Transcript Highlights:

• So no insurance company can cut off covering the cost of anesthesia time if a surgery runs too long because
• Harbison's bill on behalf of the Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists, I suspect the insurance companies
• Hampton Williams of the Missouri insurance industry. I'm concerned with Mr.
• I believe that the intent of this bill is to require that insurance providers provide compensation for
• And I think that the intent of this bill is to require that insurance providers provide compensation

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The committee first heard public testimony on House Bill 2570, which would prohibit health insurers from limiting payment for anesthesia services based on the length of a surgical procedure. The bill sponsor said the measure was prompted by a prior Anthem policy that would not cover all anesthesia time if a surgery ran long, and argued that insurers should not create pressure to stop or rush procedures. Supporters from physician and nurse anesthetist groups said the bill would protect patients and providers from unfair time-based payment limits. An insurance industry witness raised concerns about unclear definitions, possible internal contradictions in the bill’s language, the use of time-based billing formulas, and whether dental anesthesia should be excluded; the sponsor responded that the bill was aimed at medical, not dental, anesthesia and that any wording issues could be worked out later. After the hearing, the committee moved into executive session on a combined committee substitute for House Bills 1945 and 2570. Members discussed an amendment rolling HB 2570 into the larger substitute and noted minor changes to the anesthesia language, including adding modifiers and clarifying billing terms, while also adjusting unrelated pathology language to make it workable with the department and possible Medicaid waiver requirements. Questions from members focused on whether the insurance industry’s concerns were addressed and whether dental anesthesia should be exempted; the sponsor said some concerns could be handled later and that dental situations involving separate anesthesia providers might still need careful drafting. The committee adopted the amendment and substitute and then voted the combined committee substitute do pass by roll call, with the motion approved unanimously by those present.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:49.440><c> of</c> Henry Litman from the Department of Henry Litman from the Department of
• in terms of not like general insurance in terms of managing<00:22:30.000><c> the</c><00:22:30.159><c
• I think in terms of the department, it's probably more than 30%.
• ><c> population</c> cost of the remaining insured population cost of the remaining insured population
• New Hampshire residents. resource to help the department of resource to help the department of health

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The seller or lessor of the vehicle remits the fee to the Department of Licensing, which deposits fee
• of Labor and Industries, L&I, the Health Care Authority, and the Department of Enterprise Services.
• Department of Health.
• Department of Labor and Industries for their services.
• For the Department of Labor and Industries, $385,000.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 2689 on Working Connections Child Care. Staff explained that the proposed substitute would keep eligibility at 60% of state median income, eliminate scheduled expansions to 75% and 85%, reduce future subsidy rates from the 85th to the 75th percentile of market, end enhanced regional rates, and change reimbursement rules from prospective enrollment-based payments back to attendance-based payments with a reduced monthly payment after 11 absent days. Child care advocates thanked the committee for removing the proposed cap on the program but opposed the cuts to provider rates and eligibility expansions, warning of harm to families and providers. The committee then heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5124 on Medicaid network adequacy for post-acute care, with staff noting administrative costs and indeterminate fiscal effects; hospitals supported the bill as a way to reduce discharge delays and reliance on single-case agreements. Senate Bill 5832, which would raise the new motor vehicle arbitration fee from $3 to $6 to support the Lemon Law arbitration program, drew support from the Attorney General’s Office and auto dealers, who said the fee had not been updated since 1995 and the program was underfunded. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5862, providing a one-time 3% COLA for certain PERS 1 and TRS 1 retirees, with retirees testifying in favor and local government representatives warning about added employer costs. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer money from the Transportation Vehicle Fund to other funds if they reduce their fleet and receive OSPI approval; staff said the bill would mainly add administrative work for OSPI, and no one testified. Substitute Senate Bill 5923 would allow a hospital on an island in Skagit County to qualify as a critical access hospital if federally certified; Island Health testified that the designation would help sustain rural services, and a committee member asked about bed count and Medicaid/charity-care pressures. Senate Bill 5944 would require language access providers to bargain over compensation for missed or canceled appointments and clarify that statutes prevail over conflicting contract terms; WFSE supported the bill, saying it would equalize bargaining rights across agencies. Substitute Senate Bill 5972 would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of population size; labor supported the bill as a retention tool, while cities and counties opposed it, arguing it would raise costs and should include ability-to-pay protections. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5988, authorizing the Department of Health to continue accrediting opioid treatment programs and charge accreditation fees, which DOH said was needed to avoid winding down the program. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 6151, which would move Ecology fee revenues for landfill methane emissions and laboratory accreditation into dedicated accounts; Ecology supported the bill as improving transparency and reinvesting fees into the programs, and staff said the lab fee shift would be offset by a related budget action. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6194 would pay a rural hospital on a federally recognized Indian reservation, specifically Astria Toppenish, at 150% of the Medicaid fee-for-service rate beginning in 2027; hospital leaders and community members testified that the hospital serves a high-Medicaid, rural, and tribal population and faces persistent losses. Finally, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302 would direct L&I to investigate possible misclassification of independent contractors on public works projects involving multiple workers doing the same finishing work; labor and business representatives both described it as a negotiated compromise to address underground economy abuses. The committee took no final votes during the hearing and ended by reiterating amendment deadlines for bills scheduled for executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• that state chambers of commerce could set up their own pools of insurance purchasing for small businesses
• , this feasibility study, be weaponized to then completely get rid of the state health insurance plan
• It requires the Department of Environmental Quality to submit an exceptional event demonstration to the
• of Veteran Services.
• It removes the ability for the Department of Education to modify the testing window with approval from

