Transcript Highlights:

• The state already has the authority to keep stronger standards, and so the potential loophole in the
• </c><00:02:31.959><c> that</c><00:02:32.080><c> are</c> ensure that the uh standards that are ensure
• that the uh standards that are now<00:02:32.640><c> in</c><00:02:32.879><c> place</c><00:02:33.200><c
• So... stronger standards and so the potential stronger standards and so the potential loophole<00:03:
• </c><00:05:35.080><c> design</c> of the guidelines of a standard design of the guidelines of a standard

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing covered several bills focused on environmental protection and wastewater management. HB 26 HD 2, relating to environmental protection, drew support from the Department of Health, Reworld, and Energy Justice Network. Supporters said it would preserve existing standards for waste-to-energy facilities, including H-Power, even if federal EPA rules are weakened, while Energy Justice Network urged the state to go further and require stronger pollution controls on older burners at the plant. HB 734 and HB 735, both relating to wastewater systems, received broad support from state agencies, county representatives, realtors, environmental groups, and others. Testimony emphasized reducing the cost of cesspool upgrades, updating rules, and improving coordination between the Department of Health, counties, and the University of Hawaiʻi. Members raised concerns about whether some areas, such as Ewa, should be treated differently if they are not near aquifers or the ocean, but the department said the existing prioritization process already considered statewide conditions and that cesspools generally still affect water resources. On HB 735, the committee discussed the current bedroom-based limits for individual wastewater systems and whether the bill would allow more flexibility for housing configurations, with the department explaining the limits are tied to density and system capacity. HB 879, relating to cesspool conversions, was also supported by the Department of Health, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and several advocacy groups. Testimony said the bill would help low- and moderate-income homeowners in priority areas by increasing grant assistance for cesspool upgrades, but the Department of Health noted it would need three full-time positions to administer the program. Members asked for clarification on the grant amount and staffing costs, and the department indicated the grant cap should remain at $20,000 unless changed. HB 918, relating to labeling of non-flushable wipes, drew support from wastewater and industry groups, including the Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, which said similar laws have passed in other states and that the bill reflects cooperation between manufacturers and wastewater officials. The Department of Health and county officials supported the concept but said enforcement and outreach would require additional staff, and senators questioned whether the state could effectively enforce the labeling requirement without a national standard.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> well-developed systems and standards. well-developed systems and standards.
• We support reasonable standards market.
• for risk pools to maintain a standard for risk pools to maintain a proper<05:32:49.840><c> standard<
• And yet the standards of the statute.
• c> to</c><05:41:21.760><c> evaluate</c> standards are needed to evaluate standards are needed to evaluate

