Transcript Highlights:

• So, but our boards drive decision-making and choice of program services.
• More than 50% of our teachers are coming to Alternative certification program.
• We provide a state-approved program so that those teachers can receive training and instructional programming
• We have to stop and look at programs first. Is that program economically feasible?
• FBLE, FFA, all those things are programs that we don't get the same funding for those programs.

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee met to discuss the needs of rural school districts and the role of Florida’s three regional education consortia: the Panhandle Area Education Consortium, Northeast Florida Educational Consortium, and Heartland Educational Consortium. Executive directors and several rural superintendents described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide shared services, professional learning, leadership development, grant support, cooperative purchasing, risk management, IT/cybersecurity help, and back-office assistance that small districts could not afford to provide on their own. They emphasized that rural districts are often very small, have limited staff, and must still meet the same state reporting and compliance requirements as large urban systems. Testimony focused heavily on teacher recruitment and retention, alternative certification, and the difficulty of staffing specialized roles such as CFOs, MIS directors, IT staff, and content-area teachers. Superintendents said many new hires are career changers or alternatively certified teachers who need consortium-supported training, and several argued for more flexibility in funding so districts can raise salaries and compete with neighboring districts and nearby states. Members also asked about the impact of declining enrollment, homeschooling, and voucher-related school choice; superintendents said those trends are reducing FTE and creating budget instability, while also requiring districts to right-size staff and programs. Several speakers described the financial strain on rural districts, including rising insurance costs, transportation costs, and the challenge of forecasting budgets when enrollment changes after the school year begins. One superintendent recounted major hurricane damage and said consortium risk-management support was essential to recovery. Others said the consortia help districts pool resources for property and health insurance, payroll, student data systems, and procurement, and that this shared approach saves money and improves services. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're just moving it under the new organized conservation, species, and coordination.
• SHPO also has programs such as the certified, the CLG program, the certified local government program
• The SHPO does fantastic work in helping identify... ...of history to future generations.
• I am taking the responses that I got at face value, and hopefully that holds true into the future.
• what we’re trying to preserve, and what will be protected in the future, continues to be preserved.

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This conversation, in my opinion, is really about the future.
• We're an awardee in two billion-dollar DOE programs.
• program, subject to appropriations.
• That's how the program was designed.
• We think those ought to be loan programs.

Bills: SB1468 , SB1612 , SB1789 , SB2530 , SB2571 , SB2717 , SB2967

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: utility systems, Texas A&M, regents authority, construction, improvement, construction contracts, trust funds, property rights, mechanics lien, contractors, trustee liability, mechanic's lien, liability, attorney's fees, windstorm insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, insurance regulation, administrative penalties, coastal counties, catastrophe year

Transcript Highlights:

• Microsoft</c><00:04:02.799><c> programs,</c> some basic programs, Microsoft programs, some basic programs
• </c> there is an energy accelerator program. there is an energy accelerator program.
• We have over 40 programs that you all have us administer, including federal programs.
• Film incentive program.
• Uh, on the dementia care program, how many people do we have in that program right now?

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 28 January, 2026; 8:15 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are questions that can appear on future state assessments and classrooms.
• It starts with something called program management: $345,000.20; lead program manager costs, $486,400
• You have no detail to provide other than program management? What's under program management?
• I just can't get someone on the conservative side to say yes to that question.
• Topics that the committee may return to in the future.

Committee: House Assembly Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are hopeful for a ruling on this in the near future so we can get some real definition on the final
• You might see fewer people falling under this, so it's a little, it's a conservative estimate.
• If the city or county doesn't report to us, we hold up their county program aid or we hold up their local
• In the northwest, we have two additional water systems up there, and there could be more in the future
• get language, frankly, in front of the committee for a conversation that I hope we will have in the future

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• High-quality training programs focused in viticulture and seek.
• But these programs, These programs strengthen the agricultural workforce here, resulting in increased
• Investing in a skilled agricultural workforce is essential to California's future.
• So most of the programs, probably 95% of the programs that we offer throughout the year, are during the
• So most of the programs, probably 95% of the programs that we offer throughout the year are during the