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House Democratic Caucus met on Minority Caucus Calendar items and reviewed several Senate-amended House bills. HB 2003 would lower the learner’s permit age from 15½ to 15 and increase supervised driving time; the Senate added a delayed effective date of December 1, 2026, and the sponsor was said to have refused the amendment after previously concurring. HB 2693 would allow chambers of commerce to set up insurance purchasing pools for small businesses, and the Senate added a third-party-funded feasibility study by ADOA on what it would cost for state health insurance to enter the marketplace; members raised concerns that the study could be used to undermine the state self-insured plan, but no action was taken. HB 2133, dealing with synthetic sexual depictions and online sexual material verification, had multiple Senate changes that removed the synthetic-depiction expansion, added parody/artistic-expression exceptions, altered verification and record-retention rules, and removed AG inspection authority; the sponsor was expected to refuse the changes, and members were directed to stakeholder emails outlining concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:16:21.360><c> of</c> up we have Hawaii State Department of up we have Hawaii State Department
• of Health in very much next Department of Health in Support<00:27:06.919><c> Department</c><00:27:07.279
• </c><00:35:56.280><c> of</c> we have John bolera Hawaii Department of we have John bolera Hawaii Department
• Behavior department of health behavioral Behavior department of health behavioral health<00:36:18.000
• ><c> of</c> human services and support department of human services and support department of human<00

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing began with SB 59 on prescription drugs, which drew extensive testimony from insurers, pharmacies, patient advocates, and health organizations. Supporters argued the bill would address PBM practices such as spread pricing, unclear reimbursement, and patient steering, and would help independent pharmacies and lower patient costs by passing rebates through to consumers. Opponents from health plans and PBM-related groups raised concerns, while Walgreens supported the measure and suggested amendments to establish a reimbursement floor. After questions, the committee accepted the Hawaii Pharmacist Association’s proposed amendments, added technical changes and a defective date of December 31, 2050, and voted to pass SB 59 with amendments. The remainder of the hearing focused on a series of nominations and reappointments to health, aging, disability, mental health, juvenile justice, and advisory boards. Nominees and agency representatives generally described their backgrounds and interest in serving, with support testimony emphasizing experience, continuity, and the value of volunteer service. Several nominees highlighted issues such as mental health access, substance abuse treatment, elder services, language access, disability access, and rehabilitation services. The Department of Health, SHPDA, DHS, and other organizations largely testified in support of the nominees. No votes were taken on the nominations during the transcript excerpt, and the chair repeatedly thanked the nominees for their service and testimony. The hearing also included brief procedural remarks about time limits, Zoom testimony, and a possible reconvening date in case of technical difficulties.

