Transcript Highlights:

• Uh they've got one bathroom that<00:10:56.399><c> they</c><00:10:56.560><c> share</c><00:10:56.880><c
• So many of our, um, what's being shared with us, I think east, west, north, and south.
• So many of our, um, what's being shared with us, I think east, west, north, and south.
• So many of our, um, what's being shared with us, I think east, west, north, and south.
• I mean, you're sharing one bathroom with clients and everybody that works there.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the December meeting minutes and received several information items, including quarterly capital project status reports, University of Kentucky medical and equipment purchases, school district bond issue notices, and a University of Kentucky RFP for an enterprise services partner. Members also briefly discussed a University of Kentucky public-private partnership for student housing and dining, with comments that such arrangements may improve efficiency and use of taxpayer dollars during a difficult budget year. The main substantive discussion centered on a new CHFS lease in Harlan County for the Department for Community Based Services. Members questioned the proposed annual cost of $25.62 per square foot, which was far above the county average cited in the meeting, and raised concerns about the one responsive bid, the long lease term through 2033, and whether a nearby hospital or other entity might have been interested. CHFS staff said the current office space is in poor condition, that the new lease includes needed construction and 60 parking spaces, and that the office is limited to considering only actual bidders. After debate over whether to rebid or negotiate, the committee voted to approve the lease, with some members supporting it because of the current facility’s condition and others recording reservations. The committee then approved the remaining 10 lease renewals as a group. These included one renewal for the Commonwealth’s prosecutorial system and renewals for several CHFS offices, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Natural Resources. One member noted that seven of the 10 renewals were at or below the county average rate and said the overall package was substantially in line with local market conditions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We share many of the concerns, and there are solutions that we can continue to work on together.
• We share the same concerns with liability exposure and the costs to our communities, to our taxpayers
• re-traumatized through civil arbitration and then, should they choose to go to the public court system, have to share
• re-traumatized through civil arbitration and then, should they choose to go to the public court system, have to share
• And I just feel like it's very relevant to share that with you.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 6239, which would require civil arbitration for tort claims against the state and its subdivisions before trial. Staff explained current tort-claim procedures and said the bill would apply arbitration to claims of any dollar amount, with a fiscal note pending. The sponsor said Washington’s liability exposure is unusually high and argued the bill would promote early resolution without limiting jury trials, damage caps, or attorney fees. Members asked who pays for arbitration and whether trial rights are preserved; staff said costs are generally split and the bill preserves a jury trial de novo. Testimony on SB 6239 was sharply divided. Counties, cities, school districts, risk pools, and some public-safety groups supported the bill, saying rising liability and insurance costs are straining budgets and threatening core services. Opponents included trial lawyers, legal aid groups, victim advocates, journalists, and survivors of abuse, who argued the bill would create barriers to justice, delay relief, increase costs for claimants, reduce transparency, and retraumatize survivors by forcing private arbitration before a public trial. Several witnesses said the bill was too broad because it would cover employment, contract, and other claims, not just torts involving abuse or negligence. After public testimony closed, the committee noted the large number of sign-ins, with far more in opposition than in support. The committee then took up Senate Bill 6074, which would reinstate parole for certain felony offenses committed on or after July 1, 2027, allow eligible incarcerated people to petition the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board after serving 60% of their sentence, and create a parole implementation work group. Supporters said it would recognize rehabilitation and improve reentry, while some witnesses raised concerns about the bill’s prospective-only application, the 60% threshold, and the need to address racial disparities and parole criteria more fully. The sponsor said the parole bill was paired with tort-liability reform because criminal justice reform advocates have said liability changes are needed to restore parole in Washington.

Transcript Highlights:

• We did identify an error related to the federal share calculation that understated that federal share
• sorry, Chairman and Representative Miller, so they have to use a rate to calculate what the federal share
• is and what the state share is, and they had an error in... ...and what the state share is.
• , which resulted in an understatement of the federal share, which would also understate how much we'd
• You'll see later on when we had errors in the financial reporting where they overstated the federal share

