Transcript Highlights:

• students who are enrolled members or citizens of any federally recognized or Canadian First Nation tribe
• uh a recognized or Canadian First Nation uh a federally<00:44:26.800> Rec<00:44:27.319> tribe
• /c><00:44:27.480> or<00:44:27.599> Canadian<00:44:27.960> First federally Rec tribe
• or Canadian First federally Rec tribe or Canadian First Nation<00:44:29.319> um<00:44:29.599>
• or Canadian First American Indian tribe or Canadian First Nation<00:45:12.599> who<00:45:12.720

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with the disappearance of Passion Swartz, a 28-year-old woman and mother from the Salt River Pima tribe
• Passion Swartz, a 28-year-old woman and mother from the Salt River Pima tribe, went missing on March

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Arizona Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, welcomed guests from the Arizona Psychiatric Society and Brigadier General John Connolly, and adopted a lighthearted April Fool’s proclamation directing the sergeant-at-arms to wear a silk top hat. The chamber also approved a House request to adjourn from April 2 to April 7, and transmitted Senate Bills 1181 and 1473 to the Governor. Later, the Senate observed a moment of silence for Passion Swartz after a personal privilege statement about her disappearance and death, and discussed the need to improve turquoise alert practices. The Senate then considered two Committee of the Whole calendars. On the first, it advanced HB 2120 on property tax exemptions and disability determinations, HB 2174 on insurance modeling/data organizations, HB 2289 on truth-in-taxation bond notices, HB 2861 on marital/postnuptial agreements, and HB 2903 on banks and financial institutions, all receiving do-pass recommendations and later passing the Senate. On the second calendar, it advanced HB 208 on school libraries and professional associations, HB 2040 on public educational institutions and adoption information, HB 2075 on school employee contracts, HB 2203 on Department of Education reporting requirements, HB 2255 on school employee training, HB 2383 on school district leases and housing development, and HB 257 on a special plate tied to the mining museum; all were adopted from committee and passed the Senate, with HB 2255 requiring and receiving a three-quarters vote. Several bills drew floor debate and recorded opposition. Senators argued that HB 2075 unfairly applied transparency rules only to school districts, HB 2174 weakened insurance consumer protections, HB 2289 could bias voters on bond measures, HB 2903 used vague “social credit score” language, HB 2008 attacked school librarians, and HB 2040 imposed adoption messaging in health settings. Despite these objections, the Senate passed each measure by recorded vote, with HB 2223 and HB 2203 passing unanimously or near-unanimously, and the remaining bills passing by varying margins before being transmitted to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Breanna Mitriason, and I'm an enrolled member of a tribe here in Minnesota.
• our sovereignty is recognized, and that our cultural knowledge is included in the conversation, and tribes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill adds the child's Indian tribe to the list of parties required to receive notice and the report
• if the child is a member of an Indian tribe.

Bills: SB1017, SB1149, SB1162, SB1192, SB1249, SB1253, SB1331, SB1333, SB1334

Keywords: informed consent, surgical procedures, healthcare professionals, patient rights, regulatory compliance, child welfare, dependency hearings, foster care, court procedures, parental rights, healthcare compliance, behavioral health technicians, licensing, monitoring, administrative burdens, basic first aid, good samaritan, medical licensing exemption, Arizona medical board, A.R.S. 32-1421

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee opened with approval of the January 28 and 29 minutes and a welcome to Arizona Physical Therapy Day at the Capitol, including remarks from physical therapy advocates and students. The committee then took up several bills related to SNAP, health care oversight, child welfare, dementia planning, and safe haven newborn surrender. On SNAP, SB 1334 would bar DES from seeking or renewing federal waivers of work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents unless authorized by law; it passed 4-1. SB 1333 would require DES to reduce the SNAP payment error rate to 3% by 2030, with regular reporting, corrective action plans, and possible funding penalties; an amendment changed the reporting to quarterly and required a special audit, and the bill passed 4-1 as amended. SB 1331 would require able-bodied adults under 60 receiving SNAP to participate in mandatory employment and training unless exempt; testimony split between supporters citing work incentives and opponents warning of administrative burden and impacts on families and food banks, and it passed 4-2. The committee also advanced SB 1162, which clarifies DHS as the lead licensing and monitoring agency for health care institutions and, as amended, requires DHS and AHCCCS/Access to coordinate to identify duplicative oversight and report back periodically; it passed unanimously. SB 1017, requiring signatures on emergency informed consent forms for surgical procedures, passed 4-2. SB 1149, dealing with DCS periodic review hearings and notice/reporting requirements, including for tribal parties, passed 5-1. SB 1249, which designates DHS as the lead agency on Alzheimer’s and dementia planning and creates a dementia services program funded through lottery monies under the adopted amendment, passed unanimously after emotional testimony from advocates and family members. Finally, SB 1253, clarifying that a parent may surrender a newborn at the hospital of birth without leaving and returning, passed 5-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• energy resilience and mitigation program in 2022 in response to requests from local communities and tribes
• We work with all energy sector providers, tribes, and local communities to provide planning support and

