Transcript Highlights:

• It was determined that clinical nurse specialists are basically the equivalent of an advanced practice
• So yes, it’s assumed that that supervisory, collaborative practice provider and the licensed clinical
• And this becomes very practical because each patient is unique.
• And that license is not—it is a privilege to practice. It's not a right.
• the nature of the practice quite a bit.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules met to consider a Missouri Prescription Drug Monitoring Program rule proposal after the Department of Natural Resources withdrew its items. The hearing focused on 1 CSR 60-1.010, which would expand delegate-level PDMP access to additional licensed behavioral health professionals, including licensed clinical social workers, licensed master social workers, marital and family therapists, professional counselors, and psychologists, while also correcting prior rule language involving medical assistants and clinical nurse specialists. Testimony from the PDMP executive director and supporters from Compass Health and the Department of Mental Health argued the change would improve care coordination, medication reconciliation, and safety in multidisciplinary behavioral health settings, especially CCBHCs. They said access would remain limited to licensed professionals working under a prescriber/dispenser relationship, with individual logins and penalties for misuse. Opponents and some committee members raised concerns that the rule would expand access beyond the original statutory framework without legislative change, could be used beyond treatment purposes, and should instead be addressed through statute rather than rulemaking. After public testimony, the committee debated whether the proposal exceeded statutory authority and whether the expansion was too substantive for rulemaking alone. A motion was made to disapprove the rule on grounds including lack of statutory authority, conflict with state law, and arbitrariness. The motion passed by a roll call vote of 7-1, and the committee disapproved Rule 1 CSR 60-1.010 before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition to his legal practice, Mr.
• Just a clarification, it was 15 years of practice in Texas, nearly 20 years of practice.
• As far as my practice goes...
• County and an attorney in private practice.
• I have exclusively practiced criminal law since 1991.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to get practical. I go back to the olden days.
• So, I’m not condoning the practice.
• from going back into practice, not that they couldn’t.
• So, I’m not condoning the practice.
• So, I’m not condoning the practice.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 90 / Senate Bill 17, a birth-related measure backed by the Kentucky Birth Coalition. Sponsors said the bill had been worked on for several years and described changes including a transfer agreement, insurance requirements, proximity to a hospital, informed consent, and accreditation/medical director standards that helped win neutral or non-opposition from the Hospital Association. The bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote with unanimous support. The committee then heard Senate Bill 65, presented by Senator Steve West and Representative Derrick Lewis. They said the bill would make regulations found deficient through the committee review process null and void by statute, and would bar agencies from reissuing the same or similar language for up to a year. Supporters argued this was needed to hold agencies accountable because deficiency findings alone had not led to action. After questions about specific Medicaid behavioral health regulations and concerns about legislative overreach, the bill passed the committee on a roll call vote, with some members passing or explaining reservations. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 84, with a House committee substitute. Sponsors said the substitute was intended to strengthen the bill and reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision by ending Chevron deference and requiring courts, not agencies, to interpret law. Opponents, including Audrey Ernsberger and Katherine Hargraves, argued the bill would intrude on the judiciary, violate separation of powers, and could harm public health, environmental, and workplace protections. Committee members also raised concerns about whether the bill told courts what standard to use; sponsors responded that agencies could still present persuasive arguments, but courts should not defer to them. The committee substitute was adopted, and the bill then passed the committee on a roll call vote, with several members passing or expressing constitutional concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, I spent a lot of time in my practice with people who came in concerned about these types of
• We've been looking for a doctor for four years in my practice.
• are welcome to Kentucky to practice are welcome to Kentucky to practice outside<00:30:48.760>
• I'm never that sure when I'm in my medical practice.
• <00:45:55.760> and trained to follow best practices and trained to follow best practices and

Keywords: Discussion on SB 132 - 00:06 Vote on SB 132 - 04:41 Discussion on HB 219 - 43:49 Vote on HB 219 – 49:00 Discussion on HCR 20 – 50:08 Vote on HCR 20 – 51:28, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 132, which would create conscience protections for health care professionals who object to participating in certain procedures or services on religious, moral, or ethical grounds. Senator Donald Douglas and several supporters argued the bill is a recruitment and retention tool for Kentucky’s health care workforce, emphasizing provider shortages, maldistribution, and the need to protect individual conscience rights. Supporters said the bill would not apply to emergency care, would not permit denial of care based on a patient’s identity, and would mainly protect professionals from being forced to perform procedures they believe are unethical. They also cited similar laws in six other states and said the bill would have a cause of action to give it enforcement teeth. Supportive testimony came from an emergency physician, a registered nurse, and others who described personal experiences or examples involving objections to abortion-related care, opioid prescribing, and pressure to participate in procedures that conflicted with conscience. They said conscience protections would help attract providers, preserve ethical integrity, and allow clinicians to make professional judgments without corporate or institutional coercion. In questioning, senators asked about practical examples, the scope of the bill, whether it would cover hypothetical cases involving patients of particular religions or identities, and which states have similar laws. The sponsor and supporters repeatedly said the bill is about procedures, not patients, and that it should not be read to allow discrimination against individuals. Opponents, including pediatricians and a registered nurse/minister, warned that the bill is overly broad and could allow refusals of care by not only physicians but also pharmacists, clerks, and ambulance drivers. They argued it could delay treatment, increase discrimination, and worsen access problems in rural areas, especially for contraception, Plan B, blood transfusions, and other services. Critics said existing professional ethics already require patient care and that the bill could undermine evidence-based medicine and worsen Kentucky’s provider shortage. The committee took testimony and questions; no final vote or disposition was announced in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is current practice in state hospitals.
• We're just codifying that standard practice as a requirement to make it explicitly clear.
• I'm a cardiologist by training and practice.
• and make what's considered evidence-based practices that should be standard across the board.
• I have been an attorney in the CPS arena for the majority of my practice.

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744, HB18, HB37, HB116

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services, financial stability, perinatal bereavement, healthcare, hospital training, bereavement support, maternal care, fetal demise, stillbirth, neonatal death, parent-child relationship, involuntary termination, family law, child welfare, child protection, HB 388, HB388

Transcript Highlights:

• here, but they have licenses to be able to practice here.
• We know how many pharmacists are licensed to practice.
• We don't know necessarily how many pharmacists are currently practicing, would like to practice, where
• <00:19:02.480> we pharmacists are licensed to practice we pharmacists are licensed to practice
• pharmacists are currently practicing pharmacists are currently practicing would<00:19:07.039>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met on January 31 and heard six bills. The chair opened by outlining committee practices, including giving at least 72 hours’ notice for hearings, releasing testimony by 5:00 p.m. the day before hearings, and deferring bills needing substantive HT1 changes so members would not vote “blind.” Members briefly thanked the chair for the transparency approach before moving to the agenda. HB 223 would create a Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy special fund and workforce assessment fee to support a pharmacy center. Testimony from the Board of Pharmacy, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo College of Pharmacy, Mokai Drugs, and others generally supported the measure, emphasizing workforce data, rural access, student loan repayment, and retention. The committee later advanced HB 223 with amendments, including leaving fee amounts blank for further discussion and inserting a defective date, and the motion passed unanimously. HB 940 would appropriate funds for the rat lungworm lab at UH Hilo; HB 546 would establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute at UH to advance AI; HB 549 would create an early learning apprenticeship grant program; HB 1172 would add the Department of Taxation to the Statewide Longitudinal Data System for wage-data sharing; and HB 1320 would require UH to collect and publicly report graduate outcome data and create a dashboard. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with some privacy concerns raised on HB 1172 and a request to protect taxpayer confidentiality. In decision-making, the committee passed all five bills with amendments, generally deleting or blanking appropriations and FTEs for Finance Committee review, adding defective dates for further discussion, and in HB 549 adding a statement that the program is a matter of statewide concern. The committee recessed briefly for decision-making and then adopted the chair’s recommendations on each bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• would be the uniform practice. would be the uniform practice.
• with practice issues. with practice issues.
• :59.679> prep<02:11:00.000> and<02:11:00.159> practice to provide practice prep
• and practice to provide practice prep and practice support<02:11:01.040> to<02:11:01.440> the
• . practice. practice.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint Education and Higher Education committees met on February 10, 2026, first hearing HB 1676, which would create an AI and education task force, require documentation from AI vendors before procurement or use, and appropriate funds. The Department of Education, Public Charter School Commission, and University of Hawaii all supported the bill’s intent and described existing AI literacy efforts, teacher training, guidance for students and staff, and privacy/monitoring safeguards. DOE said it had already convened an AI task force, produced a report, trained over 10,000 educators, and embedded AI into computer science and broader curricular guidance. Members questioned DOE about student privacy, harmful content monitoring, personal devices, cell phone policy, teacher training, and whether AI literacy should extend beyond computer science into all subjects and across rural schools. After discussion, the chair announced HB 1676 would be deferred to Friday, February 13, and that a HD1 draft would be prepared. The chair said the committee would revisit the task force composition and procurement standards, with possible elimination of the procurement section, and circulate the revised draft before the next hearing. The committee then recessed and later reconvened for HB 1811, a student loan repayment program for educators. Testimony from the Department of Education, Public Charter School Commission, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, HSTA, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus was generally supportive, with HSTA and the Teacher Standards Board emphasizing teacher recruitment and retention, student loan burden, and the need to address the teacher shortage. In decision-making on HB 1811, the committees adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the bill with amendments. The main amendment collapsed the repayment structure into a single disbursement of up to $25,000 after five years of service, with technical/non-substantive changes and a corrected effective date. Both the Education and Higher Education committees voted unanimously in favor. Later in the meeting, the Education Committee began hearing HB 1561 on student meals, which drew broad support from the Public Charter School Commission, Department of Health, HSTA, Hawaii Appleseed, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and many individuals. Appleseed requested amendments to ensure charter schools are treated the same as other public schools if eligibility expands and to address reimbursement issues for schools already participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision; members discussed those concerns but no action was taken in the portion of the transcript provided. The committee then moved on to HB 779, on expanding student meal coverage, where DOE supported the intent but said it could not support the bill in its current form because of fiscal constraints.

Transcript Highlights:

• Israel is practicing.
• That historical practice is why former U.S.
• The definition is limited to practices which seek to...
• My current practice area is working with detransitioned males.
• And so at that point, people should not have been practicing it.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 99, which would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases and allow civilian judges to consider those orders when reviewing restraining order requests. Supporters, including the Department of Defense and military-related organizations, said the bill would close jurisdictional gaps that leave military families vulnerable off base. The bill drew no opposition and was approved on a unanimous vote, with members also expressing support for the author’s request to be added as coauthors. Members then heard SB 1237, a pay equity reporting enforcement bill that would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California’s employer pay-data reporting requirements. The author and supporters from Power California Action and HOPE argued that stronger penalties are needed because the state is still missing pay data for hundreds of thousands of workers and wage gaps persist, especially for women of color. There was no opposition testimony, but one member voted no; the bill passed to Appropriations and was placed on call. SB 1387 followed, proposing to allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data collection. Supporters said the change would improve data accuracy and help identify discrimination, while opponents from Jewish Voice for Peace and other Jewish speakers argued the bill was unworkable, unnecessary, and could be harmful or exceptionalizing. The committee approved the bill on a unanimous vote to Privacy. The committee also approved SB 932, which would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption, after testimony that the change would improve transparency and help courts, the public, and journalists track assigned claims. SB 988, an auto glass industry bill, drew the most extensive debate: the author and the National Insurance Crime Bureau said it would curb fraud, restrict certain assignment-of-benefits practices, and improve consumer safety, while independent glass shops and their associations warned it could restrict consumer choice and favor insurers or large networks. Despite those concerns, the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296, requiring landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees, also passed after supporters described the bill as a narrow transparency measure and opponents raised concerns about pet addenda and eviction procedures. Finally, SB 747, the “No Kings Act,” would create a state cause of action for constitutional violations by federal officers; supporters cited abuses by ICE and Border Patrol and the need for accountability, while law enforcement groups warned about uncertainty around qualified immunity and retroactivity. The bill was supported by several members, but the transcript ends before a final committee vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It basically says, while the best practice is a year, lacking those other problems, we can go to two
• I think the best benefit of this bill is it codifies best practice in the community, number one, and
• Bill is it codifies best practice in the community, number one, and for both patients and practitioners
• The legislation directly addresses concerns over divisive or discriminatory practices that have crept
• In practice, DEI doesn't just give an excuse to discriminate against whites, Asians, and men.

Bills: SB1013, SB1023

Keywords: merit-based hiring, public employees, non-discrimination, employment practices, Arizona Revised Statutes, optometrists, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, healthcare, vision care, 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1023, which would require optometrists to conduct eye exams according to the standard of care in the community at a recommended one-year interval, while allowing eyeglass prescriptions to be extended up to two years or shortened based on risk factors. The sponsor described it as a compromise between a longer prescription period and existing practice, and the Arizona Optometric Association supported the bill as codifying best practice and clarifying the standard. The committee moved the bill and gave SB 1023 a do pass recommendation on a 7-0 vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1013, a merit-based public hiring bill that would prohibit state and local public employers from using policies or practices that base hiring on race, ethnicity, sex, or national origin, while preserving compliance with anti-discrimination laws. An amendment was offered to clarify that the bill would not limit voluntary veterans’ preference employment policies, and the committee adopted that amendment. Supporters argued the bill would ensure public jobs are awarded based on qualifications and protect taxpayers; opponents argued it could undermine diversity efforts and that the veterans language was unnecessary or awkwardly drafted. After testimony from supporters and debate over the amendment and the bill’s effect on diversity, veterans’ preferences, and prior criminal history in hiring, the committee voted on SB 1013 as amended. The bill received a due pass as amended recommendation on a 4-3 vote, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• we're moving forward with some practical we're moving forward with some practical solutions<00:01
• So they are looking at the practices.
• , they understand better and can practice, they understand better and can practice, I<00:46:51.599
• We're open to implementation practices.
• Somehow they stay employed practices.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Seclusion Working Group approved the minutes from its previous meeting by motion and vote. Members then began discussing a set of proposed recommendations submitted by Woodward, Havman, and Hull aimed at addressing concerns about the use of seclusion in special education settings. The recommendations focused on several areas: requiring a mental health professional on the IEP team before seclusion is added to a student’s plan; replacing passive parental consent with explicit written consent in the parent’s native language; limiting seclusion to students receiving setting 3 or setting 4 services; requiring annual review of seclusion frequency and duration data by the IEP team; and creating stronger monitoring and accountability through a reporting system modeled on Minnesota’s existing disproportionality process. The group also proposed mandatory annual staff training, more preventive crisis-intervention supports such as CPI and Ukeru, direct funding and technical assistance for districts, and incorporating restraint/seclusion data into disproportionality calculations. Members discussed how the proposed accountability system might work in practice, including whether a third party or parent reporting mechanism should be added. Woodward explained Minnesota’s current disproportionality framework, including year 1, year 2, and year 3 notifications and the possibility of required coordinated early intervening services if problems persist. Participants also raised concerns about whether schools should track law-enforcement involvement as an alternative or related response to student behavior; some noted that such data is already collected in certain district reporting systems and could be useful to monitor alongside seclusion data. The discussion remained ongoing, with no final action taken on the recommendations during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Who may obtain transition-to-practice hours outside of California.
• Clinical practice requirements vary dramatically from state to state.
• It is the scope of practice in each state that is different.
• But then at the APRN level, they do have several different transition-to-practice requirements, some
• And so it is truly different from state to state on the transition of practice.

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a long agenda of licensing, consumer protection, and sunset-review bills. Early items included SB 1148, which would let aspiring security guards complete all required training before a guard card is issued; SB 342, which would soften the penalty for contractors who were licensed during part of a project but had a brief lapse; and several sunset bills for boards and bureaus, including the Board of Registered Nursing (SB 1302), the Board of Naturopathic Medicine (SB 1303), the Respiratory Care Board (SB 1304), the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (SB 1363), and the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (SB 1368). The committee also heard SB 1311, which makes various updates to DCA boards and programs, and SB 1314, which restricts new tobacco retailers from locating within 600 feet of schools or daycare centers and bans nitrous oxide sales and related paraphernalia. Testimony was generally supportive on the training, sunset, and licensing cleanup bills, though several measures drew “opposed unless amended” or neutral positions over scope and implementation details. On SB 1314, supporters including prosecutors and school administrators argued it would reduce youth exposure to tobacco, while gas station, convenience store, cigar lounge, pharmacy, and business groups raised concerns about impacts on existing businesses, transferability of tobacco licenses, and possible de facto limits on future stations; some public health groups shifted to neutral after amendments. On SB 1302, nursing groups supported the board sunset bill, while the California Medical Association objected to allowing out-of-state nurse practitioner transition-to-practice experience to count without a California attestation process. On SB 1304, health facilities and long-term care groups supported the board extension but sought broader clarification so LVNs could perform respiratory tasks consistently across settings. After quorum was finally established, the committee voted to send the consent calendar bills SB 1376, SB 1391, SB 1416, and SB 1315 to Appropriations, and then approved SB 342, SB 1148, SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1304, SB 1311, SB 1314, SB 1363, and SB 1368, all moving forward to the Committee on Appropriations. SB 1314 passed with some no votes, while the other measures advanced with broad support. The hearing ended after additional members were added on the record and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, a person practicing between states.
• It does numerous things, but essentially it's a modernization of the dental practices act.
• modernization of the dental practices modernization of the dental practices act.<00:10:33.360>
• And then we had House Bill 776, relating to the practice of dentistry. >> All right.
• practice of dentistry. practice of dentistry. >> All<00:20:28.000> right.

Keywords: Call to Order 00:00 Roll Call 0:31 HB 36 Discussion 1:10 HB 36 Vote 8:20 HB 776 Discussion 9:42 HB 776 Vote 12:19 HB 236 Discussion 14:15 Adjournment 20:40, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I wanted to speak a little bit from the parents' point of view and from the practical financial point
• nurses, in order to practice nationally.
• The same thing essentially has happened with our practical nursing program.
• We moved back here because this is my home state of Florida to open our private practice.
• We have We moved back here because this is my home state of Florida to open our private practice.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services met with a quorum present and took up several health-related bills. CS/SB 1110, covering Medicaid and insurance coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics, including activity-specific devices without lifetime or continuous-use caps, received emotional testimony from families and athletes describing high costs and the importance of access for children and adults with disabilities. Members voiced strong support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 1574, which would add biliary atresia screening to the newborn screening program using the existing birth blood specimen. The sponsor and a parent testified that earlier detection could prevent severe liver damage, transplants, and deaths, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 794, dealing with background screening for employees at residential facilities and day training programs for people with developmental disabilities and a review of waiver support coordination, was amended to align with the House companion and then reported favorably after testimony emphasizing the importance of strong support coordinators for APD waiver families. Members then considered SB 162, requiring hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies for smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. Nurses and other supporters described surgical smoke as a serious occupational hazard, while the Florida Hospital Association said hospitals are already regulated in this area and the bill was somewhat prescriptive; an amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 254, which tightens oversight of nursing education programs, adds preceptorship and provisional licensure pathways for graduates awaiting NCLEX results, and increases transparency and accountability for low-performing programs, drew support from nursing advocates and opposition from private nursing schools concerned about workforce impacts; after amendment, it was reported favorably. Finally, SB 688 to reestablish licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors in Florida was heard with testimony both supporting expanded health care choices and opposing the bill over safety and scope concerns, and it too was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 183, an act relating to the regulation of provisional license to practice medicine.
• Senate Bill 183, an act relating to the regulation of provisional license to practice medicine.
• And Senate Bill 183, an act relating to the regulation of provisional license to practice medicine.
• practice medicine. Senator Meredith. practice medicine. Senator Meredith.
• <00:19:10.480> to efforts and policies and practices to efforts and policies and practices

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum with 34 members present. The chamber approved the journal from January 28, received notice that the House had passed House Bills 56, 320, 366, and 389 and requested concurrence, and heard a report that second-reading bills were sent to the Rules Committee. Committee reports advanced several measures, including Senate Bills 1, 3, 48, 84, 102, and 122, which were ordered to first reading and placed on the calendar. The Senate also received new bills and resolutions, including measures on SNAP benefits, unemployment insurance, medical licensing, proxy advisory services, child protection, disabled veterans, public school construction, and a concurrent resolution encouraging nuclear workforce training at Kentucky universities. The Rules Committee posted Senate Bills 20, 34, and 68 for the next regular orders, and the Committee on Committees referred Senate Resolutions 60, 61, 63, 64, and 65 to the floor. Senate Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 3 was introduced. Several honorary and memorial resolutions were adopted, including Senate Resolution 63 honoring Reverend George Clifton Currington, Sr., Senate Resolution 49 honoring Dr. Jacqueline Sugarman, and Senate Resolution 31 designating Suits and Sneakers Day to recognize cancer patients, survivors, and advocates. Senators spoke at length about cancer awareness, personal family experiences, and Kentucky’s efforts to improve screening and treatment access. Announcements were made about an oversight committee meeting after adjournment and a Kentucky State Police Professional Association breakfast the next morning. The Senate adjourned until 9:00 a.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Delio, the settings are different than what I practiced.
• What was missing was practical access. And when practical access exists, participation follows.
• We are asking for practical treatment.
• . in theory, but becomes difficult in practice.
• We are asking for practical treatment.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The committee’s interim work session focused first on carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), with presenters from industry, nonprofits, and state agencies describing Washington’s geologic potential, the role of basalt formations, and the difference between point-source capture, direct air capture, utilization, and permanent storage. Industry and project developers emphasized that Washington has major opportunities to reduce industrial emissions, create jobs, and support hard-to-electrify sectors, while state agencies explained current policy touchpoints in the Cap and Invest Program, emissions exemptions for permanently stored CO2, and the Clean Energy Transformation Act. Several presenters urged clearer statutory and regulatory pathways, including rules for pore space, subsurface rights, pipeline siting, and long-term liability; others cautioned that CCUS should be limited to real emissions reductions and not treated as a substitute for broader clean energy measures. Committee members asked about public comment opportunities, whether mineralized carbon would qualify for exemption under the Climate Commitment Act, the energy intensity of capture systems, aquifer protection, and liability if storage later proves problematic. Ecology said it is developing guidance through a public engagement process running through late June and that mineralized or otherwise permanently stored CO2 would likely qualify if it meets the 1,000-year permanence standard. DNR and outside experts also discussed trust lands, water rights, and the need for additional geophysical surveys and test wells. The panel did not take any votes or formal actions. The second half of the meeting turned to hazardous waste and extended producer responsibility. Ecology reviewed existing product stewardship programs for electronics, paint, batteries, and mercury lights, and described how moderate risk waste and household hazardous waste are currently collected through county facilities and events. Ecology said the electronics program is its best model, while the mercury lamp program is currently in transition after the prior stewardship organization exited and a new organization is seeking approval. Ecology recommended that future EPR programs have clear producer and product definitions, full producer funding, convenience standards, annual reporting, and strong enforcement authority. Local government witnesses from King County and Douglas County described rising costs, access barriers in rural areas, and the need for stable funding and flexible local delivery models. King County said it collected over 3 million pounds of hazardous products in 2025 and argued that EPR could reduce costs for ratepayers and improve equity. Douglas County stressed that rural residents are willing to participate when services are available, but travel distance and operating costs make access difficult. An industry representative supported narrowly scoped stewardship programs like PaintCare but warned that broad household hazardous waste EPR systems can become difficult to administer and may require legislative revisions if responsibilities are not clearly defined. No votes were taken on the hazardous waste topic either.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1581 addresses this in a thoughtful and practical way.
• AB 1586 is a practical and common-sense measure that will help protect students and support our schools
• AB 1586 is a practical and common-sense measure that will help protect students and support our schools
• In practice, we have often seen this notice buried in the dozens of forms that parents are filling out
• Policies to increase accountability must consider the practical realities facing districts.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met without a quorum at first and began as a subcommittee, with the chair outlining hearing procedures and several bills on consent. The committee heard and advanced AB 1581, which would improve collection of tribal affiliation data for California students so Native students are more accurately counted and better served; supporters said current systems undercount Native students and erase their needs. AB 1586 also passed, requiring school resource officers who volunteer to carry naloxone to receive opioid overdose response training every two years; supporters emphasized student safety and the need for rapid response to overdoses on campus, while one school employees’ group raised concerns about retaliation protections for non-volunteers. Both bills were moved do pass as amended to Appropriations, with roll calls held open for absent votes. The committee then approved AB 1943, which updates school notices about secure firearm storage by making the information clearer, more visible, and more likely to reach families at key moments such as counseling or discipline interventions. Supporters from gun violence prevention groups, educators, and parents argued that many school shooters obtain guns from home and that plain-language, digital, and timely notices could help prevent child deaths and suicides; the author shared a personal story about a child accessing a gun at home. AB 1792 also advanced, directing the Instructional Quality Commission to consider updating health education to address digital safety issues such as deepfakes, extortion, grooming, and AI-generated exploitation; supporters said students need instruction that reflects modern online risks, while an opponent objected to language referencing LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse students. AB 1653 passed as well, adding heat-illness guidance to the health framework after a young Girl Scout described students suffering during extreme heat and not recognizing symptoms. Later, the committee approved AB 1861, which would require the California Department of Education to create a public database of special education investigation reports with personal information redacted; supporters said families need better access to complaint outcomes and accountability, while an opposition witness warned of unintended consequences, misuse of incomplete information, and added burdens on districts. AB 1721 also moved forward, creating a stakeholder work group to review and streamline school safety plan requirements so plans remain practical and focused on emergency preparedness. AB 1631, which would make kindergarten mandatory, received mixed testimony: supporters argued it would help close achievement gaps and improve readiness, while opponents framed it as an intrusion on parental choice; the bill was held on call after a split vote. Finally, AB 1809, extending job order contracting authority for school and community college districts, was also held on call after opposition from contractors who argued project labor agreement requirements raise costs and reduce competition. The committee then began hearing AB 1659, aimed at improving transitions for court school students back to their home districts, with testimony describing re-enrollment barriers and the need for a designated district contact.

Transcript Highlights:

• It reduced the ability of pharmacists to practice within their scope and training and expertise.
• A standard of care directs that you practice according to the standards of training, practice setting
• If you do not practice to the standard of care, you risk disciplinary action and potentially the loss
• This bill is not simply proposing to transition pharmacy practice to a standard of care; rather, the
• I'm a certified massage therapist practicing in Roseville. I am in support of AB 1504, if amended.

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a full agenda of bills focused on reproductive health, professional licensing and sunset reviews, consumer protection, and business regulation. Early testimony centered on AB 260, which would protect access to medication abortion, mifepristone, and telehealth reproductive care in California; supporters emphasized state protections against federal restrictions, while an opponent argued the bill removed safety safeguards. The committee also heard AB 714 on closing a loophole in regulation of low-cost commercial driving schools, AB 968 on allowing pharmacists to prescribe non-hormonal contraception, AB 671 on streamlining restaurant permitting, AB 1027 on strengthening cannabis product testing oversight, AB 1271 on broadband pricing and speed transparency, and AB 1332 on narrowly allowing medicinal cannabis shipments for seriously ill patients. Several sunset bills were also taken up, including AB 1482 on animal shelter and breeder transparency, AB 1501 on the Podiatric Medical Board and Physician Assistant Board, AB 1502 on the Veterinary Medical Board, AB 1503 on the Board of Pharmacy, and AB 1504 on the Massage Therapy Council. Testimony was largely in support of the measures, with many bills drawing co-sponsors or support from industry, consumer, or professional groups. AB 1503 generated the most sustained opposition, with nurses, physicians, and drug industry representatives objecting to expanded pharmacy technician ratios, standard-of-care language, and therapeutic interchange authority; supporters argued the bill would modernize pharmacy practice and expand access. AB 1504 also drew mixed testimony, with massage therapy groups supporting continuation of the council but raising concerns about proposed public records and governance provisions. AB 1271 drew a policy dispute over whether broadband reporting requirements duplicated federal FCC processes, while supporters argued California needed its own consumer-facing data and complaint system. After quorum was established later in the hearing, the committee began taking roll-call votes. AB 1271, AB 1332, AB 1482, AB 1501, and AB 1502 were all reported out on due-pass motions, with AB 1271 amended and the others generally amended or as introduced as noted. Earlier bills including AB 260, AB 671, AB 714, AB 968, and AB 1027 also received motions and were approved once the quorum was present. The chair repeatedly noted the lack of quorum during the hearing, but once one was secured, the committee completed votes on the agenda items and advanced the measures to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, practices are regulated in similar ways as providers.
• What does that look like for the internal practices for future patient safety?
• That shift is in keeping with best practices, parole best practices.
• That shift is in keeping with best practices, parole best practices.
• We need to keep up with best practices.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on several Judiciary bills, with the largest portion focused on S. 1178/H. 2052 to reduce mass incarceration and end life without parole. People incarcerated at MCI Framingham, MCI Norfolk, and NCCI Gardner described personal growth, rehabilitation, restorative justice work, family separation, and the belief that parole eligibility after long sentences would better reflect public safety and human development. Speakers emphasized that life without parole removes hope and can undermine rehabilitation, while supporters argued that many lifers are older, less likely to reoffend, and could contribute positively if given a chance at parole review. Committee members did not take votes during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1139 to restore the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims involving tobacco use, with Sen. Keenan explaining that a recent SJC decision had cut off claims where the injured person did not sue within three years before death. He said the bill would restore families’ ability to seek redress in cases involving long-latency tobacco harms like COPD. Another major topic was S. 1205, which would add abusive litigation to the definition of coercive control in domestic violence law; Sen. Michael Moore said the bill would stop abusers from using repeated court filings to harass and financially burden survivors. The committee also took up S. 1114 on automatic record sealing, with Sen. Friedman and others arguing that the current petition-based process is slow, burdensome, and disproportionately harms people with criminal records, especially Black and Latino residents. Testimony also supported H. 1965/S. 1132 on compensation for wrongful conviction, with advocates and sponsors describing a faster administrative claims process, transitional support, and higher compensation without the current cap. Sen. Payano testified for S. 1241 to expand educational programming for incarcerated emerging adults, saying education reduces recidivism and improves reentry outcomes. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on S. 2522, an update to Massachusetts’ shield law for reproductive and gender-affirming care. Sen. Friedman, the Attorney General’s office, and DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said the bill is needed to strengthen protections against out-of-state legal attacks, protect patient and provider data, clarify enforcement authority, and add a state-level EMTALA-style emergency care requirement. Committee members asked detailed questions about prescription labeling, the prescription monitoring program, attorney discipline, custody and full faith and credit issues, and whether the bill’s enforcement language could create unintended limits or conflicts. The Attorney General’s office said it would provide follow-up written testimony on several technical questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:33.440> and and specific deal practices and and specific deal practices and proprietary
• <00:10:16.959> This Government Data Practices Act. This Government Data Practices Act.
• there are so many aspects of my practice there are so many aspects of my practice that<00:19:12.799
• is section 13.51 in the data practices is section 13.51 in the data practices act.<00:21:55.600>
• We're talking about data practices. This is what we do here in this committee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a practicing psychiatrist and assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego
• I'm a practicing radiologist in Bakersfield. I'm Dr. Stephen Wang.
• I'm a practicing radiologist in Bakersfield and an AI policy subject matter expert with the Southern
• And as important as licensure is and the data, we know what practices are happening.
• And so I agree we should address those practices now because they're having negative impacts now.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related measures. SB 27 by Senator Umberg would revise and expand California’s CARE Court by limiting the expansion to people with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, clarifying the definition of “clinically stabilized,” and narrowing the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Supporters, including behavioral health officials and family members, said the bill would reduce dismissals and better serve people with severe illness; opponents warned the expansion would strain county staffing and housing resources and could undermine voluntary engagement. The bill passed on a do pass motion to the Committee on Public Safety. SB 503 by Senator Weber Pierson would require AI tools used in health care facilities to be identified, monitored, and mitigated for bias when used in clinical decision-making or resource allocation. The author and supporters from Kaiser Permanente and the California Medical Association said the bill would help prevent discriminatory outcomes and improve trust and safety. The committee discussed the need to clarify developer and deployer responsibilities, and the bill passed as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. SB 68 by Senator Menjivar would require restaurants to provide written allergen information for the top nine food allergens, with tiered flexibility for smaller establishments. The bill was supported by patients, families, nurses, and allergy organizations, who described severe reactions and the difficulty of relying on verbal disclosures alone. The California Restaurant Association opposed unless amended, seeking broader use of the national model food code and additional liability language. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 403 by Senator Blakespear, which would remove the sunset from the End of Life Option Act; supporters described the law as a compassionate, well-functioning option for terminally ill patients, while faith-based groups opposed it. The bill passed to Judiciary. Later, SB 41 by Senator Wiener was introduced to rein in pharmacy benefit manager practices that steer patients to mail-order pharmacies and reimburse community pharmacies below cost; community pharmacists and several health organizations testified in support, describing pharmacy closures and patient access problems.