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 47, sponsored by Senator Regina Birdsell at the request of the Insurance Department. The bill would clarify that a birth mother’s health insurance is the primary policy for a newborn’s care unless the mother has no coverage or no employer-sponsored coverage. Birdsell and Insurance Commissioner DJ Benton Court said the measure simply codifies the department’s long-standing interpretation of existing law. Representative Miles asked whether the coverage would extend to a grandchild if a young woman on her parents’ plan had a baby, and Birdsell said it would. The hearing on SB 47 was then closed. The committee next heard Senate Bill 121, introduced by Grant Bosi for Senator Kevin Avard. The bill requires insurers to notify the Insurance Department when they stop writing an entire line of business or, in some cases, when they change Medicare Advantage offerings. Benton Court said the bill was prompted by disruption in the Medicare Advantage market, where consumers and the department were confused by carriers exiting, changing plans, or narrowing offerings. He said the department does not regulate Medicare Advantage itself, but does license the carriers, and the notice requirement would help the department advise consumers; he also said noncompliance could affect a carrier’s license and could lead to fines. Members discussed the notice period, and the department and AHIP indicated support for changing it from 120 days to 90 days to align with federal timing. The hearing was closed with plans to work on an amendment in subcommittee. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 247, introduced by Representative Brian Cole, which would prohibit network exclusion for pharmacies that refuse to dispense prescriptions when PBM reimbursement is below acquisition cost. Cole said the bill is meant to stop pharmacies from being forced to sell at a loss. Members questioned whether pharmacies voluntarily enter PBM contracts, whether the bill would raise consumer prices, and whether it would mainly affect independent pharmacies. Cole and others said the issue has changed over time because PBMs now control a much larger share of the market, and that the bill would let pharmacies refuse loss-making fills and direct patients to mail order instead. The discussion also noted that the bill excludes Medicare and Medicaid and that the current proposal does not create a middle-ground option for patients to pay a premium at the counter.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><01:39:30.239><c> including</c> substantially higher standard, including substantially higher standard
• Would I then press the state standards.
• </c><02:49:01.680><c> to</c> unworkable and ambiguous standard to unworkable and ambiguous standard to
• Any revision safety and labor standards.
• to a higher standard than the general<06:46:44.080><c> public.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And what the bill is doing is we're replacing it with a consistent standard in the first paragraph.
• So it's just part of the confusing language, but it's included in Section 1 in a new consistent standard
• Amends various sections of 943 to clarify the curriculum is approved by the Criminal Justice Standards
• ...current law to determine whether there is an actual problem that these new standards are intended
• It forces annual recertification under that standard.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a quorum call, approval of the journal, and adoption of the special order calendar. The chamber then took up several Senate bills on special order, with members offering questions and debate before final votes. The first major measure, CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Rayner Act, would reclassify certain offenses against law enforcement officers and add manslaughter of an officer to the life-sentence reclassification statute. Supporters said it honored Officer Rayner and clarified that resistance to officers with violence is unlawful; opponents argued it reduced judicial discretion and could sweep in unintended cases. The bill passed 100-8. The House next passed CS/SB 688 on naturopathic medicine, which creates a regulatory framework and licensure standards for naturopathic physicians, defines scope limits, and establishes a board under the Department of Health. Supporters framed it as a consumer protection and medical freedom bill, while opponents called it an expansion of scope and criticized the low penalty for unlicensed practice. It passed 85-22. The chamber also passed CS/CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate education, creating a Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, a Speech and Debate Week, and a statewide debate initiative, by a unanimous 112-0 vote. Members then approved CS/CS/SB 1220, a broad transportation bill covering FDOT authority, airports and seaports, drone and delivery devices, autonomous vehicle crimes, tolls, and other transportation issues; an amendment added provisions on Space Florida, golf carts, automated license plate recognition, and related matters while removing digital driver’s license repeal language. The bill passed 87-23. SB 962 on affordable housing, which clarifies that Live Local Act zoning preemption does not unintentionally capture working farms and farm operations, passed 109-2. Finally, CS/CS/SB 1580 on aiding illegal gaming was introduced and discussed; it would strengthen penalties for illegal slot machines and unregulated gaming arcades, clarify reporting and enforcement, and preempt local regulation, with questions focused on VFWs, sweepstakes, fantasy sports, and online betting. The transcript then shifted into lengthy farewell remarks and recognitions, including tributes from members leaving the House and acknowledgments of guests in the galleries.

Transcript Highlights:

• We both introduced one having to do with raising the standards of ethics in public office.
• He has moral courage and the highest ethical standards.
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions, including recognition of the day’s doctor of the day, an intern, and a resolution honoring the late Bob Graham and firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber also adopted a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day. After routine announcements, the Senate moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, many of them with House companion bills substituted in place of Senate versions. The first major floor action was passage of a tax-related bill conforming Florida’s Internal Revenue Code to federal changes while excluding certain provisions from H.R. 1; it passed 34-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 1758 on public assistance and Medicaid, which proposed stronger fraud enforcement, a Medicaid work requirement for able-bodied adults, expanded behavioral health services, pharmacy and drug rebate reforms, and SNAP fraud reduction measures. A Berman amendment to require Medicaid expansion before work requirements was rejected, as was an Osgood amendment to add photo-ID protections and exemptions for certain SNAP users. The bill remained on the calendar for third reading after extensive debate and questioning about implementation, exemptions, and potential impacts on beneficiaries. The chamber also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry and related public records exemption, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on gold and silver legal tender, public records exemptions for financial institutions and custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government finance transparency, digital voyeurism, and insurance customer representative licensing. Most of these measures were adopted after brief explanation, minor amendments, or substitution of House companions, with votes generally in favor and several passing unanimously or by wide margins. Later, the Senate took up CS/SB 1756 on medical freedom, which would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin access, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition. The bill’s first amendments clarified anti-kickback rules for vaccine manufacturers and required informational materials to address risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy; the transcript ends during consideration of this bill, before final passage is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Standards of ethics in public office.
• He has moral courage and the highest ethical standards...
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several introductions and memorials, including a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with several bills substituted with House companions and adopted by voice vote or recorded vote. Early measures included a tax conformity bill tied to federal Internal Revenue Code changes, which passed 34-0, and a Medicaid/public assistance bill that drew extensive debate over work requirements, fraud reduction, behavioral health services, and SNAP/EBT reforms. Amendments offered by Senators Berman and Osgood to condition or soften the work and photo-ID provisions were rejected, and the underlying bill was placed on the third-reading calendar after lengthy questioning about implementation, exemptions, and eligibility effects. The Senate also passed bills on computer science education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry public-records exemption and registry update, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the legal-tender sunset for gold and silver, public-records protections for gold/silver custodians and stablecoin-related entities, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, and local government budget transparency/spending measures. Most of these measures were adopted after minor amendments or technical substitutions, with votes generally ranging from 31-3 to 34-0. The chamber also recognized the Florida Channel’s 30 years of legislative coverage. Later, the Senate approved a digital voyeurism bill expanding the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy definition to include private fenced yards, and an insurance customer representative licensing bill allowing high school students to complete insurance/personal finance coursework and later qualify for licensure. The final major item was a medical freedom bill that would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption to immunization mandates, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin for adults, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition; two amendments clarifying anti-kickback rules and requiring vaccine information to include risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy were adopted, while questions from Senators Smith and Massullo focused on public-health impacts and the content of the required materials. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• He has moral courage and the highest ethical standards.
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• But you set a standard, and I thank you so much for that.
• of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including a resolution honoring Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a special-order calendar with multiple bills, many of them paired with House companions and amended before final passage. Early action included adoption of a tax conformity bill tied to federal changes in the Internal Revenue Code, with a 34-0 vote. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758, a Medicaid and SNAP reform bill. The sponsor described provisions to strengthen fraud enforcement, impose work requirements for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid drug purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Democrats offered amendments to delay work requirements until Medicaid expansion and to add protections for SNAP users such as caregivers, seniors, disabled individuals, and domestic violence survivors; both amendments failed. Senators also questioned implementation details, exemptions, and potential effects on vulnerable populations. After debate, the bill was placed on the calendar for third reading. The Senate also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a public records exemption and related Parkinson’s Disease Registry measures, designation of the SS American Victory as the state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on legal tender recognition for gold and silver, public records protections for financial and digital-asset custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government budget transparency, digital voyeurism, insurance customer representative licensing, and a medical freedom bill with amendments on vaccine-related materials and anti-kickback provisions. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though the public records bill for gold/silver custodians and the legal tender repeal drew a few dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill sets a clear, science-based standard for the handling of biosolids.
• So what I've proposed to solve that problem is a different standard. What do we say?
• This change aligns with statute standards and reclassification language used in Florida law.
• Remember those standards on slavery?
• Uniform standards for political activities.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a quorum call, and several recognitions, including a moment of silence for service members killed in the Middle East conflict. The chamber adopted the special order report and then took up several bills on the special order calendar. Early action included passage of CS/CS/HB 981 on tributaries of the St. Johns River and Ocklawaha River restoration after debate over environmental benefits versus concerns about impacts to Rodman Reservoir, rural communities, property values, and long-term uncertainty. The bill passed 107-3. Members then considered CS/HB 1389 on affordable housing and the Live Local Act. The bill would expand multifamily and mixed-use allowances, limit local setback/stepback restrictions, remove local opt-out authority, address accessory dwelling units, and waive sovereign immunity for certain land-use discrimination claims. Supporters argued it would increase housing supply amid a statewide shortage; opponents objected to further state preemption of local control and the ADU provisions. The bill passed 78-29. The House also passed CS/CS/HB 1085, codifying the local government cybersecurity grant program and prioritizing fiscally constrained counties, by a unanimous 109-0 vote. The chamber next debated CS/HB 273 on special districts, which would allow certain agreements in rural areas of opportunity and impose new transparency and budget rules on larger downtown development districts. Questions focused on the meaning of “directly benefit,” the 10% administrative cap, budget approval authority, and the bill’s effect on downtown development authorities. An amendment to remove the downtown district provisions failed, and the bill passed 88-0. The House later returned to the temporarily postponed CS/HB 989 on motor vehicle manufacturers and franchise dealers, which limits allocation of new vehicle lines to any one dealer group; it passed 109-1. Finally, the House took up CS/HB 1329 on local government spending transparency. The bill requires tentative budgets to be posted 14 days before hearings, final budgets to remain online for five years, and budget data to be searchable and downloadable, with waivers for smaller governments. Members debated whether the bill would impose costs despite the sponsor’s claim of zero fiscal impact. An amendment by Representative Cheney would have added hardship assistance for small governments and CFO support, but the transcript ends during debate on that amendment before final disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We all have our standards, right? Or mostly standards.
• when you're driving by at 60 miles an hour, it's very difficult for the board to understand what standard
• when you're driving by at 60 miles an hour, it's very difficult for the board to understand what standard
• when you're driving by at 60 miles an hour, it's very difficult for the board to understand what standard
• <01:32:17.600><c> okay</c><01:32:17.960><c> thank</c> standard okay thank standard okay thank you<01:

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And you noted in your testimony that this might impact the wage standards division and their potential
• </c><01:06:20.760><c> for</c> inserting um a appropriate standards for inserting um a appropriate standards
• And they also recommended inserting appropriate standards, and they provided draft standards in the written
• I haven't seen their language, but we are comfortable with putting in standards for grants.
• This hearing is adjourned. the standards for the application of the standards for the application of

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:18.160><c> let</c><00:15:18.320><c> me</c><00:15:18.600><c> check</c> procurement standards
• so then so this is solely we standards so then so this is solely we we're<00:15:24.360><c> going</c>
• No, we have selection criteria, and it's aligned to our national professional standards.
• <01:29:12.560><c> okay</c><01:29:12.840><c> thank</c> Standards okay thank Standards okay thank you<01
• </c> to um we have our grade level standards to um we have our grade level standards and<01:32:55.119

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard Senate Bill 659, which would exempt the Department of Education from the electronic procurement system for purchases of fresh local agricultural products and local value-added processed agricultural or food products up to $100,000, and require geographic preference guidelines for locally sourced products. The Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and State Procurement Office all testified in support or support of the intent. DOE said the bill would give it short-term flexibility to buy local items not currently on the vendor list, such as poi and limu, while procurement staff said they would provide written comments and a corrected version of their testimony. Committee members questioned why the bill was needed, why the threshold would rise from the current $24,999 small-purchase limit to $100,000, and whether the department should instead amend its vendor list or RFP process. Members raised concerns about efficiency, administrative burden, whether the bill was a temporary fix for procurement planning gaps, and whether purchases would remain compliant with federal USDA rules if federal school-lunch funds were used. DOE responded that the measure would help it expand local purchasing, support farmers, and allow purchases of products not currently available through existing distributors, and said it was working with partners on food-safety certification and federal compliance. The committees then voted to pass SB 659 with amendments. The Joint Committee on Education approved it 3-2, and the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Environment later approved the amended measure 4-0. The chair noted an amendment and a deferred effective date, and the motion was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• These include failure to adhere to generally accepted financial management standards.
• The district has management standards.
• ><c> pretty</c> 18-month standard seems pretty 18-month standard seems pretty reasonable<00:12:15.839
• Additionally, standardized disclosure improves oversight.
• Additionally,<01:12:08.880><c> standardized</c><01:12:09.600><c> disclosure</c> Additionally, standardized

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also require certain standards in that staff are trained and they're collecting data in a controlled
• But I want to be a part of a process to where we can be the gold standard here.
• Denmark is the gold standard there. We need to be the gold standard here.
• That is the standard in Chapter 36. You have to do 50 years, but you can look at a longer outlook.
• Committee Member: So there really is no standardization of how the science is done?