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee I-900 Subcommittee heard JLARC’s annual update on the status of legislative implementation of State Auditor recommendations, followed by two State Auditor performance audits. JLARC staff reported that for the 2024 review period there were three new legislative recommendations and three unresolved older recommendations. They said the legislature did not convene a work group on civil asset forfeiture, and no formal action was taken on two water-use-efficiency recommendations. Two recommendations related to concurrent Medicaid enrollments were addressed in a bill introduced this session, but that bill was not adopted. The first audit examined how Washington can ensure climate-resilient electricity infrastructure. The State Auditor found the state has opportunities to better adapt new energy infrastructure by using more site-specific climate information, broader collaboration, and vulnerability assessments. The report recommended expanding climate analyses through the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group if funding is available, using forecasted information in DNR wildfire maps, designating a non-regulatory office to coordinate siting and conflict resolution, and expanding vulnerability assessments in Ecology and Commerce processes. Agency witnesses generally agreed resilience is important but emphasized existing efforts, the need to avoid duplicative requirements, the importance of affordability and efficiency, and the role of current forums such as the Clean Energy Siting Council and SEPA processes. The second audit reviewed fines for human trafficking and related sexual exploitation crimes. Auditors found courts assessed fines inconsistently, collection rates varied, some revenues were sent to the wrong local government, and some jurisdictions did not use the money as required for enforcement, prevention, or survivor services. The audit recommended courts work with prosecutors to improve awareness of mandatory fines, and that King and Pierce County improve coding, templates, and tracking so revenues are routed and used correctly. King County testified that it appreciated the audit and described its existing prevention and survivor-support work. The committee took no votes or formal actions and adjourned after the presentations and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• This proposal allows counties and tribes to provide a prevention response to educational neglect reports
• So, this would allow the counties and tribes to respond in a preventative and holistic way. and provide

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• His beloved paternal grandmother had Indian roots from a tribe in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
• to family stories, his grandparents left Mexico for Arizona to escape deadly persecution of local tribes

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, pledge, and a moment of silence for Marysville Police Officer Osmar Rodarte. Members then handled several procedural motions, including re-referring bills and moving items on the file, with AB 567 re-referred by a recorded vote of 42-17 and the remaining referral requests approved without objection. The chamber also heard a brief personal statement from Assembly Member Macedo thanking colleagues and staff for support during a health episode. On the floor, members presented and passed several measures. AB 310 by Assembly Member Alanis, requiring youth sports organizations to have AED access, emergency response plans, and coach training, passed 56-0. AB 437 by Assembly Member Lackey, expanding CIF reporting to include sports-related injuries and medical problems, passed 59-0. ACR 55 by Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez, commemorating the 40th anniversary of ARC v. DDS and the Lanterman Act, received 62 co-authors and was adopted by voice vote. The Assembly also adopted HR 28 recognizing Major League Baseball Opening Day 2025, with extended lighthearted remarks about the Dodgers, Giants, and Athletics, and HR 23 honoring Cesar Chavez Day, which drew broad support from caucus leaders and members speaking to Chavez’s labor and civil rights legacy. Both resolutions were adopted by voice vote after adding co-authors. The chamber then approved the second-day consent calendar, including ACR 39 on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month and ACR 53 on Women’s Equal Pay Day, and later adjourned in memory of Ralph Miller after tributes from Assembly Members Hart and Gibson. The House adjourned until Tuesday, April 1 at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tribes deserve to be meaningfully consulted on projects that affect their lands, water, and resources
• Tribes deserve to be meaningfully consulted on projects that affect their lands, water, and resources
• , received push back from our tribes, received push back from our tribes, energy<02:52:24.880>
• This week we received a letter from the Wisconsin tribes who had sued to try to stop that hunt.
• <03:23:55.279> for tribes support continued protection for tribes support continued protection

