Transcript Highlights:

• The ombuds program? I think we had it. Go ahead, Jim.
• But that older Washingtonian may not know how to access that program.
• The current long-term care ombuds program is funded out of Commerce.
• And we historically have used a lot of volunteers in our program.
• Nothing of what they pay in their fees comes to our program.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2299, which would create a state senior independent living ombuds program. Staff explained that the bill would direct the Department of Commerce to contract with a nonprofit to provide ombuds services for residents of senior independent living facilities, including complaint handling, data collection, referrals, training, and protections against retaliation and disclosure. The bill also sets qualifications and conflict-of-interest rules for ombuds staff and requires facilities to post notice of the services. The chair noted that, although executive session was on the agenda, the bills would not be voted out that day because amendments were still being worked on. Representative Christine Reeves, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure was intended to address gaps in protections for seniors in independent living settings, which are often treated under multifamily housing law rather than senior housing or long-term care statutes. She described constituent concerns about poor communication, delayed maintenance, safety issues, and a lack of a clear place for residents to seek help. Committee members asked about the bill’s scope, including whether it would apply to 55-plus communities, condominiums, and rented versus owned units, and staff clarified that the bill defines covered facilities as age-restricted apartment buildings, condominiums, or residential neighborhoods where residents rent the unit or land, plus certain portions of CCRCs and assisted living buildings not actively used for assisted living. Testimony was mixed. The Washington Health Care Association and LeadingAge Washington said they support the goal but raised concerns about the bill’s structure, funding, overlap with existing landlord-tenant and long-term care ombuds systems, and the need for a broader stakeholder process and a resident bill of rights first. The Washington State Long-Term Care Ombuds Program supported the concept and said it could potentially absorb the work, but emphasized that current funding is already below recommended staffing levels and that additional resources would likely be needed. Residents and advocates testified in support, saying the bill would provide a neutral outside authority and help address real problems in senior communities. No vote was taken, and the hearing was closed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you'd like, I rehabilitation program.
• This is the office of water programs.
• Uh eligible rest of the program.
• So these these projects our programs.
• </c> idea that um they understand the program idea that um they understand the program and<00:20:44.400

Committee: Joint Select Water Committee

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we spent government programs.
• </c> we ensure that state programs we ensure that state programs are<00:02:48.480><c> used</c><00:02:
• . programs. programs.
• </c><00:04:54.560><c> integrity</c> licensing visit and a program integrity licensing visit and a program
• He was in my infant program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> year you had a hearing on the program year you had a hearing on the program integrity<00:04:34.720
• </c><00:08:01.919><c> the</c> the program supporters like the the program supporters like the Minnesota
• </c> plate for our solar pollinator programs. plate for our solar pollinator programs.
• </c> but what is a solar pollinator program but what is a solar pollinator program and<00:18:22.000><
• Um, so we know support that program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Commerce, grant program rules. Thank you. Department of Commerce grant program rules.
• With the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission IGM grant program that was removed from statute by the
• Communities across programs improves transparency for applicants and ensures that similarly situated
• They simply allow existing programs to function as intended in light of current market costs.
• Existing programs to function as intended in light of current market costs.

