Transcript Highlights:

• claims and provider and member data to support program operations, decision-making, and oversight; program
• The program remains intact. It preserves AIA. The program remains intact.
• They have HCBS programs which allow Medicaid-funded long-term care programs for SMI, and I'm happy to
• Colorado and Iowa have HCBS programs which allow Medicaid-funded long-term care programs for SMI, and
• Waivers are needed for these capped programs, pilot programs, but that does mean that this year's bill

Bills: SB1086, SB1193, SB1318, SB1345, SB1346, SB1451, SB1496, SB1611, SB1630, SB1631, SB1632, SB1672

Keywords: reimbursement, healthcare, laboratory services, noncontracting providers, Arizona health care cost containment, personal identifying information, PII, privacy, confidential records, public records exemption, commercial disclosure, data privacy, licensure, certification, health professions, health care licensing, Arizona Department of Health Services, ADHS, emergency medical care technician, EMCT

Summary: The committee first approved the February 4 minutes and then heard Senate Bill 1086, which would require AHCCCS contractors to reimburse non-contracting providers for certain laboratory services when a member was referred by a contracting provider, and would bar prior authorization for diagnostic services and retaliation tied to such referrals. AHCCCS testified neutral but warned the prior-authorization ban could increase utilization and create fiscal and federal compliance concerns. The committee adopted the Warner amendment limiting non-contracting reimbursement to no more than contracting-provider rates, then passed SB 1086 as amended on a 4-2 vote. The committee next took up Senate Bill 1611, an emergency measure to require AHCCCS to contract with an administrative services organization for program integrity and case management functions for the American Indian Health Plan, while keeping AHCCCS ultimately responsible. The chair’s amendment expanded the ASO’s duties to include provider support, quality improvement, and data analytics, removed AHCCCS claims payment authority, added more tribal observers, and exempted IHS and tribal facilities. Testimony strongly supported reforming the system after fraud and overcorrection harmed Native members and providers, but AHCCCS raised concerns about the fast timeline, possible duplication of fraud-fighting functions, and the need for 45 days of tribal consultation. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1611 as amended on a 5-2 vote. Senate Bill 1630 would create a Medicaid-funded home and community-based services program for adults with serious mental illness, capped initially at 250 members under the Angius amendment, with semiannual reporting and a process for future expansion only if costs are reduced or neutral. Supporters said the bill would help the sickest SMI patients avoid repeated hospitalizations, jail, and homelessness, and could save the state general fund by shifting costs to federal Medicaid funding; AHCCCS was neutral and said it was finalizing the fiscal estimate. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1630 unanimously. The committee also passed SB 1193, protecting emergency medical care technician personal information from disclosure; SB 1318, repealing an outdated state dense-breast notification requirement to align with FDA language; and SB 1345, restricting anonymous complaints against health care institutions, though AHCCCS warned that federal law may still require investigation of complaints from any source and that the bill could reduce reporting and invite litigation.

Bills: HB 2217

Keywords: law enforcement, bullet-resistant, grant program, safety equipment, peace officers

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2217 establishes a grant program to equip law enforcement vehicles with bullet resistance
• HB 2217 establishes a grant program to equip local law enforcement vehicles with bullet-resistant components
• The grant program would be administered by the Governor's Office of Public Safety Criminal Justice Division

Bills: HB2217

Keywords: law enforcement, bullet-resistant, grant program, safety equipment, peace officers

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met and considered two House bills. HB 2217 would create a grant program to help local law enforcement agencies equip patrol vehicles with bullet-resistant components such as windshields, side doors, and windows. Senator Hagenbuch explained that the measure is intended to improve officer safety in light of shootings through patrol car glass, and no invited or public testimony was offered. The committee voted 6-0 to report HB 2217 favorably to the full Senate and also recommended it for the open uncontested calendar. The committee then took up HB 2594, with Senator Creighton explaining that it updates venue rules for cybercrime and related theft cases involving intangible property such as cryptocurrency, online fraud, and intellectual property theft. The bill would allow prosecution in the county where the victim resides, where the defendant is apprehended, or where the defendant is extradited to, giving prosecutors more flexibility when crimes cross county lines. No questions or testimony were offered. The committee voted 6-0 to report HB 2594 favorably to the full Senate. It was also recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. After completing its business, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Bills: HB6, HB120, HB210

Keywords: higher education, LGBTQ studies, DEI studies, program prohibition, educational policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And with this type of bill, all it does is give us the authorization to expand that type of program and
• Permits cover the costs of the program, or do they exceed them, or do we not know?
• research permit to be the same price, equal to the application fee, which is designed to help fund the program
• It creates an agricultural plant disease and pest prevention grant program.
• So are there any state programs that are helping with the beekeeping industry? Not that I know of.

