Transcript Highlights:

• Now, imagine what it's like to be told that about your spouse.
• </c><00:54:10.480><c> Now,</c><00:54:10.680><c> imagine</c><00:54:11.160><c> what</c> through the weekend
• Now, imagine what through the weekend.
• Now, imagine what it's<00:54:11.400><c> like</c><00:54:11.520><c> to</c><00:54:11.640><c> be</c><00:54

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: House Transportation opened public hearings on three Senate bills and discussed a fourth scheduling issue. On SB 499, which would change Traffic Safety Commission reporting requirements, the sponsor’s representative said the bill would require annual aggregated data on the causes of traffic collisions in New Hampshire and recommendations to address them. Members asked about the added Trauma Medical Review Committee seat, and a representative explained that it is a longstanding state board of emergency and trauma professionals; the bill had already been amended and passed unanimously earlier in the process. On SB 500, concerning restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators, the sponsor and trucking-industry supporters said the measure arose from concerns raised by female truck drivers and was intended to require larger commercial facilities with available public or employee restrooms to allow truck drivers to use them when there are no public safety concerns. Supporters from the New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said driver shortages make it important to recruit and retain women, and that lack of bathroom access is a significant barrier. Committee members asked about the scope of the problem and whether the issue affected male and female drivers differently. The committee then heard SB 559, which would reduce the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads. Supporters, including bicyclists and the Bike-Walk Alliance, testified that lower speeds improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, citing personal crash experiences and national guidance supporting lower urban speed limits where warranted by traffic or engineering studies. They emphasized the bill would not mandate lower limits statewide but would give towns local discretion. Members questioned whether the group would support 15 mph limits and how congestion and travel-time concerns were weighed. A Department of Transportation official testified neutrally, saying the agency had no formal position but had concerns about public perception and possible spillover to unnumbered state roads. The chair also noted an earlier scheduling problem that prevented immediate executive action on a bill until later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you had this amazing daughter, I imagine, Maddie, who was just a ball of energy like my two kids
• Imagine what it means for smaller churches and mosques and synagogues and temples that have far less
• To avoid history repeating itself, we encourage lawmakers to imagine an approach to public safety that
• Imagine if they would have been in the middle of nowhere and that person could have rendered or didn't

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so you can imagine their disappointment when they show up to a tap room in New Hampshire and are
• Um,</c><01:39:24.960><c> so</c><01:39:25.040><c> you</c><01:39:25.280><c> can</c><01:39:25.360><c> imagine
• Um, so you can imagine entire variety.
• Um, so you can imagine their<01:39:25.920><c> disappointment</c><01:39:26.400><c> when</c><01:39:26.639

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• out to somebody else, none of the costs for those things have stayed flat since 2013 as we all can imagine
• going to turn it over to stayed flat since 2013 as we all can stayed flat since 2013 as we all can imagine
• . imagine. imagine.

Bills: HF2136 , HF4195 , HF4548 , HF4432 , HF4174 , HF3024 , HF4389 , HF3773

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: youth intervention, grants, community support, early intervention services, nonprofit, Minnesota human services, forecast adjustment, budget forecast, appropriations, Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, Health Care Access Fund, general fund, behavioral health, housing support, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, MFIP, DWP, child care assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• And I can't imagine a world where that doesn't extend to their health care workers also, especially if
• I've tried literally everything you could imagine because of the damage that was causing.
• I have gone through so many different, I've tried literally everything you could imagine because of the
• I can't imagine how much that extra cost would be when 5 megabytes, even times 6,000 children.

Bills: SB1052 , SB1115 , SB1118 , SB1120 , SB1121 , SB1124 , SB1171 , SB1172 , SB1174 , SB1175 , SB1214 , SB1233 , SB1235 , SB1316 , SB1345 , SB1372 , SB1399 , SB1458 , SB1494 , SB1496 , SB1564 , SB1602 , SB1621 , SB1628 , SB1630 , SB1631 , SB1668 , SB1672 , SB1814 , SB1821

Committee: House Health & Human Services

Keywords: assisted living, health care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physician orders, informed consent, AHCCCS, remote work, state agency, employment, public health, housing, zoning, middle housing, urban development, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, historic preservation, radiation protection

Transcript Highlights:

• They shift onto the backs of families who are already stretched far beyond what most people can imagine
• stretched far beyond what most<00:45:59.119><c> people</c><00:45:59.359><c> can</c><00:45:59.599><c> imagine
• </c><00:46:00.400><c> People</c><00:46:00.640><c> with</c> most people can imagine.
• People with most people can imagine.

Bills: HF3174 , HF3800

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: background study, disqualification, set-aside, permanent disqualification, Office of Administrative Hearings, chief judge, human services licensing, substance use disorder treatment, SUD treatment, chemical dependency, recovery, rehabilitation, abstinence, foster care, child foster care, vulnerable adults, caregiver background check, license holder, direct contact, risk of harm

Transcript Highlights:

• Imagine being a prosecutor getting a report from a victim saying, "I want this prosecuted to the greatest
• Imagine being a prosecutor getting a report from a victim saying, "I want this prosecuted to the greatest
• Imagine being a prosecutor getting a report from a victim saying, "I want this prosecuted to the greatest
• Imagine being a prosecutor getting a report from a victim saying, "I want this prosecuted to the greatest

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, if I had imagined the first time I came to this committee that this was the period through which
• Um<01:06:38.880><c> if</c><01:06:39.119><c> I</c><01:06:39.280><c> had</c><01:06:39.520><c> imagined<
• /c> Um if I had imagined Um if I had imagined uh<01:06:42.079><c> the</c><01:06:42.400><c> first</c><

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas like imagine that they're kicking down your door and taking your gun, right?
• Whereas like<00:16:56.320><c> imagine</c><00:16:56.880><c> that</c><00:16:57.040><c> they're</c><00:16
• :57.360><c> kicking</c><00:16:57.680><c> down</c> like imagine that they're kicking down like imagine

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that in line 17 after promote the blockchain financial technology digital innovation in Wyoming I imagine
• innovation<00:11:05.920><c> in</c><00:11:06.160><c> Wyoming</c><00:11:06.800><c> I</c><00:11:07.040><c> imagine
• </c><00:11:07.360><c> that</c><00:11:07.680><c> was</c> innovation in Wyoming I imagine that was innovation
• in Wyoming I imagine that was intentional<00:11:09.120><c> and</c><00:11:09.360><c> shifting</c><00:

Bills: HB0015 , HB0017 , HB0019

Committee: House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Keywords: right to repair, digital electronics, consumer protection, embedded software, manufacturers, repair providers, tools and documentation, anti-theft measures, blockchain, financial technology, digital innovation, economic development, select committee, trespass, hunting, land use, public access, wildlife, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• may be bricklaying, it may be HVAC, it may be mechanics, it may be any type of trade that you could imagine
• type of these whatever trade that you type of these whatever trade that you could<00:47:08.240><c> imagine
• </c> could imagine. could imagine.

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• because at the end of the day, we can educate and we can do everything in the schools that we can imagine
• that<00:58:33.680><c> that</c><00:58:34.240><c> we</c><00:58:34.720><c> can</c><00:58:34.960><c> imagine
• /c><00:58:35.680><c> but</c><00:58:35.920><c> when</c><00:58:36.079><c> they</c> that that we can imagine
• , but when they that that we can imagine, but when they go<00:58:36.400><c> home</c><00:58:36.559><c>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes unanimously and then heard extended testimony from Senator Jimmy Higdon, who reflected on Kentucky’s 2011 childhood obesity task force and said the state’s childhood obesity problem has worsened since then. He described prior recommendations from that task force, including more physical education, nutrition education, classroom-based physical activity, complete streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, and safe routes to school. Higdon also argued that government programs have contributed to obesity and drug abuse, focusing especially on SNAP and Medicaid, and said he has long advocated for a waiver to distribute SNAP benefits twice a month rather than once a month. Higdon said SNAP fraud and abuse are significant, claiming some recipients sell benefits and some retailers bend the rules on eligible purchases. He also said spreading benefits through the month could help families keep fresh food in the home and stabilize grocery store business, especially in food deserts and rural areas. In response to questions, he said he would not support allowing hot prepared foods under SNAP, though he said a grocery-store produce incentive similar to the farmers market match could be beneficial if structured separately. He also said the WIC program is a model for how SNAP could be better administered. Members thanked Higdon for his service and discussed whether the issue is food insecurity or poor nutrition. Senator Douglas emphasized adding stronger guardrails to nutrition-related programs, and Representative Proctor asked about the challenges of operating grocery stores in rural areas and food deserts. Higdon said independent grocers face thin margins, competition, and cyclical market pressures, and that SNAP distribution patterns can worsen those challenges. After Higdon’s testimony, the committee heard from Ann Cressilious, a registered dietitian with the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who began a presentation on the profession and on efforts to improve nutrition and access to nutrition information in Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, imagine a world where we don't need seclusion. We don't need restrictive procedure.
• Like imagine<00:54:51.280><c> a</c><00:54:51.520><c> world</c><00:54:52.000><c> where</c><00:54:52.960
• ><c> we</c><00:54:53.200><c> don't</c><00:54:53.359><c> need</c> imagine a world where we don't need
• imagine a world where we don't need seclusion.<00:54:54.079><c> We</c><00:54:54.240><c> don't</c><00:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• cryptocurrency to purchase the guns, to hire the hitmen to come to school, and it is beyond what I ever imagined
• </c><00:31:54.040><c> what</c><00:31:54.200><c> I</c><00:31:54.280><c> ever</c><00:31:54.520><c> imagined
• </c><00:31:55.200><c> 20</c><00:31:55.560><c> years</c> is beyond what I ever imagined 20 years is beyond
• what I ever imagined 20 years ago<00:31:56.120><c> of</c><00:31:56.240><c> what</c><00:31:56.440><c>

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:09 State of the Judiciary: 00:02:33 The Corrections - KCTCS Reentry Program: 00:49:44 Update on 2022 RS SB 90: 01:27:49, 958, all

Summary: The Juvenile Justice Oversight Council met with a quorum, approved the October 8, 2025 minutes, and welcomed guests including Marshall County Attorney Jason Darnall. The main topic was juvenile interrogation, with a presentation from Kentucky Youth Advocates by Courtney Downs and Shannon Moody. They said their organization is supporting a 2026 Blueprint priority requiring children to consult with an attorney before waiving Miranda rights, and they emphasized research on adolescent brain development, susceptibility to peer pressure and impulsive decision-making, and the risk of false confessions. They cited National Registry of Exonerations data showing high rates of false confessions among exonerated youth, especially younger children, and described approaches in other states such as Maryland’s Child Interrogation Protection Act, Indiana’s statute allowing certain adults to waive rights in some circumstances, and laws in other states requiring recording of interrogations or limiting deceptive tactics. Members asked about trauma and adverse childhood experiences, whether the proposal would require attorney consultation in every juvenile interview, whether parents could instead be the ones consulted, and how such a rule would affect law enforcement investigations and juvenile accountability. Senator Carroll and others raised concerns about feasibility, delays, and whether juveniles might avoid accountability if attorneys are required before questioning. The presenters responded that they were focused on ensuring children understand their legal rights, that some states use age- or offense-based limits, and that parent consultation is another model used elsewhere, though they said a lawyer is best suited to explain legal rights and process. Members also discussed the role of the Department of Public Advocacy and whether legislative action or court decisions should address the issue. The council did not take final action on the policy, but requested additional materials, including the text of laws from Maryland, Indiana, and North Carolina, for further review.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can imagine if you need healthcare, you need it now; you don't need it in eight months or five months
• c><00:40:52.000><c> impact</c><00:40:52.400><c> you</c><00:40:52.560><c> can</c><00:40:52.640><c> imagine
• </c><00:40:52.960><c> if</c> know the the impact you can imagine if know the the impact you can imagine

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board meeting began with a roll call and approval of the October 7 meeting minutes. The chair then reordered the agenda to hear the item on Medicaid reimbursement rates and network adequacy first because of scheduling issues. Dr. Steve Robertson of the Kentucky Dental Association was sworn in and testified at length about Kentucky’s dental Medicaid program, arguing that reimbursement rates are unsustainably low, have been largely flat for decades, and are often below the cost of providing care. He said Kentucky ranks near the bottom nationally in oral health, dental Medicaid rates are often 60% or less of commercial rates, and the program’s share of the Medicaid budget has effectively remained around 2% despite growth in enrollment and services. Dr. Robertson said the low rates are contributing to provider losses, rural access gaps, longer wait times, dental deserts, and greater use of emergency rooms for preventable dental problems. He cited examples of office costs exceeding reimbursement for basic procedures, noted that many dentists are small private businesses, and said the state is struggling to recruit and retain dentists because of low payment levels and high student debt. He also pointed to disparities with neighboring states and said recent increases in some oral surgery and cleaning codes were not enough to address the broader problem. His recommendations included completing the rebasing study, increasing dental reimbursement in the upcoming budget, tying future reviews to inflation and cost data, aligning benchmarks, and prioritizing preventive and restorative care to improve workforce stability and access. Board members asked about the size of the needed increase, the effect of private insurance on dental practice finances, and what a new dentist might expect to earn. Dr. Robertson said the association is working on an appropriations request and that private insurance pressures are part of the problem as well, since many plans are HMOs or PPOs with limited provider control over rates. He also said the association can no longer conduct reimbursement surveys because of FTC restrictions, but would try to obtain current ADA data. In response to questions about the future of the program, he warned that without significant changes it could become unsustainable and cited Ohio and Missouri as examples where higher reimbursement improved provider participation and access. The board then heard from Mr. Bowman of Baldwin Consulting, who discussed outpatient behavioral health providers, including ABA therapy and mental health/substance use disorder services. He said these providers face similar issues of rising costs, flat reimbursement, and access problems. He reviewed Kentucky’s network adequacy standards, including travel-time standards, 30-day appointment limits, and newer federal requirements that will require services within 10 business days by 2029. He said wait times for outpatient behavioral health, especially children’s services and ABA, have grown substantially, sometimes to more than a year, and emphasized that the Medicaid department must enforce these standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• I imagine this is much higher than what it is.
• I<00:17:57.000><c> imagine</c><00:17:57.440><c> this</c><00:17:57.600><c> is</c><00:17:57.680><c> much
• </c><00:17:57.960><c> higher</c><00:17:58.400><c> than</c><00:17:58.680><c> what</c> I imagine this is
• much higher than what I imagine this is much higher than what it<00:17:58.960><c> is.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on September 24, 2025, approved the minutes from the September 9 meeting, and then continued its discussion of Medicaid waivers with Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock from the Department for Medicaid Services. Members asked for updates on the 2024 waiver waitlist management assessment recommendations, including aligning waiver policies, standardizing applications and waitlist placement, and modernizing data systems. DMS said that work is being done jointly with Aging and Independent Living and Behavioral Health/Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities through task forces, that ARPA spending delayed action, and that implementation timelines extend through March 2027. The board also reviewed per-member waiver cost averages for fiscal years 2023 through 2025 for ABI, ABI long-term care, HCBS, Model II, Michelle P, and SCL. DMS emphasized these figures were benefit-only averages based on paid claims, not full waiver costs, and explained that true budget neutrality is calculated on an aggregate basis against institutional care comparisons approved by CMS. DMS said all six waivers remain in compliance with budget neutrality and that the most recent 18-month lag review for FY 2022 and FY 2023 found costs at or below institutional care. Members also asked about unused waiver slots; DMS said slots generally cannot be reallocated mid-year if they have been used, except in cases such as death or reserved capacity, because CMS treats participants as unduplicated for the waiver year. A major portion of the meeting focused on the new child waiver created under House Bill 6. Legislators questioned whether the waiver’s design, including the exclusion of participant-directed services and the emphasis on high-acuity children with behavioral health, DCBS, or juvenile justice involvement, matched the bill’s intent to keep children at home. DMS said it used the $14.7 million appropriated for FY 2026 to develop the program, that there is no priority list, and that the waiver is intended to serve the highest-acuity children while also addressing residential needs for those sleeping in offices or placed out of state. Members also raised concerns about the rapid growth of the HCBS waiting list and asked for more detail on age and timing patterns, which DMS said it would provide later. Finally, DMS gave average processing times from application to eligibility determination and from approval to service start, and said the overall average from application to services beginning was about 80 days, while members requested follow-up information on the Carewise assessment contract and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, just imagine if you, you know, went into your neighbor's, know nothing about them, and have to take
• Um, just imagine if you, you know, went into your neighbor's, know nothing about them, and have to take
• Um, just imagine if you, you know, went into your neighbor's, know nothing about them, and have to take
• Um, just imagine if you, you know, went into your neighbor's, know nothing about them, and have to take

Keywords: 1. Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:24 2. Discussion of The Center for Courageous Kids – 00:02:46 3. Discussion of Adult Protective Services and State Guardianship Programs – 00:25:22 4. Discussion of Annual Report of the External Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel – 01:00:34 5. Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 01:33:41 6. Adjournment – 01:42:07, 958, all

Summary: The committee’s first interim meeting opened with roll call and a reminder that Kentucky had 8,641 children in out-of-home care with active placements as of June 1, 2025. The first presentation was from the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK), a donor-funded camp in Scottsville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s history, its year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medical and accessibility supports, and its impact on campers’ confidence and independence. They said CCK has served more than 43,000 campers from 46 states and 13 countries, including 22,000 from Kentucky, and noted plans to reach all 120 Kentucky counties. CCK also outlined future capital needs: a new art barn and a medical lodge. The organization said the art barn project would cost $2.5 million, with a legislative request of $1.5 million, and the medical lodge would cost $2.875 million, with a legislative request of $1.75 million. Members responded very positively, with several praising the camp’s work and one member asking about operational challenges. CCK said its main challenges are awareness, staff and volunteer recruitment, and expanding medical and housing capacity; it also said it is accredited by the American Camp Association and receives health and safety visits and audits. The committee then moved to a presentation on adult protective services and state guardianship programs from Jessica Wayne and Cliff Bryant of DCBS. They explained the legal framework for guardianship, the difference between full and limited guardianship/conservatorship, emergency appointments, and the state’s role as a last-resort guardian when no family member or private entity is available. They reported 4,464 individuals under state guardianship as of June 1, with most cases involving dementia, developmental disability, intellectual disability, nursing home or long-term care placement, severe mental illness, or brain injury. They also said the division has 89 field workers across 14 regional offices, with an average caseload of 52 and a goal of reducing that into the mid-40s through additional hiring.

Transcript Highlights:

• Imagine going through this grueling process of cancer treatment, something I saw my dad suffer through
• experiencing unsheltered homelessness on the streets, under bridges, in the woods, and places I'd never imagined
• experiencing unsheltered homelessness, on the streets, on other bridges, in the woods, and places I'd never imagined
• 20 years, and as they come off patent, then they would be coming out of the 340B program, I would imagine

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on April 22 and took up a special order of bills focused largely on prior authorization and utilization management in health care. The chair framed the discussion as part of a broader legislative effort to reduce delays and barriers to care, especially in behavioral health, chronic disease management, cancer treatment, and rehabilitation services. AB 384 by Assembly Member Connolly would prohibit prior authorization for inpatient mental health or substance use emergency admissions and related physician care; supporters said it would prevent dangerous delays in crisis care, while insurers and health plans warned about fraud, abuse, and ambiguity around residential treatment facilities. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and passed the committee on a party-line style vote, with Republicans largely absent or not voting. The committee then heard AB 510 by Assembly Member Addis, which would require health plans, upon request, to provide a peer reviewer of the same or similar specialty when a treating provider appeals a prior authorization denial or modification. Supporters argued that specialty-matched review would make appeals fairer and more clinically informed; opponents said the requirement was too rigid and that timelines and electronic submission rules needed changes. After discussion about the need for timely, specialty-specific review, the bill was approved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. AB 539 by Assembly Member Schiavo would extend prior authorization approvals to one year or the duration of the physician’s prescribed treatment for chronic conditions; supporters cited repeated denials and treatment interruptions, while opponents raised concerns about overbreadth, fraud, and the need for shorter validity periods. The bill was also passed as amended and placed on call. The committee next considered AB 669 by Assembly Member Haney, which would bar concurrent and retrospective review for the first 28 days of medically necessary substance use disorder treatment and limit prior authorization for related outpatient medications. The bill was presented with a powerful personal story from Ryan Matlock’s mother about her son’s death after an insurer cut off treatment early; supporters said the measure would keep patients in care long enough to stabilize, while opponents argued it would reduce oversight and could allow lower-quality or non-evidence-based care. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. Finally, AB 512 by Assembly Member Harabedian would shorten prior authorization response times to 24 hours for urgent requests and 48 hours for non-urgent requests; supporters said delays can worsen outcomes, while opponents warned the timelines were unrealistic and could increase administrative burdens and safety issues. The bill was approved as amended and placed on call. AB 574 by Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez was then heard; it would allow up to 12 medically necessary physical therapy sessions for a new episode of care without prior authorization, with supporters emphasizing stroke and neurological recovery and opponents warning of reduced oversight and unnecessary care. The transcript ends during testimony on AB 574, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Extending this will cost taxpayers more money than you can possibly imagine because of those factors.
• taxpayers more money than you<01:40:41.679><c> can</c><01:40:41.920><c> possibly</c><01:40:42.320><c> imagine
• </c><01:40:43.199><c> because</c><01:40:43.520><c> of</c> you can possibly imagine because of you can
• possibly imagine because of those<01:40:44.000><c> factors.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and you can imagine those buses are not very much filled.
• ,</c><00:03:10.959><c> and</c><00:03:11.200><c> you</c><00:03:11.360><c> can</c><00:03:11.519><c> imagine
• Um, and you can imagine those buses day.
• Um, and you can imagine those buses are<00:03:13.200><c> not</c><00:03:13.760><c> very</c><00:03:14.400

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all