Transcript Highlights:

• </c> adding or removing vaccine requirements. adding or removing vaccine requirements.
• </c> remove an immunization requirement. remove an immunization requirement.
• So this removes that loophole.
• So this removes programs we've licensed. So this removes that<01:14:46.000><c> loophole.
• This proposal removes requirements in law that conflict with newly adopted clinical service standards

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• President, rise to remove Assembly Bill 264 from the inactive file at the request of the author.
• On behalf of the author, please remove A.J.R. 6 from the inactive file. Senator Oroa, Bob.
• Assembly amendments removed the opposition of the special districts.
• , and apprenticeship standards.
• AB 2233 does not change utilization review or medical necessity standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the due process standard I'm trying to get to.
• What we're really talking about are those removal cases.
• So, these are held to two different standards.
• So we would request that that be removed. Thank you. Thank you.
• Because that's not an evidentiary standard. the court, but that's a real evidentiary standard from day

Bills: HB 1106 , HB3284 , HB541 , HB713 , HB1403 , HB1586 , HB1942 , HB2070 , HB2844 , HB2851 , HB3151 , HB3749 , HB3940 , HB3963 , HB4454 , HB4466 , HB4795 , HB5154 , HB5394 , SB1357 , HB 1052 , HB4099 , HB4638 , HB5147

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• By the time you do labor, brush removal, whatnot. I have a very large farm.
• Is there some kind of a standardized suggestion for deer farmers? Mr.
• Is there some kind of a standardized suggestion for deer farmers?
• Um, I think there's a double standard here.
• </c><00:18:30.240><c> You</c><00:18:30.400><c> know,</c> standard here. You know, standard here.

Summary: House File 40, authored by Representative Burkel, was heard and laid over. The bill would remove the statutory requirement that farmed deer/elk facilities maintain a physical barrier preventing contact with wild deer, and it would also strike language allowing revocation of registration and seizure/destruction of animals for fencing or escape violations. Burkel argued the current law is unfair to deer farmers, treats them differently than other livestock producers, and amounts to a regulatory taking of a legal agricultural enterprise. Supporters from the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association and Minnesota Deer Farmers Association said the 2023 secondary-fence requirement is expensive, difficult to implement on long-established properties, and has pushed some breeders out of the industry. They described costs ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, said the DNR’s guidance is case-by-case and unclear, and argued that the penalty structure is too harsh for what they view as minor or unavoidable escape incidents. One testifier said the industry is being driven out of business and that the state should help pay for the fencing if it remains required. The DNR opposed the bill. Its enforcement representative said the physical-contact barrier is intended to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease transmission and that removing penalties would leave little incentive for compliance. He said the agency continues to work with the roughly 10 noncompliant whitetail farms and that the DNR provides case-by-case review because farm topography varies. In committee questions, members discussed whether wild deer commonly travel along fence lines, whether ear-tagged deer have been found, and whether there is a standard approved fence design; the DNR said there is no single standard fence, only suggestions and review. Representative Burkel closed by reiterating his support for the bill and the committee then laid it over.

Transcript Highlights:

• . removal. removal.
• </c> If we're going to raise the standards If we're going to raise the standards for<00:10:06.120><c>
• for removal and require increased court oversight of the length of the validity of removal, then we
• “But what is the gold standard? What the real gold standard in Minnesota?
• Equal standards have been called gold standards. Like this is not asking folks to do more.

