Transcript Highlights:

• page 27 of the calendar, House Bill Number 336 by Representative Hassel, relating to the interstate compact
• . interstate compact.
• HB 336 is this bill that would establish an interstate compact for Respiratory Care Professionals, allowing

Transcript Highlights:

• The second one is the addition of Representative Hukin's House Bill 1847, which is the Dental Compact
• sixth addition is Representative Peters' bill, House Bill 1961, which is addressing the dieticians compact

Committee: House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The Emerging Issues committee met in executive session and first voted Senate Bill 959 do pass by a 12-0 roll call vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1092 and adopted a House Committee Substitute after discussion of its changes. Those changes included adding provisions related to licensure reciprocity and compacts for several professions, including social workers, dentists, physician assistants, speech-language pathologists, and dietitians, along with a change reducing the required supervision period for social workers from five years to three years and an amendment changing a time period from 90 to 60 days to match the Senate version. Members discussed the substitute’s contents, and the committee adopted House Committee Amendment 0.03H, then rolled the amendments into a new substitute and adopted House Committee Substitute 0.06C. The committee then voted House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1092 do pass by a 12-0 vote. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we took out the repeal related to the Columbia Interstate Compact.
• That compact was repealed back in 1975.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• , and then that was Castiles, and then we also had Representative Gregg and Representative Bush's compact
• Was Castiles, and then we also had Representative Gregg and Representative Bush's compact respiratory

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and went into executive session. It first took up House Bill 2957, combining several respiratory care-related measures into a House Committee substitute. Members briefly discussed the consolidation as a way to condense related bills and save floor time. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted the bill due pass by a roll call vote of 19 yes and 2 no. The committee then considered House Bill 2897, the optometry bill. Members noted there had been recent discussion about collaborative practice, the Board of Healing Arts, and continuing education, and several said they wanted the conversation to continue. One member opposed the bill as too broad and a public safety concern, while another said he still had reservations but would vote yes to move the issue forward. The committee voted the bill due pass by a roll call vote of 19 yes and 2 no. After the two votes, there was no further business and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• With our gaming compact and the laws we already have in Florida, illegal slots are illegal slot machines
• I don't know if we are going to be able to because at the end of the day we have a compact and... illegal
• many of the concerns as we can have addressed and still do what we need to do to support the gaming compact
• Representative Trabulsy: ...compact, but we would have more nonprofits open so there would be more illegal

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:06:34.080><c> K2</c><00:06:35.440><c> 2611855</c> 2011 KAR 2:118 incorporates by reference compact
• 2011 KR26118 incorporates<00:06:59.919><c> by</c><00:07:00.160><c> reference</c><00:07:00.639><c> compact
• </c><00:07:01.120><c> rules</c> incorporates by reference compact rules incorporates by reference compact

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met for its January meeting, approved the minutes from the prior meeting, and welcomed the new regulations compiler. The first item was a repealer from the Council on Postsecondary Education, 13 KAR 2:111, which was explained as necessary because Senate Bill 77 from the 2025 session removed the regulatory authority for advanced practice doctoral degree programs at comprehensive universities. No questions were raised, and the repealer moved forward without objection. The subcommittee then reviewed a large package of State Board of Elections regulations with staff-suggested amendments. The package would update definitions and election procedures, require e-poll books to be ready before polls open, change the standard and timeline for removing an election officer, add oversight by a State Board appointee on election days, recognize the Kentucky party, require voter registration records to be added to electronic voter records, require ballots to fit all races and questions on a single sheet, adjust precinct consolidation petition deadlines, and update incorporated forms and identification references. The package was approved without objection. The Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Regulatory Relief also presented multiple regulations with staff amendments, covering funeral planning declarations, cemetery companies, pre-need cemetery merchandise and funeral/burial contract sellers, and crematory contract sellers. These changes were described as adding specificity, streamlining forms and reporting, and bringing the regulations into compliance with KRS Chapter 13A; they were approved without objection. The Board of Examiners of Psychology presented several regulations, including compact rules, grace-period extensions, and significant fee increases for applications, renewals, reinstatements, exam retakes, and reciprocity. Board representatives said the increases were needed because many fees had not been raised since 2002, the board was operating at a deficit, and legal and administrative costs had risen sharply after the termination of state legal services. Members expressed concern about the size of the increases, but the chair said he would not hold the matter up and would raise the issue with the committee of jurisdiction. The subcommittee also approved staff amendments for the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s air quality regulations and the Education and Labor Cabinet’s education regulations, which updated nontraditional instruction procedures, waiver requests, instruction topics, superintendent assessment requirements, and academic standards. The meeting ended with the next meeting scheduled for February 9 at 1 p.m., and the agenda was adjourned without further objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and then that was Castiles, and then we also had Representative Gregg and Representative Bush's compact
• Was Castiles, and then we also had Representative Gregg and Representative Bush's compact respiratory