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance Department.
• Joining Hampshire Insurance Department.
• </c><00:19:53.840><c> of</c> Commissioner over at the Department of Commissioner over at the Department
• Uh so we do have of insurance products.
• department, labor department, insurance department, labor department, and<00:51:22.800><c> others</c

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:01:36.000><c> of</c><00:01:36.159><c> human</c> appropriation to department of human appropriation
• Next up, Department of Health providing comments. Department of Health, are you present?
• SB 2211 with that of SB 3129, same title, emergency appropriation to the Department of Human Services
• title of emergency appropriation to department<00:38:50.960><c> of</c><00:38:51.200><c> human</c><00
• In the department of human services.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The HHS committee met in Room 224 and announced the hearing was being streamed live, with a one-minute limit on testimony. The chair explained that written testimony had already been reviewed and that speakers should either add new comments or stand on their written testimony. The committee first heard SB 2211, an emergency appropriation to the Department of Human Services. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support, including DHS, Aloha United Way, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Catholic Charities, and many individuals. Supporters emphasized the importance of maintaining SNAP-related food assistance and emergency food delivery, while Catholic Charities raised a question about whether the bill’s language would also reach food banks serving food-insecure households that are not on SNAP. No opposition was heard and the bill was moved on without questions from members. The committee then heard SB 2025, which would exempt actively practicing advanced practice registered nurses from jury duty. Testimony was broadly supportive from nursing and health organizations, including the Hawaii American Nurses Association, the Hawaii affiliate of the College of Nurse Midwives, the Hawaii State Board of Nursing, and others. One witness from Kaiser Permanente requested an amendment to include physician assistants, and a committee member asked the Board of Nursing to review that request. The bill otherwise drew no opposition and no further member questions. SB 2038, relating to medication labeling, drew the most extended discussion. The measure would change labeling requirements for certain abortion medications, and testimony was split between supporters who framed it as a privacy and access issue and opponents who raised patient safety, ethics, and transparency concerns. The Department of Health supported the intent but requested an amendment to allow quicker access to private information during investigations without a subpoena. The Board of Pharmacy said it supported the written comments but noted operational challenges and possible cost impacts, while Kaiser said compliance would likely require manual workarounds and could slow pharmacy processes. The chair and members questioned whether patients could simply remove labels themselves, but witnesses said there could still be safety and access issues if the patient is not the one receiving the prescription. The committee then moved on to SB 2050, relating to chiropractic, which received support from the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic and the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association, with no substantive opposition noted. The hearing later turned to SB 201, relating to insurance, which appeared to be a new mandated-benefit measure tied to infertility/IVF coverage. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission provided comments, while Hawaii Family Forum opposed the bill, arguing it went beyond medical infertility and raised ethical and public policy concerns. Kaiser and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans both asked for a study or audit, saying the measure could create new insurance mandates and increase costs for residents and employers. Private Work Hawaii strongly supported the bill as an equity issue. The committee noted there was no quorum for decision-making and deferred action on the measure to a later hearing, then recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will adopt the proposed amendments from the Department of Human Services and the proposed amendments
• </c><00:03:11.239><c> of</c><00:03:11.360><c> Human</c> amendments from the Department of Human amendments
• from the Department of Human Services<00:03:13.239><c> and</c><00:03:13.440><c> the</c><00:03:13.640
• of insurance proceeds from dispersement of insurance proceeds from residential<00:09:15.519><c> real
• Thank you very much. lot of the um insurance premium lot of the um insurance premium challenges<00:12

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held decision-making and hearing sessions on February 25, 2025, on several measures. In decision-making, the committee passed with amendments SP 588 SD1, SP 1245 SD1 (pharmacists), SB 1287 (transparency), and SP 1298 SD1 (recycling), generally adopting agency-requested or technical amendments and in several cases pushing the effective date far into the future to keep the bills moving. The committee deferred SP 1149 SD1 and SP 281 SD1 for one day, and indefinitely deferred SP 1286 SD1 on motor vehicles after noting no supportive or opposing testimony and that the Office of Consumer Protection wanted to work further with the introducer. In the later hearing on consumer-protection-related measures, the committee heard testimony on SB 419 (insurance), SB 942 (rental applications), and SB 1142 (insurance proceeds). SB 419 would require auto insurance to cover replacement of a damaged child passenger restraint system; the Attorney General’s office suggested language to avoid contract impairment, and the measure was advanced with amendments. SB 942 would bar landlords from rejecting applicants solely for lack of a recent paycheck if they can show sufficient liquid assets or unearned income; testimony was largely supportive, with Realtors asking for clarifying amendments to protect their fiduciary duties, while a witness opposed those changes as an unnecessary burden on retirees and elders. SB 1142 would impose requirements on mortgage services for disbursing insurance proceeds after damage to residential property; DCCA and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement supported it, and the committee advanced it with technical amendments and a defective effective date. Across the actions, the committee repeatedly voted to pass measures with amendments, with the chair voting aye and, on SB 942, the vice chair voting with reservations over the Realtors’ amendments. No measures were rejected in the portions provided, and the committee adjourned after adopting the recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:20.959><c> state</c> Department of Education and the state Department of Education and the
• any outstanding audits to the Treasury, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Education,
• 01:50:08.080><c> timely</c> the Department of Education, and timely the Department of Education, and
• the Department of commissioner of the Department of Education<01:51:09.199><c> and</c><01:51:09.440>
• </c> treasurer or the uh the department of treasurer or the uh the department of education. education

