Transcript Highlights:

• Within this report, we looked at certain grants management practices across state agencies, but we did
• What we found in our review of DHS's grants management practices was that, of the 41 grant reviewers
• What we found in our review of DHS's grants management practices was that, of the 41 grant reviewers
• </c><00:08:43.800><c> was</c> dhs's uh grants management practices was dhs's uh grants management practices
• </c><00:55:54.760><c> claims</c> implementing process to assess claims implementing process to assess

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• barriers that Experience practical barriers that undermine those rights.
• A right that exists only on paper, but is out of reach in practice, is not a right at all.
• </c> magistrates. this these practical magistrates. this these practical improvements<02:53:27.600><c
• we can come into better conformity with median tax practices all around the country.
• They self-assess fees upon themselves to the tune of around $22... ...million a year.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have faculty of practice, which are faculty that can join the university from industry and teach
• of practice which are actually<00:14:33.600><c> faculty</c><00:14:34.079><c> that</c><00:14:34.240><
• Actually, the faculty of practice are not permanent.
• are not uh permanent are of practice are not uh permanent are temporary<00:21:40.840><c> positions</
• </c> allow better evidence-based assessments allow better evidence-based assessments of<01:02:11.000>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing covered Senate Bill 426, which would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of Human Services, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education, the Attorney General’s office, the Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the University of Hawaiʻi’s early childhood educator project, and a Zoom testifier who described the importance of investing in high-quality early childhood education. Committee discussion focused on the program’s estimated cost, with figures of about $14.5 million in 2025-26 and $15 million in 2026-27, and on whether the program would require ongoing base-budget funding. The committee recommended technical, non-substantive amendments, including a statewide-concern amendment and a deferred effective date, and both committees adopted the recommendation by vote. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1622, which would appropriate funds to establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute within the University of Hawaiʻi to support statewide artificial intelligence initiatives. University representatives described the proposal as the product of campus-wide input and outlined five pillars: governance and policy, outreach and engagement, research and development, workforce development, and AI tools for key sectors such as health care, creative industries, manufacturing, data science, astronomy, and climate change. Members questioned staffing distribution, tuition, enrollment timing, housing, campus placement, and whether positions would be permanent or temporary; the university said it planned about 10 positions across campuses, would start with internal resources, and would house the effort under the Vice President for Research and Innovation initially. The committees recommended an SD1 with the appropriation amounts blanked out, a July 31, 2050 effective date, and committee-report language on housing and West Oʻahu, and the higher education and labor/technology committees adopted the amended recommendation. Finally, the Higher Education Committee took up Senate Bill 1488, a housekeeping measure to consolidate existing University of Hawaiʻi conference center statutes into a single revolving fund structure, and Senate Bill 636, which would fund retention and internship coordinator positions and broader enrollment management efforts at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. SB 1488 drew university support and no opposition. SB 636 prompted substantial questioning about Hilo’s declining enrollment, current retention rate of 72.8 percent, and the scope of the request, which includes not only two named positions but also about $432,000 for enrollment management initiatives such as data analysis, IT support, and other student services. Hilo said it is targeting 3 to 5 percent annual enrollment growth and that the positions would support recruitment, retention, internships, and data-driven enrollment strategy. The committee pressed for a clearer broader plan, but the discussion in the transcript ended before a final vote on SB 636 was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we are, and that's kind of a standard practice on construction projects.
• </c><00:42:04.000><c> The</c> weighted assessed value per capita.
• The weighted assessed value per capita.
• Um, beginning with the small assessed value adjustments.
• </c><00:45:18.000><c> at</c><00:45:18.240><c> 76%</c> assessed values are weighted at 76% assessed values

Bills: HB0105 , HB0107 , SF0002

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: K-12 education, school facilities, security improvements, public funding, state appropriations, school construction, local government funding, sales tax distribution, municipal funding, economic equity, state revenue, Wyoming Legislature, legislative appropriations, Legislative Service Office, LSO budget, general fund, biennial budget, legislative branch, legislator travel, per diem

Transcript Highlights:

• I practiced it like three times in my head before saying it.
• Finally, a violation of the bill is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under the Maryland
• </c><01:16:22.320><c> that</c> removal technology and practices that removal technology and practices
• </c> carbon removal technology and practices. carbon removal technology and practices. bill<01:16:36.800
• </c><01:24:59.679><c> the</c> subsidy for purposes of assessing the subsidy for purposes of assessing

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, March 20, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide assessment and intervention services to Kentuckians across the lifespan, from infants that
• In fact, audiologists need a clinical doctorate to enter practice, while speech-language pathologists
• In fact, audiologists need a clinical doctorate to enter practice, while speech-language pathologists

Keywords: Due to a technical issue, the first part of the meeting did not stream live. This reupload restores that portion, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard four House bills, adjusting the order to accommodate members’ schedules. House Bill 510, on organ donation procedures, would require health care providers involved in organ procurement to pause the process if any signs of life are observed and restart the process if needed. The bill was presented as a consensus measure, received no opposition, and passed with favorable expression by unanimous vote and consent. House Bill 176 would create a framework for insurers to implement a waiver program reducing prior authorization requirements before care is provided. The sponsor said the language had been worked out with insurers to cut red tape and improve transparency. The committee approved the bill unanimously with favorable expression and then consent. House Bill 266 would add audiology and speech-language pathology to the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund eligibility list. Testimony emphasized that these professions are essential to patient care across the lifespan and meet the fund’s training and licensure standards. The bill passed unanimously with favorable expression and consent. House Bill 393 concerned Alzheimer’s-related statutory cleanup, adding a caregiver council seat and requiring the council to develop and distribute an early detection and diagnosis toolkit for health care providers. The bill was supported as a way to improve Alzheimer’s awareness and care, with one senator explaining a yes vote in memory of a parent who had Alzheimer’s. It also passed unanimously with favorable expression and consent. The chair announced the next committee meeting would be Wednesday, March 25 at 8:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Who may obtain transition-to-practice hours outside of California.
• Clinical practice requirements vary dramatically from state to state.
• It is the scope of practice in each state that is different.
• But then at the APRN level, they do have several different transition-to-practice requirements, some
• And so it is truly different from state to state on the transition of practice, but the education and

Committee: House Business and Professions

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It recommended a further, more practical implementation roadmap be assessed, and then there was an additional
• One salient example from earlier this week: we have been very active in shutting down bad practices with
• department maintains data on wait times and other measures, and the Legislature would be able to assess
• The Legislature would be able to assess the effectiveness of this funding should the Legislature provide
• So some of this was intended as technical cleanup to match today's practice.

Summary: The committee opened with the State Controller’s Office May Revision requests, including funding for Fiscal book-of-record stabilization, a Broadcom IDMS licensing adjustment, the California State Payroll System, ACFR reporting automation, and $3 million for unclaimed property outreach. Testimony emphasized progress on Fiscal becoming the state’s accounting book of record in July, faster ACFR publication, and the move to electronic unclaimed property claims. Members asked about the size of the unclaimed property fund and how quickly money is transferred to the General Fund; the Controller’s office said about $15 billion is held, with most excess transferred regularly, and the LAO noted the fund is the General Fund’s fourth-largest revenue source. No concerns were raised by Finance or the LAO, and the item was closed after no public comment. The committee then heard the administration’s proposal to tax prewritten digital software and software-as-a-service, with Finance saying it would modernize sales tax treatment and raise an estimated $450 million General Fund and $560 million local revenue in 2026-27. The LAO supported modernizing the tax but suggested broader digital goods coverage and a business-use exemption; industry and taxpayer groups opposed the proposal, warning of higher costs for consumers and businesses. Members also heard CDTFA’s administrative request tied to the proposal, plus a separate CDTFA budget reduction reflecting lower operational needs; that reduction was presented as a savings item and drew positive reactions. Next, the committee considered federal conformity for “Trump accounts,” which would align California tax treatment with federal rules for tax-deferred children’s accounts and avoid tracking burdens for families. The LAO recommended approval, and the item drew no opposition. The committee also heard a proposal to cut the first-year $800 annual business tax to $400 for LLCs, LPs, and LLPs; Finance argued it would lower startup costs and encourage new business formation, while the LAO said the benefit was not well targeted and could subsidize entities that would form anyway. Members discussed the policy tradeoff, and public commenters split between support for small business relief and concern about revenue loss. The final major revenue item was a permanent business tax credit limitation, capping credits at the greater of $5 million per corporation or 50% of pre-credit liability, while excluding the low-income housing tax credit and personal income tax credits. Finance said it would raise significant revenue from large profitable corporations, and the LAO said it was a reasonable option but noted it would mainly affect the R&D credit and could have future implications for programs like California Competes. Public testimony was sharply divided, with business groups opposing the cap and anti-poverty advocates supporting it as a way to recapture revenue. The committee also heard FTB’s CalFile realignment request, which would return most of the direct-file-related resources to the General Fund while retaining a smaller staff to improve CalFile, and the California Arts Council’s request to reauthorize the Keep Arts in Schools voluntary contribution fund, which members and advocates supported despite relatively modest annual donations. The hearing continued with GoBiz proposals on civic media funding, CA RISE reappropriation, and a semiconductor facility reversion, with the LAO supporting the latter two and members raising questions about the civic media program’s scope, outreach, and inclusion of broadcast and ethnic media.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been years since I've practiced, but when I practiced, it was always frustrating to me when I would
• Programs like this give responsible gun owners practical options.
• This is a targeted and practical measure. It does not create new penalties...
• This is a targeted and practical measure.
• AB 2052 addresses this problem in a practical and compassionate way.