Summary: The Senate Select Committee on California’s wine industry held its first meeting at Napa Valley College, with opening remarks from Chair Senator Christopher Cabaldon and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry emphasizing the wine industry’s importance to California’s economy, communities, and tourism. The chair said the hearing was intended to gather information and ideas, not to take legislative action that day, and to prepare for future work on legislation, budget, and oversight. The first panel focused on research and trends, with experts from Sonoma State, UC Davis, and Terrain describing a major structural downturn: falling wine production and sales, rising costs, labor shortages, housing pressures, changing consumer habits, tariffs, and the loss of younger consumers. They argued the industry needs to shift toward new-customer acquisition, more accessible products and messaging, evidence-based business decisions, and greater investment in research, education, and innovation, including work on disease, climate stress, and health-related consumer questions. Committee members pressed the panel on whether the industry’s future depends on adaptation by existing producers or market-driven consolidation, and on how California can reduce regulatory burdens while maintaining standards. Witnesses said the state’s universities are a “superpower” but are underfunded for wine research, especially on the business and regulatory side, and they urged review of outdated rules, better data collection, and more efficient compliance systems. They also discussed trade competitiveness, especially with imports and the collapse of exports to Canada after tariffs, and raised the need for transitional support for vineyard removals and replanting. The chair and majority leader emphasized that regulations should be evaluated for effectiveness and that California should use its research capacity to improve both industry practices and regulatory implementation. A second panel included representatives from growers, the Wine Institute, and family winemakers. Michael Miller of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers described a severe grower crisis: grapes left unpicked, vineyards abandoned or removed, falling vineyard values, and a need for relief on regulatory costs, trade barriers, water policy, and vineyard removal expenses. Honor Comfort of the Wine Institute focused on consumer outreach, especially younger drinkers, and described the Share Wine Co-Lab, an open-access marketing platform with research, webinars, case studies, and office hours to help wineries better reach Gen Z and millennials. Jane Lisa Tamayo of Family Winemakers of California was present but her remarks were largely garbled in the transcript. Committee members again stressed the need for education, better messaging, and caution about simplistic policy fixes, while also noting the importance of Canada as an export market and the risks of tariffs. The final panel addressed tourism, farmworker impacts, and water regulation. Visit Napa Valley CEO Lindsay Gallagher said Napa’s tourism economy remains relatively strong but is feeling the same international headwinds as the wine sector, including reduced Canadian visitation; she said Napa is broadening its message beyond wine to cuisine, wellness, and outdoor experiences. Sonia DeLuca of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation said declining sales and rising costs are reducing hours, wages, and training opportunities for farmworkers, and urged targeted relief, removal of barriers to sales, wage-loss support, and continued bilingual workforce training. She also said Napa’s workforce-development model is ready to support technology adoption if legal changes allow more automation. Finally, State Water Board official Annalisa Kihar gave an update on the Winery General Order, explaining that it was created in 2021 to streamline and standardize wastewater permitting, with tiered requirements and exemptions for very small wineries; she said 56 wineries have enrolled and 122 are under review, and that the board is working with industry and regional agencies to improve compliance support and flexibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• , which is a major barrier to the continued growth of their programs.
• Arizona's got a comprehensive program. The reason the police are called...
• Arizona's got a comprehensive program.
• When I went to school, it was a five-year program in, what, 1995?
