Transcript Highlights:

• It's not because treatment doesn't exist. It's because our system has a giant hole in it.
• It can also pay for short-term step-down programs or residential treatment.
• When Stephen has been hospitalized in residential treatment, he does very well.
• That stabilizes and maintains crisis services and outpatient treatment.
• Number one, an increase in services for those needing treatment.

Bills: SB1086 , SB1193 , SB1318 , SB1345 , SB1346 , SB1451 , SB1496 , SB1611 , SB1630 , SB1631 , SB1632 , SB1672

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Keywords: reimbursement, healthcare, laboratory services, noncontracting providers, Arizona health care cost containment, personal identifying information, PII, privacy, confidential records, public records exemption, commercial disclosure, data privacy, licensure, certification, health professions, health care licensing, Arizona Department of Health Services, ADHS, emergency medical care technician, EMCT

Transcript Highlights:

• About 34% of Minnesotans in need of mental health care don't receive effective treatment.
• About 34% of Minnesotans in need of mental health care don't receive effective treatment.
• About 34% of Minnesotans in need of mental health care don't receive effective treatment.
• </c> patient populations and treatment patient populations and treatment settings<00:09:53.079><c> the
• This allows them to focus on specific treatment goals with higher levels of accountability.

Bills: HF958 , HF688 , HF702

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Unless we're doing research on treatment, I'm not sure. We have Dr.
• Once you test positive, you're seeking a treatment.
• It's not asking for treatment. It's not asking for a cure.
• I know there was a Medicaid 1115 waiver to provide mental health treatment and substance use treatment
• You had to have the proper treatment, and then the speed of treatment tended to pay a big, big in outcomes

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the legislative director for Direct Care and Treatment.
• </c> coming into Direct Care and treatment coming into Direct Care and treatment who<00:41:41.040><c>
• "I'm Dan Starkamp, Director of Operations Services for Direct Care and Treatment. And, uh, Mr.
• </c><01:02:37.240><c> they</c> to the court-ordered treatment they to the court-ordered treatment they
• </c><01:10:36.679><c> Services</c> intensive Residential Treatment Services intensive Residential Treatment

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is a bill, Senate Bill 1468 on advanced wastewater treatment.
• A bill, Senate Bill 1468 on advanced wastewater treatment by Senator Berman to be presented by Senator
• volumes, current treatment levels, and concentrations of specific contaminants, pollutant load estimates
• plant will be a significant financial challenge. to an advanced wastewater treatment plant will be a
• The wastewater treatment facilities would only be required to be used when they're within 50 miles.

Committee: Senate Environment and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, residential treatment is not covered by Medicaid, or sorry, Medicare.
• We use them in our crisis team, in our residential treatment, and in case management.
• Treatment.
• My next question is about With your residential treatment, how long a period?
• Is someone who's come out of intensive treatment.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• treatment, that's going to be a cost burden.
• Treatment is required in nearly all cases already when there is multiple offenses.
• treatment, that's going to be a cost burden.
• treatment, that's going to be a cost burden.
• Treatment in all cases.

Bills: SF1959 , HF2444 , SF2298 , HF2445 , SF2216 , HF2443 , HF2130 , HF1943 , HF2436 , HF2442

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Can occur if mom and baby do not receive adequate treatment in a timely way.
• So it seems like that would really help with adherence to HIV treatment.
• And so, because it's a slow-growing bacteria, the treatment has to last a long time.
• Sure, the treatment modules that our therapists use are all.
• Theory of Treatment.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article II

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Wastewater Treatment Plants. Wastewater Treatment Plants.
• </c><00:14:48.839><c> I'm</c><00:14:49.040><c> excited</c><00:14:50.000><c> to</c> Treatment Plants.
• I'm excited to Treatment Plants.
• and current treatment operators and current wastewater<00:15:12.040><c> treatment</c><00:15:12.400><
• c> operators</c><00:15:13.520><c> are</c><00:15:14.000><c> are</c> wastewater treatment operators are