Summary: The Senate Public Safety Committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 647, which would clarify last year’s RV disposal pilot program for Los Angeles and Alameda counties so local agencies can remove abandoned, inoperable RVs more efficiently. Supporters, including a representative for Mayor Karen Bass, said the bill is needed to address public health, fire, sewage, and neighborhood safety hazards. Opponents argued the measure would be used to remove occupied RVs without adequate housing or service referrals and would harm vehicle residents. The committee later approved AB 647 on a do-pass motion to the Appropriations Committee. The committee also considered AB 1656, which would give judges discretion to delay human trafficking cases when the assigned prosecutor has another trial, preliminary hearing, or motion to suppress, with amendments limiting the continuance to one time and no more than 10 days. Supporters said the bill would help preserve vertical prosecution and trauma-informed continuity for survivors; opponents raised speedy-trial and due process concerns. After discussion about balancing victim continuity and constitutional rights, the committee passed AB 1656 as amended to the floor. AB 1917, a bill to require prosecutors to file a motion before reinstating charges dismissed at preliminary hearing, also drew support from public defenders and defense groups and opposition from district attorneys, who argued the bill used the wrong procedural mechanism. The author agreed to explore moving the process into the existing 995 framework, and the committee passed AB 1917 as amended to Appropriations. AB 2636 would require courts to consider possession of a loaded firearm when deciding whether a juvenile qualifies for deferred entry of judgment. Supporters, including probation and police chiefs, said the bill would add accountability for serious gun-related conduct while preserving rehabilitation options; opponents said it would reduce access to effective youth diversion and disproportionately affect Black and brown youth. The committee passed the bill to the floor. AB 1632, which would replace notarization with a penalty-of-perjury statement for 602 trespass authorization letters, was supported by cities and law enforcement as a way to reduce bureaucracy and help address trespass and vacant-property hazards, while opponents warned of abuse and Fourth Amendment concerns. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill to the floor. The hearing then moved on to AB 1974, a voluntary firearm safe-storage bill, with the author introducing the measure and witnesses from Pierce’s Pledge expected to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• his residency at Temple University, Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania in family practice
• In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music, reading, practicing yoga, and apparently taking care
• Capital and Forensic Writs for potential post-conviction relief where flawed or outdated forensic practices
• It's both, I think, a practical solution, but also a compassionate solution. ...of, I think, a practical
• Senator Creighton responds that the Attorney General could be incorrect in its finding and assessment