Committee: House Commerce and Human Resources

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These programs seek to enhance programs.
• I want to thank program lapse.
• </c> the program. the program.
• </c> to the FICA program for $15,000. to the FICA program for $15,000.
• </c> very program they exploited. very program they exploited.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, July 20, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . program. program.
• </c> So we we go over some program details. So we we go over some program details.
• The other thing I want to point out is that all the building trades programs are registered programs.
• to set up a degree program, a four-year degree program.
• </c> program. Um, and we almost went with it. program. Um, and we almost went with it.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:04 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:29 Approval of Minutes: 00:01:50 Kentucky Buy American Act: 00:02:08 Earn As You Learn: KY Building Trades Apprenticeship: 00:30:42 Worker Misclassification in the Construction Industry: 01:02:00 Investing in KY’s Future Workforce Through the Good Business Initiative: 01:20:44 Adjournment: 01:28:28, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on October 23, 2025, approved the September minutes, and heard testimony on a proposed “Kentucky by America” procurement preference bill. Representative Patrick Flannery described the concept as giving preference in public construction and public works contracts to iron, steel, aluminum, and other manufactured goods made in the United States, while emphasizing he wanted to avoid excessive taxpayer costs and was open to changes. Chad Connley of the United Steelworkers and Dustin Reinsteller of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO supported the idea, arguing it would strengthen domestic manufacturing, keep tax dollars in the local economy, and support jobs; Connley said the bill would include waivers for items not made domestically and noted Kentucky has opted out of the GPA trade agreement. Mike Buckington of Metals Innovation Initiative, testifying virtually, also supported the concept and said Kentucky’s metals sector has seen significant investment and can supply most construction needs, while stressing supply-chain reliability and national security concerns. Members generally expressed support but raised questions about implementation. Representative Branscum asked who would grant waivers and how contractors would know the rules during bidding; Flannery said he was open to revising the language and process. Representative Gentry supported the concept but said the bill would likely need editing to avoid harming businesses or markets. Senator Nun suggested aligning the bill’s definition of a U.S. good with industry country-of-origin standards to make compliance easier. Representative KC Carney asked for data on the impact of similar laws in other states, and Connley said he could provide numbers later but did not have them on hand. Senator Boswell supported the concept and asked about the cost threshold for waivers; Connley said the federal standard is a 25% cost increase, while the prior Kentucky version used 10%, and that the threshold is a key detail. The committee then shifted to an informational presentation on building trade apprenticeships. Eric Elie of the Kentucky State Pipe Trades Association, Nick Brown of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 502, and retired IBEW training director Steve Willinghurst explained how union apprenticeship programs work. Brown described earn-while-you-learn training, with apprentices placed on jobs by signatory contractors and attending classes two nights a week for five years. He outlined the work of plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVACR technicians, emphasizing that these trades support construction, industrial facilities, distilleries, and other critical infrastructure. No votes or formal actions were taken on the policy topics beyond approval of the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Program cooperative agreements.
• <c> and</c> really hard as one program now and really hard as one program now and trying<00:22:42.360
• </c><00:25:05.559><c> where</c> total Force integration program where total Force integration program
• c><00:25:18.600><c> just</c><00:25:18.840><c> the</c> program the c17 program is just the program the
• Next is these programs.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance held informational briefings first with the Department of Defense on its FY 2026 budget request, then with the Hawaii School Facilities Authority. Major General Steve Logan outlined the Department of Defense request for $40.5 million in state funds, which he said would leverage about $74 million in federal matching funds and support 411 open projects that could attract up to $2.3 billion in additional federal grant money. He said the budget focuses on sustainment, safety, and reorganization in light of lessons from the Maui wildfires. Key requests included $1.3 million to sustain IT systems, $2.7 million for 32 HEMA emergency management positions, three new Hawaii Army National Guard positions plus four upgrades, and $1.9 million for the Youth Challenge Program to cover state-mandated fringe costs and staffing needs. He also reviewed capital improvement projects, including Youth Challenge facility upgrades, siren modernization, ADA improvements, building retrofits for disaster resilience, Army facility upgrades, a third state veterans home on Maui, HEMA EOC improvements, and a maintenance/fuel building at Diamond Head. Members asked about the siren modernization timeline, and HEMA said roughly 26 to 31 sirens would be modernized this year, with 15 on Maui, eight on Oahu, and eight on the Big Island. Questions also focused on Youth Challenge and Job Challenge enrollment and vacancies, with the department saying the Hilo Job Challenge Academy is growing and that combining Youth Challenge recruiting statewide into one Kilauea program has helped enrollment. Logan also answered questions about the New Year’s Eve medical transport mission, explaining the Hawaii Air National Guard’s relationship with active-duty Air Force assets and saying the flight cost is about $20,000 per flight hour, though the final bill had not yet been determined. On the Maui veterans home, staff said the University of Hawaii site was no longer viable after faculty senate opposition, so the department is now focused on a 10-acre Puna District site; the project remains tied to a certified $35 million state match and August 2025 and August 2026 federal suspense dates. Logan said the veterans home remains one of the department’s highest priorities, but it could not be moved higher in the submitted CIP ranking. The department also discussed a Governor’s add-on for a fire marshal/Office of Recovery and Resiliency proposal. Logan said the fire marshal position was reestablished last session but has not yet been filled, and that if the function is transferred to the Department of Defense, the department wants funding ready to move quickly. Staff later said the request would include about $1.1 million for seven positions and about $2.2 million for operating costs, though details were still preliminary. The committee then reconvened for the School Facilities Authority briefing, where Executive Director Ricky Fujitani described the agency as a startup created in 2020 to improve school and workforce housing development through standardized designs, prefabrication, best-value procurement, and public-private partnerships. He said Hawaii’s single school district still functions like 15 different districts because of its 264 schools across 15 complex areas, and that the authority’s goal is to create more efficient, maintainable, and cost-effective facilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that really funds five separate programs.
• One is our competitive grant program that we have every year.
• That could range from an afterschool to a summer camp to an AOPA program, AOPA aerospace program, anything
• And that's a new pilot program we just started up.
• So, retro fund again, just the program overview.

