Transcript Highlights:

• Presently in law, the hospitals and hospital loan clinics are scheduled to be excluded from the patient
• I met with a hospital in Presbyterian and Española, which I would characterize as a rural hospital.
• Locally owned hospitals. Yes, Madam. Locally owned hospitals.
• and hospital-owned clinics.
• hospitals.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Not know respiratory therapists don't have one area of the hospital; we help cover the whole hospital
• Hospital in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
• up that would fit the needs of Hospital Y in Albuquerque but not a hospital in Representative Reeves
• county hospital, and I'm also worried about the state Fort Bayard State Hospital that's there.
• Would they close my hospital or shut part of my hospital down? That is what scares me.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment requires crane owners to follow all FDOT required safety protocols during transport, including
• So basically, what we do is we do outline a protocol for what the application will be to Florida Commerce
• Good with the hospital.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you know, we have we just got our protocol approved last month, so we're now able to start that actual
• /c><00:21:31.280><c> our</c> you know, we have we just got our you know, we have we just got our protocol
• 32.559><c> last</c><00:21:32.880><c> month,</c><00:21:33.200><c> so</c><00:21:33.360><c> we're</c> protocol
• approved last month, so we're protocol approved last month, so we're now<00:21:34.080><c> we're</c><
• somebody living in the community versus in an institution or somebody who's living at New Hampshire Hospital

