Transcript Highlights:

• whether it's a request that's legitimate according to Medicaid is something that has to be decided by HHS
• something that has to be decided by that something that has to be decided by that as<03:44:33.199> HHS
• as HHS. as HHS. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's an area that really needs a stiff look at in terms of how we're working with all kinds like HHS
• with<03:18:37.520> all<03:18:37.760> kinds<03:18:38.160> like<03:18:38.960> HHS
• <03:18:39.600> with<03:18:39.840> Medicaid with all kinds like HHS with Medicaid with
• all kinds like HHS with Medicaid direct<03:18:41.600> with<03:18:41.920> other<03:18:42.239

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session began with HB 656, as amended, which would treat federal funds received by school districts as unanticipated money unless already listed in the annual report, and would require notices and school board minutes to identify the grant and summarize any obligations attached to accepting it. Supporters said the bill was aimed at transparency so voters would understand the “strings attached” to grants, while opponents raised concerns that the amendment was new, potentially vague, and could require districts to publish lengthy or redundant information, increasing costs and administrative burden. Several members suggested alternative approaches, such as a state-level list of common grant obligations or posting grant documents online. No vote was taken, and some members argued the bill was not ready for action. The committee then moved to HB 665, which would expand eligibility for free school meals to households at up to 300% of federal poverty guidelines and use education trust fund money to cover the added cost. Representative Damon strongly supported the bill, citing food insecurity and arguing the fiscal note likely overstated costs because the bill requires at least one free meal, not necessarily both breakfast and lunch. The discussion was just beginning when the transcript ended, and no vote or final action on HB 665 was recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• :49.240> the for accepting two of these items in the for accepting two of these items in the HHS
• :50.399> this<00:09:50.880> morning<00:09:51.880> we<00:09:52.040> also HHS
• committee this morning we also HHS committee this morning we also support<00:09:52.800> clarifying
• 21:00.000> on<00:21:00.159> the Senator Dibble, you said this kind of came forward in HHS

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I just—most of these are in the HHS realm, some are in the tax realm, and Mr.
• So I just—most of these are in the HHS realm, some are in the tax realm, and Mr.
• So I just—most of these are in the HHS realm, some are in the tax realm, and Mr.
• So I just—most of these are in the HHS realm, some are in the tax realm, and Mr.

Bills: HF25, HF4

Keywords: pregnancy support, women's health, maternity homes, nonprofit organizations, grant funding, abortion, family services, tax relief fund, budget surplus, surplus revenue, tax rebate, tax refund, one-time refund, income tax, property tax, constitutional amendment, Minnesota Constitution, general fund, budget reserve, taxpayer relief

Transcript Highlights:

• medical scientific review board and authorizing line 17 on page four authorizing commission of the HHS
• John Williams, legislative director for HHS. Oh, one less S.
• John Williams, legislative director for HHS. Oh, one less S.
• John Williams, legislative director for HHS. Oh, one less S.
• John Williams, legislative director for HHS. Oh, one less S.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The employee assistance program that's run by HHS had the services that he needed, but he was not eligible
• > employee assistance program that's run employee assistance program that's run by<04:49:08.878> HHS
• > services<04:49:10.798> that<04:49:11.040> he<04:49:11.280> needed, by HHS
• had the services that he needed, by HHS had the services that he needed, but<04:49:12.160> he
• So, we asked HHS and we got different answers about what the fiscal note is actually paying for.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, first of all, to Senator Mohamed's point, the HHS did release a report that showed just how bad private
• understand it, this has been, um, boilerplate language that's been included in, um, Human Services and HHS
• in, um, human that's been included in, um, human services<02:16:11.199> and<02:16:11.440> HHS
• bills,<02:16:13.440> um,<02:16:14.079> year<02:16:14.320> after services and HHS
• bills, um, year after services and HHS bills, um, year after year.<02:16:15.199> As<02:16:15.520