Bills: HF4407 , HF4382

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill includes standard guardrails, including a tariff.
• The bill removes the requirements that the lottery must lease all vending machines and removes the requirement
• The bill removes the requirements that the lottery must least all vending machines and removes the requirements
• . ...and remove these unnecessary stigmatizing references.
• It's just a broader ability to petition to be removed from the list.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions before taking up a special order calendar of bills. Early measures included a claims bill for relief to L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which passed 34-0 after substitution from the House version, and a claims bill for the estate of Mark Legata, which passed 35-0 after the amount was reduced in the substitute. The chamber then approved CS for CS for SB 42 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, requiring investigators to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse; the sponsor described it as a fix for cases where medical evidence is overlooked, and it passed 34-0. A bill on autism education for teachers was also substituted with the House version, amended to replace the Senate language, and passed 35-0 after supportive remarks from members. The Senate next passed a land-use bill, SB 218, adjusting hurricane-related development restrictions so they continue in storm-damaged counties but expire in unaffected counties in 2026, with debate focused on local control and recovery needs; it passed 36-0. The chamber then approved several other measures with little or no opposition: a probate bill modernizing curators of estates (36-0), a Blue Ribbon Projects bill creating a framework for large planned developments with conservation set-asides, which drew extensive debate over local control, growth management, and the bill’s breadth before being temporarily postponed, a state lotteries update (36-0), a diploma requirements bill allowing Special Olympics participation to substitute for PE and clarifying marching band credit (36-0), and a naturopathic medicine licensure/regulation bill that reestablishes a licensing framework and board, which passed 33-3. The Justice Administrative Commission bill was amended to broaden membership to include a judge or senior judge and passed 37-0. The Senate also passed a public records exemption for certain local administrators and their families (31-5), a clinical laboratory personnel bill easing staffing requirements by aligning more closely with federal CLIA standards (37-0), a dry needling bill clarifying occupational therapists may perform the practice (37-0), a financial disclosures bill revising gift/honoraria reporting and restoring a percentage-based reporting option via amendment (36-0), and a child welfare bill expanding when parental drug abuse can be treated as harm or neglect and allowing earlier court intervention and services (37-0). Later, the chamber took up a bill on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and terrorist organizations. The sponsor said it would prevent enforcement of foreign or religious law over the Constitution, create a due-process process for domestic terrorist designations, and bar public funds from supporting terrorism. Senators raised questions about the lack of a time limit on conduct used for designation and whether conviction is required; an amendment was then offered to remove specific references to Sharia law and the bill’s findings, with the sponsor of the amendment arguing the language stigmatized Muslim constituents and singled out Islam. The transcript cuts off during that amendment debate, so no final action on the bill is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill allows DHS to approve a school of radiologic technology as maintaining a satisfactory standard
• The bill removes the requirement for a school of radiologic technology's course of study to be at least
• Arizona currently lacks a clear standard for when trends must be addressed.
• That removed paragraph E, we'd be fine with it. It's incredibly restrictive.
• That removed paragraph E, we'd be fine with it. It's, it's incredibly restrictive.

Committee: Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Summary: The committee approved minutes from February 18, February 19, and March 4, then took up several health-related bills. HB 2050, which updates radiologic technologist and radiologic assistant standards, school accreditation, clinical hours, supervision rules, fees, and telehealth definitions, received support from a radiologic technologist and a nurse practitioner and passed 7-0 with a do-pass recommendation. HB 2082, creating a Childhood Cancer and Rare Childhood Disease Research Commission and expanding the research fund, was amended to require at least $5 million in funding before commission allocations and to shift grant-awarding authority to the DHS director; it passed 7-0 as amended, though members raised concerns about oversight. HB 2176, which changes DHS licensing denial criteria and complaint-investigation procedures for health care institutions, also passed 7-0 after testimony from hospital and public health representatives supporting clearer timelines and transparency, with one member noting concerns about possible subjectivity in ownership-related denials. HB 2195, addressing DHS oversight of nursing care institutions, including personnel record access, deficiency timelines, and complaint-investigation deadlines, was amended to delay implementation until July 1, 2027 and allow off-site preliminary reviews; it passed 7-0 as amended, though one member said DHS should have been present to answer questions. HB 2202, appropriating $300,000 annually for a dementia care tele-mentoring program, drew support from the Alzheimer’s Association and a patient with younger-onset Alzheimer’s; it passed 6-1, with one no vote arguing medical schools should teach the material instead of the state funding it. HB 2307, an emergency measure to address placement of dangerous, incompetent, non-restorable defendants, was heavily debated and amended to use up to three beds at the Arizona State Hospital forensic campus temporarily, create a study committee, and sunset after five years; counties and DHS disagreed over whether counties should bear any costs, and the bill passed 4-3 as amended. Finally, HB 2584, which prohibits public funds from being used for genetic sequencing equipment or services tied to foreign adversaries, passed 4-3 after a sponsor and a national security witness argued it would protect genomic data from hostile foreign control. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got statewide minimum standards, but we.
• A few of those books were removed.
• In Indiana, we removed the educational exemption for teacher.
• After three years, no books have been removed.
• To date, exactly zero have been reviewed and removed.