Summary: The committee first approved the June 20, 2025 minutes, with several members abstaining, and then adopted the consent calendar after removing items 223 and 224 under tab five, item 222 under tab six, and item 231 under tab seven. The committee also noted that an old business item related to YDC claims administration would be removed at a future meeting because the fiscal year had closed and no further committee action was needed. The main substantive discussion centered on Department of Health and Human Services requests. Item FIS-223 would fund a shared database between the Department of Education and HHS to identify children eligible for the summer EBT program; members asked whether it could also help with Medicaid or school reimbursement tracking, but the witness said the item was specifically for summer EBT and that broader integration questions would need follow-up with Education and Medicaid staff. The committee then adopted the item, with Representative Mooney voting no. Item FIS-224 concerned the phrase "high quality services" in child care-related funding; HHS said the standards come from the federal Office of Child Care, and the committee adopted the item. Item FIS-222 related to Money Follows the Person; HHS explained it is a 100% federally funded program that supports transitions from institutions to community living with services such as housing navigation, furnishings, and case management. Members questioned the scale and cost of the program, and HHS said the initial federal award was $5 million, with additional federal IT funding later approved; the committee adopted the item, again with Representative Mooney voting no. Under tab seven, the committee discussed item 231 involving ARPA funds and the YDC project. The Department of Administrative Services explained that recent Treasury guidance allows leftover ARPA dollars from approved projects to be repurposed only for additional work on already approved projects, not new projects. Members asked about whether the project was over budget and whether some items had been in the original plan; officials said the work reflected add alternates from the original bid and that the project was on track to meet the deadline. The committee adopted the item. The meeting then moved to the audit presentation on the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s fiscal year 2024 management letter, which identified 13 internal control comments, including two material weaknesses, largely tied to the new NextG system. Recommendations included strengthening controls, formal risk assessment, reconciliations to New Hampshire First, cash receipt controls, subsidiary ledgers, SOC reports for vendors, internal audit functions, lease accounting, gift card breakage reporting, and IT security and access controls. The Liquor Commission said it concurred with most findings, described the system transition as successful overall, and said remediation would continue; committee members asked for estimated completion dates for audit findings and discussed the need for more regular follow-up on audit issues and budget monitoring.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the standard protocol recommends that unvaccinated children stay home for 21 days. Thank you.
• Over 60% of those hospitalized were infants under the age of two, and three children died.
• And just last week, two children were treated at a Jacksonville hospital for measles.
• On Wednesday, after entering the hospital on Sunday night, we had to take her off life support.
• Some carry 100% hospitalization rates, 23%, These diseases are not benign.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills. SB 1082 would let providers or insurers in state-regulated commercial plans opt into the federal independent dispute resolution process for emergency out-of-network claims, with a late-filed amendment clarifying access to the state program in certain circumstances. The bill sponsor and emergency physicians said the measure would reduce litigation and improve payment resolution; the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1168 would centralize background screening work for the care provider clearinghouse at the Agency for Health Care Administration and update related screening rules, including sealed and expunged records for qualified entities. The sponsor said the change would speed turnaround and reduce duplication; an amendment was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1156 would move ambulatory surgical center regulation out of Chapter 395 into a standalone section of law, and it was reported favorably without amendment. SB 1480, as amended by a strike-all, would grandfather certain temporary certificate holders practicing in areas of critical need if federal designations change, allowing them to continue seeing current patients and potentially new patients in their existing area subject to board oversight. The committee heard support from health system representatives and reported the bill favorably. The final and most debated measure, SB 1756 on medical freedom, would require vaccine education materials and alternative schedules, expand school immunization exemptions to conscience-based objections, clarify limits on emergency vaccination orders, and allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin behind the counter with written information. The sponsor and supporters framed it as parental choice and access, while physicians, public health advocates, cancer advocates, and parents of immunocompromised children warned it would lower vaccination rates and increase disease risk. The committee adopted a liability-related amendment, rejected a substitute amendment that would have required consultation for exemptions, and continued hearing public testimony opposing the bill; the transcript ends before final action on SB 1756.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, Lisa Thatcher, with the Washington State Hospital Association.
• First, going to section three, which is the only section in the bill that pertains to hospitals.
• It ensures that institutions like schools and hospitals remain safe spaces for everyone.
• Upon receiving news of his hospitalization due to a severe bone infection in his toe, we went to his
• hospital room and saw him lying in the hospital bed at St.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on four bills. SB 5925 would expand the Attorney General’s civil investigative demand authority to investigate possible violations of the U.S. and Washington constitutions, certain labor and civil rights laws, law enforcement use-of-force issues, and jail-related statutes. Supporters, including the Attorney General’s office, Teamsters 117, and Working Washington, said the bill would make investigations faster and more effective, especially in wage theft and discrimination cases. Opponents, including police, sheriffs, cities, counties, and retail and business groups, argued it would give the AG broad investigative power without enough threshold showing, could burden local governments and employers, and raised constitutional concerns about speech and search protections. No vote was taken. SB 5906 would codify and expand protections for non-public spaces in schools, child care facilities, health care facilities, higher education institutions, and county auditor election areas by limiting immigration enforcement access without a judicial warrant or court order and restricting collection of immigration-related information about students and families. Supporters said the bill would reduce fear, protect privacy, and make existing Keep Washington Working policies clearer and more durable, with testimony from immigrant rights groups, faith organizations, students, PTA, and health advocates. Some organizations, including health care and child care stakeholders, supported the goal but asked for amendments to clarify definitions, create model policies, add training and enforcement provisions, and adjust warrant/subpoena language. The committee also heard strong opposition concerns about federal immigration enforcement, but no action was taken. SB 6070 would expand missing-person tools by allowing certain digital investigative tools to be used in missing endangered person cases, creating new Abney and Purple Alerts for missing Black people and people with disabilities, and broadening the definition of missing endangered person. Supporters included prosecutors, law enforcement, tribal and disability advocates, families of missing persons, and students who argued that faster alerts and better digital tools save lives and address racial and disability disparities in missing-person responses. Testimony described delays in prior cases and the need for more urgent, targeted alerts. The committee then heard SB 6002, which would regulate automated license plate reader systems, set registration, use, retention, audit, and disclosure rules, and prohibit certain uses such as immigration enforcement and surveillance near protected locations. The sponsor said the bill is intended to create statewide guardrails for a technology already in use, and testimony was expected to continue after the excerpt ended; no vote or final action was recorded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitals and universities do not have adequate resources to meet this demand.
• We sell products to the hospitals and surgery centers that use our products, but we have...
• This certification is recognized by over 250 hospitals nationwide.
• He said two places needed you: two county hospitals, San Bernardino and Riverside.
• Neither one had a podiatrist in the hospital.