• I think they started the first Pharm.D. program.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to people 65 and older to also offer them to Medicare beneficiaries under 65 with ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections tied to 65-year-old rates. Supporters, including dialysis and ALS advocates, said the bill would help a small population facing high out-of-pocket costs and could improve access to transplants and care; opponents argued it would shift costs onto older seniors and raise Medigap premiums. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 12-0 vote. The committee also heard House Bill 2593, appropriating $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps obstetric and pediatric providers quickly consult on perinatal depression, postpartum psychosis, suicidality, and other mental health crises, improving outcomes for mothers, children, and families and reducing costly emergency and crisis care. The bill received a do pass recommendation on a 10-1 vote. House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, drew emotional testimony from a young woman with spina bifida and another speaker supporting the sanctity of life. Some members objected that the state should focus on practical supports such as paid leave, child care, and health care access, while others supported the resolution as a statement of human dignity. The resolution passed the committee 7-5. The committee then approved House Bill 4010, creating a Board of Genetic Counselors and licensure standards, after testimony from genetic counselors and a patient advocate about the need for qualified counseling and better access; it passed 11-1. Later, the committee approved House Bill 2196, which would require pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse non-affiliated pharmacies at least their acquisition cost and pay a dispensing fee, and establish an appeals process. Independent pharmacists and their coalition said PBM practices are driving closures and unfairly favor affiliated pharmacies, while PBM and employer representatives warned of major cost increases and said the bill would interfere with private contracts; the bill passed 11-1. The committee also adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, and then gave the amended bill a 12-0 do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, with the sponsor and board staff saying it would help implement routine ventilator care in the home; it passed 12-0. The committee then began hearing House Bill 2404, a strike-everything amendment on inter-facility transports for behavioral health patients, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Arizona's got a comprehensive program.
• When I went to school, it was a five-year program in, what, 1995.
• I think they started the first PharmD program.
• You need to be very, very conservative.
• And one that you have to go conservatively and cautiously.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to also offer them to people under 65 who qualify for Medicare because of ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections. Supporters, including patient advocates and an ALS patient, said the bill would improve access to needed coverage and transplant-related care and could have only a small premium impact. Opponents, including Blue Cross Blue Shield/AHIP, argued it would shift significant costs onto older seniors and shrink the Medigap risk pool. The bill was ultimately given a do-pass recommendation on a 12-0 vote. House Bill 2593 would appropriate $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps providers quickly treat pregnant and postpartum patients with depression, psychosis, OCD, and suicide risk, and also supports pediatric mental health care. Supporters said it improves outcomes and reduces emergency and referral costs. The committee approved the bill with a do-pass recommendation by a 10-1 vote, with one member present. The committee also passed House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, after emotional testimony from a woman born with spina bifida and another supporter. Several members objected that the state should focus on concrete supports such as health care and family leave, but the resolution still received a 7-5 do-pass recommendation. House Bill 4010, creating a licensing and regulatory board for genetic counselors, also advanced 11-1 after testimony from genetic counselors and a cancer survivor who said licensure would protect patients and improve access. House Bill 2196, addressing pharmacy benefit manager reimbursement and dispensing fees, passed 11-1 despite opposition from PBMs and employers who warned of higher costs; independent pharmacies argued the bill would help them cover costs and stay open. The committee then adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, which would publish aggregated information and hold a later stakeholder review. Supporters said Arizona needs state-specific transparency data, while opponents called it redundant to federal CMS reporting; the amended bill passed 12-0. House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, also passed unanimously after the board said it was already working on curriculum and implementation. The committee held House Bill 2813 and 2725, and began discussion of House Bill 2404, as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2029, water conservation grant fund disclosure. Natural resources.
• HB 2395, fitness program school report cards. Education. HB 2786, TPT exemptions; textbook rental.
• And just as a warning to future chairs, this can happen to you too. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• I guess I will hang up and hope that we can continue these programs.
• And this bill would undermine decades of conservation work, so I vote now.

