Transcript Highlights:

• Even though we have faced devastating cuts at the federal level, tens of billions of dollars of cuts
• I was a teacher, but how many of you know the price of a can of formula? One can. Don't answer.
• development of all of our children.
• Now, we have agreed language within each of the allocations of those types of programs.
• Wrong because of people of California.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts. Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings. Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Director of the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, and Karen Moleski, the Director of the Office
• Indyamaka, I'm Moutanukaga, and I'm the proud professor of Black Maternal Health at Tufts University
• work across the state to achieve universal coverage for residents of the Commonwealth.
• I'm going to be submitting the latest report from Boston University School of Public Health, along with
• , of course.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held an introductory informational hearing for the new session, with Chairs Marjorie Decker and Senator Michael Driscoll outlining the committee’s scope and emphasizing the impact of the federal landscape on Massachusetts public health. They noted the hearing would focus on testimony from agencies and advocates, with short testimony limits due to the hybrid format. No votes were taken; the meeting was for briefing and discussion of priorities. Commissioner Robbie Goldstein of the Department of Public Health described the department’s budget and federal funding, warning that recent CDC grant terminations could cut nearly $100 million and affect lab testing, surveillance, vaccines, and community engagement. He highlighted DPH priorities including racial equity, maternal health, substance use and child welfare coordination, emergency preparedness, data transparency, and public hospital quality. MassHealth Assistant Secretary Michael Levine discussed MassHealth’s role covering about 2 million residents and its priorities in health equity, behavioral health, primary care, member independence, and customer service, while noting the agency relies heavily on federal Medicaid dollars and would face major strain from federal cuts. Several advocacy and provider groups focused on reproductive health and maternal health. Planned Parenthood warned of threats to Title X, 340B savings, and other federal funding, and supported a bill to eliminate parental consent and judicial bypass for abortion care for young people. Reproductive Equity Now urged stronger shield-law protections and changes to Massachusetts’ later-abortion framework. Dr. Indyamaka Anugaka called for full implementation of the maternal health law, better reimbursement for doulas and midwives, stronger data collection, and support for full-spectrum pregnancy care coverage. The Health Policy Commission said new maternal health and primary care task forces would begin work soon. Mental health and health system access were also major themes. The Mass Medical Society urged action on vaccine hesitancy, removal of non-medical school vaccine exemptions, and primary care reform. The Massachusetts Association for Mental Health and the Children’s Mental Health Campaign opposed proposed cuts to DMH and substance use services, called for more school-based supports, and raised concerns about inpatient capacity, including a unit serving LGBTQ youth. The Massachusetts Nurses Association and 1199 SEIU warned that staffing shortages, low wages, workplace violence, hospital closures, and possible Medicaid cuts threaten patient care and the health care workforce. The Betsy Lehman Center also urged investment in automated patient-safety monitoring to reduce harm and costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a professor of computer science at Princeton University.
• Computer Science and Operations Research at the University of Montreal, Quebec AI Institute.
• When we see some of the best work coming out around safety, it is the brilliance at the universities
• So when I returned to the university, I became very interested in developing a set of ideas that could
• So when I returned to the university, I became very interested in developing a set of ideas that could

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho for health education programs, appropriating
• additional monies to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho
• additional monies to the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho
• Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho, appropriating additional monies to the
• State Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho for colleges and universities

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ed Howard, senior counsel at the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School
• of Law.
• This is not only a loss of 350 megawatts of clean energy to the state of California, it's a loss of thousands
• It's a loss of thousands of construction jobs, hundreds of operational jobs, and hundreds of millions
• I'm a professor and director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at the University

