Transcript Highlights:

• workers, resulting in gaps in essential public safety and services.
• I live in a workforce housing subdivision on Nantucket.
• But anyway, people are living on this island because they cannot afford to live here.
• That home didn't just change our lives.
• Massachusetts because they can't find a place to live.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:05:12.639><c> which</c> numbers as our victim services, which numbers as our victim services
• Their lives are going to be greatly interrupted and impacted.
• It's falling literally on the heads of the people who live and work there.
• Few showers, people living in cramped rooms at 110 degrees or more.
• </c> confront and the divisive times we live confront and the divisive times we live in.<00:30:35.760

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• to these videos that my friend just mentioned, and I want you to think about me as a constituent living
• thinking in our safety the way that we are thinking in our safety for everybody in the people who live
• We live here. I don't know what you see when you put these against my community.
• Before transitioning full-time to our business, I worked as a medical laboratory technician for 26 years
• We're trying to save the lives of our children. Thank you.

Bills: SB210 , SB225 , HB280 , HB287 , HB94 , HB88 , SB157 , HB7 , HB8 , HB42

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, blood tests, DUI, law enforcement, traffic offenses, chemical analysis, public nuisance, event liability, local government, community health, legal action, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation, accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been living the California dream.
• I live in Richmond, California, and I strongly support this bill.
• Placer County Board of Supervisors and Republic Services.
• Across California and the nation, entire families are living in fear.
• Center, Inc., Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network. ...for San Bernardino Community Service

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several tax-related bills, beginning with AB 760, which would exempt settlement payments tied to the Garden Grove chemical incident from California income tax. The author and a school district trustee described evacuations, school closures, and losses to residents, businesses, students, and staff, arguing the payments should make victims whole rather than be taxed. There was support from the Orange County Board of Supervisors, no opposition, and the bill passed 3-0 to Appropriations, with committee amendments accepted. Members then heard AB 2319, creating a California post-production tax credit for film and television work done in-state, even when principal photography occurred elsewhere or the project did not receive the existing film credit. The author and supporters from the Motion Picture Editors Guild, California Post Alliance, and others said post-production jobs and facilities are leaving California and that the bill would help retain high-wage work; opponents were not present. The committee members generally supported the measure, and it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. AB 2186 followed, excluding future reparations benefits for descendants of formerly enslaved people from state income tax. The author and NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference said taxing such benefits would undermine reparative justice; there was no opposition, and the bill passed 3-0. The committee also heard AB 762, which would ban the sale of disposable nicotine vapes and add enforcement tools. Supporters, including waste, recycling, local government, and public health groups, said disposable vapes create fire hazards, waste problems, and costs for local agencies; opponents argued the bill would mainly eliminate the legal market while leaving illicit products untouched and urged stronger enforcement instead. The author accepted committee amendments adding CDTFA enforcement, but the bill was not voted on because a motion was pending and members were absent. Later, AB 1519, AB 2172, AB 2222, AB 1793, AB 2089, and AB 1265 were heard and each received support from committee members and passed 2-0 or 3-0 to Appropriations, with amendments accepted where noted. AB 1519 clarified that the 20-year tax collection statute of limitations should not be reset by later fees or penalties; AB 2172 would let large counties use a single assessment appeals commissioner for complex property tax appeals; AB 2222 would create a temporary tax credit for local news organizations to retain and hire journalists; AB 1793 would authorize symmetrical cash rounding to the nearest nickel after the federal penny phaseout; AB 2089 would streamline the welfare exemption filing process for affordable housing; and AB 1265 would extend and revise the historic building tax credit to encourage adaptive reuse for housing and mixed-use projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Examples already underway are the CSU Buy Procurement Program, which went live in January and allows
• Examples already underway are the CSU Buy Procurement Program, which went live in January, and allows
• universities to band together to buy materials, I don't know. which went live in January, and allows
• So we do provide aid to help students with their living expenses.
• The remaining funds support counseling, academic services, and basic needs supports.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Internal Revenue Service is critical for that purpose.
• As other states slowly accommodate for us the living index that...
• That was about enough to pay for 70% of the debt service. So not only...
• Senator Ramos and I live in that area.
• The question becomes, well, where do we cut services with?

Committee: House Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Examples already underway are the CSU Buy Procurement Program, which went live in January and allows
• Phase one of that program went live in January with IT, procurement, and accounts payable all operating
• Phase two will involve human resources and payroll. which went live in January, and allows universities
• So we do provide aid to help students with their living expenses.
• The remaining funds support counseling, academic services, and basic needs supports.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard updates on higher education issues, beginning with California State University’s turnaround plans for seven campuses with enrollment declines. CSU said overall enrollment is growing systemwide, but some campuses, especially in Northern California, face structural declines tied to demographics and community college pipelines. The plans focus on reengaging stopped-out and adult learners, expanding partnerships and guaranteed admissions, improving retention and student support, and reducing costs through program suspensions, hiring freezes, shared services, and procurement consolidation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the strategies were reasonable but urged regular legislative updates, and the Department of Finance had no additional comments. Committee members emphasized the need for implementation oversight, written updates, and attention to student outreach, financial aid, and privacy concerns around AI tools used in recruitment. The committee then reviewed the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s request for a $10 million General Fund appropriation to repay litigation-related borrowing. Department of Consumer Affairs and bureau staff said the bureau has a long-standing structural deficit, has already cut positions and shifted some costs, and that the General Fund backfill would reduce future fee increases on institutions. The LAO opposed the request, arguing the bureau can cover near-term costs with its existing loan and that litigation costs should remain the responsibility of the regulated entities through fees. Finance supported the one-time backfill as a unique situation that would lower fee increases and avoid passing litigation costs on to schools and students. Members asked about preventing a repeat of the problem, and bureau staff said they are pursuing fee increases through the sunset review and have strengthened internal policies and disability accommodation practices. The subcommittee also heard a broad update on Cal Grant funding and student aid. The California Student Aid Commission, UC, CSU, and the community colleges described Cal Grant as essential to affordability, but the LAO noted spending has grown faster than historical averages and said the state likely lacks capacity for major expansion in the near term. The segments highlighted the importance of state aid in covering tuition and living costs, and raised concerns about federal changes to student loans and Pell Grants, especially the elimination of Grad PLUS for some graduate students and limits on part-time borrowing. Committee members pressed for data on students who are eligible but not served by current Cal Grant rules, including adult learners and students affected by age and merit restrictions, and asked for analysis of phased-in implementation of the Cal Grant Equity Framework. Finance said full implementation would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and that affordability remains part of the state’s multi-year compact with the segments. Finally, the committee began discussion of the Middle Class Scholarship Program. CSAC and the UC and CSU said the program is a key part of affordability and debt reduction, especially after the 2022 reforms that expanded awards to total cost of attendance and improved administration. They warned that cutting funding by more than half would reduce award coverage from 35% to 17.5% of cost of attendance and could affect enrollment and persistence, particularly for middle-income students who do not qualify for other need-based aid. The segments also noted that recent administrative changes have reduced award revisions and campus workload, but that data exchange and award volatility remain challenges.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although mass transit is very important to our communities, it is highly subsidized, 93% or more.
• is important that we as legislators make sure that they are delivering an efficient and effective service
• prepares for and responds to storm damage, and how it's using or utilizing a microgrid to guarantee service

Summary: The Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee held its first meeting with a quorum present and began with member roll call and brief introductions from the chair, vice chair, ranking member, and other members. The chair outlined the committee’s jurisdiction, including transportation, energy, utilities, telecommunications, broadband, EV-related issues, batteries, recycling, tolls, AI, net metering, impact fees, and rural internet expansion, and emphasized the committee’s role in addressing Florida’s infrastructure needs. Members highlighted district-specific concerns such as hurricane recovery in Pinellas County, transportation and transit efficiency, rural infrastructure, broadband, and utility needs across urban and rural districts. The chair announced that the committee would depart for a site visit to the City of Tallahassee electric utility to learn about grid management, storm response, and use of a microgrid to support critical infrastructure. No legislation was debated or voted on during the meeting. The chair introduced committee staff and explained the logistics for the tour, including splitting into two groups and returning to the Capitol by van. The meeting concluded with an adjournment without objection once the vans returned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Water Service Corporation.
• Live streamed, yeah. I think it failed.
• I had a coffee now and a Red Bull so we're just going to live.
• I live near Onion Creek.
• That this utility services.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It clearly mandates that once DPH has determined a service essential, that that service cannot close
• Access to housing, public transit, and emergency services are extremely limited.
• Today, it's public health services.
• We lived this during COVID.
• depending upon where you live.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of public health and emergency services bills, with many speakers focusing on EMS system failures, hospital service closures, trauma preparedness, epilepsy awareness, drink-spiking response, sudden cardiac arrest, and survivor financial assistance. Several legislators and advocates described the EMS system as underfunded and overstretched, citing long ambulance waits, staffing shortages, and the need for statewide oversight, a special commission, and clearer recognition of EMS as an essential service. A number of speakers also supported bills to preserve essential hospital services after closures such as Nashoba Valley Medical Center and birthing services in Leominster, arguing that current closure rules lack enforcement and leave communities without critical care. Multiple panels testified in support of bills requiring trauma kits in public buildings, public education on SUDEP and epilepsy mortality, and improved cardiac arrest response. Supporters of the trauma-kit bill said public buildings should have bleeding-control kits and trained staff, comparing them to AEDs and first aid supplies. Epilepsy advocates, clinicians, and grieving parents urged a public health campaign on SUDEP, saying families are often not warned about the risk and that awareness could improve medication adherence, reduce guilt, and save lives. On cardiac arrest, EMS professionals and the American Heart Association backed measures to improve telecommunicator CPR, create an AED registry, and strengthen dispatch and training standards. The committee also heard extensive testimony on a bill addressing illicit drink spiking. Senators, city officials, victims, physicians, and an international anti-spiking advocate described cases in which hospitals refused toxicology testing unless a sexual assault was reported, and argued for standardized testing protocols, better data collection, and coordination with law enforcement and licensed venues. Another bill drew a sharp exchange over local public health control and the SAFE 2.0 law, with one senator arguing for more local approval and voluntary participation, while committee members defended the earlier law as a response to inequities in local public health capacity. Finally, advocates from Jane Doe, Inc. supported legislation to provide flexible financial assistance to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, saying unrestricted cash helps survivors meet basic needs, escape abuse, and rebuild stability.

Transcript Highlights:

• While yes, I don't live... Hello, my name is Quinn Weldon, and I am a deer hunter from Louisiana.
• While yes, I don't live here year-round, I have been coming up to hunt in Grundy County for well over
• [Speaker transitions to a reflective conclusion.]
• lady at the cafe said, you know, that Pittsfield, Illinois, which is 40 miles east of Hannibal, they live

Committee: House Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Summary: The House Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 1885, Representative VanSkoik’s bill. The committee moved the bill “do pass” and approved it by roll call vote, 22-0. After that action, the committee held a special presentation by the Grundy County R-5 FFA agriculture issues team. The FFA students presented a skit and discussion on chronic wasting disease (CWD) and the Missouri Department of Conservation’s targeted removal practices. Their presentation laid out competing concerns from farmers, deer hunters, families using venison, and conservation officials, including crop damage, hunting economics, deer population health, food safety, and the spread of CWD. Committee members asked questions about CWD prevalence in Grundy County, the Wisconsin and Kansas experiences, human health risks, Share the Harvest, testing practices, and the economic effects of deer hunting versus deer damage and collisions. Members praised the students’ preparation and presentation, and several offered suggestions about strengthening their factual support and economic data for competition. The committee also discussed the controversy around MDC’s CWD policies and the decision to pause targeted removals while more research is done. The meeting ended with thanks to the students and adjournment of the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ultrino of Malden and other members of the House filed a resolution congratulating Mystic Valley Elder Services
• Caruso, an employee of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, to the Committee on Public Service
• supplemental Chapter 98 to ensure every city and town gets something, $50 million for our regional transit
• United States Marine Corps veteran, and a retired Revere police officer who dedicated his life to service
• Ritchie was known not only for his public service, but also for his kindness, patriotism, and festive

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House first adopted several noncontroversial resolutions, including congratulations to the Rotary Club of Watertown for its 100 years of service and to Mystic Valley Elder Services on its 50th anniversary. It also suspended Joint Rule 12 to advance a petition establishing a sick leave bank for a Massachusetts Department of Transportation employee, James Caruso, sending that matter to the Committee on Public Service. The chamber then recessed and later confirmed a quorum after a roll call was called and withdrawn. The main substantive item was House Bill 4227, the final conference committee report on supplemental FY2025 appropriations using FY2024 fair share surtax surplus funds. Members heard that the bill would spend about $1.38 billion, with roughly $716 million for transportation and $593 million for education. Transportation funding included support for the MBTA, regional transit authorities, Chapter 98, and municipal bridges and culverts; education funding included special education circuit breaker reimbursements, higher education deferred maintenance, vocational school capital, early education supports, endowment matches, and Green School Works. The House accepted the conference report by a roll call vote of 146-3, then passed the bill to be engrossed and later enacted it by a roll call vote of 148-4. The House also advanced House No. 422, establishing a sick leave bank for Esther Adafwa of the Department of Mental Health. The bill was ordered to a third reading and then passed to be engrossed. Throughout the session, the House observed moments of recognition and silence for guests and for the deaths of Richard Serino Sr. and Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and it adopted an order to adjourn in Hortman’s memory, with the House set to meet again Monday at 11 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• It will create chaos within their lives, within the lives of their families, false impressions, not understanding
• Now, members, two lives forever lost.
• their lives without fear.
• For many veterans, service does not end when a veteran comes home.
• Thank you so much, and thank you for your service. The board is clear.

Bills: HCR26 , HB113 , HB380 , HB392 , HB476 , HB513 , HB608 , HB682 , HB905 , HB987

Committee: House Education

Keywords: human growth, development education, prenatal education, state standards, biological science, grading scale, education reform, students, public schools, academic policy, community college, technical education, pilot program, driver training, transportation, Safe Haven Law, flyers, child safety, infant relinquishment, name image likeness

Transcript Highlights:

• He has also led initiatives to help elementary students transition to middle school and secured funding
• He began his career teaching elementary and middle school math for 11 years before transitioning into
• initiatives to help<00:27:20.960><c> elementary</c><00:27:21.440><c> students</c><00:27:22.240><c> transition
• </c><00:27:22.760><c> to</c> help elementary students transition to help elementary students transition
• </c> math for 11 years before transitioning math for 11 years before transitioning into<00:28:45.960>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• April 15 every year, and added the requirement for a six-year outline and funding sources for a transition
• The fourth change is the six-year outline of funding source for that transition, and we need to put the
• The fourth change is the six-year outline of funding source for that transition, and we need to put the
• The fourth change is the six-year outline of funding source for that transition, and we need to put the
• and we need source for that transition and we need to<00:13:39.839><c> put</c><00:13:40.000><c> the<

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:12 Discussion on 2025 Regular Session Proposals 00:01:00 Discussion for Future Meetings 00:18:25, 958, all

Summary: The Investments in IT Improvements and Modernization Projects Oversight Board met for its first meeting, approved the minutes from November 13, 2024, and then discussed BR 355, a bill draft intended to revise and clarify the board’s governing statute based on its first year of experience. The draft would rename the body as the Information Technology Oversight Committee, add or refine definitions for cybersecurity projects/systems and legacy projects/systems, move the annual submission deadline earlier, and require a six-year outline and funding-source information for transition planning. Members and staff said the bill was largely a codification of current practice, with no major controversy. State Budget Director John Hicks and CIO Jim Baird offered technical comments and suggested several drafting changes: using “system” instead of “project” for legacy and cybersecurity references, adjusting the first reporting deadline to give agencies more time if the bill becomes law in March, and clarifying that the statute should ask agencies for estimated expenditures and funding sources rather than implying an electronic link to the budget request. They also suggested that the linkage to the budget process could be handled through budget instructions rather than statute. Members discussed whether the six-year outline should be biennial and agreed that the April timing fit the capital planning process. After the discussion, the board agreed in principle to revise the draft along those lines, including changing the terminology, making the six-year outline biennial, and refining the budget-related language. The board also discussed future meeting dates and agreed to meet on Fridays upon adjournment, with February and March meetings to be scheduled later. The meeting ended with a motion and second to adjourn, which passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• They provide services to people who don't pay for those services, and the folks in Oregon don't have
• We want to cut people's taxes and let them live the lives that they want to live.
• They will pay more in any service.
• You can live wherever you want.
• It authorizes the expansion of taxation on services. Okay. So taxes on services.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Field and essential public service professions.
• Lives are at stake.
• We are the ones students go to when they feel threatened in their lives.
• My mom was a foreign service officer and public diplomat.
• Actually transitioned in terms of assumed responsibility over time.

Bills: SB 37

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: fetal development, education, public health curriculum, middle school, age-appropriate instruction, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And thank you for your service.
• We thank her for her service.
• Because you live here in Texas, and you want all of us to live the dream.
• their lives with dignity.
• I live in San Antonio and Greg Kassar lives in Austin. How is he representing me?

Bills: HB4

Committee: House Congressional Redistricting, Select

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• training and/or the fire service.
• At in-service training and/or the fire service.
• to access these services.
• And thank you for your service.
• Your work is so important and it saves lives.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on xylazine held its first meeting, with House Chair Mindy Domb and Senate Co-Chair John Keenan outlining the commission’s charge and a proposed work plan. The commission is tasked with studying the public health and safety impacts of xylazine in the illicit drug supply, including whether it should be scheduled as a controlled substance, how to regulate its production and distribution, and how to improve outreach and treatment for people exposed to it. Members were told the report deadline had been extended to March 30, 2026, and staff proposed a series of public hearings and working groups leading to a final report. The meeting also included attendance, packet materials, and procedural planning. The first major testimony came from BSAS Director Deirdre Calvert, who described xylazine’s appearance in Massachusetts drug supply data, the state’s public health alerts, and DPH’s partnership with Brandeis, CDC, and harm reduction organizations. She emphasized four priorities: reducing stigma and discrimination in health care, expanding self-directed wound care support and coverage for supplies, expanding access to drug checking and test strips, and supporting low-barrier services such as mobile vans and drop-in centers. Commission members asked about first responder awareness, medical education, and whether harm reduction services might face federal restrictions; Calvert said misinformation remains a problem and noted ongoing training efforts, including collaboration with public safety agencies. Several other speakers reinforced the need for low-barrier care and drug checking. Dr. Raghini Jala, an infectious disease and addiction medicine physician, said xylazine has become a common component of the unregulated opioid supply and urged support for rapid-response education teams, community-based drug checking, and better hospital and detox protocols for xylazine withdrawal and wounds. Recovery coach Alan Young testified from lived experience, describing severe wounds, fear of inadequate withdrawal treatment in emergency settings, and the value of mobile care vans that can provide methadone, buprenorphine, and wound care in the community. Dr. Sarah Wakeman echoed the need for naloxone, rescue breathing, low-threshold treatment, and non-stigmatizing health care settings, while Sarah Macon of the Boston Public Health Commission described Boston’s harm reduction and drug checking work, including on-site testing, wound care, and a decline in opioid mortality. Tracy Green of the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream explained that xylazine has declined in recent samples while metatomidine is rising, said drug checking is increasingly used but still not enough, and argued for more funding, staffing, and statewide access to real-time drug checking and harm reduction services.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and making sure the state is not robbing those funds, but preserving those funds to help them transition
• out of the state when they actually transition from the state onto their own, what that survivor benefits
• , and making sure the state is not robbing those funds, but preserving those funds to help them transition
• out of the state when they actually transition from the state onto their own, what that survivor benefits

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 558, sponsored by Representative Tanner. The bill concerns Social Security survivor benefits for foster youth and aims to ensure those funds are preserved for the children rather than used by the state for administrative purposes. In response to questions, Tanner said the measure applies to foster youth survivor benefits and can include benefits tied to a deceased veteran as well. He also said there is no specific federal guidance, and described the bill as codifying an existing Idaho executive action. The committee voted to send HB 558 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then heard RS 33377 from Representative Cannon, a bill draft to ban copay accumulator practices in health insurance. Cannon explained that these programs prevent third-party assistance, such as manufacturer coupons, from counting toward a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum, shifting the benefit away from patients. He said the proposal was brought by a constituent, had been worked on with Representative Furman, and would align Idaho with similar laws in other states and with pending federal legislation. Representative Furman moved to introduce the bill draft, and the committee approved the motion. After the introduction vote, the chair noted the bipartisan sponsorship and the committee adjourned.