Transcript Highlights:

• The savings is due to lower use of interventions as well as better outcomes, such as reduced rates of
• The way that our medical system works right now is that the more procedures and the more interventions
• They're available if someone needs that face-to-face intervention in the communities where they're at
• In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed SB 24 to improve pregnancy and family intervention focused programs
• The intervention is critical, as children infected with CMV can experience hearing loss and other serious

Bills: HB46, HB35, HB4490, HB4454, HB2188, HB3078, HB4743, HB2556, HB46, HB5342, HB4783, HB3785, HB5278, HB1639, HB2581, HB4224, HB4070, HB4099, HB4882, HB3794

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• So we started to utilize a program called ASIST training, which is Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
• So we began to leverage this Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, which is a two-day training
• but we make ourselves Intervention but we make ourselves available<01:13:15.199> to<01:13:15.400
• Through access to funding, H is going to be able to train more of their network in suicide intervention
• intervention skills and partner<01:19:44.520> with<01:19:44.679> mental<01:19:44.960><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So that leads us to suggested interventions of how to address this type of challenge moving forward,
• of how to address this interventions of how to address this type<00:19:11.200> of<00:19:11.720
• I am curious about item six on the suggested intervention.
• I am curious about item six on the suggested intervention.
• I am curious about item six on the suggested intervention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the fiscal note process, prompted by concerns raised in a prior hearing about the fiscal note for the Paid Family and Medical Leave law. Chair Marty, Senator Pratt, and Senator Wiklund said the goal was not to revisit the bill itself but to strengthen understanding of fiscal note standards, the role of the Legislative Budget Office (LBO), and communication with agencies. They emphasized bipartisan concern that fiscal notes must be respected and that the process should be clearer going forward. Christian Larison of the LBO explained that the 2024 fiscal note issues stemmed from three main problems: choosing the proper baseline for a program that had not yet started, interpreting the seven-day qualifying event/waiting period, and determining whether DEED could adjust the first-year premium rate. He said the LBO, DEED, MMB, and House fiscal staff ultimately used the October 2023 actuarial analysis as the baseline because it was the most recent and likely most accurate estimate, but that choice meant the fiscal note did not show the difference from the 2023 enacted budget. He also described how DEED later interpreted the seven-day provision as a waiting period and how the premium-rate assumptions affected the fiscal impact. Larison outlined possible responses, including more assertive early communication from the LBO, providing more detailed analysis in unusual cases, and possibly creating a working group through the LBO Oversight Commission to consider new standards for substantial assumption changes, complex new programs, and third-party actuarial work. He also noted the LBO has authority to issue unapproved fiscal notes if standards are not met, though it has not used that authority. In questions, Senator Murphy asked about protecting the credibility of fiscal notes, and Larison said maintaining independence, objectivity, and consistent standards is central to the LBO’s role. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• the public’s money on education this year, I really think we have to look at can we fund more intervention
• , spend more on math intervention, because the research with Common Core math is pretty abysmal.
• spend problem in math intervention spend problem in math because<01:28:43.239> the<01:28:43.440
• My argument would be we have to fund intervention specialists on the front end, and then we’ll be doing
• Specialists on the front intervention Specialists on the front end<01:29:35.960> and<01:29:36.080