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I think we were here last year, maybe it was in HHS.
• Representative Zleon represented the House HHS Committee, and now former Rep. U.
• Representative Zleon uh represented<01:07:28.799> the<01:07:28.960> House<01:07:29.280> HHS
• <01:07:29.920> committee<01:07:30.160> and represented the House HHS committee and
• represented the House HHS committee and now<01:07:30.640> former<01:07:31.200> Rep.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 185, which would add timelines to Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) investigations. Senator Howard Pearl said the bill was prompted by concerns from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors about delays at the Real Estate Commission, and he explained that the proposal would require OPLC staff to make an initial determination within 30 days and, if misconduct is found, complete an investigation within 60 days. He said the goal is to improve transparency and give consumers and licensees more timely information, while preserving the board’s adjudicatory role. He also noted that the bill had been amended to delay implementation to give OPLC time to work through its backlog. Committee members questioned how the bill would work when an investigation is incomplete and whether the board could send a case back to OPLC without a firm deadline. Pearl said the board would have discretion to continue the investigation or make a final determination, and that the bill was intended to streamline OPLC’s process rather than impose a hard cap on complex cases. OPLC Executive Director Deanna Durus and General Counsel Nicholas Fry then testified that the agency has already changed its procedures under prior legislation, including a facial review of complaints and monthly board review of dismissal memos. They said the bill would substantially alter the current structure, could conflict with existing limitation periods and board duties, and would be difficult to implement without additional staff and funding. Durus said the agency’s backlog is large, that new complaints are being triaged and prioritized, and that some urgent matters are moved ahead based on risk and statutory deadlines. She said OPLC had completed a review of about 500 backlog cases that would now be dismissed under current screening standards, and that those cases are being turned into memos for board review. Board of Medicine public member Nina Gardner testified in favor of the bill but said the backlog is significant and that the agency needs more resources to make the process work effectively. She said the board is seeing progress, but not fast enough, and suggested the bill may not go far enough without additional staffing and funding. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I noticed when we came out with the HHS budget bill and this budget bill that there isn't funding for
• All other budget areas outside of human services and HHS do this already. It's a common practice.
• <01:42:21.520> human<01:42:21.840> services<01:42:22.320> and<01:42:22.880> HHS
• areas outside of human services and HHS areas outside of human services and HHS uh<01:42:24.080>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , like the DOE25 or special education invoices and all that, or do we just go right now and involve HHS
• , like the DOE25 or special education invoices and all that, or do we just go right now and involve HHS
• , like the DOE25 or special education invoices and all that, or do we just go right now and involve HHS
• , like the DOE25 or special education invoices and all that, or do we just go right now and involve HHS
• The DOE25 or special education invoices and all that, or do we just go right now and involve HHS with

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, I want to let you know that today's HHS bill is over 600 pages.
• cutting you short, but I wanted to make sure that was clear to the members and where they might find the HHS
• I want to let you know that today's HHS bill is over 600 pages.
• cutting you short, but I wanted to make sure that was clear to the members and where they might find the HHS
• Thank you also to my uh fellow HHS committee members. Senator Wicklund offers the A31 amendment.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• major cost drivers, but the school funding cases, some other big class action cases we're dealing with, HHS
• major cost drivers, but the school funding cases, some other big class action cases we're dealing with, HHS
• major cost drivers, but the school funding cases, some other big class action cases we're dealing with, HHS
• major cost drivers, but the school funding cases, some other big class action cases we're dealing with, HHS
• HHS, trying to expand what we're doing in the election law area, but also handling various civil lawsuits

