Video & Transcript : 'High Socks for Hope' :

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OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Health and Human Services REVISED Apr 20th, 2026 at 02:00 pm

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for the question. We're running this for a couple of reasons.
  • Thanks for the question.
  • With that, I would move for a new pass and will yield for questions.
  • checks for childcare workers and adds the option for email notification instead of regular mail for
  • Thank you for the question. This is Yes, it could be for foster care as well.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Health and Human Services REVISED Apr 20th, 2026

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for the question. We're running this for a couple of reasons.
  • Thank you for the question.
  • Like for example, let's see, we have for adoption, we have for minor amendments, like for example, on
  • With that, I would move for due pass and yield for questions.
  • Thank you for the question. No, I don't believe so. For other questions.
Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee first considered the nomination of Christy D. Fisher to the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Senator Stanridge presented her as a lay member with legal and paralegal experience, and Fisher spoke about her family’s experience with speech therapy and autism-related speech needs. After brief questions, the committee advanced the nomination on an 8-2 vote. The committee then heard several bills, including measures creating an Early Childhood Task Force (HB 1979), clarifying that Oklahoma has always prohibited sex-to-gender-identity amendments on birth certificates (HB 1225), and establishing a process for correcting death certificates after one year (HB 3931). Members also advanced a bill restricting edible medical marijuana products from being attractive to children (HB 4454), updating the mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents (HB 3849), and allowing juvenile safety plans to take effect if not acted on within 24 hours (HB 1746). Other bills addressed local food sales thresholds (HB 3720), allowing case managers and peer support specialists to work for cities and counties (HB 4275), DHS background-check and email-notice updates for child care centers (HB 4300), and a clarification that raising a child consistent with biological sex is not child abuse and that adoption cannot be denied solely over refusal to support a gender transition (HB 3586). The committee also advanced bills on Medicaid reimbursement for dementia cognitive assessments and care planning (HB 2268), juvenile detention medication funding (HB 3755), family resource centers including faith-based and workforce organizations (HB 4117), epilepsy insurance coverage protections (HB 4294), extending the managed care rate floor to July 1, 2028 with a carve-out for multi-state contracts (HB 3650), and child care reforms raising subsidy co-pays and directing DHS to set more flexible master-teacher ratios for certain facilities (HB 4298). Several bills were amended or worked from committee substitutes, and most passed on unanimous or near-unanimous votes, with HB 1225, HB 3586, and HB 4294 drawing some opposition. The committee adjourned after noting it would likely meet again later for additional executive nominations.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-03-09 (1:00PM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • To the people in District 63, thank you for trusting me with your hopes and your stories.
  • To the people in District 63, thank you for trusting me with your hopes and your stories.
  • Like, is that for high school exams, or what would be the harm in showing somebody a scoring rubric for
  • They built a life with honest hands and hopes that reached so high. In the 1950s, they fled.
  • Even for those with no hope in sight who felt as if their souls were pierced by a knife.
Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Lee County Judge John Carlin, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Cody Popple of the FSU Police Department for his actions during the April campus shooting. The Speaker also outlined the final week of session, noting the chamber had passed 253 House bills and 149 Senate bills to date, with budget negotiations still unresolved and the 2026-27 budget not expected to be completed that week. The special order report was adopted, setting the day’s calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up several Senate bills, mostly technical or open-government sunset review measures, and passed them with little or no opposition: SB 100, SB 104, and SB 102 on Florida statutes; SB 7006, SB 7014, SB 7002, SB 7012, SB 7024, SB 7016, SB 7026, SB 7008, SB 7000, and SB 7004 on public-records or meeting exemptions; and SB 7022 on public records related to exams. Members asked questions on a few of these bills, especially the exam-records bill and the military and gaming-related exemptions, but the measures generally advanced without amendment. Votes ranged from unanimous to modest opposition, with SB 7026 passing 106-3 and SB 7022 passing 101-8. The most substantial debate centered on SB 7040, which recreates the emergency preparedness and response trust fund in the Executive Office of the Governor. Rep. Eskamani offered an amendment to let the fund expire, arguing the money had been misused and that the Legislature should retain control over spending; several members supported her position, while others said the fund is needed for rapid disaster response. A strike-all amendment from Rep. Griffiths was adopted instead, adding accountability provisions and expanding the fund to cover man-made emergencies as well as natural disasters. The bill then passed 82-25. The House also passed CS/CS/SB 302 on coastal resiliency, CS/CS/SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits, CS/SB 474 on military affairs, and SB 488 on Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues, with SB 488 still under amendment debate when the transcript ends.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

