were not always reflected in fee reductions. The committee adopted the motion 10-0. After completing all agenda items, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This morning I am here to provide you with your annual open government refresher.
• Materials have been provided in your meeting packet involving both the PRA and the OPMA, and I strongly
• And we can provide you appropriate advice in the context.
• The PRA requires the agency to provide a response to a request.
• The PRA requires the agency to provide a response to a requester within five business days, generally

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 7, 2025, with quorum present. The commission approved the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes and then received its annual open government refresher from the Attorney General’s office, which reviewed key requirements under the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including record retention, response deadlines, exemptions, and meeting notice rules. Staff then provided a 2025 legislative session update, noting that the legislature passed 23 tax-preference-related bills, with several signed by the governor and others pending. Highlights included bills that extended or repealed certain preferences, added reporting requirements for newspaper and digital content exemptions, authorized JLARC to adjust its work plan when data is unavailable, and created a new exemption for zero-emission buses. The commission approved updates to the 2026 tax preference review schedule, which includes eight preferences in seven reviews, and approved unchanged testimony questions for 2025. The commission also received the 2025 expedited preference review report covering 52 tax preferences, presented as an interactive table drawing on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies. Staff then outlined the process for developing the next 10-year review schedule for 2027-2036, including surveying the legislature, incorporating new and repealed preferences, and considering a possible rolling 10-year schedule. No public comment was registered. The meeting ended with acknowledgments of Ron Buing’s long service on the commission and an announcement that the next meeting would be held August 6, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• These clinics provide life-saving treatment to help individuals.
• The annual needs assessment is an unnecessary barrier to providing care.
• These are non-providers.
• So when you go as a provider, a home health care provider, you might be going there twice a day, You
• might go as a provider, a home health care provider, twice a day.

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and took up several bills. SB 894, relating to faith-based content in batterers’ intervention programs, was explained as allowing certified programs to offer voluntary faith-based components alongside existing models. Members raised questions about how faith would be defined, whether participation would be optional, and how all faiths would be included. An amendment was adopted clarifying that faith-based activities may be offered but not required and removing language directing DCF to repeal a rule. After supportive testimony from faith-based advocates and some debate, the committee reported the bill favorably, with Senators Harrell and Garcia later recording affirmative votes. The committee then considered SB 1240 on substance abuse and mental health care, which would assign state oversight of the 988 Lifeline, remove the annual needs assessment barrier for medication-assisted treatment licensing, and require annual continuing education for forensic evaluators. An amendment with technical conforming changes and two substantive clarifications was adopted. Members expressed support for expanded access to behavioral health services, and the bill was reported favorably. Later, the chair presented SB 1736, which would allow direct support professionals and relatives to administer insulin in group home settings for individuals with developmental disabilities. After an amendment clarifying sliding scale insulin and related medication administration, the committee heard testimony from family advocates describing how the bill would prevent unnecessary institutionalization and reduce costs. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 1286, which clarifies that allowing children to engage in unsupervised activities such as biking or playing outside does not by itself constitute neglect unless reckless or dangerous. After brief support testimony, that bill was also reported favorably, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a lot of resources and training we are providing. But there is a gap.
• In excess of amounts appropriated in order to provide salary increases.
• And at the bottom are four riders, three of which provide unexpended balance.
• The agency was provided a G.R. baseline limit of 30.2 million.
• I'm sure they'll be able to provide more details on that.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:48.840><c> and</c> um is healthcare providers and um is healthcare providers and facilities
• ><c> whenever</c><01:06:03.240><c> an</c> Subsection I provides that whenever an Subsection I provides
• </c> provided to the parties and the court. provided to the parties and the court.
• </c> qualified personnel in order to provide qualified personnel in order to provide a<01:10:48.080><
• </c> However, the amendment also provides However, the amendment also provides that<01:32:59.360><c>

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That information is then provided; those matches, potential matches, are provided to our county voter
• Because the notice explains to them that you can provide proof of citizenship, but if you do not provide
• proof of citizenship, provide a copy to that, if you can provide that copy to us, we can work with SAVE
• Provide a copy to that, if you can provide that copy to us, we can work with SAVE to get SAVE updated
• So this bill was to provide transparency. Thank you. So this bill was to provide transparency.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Program and providing them a little back-and-forth technical assistance.
• So there will be a lot of back-and-forth that I provide and that our team provides with applicants to
• We’re asking for regional collaboration across all providers.
• You know, we can provide—we can't buy food—but what we can do is provide the infrastructure money to
• It will be provided by a provider type that we're also adding that is the targeted case managers for