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 21 with a quorum present for the first meeting of the 2025 biennium. The co-chairs described the temporary power-sharing arrangement in the tied Senate, introduced committee staff and pages, and had members briefly introduce themselves and share what subject they would teach. After the introductions, the committee moved to a presentation from State Demographer Susan Brower. Brower reviewed Minnesota’s school-age population trends and projections, noting that the state had just under 1 million children ages 5 to 17 in 2023 and that, for the first time, the older adult population exceeded the school-age population. She said the school-age population is concentrated in the Twin Cities metro and other regional centers, and projected an overall decline of about 5% over the next 15 to 20 years, driven mainly by declining birth rates and long-running net outmigration of young adults. She also explained that growth is expected in some areas, especially along the I-94 corridor north of the metro, while northern regions are projected to see the largest declines. She clarified for members that her figures measure resident children, not school enrollment, and that boundary changes are not reflected in the district-level data. The presentation also covered demographic change among students. Brower said about 35% of Minnesota children ages 5 to 17 are children of color, with growing multiracial populations and increasing linguistic diversity. She reported that about 20% of school-age children have at least one foreign-born parent, and about 18% of enrolled students speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish, Somali, and Hmong the largest home languages. She also discussed child poverty, saying Minnesota’s rate is just under 10%, below the national rate of about 15%, and that poverty is concentrated in Minneapolis-St. Paul, some first-ring suburbs, and parts of northern Minnesota, including districts with larger Native populations. Members asked questions about whether the projections accounted for migration and whether open enrollment affected the figures; Brower said the data reflect where children live, not where they attend school, and that the projections are based on recent migration and birth patterns, with future changes more likely to come from international immigration than from domestic migration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Critical health interventions may be delayed, and the lives of newborns with heritable conditions would
• Critical health interventions may be delayed, and the lives of newborns with heritable conditions would
• <01:47:16.880> allowing identification and intervention allowing identification and intervention
• may be delayed and the interventions may be delayed and the lives<01:47:43.800> of<01:47:43.960
• by other interventions that we as<04:13:27.600> pediatricians<04:13:28.239> use<04:13:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs heard testimony on House Bill 606, as amended, a bill aimed at preventing physicians from denying medically necessary sterilizing or fertility-affecting treatment based on a patient’s age, number of children, marital status, or a doctor’s speculation about future reproductive intentions. Representative Ellen Reed, the sponsor, described the bill as a response to her own long experience with PCOS, heavy bleeding, and repeated refusals by doctors to perform a hysterectomy despite her clear wishes. She said the amendment narrows the bill to medically necessary care, adds definitions for “medical condition” and “appropriate reproductive care,” and removes earlier provisions about voluntary sterilization referrals. She also said the bill does not target religious objections, and that doctors could still refuse for medical, payment, or existing religious reasons not addressed by the bill. Committee members asked about religious freedom, informed consent versus waivers, and the scope of the new definitions. Reed responded that religion was not added to the list of prohibited reasons for denial, and that the amendment is intended to protect doctors when patients sign informed consent or waivers. She explained that “appropriate reproductive care” includes procedures such as hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, salpingectomy, and endometrial ablation, and that the bill now focuses on medically necessary treatment rather than elective sterilization. She said the change was intended to make the proposal narrower and more tailored after earlier concerns. Several witnesses supported the bill with personal accounts of being denied hysterectomies or other procedures despite serious symptoms. Representative Lauren Selig described a decade-long effort to obtain a hysterectomy after years of cycle problems and migraines, saying doctors dismissed her concerns and treated her symptoms as normal. Jade Flad also testified in support, saying she had long been told to simply endure her cycle problems and noted that her husband was offered a vasectomy without similar barriers. The sponsor said online support was strong and that there was little or no written opposition testimony. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• the story that you laid out of having to go through a process of explaining the the treatment or intervention
• approach to ...of explaining the treatment or intervention approach to people who didn't have a common
• For someone struggling with pain, facing a flare-up, or needing rapid intervention, these delays are
• For someone struggling with pain, facing a flare-up, or needing rapid intervention, these delays are
• However, the amount California spends on violence prevention and intervention pales in comparison to

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:

• Eventually, they assured me that minor interventions would help the occipital fractures and the brain
• Eventually, they assured me that minor interventions would help the occipital fractures and the brain
• Eventually, they assured me that minor interventions would help the occipital fractures and the brain
• Eventually, they assured me that minor interventions would help the occipital fractures and the brain
• intervention, so thank you. intervention, so thank you.

Bills: HF4343

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, advertising tax, taxable services, digital advertising, online marketing, marketing services, search engine marketing, lead generation, internet advertising, ad agency, media buying, campaign planning, Minnesota tax law, service tax, broadening tax base, web advertising, promotional services, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, also part D in line 23, whether there are interventions that can be implemented prior to referrals
• <00:58:12.000> whether<00:58:12.400> there<00:58:12.640> are interventions whether
• there are interventions whether there are interventions<00:58:13.440> that<00:58:13.680> can
• <00:58:13.920> be<00:58:14.079> implemented interventions that can be implemented interventions
• so that needs can be met interventions so that needs can be met before<00:58:36.640> we<00:58

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:51.519> selection<00:03:51.920> and the reading intervention selection and the
• reading intervention selection and implementation<00:03:53.120> as<00:03:53.360> well<
• Um, so we are currently going through the process of reviewing intervention materials that will be done
• <00:27:14.480> being know that there's interventions being know that there's interventions
• , uh, interventionists are intervention, uh, interventionists are already<00:27:22.000> doing.