Summary: The Senate met in several Committee of the Whole sessions to consider a large number of bills, with most measures receiving do-pass recommendations and several being amended before advancing. Early action included bills on fentanyl penalties (SB 1061), firearm suppressors/prohibited weapons (SB 1069), DCS attorney appearance and hotline/case-history access (SB 1081 and SB 1174), mandatory reporting and scrap metal theft (SB 1127 and SB 1128), and a narcotic-drug-to-minor offense bill (SB 1170). Senators Ortiz, Kuby, and others argued against the drug bills as harmful mandatory-minimum policies that would reduce judicial discretion and worsen addiction and incarceration outcomes, while supporters framed them as public-safety measures. SB 1170 ultimately failed on third reading; SB 1061, SB 1069, SB 1127, SB 1128, SB 1171, SB 1174, and SB 1188 passed, while SB 1021 later failed after concerns were raised about possible federal anti-kickback conflicts. The chamber also advanced health-care and regulatory measures, including chiropractic board compliance training (SB 1021), radiation protection and health-care institution requirements (SB 1120 and SB 1121), health care cost containment system changes (SB 1171), and pharmacy scheduling/prescription authority (SB 1188). Several of these bills were amended with technical changes or rulemaking authority, and most passed on third reading. SB 1243 and SB 1244 on court-ordered treatment also moved forward after amendments; supporters said the changes would improve notice and allow guardians or agencies to act more effectively, while opponents warned about due-process concerns and expanded coercive treatment authority. In later calendars, the Senate considered local planning and permitting (SB 1241), school access and GED preparation (SB 1166 and SB 1370), water and groundwater issues (SB 1202 and SB 1287), tax and finance measures (SB 1180, SB 1221, SB 1293, SB 1294, and SB 1429), and a constitutional resolution on legislative boundaries (SCR 1031). SB 1166 was amended to limit GED preparation to grades 11 and 12, SB 1241 and SB 1287 received technical amendments, and SB 1180 was clarified to align tax forms with federal conformity. SB 1075 on foreign entities and land sales drew the most debate: an Ortiz amendment would have shifted it toward corporate homebuyer restrictions and housing affordability, but that amendment was defeated on a roll call vote before the bill advanced as amended. Most remaining measures passed their third readings, with the Senate adopting Committee of the Whole reports and transmitting the approved bills to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• This measure is for the future.
• It can't be used to make sure that they couldn't sue in the future.
• Investing in immigrant workers is investing in New Mexico's future.
• And the Department of Veterans Services has programs.
• And we're getting all these programs in place.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 25, which would prohibit a juvenile who committed a firearm-related delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult from legally owning or possessing a firearm for 10 years after disposition. The sponsor and supporters said the bill is intended to address serious youth gun violence without lengthening juvenile sentences or unsealing records, and they emphasized that the substitute language was meant to clarify, not change, the bill’s intent. Support came from law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, CYFD, and business interests, while opponents including the Public Defender, ACLU, and criminal defense advocates argued it conflicts with juvenile-code principles, creates civil disabilities based on juvenile conduct, and could raise Second Amendment and sealing-record concerns. Members raised extensive questions about how the NICS background-check process would work, what offenses would qualify, whether the measure would apply retroactively, and how sealed juvenile records and pardons would be handled. After discussion, the committee adopted the committee substitute, but no final vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided; members discussed possibly working on the language further in Judiciary or tabling it. The committee then took up House Bill 15, the Medical Injury and Collaborative Resolution Act, described by the sponsor as New Mexico’s version of a candor law. The bill would create a protected adverse outcome conference process allowing patients and providers to discuss medical injuries or undesirable outcomes outside of court, with the goal of improving communication, giving patients answers, and reducing litigation. A family medicine doctor and a trial lawyer testified in support, saying patients often want explanations more than money and that open conversations can sometimes resolve disputes early. Public commenters also supported the concept, though one noted concerns about how pro se litigants would fit into the process. Committee questions focused on how the bill would define injury, how confidentiality would be enforced, whether statements could be used in court, who would pay for the process, and how it would interact with existing malpractice procedures. The sponsors said the conference would be voluntary, not require an apology, and would be protected by evidentiary rules; if protected statements were introduced at trial, they said remedies such as mistrial could apply. The discussion continued into procedural details, but no final action on HB 15 appears in the provided portion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will allow us to help prevent future accidents and future shark attacks.
• Ranger Michael Hicks from the Alabama Department of Conservation.
• They also have to show credentials from a credible chaplain training program.
• You deserve a future here in this state without having to hide.
• They are our future.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• step to protect the health and safety of future young athletes.
• The park expansions, free parks pass programs, and equitable educational and recreational programs built
• by the free parks pass programs and equitable educational and recreational programs built by this initiative
• And it doesn't apply if the CSU program is impacted.
• down to 15% of degree programs.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest recognitions, and several ceremonial presentations. Members welcomed Jack and Jill of America’s Far West Region and a large education bus trip from Senate District 15. The body also adopted SCR 151 designating May 2026 as ACL Injury Awareness Month, SR 105 declaring May as National Tennis Month, SCR 175 recognizing Behavioral Health Awareness Month, SCR 176 designating May as Small Business Month, and SCR 178 recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month. These resolutions drew broad support, with many senators speaking to the health, civic, economic, and cultural themes in the measures, as well as concerns about anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and solidarity across communities. The Senate also confirmed three gubernatorial appointees unanimously: Siva Gunda to the California Energy Commission, Tony Sertich as Executive Director of the California Housing and Finance Agency, and Craig Snellings to the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. In addition, the chamber approved a motion to suspend Joint Rule 62(a) so the Committee on Local Government could hear AB 1768, after debate over the procedure and a roll call vote. On legislation, the Senate passed a series of bills on unanimous or near-unanimous votes, including SB 922 on local cost recovery for street damage from public service operations, SB 932 on litigation transparency, SB 1311 on updates to consumer affairs boards and licensing rules, SB 1143 on access to forensic interview recordings in child abuse cases, SB 1307 on clearing forged real estate documents, SB 1177 on high-speed rail reporting, SB 971 on community networks for older adults, SB 1400 on Alameda Health System governance, SB 1228 on existing outdoor advertising displays in former redevelopment areas, SB 997 on lien authority for a groundwater sustainability agency, SB 1115 on public cemetery district governance, SB 1088 on advance care planning forms, SB 1242 on family participation in CARE Court, SB 1364 on parental rights in rape-related custody cases, SB 993 on protecting mental health professionals’ identifying information, SB 1094 on prescription drug biosimilar use, SB 1117 on ADU fee calculations, SB 1244 on broker compensation disclosures for public agency health plans, SB 1315 on automated driving system software update reporting, and SB 1398 on recognizing Green Globes as an equivalent state building certification. Earlier, a motion by Senator Strickland to withdraw SB 1035 from committee failed on a 22-22 vote.