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard and considered several gubernatorial nominations to advisory boards and councils. Early in the meeting, members heard testimony in support of Miriam Chang for the Health Planning Council Windward O‘ahu subarea, with supporters highlighting her long medical practice on the Windward side, work at Ko‘olau Health Center, and community involvement. Chang said she wanted to help improve health, especially in rural areas. The committee also heard support for Terrilyn Luke’s nomination to the Center for Nursing Advisory Board; the Center for Nursing director and nursing organizations backed her, and Luke said she would bring a front-line nursing perspective, focus on workforce conditions, retention, and collaboration, and help address tensions between the Center and nursing labor groups. The committee then heard support for Valerie Rose’s nomination to the Language Access Advisory Council; Rose briefly noted her prior work in the Chronic Disease Branch and Bilingual Health Aide Section. The committee also took up nominations in a later agenda segment. James Montgomery was heard for the State Rehabilitation Council and described his interest in serving based on a family experience with disability and his work in talent management, saying he wanted to help people with disabilities gain opportunities. Kevin Nakamura was heard for the Board of Certification of Operating Personnel in Wastewater Treatment Plants and said his 30-plus years of wastewater experience would help ensure operators are properly trained and certified to protect resources and the environment. Pina Lemusu was heard for the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; she said her long career with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and personal experience with disability would help her contribute to the council. Additional testimony in support came from the State DD Council and Voc Rehab representatives. The committee voted to recommend advise and consent on the nominations it considered, including Miriam Chang, Terrilyn Luke, Valerie Rose, James Montgomery, Kevin Nakamura, and Pina Lemusu. Most recommendations were adopted without objection, though Senator Dela Cruz voted no on some of the later nominations. The meeting also briefly noted another nomination, Olivia Kim, which was recalled and advanced with an advise-and-consent recommendation before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Providing it to victims when they appear at a hospital or treatment facility right after and are going
• It would be offered as part of their treatment if they so chose to take it.
• Yeah, it would be offered as part of their treatment if they so chose to take it.
• The one thing we're changing for what we do now is medical treatment.
• Currently the way that it is is the medical treatment... ...doing it and the medications, and that's

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and took up House Bill 3174 by Representative Justice. Members adopted two committee amendments: one removed the bill’s mapping provisions so that the vendor-list portion could move forward separately, and another required schools to have at least one master key box for emergency responders. The amendments were rolled into a committee substitute, which the committee then voted do pass on a 10-0 roll call. A second executive-session bill was postponed until the following week because of a family emergency involving Representative Williams. The committee then heard Senate Bill 982, a cleanup and reorganization bill dealing with Missouri’s sex offender registry and related registration rules. Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman said the bill was intended to align the registry statutes with prior changes, clarify tiering and registration requirements, address offenders with ties to Missouri but living elsewhere, and improve information-sharing rules for law enforcement and victims, including notice when a registrant dies or moves. Testimony in support came from the Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration, which said the bill codifies case law and reduces administrative confusion for the Highway Patrol and registrants. No opposition was offered. The committee also heard House Bill 3414, which would create a state offense modeled on a federal online-fraud law to help law enforcement pursue internet-based fraud, including schemes involving credit cards, account numbers, telecommunication identifiers, and similar access devices. The sponsor and a law-enforcement witness said the bill would give investigators another tool against increasingly common fraud, including elder fraud and VoIP-based schemes; a Maverick convenience stores representative also supported it as a response to changing technology. No opposition was presented. Finally, the committee heard House Bills 2628 and 3460, the CARE Act, which would require hospitals and health facilities treating sexual-assault survivors to inform patients about emergency contraception, provide it if requested, test and treat for sexually transmitted infections, and seek reimbursement through the Department of Public Safety. Sponsor Jacqueline Zimmerman said the bill is meant to reduce trauma and prevent pregnancies resulting from rape, and witnesses from sexual-assault nursing, reproductive-health, anti-poverty, medical, and nursing organizations supported it as a way to standardize care, especially in rural areas. Several members raised questions about whether the bill would require abortion-inducing drugs, whether hospitals could opt out on conscientious grounds, and how reimbursement would work; the sponsor said she intended to add language excluding abortion-inducing medications and that the current DPS forensic-exam payment structure would not change. No votes were taken on the later bills in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not grant these companies any special treatment.
• It does not grant these companies any special treatment.
• We don’t really have a lot of treatment technologies for that purpose.
• plant. ...to do the design of the sewer lines leading up to the treatment plant.
• Then we would still need to do all the work on the treatment side of it.