Summary: The committee first heard extensive public testimony from youth and advocates urging stronger restrictions on vaping. Speakers described vaping as a youth-targeted public health problem, citing flavored products, social media marketing, nicotine addiction, brain development concerns, school disruption, and exposure to harmful aerosol. They recommended prohibiting vaping in public indoor spaces and aligning vape rules with smoke-free laws. Committee members praised the speakers and encouraged them to continue building support for future legislation. The main presentation was on Arkansas’s Rural Health Transformation Program, administered through DFA. Secretary Jim Hudson and program director Brad Andi explained that Arkansas received about $209 million in the first year under the federal program, with potential for roughly $1 billion over five years if performance is strong. They emphasized that the program is meant for long-term rural health transformation, not general operating support, debt relief, or new construction. The state’s plan centers on four initiatives: HEART for prevention and community health, PACT for access and provider collaboration, RISE for workforce development, and THRIVE for technology and telehealth. Officials said applications will be handled through upcoming notices of funding opportunity, with a focus on local, shovel-ready projects, regional collaboration, and transparency. Committee members asked how the program would work for hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, schools, faith groups, and urban providers serving rural patients. Officials said eligibility is broad if applicants can show a connection to rural health, and that targeted renovations, mobile units, school-based clinics, farm-to-school or garden projects, EMS equipment, residency expansion, and behavioral health initiatives may fit if they align with the plan. They stressed that the program cannot fund working capital, routine maintenance, or new buildings, but can support repurposing space and collaborative networks. Members also raised concerns about protecting existing rural providers from being displaced, and officials said applications would be reviewed by a state committee with technical assistance and a reimbursement-based process. The committee then reviewed and took no objection to several DHS and Health Department rules. DHS presented a Medicaid/CHIP rule implementing federal requirements for incarcerated youth, including pre- and post-release coverage, care coordination, targeted case management, and screening services, with no public comments received. The Health Department also presented a licensing rule for audiology and speech pathology that implements recent acts and changes the renewal deadline; that rule was likewise reviewed without objection. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they're provided these free allowances, which have millions of dollars of value to them.
• Yeah, I'll add— ...what its use will be when we provide that information.
• That's why I didn't want to provide you... ...and those, you know, this is old data.
• And the bill helps provide regulatory certainty while providing more information to the state on energy
• Thanks to the clean electricity Cowlitz PUD provides to our industries, our industries are able to provide

Bills: HB2537 , HB2245 , HB2296

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: emissions, climate commitment act, environmental regulation, trade regulation, facility compliance, consumer-owned utilities, clean energy, port districts, market customers, energy transformation, distributed energy, renewable energy, energy resources, sustainability, energy policy, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :21.440><c> to</c><00:04:21.640><c> swiftly</c> proposal provides a pathway to swiftly proposal provides
• . provided. provided.
• </c> provided for this transition. provided for this transition.
• </c> provider who dropped out of the project. provider who dropped out of the project.
• </c> vocational rehab services will provide. vocational rehab services will provide.

Committee: Senate Labor

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rates for carpoolers, providing a bus pass, and permitting flexible work schedules.
• Providing alternative transportation benefits provides affordable transportation options.
• Class 1 e-bike has a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and stops providing
• Class 3 e-bike has a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that stops providing
• Class 3 e-bike has a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that stops providing

Summary: The Transportation Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2307 would update the commute trip reduction program by removing the current 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. arrival-time requirement from key definitions, so more employers and shift workers could qualify for CTR benefits. The bill sponsor and several supporters, including Microsoft, transit and transportation nonprofits, local transportation management groups, and city representatives, said the change would modernize the program, improve equity, reduce congestion, and help workers with transportation costs. No one testified in opposition. HB 2374 would distinguish electric-assisted bicycles from higher-powered electric motorcycles, clarify labeling and equipment rules, and direct DOL to convene a work group on enforcement and consumer protection. The sponsor and many supporters, including cities, trail and park organizations, Washington Bikes, and several students, said the bill would address unsafe high-powered vehicles being marketed as e-bikes, especially those used by younger riders, while preserving access to true e-bikes. Some testifiers asked for additional work group members and suggested civil enforcement options for underage riders. HB 2379 would require WSDOT to suspend tolling on facilities that serve as evacuation routes during emergencies such as wildfires or levee breaches. The sponsor said the bill was prompted by constituents facing evacuation while tolls were still being charged; staff noted the fiscal impact would be indeterminate and could reduce toll revenue during suspensions. After the hearings, the committee took executive action on two bills. It adopted proposed substitute H-2771 for HB 1823, which cleans up Transportation Improvement Board provisions and removes obsolete language while retaining remaining bond authority. It also passed HB 2111, which directs interest earned from toll revenues for the Interstate Bridge project to be credited to that project. Both actions were approved by voice vote, 27-0, with two members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also provided a process by which a CCN holder can receive compensation for, for lost value.
• We're told the CCN engineer provided water service options on April 12, 2024 to the CCN.
• It remains the responsibility of the utility to provide clean and safe water to its customers.
• We provide the technical review.
• they provide receipts.