Bills: SB12 , SB1565 , SB13 , SJR12 , SB686 , SB371 , SB204 , SB609 , SB112 , SB400 , SB813 , SB 12 , SB 13

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Transcript Highlights:

• There'll be a lower standard.
• 'Substantial' is used throughout the detention and removal standards. What does it mean?
• What is the legal significance of that standard?
• , had basically used the federal standard rather than a state standard, which was more protective of
• And what's the standard for that? I've never actually.

Committee: House Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. AB 316, by Assembly Member Krell, would prevent AI developers or deployers from arguing that an AI system’s alleged autonomy absolves them of civil liability. Supporters said it is a narrow, common-sense guardrail that does not change existing burdens of proof, while opponents from TechNet and the Chamber of Progress raised concerns about possible strict-liability effects. The bill was moved on a due-pass vote to the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 251, by Assembly Member Kalra, would let judges apply a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard when a skilled nursing facility or RCFE intentionally destroys evidence in elder abuse cases. Supporters said the measure is needed because vulnerable victims often cannot testify and electronic records are easily altered; opponents argued existing sanctions are sufficient and warned of more litigation. After discussion about the bill’s narrow scope and the governor’s prior veto concerns, the committee passed the bill to Human Services. AB 474, by Assembly Member Ward, would encourage nonprofit home-sharing for low-income homeowners, especially older adults, through tax and housing-law changes, but it also proposed changes to the lodger law. Supporters emphasized housing stability and companionship benefits, while the California Apartment Association and some members expressed concern about removing lodger protections; the author said he would continue working on that issue. The bill advanced to Human Services. The committee also passed AB 449, which would authorize the Civil Rights Department to run statewide media campaigns discouraging discrimination based on immutable characteristics. AB 1201, the “Reunity Act,” would give courts discretion to provide family reunification services to parents with violent felony convictions unless the offense involved force or a weapon against the child or reunification would likely endanger the child; supporters described it as a fairer, individualized approach, while some members raised concerns about domestic violence and child safety. AB 464, an anti-retaliation and accountability bill concerning sexual abuse in prisons, would extend reporting time, require 90-day monitoring, bar rehiring confirmed abusers, and strengthen reporting protections; survivors gave detailed testimony about retaliation, and the bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, AB 614 would standardize Government Claims Act deadlines at one year for all claims; the author and a civil rights attorney argued the current six-month deadline is too short for many injury and wrongful death victims, and testimony began from a parent describing a jail-related death claim.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1597 removes mandatory adherence to national standards for the Oklahoma court.
• Senator Gallagher, are we removing the National standards, will the state standards be as robust or similar
• The state standards are similar.
• Senator Eck, for the follow-up based on that answer, then if We remove those national standards.
• Those are the standards that they have to meet.

Bills: SB1638 , SB504 , SB2072 , SB1283 , SB1216 , SB1655 , SB2011 , SB1643 , SB1446 , SB1256 , SB1258 , SB1441 , SB1224 , SB1448 , SB1496 , SB1597 , SB1621 , SB1827 , SB2066 , SB2104

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: Governmental Tort Claims Act, liability limits, claims, medical negligence, tort reform, state liability, public health, claims adjustment, compensation limits, SB504, marriage, child marriage, minor marriage, age of consent, minimum marriage age, underage marriage, teen marriage, parental consent, judicial approval, marriage license

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> objective pass-fail standards. objective pass-fail standards.
• And then when you are, standards.
• </c> because they've met the HUD standards. because they've met the HUD standards.
• removal does.
• Yeah, snow removal &gt;&gt; Snow removal does.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• So maybe standards are not uniform across things.
• Although we have children's hospitals that do have standards, general EDs do not.
• And what it does, it removes it. With our House sponsors with the House bill.
• To remove the words 'or territories' from the existing language.
• Florida has the chance to set the standard for the rest of the nation.