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on Idaho’s medical education workforce plan, developed from House Bill 368. The presenter said the working group unanimously supported a long-term plan to address Idaho’s physician shortage, noting Idaho ranks 50th per capita in physicians and would need roughly 1,400 more doctors to reach the national average. Recommendations included maintaining existing WAMI and other state-supported seats, adding 10 non-WAMI seats this year, expanding graduate medical education by 15 seats, creating a dedicated health education coordinator/director to manage undergraduate and graduate placements and clinical sites, and using one-time Rural Health Transformation funds for larger investments. Members discussed the value of WAMI, the need for more clinical training sites, rural recruitment incentives, the role of nurse practitioners and other providers, and how to measure results. No formal vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then received April Renfro’s update on the statewide single audit and related accountability work. She reported $5.4 billion in federal assistance audited for fiscal year 2024, 45 findings, seven repeat findings, $2.4 million in known questioned costs, and $2 million in projected questioned costs. Major issues were concentrated at the Department of Health and Welfare, especially Medicaid managed care eligibility and provider oversight, delayed health and safety surveys, and reporting problems tied in part to the Luma transition. Other notable findings involved the Child Care and Development Fund, Vocational Rehabilitation, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, and DEQ. Members pressed her on accountability, fraud detection, managed care oversight, Luma-related errors, staffing, and which findings should be prioritized for follow-up. She said her office would provide a top-10 list of priorities to the co-chairs. No vote was taken. After a break, the committee heard a budget presentation from Brooke Dupree on how to read the front-end reports in the legislative budget book. She explained the state’s constitutional structure, the 20 executive departments, and the decision-unit budget model, including the sequence from the current-year appropriation to maintenance, enhancements, and the final fiscal year 2027 original appropriation. She also walked through request-versus-recommendation reports and fund-source comparisons. Members asked a few clarifying questions, including what falls under public school support. The final item began a short presentation from the Impact Review Team on a base budget dashboard tool, described as a different way to view existing budget data.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the last question is, can we share in the bill? I couldn't find a definition for a mass event.
• We worked great as a panel of 16, sharing time.
• I followed him out of the room because I thought he had something really important to share.
• Y'all shared very clearly.
• We're going to share predictability of the accounting system by requiring advanced notice of changes

Bills: SB8 , SB4 , SB43 , SB1 , SB2 , SB13 , SB6 , SB10 , SB16 , SB14 , SB3 , SB8 , SB4 , SB43 , SB1 , SB2 , SB13 , SB6 , SB10 , SB16 , SB14 , SB3

Keywords: education, accountability, public school assessment, state law, transparency, intervention, performance ratings, Texas congressional redistricting, U.S. House districts, congressional map, redistricting, gerrymandering, 2020 Census, census tracts, block groups, voting districts, election law, Texas House of Representatives districts, federal congressional districts, 2026 elections

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to make sure we share one of our major projects at the Pueblo that we are especially proud of.
• For that, I want to ask our tribal secretary Jeremy Luhan to come forward and share some details about
• Um, for the record, even though I share the same name as the governor of the state, we're not related
• We hope the next time you're here, you'll have more to share with you.
• Air time with with the other municipalities here and just share your experiences.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are also references to cost-sharing for certain Medicaid populations.
• And I will just add that, uh, with regards to the cost sharing as well as the community engagement that
• There are also references to<00:20:21.640><c> cost-sharing</c><00:20:22.720><c> for</c><00:20:22.880>
• <c> certain</c><00:20:23.240><c> Medicaid</c> to cost-sharing for certain Medicaid to cost-sharing for
• </c> regards to the cost sharing regards to the cost sharing as<00:21:37.840><c> well</c><00:21:38.160