Bills: HB 937 , HB 2078 , HB 2080 , HB 3322 , HB 3350 , HB 4212 , HB 4630 , HB 4896 , HB 4951 , HB 5348 , HB 5675 , SB 565 , SB 971 , SB 1662 , SB 2124

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: special districts, notice requirements, Water Code, government transparency, public meetings, meeting notice, transparency, public engagement, notice, elections, groundwater management, water conservation, joint planning, environmental impact, desired future conditions, groundwater, conservation district, environmental quality, regulatory review, water utility

Transcript Highlights:

• They have 10 facilities across the state of Texas that provide... provide psychiatric services, many
• IS be provided, which is indeed accessible and only a one-page document.
• Those providers may, in fact, be cash pay providers inside the network who are willing to take cash.
• provider.
• It says if a patient and provider decide to enter.

Bills: SB437 , SB528 , SB626 , SB636 , SB884 , SB968 , SB1044 , SB1608 , SB2336

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: healthcare, training, abuse, neglect, penalties, chemical dependency, safety, regulation, inpatient competency restoration, competency restoration, forensic mental health, mental health law, criminal competency, incompetent to stand trial, Chapter 46B, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission, state hospital, behavioral health, local mental health authority

Transcript Highlights:

• It says to provide that report in link to an agency's budget request.
• </c><00:14:16.600><c> information</c> nature she provide information nature she provide information referencing
• </c> state agency shallow provide state agency shallow provide information<00:14:32.040><c> um</c><00
• </c> information um provided to the agencies information um provided to the agencies no<00:14:35.240>
• <00:15:43.959><c> information</c> provide information provide information regarding regarding regarding

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:12 Discussion on 2025 Regular Session Proposals 00:01:00 Discussion for Future Meetings 00:18:25, 958, all

Summary: The Investments in IT Improvements and Modernization Projects Oversight Board met for its first meeting, approved the minutes from November 13, 2024, and then discussed BR 355, a bill draft intended to revise and clarify the board’s governing statute based on its first year of experience. The draft would rename the body as the Information Technology Oversight Committee, add or refine definitions for cybersecurity projects/systems and legacy projects/systems, move the annual submission deadline earlier, and require a six-year outline and funding-source information for transition planning. Members and staff said the bill was largely a codification of current practice, with no major controversy. State Budget Director John Hicks and CIO Jim Baird offered technical comments and suggested several drafting changes: using “system” instead of “project” for legacy and cybersecurity references, adjusting the first reporting deadline to give agencies more time if the bill becomes law in March, and clarifying that the statute should ask agencies for estimated expenditures and funding sources rather than implying an electronic link to the budget request. They also suggested that the linkage to the budget process could be handled through budget instructions rather than statute. Members discussed whether the six-year outline should be biennial and agreed that the April timing fit the capital planning process. After the discussion, the board agreed in principle to revise the draft along those lines, including changing the terminology, making the six-year outline biennial, and refining the budget-related language. The board also discussed future meeting dates and agreed to meet on Fridays upon adjournment, with February and March meetings to be scheduled later. The meeting ended with a motion and second to adjourn, which passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• NDIT provides some guidance.
• NDIT provides some guidance.
• We could provide this information.
• We do provide them.
• We do not provide that publicly.