Committee: House A&B Transportation Subcommittee

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 4010, providing a statutory program for loaning financial
• Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 5527, relating to wellness reimbursement program.
• Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 5527, relating to wellness reimbursement program.
• district terminates its program.
• programs, and requiring a report to the Legislature if a school district terminates its program.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• compensation program, the rehabilitation program, and the crime victims compensation program.
• The commission has addressed the audit finding on the CWICS program by examining our program expenditures
• So the two separate programs...
• They have just one budget program, which is the Utilities Regulation Program.
• The office has three programs.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and first reviewed the Industrial Commission’s base budget and FY 2027 requests. The analyst and agency staff described the commission’s dedicated-fund structure, the IRIS technology modernization project, and several requested adjustments: ongoing support for IRIS maintenance, additional funding for the annual seminar and CWICS training, an increase for the Peace Officer Temporary Disability Fund due to rising claims, and replacement IT hardware. Members asked about the IRIS contract, seminar fees, and the crime victims compensation fund and general fund support. Agency staff said IRIS is still being supported by an outside vendor because OITS lacks the needed expertise, that seminar and training fees are already competitive and the plan is to expand services rather than lower fees, and that crime victims compensation could be covered temporarily by dedicated or federal funds if needed. No votes were taken on the Industrial Commission budget during the meeting. The committee then heard the Public Utilities Commission budget review. The analyst explained the commission’s dedicated funds, staffing, and the FY 2026 trailer appropriation tied to the Wildfire Standard of Care Act, along with a FY 2027 request for IT hardware only. Questions focused on a large variance in the indirect cost recovery fund, which staff attributed to timing of federal reimbursements and rent not being charged to that fund at the time. Commissioners and staff also received positive comments about the implementation of the wildfire-related duties. No action was taken on the PUC budget. Next, the Secretary of State’s budget was presented. The analyst outlined the office’s election, business, and commission functions, noted the prior $10 million election system upgrade, and described FY 2027 requests for a voter pamphlet and guide, overtime for the post-election audit team, and replacement technology. Secretary of State Phil McGrane and staff emphasized the rapid growth in business filings, the office’s revenue generation, and the need to maintain service levels, arguing against ongoing cuts. He said the voter pamphlet request is tied to statutory election-year mailings, the overtime reflects cyclical election workload, and the office is considering AI cautiously due to sensitive voter data. Members asked about business filing growth, the difference between a pamphlet and a voter guide, and the possible impact of hand-counting ballots; McGrane said hand-counting would mainly affect counties, not the state office. The meeting ended with scheduling remarks for the next day’s budget work and a note that the FY 2026 rescission bill was still being processed.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just whether or not we would need to reauthorize the program.
• There's a foster care housing program for former foster care...
• The program utilizes federal housing vouchers through the federal Foster Youth to Independence program
• HB 2455 would create a housing initiative pilot program.
• HB 2455 would create a housing initiative pilot program for youth in extended foster care, a program