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee for Health and Family Services met for its first meeting, established quorum, and heard a presentation from Department for Medicaid Services Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Becktold. The department reviewed its compliance with House Bill 695, which requires legislative approval before certain Medicaid eligibility, service, benefit, or waiver changes, along with fiscal impact reporting to the Legislative Research Commission. They described current waivers, including home and community-based waivers, managed care and transportation waivers, and the 1115 re-entry waiver, and said the community engagement waiver is in public comment and on track for submission to CMS. They also said required reports and other HB 695 tasks, including a pharmacy rebate fund, budget analyses, expenditure reports, and a behavioral health scorecard, are underway or completed as required. The CFO outlined Medicaid’s budget, saying the department has two appropriation units and projecting near-full use of state funds while leaving some federal funds unspent because of matching-rate differences. They reported roughly 211 filled positions and 11 vacancies. Members asked about the vacancy makeup, the behavioral health scorecard, and whether a provider involved in quality metrics could have a conflict if used in the scorecard process; the department said it would follow up. Members also asked about the community engagement waiver and its interaction with federal policy, and the department said CMS guidance is still pending and that it will proceed under HB 695. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on federal Medicaid policy changes under a reconciliation bill, including possible limits on provider taxes, directed payments, cost-sharing, and community engagement requirements. Department officials said the final federal impact is still uncertain because the Senate bill is not finalized, but they have modeled several scenarios and warned that any reduction in federal support or benefits would be harmful, especially for hospitals and rural hospitals. They estimated Medicaid benefits are funded about 80% federal and 20% state overall, with expansion populations closer to 90% federal funding, and said administrative costs would also rise if federal requirements change. Members also asked about work requirements and eligibility. The department said the community engagement waiver would mainly affect the expansion population, which they estimated at about 450,000 people out of roughly 1.5 million total Medicaid enrollees, and that many groups are exempt, including children, the aged, blind, disabled, and people in substance use disorder treatment. Officials said they can provide data on how many enrollees are working or work-ready and explained that their eligibility system is designed to prevent duplication by automatically placing people in the correct category and correcting errors quickly. They also noted a federal proposal to require expansion eligibility reviews every six months, compared with current annual renewals.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we'd invite you to share with us your reasoning for executing Rule 21 and what it is that you're
• Is that an accurate recap of what you'd shared?
• /c><00:03:42.959><c> of</c><00:03:43.200><c> what</c><00:03:43.360><c> you'd</c><00:03:43.680><c> shared
• </c> accurate uh recap of what you'd shared? accurate uh recap of what you'd shared?
• And if you can share with us not the content of the bill, but the reason why it is late, we can get on

Committee: Senate Rules and Administration

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I traveled here from Alito, Texas, to share with you, as a mother, what the last 18 months have been
• Let me just share one example. All we asked was for our son to be fully included with his peers.
• Let me just share one example. All we asked was for our son to be fully included with his peers.
• So thank you very much for being here and sharing your testimony and all your great life's work."
• Thank you for sharing that with us.

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Committee on Education K-16 heard several bills focused largely on special education transparency, school safety, and student support services. Senate Bill 1908, by Senator Zaffirini, would direct the Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the feasibility of a statewide system for coordinating clinical training placements, including regional portals for healthcare clinical slots, with a report due by December 1, 2026. A representative of the Texas Nurses Association and the Nursing Legislative Agenda Coalition testified in support. The bill was left pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then took up Senate Bill 111, by Senator Hall, which in its committee substitute was narrowed to a reporting bill requiring school districts to disclose legal proceedings involving special education due process complaints when legal fees exceed $10,000, rather than capping spending. Several parents and advocates testified that districts spend large sums on litigation against families of children with disabilities and that greater transparency is needed; some senators raised concerns about unintended consequences, including possible pressure to settle cases. The committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1551 on automated external defibrillators in public schools, Senate Bill 865 on CPR instruction requirements for certain volunteers, Senate Bill 1032 on the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and Senate Bill 571 on school employee misconduct reporting and access to the Do Not Hire Registry; each was reported favorably after committee substitute adoption and roll-call votes. Additional bills discussed included Senate Bill 1884, which would formalize and expand dedicated staff support for the State Board of Education and give the board chair hiring authority over that staff; members questioned whether it duplicated TEA functions, while a witness argued the workload increase justified the change, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 625 would replace the current half-credit economics requirement with a half-credit in personal financial literacy; educators and advocates strongly supported making the course required, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 582 would make TEA settlement agreements in special investigations publicly available when sanctions are imposed, and Senate Bill 2600 would bar transportation fees for students living within two miles of campus unless districts do not receive state transportation funding; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2751, which would require TEA inspections of non-public special education programs to consider medical standards of care and crisis-prevention training; testimony from a program operator described severe student behaviors and the need for more flexibility, and the bill was left pending after the substitute was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• It authorizes some data sharing between agencies to facilitate the reporting of suspected fraud, and
• It authorizes some data sharing between agencies to facilitate the reporting of suspected fraud, and
• It authorizes some data sharing between agencies to facilitate the reporting of suspected fraud, and
• We know there is more work to do to both realize the vision of adequate funding and have a shared vision
• </c> adequate funding and have a shared adequate funding and have a shared vision<00:31:53.600><c> for