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I hope we've set the standard for all the other testifiers today, Mr.
• For the standard adult diploma. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you so much.
• </c><00:18:10.000><c> So,</c><00:18:10.320><c> say</c> standard adult diploma. Yeah.
• So, say standard adult diploma. Yeah.
• For the standard that again, please. For the standard adult<00:18:11.840><c> diploma.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As required by the Constitution, so we attach draft standards for this committee to work off of.
• Don't have a provision in here which creates a new standard for the private sector, but at the same time
• for for uh prep the private standard for for uh prep the private sector<01:11:26.800><c> but</c><01:
• And finally, I want to state that what we did last year with increasing our standard deduction will help
• And finally, I want to state that what we did last year with increasing our standard deduction will help

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology heard testimony on several measures, beginning with SB 1343, which would amend quorum requirements for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board. The board chair testified in support, saying it has been difficult to fill all seats and that using active seats for quorum would help the board function more effectively. No opposition or questions were raised, and the committee moved on. The committee then heard SB 1578, which drew mixed testimony. DBEDT supported the measure and the Attorney General suggested inserting preamble language from HB 1025 to provide historical context on the East-West Center. Austin Martin of the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed the bill, arguing it could invite improper behavior, create loosely regulated satellite offices, increase foreign influence, and add competition for land ownership. The committee took no vote during the hearing. The bulk of the meeting focused on SB 1641, a measure to establish a Hawaiʻi film commission/authority and related funding and governance structure. DBEDT supported the intent and offered friendly amendments to clarify the distinction between film and media industries, while the Honolulu Film Office and labor representatives from IATSE, Teamsters, and Pride at Work supported the bill but urged changes. Their concerns centered on conflicts of interest, especially having producers on the commission, and they asked for more labor representation and clearer oversight rules. The Attorney General raised constitutional and special-fund concerns, saying the grant standards and special-fund language needed work. Committee members discussed renaming the entity as a Hawaiʻi Film Authority, broadening its scope beyond cultural production, adjusting the commission makeup, and clarifying funding sources, including the existing film and creative industries fund and the 0.2% rebate contribution. No final vote was taken in the portion provided, but members indicated the bill would need substantial revisions and an HD1.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not that it's leaking, but it didn't meet standard industry standards or standards for current building
• </c><00:23:19.159><c> industry</c><00:23:19.640><c> standard</c> didn't meet standard industry standard
• didn't meet standard industry standard now<00:23:20.320><c> or</c><00:23:20.559><c> standard</c><00:
• 23:21.000><c> for</c><00:23:21.760><c> current</c><00:23:22.039><c> building</c> now or standard for
• current building now or standard for current building design<00:23:22.960><c> so</c><00:23:23.640><c>

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When<00:28:57.200><c> we</c><00:28:57.440><c> use</c><00:28:57.880><c> standards,</c><00:28:59.000><c
• , like we did like When we use standards, like we did like we<00:29:00.000><c> do</c><00:29:00.159><c
• We think they should do this extra thing based on NIST standards or other best practices.
• or other best based on NIST standards or other best practices.<00:30:49.440><c> Um</c><00:30:49.560>
• Because ultimately what we want is those standards, those best practices, the law to be implemented.

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Rather, it is encouraged as a best practice standard of care.
• Rather, it is encouraged as a best practice standard of care.
• So what are the standards where we say somebody is deaf and/or blind?
• So what are the standards where we say somebody is deaf and/or blind?
• with nationally recommended standards.