Bills: HB2299 , HB2939 , HB2941 , HB2960 , HB3062 , HB3087 , HB3114 , HB3244 , HB3262 , HB3304 , HB3345 , HB3386 , HB3431 , HB3498 , HB3581 , HB3645 , HB3648 , HB3764 , HB3852 , HB3974 , HB4141 , HB4144 , HB4227 , HB4237 , HB4343 , HB4425

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: Article V, convention, amendments, criminal penalties, legislative authority, absentee voting, electronic communication, facsimile device, voting materials, military voters, fentanyl, overdose, first responders, drug reporting, immunity, controlled substances, penalties, firearm liability, tort reform, manufacturers

Transcript Highlights:

• And then finally, on page four, we talk about if you lose eligibility for the program...
• We talk about if you lose eligibility for the program, then you’re going to be removed from the program
• I don't think that it does make the program moot, but your point is well taken.
• But, of course, that would be something that I would love to ask for in the future.
• And follow up on that: so any future ones will be specific line-item appropriations.

Bills: HB2299 , HB2939 , HB2941 , HB2960 , HB3062 , HB3087 , HB3114 , HB3244 , HB3262 , HB3304 , HB3345 , HB3386 , HB3431 , HB3498 , HB3581 , HB3645 , HB3648 , HB3764 , HB3852 , HB3974 , HB4141 , HB4144 , HB4227 , HB4237 , HB4343 , HB4425

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: Article V, convention, amendments, criminal penalties, legislative authority, absentee voting, electronic communication, facsimile device, voting materials, military voters, fentanyl, overdose, first responders, drug reporting, immunity, controlled substances, penalties, firearm liability, tort reform, manufacturers