Bills: HF2430, HF2433

Keywords: education finance, teacher training, Read Act, state aid, school funding, education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• while at the same time interventions while at the same time assuring<00:05:00.759> we<00:05:00.919
• <00:24:52.080> for and behavioral interventions for and behavioral interventions for Medicaid
• So a lot of funding goes to target again the interventions that we know are best practice.
• <00:29:53.080> that<00:29:53.200> we Target again the interventions that we Target
• again the interventions that we know<00:29:53.519> are<00:29:53.760> best<00:29:54.080>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2516 is an essential intervention into one of our most critical energy supply...
• AB 2516 is an essential intervention into one of our most critical energy supply chains: electric grid
• Modeling on AB 2516 shows that through the interventions proposed in the bill, approximately 5,000 direct
• identify which grid components are causing delays and then determine the appropriate form of state intervention
• Options would include upstream supply chain intervention, technical assistance, regulatory coordination

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's intended to provide short-term crisis intervention, but it's also serving as a warehouse for those
• As is customary for a student with profound autism, intervention was based on the principles of applied
• This lack of proactive intervention, coupled with isolation, resulted in a dramatic surge in self-injury
• It strengthens due process, stops delays, and ensures children get evidence-based interventions before
• evidence-based literacy instruction, and there's no guarantee that schools use proper screening tools for intervention

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a hearing focused primarily on special education-related bills, with testimony centered on two major themes: transition planning for students aging out of school-based services at age 22, and the fiscal strain special education costs place on districts. Committee members explained hearing procedures, noted the House was in formal session, and periodically stepped out for votes while staff recorded testimony. A separate bill on special education due process was also taken up briefly, along with a bill on special education finance and another on equitable access/data reporting. On House Bill 752 and Senate Bill 313, witnesses from the Arc of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, the Developmental Disabilities Council, families, self-advocates, and Senator Comerford described the “Turning 22” transition as a crisis point that often leaves families without adult placements, services, or clear communication. Testimony emphasized earlier planning, more accountability, better data collection, and a commission to improve coordination and residential placement. Several parents and advocates shared personal accounts of traumatic transitions, delayed placements, and the need for plans to begin at least a year before age 22. The committee later closed testimony on these bills after hearing from all signed-up speakers. House Bill 4217, on special education due process, drew support from Representative Sullivan-Almeida, parents, and advocates who argued that the burden of proof should shift from families to school districts. Testimony described costly legal battles, delays, and parents having to become experts in reading instruction or hire advocates and attorneys to secure services. Brody Dwyer, a 10-year-old student with dyslexia, and his mother described how evidence-based instruction helped him after years of struggle. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 546/Senate Bill 317, which would require DESE to publish cross-tabulated data on race, disability, gender, income, and other factors; advocates said this would better expose disparities and help address the school-to-prison pipeline. Finally, on House Bill 691/Senate Bill 430, school leaders, educators, and union representatives testified that special education costs are outpacing district budgets and that increasing circuit breaker reimbursement and creating a commission to study long-term sustainability would help prevent staffing cuts and service reductions. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee repeatedly closed testimony on individual bills as speakers finished and moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• within the state department can assist school districts in implementing reading assessments and intervention
• 49.440> and in implementing reading assessments and in implementing reading assessments and intervention
• c> program<01:14:50.560> and<01:14:50.800> language<01:14:51.120> and intervention
• program and language and intervention program and language and literacy<01:14:51.600> programs.
• Uh, they're still going to assist school districts to implement those reading assessments and interventions

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Looking at early intervention, early intervention is part of the fiscal distress statute.
• DESE identifies districts that are in early intervention.
• Districts are able to move in and out of early intervention at any time, and currently there are four
• districts in early intervention.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee received a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Arkansas academic standards, accountability, and achievement as part of the adequacy study. Staff reviewed how state curriculum and standards have evolved from the 1997 Public Education Act, the 2003 Quality Education Act, and the 2017 Educational Support and Accountability Act, including required course offerings, graduation requirements, career and technical education pathways, and recent additions such as success-ready pathways, Arkansas history, firearm safety, and fetal growth and development instruction. Members asked for a comparative chart showing how the laws and requirements changed over time, and staff agreed to provide one. The presentation then turned to the federal ESSA plan and Arkansas’s state accountability system. Staff explained the state’s long-term goals for 2030, including 80% proficiency in ELA and math, 52% of English learners on track to English proficiency, and 94%/97% four- and five-year graduation rates. They reviewed 2025 assessment results showing proficiency rates generally in the 30s, with English learners and students with disabilities performing lowest and white students highest. They also discussed school support and improvement categories, equitable access to educators, and report card/public reporting requirements, noting that some ESSA-related measures such as the school index, equity labs, and certain 2024 report card data were not currently available or not being calculated. Members questioned whether those ESSA commitments were being met and asked staff to follow up with DESE, including whether the legislature can revise the ESSA plan. The committee also reviewed the Arkansas Accountability Act and related assessment data. Staff described the Atlas assessment system, alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, ELPA 21 for English learners, ACT results, and NAEP comparisons. They reported that no student group met the 80% proficiency goal in 2025, Arkansas’s ACT composite score declined slightly over time, and Arkansas generally trailed national and SREB averages on NAEP. Members asked for additional data, including historical highs and lows, the number of assessments students take by grade, dropout data, and comparisons with other states. The meeting ended with agreement to invite the Department of Education to a future meeting to answer questions about missing data, equity labs, report cards, and ESSA compliance.