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Summary: The Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and a review of the state’s annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and the Office of Management and Budget reported a clean opinion on the state’s financial statements and described continued growth in net position, strong general fund balance, and significant Legacy Fund investment income. Committee members asked about how the report reflects long-term finances and how North Dakota compares with other states, and OMB noted that the ACFR is based on audited actual results rather than budget forecasts. The committee then heard the North Dakota University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund construction money, insufficient monitoring of service organizations, improper bank reconciliations at several campuses, and investment/cash recording issues at Bismarck State College. University System officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations and greater use of shared services. Members also questioned practices such as campus use of certificates of deposit and whether repeated findings were being adequately addressed. Additional audits were presented for the State Fair Association, State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Securities Department, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Most received clean opinions with no findings; exceptions included a repeat component-unit issue at the State Fair Foundation, a securities personnel-evaluation finding, and a Housing Finance Agency finding involving a late return of escrow surplus. The committee also discussed broader oversight issues, including the need for independent auditing of the Ethics Commission, possible legislative changes to give the State Auditor more subpoena power and independent legal counsel, and future work on data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, and audit capacity. The meeting recessed for lunch after these discussions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:24.880><c> assistance</c> assistance program provides assistance assistance program provides
• And first you'll provide a forecast overview, and then we'll have MMB provide their forecast overview
• </c><00:10:38.079><c> their</c> then we'll have um MMB provide their then we'll have um MMB provide their
• </c><00:55:04.000><c> are</c><00:55:04.160><c> maybe</c> provider tax c some providers are maybe provider
• </c> providers of up to 6% of taxable income. providers of up to 6% of taxable income.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But this provides a tight box around who benefit from that exception.
• Just to go through the bill, we have Section 37-203 that provides some definitions, which helps provide
• The rest of this legislation largely provides those exceptions under state code.
• And we will provide two minutes. Erica, are you there? There you are. I am. Can you hear me?
• I really appreciate the presentation and what you provide for the state of Idaho. Thank you.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee opened by welcoming a new page, Isabella Frasheiser of Weiser High School, who described her FFA, school leadership, and agricultural background. The committee then approved the February 10, 2026 minutes without objection. The main item was Senate Bill 1283, presented by Senator Todd Lakey. The bill would create a framework for small-scale direct-to-consumer agricultural and homemade food sales, including cottage foods, farm stands, cooperative markets, and certain meat sales, with labeling, recordkeeping, and educational-material requirements. Supporters from Farm Bureau, Fair Idaho, and producers argued it would reduce burdens, expand local food access, help small farms, and improve market opportunities. Food Northwest and health district representatives raised concerns about food safety, labeling, lack of competency testing, limited remediation options, and possible liability changes. After discussion, the committee voted to send SB 1283 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then received an Idaho Beef Council update from J.W. Wood and Jody Mink. They described the council’s checkoff-funded promotion, education, research, consumer outreach, BQA training, Spanish-language materials, a national “Prime Rib and Prom” campaign, and the Idaho Beef Counts food assistance program. No formal action was taken on that presentation, and the committee adjourned after concluding its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• reach an eligibility worker when they want to renew their coverage and that a behavioral health provider
• It also requires HCA to provide grant funds to ensure the availability of services to infants with a.
• Requires HCA to provide grant funds to ensure the availability of services to infants with a history
• It requires a health carrier to provide advance notice by December 31, 2026.
• of Health's Sexual and Reproductive Health Program, existing providers.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held confirmation hearings for Ryan Moran to lead the Health Care Authority and Dennis Worsham to serve as Secretary of Health. Moran emphasized his personal background, experience in Maryland Medicaid, and priorities of protecting coverage amid federal changes, addressing health disparities, strengthening tribal partnerships, and improving agency operations. Worsham described his long public health career in Washington, his statewide listening tour, and his focus on collaboration, science-based decision-making, accountability, workforce support, and rebuilding public trust. Senators raised questions about behavioral health, social determinants of health, communication, misinformation, and the impact of federal policy changes; both nominees said Washington should continue leading on coverage, prevention, and public health resilience. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. It passed SB 5899, allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on animals; SB 6292, creating a joint legislative-executive committee on health care financing with a substitute; SB 6182, establishing an abortion savings program, after rejecting several Christian-sponsored amendments and adopting a Bateman amendment limiting eligible organizations to DOH-contracted abortion providers or funds; SB 5947, creating the Washington Health Care Board; SJR 8206, proposing a constitutional right to affordable health care; and SB 5933, on overdose mapping information sharing, with a substitute. The committee also recommended confirmation of both gubernatorial appointments. In a second group of bills, the committee passed SB 5823 on patient advocates with a substitute requiring at least one person physically present daily in acute care settings and expanding exemptions for certain hospitals; SB 6210 on the health plan certification process with a substitute; SB 5921 on psilocybin; SB 6226 protecting audiologists’ clinical autonomy with a substitute; and SB 5924 expanding pharmacists’ prescriptive authority with a substitute. Members discussed access, affordability, rural workforce shortages, and patient safety, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• The CARES programs varied in the services they provided.
• However, these programs can also provide significant benefits to insurers and hospitals.
• The paramedics, well, all the providers, social workers, nurses, we have great shortages.
• You are providing incredible service.
• Today you are providing incredible service that every resident of the state relies on.