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Agriculture. In New Mexico, it's administered by the Health Care Authority.
• The Department of Agriculture will double check about half of the state's cases, and then final error
• I used to be a computer programmer with the Department of the Army.
• And then, would OSI, the Office of Superintendent of Insurance, have individual insurance rates or be
• So... ...for example, the Department of Health might have an operations fund as one example.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:31:20.960><c> of</c> before my time at the Department of before my time at the Department of
• 01:29:58.760><c> Hampshire</c> Department of Labor of New Hampshire Department of Labor of New Hampshire
• </c><01:30:46.240><c> or</c> Department of Labor implementing or Department of Labor implementing or
• The Department of Labor the scenes.
• c> Department of Labor's um wage Department of Labor's um wage administrative<02:04:29.240><c> rules<

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Health. You have Christine Mathrin with Magellan Health is in support.
• The fatal flaw in each of these notes is that it conflates House Bill 291 with the insurance industry's
• of Insurance, there is absolutely no way to put a cost on something that's not happening today.
• One of them is the insurance company, and one of them is the health plan, right?
• So in the city of Lafayette, we're going to cover the remaining portion of the surviving families' insurance

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on May 18, 2026, with eight members present and began by noting the state’s projected REC budget deficit and the need to consider fiscal impacts carefully. The committee first advanced HB 12, which extends the $250,000 surviving spouse benefit to reserve officers killed in the line of duty. Members noted the bill is prospective and that it draws from the same capped fund as other related bills, but it was reported favorable without opposition. The committee also adopted an amendment and reported HB 874 favorable as amended; the bill allows colleges, technical schools, the Louisiana Bar Association, and additional credentials to be added to LA Wallet, with the amendment changing mandatory language to permissive language. HB 951 was then reported favorable, creating an employer-facing workforce unit within Louisiana Works, to be funded through repurposed state and federal funds and existing staff, with a floor amendment expected to rename the unit. The committee also reported HB 979 favorable with amendments after reducing the proposed increase in survivor benefits because members learned several bills were drawing from the same $5 million fund, and HB 1193 favorable as amended, after striking a section that would have extended IDIQ authority to supply contracts for CPR. The committee then heard HB 909, which would require commercial payers to cover behavioral health crisis services. Representative Spell and LDH officials said the measure is intended to support crisis response centers and steer patients away from emergency rooms when appropriate, and they testified that it should be cost-neutral or absorbed within existing funding. Despite concerns raised by Senator Andrews about premiums, the bill was reported favorable after discussion of its potential savings and a possible pilot in Acadiana. HB 222, requiring Medicaid to cover dental procedures when needed to complete another medically covered procedure, was also reported favorable; LDH said it would absorb the cost within its existing budget and draw down federal matching funds. HB 291, which prevents health plans from penalizing hospitals when an out-of-network physician is involved in an otherwise covered hospital service, generated extensive debate over a disputed fiscal note and the No Surprises Act. OGB officials said any network “leakage” could cost the plan money, while supporters argued the policy is preventative and that the fiscal estimates were speculative. The committee adopted amendment 3941 to exempt OGB from the bill, then reported HB 291 favorable as amended. Later, the committee took up HB 145, which expands the authority of the law enforcement and firefighter survivor benefit board to cover extraordinary medical and dental expenses. Because members learned it also draws from the same fund as HB 12 and HB 979, an amendment reduced the amount from $50,000 to $25,000, and the bill was reported favorable as amended. HB 430, a local bill for Lafayette to continue paying health insurance costs for surviving families of fallen officers until Medicare eligibility, was reported favorable. Finally, HB 821, which establishes the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement Administration and transfers related duties from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, was introduced and discussed as a move with a one-time general fund expenditure already included in HB 1. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here in Texas, the Texas Department of Insurance reviews the proposed rates for the individual and small
• Specifically here in Texas, the Texas Department of Insurance regulates all the insurers here, and there
• So just want to say, yeah, there's a reason why we have the Texas Department of Insurance.
• providers, the advantage of not being regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is significant
• Well, the advantage of not being regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is that TDI has