Bills: SB2024 , SB227 , SB268 , SB1467 , SB1580 , HB5537 , SB1313 , SB1677 , SB918 , SB331 , SB2207 , SB2721

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: e-cigarettes, marketing prohibition, youth protection, criminal penalties, public health, school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, health care, licensing, complaint procedure, disciplinary action, law enforcement, death records, vital statistics, healthcare, trauma facility, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• Teachers collaborate around shared data, use common protocols to discuss students, and intervene early
• As a result of legislative actions last session, hospitals are facing a $1.4 billion cut over the next
• Hospitals discharge 46,000 individuals to skilled nursing every year.
• We're owned by the San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1.
• We're currently undergoing a pre-design study and need leadership on tribal outreach and protocols.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses

Transcript Highlights:

• They are pushed onto counties, hospitals, and ultimately taxpayers.
• In light of H.R. 1, hospitals, especially safety net hospitals, are being forced to cut services, freeze
• It restores a system where care happens earlier, costs less, and keeps our hospitals and communities
• The other two tools are the pre-hospital do-not-resuscitate order, or DNR, and the POLST.
• We believe the same should hold for POLST and pre-hospital DNRs.

Committee: Senate Health

Summary: The committee heard SB 1422, which would restore Medi-Cal access for income-eligible undocumented adults beginning January 1, 2027. Senator Durazo and county, labor, health, immigrant-rights, and provider supporters argued the current enrollment freeze shifts costs to counties and hospitals, worsens preventive care, and increases expensive emergency treatment. No opposition testified. Several senators voiced support but also raised concerns about funding and the need for new revenue sources; the chair said she supported the concept and would continue working on financing, but the bill was not voted on because quorum was lost. The committee also heard SB 1023 on PrEP access, SB 1071 on amending death certificates after a homicide finding, SB 1057 on conviction-history review for CNA and home health aide certification, and SB 1088 on advance care planning and POLST/DNR updates. SB 1023’s author and supporters said requiring pharmacy-benefit coverage for injectable PrEP would reduce administrative barriers and improve access, while health plans opposed it as an improper benefit-design mandate; members sought clarification about how the billing pathway would work. SB 1071 drew strong support from victims’ families, law enforcement, and prosecutors who said death certificates should reflect later legal homicide findings, while coroners opposed it as blurring medical and legal determinations and risking data integrity. SB 1057 was presented as a fair-chance workforce measure to expand caregiving jobs for rehabilitated people with records, with no opposition heard. SB 1088 would modernize POLST/DNR rules, including electronic signatures, out-of-state recognition, and clearer signer authority; supporters backed the changes, while clinical nurse specialists opposed the bill for not including them as authorized signers. After quorum was established, the committee took up SB 869, which would require large chain restaurants to display an added-sugar icon next to beverages exceeding half the daily recommended sugar limit. Senator Weber Pierson and supporters from the American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association framed the bill as a transparency measure to help consumers make informed choices and reduce chronic disease risk. The senator responded to opposition concerns by saying existing nutrition information is often hard to find and that the icon would not unduly crowd menus. The hearing continued with testimony on the bill after quorum was reached, but no final vote is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitality workers had recall rights so that they could be rehired by seniority.
• But there were all these hospitality workers that were completely trapped and had no ability to get in
• Sorry, not following protocol, but thank you, Chair Smallwood-Cuevas, and thank you, Chair Ortega, and
• Sorry, not following protocol, but thank you, Thank you. Thank you.
• Sorry, not following protocol, but thank you, Chair Smallwood-Guevas, and thank you, Chair Ortega, and