Bills: SB22 , SB310

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 22, which would allow certain motor vehicle manufacturers, including electric vehicle companies, to be licensed as dealers in New Mexico and sell/service directly to consumers. Supporters, including the sponsor’s office, Taxation and Revenue, Rivian, and clean-energy advocates, argued the bill would expand consumer choice, lower prices, improve EV access and service in-state, and bring new investment and jobs without eliminating existing franchise dealers. Opponents, including auto dealer associations, chambers of commerce, and franchise owners, argued the measure would weaken the franchise system, harm local businesses and jobs, reduce community reinvestment, and could disadvantage rural and tribal communities. After questions about trade-ins, tribal land sales, tax effects, and economic impacts, the committee voted to table SB 22 by a vote of 7-2. The committee then took up Senate Bill 310, which appropriates $1.1 million to the New Mexico Environment Department for planning, design, and construction improvements to the Mora mutual domestic water system. Supporters described aging water and wastewater infrastructure, an AOC related to discharge into the Mora River, flood and fire impacts, and heavy-metal contamination concerns in private wells. They said the project is part of a larger effort to address inflow and infiltration, improve treatment capacity, and protect public health, with additional funding already sought through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund and the Water Trust Board. Some senators questioned whether the request should instead go through existing water funding programs and raised concerns about piecemeal financing and the Environment Department’s role, but others supported the need for the project. The committee approved SB 310 on a 5-3 due-pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• to support the distribution of naloxone kits; $4.5 million to support mobile medication-assisted treatment
• The request also includes $6.6 million to further support treatment and recovery initiatives statewide
• An additional $10 million to support 85 community residential treatment beds for pre-admission diversion
• and discharge from state mental health treatment facilities for patients admitted under Chapter 916.
• And $51.1 million to support 474 new beds at two of the state-operated mental health treatment facilities

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard presentations on the governor’s proposed FY 26-27 budget for the health and human services silo, which totals $48.5 billion within a $117.4 billion state budget. Agency leaders outlined major spending priorities, including AHCA’s behavioral health redesign, APD waiver enrollment and facility needs, DCF’s integrity and self-sufficiency systems, opioid response, community-based care and mental health bed expansion, DOEA’s Alzheimer’s, home care, and community care programs, DOH’s cancer research, public health, EMS blood-transfusion initiative, and lab feasibility study, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ facility, cybersecurity, and medication-management investments. Members generally praised several proposals, especially increased reimbursement for private duty nursing, behavioral health funding, Alzheimer’s support, and the EMS blood program. Senator Sharief raised concerns about the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), warning that changes could leave many Floridians without coverage for HIV medications and asking whether manufacturers could provide rebates directly to patients. Surgeon General Ladapo said the issue was driven largely by funding and federal changes, not a legal barrier, and said the department had explored alternatives but could not fill the gap with current resources. Senator Rouson asked about the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, and DCF said its budget includes about $7 million for the substance abuse and mental health data dashboard required by prior legislation. Public testimony focused heavily on ADAP. Former program leaders and advocates said the proposed changes would reduce enrollment and remove key drugs and insurance-premium support, calling the situation a crisis and criticizing the department for lack of transparency and stakeholder engagement. They urged a pause and collaborative review of the program’s finances. The committee also discussed KidsCare implementation, with AHCA saying federal conditions and litigation have delayed the expansion. The meeting ended after the chair noted the budget would still need to be adjusted for updated Medicaid caseload estimates, and the committee adjourned without taking any formal votes or other action on the budget items.

