Video & Transcript Research : 'occupational therapist'
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WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Labor & Workplace Standards Jan 28th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Labor & Workplace Standards
Transcript Highlights:
- This is the bill that would make any heart problems a presumptive occupational disease for certain firefighters
Keywords:
transparency, industrial insurance, insurance rate increases, financial disclosure, regulatory oversight, unemployment, electronic notices, compensation, digital communication, order processing, workers' compensation, occupational disease, firefighters, fire investigators, law enforcement officers, first responders, heart disease, cardiac conditions, respiratory disease, cancer presumption
Summary:
The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee met on January 28, 2026, first taking executive action on several bills and then holding public hearings on House Bill 2563 and House Bill 2188. HB 1571, which makes heart conditions a presumptive occupational disease for certain firefighters and law enforcement officers, was advanced without amendment on an 8-1 vote. Supporters said the bill recognizes the stress, exposures, and hardships of those jobs, while the lone no vote was recorded by Representative Schmidt.
The committee then considered HB 2144 on electronic monitoring notice requirements. Members adopted Tang 189, which clarifies the bill does not override existing laws on recording private communications, but rejected amendments that would have removed the word “imminent” from the emergency exception and eliminated the private right of action. The bill, as amended, passed 6-3. The committee also advanced HB 2191 on construction wage enforcement after adopting amendments that removed the Attorney General as an enforcement authority and made other changes to liability and cure provisions; amendments to add public entities and subcontractors back into the bill were rejected. HB 2191 passed 6-3.
HB 2372, which requires workers’ compensation time-loss benefits to include the full employer-paid health care benefit amount, was also reported out 6-3 after the committee rejected an amendment that would have added notice and invoicing requirements and barred attorney fees from the health-care-benefit portion. Supporters said the bill ensures injured workers receive the full benefit needed to maintain coverage, while opponents raised access-to-counsel concerns. The committee then heard HB 2563, a pilot allowing the Office of Administrative Hearings to send unemployment-case notices electronically by default through July 2029. OAH said the change would save money and improve service, while the Unemployment Law Project warned it could harm claimants with limited digital access and make appeals harder to manage. Finally, HB 2188 was heard; it would require L&I to publish actuarial indicated workers’ compensation rates and explain when rate caps shift costs to other classes. Business groups supported the transparency measure, and L&I testified the information is already available internally and could be posted publicly without fiscal impact.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature Day 24 Mar 12th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Oklahoma House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Bill 3000 by Endrix of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- Bill 3000 by Kendrick of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- Bill 3003 by Kendrick of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- Bill 3003 by Kendrick of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- Bill 3004 by Kendrick of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
Bills:
HB2997, HB2021, HB3041, HB1823, HB3372, HB1427, HB3127, HB3128, HCR1020, HB4198, HB3000, HB3001, HB3002, HB3003, HB3004, HB3005, HB3006, HB3007, HB3008, SB392, HB3320
Keywords:
motor vehicles, administrative fines, license regulation, state agencies, employment levels, after-school programs, grant funding, community organizations, child care, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, credit card transactions, payment methods, service charge, consumer rights, financial regulation, housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature Day 24 Mar 12th, 2026
Oklahoma House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- 3000, by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- 3000, by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- 3003, by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- 3003, by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
- 3004, by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to professions and occupations
Bills:
HB2997, HB2021, HB3041, HB1823, HB3372, HB1427, HB3127, HB3128, HCR1020, HB4198, HB3000, HB3001, HB3002, HB3003, HB3004, HB3005, HB3006, HB3007, HB3008, SB392, HB3320
Keywords:
motor vehicles, administrative fines, license regulation, state agencies, employment levels, after-school programs, grant funding, community organizations, child care, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, credit card transactions, payment methods, service charge, consumer rights, financial regulation, housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations
Summary:
The House convened, completed the roll call, heard an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including guests in the galleries and a special recognition of a doctor of the day and a state volleyball championship team. The chamber then took up a series of bills, with most receiving brief explanations and little or no debate. House Bill 2997, dealing with used-car bait-and-switch enforcement and higher fines, failed on final passage 47-39, and notice was given of a possible motion to reconsider. House Bill 2021, creating a DHS grant program for out-of-school programming through larger community-based organizations, passed 51-29 after questions about eligibility and partnerships. House Bill 3041, adjusting the cap on credit-card surcharges so retailers can recover actual processing costs up to 2%, passed 86-1 and its emergency was adopted.