Summary: The Early Learning and Human Services Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2468 would update the Revised Code of Washington to match DSHS’s 2025 reorganization, replacing references to eliminated administrations with the new Home and Community Living Administration and Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration, and also removing a 2028 sunset on the Dementia Action Collaborative, adjusting advisory committee membership, and eliminating a staffing mandate tied to no-paid-services caseloads. The sponsor and DSHS testified in support as a technical cleanup bill, while members raised questions about possible amendments, including whether to keep or remove the Dementia Action Collaborative sunset. DSHS said it was open to changes and noted some statutory references still need correction. No vote was taken. HB 2529 would rename the DCYF Oversight Board as the DCYF Accountability Board, move it to OFM for administrative purposes, narrow some duties, require at least twice-yearly engagement with affected communities, allow the board to request ombuds reports, broaden some membership qualifications, and change the annual report to an every-other-year report starting in 2027. Representative Dent, a board member, said the changes were intended to make the board less political, improve attendance and membership flexibility, and focus the report on more useful recommendations. A union representative asked for language ensuring a DCYF caseworker board member can attend meetings as part of job duties rather than using personal leave. Members also questioned whether the reduced reporting frequency was appropriate given recent fatalities and near-fatalities at the agency. No action was taken. HB 2455 would create a two-year pilot program providing rental assistance and related housing fees for 50 youth in extended foster care who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, beginning January 1, 2027, with a report due in 2029 and transition planning required before youth age out at 21. The sponsor and multiple youth advocates testified strongly in support, describing homelessness, instability, and barriers such as “double-dipping” restrictions that prevent youth from combining housing supports. Testifiers said the bill would help youth focus on school, work, and healing, and urged the committee to expand the program if possible. Members asked about the pilot timeline and whether an interim review might be useful. The hearing closed with no vote on the bill, followed by committee announcements about Friday’s 8:30 a.m. meeting and an agenda change removing HB 2200 from Friday executive session and moving it to possible executive session next week.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, the payout in our construction program was over a billion dollars.
• And we recognize... ...program was right around a $300 million mark.
• As you can see on this chart, we can operate a lot of our programs, major programs like DMV and aeronautics
• I love the Skip the Trip program.
• But in September, the board approved a step, a program that was steady.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee received an agency update from Idaho Transportation Department Director Scott Stokes. He described ITD’s role in highway construction and maintenance, DMV services, and aeronautics, emphasizing public accountability, employee expertise, and the department’s operating priorities of operating, preserving, and expanding the system. He highlighted major projects and emergency responses, including road washouts, bridge repairs, and the reopening of an overpass after a truck crash, and said growth and revenue availability remain the department’s biggest challenges. Stokes also reviewed ITD’s budget picture, noting most funding comes from dedicated state and federal transportation sources, and outlined governor-recommended enhancements for equipment, Highway 16 operations, and roadside tree removal, while saying future project pacing will depend on available funds. Committee members asked about whether lane-mile growth is keeping pace with population growth, how ITD is planning for a new north-south route in the Kootenai County area, the effect of a 2025 law limiting pedestrian and bicycle spending, and how expected budget cuts might affect the department’s five-year project plan. Stokes said congestion is often a local-network issue as well as a state highway issue, that planning for future routes is being done with local communities, that the pedestrian/bike law has had little effect on ITD’s own projects, and that new project bidding will be scaled to available funding while design work continues. The committee then heard a JFAC budget discussion from Chairman Grow, Keith Bybee, and Brooke Dupree on the statewide fiscal outlook and transportation funding. They explained that the state faces a tighter general fund picture than in recent years, with possible 3% governor holdbacks and an additional 1% to 2% reduction being discussed, and that the legislature’s revenue forecast and tax conformity decisions will affect the ending balance. Bybee said the budget stabilization fund remains strong compared with 2009, but the legislature must decide whether to use one-time cash or make deeper ongoing cuts to restore structural balance. Dupree reviewed transportation revenue sources and prior legislation, including gas tax and registration fee increases, TECM bonding authority, and general fund transfers to ITD and local governments, and noted the governor did not recommend the full $275 million general fund transfer requested by ITD. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• VALENCIA PROVIDES PROGRAMS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE.
• PROGRAM BUT IT WAS STRESSFUL BECAUSE AT THAT TIME THERE WAS ONLY TWO RESIDENCY PROGRAMS IN MIAMI AND
• SETTING UP THE PREEMINENCE PROGRAM HAS MADE EACH OF US A BETTER UNIVERSITY.
• REGARDING FUNDS WHICH REWARD EXCELLENT NURSING PROGRAMS TO BE USED FOR HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY RELATED PROGRAMS
• AND TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM SUPPORTS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jenna Cassidy, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs. Good afternoon. I'm WN Stevens.
• good afternoon I'm WN Stevens programs good afternoon I'm WN Stevens I'm<00:01:52.880><c> here</c><00
• , explained that the training is done in collaboration with the sexual assault nurse examiner program
• has a skill bridge program organization has a skill bridge program where<00:16:29.279><c> it</c><00:
• Has the Department of Labor and other organizations that support military programs like this.