Committee: Joint Human Services

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Human Services Committee met in interim session and first approved the previous meeting minutes before receiving a series of presentations on homelessness and housing stability. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency updated members on the new Interagency Council on Homelessness, describing its executive-order mandate to review resources, gather input from stakeholders, identify gaps, and develop recommendations. She said the council’s first work is building a statewide program matrix of existing homeless services and funding sources, with attention to youth, tribal communities, and other vulnerable populations. Members raised concerns about youth homelessness, homeless veterans, and how the council will stay focused on a practical framework rather than getting lost in details. The committee also discussed possible connections to the rural health transformation grant and agreed to continue the topic later in the spring. Beth Olson of Presentation Partners in Housing described the organization’s housing-first model in Cass County and Clay County, including homeless prevention/diversion, housing navigation, and Cooper House, a 42-unit permanent supportive housing building in Fargo. She said the organization focuses on people with long-term and chronic homelessness, many with mental health, addiction, health, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity-related barriers, and reported strong outcomes: 85 of 86 people housed in 2025, 91% still housed after one year, and major reductions in emergency room use, ambulance rides, jail stays, detox days, and shelter use. She also explained that state funding has grown from a small share of the budget to about $1.1 million in state-connected funding for fiscal 2026, largely through contracts tied to supportive services. Members asked about vouchers, rent contributions at Cooper House, length of stay, and whether similar projects could be expanded elsewhere. Andrea Olson of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota outlined statewide homeless and housing-related services delivered through six community action agencies in all 53 counties. She explained the Community Services Block Grant structure, said housing was identified as the top need in the most recent statewide needs assessment, and described programs including Supportive Services for Veteran Families, North Dakota Homeless Grant services, and Home ARP supportive services. She emphasized that the end of North Dakota Rent Help has increased pressure on the system, that the current $2 million annual homeless grant is far smaller than prior rent-help assistance, and that community action is using case management and financial assistance to move households toward self-sufficiency. Members asked about funding formulas, rural service delivery, and coordination with Presentation Partners to avoid duplication. YouthWorks then began a presentation on youth homelessness, describing services for ages 12 to 24, the special needs of youth and former foster youth, and the organization’s use of federal and state funds to support transitional housing, emergency shelter, maternity housing, and diversion services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Neither statute listed here requires detectors or establishes minimum standards for spacing.
• </c><01:13:31.720><c> standards</c><01:13:32.240><c> for</c> minimum minimum standard standards for minimum
• minimum standard standards for spacing.<01:13:33.520><c> Um</c><01:13:34.200><c> federal</c><01:13:34.560
• Industry standards are voluntary commitments to detector spacing.
• ><c> voluntary</c> Um industry standards are voluntary Um industry standards are voluntary commitments

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Standard mammogram is a good tool.
• Standard mammogram is a good tool, but it has limitations, and one of the main documented limitations
• Forty-three percent of women over the age of 40 have dense breast tissue, and in these women, a standard
• Importantly, the scientific standard underlying GRAS, established in the 1958 Food Additives Amendment
• , is the same standard applied to direct food additives.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health-related bills, beginning with AB 2651 by Bonta, which would require schools to notify parents when school vaccination rates fall below herd immunity thresholds. Supporters, including family physicians, PTA representatives, and medical groups, said the bill would improve transparency and help parents protect children and vulnerable family members. Opponents argued the data could be misleading, could identify medically exempt or conditional students, and might lead to stigma or discrimination. The bill was later moved out of committee on a due-pass-as-amended motion, with one no vote recorded on the roll call. The committee also heard AB 2123 by Aguirre-Curry on medical debt relief, AB 1570 by Wilson to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary breast diagnostic and supplemental imaging, AB 2201 by Berner to restore Medi-Cal eligibility and renewal flexibilities, AB 2448 by Berman to strengthen privacy protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care records, AB 2034 by Addis on food additive safety and transparency, and AB 2598 by Krell to require better notification of next of kin when a patient dies in a hospital. Each bill drew strong support from authors, advocates, and affected individuals, while some drew opposition from insurers, industry groups, or transparency critics who raised concerns about cost, duplication, implementation, or unintended harm. Several bills were moved forward on due-pass-as-amended motions, including AB 2123, AB 2201, AB 2448, AB 2034, and AB 2598. The committee also heard AB 2551 by Elhawary, which would require health plans to collect and publish data on how often enrollees must go out of network for behavioral health care and why. Supporters said the measure would expose access barriers and high out-of-pocket costs, especially for communities of color and people with language access needs; opponents said it would add another reporting mandate and might not solve provider shortage problems. Members generally expressed support for the bill’s goals and several described personal or district-level experiences with behavioral health access problems. The bill was then moved out of committee on a due-pass motion. The committee also took up consent items and other procedural motions, with multiple bills reported out and some placed on call.