The House also passed House Bill 1823 on Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency compliance with federal HOME grant guidelines, 83-5, with the emergency adopted. House Bill 3372, creating lower-cost financing tools for high-performing charter schools, drew extensive questioning about taxpayer funding, ownership, default risk, and comparisons to public-school bonds, but ultimately passed 53-36. House Bill 1427, as amended by the Senate, was adopted and passed 57-20, codifying current clean-burning vehicle tax-credit practices tied to the bank privilege tax. House Bill 3127, which would have broadened employer drug-testing and zero-tolerance authority beyond current safety-sensitive positions for medical marijuana users, drew the most extended debate over worker protections, constitutionality, and testing standards, but failed narrowly 47-46; notice of reconsideration was given.
Later measures passed with broad support, including House Bill 3128 creating a task force to identify workplace barriers and recommend administrative or legislative fixes, 73-21; House Bill 4198 allowing employers to seek protective orders against former employees who pose an imminent threat, 88-12; and a series of sunset-extension bills for professional and advisory boards. Those included House Bills 3000 through 3007, covering the cosmetology board, child death review board, county personnel training commission, chiropractic examiners, optometry board, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education, and DEQ natural resource advisory councils, with most also receiving emergency clauses. House Concurrent Resolution 1020, commending Team USA Olympic hockey teams for gold medals, was adopted by unanimous consent.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Senate Floor Session Jan 23rd, 2026 at 08:30 am
North Dakota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 1622 deals with an occupational licensing compact, and I'm confident that most of the people
- A compact is an occupational licensing opportunity.
- A compact is an occupational licensing opportunity for states to participate with other states so that
- licensed physician in Illinois and I would like to practice in our state, I can apply through the occupational
- dietitian, emergency medical services personnel, interstate medical licensure, nurse licensure, occupational
Keywords:
SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then took up second reading and final passage of several House bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program and other matters. House Bill 1621, requiring the presidential fitness test in school physical education with exceptions and a delayed effective date, passed 43-3. House Bill 1623, appropriating federal rural health transformation grant funds and creating a related loan program and reporting structure, passed 46-0 after extensive debate about using the federal money for community health, infrastructure, and sustainability. House Bill 1622, joining the physician assistant licensure compact, also passed unanimously 46-0. House Bill 1625, authorizing the Ray Richards Golf Course land sale to support a Grand Forks transportation project and golf course improvements, passed 46-0. House Bill 1626, clarifying that the primary residence credit is applied after the early payment discount so taxpayers receive the full $1,600 benefit, passed 40-6.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Senate Floor Session Jan 22nd, 2026 at 08:30 am
North Dakota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- 24 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to criminal history record checks by the Board of Occupational
- 24 of the North Dakota Century Code relating to criminal history record checks by the Board of Occupational
- always have the option of adding additional educational components because that's what a regulatory occupational
Keywords:
SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. It adopted the procedural employment committee report naming Senate staff for the special session. The chamber then took up several health-care and appropriations measures, first adopting amendments to Senate Bills 2401, 2402, and 2403 before moving them to final passage.
Senate Bill 2401 passed 44-2 and requires physicians to complete at least one hour of continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health, part of a broader rural health care package. Senate Bill 2402 passed 46-0 after major amendments negotiated between the medical and pharmacy boards; as amended, it expands pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution in limited areas while excluding categories such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, chemotherapy agents, Schedule II drugs, biological products, and narrow therapeutic index drugs. Supporters said it would improve rural access and help secure rural health transformation funding, while questions focused on how pharmacist competence would be measured and enforced.