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• across the state, and 39 cases where we're supporting children who are here through the Interstate Compact
• And then you can see that we have... ...here through the Interstate Compact placement.
• Thank you, Madam Chair. here through the interstate compact placement.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging, Children and Youth approved the February 11 minutes and then reviewed a DCFS policy manual update from Director Tiffany Wright. Wright said the changes move internal procedures out of administrative rule into DCFS’s internal procedure manual under an executive order, while also updating terminology, conforming to enacted laws, revising foster family continuing education hours, and removing obsolete requirements. Members asked whether the changes would alter practice; Wright said they were mainly terminology and process-location changes, intended to make the department more efficient and flexible. The committee then accepted the rule review without objection. Wright next presented DCFS quarterly performance data for the third quarter of FY 2026. She reported 8,610 hotline reports accepted, 6,919 assigned to DCFS, 22% of investigations found true, neglect as the most common substantiated allegation, and continued staffing shortages in some counties affecting timeliness. She also reported 3,420 foster care cases, 1,788 in-home cases involving 4,568 children, 72% monthly home-visit compliance, 36% permanency within 12 months, 4.5% re-entry into foster care, and 156 children available for adoption. Members asked about neglect trends, sexual abuse/exploitation data, behavior-related removals, staffing recruitment and retention, training improvements, and whether ACE-style testing should be considered for children; Wright said DCFS is expanding recruitment, retention, and training efforts and was open to further discussion on education-related assessments. The committee also received DCFS’s biannual overturned investigations report, covering July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, which tracks hotline calls, accepted reports, true findings, appeals, and overturned findings by county. A member asked for comparison to the prior year’s report. Major Jeff Drew then presented the Crimes Against Children Division annual report, saying the hotline received 67,987 calls in 2025, 37,986 were accepted for investigation, and CACD handled 6,539 cases with a 28% substantiation rate. Members asked about hotline operator training, qualifications, salary, and whether Arkansas compares with other states; Drew said operators receive a four-week training that includes law, policy, scenarios, recorded calls, live-call monitoring, and evidence-chain/decision-making instruction. Finally, Elizabeth Pooley of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas reported that the statewide network of 29 CACs and 64 multidisciplinary teams served 13,568 children and families in 2025, up about 3,000 from the prior year, and hosted 259 trainings for professionals. She said funding comes from a mix of state, federal, and community sources, with state funding set at roughly $70,000 to $75,000 per center and not based on caseload. Members asked about funding stability and standards of care; Pooley said CACs follow national standards and Arkansas is developing state best practices. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is an act relating to professional licensure, enacting the psychology interjurisdictional compact.
• Matthews (member_13054), is an act relating to licensure, enacting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
• This act provides for the appointment of New Mexico compact commissioners, requiring the filing of interstate

Transcript Highlights:

• requirements of physician assistant privilege to practice under the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact
• House Bill 1622 moves North Dakota into the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact.
• North Dakota is already enrolled in several compacts for many other health care professions, including
• States in these compacts recognize the credentials and the governing boards of the professions from the
• This compact increases access to medical services and maintains patient safety.

Bills: HB1621 , HB1624 , HB1623 , HB1622 , HB1625 , HB1626 , HB1627 , HCR3038

Summary: The House convened in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge, confirmed a quorum, and recognized visiting students from Shiloh High School. Members also observed a moment of silence for former Representative Cindy Shriver Beck, and the House adopted the Employment Committee report approving special-session staff appointments. The chamber then considered House Bill 1621, which would require the presidential physical fitness test in K-12 physical education courses with exemptions for students with disabilities and an effective date of August 1, 2027. Supporters framed it as a return to a historic fitness standard and a response to federal direction; the bill passed 90-0. The House next took up House Bill 1624, a universal school meals bill that would place the program in statute rather than the Constitution, start it a year earlier than the initiated measure, and appropriate $65 million for the first year. Debate centered on whether universal meals were needed, whether the bill would preserve legislative flexibility and property-tax relief, and whether it would help families or subsidize those who could pay. The bill passed 55-38. Finally, the House began debate on House Bill 1623, the rural health transformation package tied to federal grant funds and a Bank of North Dakota loan program to support rural health projects, EMS, behavioral health, and related infrastructure. The sponsor and supporters emphasized North Dakota’s strong grant award, the need to move quickly, and the bill’s role in filling rural health gaps statewide. Some members raised concerns about federal spending, inflation, and telehealth, while others stressed the need to address EMS and workforce shortages. The transcript ends during debate on HB 1623, before any final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1579 would amend the Yaamava' of San Manuel tribal nation's current gaming compact to extend until
• This amended compact, AB 1579, increases the capacity for additional flexibility to meet customer demand
• I look forward to the day in compacts where tribal nations don't come to us asking for support And education
• This amended compact, AB 1579, increases the capacity for additional flexibility to meet customer demand
• I look forward to the day in compacts where tribal nations don't come to us asking for support Where