Bills: HB147

Keywords: government contracting, business program, discrimination, state procurement, equity, underutilized businesses

Summary: The House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock met with a quorum present and heard several bills, all of which were left pending. HB 1113, by Rep. Cain, would update Texas hemp law to keep state rules aligned with federal changes, require timely rule amendments by the Department of Agriculture, and create hemp research permits for universities and nonprofits. Supporters from the Texas Hemp Coalition said it would improve research, licensing, testing, and enforcement while helping the industry stay compliant and competitive; the author said the bill was intended to reward good actors and deter bad ones. HB 1203, by Rep. Gonzalez, would create an Office of Food System Security and Resiliency within the Department of Agriculture to address food insecurity and coordinate local food access efforts. Gonzalez said the office would build on a prior Department of Agriculture study and help connect farmers, agencies, schools, and local governments; members asked about the fiscal note, consumer costs, and whether the office would overlap with existing programs. HB 1269, HB 1276, and HB 1277 focused on plant disease and pest prevention, including a grant program and studies to identify gaps and track outbreaks. Gonzalez emphasized the need for a more intentional state response, citing crop losses from pests and a recent cotton disease outbreak in his district. HB 1437 would create a pollinator task force to address threats to Texas honeybees and related pollination industries. A Texas Beekeepers Association witness described major recent colony losses, emerging threats such as mites and hornets, and the need to bring agencies and researchers together; Gonzalez noted prior work adding a bee specialist at AgriLife Extension. Finally, HB 147, by Chairman Guillen, would modernize cattle brand registration by moving it to an electronic system at the Texas Animal Health Commission while keeping county clerks involved. Supporters said it would improve efficiency, accuracy, and access for ranchers and law enforcement, while an opponent warned about possible electronic tracking implications and costs for small producers. The committee took no final votes and adjourned after leaving HB 147 pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• To your amendment, this is in regards to the Supplemental Nutrition Outreach Program.
• There is base funding for the SNAP outreach program, even though there is no increase in this bill.
• So this program would take $1 million and fund free or partially subsidized child care for individuals
• It's kind of in the same vein as the Great Start Compensation Program.
• That is why there is a grant program within the bill.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras

Transcript Highlights:

• rather than a competitive grant program.
• This modifies the TEACH scholarship program, which is a scholarship program for the early care and education
• amounts that are consistent with the national teaching program requirements. program requirements.
• In Minnesota, or the FAME program.
• Program integrity.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras

Bills: HCR13, HCR91, HCR183, HR15, HR83

Keywords: coral reefs, sunscreen, environmental education, student stewardship, marine conservation, tree canopy, public schools, environmental equity, shade coverage, education, HCR183, House Concurrent Resolution, Department of Education, DOE, immigration enforcement, ICE, federal immigration officers, sensitive locations, school safety, student protection

Bills: SB58, SB101, SB102

Keywords: parental rights, minor consent, medical consent, mental health services, school counseling, student counseling, parental notification, opt-in, health records, HIPAA, vaccine consent, adolescent health, youth privacy, confidential counseling, school mental health, reproductive health, pregnancy services, sexually transmitted infections, STI treatment, substance abuse treatment

Bills: HB256, HB272, HB350, HB363, HB386, HB434, HB445, HB690

Keywords: mandatory reporting, school employees, child protection, training requirements, Department of Children and Family Services, education, reading program, student eligibility, literacy, school performance, R.E.A.D. program, book distribution, École Pointe-au-Chien, French immersion, public school, Terrebonne Parish, grade levels, independent school, virtual school, extracurricular activities

Transcript Highlights:

• What do you think is the issue between students not using that program and students using that program
• It isn't an operating loan program.
• There's no reason to switch to a whole new program now where this would continue on that program.
• We have a program in place.
• We have a program in place.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.

Transcript Highlights:

• year of that program.
• year of that program.
• And this is the first year of that program. So with that, Mr.
• And if we need to step up programs that are more specific, we can.
• And to have programs then that takes me to Make North Dakota Healthy Again, to have actual programs in