Transcript Highlights:

• While secure youth treatment facilities are now the primary placement, many counties continue to adapt
• IRPs should clearly link to treatment needs, progress indicators, and readiness for stepping into the
• IRPs should clearly link to treatment needs, progress indicators, and readiness for stepping into the
• I'm just really curious as to why this department in particular does not get the same treatment as all
• fast-track people's treatment and improve their outcomes for living with HIV.

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget and oversight presentations from CalHHS-related departments and agencies. CalHHS opened with a broad overview of its 2026-27 budget and priorities, including behavioral health, housing and human services integration, children and youth services, and aging/disability supports. OICR then presented its budget and its SB 823 realignment report on youth formerly committed to DJJ, saying county implementation varies widely but that the state has not seen evidence of net widening in the available data. OICR recommended climate surveys, youth advisory councils, stronger behavioral health and education programming in secure youth treatment facilities, better transitional planning, and improved longitudinal data systems. The agency also described a Title II federal grant transition problem, saying it cannot yet pay some subrecipients for prior work and is awaiting federal action on retroactive spending authority and an administrative funding adjustment. The Ombudsperson division requested two additional positions to address a growing complaint workload and access issues with counties over youth meetings, records, and grievance files; LAO raised no policy objection but noted the ongoing General Fund cost. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities requested $730,000 General Fund ongoing to cover the gap between federal limits on administrative overhead and the actual cost of an interagency agreement with the Department of Social Services. EMSA presented its department overview and several proposals, including a delayed AB 716 ambulance rate report, a $2.6 million request to replace aging disaster-response vehicles, a $250,000 security architecture assessment, and four positions plus ongoing General Fund for HR, enforcement, and legal workload. Members questioned the delay in the AB 716 report, the optics and timing of the vehicle replacement request, and whether EMSA was doing enough to prevent future staffing and enforcement problems. LAO repeatedly noted the ongoing General Fund implications of EMSA’s requests. The Department of Community Services and Development sought reappropriation of unspent Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund money for the Low-Income Weatherization Program and described a Proposition 4-funded continuation of the farmworker housing component, which would require a new statewide administrator and program design process. The Department of Rehabilitation requested authority to draw an additional $60 million in federal funds annually and add 54 positions to meet sharply increased Vocational Rehabilitation caseloads; LAO had no concerns. Child Support Services proposed restoring a prior reduction to local child support agency funding and reported higher federal performance incentives, while also presenting a supplemental report on full pass-through of child support collections to CalWORKs families, estimating about $150 million annually for full pass-through or about $80 million for a state/county-only approach, plus automation costs. Members questioned why funding should rise when caseloads are declining, and whether the policy could be made cost-neutral. CDPH closed the hearing with an overview of its $5.1 billion budget and its state of public health report, highlighting record-low mortality and higher life expectancy, but also rising overdose deaths among ages 25-44, persistent maternal and infant mortality disparities, and the need for stable public health and emergency-response capacity; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• > and</c><00:04:32.360><c> eliminating</c> treatment for patients and eliminating treatment for patients
• services, and the only tinnitus treatment services within 70 miles.
• services, and the only tinnitus treatment services within 70 miles.
• </c> amount to um reducing time to treatment amount to um reducing time to treatment for<00:14:00.400
• </c> treatment plan. treatment plan.