Committee: House Health Care Affordability, Select

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're certified by the Department of Health.
• As a last bit of background, lactation consultants are not certified by the Department of Health, but
• the Board directing the Department of Health to do so.
• Medicine receives notice from its contracted health insurance companies of scores of payer administrative
• For the record, Chris Bandley here on behalf of America's Health Insurance Plans.

Summary: The committee heard public hearings on several health-related bills. House Bill 1904 would prohibit cat declawing except for therapeutic purposes, with staff explaining definitions, fines, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. The prime sponsor and animal welfare advocates described declawing as cruel and linked it to pain and behavior problems, while the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association supported the substance of the bill but asked to remove the added reporting and disciplinary provisions as redundant and burdensome. House Bill 2211 would provide guidance for medically tailored meals under existing Medicaid-related nutrition supports, including standards for Washington-based nonprofit providers where possible, menu review, and nutrition requirements. The sponsor said it would clarify implementation without expanding the program, and supporters from meal providers, food distributors, and local farms said it would improve health outcomes, keep dollars local, and support Washington jobs and agriculture. House Bill 2329 would allow licensed midwives to delegate certain tasks to medical assistants and to supervise medical assistants, with the sponsor and birth center operators saying it would fix an omission in current law and help rural and under-resourced birth centers operate more efficiently. Supporters said it would improve staffing and financial stability, while the sponsor indicated the lactation consultant language would likely be removed because those consultants are not regulated by the Department of Health. The committee then returned to House Bill 1904 for additional testimony from humane organizations, veterinarians, shelter leaders, and local officials, all supporting a ban on declawing and emphasizing animal pain, shelter impacts, and available alternatives. House Bill 2247 would expand and clarify veterinary telehealth and veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules, allowing a VCPR to be established in certain telehealth circumstances and setting guardrails for consent, practice standards, and when in-person exams are still required. Supporters from shelters, animal welfare groups, mobile clinics, and veterinarians said telehealth would improve access in rural and underserved areas, reduce shelter intake, and help animals receive care sooner; the veterinary association supported the bill with amendments to clarify recordkeeping and access-to-care findings. House Bill 2339 would update nursing license terminology and processes for advanced registered nurse practitioners, including title changes, controlled substance rules for CRNAs, transcript submission, and interim permits. Nursing board and ARNP representatives supported the technical updates, while the hospital association and medical association raised concerns about title language for clinical nurse specialists and the deletion of a reference to the medical profession. Finally, House Bill 2106 would require health carriers to give 90 days’ notice of significant mid-contract payer modifications and provide the actual modification language, with the sponsor and hospital and provider representatives saying insurers are increasingly making unilateral changes that affect payment, services, and patient access. UW Medicine and a rural hospital district described examples where insurers changed imaging or preventive service coverage mid-contract, causing financial losses and forcing difficult choices about network participation. Carriers were noted as opposing the bill, while providers and facilities argued it would improve transparency and prevent one-sided contract changes that disrupt care.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Revenue listed no fiscal impact, as they assume the cost can be absorbed within existing
• The Department of Licensing listed a $129,000 one-time cost in fiscal year 2027 for updates to the DRIVE
• Both the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and the Department of Licensing have listed no fiscal impact
• We've been working with the Department of Licensing and the Department, or the Office of the Insurance
• There's a major insurance carrier that all their title work is done out of Macon, Georgia.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three transportation-related bills on February 2nd. House Bill 2305 would exempt travel vans from the motor vehicle excise tax by distinguishing them from motor homes; staff said the Department of Revenue saw no fiscal impact, while the Department of Licensing estimated a $129,000 one-time system update cost and an indeterminate revenue impact. Representative Keaton sponsored the bill, and the lone testifier, Dennis Rhodes, argued that travel vans should not be taxed like motor homes and said the current tax unfairly applies to accessories and interior build-outs. House Bill 2601 would create a new motorcycle weight-fee category with a $15 fee instead of the current $35 fee. Staff estimated about 190,000 annual transactions and roughly $3.8 million per year in lost revenue to multimodal transportation accounts, plus about $20,000 in Department of Licensing programming costs. Representative Richards described the bill as a fairness issue for riders, and the only testifier, Larry Walker of ABATE of Washington, supported the measure as more equitable because motorcycles do not weigh anywhere near 4,000 pounds and the implementation date would give the state time to adjust. House Bill 2604 would remove notarization requirements for certain vehicle title-transfer documents used when an insurer totals a vehicle, allowing electronic or printed signatures for those limited transactions. Staff reported no fiscal impact from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner or the Department of Licensing. Representative Richards said the bill would reduce burdens on people in rural areas and others without easy access to notaries or transit, and testimony from Copart representatives and Robert Foley supported the bill as a consumer-friendly way to speed title processing and payment after total-loss claims. After closing public testimony on the last bill, the committee adjourned and moved to caucuses.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh the on behalf of the insured insured.
• Both the Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Insurance as well as the Attorney General's
• 00:20:30.360><c> Insurance</c> Association of Public Insurance Association of Public Insurance Adjusters
• It requires an annual insurance fraud report from the Department of Insurance.
• </c> report from the Department of Insurance. report from the Department of Insurance.