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation, adopted the prior day’s journal, received House messages, and adopted several resolutions and recognitions, including Senate Resolution 496 honoring Leadership Garland and resolutions 503 and 504. The chamber also recognized guests, including a North Dakota senator and the Doctor of the Day, and received gubernatorial nominations for the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board and the Nueces River Authority Board. The Senate then took up and passed a series of bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. Measures approved included SB 614 on Texas Forensic Science Commission referrals to the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs; SB 250 on municipal annexation across railroad rights-of-way; SB 1660 on toxicological evidence retention and destruction procedures; SB 2586 requiring property owners associations to file governing documents with the Texas Real Estate Commission; SB 1588 increasing penalties for certain failures to report child sexual abuse; HB 912 on compensation for distributed renewable generation outside ERCOT; SB 1957 setting eligibility standards for civilian oversight boards; HB 2525 clarifying a charitable property tax exemption; SB 1525 limiting repeated prior authorization for neurodegenerative disease drugs; SB 865 requiring CPR/AED training and cardiac emergency response planning in schools; SB 1212 elevating human trafficking penalties; SB 2690 on solicitations for Secretary of State documents; SB 1802 on landlord repair duties for ramps, elevators, and handrails; SB 905 on licensing rules for speech-language pathologists and audiologists; SB 2929 allowing removal of disruptive spectators at school athletic events; SB 2675 creating a narrow McAllen-specific parkland conveyance exception; SB 872 increasing punishment for burglary of a vehicle involving firearm theft; and SB 1113 clarifying sales rules for certain converter-license holders. Several bills drew extended debate. SB 2487, dealing with crisis and mental health services for homelessness, was amended to make the county model permissive rather than mandatory and to remove state funding/assistance requirements before passing 28-3. SB 2138, barring higher education funds from contracting with firms that boycott fossil fuels through ESG policies, also passed after questions about fiscal effects and First Amendment concerns. SB 2615, restricting remote work at public institutions of higher education, advanced 22-9. The Senate also began consideration of SB 3016, which would expand enforcement tools against local governments that fail to comply with state law, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• current technologies, going more from a deterministic-based safety analysis to probabilistic risk assessments
• current technologies going more from a deterministic base safety analysis to probabilistic risk assessments
• So, for example, we have a leadership role in the 2023 critical minerals assessment report.
• We are looking at Department of War and their needs as well when we do these assessments.
• And they shut down practice. And we gathered in the town square.

Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the availability of presentation materials, then moved into a series of technical briefings from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent federal and DOE efforts to streamline nuclear regulation for advanced reactors, including NRC Part 53 and upcoming Part 57 rulemaking, DOE authorization updates, crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements, and use of AI to speed licensing communications and document review. He emphasized that the goal is to align safety standards for advanced technologies, reduce rework for developers, and support deployment for commercial, defense, and research uses. In response to questions, he said there is no current plan to merge agencies, but there is more information-sharing and embedded NRC staff at DOE facilities; he also noted public outreach is supported through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, covering uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and recycling. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), DOE’s HALEU Availability Program, and the need to expand domestic enrichment, deconversion, and transportation capacity to support advanced reactors and the 2050 nuclear growth goal. He also reviewed used fuel management, including on-site storage at operating and shutdown reactors, the Center for Used Fuel Research at INL, a high-burnup research cask project, and the long-term repository question, which he said is ultimately political as well as technical. He outlined reprocessing approaches—aqueous/Purex, pyrochemical, and fluoride volatility—describing INL’s work on electrochemical processing of EBR-II fuel and noting industry interest from several companies in recycling technologies. Ashley Shields presented on AI for nuclear applications, describing INL’s use of generative AI, high-performance computing, and digital-twin tools to accelerate reactor design, licensing, operations, and materials development. She highlighted the Prometheus effort to pursue highly automated reactor design and operation, the large documentation burden for reactor licensing, and ongoing work on autonomous control, remote operation, and AI-assisted materials qualification through the Vulcan challenge and related data platforms. In questions, she said AI tools are used under data-governance and security controls, with different models chosen for different tasks, and argued that software engineers and human oversight remain necessary. The session ended with a brief recess announcement and a transition to a later presentation on critical minerals and materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our recommendation will lay out to you, I think, once we see what the final rule is, but practically
• </c> And those privacy impact assessments And those privacy impact assessments have<00:37:53.120><c>
• After we identify those, we go into an assessment.
• So, we identify risks assessment.
• </c><00:46:15.880><c> where</c><00:46:16.080><c> we</c> during this assessment where we during this assessment