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order/Roll Call 01:23 Discussion of 25RS HB 219 06:40 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 219 07:44 Discussion of 25RS HCR 20 09:36 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HCR 20 10:58 Discussion of 25RS HB 303 17:02 Roll Call Vote on 25RS HB 303 18:38 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations 21:46 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and first considered House Bill 219, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Raymer. The bill requires emergency services to provide mandatory training for emergency medical staff on sexual assault emergency response requirements, with the training developed in collaboration with the Sexual Assault Response Team advisory committee. Testimony from Jenna Cassidy of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs and WN Stevens of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky explained that the training would help emergency department staff properly respond to sexual assault patients, preserve evidence, and connect patients to needed resources; the committee also clarified that the bill is training-focused and not a certification requirement. HB 219 received favorable expression and was reported to the House floor. The committee then heard House Concurrent Resolution 20, also from Representative Raymer, which directs the Legislative Research Commission to study gaps in sexual assault nurse examiner coverage, why those gaps exist, and what hospitals do when no SANE nurse is available. Raymer said the study was intended to gather data for future legislation, and members noted the importance of documenting current practices and supporting efforts to expand SANE coverage. The resolution was adopted with 16 favorable votes and recommended for passage on the House floor. Next, the committee took up House Bill 303, sponsored by Representative Steve Bratcher, which creates a pathway for military medical personnel to translate their training into civilian Kentucky credentials through colleges and universities. The committee substitute broadened participation beyond KCTCS to any Kentucky institution with accredited programs, and Bratcher explained that schools would evaluate military experience, award applicable credit, identify gaps, and still require the relevant licensure exam. Members asked about university participation, credentialing standards, and how prior military radiology training would transfer; Bratcher said the program is voluntary for institutions and works with existing SkillBridge and veterans’ programs. HB 303, as amended by committee substitute, passed unanimously and was recommended for passage. At the end of the meeting, the committee briefly reviewed administrative regulations. Representative Fleming asked about a behavioral regulation that had previously been found sufficient, and staff indicated it had been deferred, later found deficient again in the Senate Health Services Committee, and may be addressed through Senate Bill 65. The chair then allowed members to record additional votes before adjourning and announced the next Health Services meeting would be February 20 at noon in Room 149.

Transcript Highlights:

• some advanced practice programs, graduate programs.
• There are a number of programs in the state that offer what's called an RN to VSN. program and that has
• Licensing program supervisor seven. Epidemiologist 4, Web Administrator 3, 2 Program Specialists.
• But right now, if there's a program that uses the, that has a wheeled body program, I guess, did we.
• I think we have a very good program, sir.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The program The program offers players the opportunity to earn points by submitting tickets.
• , education programs, supportive programs, treatment programs.
• These programs exist in prison.
• , education programs, supportive programs, treatment programs.
• , education programs, supportive programs, and treatment programs.