February 24, 2026 - 08:30 AM

Education & Employment Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Please vote for this bill. Thank you for listening. Well done. Thank you.
  • Next up, CS for CS for HB 753, School Counselors, by Representative Henshawski.
  • So thank you so much for bringing this bill that will allow us to alleviate that, but also I hope we
  • Representative Casell, you are recognized to close on PCS for CS for HB 833.
  • PCS for CS for HB 1325 makes practical updates.
Summary: The Education and Employment Committee heard and voted on several education-related bills. HB 129 on Florida Virtual School was presented as a cleanup bill responding to audit-related statutory updates; it would remove priority language, allow all Florida students and eligible overseas military dependents access, clarify teacher employment/retirement status, permit local schools to administer required exams, and authorize direct support organizations. The bill drew support from Seminole State College and Florida Virtual School and was reported favorably 15-0. HB 423 on student elopement, sponsored by Reps. Eskamani and Tramont, would require schools to establish safety teams and procedures to prevent and respond to elopement by students with autism or similar needs. Testimony from the Autism Society of Greater Orlando and a student advocate emphasized safety risks and the need for clear school protocols. Members spoke strongly in support, and the bill passed unanimously 16-0. CS for CS for HB 753 on school counselors removed two certification barriers, kept the master’s degree requirement, and aligned evaluations with Florida school counseling standards; school counselor groups and several members argued it would help address counselor shortages and workload issues. It also passed unanimously 16-0. The committee also approved CS for CS for HB 1253, which would let school-employed coaches use up to $15,000 per team per year of personal funds to support student-athletes with items like food, transportation, therapy, and rehabilitation, with an amendment requiring written parental consent. Several members raised concerns about liability, fairness, and guardrails, but the bill passed 17-0. PCS for CS for HB 833 on private school facilities would allow small private schools of 150 students or fewer to locate in commercial or mixed-use zoning without rezoning and to use certain existing buildings if fire and life-safety standards are met; members discussed traffic, school zones, and proximity to dispensaries, and it passed 15-0. PCS for CS for HB 1325 on the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund clarified matching contributions, allowed use of funds for expansion or modernization of existing space, and permitted two-year awards; it passed 16-0. Finally, CS for HB 1437 on conversion charter schools created dispute-resolution options over facility maintenance and, via amendment, allowed capital outlay funding if the charter assumes full maintenance responsibility; despite some opposition, it passed 13-3. The committee then adjourned.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • That's why we're grateful for this opportunity and really truly grateful for the committee.
  • But I hope by the end of this presentation we've knocked your socks off, and we can show you where we
  • this, it's $2,000 for that.
  • Norfolk County Hope Center, open in April of 2024, is one-stop shopping for those formerly incarcerated
  • Normally for me— Normally for me, I just—nobody sees me, and they keep going.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The meeting was the third public session of the Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. Members introduced themselves, and the commission approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation came from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, led by several sheriffs, who described the role of sheriffs’ offices as independently elected county institutions that operate jails and houses of correction, regional lockups, civil process, 911 communications in some counties, school resource officers, and investigative units. They emphasized that most of their population is pretrial, that admissions and releases are far higher than the Department of Correction’s, and that their facilities now house more people overall than DOC despite having a smaller budget. The sheriffs argued that their work has shifted toward rehabilitation, reentry, and public health, highlighting extensive programming in mental health, substance use treatment, medication-assisted treatment, education, vocational training, and gender-specific, trauma-informed services. They said standardized risk/needs assessments and better funding would help make services more consistent across counties. They also described specialized units and models such as regional evaluation and stabilization units, older-adult housing, emerging adult and gang-intervention programs, and reentry centers that connect people to housing, employment, family support, and community services. Several examples were cited, including Suffolk’s Project Evolve, Middlesex’s older-adult unit, Hampden’s MAGIC program, Worcester’s STOP program, and county reentry centers across the state. A major theme was that these programs are expensive but, in the sheriffs’ view, reduce recidivism and improve safety by stabilizing people before release and supporting them afterward. They pointed to COVID-19 as a period when sheriffs adapted facilities for quarantine and medical care, and said they continue to work with public health partners. They also stressed that their facilities are heavily audited by state and federal agencies and that maintaining humane, safe conditions requires significant staffing and operating costs. Commission members responded favorably at points, noting the importance of the turnover in sheriff populations and the need to understand the different correctional mission compared with DOC. The meeting ended with discussion of future commission dates and a note that the presentation materials would be shared electronically.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Day 26 (2-12-26)

Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> for putting this bill on fast track. for putting this bill on fast track.
  • </c><00:14:52.000><c> Wall</c> for Main Street and not just for Wall for Main Street and not just for
  • Joseph Harden McFarland started the shoe and sock donation drive for Warren Elementary School and enjoyed
  • c> Warren</c> and sock donation drive for Warren and sock donation drive for Warren Elementary<01:08:
  • </c><01:13:32.800><c> I</c> out for a minute. I out for a minute.
Keywords: 958, all
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services Feb 25th, 2026

Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • for their sport.
  • So thank you for supporting it today and ask for your support.
  • for them.
  • to subject patients to unproven remedies like high-dose vitamin C for cancer. ...to subject patients
  • to unproven remedies like high-dose vitamin C for cancer.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services met with a quorum present and took up several health-related bills. CS/SB 1110 on Medicaid and insurance coverage for orthotics and prosthetics was heard first. The bill would require coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics without lifetime or continuous-use caps, direct AHCA to seek federal approval and update contracts, and require annual reporting. Testimony from a child using prosthetic “gymnastics blades,” his mother, and another young person with a prosthetic leg emphasized the high cost of activity-specific devices and the impact on children’s mobility, sports participation, and quality of life. Senators voiced strong support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then approved SB 1574, “Maddie’s Law,” which adds newborn screening for biliary atresia using the existing blood specimen collected at birth. The sponsor and the child’s father described the condition as time-sensitive and potentially fatal without early detection, and argued the screening could prevent transplants and save money. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also considered CS/SB 794 on background screening for employees of residential facilities and day training programs for people with developmental disabilities, plus a review of waiver support coordination quality, training, and access issues. Parents and a support coordinator testified that strong support coordination is essential for families and that the bill would help standardize expectations and improve services. An amendment aligning the bill with the House companion was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. Members next heard SB 162, which requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies using smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. Supporters, including nurses and the Florida Nurses Association, described surgical smoke as a workplace hazard with toxic chemicals and potential cancer risks; hospital representatives said they support the intent but argued existing federal and state standards already regulate the issue and the bill is too prescriptive. A late-filed amendment clarifying the smoke must be “effectively captured and filtered” was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 254, a major nursing education bill that tightens oversight of low-performing nursing programs, creates a temporary provisional license and preceptorship pathway for graduates awaiting NCLEX results, requires remediation for delayed testing, and increases transparency by posting passage rates. Nursing groups supported stronger standards, while private nursing schools warned the bill could reduce capacity and discourage program directors; the amended bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard SB 688, which would reestablish licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors in Florida, create a board of naturopathic medicine, set licensure and renewal requirements, and define the scope of practice while excluding most prescription authority. Supporters said it would expand health care choices and allow naturopathic doctors to practice openly, while opponents from the medical community warned the bill could authorize diagnosis and treatment without sufficient training and rely on unproven therapies. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned after members thanked staff for their work.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Feb 18th, 2026

Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • safe for those who request it, why is it not safe for the general public?
  • Thank you for your time.
  • Fiscally, this is bad for Florida. Thank you for being here today.
  • Also, please look for our suggestions for our citizenship.
  • C.S. for Senate Bill 1602 on Housing for Veterans.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Legislative Session Day 24 (2-10-26)

Kentucky House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • They're going to use a portion of their fees and fines to pay for these scholarships for engineers for
  • School High Voltage Dance Team.
  • Speaker, today I'd like to recognize the Hopkins County Central High School High Voltage Dance Team for
  • The Hopkins County Central High School High Voltage Dance Team is being recognized for their outstanding
  • After she obtains her bachelor's degree, she hopes to go back to school for her master's degree.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/09/2026 - House Public Safety & Law Enforcement