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, December 18, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• already have more than $22 million in requests, go to nonprofit organizations, federally recognized tribes
• already have more than $22 million in requests, go to nonprofit organizations, federally recognized tribes
• already have more than $22 million in requests, go to nonprofit organizations, federally recognized tribes
• the medical assistance<01:50:06.239> population<01:50:06.960> and<01:50:07.199> tribes
• <01:50:07.600> are assistance population and tribes are assistance population and tribes are

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we would want to co-create a long-term strategy in this space with counties and tribes. seeking to
• space with long-term strategy in this space with counties<00:52:02.120> and<00:52:02.280> tribes
• nations that conduct these services have a rate that really aligns with the costs that the counties and tribes
• <00:54:34.640> the<00:54:34.720> counties<00:54:35.200> and<00:54:35.320> tribes
• costs that the counties and tribes costs that the counties and tribes incur. incur. incur.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also must include contributions of the Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities, including
• contributions of the Minnesota<00:26:10.559> American<00:26:11.039> Indian<00:26:11.440> tribes
• <00:26:12.000> and Minnesota American Indian tribes and Minnesota American Indian tribes and
• The CCSSR framework, the Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities, including urban Indigenous

Bills: HF3489, HF3550

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• Order 126 in 1976 when we were Boston Indian Council, and this was for residents who were members of tribes
• misrepresented by the seal, the peoples that we identify as Massachusetts Native Americans, the people from tribes
• , we were on a call with the commissioner just last week, and we had some members of the Wampanoag tribe
• I am also a tribal enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Tribe of North Dakota and also a founder of Native

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing covered a wide range of bills, with substantial testimony on commemorative days and several local development measures. Early testimony focused on competing proposals about Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Senator Comerford and others supported redesignating the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, while several Italian American legislators and advocates opposed changing Columbus Day and instead urged a separate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on August 9 or another date. Committee members noted the long-running debate, discussed the state flag and motto review process, and emphasized that any changes would require legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee also heard strong support for a Fred Korematsu Day bill, with testimony from advocates, legal organizations, community leaders, and Korematsu’s daughter. Witnesses described Korematsu’s resistance to Japanese American incarceration during World War II, argued that his story remains relevant amid current immigration and civil liberties concerns, and said the designation would help educate students and the public. A separate bill to designate September as PCOS Awareness Month drew testimony from Senator Miranda and health advocates, who described the disorder’s prevalence, frequent misdiagnosis, fertility and pregnancy risks, and the value of public awareness and education. Other bills discussed included a Domestic Workers’ Rights Day proposal, supported by Representative Garcia and Representative Sousa, who spoke about the invisibility and vulnerability of domestic workers and the importance of recognizing their labor. The committee also heard support for a veteran suicide awareness and remembrance day, a Boston branch library and affordable housing project in Dorchester, and a Fall River waterfront redevelopment bill transferring land to the local redevelopment authority for a major mixed-use project. In addition, Senator Miranda testified in favor of a memorial portrait for former Representative Doris Bunty, highlighting her pioneering role in the legislature and Boston public housing. The hearing was hybrid and lengthy, with the chair repeatedly asking witnesses to be concise and noting that testimony would be public record.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think, one, currently if tribes so choose, they have the ability to direct TNGF resources to MMIP investigations
• And that’s directing—if we were to do a fund swap, directing tribes to use TNGF for MMIP.
• I think one, currently if tribes sewed shoes, they have the ability to direct TNGF resources to MMIP
• And that's directing, if we were to do a fund swap, directing tribes to use TNGF for MMIP.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review May Revision proposals for several departments and emphasized that no votes would be taken that day. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget is balanced only through one-time resources and still has structural deficits, recommending that the Legislature avoid new ongoing spending and instead preserve reserves and other solutions. The Judicial Council then presented proposals for language access and interpreter services, appellate court security, a backfill to the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation-room mandate; Finance supported the language access item with reporting language and supported keeping the court facilities backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial pay freezes, judge vacancies, and uneven judge allocations across counties, and also asked about the cost and completion of courthouse lactation rooms and remote-hearing infrastructure. The Board of State and Community Corrections items focused on $10 million one-time grants for missing and murdered Indigenous people and for a human trafficking vertical prosecution program. The LAO suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support the MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said the need was clear based on reported cases and California’s share of hotline reports. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and discussed whether ongoing funding would be needed beyond the one-time proposal, while also debating whether BSEC or OES should administer the prosecution grants. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal fraud and elder abuse staffing, organized retail criminal enterprise case completion, and a continuous appropriation for the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO raised concerns about the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s solvency and recommended rejecting that portion unless DOJ could show the fund could support it without General Fund repayment, and it opposed the continuous appropriation in favor of more legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent under current projections and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. Members also clarified that the Medi-Cal fraud unit targets providers, not beneficiaries, and asked about delays in restitution payments. A lengthy portion of the hearing covered CDCR’s May Revision package and the Boston Consulting Group cost-savings effort. CDCR described revised savings from workforce optimization, workers’ compensation, and procurement, but members repeatedly expressed frustration that the promised savings had fallen far short of earlier estimates. The LAO recommended deeper cuts to some parole positions, more detail on proposed eliminations and contract changes, and caution about counting unallocated future savings. CDCR also presented population projections showing continued declines and the LAO again urged the administration to close a prison to reduce ongoing costs. The committee also heard proposals on workers’ compensation, Corcoran honor housing, incarcerated firefighter pay, agricultural food purchasing requirements, menopause care, mental health receiver staffing, resource teams, crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing, and AI note-taking in electronic health records, with the LAO generally recommending limited-term approvals and reporting requirements while Finance defended ongoing funding and said it was open to additional reporting language.