Committee: Joint Judiciary Committee

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence honoring a deceased member, then approved the April minutes. The first major presentation was from Chelsea Florey of Child and Family Services on the Diversion Task Force and related grant programs created with one-time funding from HB 1012. She reported that five of six proposals were funded, with youth diversion services operating in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and a Red River Children’s Advocacy Center program focused on problematic sexualized behavior. Members discussed barriers such as staffing shortages, voluntary family engagement, service fatigue, and the need for better coordination, broader outreach, and possible changes to diversion eligibility rules so low-level cases can remain in diversion longer. Several legislators pressed for more practical system changes and clearer service navigation, while Florey said the task force is trying to build a service array or hub and is leaning on the Children’s Cabinet for broader recommendations. The committee then heard from North Dakota Lottery Director Thomas Lawler, who gave an operational overview and biennium report. He described the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, Pick and Click subscriptions, Players Club membership, and revenue distribution. For the 2023-25 biennium, about $67 million in tickets were purchased, with roughly $16.2 million transferred overall, including money for the general fund, drug task force grants, and compulsive gambling prevention and treatment. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether the amount is set by statute. A lengthy presentation followed from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on criminal justice data connectivity and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that North Dakota’s jail, court, HHS, and correctional systems use multiple separate databases that do not communicate in real time, requiring manual cross-checks and staff communication. He said the department is exploring a centralized hub or other integration approach, but noted challenges with identifiers, vendor contracts, confidentiality, and cost. Robin Schmolenberger then updated the committee on a Medicaid data-sharing project with HHS, saying monthly application assistance is now occurring in correctional facilities and that automated bi-directional data exchange is expected in late 2026 to help suspend and reactivate Medicaid coverage and identify former foster care youth. Members also discussed parole, probation, transitional housing, and the need for better real-time notifications and clearer data definitions. The committee also received an update from county representatives on the 24/7 sobriety program, including a recent attorney general opinion that if a court waives 24/7 fees, sheriffs may use the cheaper twice-daily breath test or urine testing instead of SCRAM bracelets or drug patches. Finally, Bruce Johnson of the Racing Commission presented on an audit report, acknowledging serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, grant documentation failures, a breeders fund eligibility reversal, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has already changed its procedures by tracking fund limits monthly, requiring grant applications and itemized reports, enforcing breeders fund rules as written, and routing purchases through procurement with written contracts. The committee asked follow-up questions throughout but took no formal votes on these presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• This program will build that alignment in a practical and informed way.
• This program wasn't developed in a vacuum.
• This program will build that alignment in a practical and informed way.
• This program wasn't developed in a vacuum.
• So I think it's a great program.

Committee: Senate Health & Welfare

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 6, 2026, with five members present. After adopting the April 28 minutes, the committee heard a brief presentation on the new Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Program, which is intended to bring together health care, business, policy, and education leaders to study Louisiana health challenges and build a network for action. Members expressed support for the program and its potential value to health policy work. The committee then advanced several bills, often with technical or substantive amendments. SB 57, a nutrition-labeling bill, was amended to push its effective date to December 31, 2028 and reported as amended. HB 62 increased the membership of the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission to 27 members and was reported as amended. HB 193 updated membership rules for the sickle cell commission foundations so long-serving executive directors would not have to reapply repeatedly, and it was reported as amended. HB 815 would allow financial institutions to receive death certificates to help families manage accounts after a death; it was reported favorably after a question about state-licensed banks. SB 405 was substantially revised to codify LDH’s new Ascend nursing-facility quality initiative, including statewide quality oversight goals, stakeholder involvement, reporting requirements, and tools such as dashboards and surveys; after reconsidering prior action and adopting the new amendment, the bill was reported as amended. The committee also approved HB 222, which provides Medicaid dental coverage when needed for another covered medical procedure, and HB 420, which requires background checks for all DCFS employees with access to sensitive information. HB 475 requires verbal consent when AI is used to record or transcribe a medical visit and was reported favorably after a technical question. HB 246 updated membership of the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board and the council on grandparents raising grandchildren, including replacing an inactive coalition seat with the state police superintendent or designee. HB 486 would enter Louisiana into the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact to expand access to mental health care, and HB 574 updated outdated board names on the Mental Health Advisory Services Board; both were reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 949, which creates a licensure framework for radiologist assistants to help address imaging workforce shortages, especially in rural areas, and HB 584, which requires foster children to be provided luggage instead of trash bags for their belongings and restores “rights” language in the Foster Youth Bill of Rights. The committee also reported HB 1214, restructuring certain LDH facilities into a single system under the secretary’s office; HB 1092, a technical renaming/terminology cleanup bill; and HB 203, which adds members to the uterine fibroids commission. Throughout the meeting, members and witnesses emphasized access to care, workforce shortages, child welfare, and quality improvement, and the committee repeatedly adopted amendments and reported the bills favorably or as amended before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this federal voucher program will dwarf these programs.
• Like Arizona's voucher program, this federal voucher program has no accountability for taxpayers or academic
• The federal program that we're talking about will give us the tax dollars to the STO program, which a
• I would rather allow that to go to a school choice program.
• The ESA program has been mentioned here as well, and I don't think that our school choice programs have

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Half of the budget goes to the national program.
• Half of the budget goes to the national program.
• Half of the budget goes to the national program.
• Half of the budget goes to the national program.
• A little bit more background: I mentioned the local program and the national program.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all