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly labor committees held a hearing on the Los Angeles wildfires and their impact on workers, employers, and recovery efforts. Chairs and members emphasized that rebuilding should prioritize worker safety, equity, local hiring, and strong labor standards rather than simply moving quickly or relying on the lowest bidder. They also stressed the need to learn from past disasters and to create a more coordinated state response for future emergencies. Worker advocates described how domestic workers, day laborers, firefighters, and other frontline workers were affected by the fires. Testimony focused on workers being trapped in evacuation zones, lacking timely information in Spanish, losing jobs and income, and facing exposure to toxic debris without adequate PPE. Speakers called for expanded outreach and education, stronger Cal/OSHA enforcement, broader occupational safety coverage for domestic workers and day laborers, recall and transfer rights, childcare and transportation support, and a centralized disaster relief system that can quickly deliver cash aid and equipment regardless of immigration status. Firefighter Derek Irwin said California firefighters face serious carcinogenic exposure and urged continued funding for the firefighter cancer prevention and research program, along with a long-term state health monitoring and research effort similar to the World Trade Center Health Program. Building trades and labor representatives argued that cleanup and rebuilding should be done through community workforce agreements, prevailing wage, apprenticeship requirements, and local hire provisions, and said the state already has trained workers available. They also said federal debris-removal work through the Army Corps has limited the state’s ability to impose some standards, but that state and local funding or subsidies should trigger labor requirements. Employer and business representatives described major losses to property, inventory, revenue, and jobs, especially in Altadena and nearby areas. The Altadena Chamber said it is coordinating recovery resources, while a construction business owner said small local firms are being shut out of disaster contracts and proposed a more accessible procurement process for local and minority businesses. LAEDC presented preliminary estimates of billions in property damage and business disruption, tens of thousands of potential job losses, and a recovery timeline of five to ten years, warning that low-income communities will be disproportionately affected and that workforce retraining and upskilling will be needed alongside the broader economic recovery.

Transcript Highlights:

• After talking to the hospital association and with the Department of Health and Human Services, no one
• and<00:08:06.599><c> talking</c><00:08:06.960><c> to</c><00:08:07.199><c> the</c><00:08:07.479><c> hospital
• </c> and talking to the hospital and talking to the hospital Association<00:08:09.840><c> um</c><00:08
• Association and uh the Hospital Association and uh the individual<00:12:34.399><c> who</c><00:12:34.519
• For clarification, he said he thought the protocol or rule around putting fiscal notes on consent is

Summary: The House Finance Committee first took up a nongermane amendment to House Bill 71 that would require state vendors, through contract language, to comply with the New Hampshire Patient Bill of Rights. Representative Edwards said the amendment was revised after feedback from the hospital association and DHHS, applies only to new contracts or amendments, and includes a repeal date of November 30, 2026 so it would function only for the current budget cycle. John Williams of Legislative Affairs said the changes reflected work with DHHS procurement staff and with hospital stakeholders, including the removal of the term "addenda" in favor of "amendment" and clarification on prospective application. The committee did not vote on the amendment at that time, noting it would be attached later to HB 71. The committee then moved into executive session and acted on several bills. HB 67, which converts a pilot program for accessible voting machines in local elections into a permanent program, was amended to remove a $100,000 appropriation and adjust dates; the amendment and the bill as amended both passed unanimously, 25-0, and the bill was suggested for the consent calendar. HB 111, extending the Right-to-Know Ombudsman position, was retained and slated to be incorporated into HB 2 after a unanimous 25-0 vote, with the ombudsman noting the office could expire July 1 if the budget were delayed. HB 164, creating a process for a publicly accessible website for local records retention and access, was also retained for HB 2 by a 25-0 vote because it carries an appropriation. HB 216 was retained for further work because the committee could not get reliable cost information from the retirement system or the Labor Department; members said the fiscal note looked alarming, though the committee believed the actual cost might be near zero. HB 282, which raises the biennium cap on critical injury benefits for first responders from $500,000 to $1 million without increasing any individual benefit, was voted ought to pass 25-0 and will require a report. HB 619, dealing with solid waste issues and a possible self-funding accounting unit, was retained for HB 2 by a 25-0 vote. HB 650, an annual dedicated-funds cleanup bill that also caps a robotics fund at $1 million, passed ought to pass 25-0 and was placed on consent. Finally, HB 129, defining "evidence-based" in public education, was retained 25-0 while members continued working on language, and HB 133, concerning new resident driver’s license transfer requirements and DMV notices, drew a split policy discussion: the minority raised constitutional, administrative, and fiscal concerns, while the majority moved to retain it for HB 2 consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a practicing emergency physician at Logan Regional Hospital, which is an Intermountain facility.
• I took her to the university hospital, and I didn't really realize what kratom was at that time.
• That's a medically established protocol that is in wide-scale practice in the United States.
• And this is not just in the industry of health care or hospitals and clinics alone.
• The first one is to expand the capacity of the state hospital.