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Summary: The Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up a long agenda of health care, Medicaid, and patient-access measures, along with confirmation votes. The committee first reconsidered and amended SB 1606 on patient access to records, clarifying portal obligations, deleting a section affecting nursing home facility records, and setting a January 1, 2026 effective date; the bill then passed favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also recommended confirmation of a block of appointees and separately confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after Harris testified about priorities including financial accountability, managed care oversight, transparency, and quality improvement. Senators asked about audit findings and Medicaid managed care performance, and several witnesses and committee members voiced support for her appointment. The committee then advanced a series of bills, most of them with amendments, including claims bills SB 28 and SB 22 for South Broward Hospital District settlements, SB 772 on undesignated glucagon in schools, SB 998 on death certification by physician assistants and APRNs, SB 1412 on home health administration flexibility, SB 1800 creating a Parkinson’s disease research consortium at USF, SB 306 on managed care network access during holidays and after hours, SB 1768 on stem cell therapies by physicians, SB 1602 on pediatric readiness in emergency departments, SB 1156 on the home health aide program for medically fragile children, SB 1490 on Children’s Medical Services and managed care administration, and SB 1182 on Medicaid coverage of continuous glucose monitors. Most of these bills received support from industry, advocacy, or provider groups and were reported favorably as committee substitutes. The most debated measure was SB 1270, a broad strike-all amendment combining provisions on mRNA vaccine documentation, vaccination-status protections in the Patient Bill of Rights, medical marijuana reporting and background-screening definitions, compact language, and volunteer immunity. The committee heard extensive testimony both for and against the vaccine-related provisions, including concerns about discrimination, patient safety, provider discretion, and medical liability. After additional technical amendments and a time-certain motion, the bill passed favorably as a committee substitute, with Senators Davis and Osgood voting no and Senator Harrell expressing a weak yes. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded their votes on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also aligns the net worth standard for virtual currency licensees with accounting rules, removes
• I VHS 45 standard and habitat.
• And if you're not familiar, Minnesota has a standard fire policy, and that The standard fire policy sets
• Failing to pass this bill but effectively endorsing removal of that standard and framing it as a sudden
• removal that standard and framing it as it's sudden increase in cost to insurance companies increasing

Bills: HF4881 , HF4867 , HF4422 , HF4223

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, regulation, financial institutions, prescription drug affordability, consumer protection, restitution account, financial compensation, attorney general, distributions, property insurance, homeowners insurance, fire and allied lines, hail insurance, appraisal clause, loss adjustment, alternative dispute resolution, insurance claims, claim valuation, actual cash value

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:21:25.440><c> Um,</c> gold standard. Um, gold standard.
• . standard. standard.
• In fact, El Paso County calls their effort the gold standard for removing inactive voters from the rolls
• In fact, El Paso County calls their effort the gold standard for removing inactive voters from the rolls
• for removing<01:36:39.920><c> inactive</c> removing inactive removing inactive voters<01:36:42.239><

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, as of January 22nd, I had to have them all removed as well.
• Often companies that want to ...to set basic standards to protect workers from abuse.
• Charlie Kirk's rhetoric did not meet that standard.
• In 2025, the Florida Department of Transportation directed local governments to remove non-standard pavement
• The bill removes the requirement that the lottery must lease all vending machines and removes the requirement

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy considered a long agenda of bills covering education, health, criminal justice, aging services, labor, and commemorative measures. Among the measures reported favorably were CS/SB 1062 creating Florida Speech and Debate Week and the Florida Debate Initiative; CS/SB 196 and CS/SB 864 establishing and protecting a Uterine Fibroid Research Database; CS/SB 432, as amended, adding restrictions on xylazine and nitrous oxide sales; CS/SB 1630 modernizing aging and disability services and guardianship oversight; SB 1112 on labor pool placement fees and registration; CS/SB 524 revising FDLE and medical examiner provisions; CS/SB 530 updating lottery operations; CS/SB 646 narrowing drug paraphernalia testing equipment exemptions to fentanyl, analogs, and xylazine; SB 676 strengthening animal cruelty penalties and the animal abuser database; CS/SB 1180 creating a recall process for community development district board members; CS/SB 800 increasing penalties for unlicensed engineering practice; CS/SB 1404 creating a memory care specialty license for assisted living facilities; SB 1072 creating an anti-Semitism task force; and CS/SB 1684 and CS/SB 1686 establishing and exempting records for a Parkinson’s Disease Registry. The committee also took up several high-profile commemorative bills. CS/SB 194, designating October 14 as Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance, drew extensive public testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing civic engagement and free speech and opponents criticizing Kirk’s rhetoric and the appropriateness of a state honor. The bill was reported favorably after a recorded vote. SB 174, designating Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue in Miami-Dade County, also drew significant opposition testimony on similar grounds and was reported favorably. A late-file amendment to a related remembrance measure was withdrawn after discussion. Other bills, including the speech and debate, fibroid research, aging services, labor pool, animal cruelty, engineering, memory care, anti-Semitism, and Parkinson’s registry measures, were generally supported by agency, advocacy, or stakeholder testimony and advanced without major opposition. Several bills were amended before passage, including substitute or delete-all amendments on SB 432, SB 524, SB 646, SB 676, SB 1180, SB 800, and SB 1404. The committee repeatedly adopted amendments by voice vote and then reported the bills favorably by recorded roll call. The meeting ended with members requesting to be recorded on specific bills, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here's why I think a lot of people don't understand: this is going to standardize it.
• And the way to do that is to do a standardized background check.
• As sheriff, I saw, I know that we held a high standard for how I expected my agency to do that.
• This would standardize that and that would certify that or guarantee that we're going to have a standardized
• ...already do have a process available for them to remove that sheriff.