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee considered a large slate of executive nominations and bills. The nominations of Kevin Buchanan to the Oklahoma State Council of Interstate Adult Offender Supervision, Bobby Raines to the Polygraph Examiners Board, and Colton Richardson to the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System Board were each advanced to the full Senate without opposition. The committee then heard and advanced several measures on elections, criminal law, public safety, and civil procedure, including bills on Article V convention commissioner guardrails, precinct official terms and oaths, fraud and identity theft, treatment screening for arrested individuals, electronic monitoring eligibility, press access to certain arrest information, foreign terrorist organization-related offenses, CDL eligibility tied to the meth registry, sheriff service fees, fentanyl overdose reporting and presumptions, corporate law updates, appraiser fees in condemnation cases, child sexual abuse reporting protections, eviction mediation, garnishment response deadlines, retired municipal judges carrying firearms, critical mineral ownership restrictions, removal of a sunset on a sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator, enhanced riot and assault penalties, ability-to-pay hearings at sentencing, firearm component liability protections, hospice admission authority, government tort claims coverage for OU Health Authority, and tort claims coverage for county jails housing inmates for other entities. Several bills drew notable questioning and amendments. House Bill 2299, dealing with Article V convention commissioners, was advanced after debate over the bill’s “intimidation” language and its potential effect on political speech; Senator Jett opposed it on vagueness grounds. House Bill 3852 on precinct officials was amended to reflect Election Board recommendations, including changing a disqualification period from three to six years, before advancing. House Bill 2939, removing obsolete fax-machine references from election law, was amended to strike a repealed-law reference and then advanced. House Bill 4343, setting a $350 fee for court-appointed appraisers, prompted extended concern about fixing a market rate in statute; the title was stricken so the measure could be worked on further, but it still advanced. House Bill 4227, the child sexual abuse NDA bill, advanced after the author recognized concerns and agreed to strike the title for further work, and House Bill 3386 on same-day eviction mediation also advanced after the author struck title to revisit discrimination concerns. Other measures advanced with little or no opposition, including House Bills 3244, 3345, 3114, 4144, 3764, 3304, 3262, 2941, 3498, 4141, 4237, 3062, 3431, 3581, 3648, and 3974. Some bills generated focused policy questions, such as whether the fentanyl overdose presumption would be rebuttable, whether the meth registry is lifetime or time-limited, whether the electronic monitoring bill would be too restrictive, and whether the riot-mask felony language could affect law enforcement officers operating in an official capacity. The committee also restored title on several measures before advancing them. The meeting concluded with Chairman Howard thanking the committee and staff and noting it was his final policy committee meeting as chair before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would appreciate further conversation with you on what we may be doing in the future.
• I feel that if there are opportunities to enhance training programs so that they make them feel more
• The pilot program title is off, and the Bill is not currently funded.
• It does not create a new state program or appropriate state funds. Therefore, the...
• It may be something that the future will hold better for veterans and first responders.

Bills: HB3767 , HB3934 , HB4199 , HB4336 , HB2947 , HB3834 , HB4302 , HB4095 , HB3287 , HB3649 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB2059 , HB3647

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: controlled dangerous substances, controlled substances, drug scheduling, Schedule I, Schedule IV, anti-drug diversion, drug diversion, synthetic opioids, fentanyl analogs, designer drugs, synthetic cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine analogs, opioids, hallucinogens, depressants, pharmacy regulation, narcotics control, Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, DEA scheduling

Transcript Highlights:

• I would appreciate further conversation with you on what we may be doing in the future.
• And certainly, I feel that if there are opportunities to enhance training programs so that they make
• And certainly, I feel that if there are opportunities to enhance training programs so that they make
• H.B. 2947 would allow clinical interns in accredited behavioral health graduate programs to bill Medicaid
• I would encourage us to, you know, being a study in clinical trials, it may be something that the future

Bills: HB3767 , HB3934 , HB4199 , HB4336 , HB2947 , HB3834 , HB4302 , HB4095 , HB3287 , HB3649 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB2059 , HB3647

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: controlled dangerous substances, controlled substances, drug scheduling, Schedule I, Schedule IV, anti-drug diversion, drug diversion, synthetic opioids, fentanyl analogs, designer drugs, synthetic cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine analogs, opioids, hallucinogens, depressants, pharmacy regulation, narcotics control, Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, DEA scheduling