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met on May 29 and approved the draft minutes. DHHS Commissioner Weaver then opened the department update by asking Medicaid Director Henry Litman to brief members on federal and state Medicaid changes, and later turned to DHHS Chief Operating Officer David Weathers for an update on data governance. Members also asked that acronyms be spelled out in future materials and requested a follow-up on the federal Medicaid rule once it is published. Litman reviewed several federal Medicaid provisions tied to HR 1/"OBBA" and related state implementation issues. He said the first major change would be restrictions on certain non-citizens’ Medicaid coverage, affecting about 400 people in New Hampshire, with notices likely 30 to 60 days before the effective date. He also discussed new work requirements/community engagement rules, saying New Hampshire is on track to implement them and will likely need a state plan amendment rather than an 1115 waiver. Other changes included shorter retroactive coverage periods, a new state option for certain community-based services with an estimated $740,000 in implementation support, a freeze and phased-down reduction in the Medicaid enhancement tax beginning in state fiscal year 2029, and limits on directed payments to hospitals after a grandfathering period. He also noted that Medicaid enrollment has fallen from pandemic-era levels, with about 167,000 people covered as of May 1, and that the department is working with CMS on child premiums and other cost-sharing changes approved in HB 2. Committee members asked how the department could plan for the 2029 changes given the number of elections before then, and Litman said federal rules may be adjusted over time as states and stakeholders raise concerns. He emphasized planning for the worst while hoping for the best, and said rural health care transformation funding would help the state prepare. In the second presentation, Weathers explained that data governance is now embedded in DHHS operations to control access, manage reporting, and respond to risk. He defined it as managing what data is collected, how it is used, who can access it, and what laws apply, and said DHHS has moved from governance as a committee to governance as an operational process. He described privacy impact assessments for new systems going into production, monthly privacy and security training, and ongoing review of access controls and data-sharing rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:38:52.960><c> all</c><00:38:53.200><c> of</c> practicing all of practicing all of the<00:38:55.119
• Um I'm gravely gravely practice.
• </c><01:02:11.680><c> as</c> documentation to make the assessment as documentation to make the assessment
• Any response you want to offer from a practical standpoint?
• I think the 48 a practical standpoint?

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This project documents everything that Bill knows, our current practice, and takes us forward to where
• everything that that bill knows our everything that that bill knows our current<00:18:49.039><c> practice
• and takes us forward to current practice and takes us forward to where<00:18:52.960><c> we</c><00:18
• </c><00:33:27.440><c> um</c><00:33:27.840><c> you</c> financial management practices um you financial
• management practices um you know<00:33:28.080><c> we've</c><00:33:28.279><c> sought</c><00:33:28.559