Transcript Highlights:

• :49.920> Vermont<00:15:50.639> because AP pointed to an FBI report finding increased tribe
• pointed to an FBI report<00:16:07.120> finding<00:16:07.600> increased<00:16:08.079> tribe
• report finding increased tribe report finding increased tribe complaints<00:16:10.079> and

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional reading by Theo Novak, a student and Vermont Poetry Out Loud finalist, followed by several announcements, including a welcome for the guest speaker and a reminder about a freshman legislator gathering and the day’s corporate cup road closures. The House then postponed action for one legislative day on Senate Bill 208, relating to law enforcement identification; Senate Bill 212, relating to portable water supply and wastewater system connections; and House Bill 639, relating to genetic data privacy. The main floor action centered on House Bill 648, banking, insurance, and securities. The Commerce and Economic Development Committee presented Senate amendments and its own further amendments, including clarifications to consumer reinvestment reporting and a proposal to extend and then effectively end the moratorium on new cryptocurrency kiosks in Vermont. The committee described extensive testimony and data on crypto kiosk fraud, money laundering, and consumer losses, and also added a new licensing framework for merchant cash advance providers. Ways and Means reported the fiscal impact would be very small. After a brief question about the $1 million exemption threshold for commercial financing, the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment with further amendment thereto. The House also passed Senate Bill 243, distributing funds to the Vermont Language Justice Project, in concurrence with proposal of amendment. It then took up Senate Bill 198, regulating tobacco products and tobacco substitutes. The Commerce and Economic Development Committee described updates to the definition of tobacco substitutes, creation of a wholesale licensing system under the Department of Liquor and Lottery, tighter controls on online sales, and bans on deceptive products that resemble school supplies, food, smartphones, inhalers, or video games. The committee heard testimony from health, enforcement, industry, and advocacy witnesses and voted 11-0 in favor. Human Services then proposed a strike-all amendment to the committee report, with further consideration to continue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a little context: Prairie Island Indian Community is one out of four Dakota tribes, federally recognized
• tribes in the state of Minnesota, in the southeast part along the Mississippi River.
• All right, meeting is adjourned. federally recognized tribes in the state federally recognized tribes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 25 is a DHS initiative related to tribes certifying their own MnCHOICES assessors.
• /c><00:15:31.920> to uh, is a DHS initiative related to uh, is a DHS initiative related to tribes
• certifying<00:15:33.640> their<00:15:33.920> own<00:15:34.160> MnCHOICES tribes
• certifying their own MnCHOICES tribes certifying their own MnCHOICES assessors. assessors. assessors