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee first considered three executive nominations. Shonda Lasseter was reappointed to the State Board of Pharmacy, with discussion focused on pharmacy staffing shortages, PBMs, and broader health care workforce challenges; she was advanced 11-0. Dr. Lane Sabara was renominated to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission, where members discussed rural physician shortages and training pipelines; he was advanced 12-0. Dr. Paul Wright was nominated to fill an unexpired term on the same commission and was advanced 12-0 after questions about his availability and experience supporting rural medicine. The committee then heard several health-related bills. HB 3767, which adds 14 chemicals used to enhance fentanyl to Oklahoma’s controlled substances schedules, advanced 10-0. HB 3934, a dentistry workforce and cleanup bill updating insurance-claim and billing language, advanced 11-0. HB 4199, creating a three-year tri-share workforce pilot program for the Department of Commerce, was amended to change eligibility language and then advanced 9-2. HB 2947, allowing supervised behavioral health interns to bill Medicaid, advanced 10-1. HB 3834, authorizing the Department of Health to begin stage-one clinical trials for ibogaine and creating a revolving fund for that purpose, drew extensive testimony about veteran and first responder treatment, safety, funding, and state liability, and advanced 10-2. Additional measures also moved forward. HB 4302, after amendment, advanced 12-0 on a juvenile oversight reporting and law enforcement notification issue. Committee member bills included HB 495, reinstating the 211 Collaborative advisory council, which advanced 11-0; HB 3287, requiring domestic violence and human trafficking signage in health facilities, which advanced 11-0; HB 3649, allowing the Mental Health Department to sell underused property and keep the proceeds in its trust, which advanced 12-0 after amendment; HB 4430, clarifying malpractice coverage for APRNs and PAs at state facilities, which advanced 12-0; HB 2059, creating a mechanism to reimburse medication costs for incarcerated people in county and municipal jails, which advanced 12-0 after questions about continuity of care; and HB 3647, creating an all-payer claims database and transparency board, which advanced 10-2. The committee adjourned after announcing another meeting the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also decreases future rate increases, eliminates future eligibility expansions, and limits the
• The fiscal note has a 1st of 2027 for the program.
• This is relating to the Medicaid Access Program.
• House Bill 2385, concerning the Medicaid access program.
• and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Bills: HB2675 , HB2249 , HB2120 , HB1069 , HB1983 , HB2431 , SB6006 , SB6297 , SB6351 , SB6353 , HB2521 , HB2091 , HB2104 , SB6355 , HB2254 , HB2385 , SB5808 , HB1796 , HB1376 , SB6260 , HB2353

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: accounts, finance, business regulation, transparency, audits, HB 2249, Washington Technology Solutions, WaTech, civil service, classified service, exempt employees, state employment, state personnel, network security, cybersecurity, information technology, IT contracting, data center, systems integration, network engineering

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh to have a program that works well.
• </c> perhaps most significant in this program perhaps most significant in this program uh<00:11:55.519
• general— done when you have an aid program that done when you have an aid program that has<00:16:32.079
• </c> programs working with the campuses. programs working with the campuses. because<00:20:12.080><c>
• </c> quality performance for those programs. quality performance for those programs.

Bills: SB79 , HB379 , SB253 , HB278 , HB438 , HB233 , SB79 , HB379 , SB253 , HB278 , HB438 , HB233

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights, privacy, safety, fairness, anti-discrimination, vital statistics, birth certificate, intersex, DSD, differences in sex development, transgender

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, we have outages, we have education programs, we have... ...we have outages, we have education
• So we have low-income programs that we run. We have safety programs that we run.
• We will probably reach third here in the near future behind Los Angeles County and Harris County. the
• We will probably reach third here in the near future behind Los Angeles County and Harris County.
• We are only going to continue to grow for the foreseeable future, and so I'd rather get out ahead of

Bills: SB1246 , SB1338 , SB1428 , SB1443 , SB1501 , SB1566 , SB1571 , SB1645 , SB1646 , SB1663 , SB1688 , SB1805 , SB1808 , SB1825 , SCR1023 , SCR1029 , HB2079 , HB2080 , HB2130 , HB2239 , HB2324 , HB2375 , HB2610 , HB2619 , HB2620 , HB2716 , HB2745 , HB2749 , HB2837 , HB2857 , HB2968 , HB4064 , HB4066 , HB4087 , HB4130 , HCR2048 , HCR2058

Committee: Senate Government

Keywords: homeowners associations, foreclosure, common expense liens, condominiums, special assessments, unit owner, public benefits, eligibility, immigration status, documentation, Arizona law, county governance, supervisorial board, population-based representation, local government, elections, noise pollution, environmental nuisances, building permits, urban development