Transcript Highlights:

• of, which would be a service.
• Health Services. Thank you.
• with a competitive service or no service at all.
• Those services are unpaid services, much like many other things that we do in our business.
• Additionally, our services are voluntarily sought by those Additionally, our services are voluntarily

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Mental Health met in executive session and advanced several bills. HB 1881 was voted do pass without discussion. HB 3010 was amended with a committee substitute that removed a subsection allowing payers to remove “gold carding” based on procedure volume changes, then passed 10-0. HB 2355, the “Food is Medicine” bill, received a committee amendment to align terminology with other partnerships and then passed 11-0. HB 1855, dealing with alpha-gal reporting, was substantially revised: the substitute narrowed the bill to alpha-gal, removed Lyme disease, changed a department duty from mandatory to discretionary in one section, and delayed reporting implementation; it then passed 14-0 after members discussed the need for better disease tracking and the department’s workload. The committee then heard testimony on HB 2034, which would require insurance coverage for activity-based prostheses, orthotics, and high-performance or mobility-supportive wheelchairs. Sponsor Representative Carolyn Caton said the bill is intended to cover devices that help people live, exercise, and avoid secondary health problems, while preserving prior authorization and medical-necessity review. Supporters included clinicians, parents, amputees, and athletes who described being denied running blades, water-safe prostheses, or durable wheelchairs and said the devices are essential for health, independence, mental well-being, and participation in school, work, and sports. Several witnesses said the bill would reduce long-term costs and reliance on charity. Opponents, including the Missouri Insurance Coalition and America’s Health Insurance Plans, argued the bill is an expansion of coverage with unclear definitions and potentially significant costs, especially for Medicaid and other state-regulated plans. They cited the fiscal note, warned about possible federal ACA rule changes that could shift costs to states, and questioned whether the bill’s language on Medicare supplemental coverage and “perceived disability” was workable or preempted. Committee members pressed both sides on cost savings, definitions of “normal” activity, and whether the bill could be narrowed or otherwise revised, and several said they were willing to keep working on the issue. The hearing on HB 2034 was left open and then recessed after testimony, with no vote taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• My service is not done yet.
• California is better because of your service. California is safer because of your service.
• ... ...programs better, to make Medi-Cal and social services and developmental services and child welfare
• services and adult protective services and disability services, the programs that we run here in our
• Where it began with a heart for service, and then we watched as her service grew strong.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, why I'm seeking to continue service on the Workforce Development Council.
• Um, it even overlaps into community services, community feeding opportunities.
• Um, it even overlaps into community services, community feeding opportunities.
• Um, it even overlaps into community services, community feeding opportunities.
• So um it's it's a work state service.