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on February 24, 2026, for executive action on several bills, with no public hearings. The chair announced that action on Substitute Senate Bill 5067 would be deferred. The committee then considered bills dealing with fabricated depictions of minors and sexual exploitation (SSB 5105), worship-place protections and related civil remedies (SSB 5436), toxicology testing by certified laboratories (SSB 5880), reckless driving and speeding in construction zones (ESB 5890), human trafficking prevention and remedies (SSB 5936), law enforcement leadership and sheriff eligibility/background checks, volunteers, and specially commissioned officers (SSB 5974), and missing persons alerts and law-enforcement search tools (ESSB 6070). Several bills had amendments, including a striking amendment to SSB 5436 and a striking amendment plus multiple amendments to SSB 5974; ESB 5890 also received an amendment lowering the construction-zone threshold to 20 mph over the limit when workers are present. Members generally supported the bills but raised concerns on several measures. On SSB 5436, members discussed balancing protection of worshippers with constitutional protections for peaceful protest and concerns about law enforcement access in emergencies; the committee adopted the striking amendment and then advanced the bill. On SSB 5974, members debated background-check timing, due process, vacancy triggers, and whether election-related requirements for sheriffs were constitutional; some amendments were adopted and others rejected before the bill advanced. On ESSB 6070, members discussed the new Ebony and Purple Alerts, existing alert systems, and concerns about surveillance tools and privacy, with some members supporting the bill “with concerns.” Human trafficking testimony and comments emphasized holding accountable businesses that knowingly facilitate trafficking. Final actions taken included reporting out SSB 5105, SSB 5436 as amended, SSB 5880, ESB 5890 as amended, SSB 5936, SSB 5974 as amended, and ESSB 6070, all with due pass recommendations. The committee also adopted amendments to SSB 5436 and several amendments to SSB 5974, while rejecting others. The chair thanked members and staff, canceled the committee’s next scheduled meeting, and announced this was the committee’s last meeting of 2026 before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It removes duplicative requirements, aligns with federal standards, modernizes policies, and ensures
• It removes duplicative requirements, aligns with federal standards, modernizes policies, and ensures
• It removes duplicative requirements, aligns with federal standards, modernizes policies, and ensures
• The reason is because right now there is no standard in Louisiana.
• We have a standardized fee schedule.

Bills: HB946 , HB1093 , SB26 , SB29 , SB30 , SB195 , SB219 , SB222 , SB255 , SB314 , SCR2 , SCR22

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: healthcare transparency, hospital pricing, consumer protection, collection actions, fines, naturopathic medicine, Louisiana Board of Naturopathic Medicine, licensing, healthcare, prescriptive authority, natural therapies, opioid treatment, regulation, addiction recovery, state law, SB 29, Act 732, coroner, autopsy, child death

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment removes all stem cell therapy language from the bill.
• Child protection team, DCF steps in, and children are immediately removed.
• With that being said, on 11/10, they removed those children. She was being breastfed.
• function, if you will, no standardized license for that. ...but there's no standardized function, if
• you will, no standardized license for that.