Committee: Joint Health and Human Services Interim Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• That are now either at the state hospital or at another hospital and have a psychiatric diagnosis.
• or just they're abandoned in hospitals.
• Okay, the next item is construction of the new hospital.
• to a new hospital.
• to a new hospital.

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Summary: The HR division continued work on the behavioral health budget, with members revisiting several funding items and generally agreeing to hold provider inflation increases until the full division picture is clearer. They tentatively supported additional funding for Community Connect and Free Through Recovery, as well as increases for the drug court program and peer support, while clarifying that some items were already in the House version and others were one-time or grant-related expenditures. The committee spent considerable time on a proposed $2 million behavioral health services program for nursing homes and basic care facilities. Senator Mathern brought revised language to describe a capitated payment model for training, consultation, and direct patient care for residents with medically based behavioral disorders and disruptive behaviors. Some members remained skeptical and wanted to see the amendment before deciding, but the discussion centered on whether the funding would help nursing homes accept patients who otherwise end up in state hospitals or acute care settings. Members also discussed several one-time funding items, including electronic health record and legacy system upgrades, network redundancy for the state hospital, partial hospitalization/intensive day treatment expansion, and a bathroom remodel at the Southeast Human Service Center. The committee restored the bathroom project to the original $972,000 estimate after concerns that the House reduction would not cover the needed ADA and plumbing work. They also debated a $12.96 million behavioral health facility grant for Altru in Grand Forks, with some members opposing it and others supporting it as a regional service expansion, but ultimately set it aside for later consideration. The meeting ended with staff flagging other sections of the bill, including the opioid settlement advisory language, the state hospital steering committee, behavioral health education grants, and the system of care grant. The chair announced that medical services would be taken up the next day, and members agreed to adjourn after planning to revisit unresolved behavioral health items and vote on the held bill later.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked in the hospital setting, caring for neonatal and pediatric patients, and have been an educator
• I've worked in the hospital setting, caring for neonatal and pediatric patients, and have been an educator
• I've done traveler registry throughout California at other hospitals.
• I've done traveler registry throughout California at other hospitals.
• Would that mean that she has to live in the hospital? Because we cannot, we need help at home.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate business committees held a sunset review hearing for five California regulatory entities: the Respiratory Care Board, the California Council for Interior Design Certification, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the Board of Occupational Therapy, and the Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Each board or council described its licensing, enforcement, modernization, and consumer-protection work since the last review, and committee members focused on workforce access, transparency, fee authority, and whether current regulatory structures are appropriately tailored to public safety. For the Respiratory Care Board, the main issue was a proposal to move toward a bachelor’s degree requirement for licensure. Board representatives said the change would better align education with the complexity of care and could help the profession’s long-term status and reimbursement prospects, but Assembly Member Addis and others raised concerns about rural access, staffing shortages, and added barriers to entry. Public commenters, including respiratory therapists, families, and congregate living health facility operators, strongly opposed the degree mandate and urged continued use of LVNs for certain respiratory tasks in community settings. The board also discussed its ongoing work on LVN respiratory care issues, updated suctioning guidance, digitized licensing and enforcement systems, and fee cleanup language. The interior design item drew the most debate. CCIDC leaders defended the current title-act certification model, arguing it establishes competency without evidence of public harm and avoids the disruption a full licensure system could cause. Several committee members questioned the lack of enforcement authority, the private nonprofit structure, Bagley-Keene compliance, and whether certification meaningfully improves plan acceptance or public safety. Public testimony was split: supporters said the system works and preserves flexibility, while opponents argued the model lacks accountability, creates confusion, and does not reliably prevent plan-check denials or protect the public. The speech-language pathology/audiology board reported major modernization gains, including a new online licensure system, faster processing, continuing education audits, and updated supervision and advertising rules; it also received support for creating a new audiology assistant license category, while a consumer group urged more public members, proactive inspections, and faster discipline. The occupational therapy board reported growth, improved enforcement and licensing performance, and a need for additional fee authority to address rising costs, while public testimony supported reducing advanced practice hand therapy training hours. The final naturopathic medicine item began at the end of the transcript, but no substantive discussion was captured before the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is there a problem with the protocols that are being used to do that?
• ...problem with these protocols that are being used to do that.
• So why—are the mechanisms that, I assume, put the mass balance protocols together not dealt with in the
• protocols?
• So are the mechanisms that, I assume, put the mass balance protocols together not dealt with in the protocols