Summary: The committee heard a series of environmental safety and toxic materials measures, with several bills moving forward on unanimous or near-unanimous votes to Appropriations. Early in the meeting, the consent calendar was approved, including AB 372, AB 455, AB 1096, AB 1102, and AB 754. AB 362 by Assembly Member Ramos, which would recognize tribal beneficial uses of water and strengthen consultation and protection for tribal water uses, drew strong support from tribes and environmental groups. Water agencies and local government representatives opposed unless amended, raising concerns about CEQA requirements, co-management language, and conflicts with existing water law. The bill advanced to Appropriations, with some members voting aye and others not voting or absent. AB 728 by Assembly Member Lee would require age verification for the sale of certain anti-aging skin care products to minors. The author and a youth witness described social media-driven use of adult skin products by children and alleged skin damage, while supporters argued age checks are a reasonable consumer protection. Dermatologists and retailers opposed the bill, saying it could restrict legitimate acne and other medical uses of over-the-counter products, create compliance problems, and lacked a clear scientific basis. The committee discussed possible ambiguity in the bill’s definition of anti-aging products, but the measure still passed to Appropriations. AB 532 on low-income water rate assistance, AB 773 on copper-based anti-fouling paint, AB 998 on household hazardous waste disposal of vape pens, AB 1031 on geothermal hazardous waste fees, and AB 864 on solar panel hazardous waste and recycling all received strong support and advanced to Appropriations. Supporters for AB 532 emphasized water affordability and local program authority; AB 773 supporters said conflicting state water and pesticide rules are creating confusion for harbors and cities; AB 998 was presented as a practical way to let schools and local facilities dispose of confiscated vape devices safely; AB 1031 was framed as reducing DTSC fee burdens on geothermal development in Imperial County; and AB 864 would ease recycling and reuse of end-of-life solar panels. The committee also began hearing AB 1264 on ultra-processed foods in school meals, with the author and supporters arguing it would phase out the most harmful ultra-processed foods from school meals by 2032, but the transcript cuts off before the full discussion and any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The kind of exploitation of workers that...
• Robert Sutton of Stanford University writes about this. You check out his books.
• I'm a professor of law at Suffolk University Law School just down the street.
• My name is Samantha Hall, and I'm a doctoral candidate at Boston University School of Public Health,
• District of Massachusetts to reopen my complaint under the statute of limitations of perjury.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a lengthy hearing on June 18 focused on workers’ compensation, independent contractor and classification issues, workplace safety, warehouse worker protections, extreme temperature protections, retaliation against injured workers, and workplace bullying. Committee chairs outlined procedures for the hybrid hearing and noted that members would be leaving intermittently for floor votes. Testimony also touched on a bill to expand workers’ compensation disfigurement benefits by removing the current $15,000 cap and extending coverage beyond scars on the hands, neck, and face. A major theme was workplace safety in warehouses and in extreme heat or cold. Teamsters, warehouse workers, and labor advocates described high injury rates, strict quotas, lack of water, inadequate ventilation, frozen or missing safety equipment, and pressure to work through heat waves and snowstorms. Supporters urged favorable reports on bills protecting warehouse workers and requiring employers to adopt heat- and cold-safety plans, while the NFIB opposed the temperature bill as overly prescriptive and burdensome for small businesses. Sen. Edwards, Sen. Roche, Rep. O’Day, and others argued that the measures are needed to prevent heat illness, provide shade, water, rest breaks, training, and emergency plans, and to cover all workers regardless of immigration status. Another major subject was the “Act to Protect Injured Workers,” backed by labor groups, immigrant worker centers, legal services organizations, and individual workers. Witnesses said employers often retaliate after injuries by threatening deportation, lying about how injuries occurred, delaying care, or firing workers, and they supported stronger anti-retaliation enforcement, multilingual notices, and a rebuttable presumption of retaliation within 90 days of protected activity. The Mass AFL-CIO and immigrant advocacy groups supported the bill and opposed measures they said would weaken employee classification standards. Testimony also supported a funeral-benefits bill to raise workers’ compensation death-benefit reimbursement for burial and funeral costs, based on a family’s experience after a workplace fatality. The committee heard additional testimony on workplace bullying bills, with some witnesses urging a new legal duty for employers to prevent and respond to bullying, while others described the harms of toxic workplaces and the lack of effective remedies.

Transcript Highlights:

• Questions of the sponsor? Questions of the sponsor? Questions of the sponsor?
• And it costs millions of dollars, like tens of millions of dollars.
• Of the state of Florida, adopt this amendment, and let's make sure that the people of the state of Florida
• as a volunteer petition gatherer as a college student at the University of Central Florida, Go Knights
• It is the embodiment of ...the embodiment of direct democracy, the kind of system where the will of the