Public Safety & Law Enforcement

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for being here today. I'm so sorry for your loss.
  • Thank you for being here. Thank you for serving for 14 years and advocating for youth.
  • Just give it up for the high school students for showing up. Welcome to your house. Mr. Chair. Mr.
  • We will have also the hotlines available for anyone who would like to have the Hope Line, Teen Suicide
  • We will have also the hotlines available for anyone who would like to have the Hope Line, Teen Suicide
Bills: HB2665, HB2904, HB2917
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Agriculture & Natural Resources Feb 4th, 2026 at 08:00 am

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for your time. We do have questions for this panel and Ms. Goddard.
  • Thank you for your time. We do have questions for this panel. And Ms.
  • We typically, if it is not scheduled for exec and it is on the agenda for public hearing, but not for
  • Are there any questions for Ms. Lewis? I have one for you, Rebecca.
  • Go for it. Madam Chair, there are 11 I zero names. Thanks. Go for it.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • I want to thank everyone for being here. I want to thank everyone for being here today.
  • . for. for.
  • Chairman, for for your uh thank you, Mr.
  • Hope, please introduce yourself for the record, and then make your comment. Uh, sure.
  • </c> for the same purchasing power. for the same purchasing power.
Summary: The committee met in a special-called session of the Interim Joint Committee on Banking and Insurance and first took up three Department of Insurance regulations tied to House Bill 256, the Strengthen Kentucky Homes program: 806 KAR 22:00, 22:10, and 22:20. Commissioner Sharon Clark said the program would provide $5 million in grants to help homeowners strengthen roofs, with regulations covering eligibility and operations, contractors and evaluators, and reinspections in cases of suspected fraud. A committee substitute to 806 KAR 22:10 was explained as a technical correction to conform to the statutory preference for in-state contractors and evaluators. Representative Hampton moved and Representative Rudy seconded approval of the substitute, and it was adopted by voice vote; the amended regulations were then reviewed. Clark also said the grant money would be distributed statewide rather than targeted to storm-prone areas. The committee then heard an update from Commissioner Clark on mental health parity in response to questions from Representative Pollock. Clark said the department reviews insurer filings and conducts market conduct examinations, but does not have authority over provider reimbursement rates or to require providers to join insurer networks. She said complaints are investigated and, when needed, teams review claims and data on site to check compliance with parity requirements. No action was taken on that discussion. After approving the November 4 meeting minutes, the committee heard testimony on a proposed PIP reform package from Representative Josh Bray, the Kentucky Hospital Association, the Kentucky Justice Association, and State Farm. Supporters said the bill would apply the workers’ compensation fee schedule to most PIP medical claims, keep the $10,000 PIP limit in place while stretching benefits further, reduce balance billing, modernize benefit amounts, and address fraud and delayed billing. They noted hospitals would be exempt from the fee schedule, while hospital-based physical therapy would be included, and said the compromise reflected negotiations among stakeholders. Some members questioned whether exempting hospitals undercut the bill’s purpose and asked about possible rate effects; proponents said they had not done a rate analysis and that the bill could lead to more treatments within the existing PIP limit. No vote was taken on the PIP proposal during this meeting.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/12/25

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • > questions for M rice or for questions for M rice or for representative<00:13:56.639><c> data</c> seeing
  • It's designated for you.
  • might be on the hook for.
  • might be on the hook for.
  • the high school level.
Bills: HF1865, HF2014, HF2028
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Agriculture Feb 24th, 2026

Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for your bill. Morning.
  • It just seems to me like there should be a way for a landowner to just move for quiet title once it's
  • This is a new issue for us.
  • But, you know, right now, we're probably the ability— As for abandoning lines, for us, it's probably
  • Thank you for your testimony. Thank you. Next witness in opposition. Thank you for your testimony.
Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2280, sponsored by Representative Nulte, but did not have a quorum. The bill would require the state land surveyor’s office to determine and publish the geometry of abandoned railroad rights-of-way so adjoining landowners and surveyors can identify ownership boundaries, with the work potentially contracted to private surveyors or engineers. Nulte said the measure is intended to address uncertainty over abandoned rail corridors, where the Surface Transportation Board is the entity that formally abandons rail lines, and noted the bill includes a sunset date in 2046 to spread out the work and reduce fiscal impact. Members asked about how abandonment is defined, how landowners would reclaim or survey former rail property, how the bill might affect rail-to-trail corridors such as the Katy Trail, and whether railroad fences or other remnants remain the railroad’s responsibility. Nulte said the bill is aimed at long-abandoned lines and that a committee substitute would likely add more detail on how the geometry would be reconstructed from historical maps and records. He also said title insurance and existing boundary records may help in some cases. The Missouri Railroad Association testified in opposition to the bill as drafted, saying the issue is more complicated than it appears because abandoned lines can involve reverted property, state-owned trail corridors, industrial sites, brownfields, and older records that may be proprietary or incomplete. The association said it was concerned about privacy, liability, and the burden of scrubbing historical ownership information from its files, and noted that Missouri’s rail network remains heavily used for freight and national defense shipments. No witnesses testified in favor, no votes were taken, and the hearing was adjourned.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

ECD Public Hearing - Fri Feb 13, 2026 @ 8:30 AM HST

Economic Development & Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • >> Yeah. >> Chair, I was hoping that HCDC can come up for this one. >> Um, with this bill, I just wanted
  • He said we do not have enough living wage jobs projected for the next generation to have hope that they
  • for high school students opportunities for high school students going<00:52:23.520><c> into</c><00:52
  • opportunities, not for just the high<01:03:00.720><c> school</c><01:03:00.880><c> students</c><01:03
  • students or just for the high school students or just for the people<01:03:02.240><c> that</c><01:03
Summary: The committee opened with HB 1813 on taxation and HB 2429 on tax expenditure evaluation, taking mostly written testimony and limited oral discussion. On HB 2429, the Tax Foundation and Department of Taxation raised privacy and federal-law concerns, warning that the bill could require taxpayers to file duplicative returns and could risk disclosure of federal tax information if released publicly. Members and witnesses discussed using anonymized or summary reporting instead of individual public release, with the department saying summarized data would be preferable and that the state can ask for the information as a policy matter, but individual public release could create problems. The committee then heard HB 2423 HD1 on biodiesel, where Pacific Biodiesel said it can supply all biodiesel needed for B5 in Hawaii without imports and asked to move the implementation date earlier to November 2027 to allow rollout planning. HB 1996 HB1 on hearing aids drew broad support; a disability access representative said earlier insurance-based efforts had run into administrative problems and that this bill would immediately lower costs for consumers. HB 1851 HD1, also related to hearing aids, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, while the Tax Foundation argued the program would be better funded directly rather than through the tax system, citing overhead costs and blank provisions that should be filled in before passage. On HB 2546, the research activities tax credit, HCDC said the credit supports long-term R&D and should be converted from a first-come, first-served system to proration so more applicants receive some benefit; the agency described the credit as helping companies move from idea to commercialization and noted the state is leaving potential jobs and federal dollars on the table. HB 2028 HD1, relating to Labor Day for construction workers, drew support from labor representatives who said it recognizes construction workers and helps offset cost-of-living pressures, while the Tax Foundation opposed it as an industry-specific subsidy and flagged technical issues with undefined terms and blank credit amounts. The committee also heard HB 2583, HB 2490, HB 2545, HB 2114, and HB 1859 HD1. HB 2490, concerning coastal erosion at Mokuhiki Bay, received strong support from a temple representative who described severe shoreline loss, years of temporary emergency work, and the need for a long-term, nature-based solution in coordination with state agencies. HB 2545, involving HCDC and SBIR commercialization, was supported as a way to turn R&D into economic development; HCDC said it had more applications than it could fund and that the bill could help create high-wage jobs. HB 2114, the Hawaii Benefits Hub, received comments from ETS and DHS emphasizing support for the concept but cautioning that operational, policy, cybersecurity, and data-sharing standards must be carefully aligned. HB 1859 HD1 on workforce development drew strong support from workforce and philanthropic groups, who said Hawaii faces a long-term gap between projected living-wage jobs and the number of young people entering the workforce, and argued the bill would create durable infrastructure for coordination and long-term planning. No formal votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.