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard an overview from the Agriculture Commissioner on the department’s major divisions and staffing. He described the Office of the Commissioner, Agricultural Development, Pesticides, Regulatory Services, Weights and Measures, Animal Industry, Plant Industry, and Soil Conservation, noting that many programs are federally funded or supported by dedicated fees and fines. He said the department has 44 full-time positions plus one DoIT employee shared with other agencies, and that HR services are now contracted through Administrative Services. He also explained that Soil Conservation is administratively attached to the department and funded through Moose Plate grants and county contributions, not direct state funding. Members asked about specific program functions and issues, including weights and measures inspections, animal health, bird flu response, internships, invasive species, and the Big E/New Hampshire building. The commissioner said weights and measures covers nearly all commercial measuring devices and products sold by weight, and that inspectors are currently part-time police officers, though the department is discussing removing that requirement. He said the department is actively involved in bird flu monitoring, including regular calls with USDA and the state veterinarian and collecting milk samples from dairy farms. On invasive species, he focused on Japanese knotweed and bittersweet, saying the department has only one staff person working on the issue, mainly as a coordinator with DOT and towns, and that eradication is extremely difficult. He also said the department does not run student internships and refers inquiries to UNH Cooperative Extension. The committee discussed budget and revenue issues, including three new general fund positions, one of which is the assistant commissioner and another a biological scientist for invasive species. The commissioner said the department had been in “triage mode,” that an assistant commissioner was needed because of workload, and that the department is a net positive to the General Fund each year. He said some fees and fines have not been updated in decades and would require legislation to change, including a proposed $5 fee for each animal database certificate to help fund a system that costs about $250,000 annually to maintain. In response to questions about budget reductions, he said the department protected personnel, reduced the cost-of-care fund, fair grants, and land preservation funding to about $25,000 each, and did not plan to buy new vehicles or computers. He also said he could not support including the $50,000 Conservation District resilience grant program in his budget under the current reduction targets, though he remained hopeful it might be funded another way.

Transcript Highlights:

• It passed in the HHS committee.
• Uh, I'm not a scholar on this, but I think HHS can point to studies that it does not.
• on this<01:51:11.599> but<01:51:11.880> I<01:51:11.960> think<01:51:12.159> HHS
• <01:51:12.840> can<01:51:13.040> point<01:51:13.239> to this but I think HHS
• can point to this but I think HHS can point to studies<01:51:13.840> that<01:51:14.040> it

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Was there communication from the department or even HHS in regards to, hey, here's the hierarchy: let's
• <05:13:02.080> department<05:13:02.718> or<05:13:03.120> even<05:13:03.520> HHS
• <05:13:04.160> in from the department or even HHS in from the department or even HHS in regards

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environmental Policy Subcommittee took up HB 1621, which would require a baseline environmental impact study before development of certain manufacturing and storage facilities. Members said the concept had merit, but they could not resolve major drafting and implementation issues, including how to define covered facilities, what the study would require, and how enforcement would work at the municipal or county level. Several members expressed concern about unintended consequences and said the proposal was not ready; the subcommittee voted unanimously to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL), and the full committee later adopted that recommendation on a 16-0 roll call vote, placing the bill on consent. The committee then discussed HB 1053, involving electronically submitted pesticide use reports. Representative Comtois presented an amendment creating a department database and protecting confidential information, but said she still needed to check whether it was germane and to review administrative issues with the Department of Agriculture. After hearing from David Russo of the Division of Pesticide Control, the committee agreed to continue work on the amendment and took no action that day. The committee also reviewed HB 1186 on egg labeling and producer exemptions. Representative Comtois offered an amendment exempting small producers from most requirements except labeling, but Commissioner Sean Jasper asked for more time to review the impact and suggested the state might not need the existing egg law at all if federal USDA rules already cover the field. Members agreed to hold action until the following week. Finally, the committee began discussion of HB 1780 on penalties for violations involving seeds, plants, and nursery stock, focusing on labeling rules and germination-date requirements; testimony from industry and department representatives indicated they were working toward a compromise that would allow multiple relabelings, add production dates, and set a 36-month sale limit, but no final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Did communication come from the department or even HHS in regards with, hey, here's the hierarchy: let's
• <05:13:02.080> department<05:13:02.718> or<05:13:03.120> even<05:13:03.520> HHS
• <05:13:04.160> in from the department or even HHS in from the department or even HHS in regards