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1623, the appropriations bill tied to North Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program, which is funded through a new federal rural health care grant. Senator Bekkedahl explained the bill’s background, the interim committee process that developed it, and the federal conditions attached to the award, including spending deadlines, administrative cost limits, and restrictions on uses such as new construction, supplanting existing funding, and certain other costs. Legislative staff then walked through the seven sections of the bill, including appropriation authority, transfer authority, contingent appropriations for pass-through grants, procurement and public improvement exemptions, recipient reporting, legislative reporting, and immediate effective date. Commissioner Traynor and HHS staff described how the department plans to implement the program, emphasizing that the funding is intended to improve rural access, workforce recruitment and retention, technology and data connectivity, and community health initiatives. They said the department will rely on local applications, technical assistance, templates, listening sessions, and partnerships with providers, schools, public health units, tribal entities, and other community groups. Members asked about reimbursement timing, upfront costs, administrative expenses, sustainability after the five-year grant period, and whether CTE centers, public health units, gyms, grocery stores, and other community partners could participate; the department said yes, within program rules and with a focus on measurable outcomes and sustainability. Several supporters testified in favor. Mental Health America of North Dakota and the Mental Health Advocacy Network supported the bill and urged investment in community-based mental health, crisis response, children’s services, peer support, and mobile crisis teams. HIA Health described the grant as a chance to expand home-based and hospice care, noting that rural providers already have workable models but need funding to scale them. A cybersecurity representative also supported the bill, warning that the large amount of health data and AI-related tools will require strong data protection and professional support. The hearing was closed with no opposition testimony, and the committee announced it would return later in the day for further work on the bill and other measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• . program, a hands-on training program in that lab to prepare entry-level manufacturing workers for the
• And the program is very successful. It's modeled after a program in North Carolina.
• This is one option for TEAS to find funding for this program.
• They may or may not use the funding from this program; they may or may not qualify, but including the
• HB 2652 seeks to help fill that gap by creating the Certified Caregiver Pilot Program.

Bills: HB1654, HB1691, HB2545, HB2652, HB3799, HB4144, HB5008

Keywords: peace officers, firefighters, employment protection, worker's compensation, job security, maximum medical improvement, government employment, firefighter cancer benefits, emergency medical technicians, compensation claims, cancer exposures, firefighting hazards, workforce training, rural development, grant program, job-specific training, Texas Workforce Commission, child care, single-parent, subsidized

Transcript Highlights:

• So to the extent we can do more efficiency and maybe programs, which, by the way, the utilities do some
• programs to lower energy burden on the... so I don't think it's any different than that.
• So to the extent we can do more efficiency and maybe programs, which, by the way, the utilities do some
• programs to lower energy burden on the... so I don't think it's any different than that.
• He then asked whether, at the end of the program, there would be any incentives left after the period

Bills: HF3298

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• unemployment insurance tax and program. unemployment insurance tax and program.
• is a pay for performance program. is a pay for performance program.
• into this program. into this program.
• program standards.
• This is a program program standards.

Bills: HF3843, HF3597, HF4003, HF3167, HF4193

Keywords: workforce development, appropriations, nonprofit organizations, employment services, state funding, paid leave, S corporations, employment law, exemptions, Minnesota Statutes, cancer, healthcare, appropriation, Rural Cancer Institute, Minnesota clinicians, pilot program, nursing, education, University of Minnesota, equity

Transcript Highlights:

• Families can't access early care and learning programs for low-income families.
• The program, Representative Hicks. Thank you so much, Chair. And thank you for allowing.
• This clarifies language in that space to make sure they get the full benefit of that program.
• Making sure that we have data privacy requirements for the Great Start compensation program, so it's
• A special revenue fund for the Great Start compensation program to make sure that the next time there

Bills: HF2436, HF2929

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, HF2929, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food assistance, nutrition assistance, public benefits, eligibility determination, income eligibility, federal poverty guidelines, poverty level, county agency, Tribal agency, human services, children and families, benefits administration

Bills: SB 462, SB 519, SB 878, SB 972, SB 1228, SB 1350, SB 1356, SB 1535

Keywords: childcare, priority, child-care workers, waiting list, legislation, Texas history, education, grant program, nonprofit, student engagement, economic development, public funding, local government, tax abatement, performance metrics, transparency, community engagement, reimbursement rates, Texas Rising Star Program, subsidized childcare

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2217 establishes a grant program to equip law enforcement vehicles with bullet-resistant components
• HB 2217 establishes a grant program to equip local law enforcement vehicles with bullet-resistant components
• The grant program would be administered by the Governor's Office of Public Safety, Criminal Justice Division

Bills: HB2217

Keywords: law enforcement, bullet-resistant, grant program, safety equipment, peace officers, 1185, senate, all

Bills: HB2217

Keywords: law enforcement, bullet-resistant, grant program, safety equipment, peace officers, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• part of the program before we make<00:16:25.040> any<00:16:25.279> decisions.
• uh even though there is outreach program uh even though there is no<00:35:04.160> increase<00
• Uh so this program um would take $1 million uh and fund um free or partially subsidized child care um
• Uh so this program um would child care.
• Uh so this program um would take<00:36:56.400> 1<00:36:56.640> million<00:36:57.440>

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, 1183, house