Transcript Highlights:

• results highlight the combination of focused instructional support, coaching, and data-driven intervention
• our state assessments, we use data not to label students, but to guide instruction and tailor interventions
• We get wrapped up in the interventions of it, oftentimes, but that doesn't fix Tier 1.
• understand Tier 1 instruction without having to have that increased focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention
• In many of my experiences, we try to fix a layer one or tier one issue with our intervention with tier

Transcript Highlights:

• four-year-olds, family, infant, and Toddler program, which you may also know as IDEA Part B or C, and early intervention
• The Family Infant Toddler program (FIT) provides early intervention services for children from birth
• The program works to limit future intervention required based on a child's delays and is projected to
• At the heart of this system are high-performing programs. pre-K, home visiting, early intervention, and
• Director of Family Support and Early Intervention, Allie Hedrick.

Transcript Highlights:

• abuse, we really want to reserve our child protective services for those more serious types of interventions
• c><00:11:03.320> types<00:11:03.680> of<00:11:04.399> um<00:11:04.800> interventions
• <00:11:05.600> so serious um types of um interventions so serious um types of um interventions
• And if they do not want our services or interventions, they can decline.

Keywords: Meeting Concurrently w/ (H) Families & Children, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear the 2025 Social Services Block Grant preliminary plan from the Department for Community Based Services. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Executive Adviser Mary Carpenter described DCBS’s mission and explained that the federal block grant, about $21 million annually, supports Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Home Safety Services, Juvenile Services, Residential Treatment Services, and staff training. They said most of the funding goes to staff and training, and that the department uses surveys, focus groups, program monitoring, funding availability, and historical data to set annual goals. They also noted that Kentucky uses the grant to fund direct services and that eligibility is generally limited to Kentucky residents or runaway juveniles based on need and available resources. Much of the discussion focused on child welfare data and the distinction between poverty and neglect. DCBS officials said Adult Protective Services investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, and that self-neglect cases have trended down in recent years, which they attributed in part to access to federal resources. For Child Protective Services, they reviewed intake and investigation numbers, noting that many calls screen out before meeting statutory criteria, while about 48,000 cases were assessed or investigated and about 8,000 were substantiated. Members raised concerns about how poverty can be mistaken for neglect, especially in rural areas, and DCBS said it has been working with the legislature, staff, and community partners to better define the difference and connect families to community supports when cases do not meet abuse or neglect criteria. Members also asked about the risk to federal funding and the impact on juvenile services. DCBS said it had not received notice that the $21 million block grant would be cut, but it is monitoring federal developments closely and would need to return to the General Assembly for a budget request if funding were lost. The department said about 30% of the federal share goes to juvenile services. Questions also covered the transition in staff training from Eastern Kentucky University to a broader statewide model, and the agency said it is expanding training opportunities and modernizing delivery. Officials discussed the MST pilot for youth, saying it is a successful evidence-based practice operating in three regions—Jefferson, Northern Bluegrass, and Central Kentucky—with positive outcomes and possible expansion. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• And while that is not explicitly a mental health intervention, it does help to address a lot of behavioral
• level, the higher the grade, the higher the level of need, the higher the level of impairment or intervention
• again, we're going to talk a little bit more about them, they can go to a variety of different interventions
• -week-long course, and the second treatment that goes hand-in-hand with that is our batterer's intervention
• Now, both the anger management and batterers intervention treatment, there is no legislative appropriated

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of our treatment interventions, our clinicians are trained to treat trauma and sleep disorders,
• Moral injury does not need soft support and does not need aggressive intervention.
• Early intervention is a great tool.
• There are many interpretations of that, just like early intervention.
• Early intervention is a great tool.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Threat assessment, training, planning, early intervention, mental health and security technology.
• Threat assessment, training, planning, early intervention, mental health and security technology.
• Threat assessment, training, planning, early intervention, mental health and security technology.
• Threat assessment, training, planning, early intervention, mental health and security technology.
• Threat assessment, training, planning, early intervention, mental health and security technology.

Bills: HF3492, HF3493, HF3494, HF3495, HF3602

Keywords: school safety, grants, education funding, Northern Lights Express, security improvements, rural schools, safe schools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, Tribal education, funding increase, safe schools aid, school security, mental health support, Tribal schools, cybersecurity, funding, mental health, evidence-based plans, public safety