Summary: The committee first approved the October 23 meeting minutes and then heard testimony on a planned 2026 bill to modernize Kentucky’s audiology practice act. Witnesses from the Academy of Doctors of Audiology and a Kentucky audiologist said the proposal would largely codify existing authority and add new powers to order certain imaging and lab tests related to auditory and vestibular conditions, as well as prescribe topical ear medications. They argued the changes would reduce delays, especially in rural areas, improve access to hearing and balance care, and help address provider shortages. Committee members asked about evidence for the expansion, responsibility for reviewing imaging results and incidental findings, and whether the changes might affect referrals or scope of practice. The witnesses said they could provide evidence, that the audiologist would be responsible for obtaining and reviewing radiology reports and following up with patients and primary care providers, and that the goal was to speed treatment and streamline referrals when needed. The committee then heard a separate proposal to update the Kentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy statutes by licensing MRI technologists and diagnostic medical sonographers, who are not currently required to be licensed in Kentucky. The bill would create a transition period through January 1, 2028 for current practitioners, require national credentialing for new applicants after that date, expand the board from 9 to 11 members, and clarify scope and enforcement provisions. Supporters said the measure would improve patient safety, align Kentucky with most other states, and recognize national credentials. Members questioned how many workers would be affected, whether the state currently meets national standards, the cost of licensure, and whether the bill could worsen staffing shortages, especially in rural areas. The witnesses said about 800 MRI technologists and 1,600 sonographers in Kentucky are currently certified, initial licensure would cost $100, and existing licensees would not pay an additional fee. They also said the board viewed the change as a safety measure and noted increasing portability of MRI services across state lines. Finally, the committee began hearing a respiratory care interstate compact proposal. The sponsor and respiratory care representatives described the compact as a way to allow licensed respiratory therapists from member states to practice across state lines. They outlined the profession’s role in hospitals, emergency departments, home care, pulmonary labs, long-term care, and telehealth, and said the compact would help with workforce flexibility and access to care. The transcript cuts off before the discussion concluded or any action was taken on that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• a day for two days in a week, so they have to maintain the treatment.
• So I would characterize, if we parse between treatment and cure, I would call it a treatment.
• So for Medicaid beneficiaries, it opens up the treatment option for them to be able to get treatment
• , and can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars for initial treatment.
• He estimated that initial treatment can cost $200,000 to $300,000, depending on the criteria for treatment

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 2726 would require coverage for diagnosis and treatment of mild obstructive sleep apnea, including a tongue-muscle stimulation device. The sponsor and medical witnesses said the device is a less burdensome alternative to CPAP and could improve adherence and reduce long-term complications, while Access said it already covers medically necessary sleep apnea treatment but was neutral and concerned the bill could narrow review and limit cost-effectiveness analysis. The committee adopted the Bliss amendment and then gave HB 2726 a due-pass recommendation by an 8-4 vote. HB 2435, as amended, would create a provisional licensing pathway for internationally trained physicians who meet specified ECFMG-related criteria, with supervision, fees set by the Medical Board, and automatic conversion to a full license after four years if conditions are met. Supporters argued Arizona faces severe physician shortages, especially in rural and tribal areas, and that the bill would bring in experienced doctors while preserving oversight. Opponents, including the Arizona Medical Board, said current law already allows case-by-case licensure review and warned the bill could weaken safeguards and bypass existing scrutiny. After adopting the amendment, the committee approved HB 2435 on a due-pass recommendation. HB 2958 would require Access coverage for comprehensive dental care for pregnant women age 21 and older, with a $500,000 general fund appropriation for a pilot program. The sponsor and public health witnesses said dental care during pregnancy is linked to better maternal and infant outcomes and could reduce emergency room use and complications. The committee adopted the bill and sent it out with an 11-1 due-pass recommendation. HB 2176, which sets timelines and standards for health care institution complaint investigations and dispute resolution, also received broad support from hospitals and was approved unanimously on a 12-0 due-pass recommendation. The committee then heard HB 2447, which would bar insurers from reimbursing certified registered nurse anesthetists at a lower rate than anesthesiologists for the same service. Opponents argued the bill would interfere with private contracting, ignore differences in training and liability, and likely raise costs for the state and taxpayers; supporters said anesthesia demand has outpaced reimbursement and that parity is needed to protect access, especially in rural areas. The transcript ends during testimony on HB 2447, before any vote is taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman Bliss, Representative Contreras, this is a treatment for sleep apnea.
• I would characterize, if we parse between treatment and cure, I would call it a treatment.
• So for Medicaid beneficiaries, it opens up the treatment option for them to be able to get treatment
• What this says is one subclass of males gets a different treatment than another.
• , and hundreds of thousands of dollars for initial treatment.