Committee: Senate Banking & Insurance

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:02 Discussion HB 144 00:00:58 Vote HB 144 00:02:40 Discussion HB 169 00:03:21 Vote HB 169 00:05:02 Discussion HB 568 00:05:56 Vote HB 568 00:28:27 Discussion HB 627 00:32:26 Vote HB 627 01:00:26, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs and the Adjutant General of Arizona.
• by the House of Representatives of the 57th Legislature, regular session, and request the consent of
• of Insurance and Financial Institutions needs to know the business is operating in this area.
• of Insurance and Financial Institutions needs to know the business is operating in this area.
• Instead of increasing accountability, this bill risks making insurance decisions less transparent for

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the Department of Taxation in support.
• Just a partial element of it is hurricane insurance.
• And much of the insurance coverage.
• </c><00:37:09.440><c> of</c> Uh, first up, we have the Department of Uh, first up, we have the Department
• The department is in strong support of Senate Bill 1318.

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A unified front from law enforcement to the Department of Health and Senior Services, this coordinator
• The full-time position in the Department of Mental Health would signal support to Missourians of all
• The Department of Health will establish... ...take recoupment.
• The Department of Health will establish a critical access pharmacy program to ensure sustainability of
• What is the percentage of total PBMs that are owned by insurance or insurance owns them?

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But there's a whole bunch of states.
• Yeah, same, I guess in my head, it's kind of under the same umbrella-ish sort of.
• We have reviewed Senate Bill 1262 with Director Cameron at the Insurance Department.
• The Insurance Department had no concerns or issues with this update and simplification to Idaho Code
• committee should there be specific questions for the Department of Insurance.

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee heard several bills and resolutions and took action on each. RS 23-983, a dietician licensure compact, was introduced by Senator Cook; he said the compact has already been enacted in 15 states and would not give the compact authority over Idaho law or licensing standards. After questions about sovereignty, the committee voted to send it to print. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 1265, a code cleanup measure tied to the DOGE Task Force that removes outdated provisions related to the Petroleum Clean Water Trust Fund, and RS 33125, which would recognize a homeschool high school diploma as equivalent to a standard diploma or GED for professional and occupational licensing purposes. RS 33153, sponsored by Senator Nichols, would create Idaho consumer protection standards for paid assistance to veterans filing federal benefits claims, including disclosure, fee limits, and bans on deceptive practices; it was also sent to print. The committee approved minutes from February 3 and February 5, 2026. It then heard Senate Bill 1261, which would allow certain retired PERSI members appointed to fill elected local offices after a vacancy to keep their existing retirement benefits if they meet the bill’s conditions. Senator Lakey and Sheriff Getz said the measure is intended to treat appointed officials the same as elected ones in this context, and noted support from sheriffs, counties, cities, and no objection from PERSI. The bill was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1262, which would give insurance companies more flexibility in miscellaneous investments by replacing a confusing lesser-of standard with a clearer 10% of assets allowance. Senator Guthrie and United Heritage Life’s Jeff Niemeyer said the change would help insurers diversify, reduce risk, and potentially improve returns for policyholders; the Department of Insurance had no concerns. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation, then adjourned.