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Any, but I think that all of us have shared the responsibility and liability of being.
• I wanted to share a few observations with you.
• Senate Bill 2260 seeks to eliminate and redefine currency power for the participant and token sharing
• I'm also pleased to share a link to our firm's database, should you like it.
• I am respectfully testifying on Senate Bill 1454 but would like to share just a couple of concerns, and

Bills: SB434 , SB844 , SB898 , SB1177 , SB1214 , SB1454 , SB1920 , SB1927 , SB1935 , SB1965 , SB2010 , SB2046 , SB2068 , SB2073 , SB2183 , SB2260 , SB3034 , SB907

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• c> the top 15 states in the nation for the top 15 states in the nation for market<00:14:00.079><c> share
• about the long-held business standard that contracts are private, that you cannot be compelled to share
• about the long-held business standard that contracts are private, that you cannot be compelled to share
• about the long-held business standard that contracts are private, that you cannot be compelled to share
• That is the biggest dominant market share.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Representative McCool, for sharing that story.
• And so I will today be voting yes, and I appreciate Representative McCool sharing his story.
• 29:04.000><c> for</c> iate thank you representative mle for iate thank you representative mle for sharing
• that story it's it it it is sharing that story it's it it it is going<00:29:08.320><c> as</c><00:29:
• mccole sharing his story uh<00:32:33.760><c> so</c><00:32:33.919><c> I'll</c><00:32:34.080><c> be</c

Keywords: Roll Call 00:39 Approval of Minutes 01:45 SB 136 Discussion 02:51 SB 136 Vote 07:14 SB 43 Discussion 08:49 SB 43 Vote 20:02 SB 38 Discussion 20:45 SB 38 Vote 35:50 SJR 66 Discussion only 37:08 Admin. Reg. Review 41:10, 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum, approved the March 4 minutes, and then took up several Senate measures. Senate Bill 36, dealing with cleanup language for CAVIS and electronic submission of liens and satisfactions, was amended by committee substitute to require lien holders to begin using electronic title and registration systems starting July 1, 2026. After questions from members and testimony from county clerk Jason Denny and title-industry representative Tom Underwood, the committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably with the substitute attached. The committee then considered Senate Bill 43, which updates the medical review board process under KRS 186.444. Senator Donald Douglas and Senator Jimmy Higdon described the bill as a response to complaints about fairness and transparency in medical review cases, including a constituent example involving a disabled veteran whose VA medical clearance was rejected. The bill changes who may serve on the board, adds flexibility and transparency, shifts reimbursement language to allow the Transportation Cabinet to set costs by regulation, and includes provisions aimed at broadening participation by qualified health care providers. Members discussed the role of school resource officers, the use of family affidavits in reporting, and the need to keep costs down; the committee adopted the substitute, approved a title amendment, and reported the bill favorably. Senate Bill 38, concerning stop-arm violations on school buses and the use of cameras and enforcement procedures, also received a committee substitute and was reported favorably. Senator Greg Elkins and supporters said the bill is intended to address widespread illegal passing of stopped school buses and to help fund stop-arm cameras, while critics raised concerns about automated enforcement and the role of a live officer. Members cited survey data and personal stories about school-bus safety, and the sponsor explained that school resource officers would work with local law enforcement on citations, which are contemplated as civil penalties. The committee also heard discussion-only testimony on Senate Joint Resolution 66, which would create a task force on aviation, aerospace, and logistics economic development; no vote was taken on the resolution because it had just passed the Senate and had not yet been formally received by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Share and I are the two sponsors, and we'll work on it some more.
• The Governor has expressed frustration, and I share it.
• The governor, to her credit, had legislation for data sharing.
• It would seem that when we have all of this data, there needs to be a much better sharing of it.
• Job sharing that.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> all share. all share.
• They're shared governance different.
• </c><00:43:50.160><c> public</c> partial dissolution of a shared public partial dissolution of a shared
• </c> long-term freedom through shared long-term freedom through shared governance<00:44:30.079><c> and
• Um governance and shared obligations.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is the pot where it's shared equally with the counties where the minerals are located.
• The other half is shared out with the counties. Becky, do you get anything to add?
• And if we're too far the other direction, the state isn't going to recover its due share based on the
• You mentioned about 360 drones were flagged for replacement, but then also a drone-sharing program, pilot-sharing
• It's just kind of that sharing of resources.