Senate Bill 2403, also passed 46-0, creates a short-term medical facility emergency operating loan program through the Bank of North Dakota, reduced by amendment from $10 million to $5 million, to help a financially distressed rural hospital. Senators discussed the hospital’s mismanagement, the need for a bridge loan, and safeguards including a limited application window and expiration in 2027. Senate Bill 2404 passed 46-0 and provides supplemental appropriations to the Information Technology Department for ADA-related website accessibility compliance and to the Public Service Commission for additional legal costs in federal energy-rate litigation. The Senate then made announcements about a Highway Patrol safety presentation and filing deadlines, excused an absent member, and adjourned until the next morning.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Senate Floor Session Jan 21st, 2026 at 08:30 am
North Dakota Senate Floor Meeting
Keywords:
SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine
Summary:
The Senate convened in special session with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and roll call establishing a quorum of 45 members present and two absent. The chamber received certification from the Secretary of State and the governor’s executive order calling the special session to address funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program and to act quickly to accept and appropriate federal funds.
The main action was adoption of the procedural rules for the extraordinary session. Senator Klein explained the proposed rule changes, which were designed to speed up consideration of bills during the short session, including limits on bill introduction, same-day second reading and final passage, elimination of standing committees for the session, creation of a Joint Policy Committee and Joint Appropriations Committee, and authorization for remote testimony and limited remote participation. The procedural committee’s report on these rules was adopted without opposition.
The Senate also adopted reports naming members to the Joint Policy Committee and Joint Appropriations Committee. Announcements noted that the Senate Employment Committee, Joint Policy Committee, and Joint Appropriations Committee would meet later that morning, that the Senate would not reconvene at 4 p.m., and that a Highway Patrol presentation on legislator safety would be held. The Senate then moved through the listed orders of business and recessed, planning to meet in joint session with the House before adjourning until Thursday, January 22, 2026.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Licensing & Administrative Procedures Apr 29th, 2025
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Transcript Highlights:
- consequences for the commission of certain offenses by misogynist establishment. massage schools, massage therapists
- House is to engage in a business or occupation in this state.
- a certain military members, military veterans, and military spouses to engage in a business or. occupation
- Labor Code and Occupation Code further complicates enforcement.
Keywords:
elevator inspection, building safety, construction standards, health and safety code, regulatory requirements, SB 378, Texas Occupations Code, barbering, cosmetology, barber, cosmetologist, licensing, professional licensing, unauthorized practice, medical procedures, skin incision, dermis, injections, devices, consumer safety
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Local Government (9-23-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- And occupational tax is already maxed out.
- </c> stack of These are just uh occupational stack of These are just uh occupational taxes,<01:14:15.600
- They don't have an occupational license in that profit, correct?
- ><c> that</c><01:37:22.120><c> profit,</c> occupational license in that profit, occupational license
- ' occupational tax is much more than their property tax.
Keywords:
Meeting Start: 00:00:07
Roll Call 00:00:13
Approval of Minutes from August Meeting 00:01:55
Discussion of County Jails 00:03:31
Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 01:02:12
Adjournment 01:54:56, 958, all
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum, approved the August 26 minutes, and then took up a discussion of county jail funding. KACO representatives and county officials said jail operations are an ongoing strain for counties because they must pay for inmate care, facilities, and mandated standards, while many counties also rely on jail revenue to offset costs. They described Kentucky’s jail system, including 77 jails, 43 closed counties without jails, and the mix of county, state, federal, and controlled-intake inmates. KACO emphasized that counties remain financially responsible for inmates even when they must contract with other jails, often at costs above the state’s per diem rate, and said it is developing a broader proposal to present later.
The testimony focused on rising expenses and shrinking revenue. KACO said counties spent about $374 million on jail operations in FY24, up 24% from FY19, and about $41 million on jail medical costs, up 40%. General fund support for jails was said to total $147 million in FY24, more than double pre-COVID levels. Speakers also noted that state inmate populations in county jails have fallen from about 11,500 in 2019 to 7,212 in 2025, while federal inmates have increased because they are more lucrative for counties. The state jail per diem of $35.34 was described as insufficient to cover actual costs, especially medical care.