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You said it all in HHS. >> Okay, Chair Lee, I'm just going to wing it. >> Thank you, Madam Chair.
• You said it all<00:04:34.240> in<00:04:34.400> HHS.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The meeting was a PFAS-focused hearing of the Capital Investment Committee, with members informally discussing the scale of PFAS cleanup costs, possible Minnesota-made removal technology, and even committee birthday treats before the testimony began. No formal votes or motions were taken in the portion provided. The chair also noted the committee was waiting on a computer/cable issue before starting the presentation. The main testimony came from Sandy Wyn, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, who described how PFAS contamination affected her Michigan community. She recounted that her private well tested at extremely high PFAS levels after a state visit, linked the contamination to Wolverine Worldwide’s historic dumping practices, and said the pollution spread through groundwater and municipal systems. She emphasized that PFAS are widespread in consumer products, firefighting foam, wastewater biosolids, and agriculture, and argued that the chemicals’ persistence makes them difficult to manage once released. Wyn said PFAS exposure is associated with health problems including cholesterol issues, liver and thyroid damage, kidney cancer, low birth weight, and reduced vaccine response in children. She told members she had her own blood tested, later developed thyroid cancer, and said a local child had very high PFAS levels and vaccine complications. Members asked for supporting studies, and she referenced the C8 study and other research. She urged stronger product restrictions, labeling, blood and water testing support, caution around biosolids, and continued efforts to reduce PFAS use, while acknowledging some limited uses may still be necessary in critical applications like military firefighting foam or medical devices.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in our conversations with the federal HHS people, they're working, you know, on a set of rules that
• I would expect, and I'm just guessing now, based on my conversations with HHS, that we're talking about

Summary: The Appropriations Committee considered a large agenda of bills and reported several measures favorably. Early action included SB 6, a settled claim bill involving the Department of Children and Families and a trust for Leila Estrada and Sapphire Williams, and CS/CS/SB 1266, which creates a cybersecurity experiential learning and clearance-readiness program through the Department of Commerce and Cyber Florida. The committee also approved SB 532 on clerks of court funding, allowing clerks to retain all excess Article V revenue rather than returning half to the state and clarifying foreclosure sale procedures. In addition, the committee passed CS/CS/SB 1602 and CS/CS/SB 1604 to create and fund a pilot housing program for veterans through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and CS/SB 1110 to expand Medicaid and private insurance coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics, including testimony from affected families and advocates. The committee also adopted an amendment and then favorably reported CS/CS/SB 1012 on inmate services, removing the bill’s medical-services compensation provisions while retaining changes to the inmate welfare trust fund and related facility uses. It also adopted a delete-all amendment and then favorably reported CS/CS/CS/SB 1614, which was narrowed to remove a provision allowing local governments to use excess fees to construct new buildings. The committee spent substantial time on CS/SB 17, a Medicaid oversight and transparency bill. The sponsor said the measure would create a joint legislative Medicaid oversight committee, authorize the Legislature to retain its own actuary, modernize Medicaid statutes, strengthen managed-care performance standards, and increase accountability for pharmacy benefit managers and related entities. After amendment, the committee adopted changes removing several PBM-related provisions while retaining the broader oversight framework. Testimony from supporters emphasized transparency, fraud prevention, and cost control, while a PBM trade association asked to continue working on affiliate-manufacturer, network, and payment issues. The bill was reported favorably. The most extensive discussion centered on CS/SB 1758, which proposes major changes to Medicaid and SNAP. The sponsor described five reforms: stronger fraud and overpayment recovery authority, a Medicaid work requirement for certain able-bodied adults, expanded behavioral-health services through Medicaid waivers, pharmacy-program changes to obtain rebates and reduce institutional costs, and SNAP/EBT reforms including photo IDs and work requirements. The committee adopted two amendments: one adding a transitional “glide path” for people who gain employment but risk losing Medicaid, and another exempting hospice patients with six months or less to live. Supporters argued the bill would reduce fraud, improve accountability, and encourage work, while opponents warned it would increase administrative burdens, push eligible people off coverage, and conflict with federal law or guidance. The bill remained under debate with extensive public testimony from advocates, providers, and affected families, and the transcript ends before final disposition on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• The CWS CARES Project aligns with the CalHS Cal HHS strategic priorities of a person-centered, data-driven
• the ability to get money into the hands of regional centers quickly, like the other departments in HHS

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Services, which included about 2,500 HHS programs.
• because we worry that this is the type of instrument that could potentially also be used to evaluate HHS

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, before we re-refer it to HHS, any final closing remarks?
• seeing none uh before we re-refer<00:15:12.480> it<00:15:12.759> to<00:15:13.000> HHS

Keywords: 1187, senate, all