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have an interstate compact, Senator, that we have. We have a population.
• So we have an interstate compact, Senator, that we have. We have a population.
• So we have an interstate compact, Senator, that we have a population that comes in from other states
• and a population that we send out to other states through the interstate compact, which is a compact

Summary: The Special Commission on Criminal Justice Reform 3.0 heard a presentation from the Massachusetts Parole Board focused on how parole, probation, the Department of Correction, sheriffs, and community providers coordinate reentry and supervision. Chair Angela Gomez described the board’s mission, its discretionary parole process, and the work of its transitional services, life sentence, victim services, and field services divisions. She highlighted 2024 activity including 2,810 institutional release hearings, 141 life-sentence hearings, 100 victim access release hearings, 18,238 victim notifications, 53 pardon petitions, 70 commutation petitions, 41 early termination applications, and supervision of about 2,993 committed parolees. She also emphasized the board’s shift toward evidence-based practices, individualized conditions, graduated sanctions, and more service-oriented supervision, including GPS guidelines and community-based interventions. Members focused heavily on data questions and the practical overlap among agencies. Senator Brownsberger and others asked for clearer breakdowns of releases, active supervision, average length of supervision, and distinctions between parole, mandatory release, revocations, and interstate compact cases. The board explained that some figures combine in-state and out-of-state cases, that roughly 400-plus people on supervision are lifers, and that annual revocations can remain technically supervised until final hearings. Members also asked for more detailed outcome data on employment, housing, treatment, and program retention, as well as a clearer breakdown of people who refuse parole versus those who decline after a grant. The board said it could provide follow-up data and noted that many refusals are driven by pending cases, desire to avoid supervision, or preference for serving time inside. The discussion also covered collaboration with UMass, including risk assessment research, training on best practices, and real-time support for medication and drug-testing issues through community pathways. The board and commissioners described shared housing and reentry resources such as MASH, community justice resource centers, sheriff-run programs like Rocky Hill and HOPE, and other placements that help stabilize people after release. Several speakers stressed that housing is the biggest gap and that agencies are trying to keep people in the community with employment, benefits, treatment, and safe housing. The commission also received an update on the Mattis-related clemency/parole cohort: 210 individuals were identified, 144 were immediately eligible for hearings, 100 hearings had been completed, 10 were scheduled, and some had postponed or were still being calculated for eligibility. The meeting ended with plans for a March 9 public hearing and a request for follow-up data and continued site visits before the commission moves into recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• with you, sit down with you to make sure that the language is tight, that we're not violating our compact
• And so we're wanting to make sure that we're not doing anything to violate the compact.
• down with you to make sure that this is that the language is tight, that we're not violating our compact
• And so we're wanting to make sure that we're not doing anything to violate the compact.
• So there is some preemption. anything to violate the compact.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Summary: The committee first took up SB 80, the Parks Preservation Act, which would define state park purposes around conservation-based recreation and public access, prohibit uses such as golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, ball fields, and hotels, require more public notice and advisory input on land management changes, and mandate reporting on park spending and maintenance backlogs. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with conservation groups, youth advocates, and other members of the public backing stronger protections for state parks. The bill was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 200, directing DEP to develop a statewide waste reduction and recycling plan, and CS for SB 496, which clarifies that timeshare facilities are governed by Chapter 721 and only need annual board meetings. CS for CS for SB 1404, dealing with illegal gambling, was amended to add reporting requirements, tighten penalties, preempt local gambling legalization, and create a process for vetting certain machines and veteran-service-organization gaming questions; the bill drew significant concern from veterans groups and others over vague machine definitions and the need for clearer standards, but it was still reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 622 to allow pari-mutuel permit holders to lease facilities across horse-racing classes. The committee next approved CS for CS for SB 712 after adopting a strike-all and amendment that covered synthetic turf rules, change-order timelines, public works scoring, elevator and alarm contractor issues, mass timber code updates, pool and spa contractor scope changes, spaceport building-code exemptions, and solar/energy-storage inspection provisions. Support came from timber, construction, and industry groups, while pool contractors objected to parts of the scope changes. The committee also reported favorably CS for CS for SB 1742, a major condominium reform bill that pauses reserve funding after milestone inspections, expands financial flexibility, adds disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules, and increases data collection and oversight; members from both parties praised the sponsor’s work on condo issues. Finally, the committee approved SB 1574 on renewable natural gas infrastructure and SB 1580 authorizing DEP coastal resiliency public-private partnerships. It also passed CS for SB 1760, which requires certain public officials and agency leaders to meet Florida residency or proximity requirements. The last bill, SB 820, would codify the Office of Faith and Community in the Governor’s office; while supporters said it would permanently support faith-based and community organizations and improve coordination, several senators raised concerns about church-state separation, the office’s ties to Hope Florida, and whether codifying it could make the program more political. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• We now have House Bill 413, Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. Leader Armstrong.
• The compact is an avenue that helps the state move forward, and the chamber is pleased to support this
• CSG provided technical assistance and helped facilitate the support of the PA Licensure Compact.
• Madam Chair and Representative, can you tell me about the impact on states that have joined the CIM Compact
• So, states that have joined these compacts tend to see an increase in licensure, and you see that some