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had a lot of really positive engagement from the tribes around the state, and we're excited to
• :15:26.399> engagement<00:15:26.920> from<00:15:27.079> the<00:15:27.240> tribes
• positive engagement from the tribes positive engagement from the tribes around<00:15:27.959>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Explore Minnesota Executive Director Lauren Bennett McGinty gave the committee an agency overview focused on the state’s tourism, livability, business attraction, film, and outdoor recreation promotion work. She highlighted record 2023 tourism results, including 80.2 million visitors, $4.1 billion in economic impact, more than 180,000 hospitality jobs, and $2.3 billion in state and local taxes, and said tourism sales, hotel occupancy, and other metrics continued to improve. She also described the agency’s marketing strategy, including a new campaign centered on authentic Minnesota stories, expanded domestic and international advertising, and a strong emphasis on winter, diverse markets, and accessibility. McGinty reviewed several one-time-funded programs launched or expanded in the last year, including Explore Minnesota for Business, the tourism recovery grant program, the first Tribal Nations Grant program, and the outdoor recreation industry partnership with IRRR, DEED, and DNR. She said the recovery grants had distributed $1.15 million to 110 grantees, the tribal grant program had spent $1.4 million with eight tribal nations, and outdoor recreation was estimated at $13.5 billion annually with 10.5% growth. She also noted strong media and social media results, including a viral Timberwolves-related campaign, high video completion rates, and increased website traffic. In response to committee questions, McGinty said the workforce and business attraction campaign is aimed at showing why people choose to live and work in Minnesota, using stories from newer residents and businesses, and that it is performing well in markets such as Silicon Valley, Boston, and Seattle. She said the agency is investing more in winter advertising to promote Minnesota as a winter destination and is working with partners to highlight activities beyond outdoor cold-weather recreation. Members also discussed the agency’s new film program, resident retention efforts, and a planned music-themed tourism ad tied to Prince and Bob Dylan. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just curious on the alternative scenario, why do the Three Affiliated Tribes have a $64 million decrease
• So in doing the revenue forecast and determining the allocations, we estimate what the tribes will be
• So now we did make that adjustment in here for less production coming off the Three Affiliated Tribes

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.

Transcript Highlights:

• keeping<00:33:06.240> this<00:33:07.200> right<00:33:07.440> to<00:33:07.600> tribe
• <00:33:08.000> very<00:33:08.320> narrow keeping this right to tribe very narrow keeping
• this right to tribe very narrow and<00:33:10.320> not<00:33:10.720> open<00:33:10.960>

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 24 February, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took House Bill 1637 off the table and adopted a committee substitute amendment narrowing Public Records Act exemptions to records of the child death review panel, maternal mortality review committee, and fetal and infant mortality review panel. Supporters said the exemption was intended to let providers and hospitals speak candidly in closed-door reviews to identify mistakes and prevent future deaths, while critics questioned how the public and legislature would learn the outcomes. The amendment and then the bill as amended were adopted by voice vote. House Bill 479, which would extend temporary licensing timeframes for the psychology board and the board of licensed marriage and family therapists from 30 to 60 days, was then considered. An amendment was adopted clarifying that the bill does not alter existing education, supervised training, or examination requirements. Senator Hill raised concerns that the bill’s language could allow a temporary license to last 365 days even if licensure requirements were not met, and the committee ultimately tabled the bill subject to call so the language could be clarified. The committee also heard House Bill 514, the Mississippi Veterinary Practice Act, which updates the vet-client-patient relationship definition, adds a public member and a certified veterinary technician to the board, removes some fees, and adds title protection for certified veterinary technicians. Witnesses said the changes were meant to support the profession and keep more graduates in-state. The bill passed after questions about the certification’s scope. House Bill 612, authorizing intergovernmental agreements and involving Coast Guard training and installation support services, was tabled subject to call after members said they needed more explanation. Finally, House Bill 1152, the Right to Try the Medical Cannabis Act, was considered. The bill creates a process for patients with chronic, progressive, severely disabling, or terminal illnesses not already covered by the medical cannabis statute to petition the Department of Health for access, with the treating physician initiating the request. An amendment was adopted to clarify that out-of-state patients receiving care in Mississippi are not excluded if they meet the same process and standards. Members then debated unclear language near the end of the bill about which provisions control in case of conflict; the sponsor said the new right-to-try provisions would govern for the covered patients. The discussion continued with examples of conditions that might qualify, such as non-malignant chronic pain syndromes, and the bill remained under consideration as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Knowledge that we have in our nation's pueblos and tribes and the language nests in their Head Start,
• Secretary for Native American Early Education and Care, to bring all those nations, pueblos, and tribes
• And Did this include the advisory group that you guys have formed with all of the tribal Tribes, Nations

Bills: SB2

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways