Transcript Highlights:

• Because emergency rooms do have this, and it is covered anytime there's an urgent and emergency situation
• Does the ER cover This for emergency situations.
• So, Madam Chair, first off, not everyone is within 100 miles of an emergency room.
• And when you go to the emergency room, it's The most expensive care there is.
• But it was emergency; it was used a lot. This is for emergency situations. Is why It's needed.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Furthermore, this legislation ...addresses critical operational needs.
• Furthermore, this legislation addresses critical operational needs.
• activities in their emergency response plans.
• It would also require that an automatic... ...in their emergency response plans.
• And having a cardiac plan in place emergently increases it to 85%.

Bills: HB30 , HB120 , HJR1 , SB210 , SB306

Committee: House House Education

Keywords: teacher residency, Teacher Residency Act, public schools, teacher preparation, educator pipeline, teacher recruitment, teacher retention, student teachers, apprenticeship, co-teaching, mentor teachers, residency stipend, teacher salary, level one teacher, charter schools, school districts, New Mexico education, teacher workforce, principal stipend, cohort model

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 64, which would codify the existing Office of Special Education within the Public Education Department, create a deputy secretary position, and formalize responsibilities for enforcing special education law, monitoring disability protections, and supporting a statewide online IEP system. The sponsor and PED officials said the bill would provide continuity, improve compliance with IDEA, help students who move between schools, and keep gifted education unchanged in its current curriculum-and-instruction placement. An amendment requiring quarterly consultation with superintendents and charter school leaders was also described as a way to improve collaboration and continuous improvement. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from educators, disability advocates, parents, superintendents, unions, and charter school representatives, who said the bill would improve accountability, transparency, and services for students with disabilities. One parent testified in opposition to the gifted-education language, warning that removing gifted students from the special education umbrella could weaken protections and services. Committee members asked about cost, the office’s current structure, the role of 504 plans, and how the bill would affect military and foster students; PED said the office is already staffed and funded primarily through federal IDEA dollars and that 504 enforcement remains separate, though the office may monitor related protections. The committee then voted do pass. The committee next heard House Bill 256, which would require schools to include cardiac emergency response procedures for athletic activities and ensure AEDs are clearly marked and accessible at those events. Supporters, including the American Heart Association, nurses, and school leaders, emphasized that AEDs and trained staff can dramatically improve survival in sudden cardiac arrest cases. Questions focused on how many AEDs schools would need, whether schools already have them, and how the bill would affect middle school athletics and budgets; the sponsor said schools would determine the best placement, with at least one AED available for athletic events. The committee voted do pass. Finally, the committee heard House Memorial 43, which asks LESC and PED to study how New Mexico and other states measure school performance, including the use of the Lexile reading framework. Superintendents argued that Lexile provides a more consistent, apples-to-apples comparison than some state accountability measures and could better reflect student growth. There was no opposition, members asked about possible study costs, and the memorial passed on a do pass motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't cause an emergency problem. It doesn't cause problems with surveillance.
• It doesn't cause an emergency problem. It doesn't cause problems with surveillance.
• Anything more than that requires a different type of certificate for the operator.
• We don't go into Phoenix, though, unless I'm having an emergency or the aircraft's on fire.
• Unless I have an emergency, I am not going to be able to land at Sky Harbor.

Bills: HB2003 , HB2063 , HB2111 , HB2116 , HB2210 , HCM2007

Committee: Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Keywords: driver education, instruction permit, underage drivers, motorcycle licenses, traffic regulations, corrections oversight, appropriation, independent office, public safety, funding, driver license, examinations, motorcycle awareness, traffic laws, HB2116, Colorado River, litigation fund, water rights, Arizona water law, general fund appropriation

Transcript Highlights:

• And two, how do those words on the page play out in operation or as applied?
• They're symptoms of a system operating in the dark.
• And emergency services aren't readily available. These examples aren't hypothetical.
• I would like to briefly share our experience operating under that model.
• Additionally, we offer urgent medications as an alternative to emergency room visits.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee first met in executive session and advanced five bills out of committee. SB 5999, as amended by a substitute, would let rural counties under 100,000 population appoint an APRN or physician assistant as an acting local health officer; SB 5185 would create a pathway for international medical graduates to physician licensure through a Washington Medical Commission pilot; SB 5845 would revise timely payment rules for health carriers, including longer acknowledgment and payment timelines and clarifications on scope; SB 6071 would standardize overpayment recovery timelines for carriers; and SB 6258 would create a non-disciplinary pathway for relinquishing Washington Medical Commission licenses. Each bill received a due pass recommendation and was sent to Rules, with the bills passed subject to signatures. The committee then heard SB 6226, which would protect the clinical autonomy of audiologists and ensure hearing-instrument and communication-device rules are applied consistently across care modalities, including telehealth. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, emphasizing access for rural and mobility-limited patients and the importance of teleaudiology, though one association cautioned the bill could affect broader regulatory authority. The hearing closed with 54 pro, zero con, and two other sign-ins. Next, the committee heard SB 6305, the Truth in Mental Health Coverage Act, which would require carriers to submit standardized annual data to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner on mental health and substance use disorder coverage, access, utilization, reimbursement, and network participation, with public posting in raw and dashboard form. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would improve transparency and accountability without changing benefits, while opponents argued it could duplicate recent parity reforms and add administrative burden. The hearing closed with 396 pro, two con, and zero other sign-ins. Finally, the committee heard SB 5924, a proposed substitute expanding pharmacists’ prescriptive authority for certain limited conditions and products, including some preventive and minor-illness treatments, and allowing limited diagnosis within defined bounds. Supporters said it would improve access, especially in rural and underserved areas, reduce administrative barriers from collaborative drug therapy agreements, and align with the sunrise review; opponents, including the medical association, said the bill went beyond the review and needed more time, while some testimony raised concerns about psychiatric prescribing. The hearing closed with 279 pro, six con, and four other sign-ins, and the committee adjourned after concluding its business.

Transcript Highlights:

• involuntary emergency admission waiting in<00:55:32.000><c> emergency</c><00:55:32.480><c> department
• </c> in emergency department. in emergency department.
• </c> with often only one boiler operational with often only one boiler operational at<01:38:56.719><c
• </c> current operating expenses. current operating expenses.
• </c> have a system that operates this way. have a system that operates this way.

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the chief operating officer for the YMCA of Greater New Orleans.
• I'm the chief operating officer for the YMCA of Thank you for listening to me.
• I'm the Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA of Greater New Orleans.
• So the one that operates the Bridge Center for Hope, which operates here in Baton Rouge, I think is an
• “Provider-based, owned and operated as part of a hospital, number around 122.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 27 and first took up House Bill 175 and its companion House Bill 165, both dealing with lottery proceeds for veterans. HB 175 was amended to create a Veterans Service Grant Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs and direct $500,000 annually from Louisiana Lottery net proceeds into a Veterans Service Grant Fund, with unused money returned to the lottery proceeds fund that supports the MFP. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, The Boot Louisiana, LDVA Secretary Charlton McGinley, and Bastion Veterans Organization, argued the grants would help veteran services, workforce placement, mental health, housing, entrepreneurship, and retention of veterans in Louisiana. Members raised concerns about drawing from lottery proceeds that traditionally support education, but the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 175 favorably as amended. HB 165, the constitutional amendment companion, was also amended for technical and ballot-language changes and then reported favorably as amended for voter consideration. The committee then considered House Bill 457, which would authorize the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal to set minimum housing standards for homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes. The sponsor said the bill responded to a state auditor recommendation and to unsafe conditions in some facilities; he also explained an amendment changing the Fire Marshal’s duties from mandatory to permissive to reduce fiscal impact and allow agencies flexibility. Some members questioned whether local standards already existed and how enforcement and funding would work, while others supported the need for statewide minimum standards for human housing. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 457 favorably as amended. House Bill 488, by Representative Brough, sought to create a Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using recurring severance tax revenues from Plaquemines Parish to help buy out the Belle Chasse toll bridge and end what the sponsor described as excessive tolls and fees. He and several local witnesses, including business owners, a YMCA representative, and a parish council member, testified that the tolling arrangement had harmed access, businesses, and quality of life. The committee adopted a technical amendment clarifying the revenue source and then reported HB 488 favorably as amended. House Bill 566, which would prohibit state funds from supporting net-zero greenhouse gas initiatives tied to the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, drew significant debate over whether it would interfere with agency funding and economic development efforts; the sponsor argued the plan lacked legislative approval and should be repudiated, while members urged caution and suggested hearing from affected agencies. The sponsor agreed to consider deferring the bill, and the committee did not advance it at that time. House Bill 603, a constitutional amendment authorizing investment of state funds in digital assets and precious metals, was discussed as a way to hedge inflation and preserve value; members asked about limits and safeguards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then began hearing House Bill 763, a transparency measure creating a public database for settlement agreements involving state agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• looking to promote emergency looking to promote emergency preparedness<00:07:08.080><c> and</c><00:07
• </c> there are already these emergency there are already these emergency supplies.<00:09:00.640><c> And
• </c> physicians from local emergency physicians from local emergency departments<00:11:15.120><c> and
• ><c> that</c> operational implications to that operational implications to that extended<01:29:23.040
• </c> operational issues. operational issues. &gt;&gt; Correct. &gt;&gt; Correct. &gt;&gt; Correct.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 917, which is an act relating to military affairs, introduced by the Committee on Government Operations
• </c><00:07:30.000><c> and</c><00:07:30.240><c> military</c> government operations and military government
• operations and military affairs<00:07:31.280><c> pursuant</c><00:07:31.759><c> to</c><00:07:32.080><
• </c><00:14:23.760><c> board</c><00:14:24.079><c> can</c> have adjourned the emergency board can have
• adjourned the emergency board can appropriate<00:14:24.800><c> funds.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• operations.
• It requires the offense to be for the reckless interference with active emergency operations.
• It requires the offense to be for the reckless interference with active emergency operations, and it
• The criminal division has always operated this way.
• operations.

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair and members, by way of background, the state of Arizona actually operated in a mandatory
• Arizona actually operated in a mandatory program and converted to the voluntary program we are in now
• Members, there is a committee to include tribal organizations to the list of travel operators.
• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 2183, Emergency Medicine Study Committee, establishes an emergency
• of a thermal or non-thermal electric generating unit, for the construction and operation of a thermal

Summary: The committee worked through a long Minority Caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items on consent and several pulled for discussion. Early items included resolutions on Judea and Samaria, bullion depository bills, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget proposal, and a veterans services appropriation. Members also heard transportation-related bills on driver permits, citations, boat insurance, English proficiency for commercial drivers and motor carriers, photo enforcement, and a measure restricting incarceration for unpaid fines and fees. Several members raised concerns about constitutional issues, public safety, or whether bills were duplicative or targeted at specific groups. A large portion of the meeting focused on education and school governance bills. These included proposals on school district bond advisors, restrictions on school property leases and purchases, public meeting requirements, term limits and training for school board members, patriotic youth group access to students, computer science proficiency, and a bill requiring fingerprint clearance cards for traffic school instructors. Members repeatedly criticized what they described as inconsistent treatment of public schools versus ESA/private school programs, and several education bills were pulled from consent for further discussion. Other bills addressed child safety and family law, including DCS credit freezes, recorded child interviews, parents’ rights notices, mandatory reporting of threats by minors, sex offender residency and GPS monitoring, and a bill on guardianship rights during DCS investigations. The committee also considered a number of social services, health, and labor/consumer bills. These included SNAP work requirement and verification measures, a SNAP error-rate audit, dementia care telemonitoring funding, a Braille transcription appropriation, court fee limits, a physician assistant compact, pediatric licensure compact, and a kratom regulation bill. Members debated an earned wage access licensing bill at length, with opponents calling it predatory and akin to payday lending, while supporters argued it provided a regulated consumer option. Other measures covered cash acceptance by businesses, 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, AI rules for state agencies, and a bill on public nuisance actions by the Attorney General. Several of these drew warnings about constitutional problems, preemption, or burdens on vulnerable populations. Energy, water, and tax policy also featured prominently. The committee heard bills on fuel formulations, gas tax relief, data centers and small modular nuclear reactors, utility reporting, and a Commerce Authority mandate to reduce fuel prices. Members criticized some proposals as favoring industry, preempting local control, or lacking a clear funding plan. The meeting ended after additional items on veterans, sample ballot mailing dates, and other miscellaneous measures, with multiple bills noted as pulled from consent or subject to later votes; no final roll-call results were detailed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:46.560><c> any</c> Council doesn't own or operate any Council doesn't own or operate any parkland
• </c> is the drinking water emerging is the drinking water emerging contaminant<01:08:47.759><c> grant
• </c> communities that are addressing emerging communities that are addressing emerging um<01:09:44.400
• <01:14:31.040><c> contaminant</c><01:14:31.920><c> emerging</c> emerging contaminant emerging emerging
• And then fast emerging contaminants.

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Minor issues become emergencies, pain goes untreated, and conditions worsen, often leading to suffering
• My name is Lana Olds, and I'm the deputy director at the Emergency Food Network of Pierce County.
• And we also operate a direct service program that delivers fresh produce boxes to over 550 households
• We used mass-produced boxes as an emergency source during the pandemic in order to make sure we could
• We operate a critical access hospital, a rural health clinic, and an ALS and ambulance service.

Bills: HB1904 , HB2106 , HB2211 , HB2247 , HB2329 , HB2339

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: animal welfare, cats, declawing, animal rights, pet care, healthcare, contract modifications, provider notifications, insurance carriers, health facilities, HB 2211, medically tailored meals, medical nutrition therapy, medical assistance, Medicaid, Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, nutrition support, chronic disease, dietary accommodations

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not the brains behind the operation. We're the talking piece.
• But the emergency room will take you every time.
• I mean, we're talking way alien here, and you show up at the emergency room, the emergency room will
• Not really an emergency, okay?
• You show up at the emergency room, and they're going to treat you.

Committee: House Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Emergency, 601, K 2370, 307, K1 180.
• 21.119><c> provider</c><00:41:21.359><c> at</c> Mitch u emergency medicine provider at Mitch u emergency
• In the emergency department, I look at the emergency department as honestly like the front line of the
• That concludes our agenda for today. 2110, 22, and 2030 emergency and 2110, 22, and 2030 emergency and
• </c> homes program including operations homes program including operations eligibility<01:28:33.199><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee met on October 14, approved the minutes, and then took up a large group of staff-suggested amendments to multiple regulations. Those staff amendments were approved without objection and were described as technical changes needed to comply with KRS Chapter 13A and other governing law. The committee then moved out of order to consider Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure regulation 2011 KAR 9:270, which governs buprenorphine prescribing and related standards. Board representatives said the regulation has been updated over time since 2015 and that the current amendments are intended to streamline the rule, remove outdated federal references such as the X-waiver, narrow education requirements to addiction-related topics, and create exceptions for settings like emergency rooms and certain pain treatment situations. The agency amendment would also allow buprenorphine monoproduct for up to 30 days when a patient is transitioning from a full opioid agonist, and would add physicians certified in addiction medicine as eligible specialty consultants. Board officials said the regulation was developed through a two-year process with a work group, informal outreach to medical organizations, and multiple comment periods, and they argued the rule is working because overdose deaths have declined and provider numbers have increased. Several witnesses and committee members raised concerns that the regulation remains too restrictive. Senator Rocky Adams noted that major medical organizations had said the proposed language could restrict access and worsen overdose risk, and he questioned whether the committee was being asked to choose between conflicting expert views. Opponents, including a medical student, a recovery advocate, and Dr. Colleen Ryan of the Kentucky Society of Addiction Medicine, argued the rule is outdated, creates unnecessary barriers to buprenorphine treatment, and should be repealed or substantially revised to align with federal guidance and evidence-based care. They said rigid requirements can discourage treatment and that addiction should be treated like other chronic illnesses. No final vote on the medical licensure regulation is reflected in the transcript excerpt, and the discussion ended with the chair preparing to hear from additional opponents.

Transcript Highlights:

• operational operational cost<01:12:36.680><c> today's</c><01:12:37.160><c> challenges.
• </c> operational challenges baseline. operational challenges baseline.
• </c> So, that's part of the operational So, that's part of the operational aspect<01:13:10.160><c> of
• </c> through the emergency side of things. through the emergency side of things.
• What are those operational things that we are somehow impeded your ability to operate creatively across

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we had another witness who had been at the emergency room at the University of Mississippi Medical
• had another witness who had uh been at had another witness who had uh been at the<00:01:14.400><c> emergency
• ><c> at</c><00:01:15.280><c> the</c><00:01:15.439><c> University</c><00:01:15.840><c> of</c> the emergency
• room at the University of the emergency room at the University of Mississippi<00:01:16.400><c> Medical
• . operations. operations.