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on February 21 and first approved the January 30 minutes and the consent calendar, with item 2540 removed by the Department of Education and item 25057 set aside for discussion. The committee then took up FIS 25057, a Department of Transportation request tied to a federal grant for building information modeling and related data standardization across DOT systems. Transportation officials explained that the $2.405 million consultant-heavy request would connect surveying, design, construction, and asset management systems, improve efficiency and long-term asset tracking, and help the department catch up with other states. Several senators questioned the lack of immediate, quantifiable budget savings and the reliance on consultants, but the item was ultimately adopted. The committee next approved FIS 25054 for the Department of Health and Human Services after questioning a $16 million shortfall in the Children’s Health Insurance Program. DHHS explained the variance as a budgeting and accounting issue tied to separating CHIP from Medicaid managed care, pandemic-era continuous enrollment, and the new federal requirement for 12 months of continuous coverage for children. Members also approved a Cannon Mountain fee item, where park officials described a proposed price freeze for early-bird passes, a new in-season tier, and modest increases in off-season pricing, while noting operating cost pressures, strong snow conditions, and favorable customer value ratings. That item was adopted unanimously. The committee also approved the Department of Corrections item after discussion of staffing, retirement eligibility, overtime, and recidivism. Commissioner Helen Hanks said retirement-eligible staff had declined slightly, recruitment was improving, overtime hours were down, one housing floor had been closed because of lower population, and the department had reduced reincarceration by 8% over seven years, which she said produced substantial savings. The item was adopted. During informational items, the committee heard a Legislative Budget Assistant performance audit of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights. The audit found the commission inefficient and ineffective in processing complaints, with average case closure taking 840 days, significant backlogs dating back decades, expired administrative rules, weak management controls, disorganized and outdated procedures, unreliable data, and unresolved prior audit findings. The audit included 25 recommendations, two of which may require legislative action. Commission staff said they appreciated the recommendations and expected the additional resources from the prior budget cycle to help address the backlog and improve transparency and efficiency.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, when they're pitching, they're doing practice pitching, they're doing practice batting, and all
• </c> pitching, they're doing practice pitching, they're doing practice pitching,<00:42:32.520><c> they're
• </c><00:42:32.640><c> doing</c><00:42:32.840><c> practice</c> pitching, they're doing practice pitching
• If the department assesses, goes in, and does an investigation, and on assessment of that investigation
• Um but if best practice recommendations.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that an accurate assessment of what I’ve heard from you?
• We have a very broad practice here, and that's been a great blessing to us to be able to practice.
• It's a daily practice, a daily practice. All right. Thank you. Liguori, you're next.
• We have a very broad practice here, and that's been a great blessing to us to be able to practice.
• It's a daily practice, a daily practice. All right. Thank you. Legory. You're next.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard several bills related largely to Arizona’s behavioral health and Access system, plus a fertility coverage mandate, a state hospital admissions bill, and a naturopathic scope-of-practice bill. SB 1114 would appropriate $1 million to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for investigations into behavioral health patient brokering; the sponsor described ongoing fraud involving vulnerable Native American patients, while some members questioned why the Attorney General was not handling the work. The bill passed 10-1 with one present. SB 1116 would require claim denials and appeal determinations for American Indian Health Program behavioral health services to be reviewed by someone with at least two years of relevant clinical experience; Access said it was neutral but raised concerns about vague language and added staffing needs, and the bill passed 7-4 with one present. SB 1346 would require Access to notify providers of claim deficiencies within 72 hours and approve or deny corrected claims within 10 business days; supporters said it would reduce long delays and unpaid claims, while Access said it would need more staff and system changes. The bill passed 7-5. The committee also approved SB 1347, which requires insurance coverage for fertility preservation services for cancer patients of reproductive age whose treatment is likely to cause infertility, with a religious-employer exemption. Supporters, including cancer survivors and an advocacy representative, said the bill protects patients who must make rapid decisions before treatment begins; insurers were neutral. The bill passed unanimously 12-0. SB 1813 would require the Arizona State Hospital to admit patients based on clinical need rather than county of residence, effectively ending the Maricopa County cap tied to the Arnold v. Sarn settlement. Supporters argued the cap leaves seriously ill patients waiting in other facilities for long periods, while ADHS warned of possible litigation and rural access concerns; the bill passed 9-2 with one present. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1178, which would allow naturopathic physicians to administer certain antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals intravenously. The sponsor argued naturopaths should be able to practice to the full scope of their training amid physician shortages, while the Arizona Medical Association and osteopathic representatives opposed the bill, saying IV antimicrobials are high-risk therapies that require hospital-level training, monitoring, and stewardship. Testimony focused on patient safety, appropriate setting, and whether the bill should be narrowed or amended; no vote on SB 1178 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that the regulation of shallow, closed-loop geothermal injection wells remains consistent with past practices
• So, now that we are assessing, and again just relaying some of the previous testimony, including the
• that I believe, you know, in the practice of law to see how I can better see it.
• I think that the agency has a practical approach which is needed here. Produced water...
• I think the agency's taken a practical approach.

Bills: HB48 , HB49 , HB 1169 , HB1971 , HB2584 , HB2663 , HB2890 , HB48 , HB49

Committee: House Energy Resources

Keywords: HB 48, oilfield theft, organized theft, petroleum products, oil and gas equipment, DPS, Department of Public Safety, Texas, Railroad Commission, criminal justice, energy resources, theft prevention, organized crime, border region, El Paso, law enforcement task force, asset recovery, pipeline theft, drilling equipment, equipment theft

Transcript Highlights:

• There's an assessment mechanism whereby the total amount of costs paid and benefits by all insurance
• That is then assessed back to the insurance carriers who pay either a share of the total expenses to
• If you look at the workers' compensation statute, there's an assessment mechanism.
• Then we assess based off the total amount in claim expenses.
• Then we assess based off the total amount in claim expenses.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed a proposed increase to the annual elevator certificate fee in the Department of Labor. The commissioner said the fee had been $50 for years and generated just under $300,000 annually, while the Inspection Division’s broader revenue far exceeded its expenses. Members noted the fee only covered the certificate, not the inspection itself, which is billed separately at $100 per hour. After comparing the fee to neighboring states and discussing the department’s revenue and staffing, the committee agreed to rewrite the language to set the fee at $75 and to vote on an amendment later. The committee then took up Section 139, which would expand the list of labor-law violations that can be penalized without first issuing a warning. The Department explained the change was meant to align House Bill 157 with other chapters, including youth employment and workers’ compensation provisions, where immediate civil penalties are already allowed. The section was accepted unanimously. A longer discussion followed on the Second Injury Fund. The commissioner explained that the fund reimburses insurers for certain workers’ compensation costs tied to claims involving pre-existing conditions, is financed by assessments on insurers, and requires notice within 100 weeks of injury plus a $10,000 deductible before reimbursement. He said the fund currently holds roughly $16 million to $22 million, one full-time employee administers it, and total staff involvement is about five to six people. Members questioned whether the fund should be sunset, but the department said the current House Bill 2 language does not propose a sunset; instead, it addresses increased hearing and litigation burdens after a recent Supreme Court decision. Sections 140 and 141, dealing with hearings, were then accepted unanimously. The committee also briefly discussed fines for late insurance coverage reporting, with the department noting the current rubric allows up to $50 per day but uses $112 per day, and members suggesting a lower amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• The panel titles will be tribal leaders assess state impact of MMIP intervention.
• And with that, we're going to move to our first panel: Tribal leaders assess state impact of MMIP intervention
• Tribal leaders assess state impact of MMIP intervention.
• And, two, really what can we do in policy and in practice so that we can make sure that more folks are
• They need expanded training on trauma-informed practices, and not just the higher levels.

Summary: The Select Committee on Native American Affairs held an informational hearing on the state’s response to the missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) crisis, with an added focus on foster youth and child welfare. Opening remarks from the chair and members emphasized that California has made some progress through the Feather Alert, DOJ coordination, grant funding, and MMIP summits, but that the crisis remains severe and requires ongoing, not one-time, investment. Members repeatedly noted the need for stronger statewide coordination, better data, and more consistent attention to tribal communities and foster youth. Tribal leaders described the crisis as rooted in jurisdictional gaps, poor data collection, and lack of urgency from law enforcement. Witnesses from Hamul, Chachancey, Tahon, Yurok, and Hoopa tribes shared personal accounts of missing and murdered relatives, criticized inconsistent responses, and called for regional response agreements, direct tribal access to data, sustained funding, and clearer law enforcement protocols in Public Law 280 settings. Several leaders said Feather Alert and state grants have helped build infrastructure and partnerships, but stressed that trust-building, training, and accountability are still uneven across the state. The second panel featured the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Justice’s Office of Native American Affairs, both of which reported on implementation improvements. CHP said it has tightened Feather Alert practices, increased activations, improved outreach and training, appointed a tribal liaison, and expanded human trafficking training. DOJ described work under AB 3099 and AB 1334, including a Public Law 280 advisory council, improved crime reporting and data systems, MMIP outreach, and a tribal police pilot program with the Yurok Tribe. Members also raised the need to better support tribal courts and ensure protection orders are enforced. The final panel focused on foster youth as part of the MMIP crisis. Advocates from Pitt River, the California Tribal Families Coalition, and Coyote Valley said Native children are disproportionately represented in foster care and are at heightened risk of going missing or being exploited. They argued that foster care, trafficking, poverty, housing instability, and historical trauma are all connected to MMIP, and called for stronger ICWA implementation, culturally grounded services, better coordination with social workers and law enforcement, and immediate use of Feather Alert when Native children are missing. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with continued calls for legislative, budgetary, and policy action.

Transcript Highlights:

• No one wants to practice in this state.
• Members, we're out of practice. Welcome to the Florida House. Members, we're out of practice.
• I've spoken to doctors who practice here and then practice in Maryland, and they said that the way they
• practice medicine in this state versus the way they practice in Maryland is completely different.
• And I know this because I practice probate, okay?

Keywords: 998, house, all