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology met on February 25, 2026, to consider gubernatorial nominees to the Hawaii Workforce Development Council under GM 630, GM 628, and GM 631. The chair explained hearing procedures, noted backup reconvening plans in case of technical failure, and said decision-making would occur after testimony if time permitted. Testimony on all three nominees was overwhelmingly supportive, including from Department of Labor and Industrial Relations officials, Workforce Development Council representatives, and various outside supporters. For GM 630, Carrie Miro described decades of work on career pathways and emphasized applied learning, internships, and stronger links between education and employers. Senators questioned how to restore hands-on trade and career education and how to connect students to real workforce opportunities; Miro said businesses should help shape training and that students need both credit and employment incentives. For GM 628, Rona Fukumoto said her experience leading Lanakila Pacific and working in homeless services would help the council better understand the needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and other vulnerable populations, and she stressed educating employers and the public. She also said youth programs, apprenticeships, and early intervention for “opportunity youth” are important, and noted that college-based programs like those at HCC can still provide effective hands-on pathways. For GM 631, Keith Dlo, who is seeking reappointment, said the Workforce Development Council should help create a future in Hawaii for younger generations by aligning schools, agencies, employers, and communities. He said his work on American Job Centers and the council’s convening power show it is an active body, not just a reporting mechanism. Senators pressed him on how to measure success beyond federal compliance, and Dlo said the council needs Hawaii-specific metrics focused on participation, completion, job placement, and retention of young residents, while also adapting to changes like AI. No votes or final confirmations were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• IHSS is a medical service, and it is not our intent to interrupt services for recipients.
• the services.
• Gray's to get services. We want others like you to get services.
• County Human Services Agency.
• which are navigation services, and then the caregiving services.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the impact of H.R. 1 on older Californians and related county administration issues. Chair Jackson and Chair Addis opened by emphasizing California’s rapidly aging population and the need to protect seniors’ access to food, health care, housing, and in-home support services. Testimony from the Department of Social Services, Department of Health Care Services, and Department of Aging described how H.R. 1 would expand work and reporting requirements in CalFresh and Medi-Cal, increase redeterminations, and create new eligibility barriers. Witnesses and advocates warned that these changes could lead to large coverage losses, especially for adults ages 55 to 64, people experiencing homelessness, caregivers, and some immigrant groups, while also increasing administrative burden on counties. The LAO noted that many provisions do not directly apply to Californians 65 and older, but highlighted indirect effects and some direct impacts, including a new home equity limit for certain long-term care recipients and narrower immigration eligibility rules. Committee members pressed the administration and counties on how exemptions would be identified and implemented, whether data systems could automatically protect eligible people, and how outreach would reach older adults, women, LGBTQ seniors, and people with limited digital access. DHCS and CDSS said they are working to use existing data, cross-program information sharing, and human-centered communications to maximize exemptions and reduce churn, including text outreach, print and radio campaigns, and navigator support. Members also raised concerns about the need for legal aid and county eligibility workers to help people navigate complex rules, and requested updated analyses on the number of people likely to lose both Medi-Cal and CalFresh and the broader human and system impacts. No votes were taken. The second major topic was the administration’s proposal to shift some future IHSS costs to counties by establishing a statewide baseline for average authorized hours per case. CDSS said the proposal is intended to improve consistency in assessments and not reduce services, while counties and labor groups strongly opposed it, arguing that rising hours reflect real increases in need, an aging and higher-acuity caseload, and state-mandated assessment tools rather than county error. County representatives said the proposal would strain already limited local revenues, worsen the effects of H.R. 1, and could force cuts to other safety-net services. Committee members questioned the proposal’s timing and impact, but the hearing ended without action, with the chairs asking for continued updates, additional analysis, and more information before May Revision.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is uses service reimbursement funds.
• :00.480><c> by</c><00:59:00.640><c> the</c> the question services build by the the question services
• We're running into some services.
• It was given to me by Health and Human Services.
• services services set<02:04:53.360><c> up</c><02:04:53.599><c> for</c><02:04:53.840><c> segregation.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• know, Simon and his service dog, Holly.
• So our service dogs are providing them with that level of confidence and purpose to go out, Service dogs
• There's service left in them.
• service dog?
• We have service dog Sasha and service dog Wally. We're doing retrieval first, or wheelchair?

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This might be our only speaker on this bill, so feel free to fire away at him.
• Providers that are performing services currently in our state.
• They are providing services, and when those services are not there, these individuals end up on our street
• services program and develop an Alzheimer's disease state plan.
• like child protective services in every state that already act upon that.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard several bills related largely to Arizona’s behavioral health and Access system, plus a fertility coverage mandate, a state hospital admissions bill, and a naturopathic scope-of-practice bill. SB 1114 would appropriate $1 million to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for investigations into behavioral health patient brokering; the sponsor described ongoing fraud involving vulnerable Native American patients, while some members questioned why the Attorney General was not handling the work. The bill passed 10-1 with one present. SB 1116 would require claim denials and appeal determinations for American Indian Health Program behavioral health services to be reviewed by someone with at least two years of relevant clinical experience; Access said it was neutral but raised concerns about vague language and added staffing needs, and the bill passed 7-4 with one present. SB 1346 would require Access to notify providers of claim deficiencies within 72 hours and approve or deny corrected claims within 10 business days; supporters said it would reduce long delays and unpaid claims, while Access said it would need more staff and system changes. The bill passed 7-5. The committee also approved SB 1347, which requires insurance coverage for fertility preservation services for cancer patients of reproductive age whose treatment is likely to cause infertility, with a religious-employer exemption. Supporters, including cancer survivors and an advocacy representative, said the bill protects patients who must make rapid decisions before treatment begins; insurers were neutral. The bill passed unanimously 12-0. SB 1813 would require the Arizona State Hospital to admit patients based on clinical need rather than county of residence, effectively ending the Maricopa County cap tied to the Arnold v. Sarn settlement. Supporters argued the cap leaves seriously ill patients waiting in other facilities for long periods, while ADHS warned of possible litigation and rural access concerns; the bill passed 9-2 with one present. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1178, which would allow naturopathic physicians to administer certain antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals intravenously. The sponsor argued naturopaths should be able to practice to the full scope of their training amid physician shortages, while the Arizona Medical Association and osteopathic representatives opposed the bill, saying IV antimicrobials are high-risk therapies that require hospital-level training, monitoring, and stewardship. Testimony focused on patient safety, appropriate setting, and whether the bill should be narrowed or amended; no vote on SB 1178 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• the smaller grocers that somebody like Affiliated Foods, who is our food partner, won't service them
• Of one or more seaports connected by rail or highway services to the conventional port.
• So my question, is rhetorically, is the service change? Do I need more fire, police, parks?
• Do I need more governmental, is rhetorically, is the service change?
• Do I need more fire, police, parks?