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the president of the Teaching Hospitals of Texas, an association representing about 18 hospital districts
• I’m of the teaching hospitals...
• Reed, the county owns Brocklin Hospital, you did... Can you comment on the hospitals here?
• The hospital districts were an interesting internal debate in my office, my own hospital.
• head-to-head with a lot of the hospital districts.

Bills: HB1453 , HB1718 , HB2043 , HB2207 , HB2798

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: local governments, anticipation notes, certificates of obligation, public works, flood control, financial management, local government, municipal financing, private activity bonds, closing definition, real estate finance, bond issuance, government regulation, bond election, general obligation bonds, GO bonds, political subdivision, city bonds, county bonds, school district bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked in the hospital setting, caring for neonatal and pediatric patients, and have been an educator
• I've done traveler registry throughout California at other hospitals.
• trauma medical center, and we took care of patients with trachs and vents, and they lived in the hospital
• Would that mean that she has to live in the hospital? Because we cannot, we need help at home.
• Second, we believe that the standardized protocol for administering vaccinations should be maintained

Transcript Highlights:

• A local government must negotiate a mitigation plan with a public hospital district, fire protection
• I'm Matthew Ellsworth with the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts.
• We represent 58 public purpose districts around the state that include hospitals, nursing homes, clinics
• To combat fraudulent sales and mortgages, we have adopted ID verification protocols utilizing detailed
• We have adopted ID verification protocols, utilizing detailed credential analysis programs to verify

Bills: HB2313 , HB2451 , HB2298 , HB2566 , HB2517

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: grocery stores, public ownership, food accessibility, community services, economic development, tax increment financing, local government, municipal finance, public infrastructure, property title protection, land record fraud, county auditors, voluntary program, real estate, procurement, contracting, transparency, financial oversight, municipal permitting, transit projects

Transcript Highlights:

• We had the privilege to go to Taiwan last year, and thank you so much for the amazing hospitality.
• I can't believe people wouldn't want to be on a hospital board. I mean, it's a lot of fun.
• </c> people wouldn't want to be on a hospital people wouldn't want to be on a hospital board. board.
• </c> local hospital, but more in sales taxes. local hospital, but more in sales taxes.
• </c><01:54:25.599><c> when</c> implement evidence-based protocols when implement evidence-based protocols

Transcript Highlights:

• Safety-net hospitals and clinics.
• They are pushed onto counties, hospitals, and ultimately taxpayers.
• In light of HR1, hospitals, especially safety-net hospitals, are being forced to cut services, freeze
• It restores a system where care happens earlier, costs less, and keeps our hospitals and communities
• Public hospitals and health systems in support. Thank you.

Committee: Senate Health