Bills: HB2176 , HB2333 , HB2435 , HB2447 , HB2617 , HB2683 , HB2686 , HB2725 , HB2726 , HB2906 , HB2953 , HB2958

Committees: House Health & Human Services , House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Keywords: health care, licensure, complaints, investigation, safety, patient care, regulatory compliance, prosthetics, orthotics, health insurance, Medicare, medical necessity, disability rights, coverage, reimbursement, internationally trained physicians, medical board, clinical training, provisional license, healthcare workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:38:05.280><c> room</c><00:38:05.440><c> under</c> treatment in that emergency room under treatment
• So, the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center is part of the direct care and treatment that we all authorize
• So, the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center is part of the direct care and treatment that we all authorize
• Representative Hicks: The Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center is part of the direct care and treatment
• Representative Hicks: The Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center is part of the direct care and treatment

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> appropriate placement and treatment appropriate placement and treatment options<00:11:57.760><c>
• similar treatment in the hospital<01:04:24.799><c> setting.
• treatment is just as effective as inpatient treatment when families have the proper equipment and clinical
• treatment is just as effective as inpatient treatment when families have the proper equipment and clinical
• Uh not out mental health care treatment.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And we had the biggest treatment of its kind ever attempted in North America.
• And we had the biggest treatment of its kind ever attempted in North America.
• That is a very temporary treatment.
• It's what we use for hoof treatments and cattle as well.
• So the chemical, there's several types of contracts involved in the treatment, right?

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard presentations on the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the State Liquor Division. For Agriculture, legislative staff reviewed the agency’s structure, staffing, dedicated funds, and FY 2026–2027 budget requests, including pay adjustments, replacement items, IT hardware, a reappropriation for the Resilient Food Systems Grant, and two major one-time requests: a deficiency warrant for exotic pest response and a supplemental appropriation for quagga mussel treatment. Director Chanel Tewalt emphasized the history and urgency of Idaho’s invasive species program, described the state’s rapid response to quagga mussels, and explained how the program uses inspections, stations, chemicals, and other tools to reduce risk. Members asked about grant timing, vehicle replacement, signage costs, research into alternative treatments, chemical costs, possible use of sturgeon, and whether budget cuts would affect inspection stations; the director said some station openings or hours could be delayed or reduced, but priority would be given to border crossings and higher-risk locations. The committee then reviewed the State Liquor Division budget. Staff outlined the division’s dedicated-fund operations, personnel levels, statutory distributions, and FY 2027 requests for inflation, replacement items, and IT/security equipment, all recommended by the governor. Director Andrew Arulenandum said his priorities were safety, legal exposure, and operational continuity, citing a store shelving collapse and warehouse safety needs as reasons for some requests. Members asked about a policy proposal to restrict bulk lottery ticket purchases by out-of-state syndicates, the division’s pricing and markup structure, and whether Idaho might move away from a state-run liquor model. The director and his staff said the lottery restriction would not have a fiscal impact, that the markup is standardized, and that while the division remains open to efficiency ideas, the current control-state structure is intended to support revenue and temperance. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would return the next day to take action on FY 2027 maintenance budgets.

Transcript Highlights:

• or radiation and receive a targeted treatment proven more effective.
• or radiation and receive a targeted treatment proven more effective.
• or radiation and receive a targeted treatment proven more effective.
• or radiation and receive a targeted treatment proven more effective.
• or radiation and receive a targeted treatment proven more effective.

Committee: Joint Insurance