Committee: Joint Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are a protective service agency, just as DCF and Aging.
• My son is receiving services in the elementary school, and currently there are... ...services in the
• I mean, they’re offering the service.
• What are the special services that they are going to require?
• How they manage the budgets they have and who gets what level of service.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities held a hearing on a broad slate of disability-related bills. Topics included creating a permanent Acquired Brain Injury Advisory Board (H. 231/S. 134), establishing a system for compensating guardians who serve incapacitated, unbefriended individuals through MassHealth (H. 253/S. 154), expanding Nikki’s Law to require MassHealth day habilitation programs to use the abuse registry (S. 165 and related bills), modernizing and streamlining the Disabled Persons Protection Commission’s statute and procedures (H. 243/S. 139), updating the definition of developmental disability to align more closely with federal law and include people such as those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (H. 276/S. 150), removing outdated and offensive terminology from the General Laws (H. 232/S. 137), and an autism education reform bill (H. 286). Several bills had no sign-ups, and the committee also noted related measures on cueing and prompting in PCA programs (H. 277/S. 157).

Transcript Highlights:

• other services?
• :18:44.280><c> services?
• </c> or other services? or other services?
• I think this safety, EMS, and fire.
• </c> government services. government services.

Bills: HF4906 , HF3971 , HF4777 , HF2109 , HF2988

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: property tax, tax refund, taxpayer relief, Minnesota taxation, one-time payment, taxation, property valuation, Tax Court, evidentiary standards, Minnesota Statutes, disparity reduction, aid payments, local government, funding, Fillmore County, education funding, managed forest land, classification, forest management plan, agricultural land

Transcript Highlights:

• I checked with our fire chief and various other folks in the EMS services in my area, particularly because
• I checked with our fire chief and various other folks in the EMS services in my area, particularly because
• I checked with our fire chief and various other folks in the EMS services in my area, particularly because
• I checked with our fire chief and various other folks in the EMS services in my area, particularly because
• </c> provided psychiatric emergency services provided psychiatric emergency services uh<01:17:09.639>

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• department grants at the Texas A&M Forest Service.
• , IT, finance, data and research, and court services.
• for these services.
• First of all, I want to thank you for your service.
• Anne Bishop: I want to thank you for your service.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> only necessary service related costs. only necessary service related costs.
• service supply.
• I'm going to go to a service.
• </c> more value added services. more value added services.
• </c><04:36:31.359><c> The</c> emergency services operations. The emergency services operations.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> service on February 24th, 2026. service on February 24th, 2026.
• ,</c><00:10:56.720><c> promoting</c> communities through service, promoting communities through service
• This unequitable funeral services.
• You might have a two-alarm fire or a five-alarm fire, but you got to know how to deal with any fire as
• :19.040><c> any</c><03:26:19.359><c> fire</c> deal with any fire deal with any fire &gt;&gt; as<03:26

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Tim Stevenson, Department of State Health Services.
• What else is making it fire up and create the vape, right?
• Marine Corps, thank you for your service. Thank you for your service. It's number one.
• Postal Service, whatever, then it seems to me...
• Burke, thank you for your service. Mr. Ferguson, thank you for your service. Medal of Honor Museum.

Bills: HB28 , SB3 , SB 3

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides solid waste services for the region.
• It requires a data center that seeks electricity service or is already receiving service to agree to
• It requires a data center that seeks electricity service or is already receiving service to agree to
• Curtailment of data centers puts digital infrastructure services at risk.
• All the virtual services we use day to day? That's a great question.

Summary: The committee first suspended the five-day notice rule and then heard House Bill 2521 on firearm background check fees. Staff explained that the bill would remove the $18 fee cap and allow Washington State Patrol to set fees based on actual program costs, which could be about $33 to $35 per check. Supporters said the change was needed to keep the background check system operating and avoid delays and layoffs; opponents argued it would burden lawful gun owners and amount to an unconstitutional tax or barrier to a constitutional right. No vote was taken in the hearing. Members then heard Substitute House Bill 2475 on language-accessible public programs, which would direct the Office of Equity to develop uniform language-access guidelines, address interpreter and translator shortages, and require agency implementation reporting. Testimony was strongly supportive, emphasizing the need for consistent access for limited-English-proficient residents and the benefits for schools, families, and state services. The committee also heard Second Substitute House Bill 2479 on wage recovery, which would create a wage recovery fund to provide partial advance payments to low-wage workers with meritorious unpaid wage claims and adjust wage penalty provisions. Employers, labor advocates, and legal services representatives largely supported the bill as a bipartisan, worker-protection measure funded by penalties rather than the general fund. The committee next took up Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1960 on renewable energy tax incentives, which would replace existing property tax and excise tax provisions with a new state and local renewable energy excise tax structure and related grant programs for local governments and tribes. Counties, utilities, developers, and tribal representatives generally supported the bill’s goal of stabilizing tax treatment for renewable projects, though several witnesses said they wanted amendments to address rates, timing, and late-stage project impacts. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5932 on alternative jet fuel incentives, which would change the timing and duration of existing tax preferences; supporters said it would provide certainty for emerging sustainable aviation fuel projects, while one refinery sought clarification and a broader county threshold. Later, the committee heard Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2238 on statewide food security, directing the Department of Agriculture to monitor food system performance and develop a statewide food security strategy. Agricultural groups, grocers, anti-hunger advocates, and farmers supported the bill as a coordination effort to improve food access, affordability, and supply chain resilience. The committee then heard Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1903, which would create a statewide low-income energy assistance program through the Department of Commerce; supporters said it would address growing unmet need and complement existing utility programs, while opponents said it did not address the root causes of rising energy costs. Finally, the committee heard Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2416 on waste-to-energy facilities under the Climate Commitment Act and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2515 on large energy-use facilities (data centers), both of which drew mixed testimony centered on balancing emissions, ratepayer impacts, reliability, and environmental or tribal concerns. No final votes were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I they're providing a great service.
• their public service for all of<03:07:50.800><c> us.
• </c> Services on the highways.
• </c><05:02:38.878><c> apparatus</c> rid of the clause for fire apparatus rid of the clause for fire apparatus
• It's for uh the mo the fire apparatus.

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are still not NIST-compliant in all areas, something that any CEO would fire an IT director for if
• I think if we put that in a contract and require that service, we're obviously going to pay for that
• service.
• We've installed stuff and it's taken us so long to install it, it's out of service date by the time we
• We've installed stuff, and it's taken us so long to install it, it's out of service date by the time

Committee: House House Science & Technology Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Science and Technology met with a full audience and began with brief introductions, including an intern from Arizona State University. The committee heard two presentations before taking up its only bill. The University of Arizona’s Thomas Diaz de la Rubia spoke about fusion energy, describing it as a potential clean, safe, baseload power source and arguing Arizona should build the talent, supply chains, and research infrastructure to commercialize fusion. Members asked about timelines, regulation, competition with China, and the relationship to small modular reactors; he said fusion could be commercially relevant in roughly 12 to 15 years if public and private investment continues, and that the U.S. should avoid losing manufacturing and supply chains as it did in other technologies. He also discussed the university’s broader space and national security work. XRDNA CEO Charles Ableman then presented a spatial addressing and coordination system called EVA, describing it as a way to align data about where and when physical objects exist across systems, with a security layer called a sphere of influence. He said the company is testing with space and logistics partners, uses AI provenance tools, and sees its near-term use case in space operations and interoperability. The committee then considered HB 2809, which would require state agencies handling sensitive or protected data to implement post-quantum encryption meeting or exceeding CMMC 2.0 standards, using a U.S.-based vendor and U.S.-developed or maintained components. The bill would place the master encryption key with the Auditor General and set procedures involving the Auditor General and Attorney General. Sponsor Rep. Gillette explained that the bill was simplified from a prior version after concerns that agencies would have to connect offline systems to the internet; the amendment clarified that encryption can be installed without internet connectivity and without requiring other systems to be online. He argued the measure is needed to modernize weak legacy systems and protect data after prior breaches and failed IT projects. Members generally supported the concept but raised questions about implementation, costs, vendor neutrality, and the Auditor General’s role; the Secretary of State’s office was described as neutral and still evaluating implementation. The committee adopted the Pingarelli amendment and then passed HB 2809 as amended on a 9-0 vote, with several members explaining that they supported the bill but wanted continued stakeholder input and careful attention to execution.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are already, as you well know, local ordinances that deal with how firing ranges can be located
• The bill allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an out-of-service order, which prohibits the
• The bill allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an out-of-service order, which prohibits the
• So many law enforcement agencies have officers that work with the FBI or work with the Secret Service
• I think that, you know, the money that you would spend on this, you could spend on other public services

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so they are the working hands of the National Resource Conservation Service in those 44 separate.
• .. ...hands of the National Resource Conservation Service in those 44 separate offices that cover the
• But we're having some big fires because, again, things are very dry.
• Through our extension service, when we develop new knowledge, we translate it out because we're an applied
• national headlines about what's going on in higher education, you would think it's a complete dumpster fire

Committee: House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and welcomed a new member, then took up a series of agriculture-related bills, many focused on Louisiana seafood and producer protections. HB 121 by Rep. Domain would let the Department of Agriculture and Forestry seize and destroy adulterated imported seafood after a stop order, rather than relying on another agency to do it; the commissioner said the bill would improve enforcement without adding major cost, and it was reported favorably. HB 725, also by Rep. Domain, was amended to require retailers to keep invoices for imported seafood for six months so inspectors can verify country of origin and labeling; the committee adopted the technical amendment and reported the bill favorably. HB 367, dealing with Structural Pest Control Commission hearing notices, was described as a technical change to align notice procedures with the Administrative Procedure Act and was also reported favorably. HB 505, on certification cards for commercial applicators, pesticide salespersons, and agricultural consultants, was amended to keep unexpended pesticide fund money in the fund and streamline renewal timing; it too passed favorably. The committee then considered several measures aimed at protecting farmers from market losses. HB 344 by Rep. Coates raised the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund thresholds for suspending and restarting assessments, with the commissioner explaining that recent bankruptcies and broker failures had shown the need for a larger reserve; the bill was reported favorably. HB 370, a follow-up measure on the same fund, increased the assessment rate on agricultural commodities so the fund could grow faster, and it also passed without objection. HB 847, on Soil and Water Conservation Commission district supervisor elections, was amended to require certified nominating petitions, shift election administration to the Secretary of State, and remove outdated statewide election language; supporters said the change would modernize a system that had become costly and unwieldy, and the bill was reported favorably. HB 370 and HB 847 drew discussion about ballot access, election administration, and the nonpartisan nature of soil and water districts. The meeting also included a lengthy agriculture update from Commissioner Strain and a presentation from LSU Ag Center Dean Matt Lee. Strain discussed seafood imports, labeling enforcement, shrimp industry promotion, feral swine damage, fertilizer and diesel cost pressures, pesticide disposal, and export markets for rice and timber, emphasizing that Louisiana agriculture depends on testing, marketing, and international trade. Lee reported that LSU Ag Center research is ranked among the nation’s top agricultural programs, with major work in sugarcane variety development, and said the center’s research generates substantial economic returns for Louisiana producers. Several industry representatives, including Louisiana Farm Bureau and LSU Ag Center staff, spoke in support of the bills and the state’s agricultural programs.