County judges from Webster, Knox, and Hardin counties gave examples of local budget pressure. Webster County said it now houses 114 state prisoners, 47 county prisoners, and 24 out-of-county prisoners, and that it transferred $512,000 from its general fund to the jail last year, about $77 per taxpayer. Knox County said its jail budget has grown from an initial $2.8 million projection to $5.7 million, with $3 million coming from occupational tax revenue. Hardin County said its jail has an approximate $11 million expense budget against $5 million in revenue, creating a $6 million deficit, driven by higher payroll, medical, and insurance costs and a 29% drop in state prisoner revenue. The judge said the county has responded with property tax increases and an expanded occupational tax district, but still uses reserves to cover other county services.
A Grant County magistrate then began speaking from the perspective of magistrates and commissioners, describing her background working at a local jail before serving in county government. The discussion remained centered on the fiscal burden of jails and the need for counties and the legislature to work together on a long-term solution.
TX
Bills:
SB1864
Keywords:
eggs, ungraded eggs, egg grading, poultry, farm products, local food, small farmers, direct-to-consumer sales, wholesale food sales, food safety, refrigeration requirements, sanitation standards, occupational license, dealer-wholesaler license, Texas Department of Agriculture, restaurants, small grocery stores, cooperatives, farmers cooperative, agricultural regulation
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services 2ND REVISED Apr 8th, 2026 at 10:00 am
Health and Human Services
Keywords:
rural hospitals, small hospitals, grant program, healthcare funding, Oklahoma health department, cosmetology, barbering, massage therapy, State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, Service Oklahoma, license renewal, license reinstatement, licensing fees, sunset extension, board membership, human trafficking, victim services, beauty school, barber school, esthetics
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services 2ND REVISED Apr 8th, 2026
Health and Human Services
Keywords:
rural hospitals, small hospitals, grant program, healthcare funding, Oklahoma health department, cosmetology, barbering, massage therapy, State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, Service Oklahoma, license renewal, license reinstatement, licensing fees, sunset extension, board membership, human trafficking, victim services, beauty school, barber school, esthetics
Summary:
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met to consider several House bills, beginning with a series of sunset extensions for professional licensing and review boards. House Bill 3000 extended the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering to 2031 after brief questions about prior executive-branch efforts to improve board transparency; House Bill 3001 extended the Child Death Review Board to 2031; House Bill 3003 extended the Board of Chiropractic Examiners to 2031; and House Bill 3004 extended the Board of Examiners in Optometry to 2031. Each of these bills advanced on unanimous 9-0 votes.
The committee also advanced House Bill 366, which creates a revolving fund at the Health Care Workforce Training Commission to receive rural health transformation funds. Members asked about the timing and distribution of the funds, but no timeline was available. House Bill 3904 changed prenatal delivery and postpartum services from a global payment model to individualized payments, with supporters saying it would improve access to local and rural prenatal care and could help hospitals qualify for birth-friendly designations and related funding. That bill also passed 9-0.
Two health-related policy bills were amended in committee and advanced. House Bill 3644, the Blake Burgess Act, requires certain hospitals to adopt policies to prevent venous thromboembolism; members asked whether the required report would be public, and the author said that was the intent. House Bill 1687, the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act, replaces older advance directive and health care agent laws with a single framework for end-of-life decision-making, with committee substitute changes adding safeguards and clarifying surrogate authority. House Bill 3920 created a sales tax exemption for LifeShare Network, matching an exemption already given to the Oklahoma Blood Institute, and it also passed after supportive testimony. All measures considered were reported out favorably, and the committee adjourned after announcing it would meet again the following week.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- Now, certainly I represent injured workers as my occupation as an attorney, but I'm also an employer.
- I spent my career in occupational medicine and workers' comp. I'm a PA, licensed PA by training.
- I've spent my career in occupational medicine and workers' comp.