Committee: Joint Government Finance Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to share about two cousins, ages 8 and 10, with whom I've been working.
• It takes courage to come and talk to us and share that story.
• Yes, well, thank you for your support of us. ...come and talk to us and share that. Yes.
• I didn't worry about sharing the field with male athletes. I just played.
• You talked about sharing your perspective. Maybe just share a little bit of it. Sure.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a very full public hearing on the first Education Committee hearing of the session, with testimony taken on a large slate of bills, especially H. 650/S. 436 and related measures. The chairs explained the hearing rules, including two-minute testimony limits, live streaming, written testimony, and accommodations for interpreters and disabilities. The committee first heard extensive testimony on H. 460/S. 436 and later H. 650/S. 436, bills to affirm and maintain equal access to public education for all children, including immigrant students, English learners, and students with disabilities. Witnesses included parents, advocates, educators, attorneys, and state officials, many of whom described fears caused by federal policy changes and argued that Massachusetts should codify protections for school enrollment, special education, interpreter services, and due process in discipline cases. The Attorney General’s office, Mass Advocates for Children, Lawyers for Civil Rights, MIRA, the Children’s Law Center, the Disability Law/advocacy community, and others all urged favorable action, while committee members asked questions about Plyler v. Doe, manifestation determinations, interpreter qualifications, and how the bill would mirror or preserve existing federal protections at the state level. The committee also heard testimony on H. 702/S. 460, establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program, which was supported as a way to expand STEM opportunities and help schools fund robotics programs. Representative Sweeney also testified on H. 713, a bill to support student participation in 4-H programming by allowing excused absences similar to those for athletics and other sanctioned activities; members noted bipartisan support and the bill’s long history. The hearing then moved to H. 543/S. 417, a recess bill requiring at least 30 minutes of free-play recess for K-8 students. Supporters included the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the League of Women Voters, educators, and parents, who emphasized recess as important for physical health, social-emotional development, attention, and academic performance, and noted that unequal local policies create disparities across districts. Several witnesses also tied recess to broader concerns about student well-being and screen time. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed testimony on the bills as it moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• They've gotten some success stories that I'm sure they'll be sharing with you individually about how
• Simply, that'll be the appropriation of funds and then the shared cost between these two entities to
• ><00:12:59.120><c> be</c> implementation of this act shall be implementation of this act shall be shared
• between the Department of shared between the Department of Corrections<00:13:01.360><c> and</c><00:13
• cost between these two entities shared cost between these two entities to<00:13:10.079><c> execute</

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It purports to be about safety for children, a goal that we all share, but numerous and extensive studies
• And the complication I ran into is that because we share an attorney between the district and the board
• So let me just say this blatantly, because I think I have an obligation to share from a perspective of
• Without objection, we'll share that motion adopted. Senator Leek, thank you.
• Without objection, we'll share that motion adopted. Any others?

Bills: S0212 , S0218 , S0442 , S0460 , S0532 , S0554 , S0644 , S0686 , S0692 , S1054 , S1106 , S1128 , S1134 , S1138 , S1338 , S1434 , S1506 , S1620 , S1748

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: sexual offender, sexual predator, sex offender registry, child protection, residency restriction, loitering, proximity restriction, public swimming pool, school safety, child care facility, day care center, park, playground, conditional release, probation, community control, warrantless arrest, background check, registry screening, minor victims