Committee: Joint JLARC I-900 Subcommittee for SAO Performance Audits

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide 30 days' notice to consumers before selling their debt.
• provide 30 days' notice to consumers before selling their debt.
• It requires help providers find teachers.
• License-exempt providers: the teachers still have to be level two background screened.
• What we've seen is our family care home providers are being dropped from their residential provider solely

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard and passed several bills. HB 293 would codify the Office of Faith and Community in the Executive Office of the Governor, create a liaison and advisory council, and was supported by faith-based and nonprofit groups; some members questioned possible duplication with existing services and the source of any future funding, but the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 547 would create an exception to the 30-day notice requirement before hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers sell medical debt when the debt buyer agrees not to use interest, fees, or extraordinary collection actions and must return charity-care-eligible debt; it passed unanimously after brief support testimony. CS/HB 1553 would require reporting of uterine fibroid data to the Department of Health to create a de-identified public database and reauthorize funding for implementation; it also passed 24-0, with members noting the earlier database mandate had not been carried out. The committee then took up CS/HB 1195, “Gage’s Law,” which would require hospitals and hospital-based emergency departments to test for fentanyl in urine drug screens for suspected overdose or poisoning cases. The bill was presented as a response to overdose deaths and the need to better detect fentanyl, and emotional testimony from a parent described a son’s death after a hospital did not test for fentanyl. Members from both parties spoke in strong support, emphasizing stigma, the need for better treatment and data, and the potential to save lives; the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 47 on child care and early learning providers would streamline inspections, speed background screening, offer free online training/testing, update definitions, protect certain family child care homes from insurance issues, and create a license-exempt category for employer-provided child care; after questions about parent notice, database listing, background checks, and insurance, an amendment was adopted and the bill passed 24-0 as amended. Finally, CS/HB 647 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to sign death certificates in hospice settings, addressing delays that can leave families waiting to complete burial arrangements. Support testimony came from advocacy and hospice groups, and members cited the bill’s importance for families and religious burial timelines. The bill passed 23-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to provide some context.
• This bill simply adds people providing specific types of immigration This bill simply adds people providing
• AB 1930 provides our office the opportunity to interpret. Of patients and providers.
• to protect the privacy of patients and providers.
• Although notice is provided of a potential advancement, it doesn't provide any meaningful information

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public safety bills, with most of the discussion focused on AB 1650, AB 2014, AB 1886, AB 2126, AB 2624, and AB 2257. AB 1650 would require clearer identification on privately owned vehicles rented or leased to government agencies for enforcement operations; supporters framed it as a transparency and safety measure in response to ICE activity, while no opposition testified. AB 2014 would allow post-conviction habeas relief where gender bias or stereotypes were used at trial and may have affected the outcome; supporters described cases involving sexist and anti-LGBTQ stereotypes, while the California District Attorneys Association opposed the bill as overbroad and likely to restrict relevant evidence, though the author said recent amendments removed the evidence-code provisions and left only the habeas remedy. AB 1886 would extend a 12-month probation presumption to youth in out-of-home placements and those discharged from secure youth treatment facilities; youth advocates supported it as a fairness and rehabilitation measure, while judges, probation officials, and district attorneys opposed it as undoing a recent compromise and limiting individualized decisions. AB 2126 would speed hiring of peer partners in child welfare by creating a narrow exemption process for certain foster-youth-related offenses; it drew broad support and no opposition. AB 2624 would expand the Safe at Home address-confidentiality program to immigrant service providers, employees, and volunteers; supporters cited threats, doxing, and harassment, while one journalist opposed it over possible effects on reporting, and the author and committee members said the bill preserves press protections and is narrowly aimed at threats and harassment. AB 2257 would restore county authority to create a separate corrections department to run jails instead of the sheriff; supporters argued it would improve accountability and address jail deaths and fiscal problems, while sheriffs opposed it as unnecessary and said sheriffs are already subject to oversight. The committee also noted several bills pulled by their authors and adopted a consent calendar of unrelated measures. Votes were not always taken immediately because the committee was waiting for a quorum, but AB 2624 was moved on a do-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations and left on call, and the chair indicated support or favorable recommendations on several of the other measures.