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• incorporates by reference the rules adopted by the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact
• incorporates by reference the rules adopted by the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact
• and speech language pathology Audiology and speech language pathology interstate<00:04:29.880><c> compact
• including</c><00:04:31.199><c> the</c><00:04:31.320><c> rule</c><00:04:31.520><c> on</c> interstate compact
• including the rule on interstate compact including the rule on definitions<00:04:32.759><c> rule</c>

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met on February 10 with a quorum present, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a long agenda of agency regulations, most of which were accompanied by staff-suggested amendments for drafting conformity under KRS Chapter 13A. The Department of Financial Institutions’ 808 KAR 9:10, the Secretary of State’s 030 KAR 2:11, the Office of the Attorney General’s 04 KAR 5:10, the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology’s emergency 201 KAR 17:120, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ 301 KAR 2:41, the Department for Environmental Protection’s 401 KAR 47:110 and 48:320, the State Police regulations 502 KAR 1:012 and 1:121, the Department for Public Health’s 902 KAR 4:15, the Department for Medicaid Services’ 907 KAR 1:15, and the Department for Community Based Services’ 921 KAR 1:400 were all discussed and, where applicable, staff amendments were approved without objection. The Workplace Standards emergency regulation 803 KAR 2:320E was also presented without amendment, and the Department of Insurance’s 806 KAR 9:360 was taken up but ultimately deferred at the agency’s request. Several regulations drew brief substantive discussion. The Fish and Wildlife rule on foxhound training enclosures was explained as expanding both commercial and non-commercial provisions for training with dogs involving red fox and coyotes, with enclosure standards intended to protect wildlife inside and outside the facilities. The environmental protection rules were tied to House Bill 478 and addressed permit-by-rule timelines, reporting, and operating standards for certain construction and demolition debris landfills, including sites up to two acres; members asked whether these facilities were private or municipal, and staff said they were a mix, often tied to private demolition contractors or single projects. The State Police fee increase for hazardous materials endorsements was described as reflecting a federal TSA fee change, and the witness estimated the new fee at about $23. The most extended debate concerned the Board of Education’s 704 KAR 3:535 on full-time virtual and remote learning programs. The agency amendment would cap enrollment in such programs at 10% above a district’s prior-year in-person enrollment, while also clarifying accountability, staffing, and monitoring requirements. Education officials said the cap was intended to address concerns about district capacity and student performance, and they cited Cloverport as an example of a district with high virtual participation and participation-rate issues. Members expressed concern that the amendment was too open-ended for regulation and suggested the issue might be better addressed in statute; no motion was made to adopt the agency amendment, so the regulation was left to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The Department of Insurance also discussed implementation of Senate Bill 188, saying it had received more than 3,000 complaints since the law took effect and was still working through enforcement and complaint processing before asking to defer its PBM licensing regulation.