Bills: S0042 , S0196 , S0878 , S0902 , S0914 , S1092 , S1168 , S1340 , S1404 , S1414 , S1684 , S1686

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services met to hear and vote on a series of health, human services, and education-related bills, along with a presentation of the committee’s proposed HHS budget. The budget was described as increasing by more than $2.1 billion over the current base, with major funding highlighted for Medicaid and KidCare, rural health, provider rate increases, child welfare, mental health and substance use, opioid treatment, Alzheimer’s initiatives, cancer research, ADAP, veterans’ services, and IT modernization. Public testimony on the budget focused heavily on AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding and concerns about Department of Health changes affecting access, premium assistance, notice, and continuity of care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Among the bills reported favorably were measures on podiatric medicine and tissue-based products (SB 1092), background screening and clearinghouse procedures (SB 1168), child protective investigations involving specific medical diagnoses and second opinions (SB 42), clinical laboratory personnel licensure standards (SB 878), uterine fibroid data tracking and research (SB 196), medical marijuana treatment center oversight and related health provisions (SB 902), dyslexia and dyscalculia screening and intervention in schools (SB 1340), memory care licensure for assisted living facilities (SB 1404), congenital CMV education materials (SB 1414), Parkinson’s disease registry and related public records exemption bills (SB 1684 and SB 1686), and occupational therapy dry needling licensure standards (SB 914). Several bills were amended before passage, including SB 1092, SB 42, SB 902, SB 1684, and SB 1404. Testimony generally came from professional associations, advocacy groups, and affected stakeholders, with support voiced for most measures. The committee adopted amendments on the floor, heard no opposition during debate on the bills described, and then voted to report each measure favorably. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded in the affirmative on selected bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• What it does provide is a clear standard. It does not change the standard.
• It's a contextual standard.
• A lesser standard, a more severe standard, essentially, for youth than we do for adults.
• , which is actually a deadly force standard.
• By removing ambiguity in the law and updating it to include modern technology standards, we protect our

Committee: House Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• standards?
• They're still going to have to be ready and meet those standards.
• They're still going to have to be ready and meet those standards.
• So, for example, electricians now have set that as a 70% standard.
• This is removing so that those can qualify.

Bills: SR28 , SB201 , SB1379 , SB1525 , SB1966 , SB2112 , SB2170 , HB2749 , HB3262 , HB3265 , HB3673 , HB3781 , HB3040 , HB3076 , HB3369 , HB3982 , HB3462 , HB3465 , HB3521 , HB3796 , HB3800 , HB4095 , HB4298 , HB4316 , HB4338 , HB4408 , HB4454

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a special family recitation of the Declaration of Independence by Senator Hamilton’s children. The chamber then adopted SR 28, recognizing May as Alpha-Gal Awareness and Prevention Month in Oklahoma and encouraging awareness, prevention, and research on alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne allergic condition. Senator Seifried also introduced constituents affected by alpha-gal. Later, the Senate heard a gallery introduction from advocates for victims of impaired driving, highlighting the toll of DUI-related crashes in Oklahoma. The Senate then took up several House amendments and final-passage votes on bills. SB 201, clarifying that a teacher pay raise applies to certified classroom teachers, passed 47-0 and was advanced as an emergency. SB 1379, SB 1525, SB 1966, SB 2112, and SB 2170 also passed after adoption of House amendments, with SB 1525 and SB 1379 advanced as emergency measures. SB 1525 raised the threshold for contracting to host a conference from $25,000 to $75,000, and SB 1966 served as the annual omnibus highway, memorial highway, and bridge designation bill. Among the House bills considered, HB 3262 increased the sheriff fee for service of process from $50 to $100 and passed 37-8. HB 3265 allowed a psychologist to make PTSD determinations for the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System and passed 47-0. HB 3781, a major insurance modernization bill changing rate-filing procedures for homeowners insurance and expanding the insurance commissioner’s review authority, passed 39-6 after extended debate over transparency, regulation, and market impact. HB 3040 expanded sex-offender loitering restrictions around businesses serving minors and passed 40-4, while HB 3076 authorized alternative teacher certification providers under OEQA oversight and passed 38-6 as an emergency measure. The chamber also passed HB 3369, a deregulation and efficiency bill affecting fire suppression and LP gas inspections, HB 2749, which shifted an intergenerational education program toward a Medicaid state plan amendment, HB 3982 on fleet vehicle titling, HB 3462 creating a shorter residential-only plumbing licensure pathway, HB 3465 extending the Oklahoma Emission Reduction Technology Rebate Program to 2029, HB 3521 modernizing money transmission law, HB 3796 as an Oklahoma Insurance Department omnibus bill, HB 3800 as a roofing-industry cleanup bill, and HB 4095 modernizing the 211 hotline advisory council. Several of these measures drew debate over regulation, workforce needs, public safety, or fiscal and policy impacts, but all of the listed bills ultimately passed by recorded vote.