Summary: The committee first considered SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all amendment narrowed eligibility criteria, including environmental and adjacency requirements, density and intensity limits, and exclusions for certain lands and military areas. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill then passed favorably on an 8-0 vote, with testimony both for and against from advocacy groups. Members then heard several bills related to criminal justice, land use, and local government operations. SB 212 on sexual offenders and sexual predators was amended to add public swimming pools and related restricted-location provisions; the committee heard extensive opposition testimony arguing the bill lacked empirical support and could worsen homelessness and burden families, while supporters said it would reduce temptation and improve safety. The amended bill passed 8-1. SB 686 on agricultural enclaves also received a strike-all amendment clarifying development allowances near interstates and protected-area non-preemption; after opposition from a county Republican committee and support from housing and business groups, it passed 10-0. SB 554 updating nonprofit corporation law, SB 1338 on charitable giving and endowment restrictions, SB 532 on court fee retention by clerks, and SB 218 on land use regulations after hurricanes all passed favorably, each with little or no opposition. The committee also approved SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability after debate over whether the bill created enough compliance incentives and whether its liability presumption should apply retroactively; supporters said it would encourage adoption of cybersecurity frameworks, while opponents warned it could weaken local standards and create litigation issues. The bill passed 9-2. SB 1138 on qualified contractors was amended to preserve local government authority while allowing licensed professionals to conduct limited pre-application reviews, and it passed 11-0. Finally, SJR 1104 on religious expression in public schools passed 8-3 after extensive public testimony and debate, with supporters saying it would enshrine existing protections in the Constitution and opponents warning it would favor majority religions and increase bullying and litigation. The committee then took up SB 1106 on requiring state agencies and instructional materials to use “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank,” with the sponsor arguing it reflected historical truth and opponents saying it erased Palestinian identity and inserted the state into an international naming dispute; the transcript ends during public testimony on that bill before any vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:07.120><c> and</c><00:15:07.360><c> hopefully</c> sharing that with you and hopefully sharing
• I'll share with you a personal story.
• </c><00:32:57.840><c> I</c> I'll share with you a personal story.
• I I'll share with you a personal story.
• And I can share with you horror story after horror story about how the system's collapsing.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled several referred administrative regulations, including a package from the Board of Respiratory Care described as a substantive housekeeping update to its regulations and incorporated materials. There were no questions from members, and the committee also heard from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, which was present in case questions arose but did not require action. Members then took up an amendment to the state health plan for facilities and services, specifically 900 KAR 5:02. Wesley Duke explained that a previously proposed criteria related to mega-voltage requirements, originally suggested by the Kentucky Hospital Association, was now being removed because the association no longer considered it necessary. The committee moved to accept the agency amendment, with a motion and second, and approved it without opposition. The committee next considered Senate Joint Resolution 23, a “food is medicine” resolution sponsored by Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer. Supporters from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Hospital Association described the initiative as a voluntary, statewide effort already adopted by 52 hospitals, aimed at improving patient health while supporting Kentucky farmers and local food systems. Members discussed access to healthy food, grocery-store availability, school nutrition, and the need to reduce barriers to local procurement; the resolution was adopted unanimously after a roll call vote, with one senator briefly explaining a late vote due to weather. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 12, which would allow mid-level practitioners to serve as the leader of a Level IV trauma center under physician direction. The sponsor and witnesses from Appalachian Regional Healthcare argued the change would help address rural trauma-care shortages, align with national standards, and improve access without changing scope of practice or other trauma-center requirements. Several members raised questions and comments about rural access, liability, costs, and the broader health impacts, but no vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ." >> But if a witness has um shared false statements with the media and then is testifying before this
• </c><00:24:32.720><c> false</c> &gt;&gt; But if a witness has um shared false &gt;&gt; But if a witness
• them broadly once this matter is share them broadly once this matter is over. over. over.
• </c> when you say share them broadly? when you say share them broadly?
• , the specific person's name would need to be shared because it does directly relate to the state of

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The commission heard argument on a renewed motion to compel discovery and related sanctions in an ethics case. Enforcement counsel said the respondent had provided incomplete and inconsistent discovery responses, including no authenticated medical records, and asked the commission to compel full interrogatory answers, bar the respondent from relying on unsupported medical claims at hearing, allow subpoenas for medical records and an LRC report, and continue the December 2 hearing. Respondent’s counsel replied that the defense had complied with discovery, that medical records were being withheld for reasons previously discussed, and that no outstanding discovery remained. The next matter was enforcement counsel’s motion in limine, which sought to exclude a wide range of evidence as irrelevant to the three ethics charges already found to have probable cause. Counsel argued the hearing should focus only on whether the respondent intimidated Fox’s, offered a favor in exchange for a donation, and engaged in inappropriate conduct while intoxicated in his office, and not on complainants’ motives, media coverage, bullying, religious discrimination claims, LRC policies, or other legislators’ conduct. He also argued that any claim of mental or physical condition should be excluded absent supporting medical proof. Respondent’s counsel opposed the motion, saying the excluded topics went to witness credibility, bias, motive, and context, and that LRC materials and testimony from additional witnesses were important to the defense. Commission members questioned both sides about the breadth of the motion in limine and whether any topics could be agreed to as irrelevant. Counsel for the respondent maintained that some challenged topics, including Lexington media coverage and broader legislative practices, were relevant to credibility and context. Enforcement counsel responded that even if such conduct were common, it would not excuse a violation of the ethics code. No final ruling or vote was announced in the excerpt provided.