Transcript Highlights:

• support the enforcement of the rule of law in other states under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact
• On the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Department of Management Services has likewise backed
• I will also note that because of the compact we have with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, for the first
• I will also note that because of the compact we have with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, for the first
• Per the compact with the tribe, we are the agency that serves the function of checking the numbers, basically

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met for an introductory overview of the agencies under its jurisdiction and their current-year budgets. Chair Vicki Lopez welcomed members and staff, and each member briefly introduced themselves and identified areas of interest, with recurring themes including fiscal restraint, insurance regulation, revenue administration, condominium issues, and government efficiency. The chair then outlined the subcommittee’s overall budget, about $3.1 billion, and noted major recent policy areas affecting the budget such as condominium legislation and emergency communications funding. Agency heads then presented high-level summaries of their missions and budgets. The Department of Revenue described property tax oversight, tax administration, and child support enforcement; the Department of Management Services reviewed state purchasing, telecommunications, fleet, state insurance, retirement, and digital services; DBPR highlighted licensing, enforcement, condominiums, and building code work; DFS covered insurance consumer services, risk management, unclaimed property, fire marshal functions, and criminal investigations; the Gaming Control Commission discussed pari-mutuel and tribal gaming oversight and enforcement; OIR explained insurer solvency and rate review; the Lottery emphasized education funding and record sales; OFR described regulation of banking, securities, lending, and money services; DOAH outlined administrative and workers’ compensation adjudication; PSC covered utility rate regulation and consumer complaints; PERC described labor relations and career service appeals; and FCHR summarized discrimination complaint investigations and outreach. Several members asked questions about utility returns, insurance regulation staffing, DMS’s state employee health plan deficit and prescription drug formulary management, agency recommendations for reducing regulatory burden, and state facilities usage. Responses generally emphasized that utility rates and insurer filings are determined through evidentiary and actuarial processes, that OIR has reduced vacancies but still seeks specialized staff and a Tampa office expansion, and that DMS acknowledged rising health plan costs and said the issue likely requires broader budget-level discussion. The chair also pressed multiple presenters to stay focused on agency operations and budgets rather than broader policy issues. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, licensure portability is different than an interstate compact.
• </c><00:10:27.480><c> Given</c><00:10:27.720><c> the</c> than an interstate compact.
• Given the than an interstate compact.
• would be costly profession, a compact would be costly and<00:10:31.720><c> complex</c><00:10:32.520>
• , making it cost notoriously anti-compact, making it cost prohibitive<00:10:41.640><c> for</c><00:10:

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• , especially since compactness is not defined in the bill.
• it to compactness, this actually limits the ability of communities of color to elect their candidates
• , especially since compactness is not defined in the bill.
• it to compactness, this actually limits the ability of communities of color to elect their candidates
• , especially since compactness is not defined in the bill.

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• an update on—so in 2023, a bill was passed which allowed tribes to opt into LEOFF Plan 2 through a compact
• Committee previously, a while ago, heard about allowing tribes to join the tourist system through tribal compact
• And just recently, the first two tribes have signed compacts.
• And just recently, the first two tribes have signed compacts, and our DRS is in the midst right now of

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Pension Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill requires school districts, charter schools, state tribal education compact schools, and public
• The bill requires school districts, charter schools, state tribal education compact schools, and public
• The bill requires school districts, charter schools, state tribal education compact schools, and public
• standard for digital transcript flow and the exchange of transcripts among school districts, tribal compact

Summary: The Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee heard three bills. Senate Bill 6052 would create a statewide digital transcript data-sharing environment for K-12 and postsecondary institutions, with student or parent permission required for disclosure. Supporters from universities, OSPI, school districts, counselors, and education groups said the bill would reduce paper handling, staff time, errors, and delays in admissions and enrollment, while improving security and student access; members asked about alignment with the High School and Beyond Plan, FERPA, apprenticeships, and out-of-state transfer issues. Senate Bill 6051 would allow local school boards to grant waivers or partial waivers of certain state laws and rules to individual schools, while excluding health and safety, civil rights, parental rights, basic education, and other protected areas. The sponsor said the bill is intended to give districts flexibility and surface recurring regulatory burdens, but OSPI, the State Board of Education, WEA, and school board groups raised concerns about broad scope, lack of definitions, possible impacts on special education and basic education compliance, and added complexity or legal costs. Some district representatives supported the idea of flexibility and relief from unfunded mandates, but suggested the bill needed more work. Senate Bill 5907 would expand ECEAP access for military families with incomes below 60% of state median income and prioritize children with deployed or single custodial military parents. The sponsor and supporters from ESDs, school districts, Head Start/ECEAP, child advocacy groups, and veterans organizations said military families face frequent moves, deployments, child care instability, and related stress, and that the bill would provide a modest, cost-effective benefit without state fiscal impact. In executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute and passed SB 5860 to Ways and Means, and adopted a proposed substitute and passed SB 5574 to Rules.