Committee: Joint Public Health and Welfare

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 14 January, 2026; 3:15 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a crop with the potential to create jobs, diversify farming operations, and strengthen our state's
• This task force is very important for these types of emerging threats.
• We have a lot of emerging threats for bees.
• I don't know if that's a new emerging pathogen, or some say it could be due to a loss of efficacy in
• That kind of complete and comprehensive database to serve all of Texas needs to be owned and operated

Bills: HB147

Committee: House Agriculture & Livestock

Keywords: government contracting, business program, discrimination, state procurement, equity, underutilized businesses

Summary: The House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock met with a quorum present and heard several bills, all of which were left pending. HB 1113, by Rep. Cain, would update Texas hemp law to keep state rules aligned with federal changes, require timely rule amendments by the Department of Agriculture, and create hemp research permits for universities and nonprofits. Supporters from the Texas Hemp Coalition said it would improve research, licensing, testing, and enforcement while helping the industry stay compliant and competitive; the author said the bill was intended to reward good actors and deter bad ones. HB 1203, by Rep. Gonzalez, would create an Office of Food System Security and Resiliency within the Department of Agriculture to address food insecurity and coordinate local food access efforts. Gonzalez said the office would build on a prior Department of Agriculture study and help connect farmers, agencies, schools, and local governments; members asked about the fiscal note, consumer costs, and whether the office would overlap with existing programs. HB 1269, HB 1276, and HB 1277 focused on plant disease and pest prevention, including a grant program and studies to identify gaps and track outbreaks. Gonzalez emphasized the need for a more intentional state response, citing crop losses from pests and a recent cotton disease outbreak in his district. HB 1437 would create a pollinator task force to address threats to Texas honeybees and related pollination industries. A Texas Beekeepers Association witness described major recent colony losses, emerging threats such as mites and hornets, and the need to bring agencies and researchers together; Gonzalez noted prior work adding a bee specialist at AgriLife Extension. Finally, HB 147, by Chairman Guillen, would modernize cattle brand registration by moving it to an electronic system at the Texas Animal Health Commission while keeping county clerks involved. Supporters said it would improve efficiency, accuracy, and access for ranchers and law enforcement, while an opponent warned about possible electronic tracking implications and costs for small producers. The committee took no final votes and adjourned after leaving HB 147 pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Joint Committee hearing between Government Operations and our amazing friends at Transportation
• many of our employees, young and old, who need to have their car to pick up the kids or for any emergencies
• </c><00:05:24.120><c> that</c> up the kids or any emergencies that up the kids or any emergencies that
• This concludes the joint hearing of Government Operations and Transportation, Culture and Arts.
• </c><00:16:10.639><c> and</c> hearing of government operations and hearing of government operations and

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing of the Government Operations and Transportation, Culture and the Arts committees considered three bills. SB 1092 would establish a transportation demand management program for state employees, including a parking cash-out option. Testimony was largely in support, including from state planning, energy, labor, and several individuals, while committee members raised concerns about whether the program was mandatory and whether there was a full implementation plan. The bill’s proponents said it was voluntary and intended to reduce long parking waitlists by incentivizing employees to opt out of parking. The committees ultimately recommended SB 1092 be passed with amendments, and the measure was adopted in both committees. SB 1093 would create a parking demand management program and require DAGS to transition state employees from monthly parking to daily-rate parking. Testimony included strong opposition from most individuals and several agencies, with one supporter. A committee question focused on the loss of pre-tax payroll deductions under a daily-rate system, and the Deputy Attorney General explained that the current monthly arrangement allows deductions from gross pay, which would not work the same way with daily payments. Given the opposition and concerns, the committees recommended deferral indefinitely. SB 1121 would establish a procurement preference, beginning in 2027, for construction companies with electric vehicles. Testimony included comments from DAGS, the Department of Transportation, and others, with opposition noted from DOT. Committee members questioned charging infrastructure and battery disposal for electric vehicles used in construction. After discussion, the committees concluded it was in the best interest to defer the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they chose to expedite planning and zoning or anything of that nature within the district, they could

Committee: Senate State & Local Government

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:04 Attendance Roll Call: 00:08 SB 141 Discussion 00:58 SB 141 Vote 07:03 SB 9 Discussion 09:10 SB 9 Vote 19:47 Adjournment: 21:20, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• called no oil ink which successfully He resisted several attempts to drill oil wells in central coastal zones

Keywords: 988, house, all