Keywords:
employment discrimination, criminal history, rehabilitation, hiring process, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, workplace equality, labor rights, domestic abuse, unpaid leave, employee rights, workplace protection, mental health, survivor support, workers' compensation, employment benefits, claims process, fraud prevention, legal petition
HI
Keywords:
HB2271, Hawaii budget, emergency appropriation, public employment cost items, collective bargaining, labor grievances, temporary hazard pay, state employees, bargaining unit 1, bargaining unit 10, BU-1, BU-10, Department of Education, University of Hawaii, general fund, revolving funds, interdepartmental transfers, settlement agreement, arbitration award, court order
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Licensing & Administrative Procedures May 6th, 2025
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Keywords:
permit issuance, regulatory framework, business operations, efficiency, application process, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, lottery regulations, occupational licensing, fraud prevention, criminal background checks, lottery couriers, SB 1184, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, wine collection seller, collectible wine, vintage wine
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Licensing & Administrative Procedures Apr 8th, 2025
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Transcript Highlights:
- Lieutenant Governor Patrick to address workforce development matters. across all professions and occupations
- point, Errant County could allow for these clubs right now, it's licensing, it would be a special occupancy
- Longoria, sorry about that Sam, but do you guys have the numbers on the revenues generated on the hotel occupancy
- There are so many occupations that were. require hours upon hours of training and education in order
- In 2005, the Texas Occupation Code in 2303.155 set impound and storage fees at $20 per day and caps the
Bills:
HB679, HB1764, HB1788, HB2186, HB2204, HB2418, HB2885, HB2983, HB2996, HB3250, HB3352, HB3756, HB3816, HB3913, HB3928, HB4077
Keywords:
environment, regulation, land use, public health, community development, alcohol, Sunday sales, local option election, Texas, business hours, alcohol sales, liquor, off-premise consumption, alcoholic beverages, CPA, Certified Public Accountant, licensing, accountancy, state regulation, continuing education
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Public Health REVISION 2- Meeting moved to room 4S5 Apr 1st, 2026 at 09:00 am
Public Health
Bills:
SB206, SB904, SB933, SB1436, SB1500, SB1553, SB1557, SB1567, SB1644, SB1645, SB1651, SB1794, SB1833, SB1849, SB1984
Keywords:
SB206, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulance, 911 response, emergency response, essential services, federal funding, grant funding, public health, health care facility, municipality, county, ambulance service district, tribal entity, public entity, contract ambulance service, Oklahoma, 63 O.S. 2021 Section 1-2502, emergency clause
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama House Boards, Agencies and Commissions Committee Feb 5th, 2025
Boards, Agencies and Commissions
Bills:
HB25, HB108, HB109, HB111, HB112, HB113, HB117, HB118, HB119, HB120, HB121, HB122, HB124, HB126, HB127, HB128, HB129, HB130, HB131, HB25
Keywords:
emergency services, 911, local districts, joint operations, contracting, HB108, Alabama Sunset Law, sunset reauthorization, board continuation, speech-language pathology, audiology, licensing board, professional regulation, healthcare regulation, occupational licensing, speech therapist, speech pathologist, audiologist, Sunset Committee, Code of Alabama 1975
TX
Keywords:
community supervision, repeat offenders, intoxication, Texas Penal Code, criminal justice reform, intoxication manslaughter, criminal penalties, mandatory supervision, parole eligibility, Grayson's Law, mental health, trauma, jailers, law enforcement, occupational health, diligent participation, state jail felony, time credits, rehabilitation programs, de-escalation
TX
Keywords:
community supervision, repeat offenders, intoxication, Texas Penal Code, criminal justice reform, intoxication manslaughter, criminal penalties, mandatory supervision, parole eligibility, Grayson's Law, mental health, trauma, jailers, law enforcement, occupational health, diligent participation, state jail felony, time credits, rehabilitation programs, de-escalation
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Senate County and Municipal Government Committee Feb 11th, 2025
County and Municipal Government
Transcript Highlights:
- permits from different state or local agencies to issue certain licenses or permits, excluding occupational
Keywords:
competitive bidding, procurement, disclosure statements, state contracts, contract protest, board governance, occupational licensing, Sunset Law, public accountability, training requirements, SB40, Houston/Hunter Act, firearm hold agreement, gun storage, temporary firearm storage, firearms dealer, federal firearms licensee, FFL, civil immunity, gun owner