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for Deputy Will May of the Walton County Sheriff’s Department, the Pledge of Allegiance, and quorum established. The Rules and Ethics Committee report setting the special order calendar was adopted, and CS for HB 947 was recommitted to the Judiciary Committee. The chamber then took up several special-order bills, mostly reviser and technical measures, including SB 36, SB 42, SB 40, and SB 38, all of which passed unanimously or near-unanimously after brief explanations that they updated or cleaned up Florida statutes. Members also passed HB 513 on electronic transmittal of court orders, requiring clerks to send certain petitions, notices, summonses, and orders within six hours, including Baker Act, Marchman Act, and risk protection orders. HB 615, on electronic delivery of landlord-tenant notices by email when both parties agree in writing, passed after adoption of a tenant-protection amendment offered by Rep. Gottlieb. HB 655 establishing a regulatory framework for pet insurance and wellness programs passed unanimously. HB 1145 on workforce education passed 100-4, expanding CAP grant eligibility to public charter schools for CTE startup/expansion and increasing minimum program offerings tied to a money-back guarantee program. HB 299 on elevator accessibility requirements passed unanimously, and HB 649 on autonomous practice by certified registered nurse anesthetists passed 77-30 after structured debate. The most extensive debate centered on CS for HB 1205, which would significantly revise Florida’s citizen initiative process. The bill would require a $1 million bond after 25% of required signatures are collected, require petition handlers and circulators to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, impose background checks and training for paid circulators, shorten petition turn-in deadlines to 10 days, increase penalties, add signature revocation notices, require more identifying information on petition forms, and create felony penalties for certain misconduct. Supporters argued the changes were needed to combat fraud and protect petition integrity; opponents said the bill would burden First Amendment activity and make ballot initiatives harder for ordinary Floridians to pursue. Multiple amendments sought to roll back or soften the bill’s requirements, protect personal information, restore longer deadlines, lower validation thresholds, and bar public funds from being used to advocate for or against amendments. Some amendments were adopted, but several key ones failed as debate continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at it, the split of how much is on each of those items, and you can see they've grown, of
• Um, I have several of you who teach methodology courses in your own universities and probably think about
• My job, I teach at the University of Wyoming in the College of Education.
• They take a lot of time. Uh, a lot of the They take a lot of time.
• I've had lots of friends that have a lot of migraines from the heavy use of the computers.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Mhler to introduce and speak about our guests in the chamber today, the University of
• Performing as Team USA, the University of Minnesota dance team took home a gold medal for palm and a
• Please stand and join me in giving a Minnesota hats off to the University of Minnesota dance team with
• the University of Minnesota got $10 million to establish their green ammonia pilot project.
• </c><00:44:44.160><c> of</c><00:44:44.400><c> Minnesota</c> according to a University of Minnesota according

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Karen Buer, University of Hawaii in support. >> Karen, are you present? >> Here.
• Karen Buer, University of support.
• Karen Buer, University of Hawaii<00:04:58.479><c> in</c><00:04:58.720><c> support.
• shipa is redefined as the function of shipa is redefined as universal<00:15:55.440><c> access</c><00
• One of the reasons is one of the mandates of SHIPA, one of the cornerstones of our state, is that we

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services heard several health-related measures. SB 3132 on syndromic surveillance drew support from the Department of Health, healthcare organizations, and others, with DOH explaining the bill would formalize a surveillance program that has helped with real-time flu tracking and response to events like the Maui fires. A member raised privacy concerns from opponents, and DOH responded that the data are deidentified and do not include Social Security numbers or dates of birth. No votes were taken on the bill in the portion provided. SB 3134 on emergency medical systems of care received broad support from SHIPA, DOH, military and EMS representatives, and others, who said it would modernize the EMS system. SB 3136 on lead materials and water infrastructure was also supported by DOH and SHIPA; members asked whether the bill would allow Hawaii to keep stronger standards if federal drinking water rules were weakened, and DOH said the state would not have to follow weaker federal standards as long as Hawaii remained as stringent or more stringent. SB 3138 on independent audits of deposit beverage distribution drew support from DOH and several industry groups, but with amendments to reduce burdens on small businesses, raise the audit threshold, and modernize reporting; opponents also testified. DOH later clarified that the measure would affect a limited number of distributors and said it is working on an electronic submission system, though not yet for audit filings. SB 3139 concerning SHIPA was supported by SHIPA and the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii, while HMSA suggested one provision should remain under the insurance commissioner’s purview. SHIPA said the bill is about collaboration and a broader health vision, not regulation, and members indicated they were comfortable with removing the disputed portion. SB 3207 on background checks drew support from healthcare providers but opposition from the Attorney General and DOH. Supporters argued the FBI fingerprinting requirement is costly, duplicative, and difficult to schedule, while opponents said the bill would improperly shift fingerprint collection authority to hospitals and other facilities and could conflict with federal law. The committee engaged in extended questioning about costs, federal requirements, and whether the mandate would be passed on to patients; no final action is reflected in the excerpt. The committee then began SB 2271 on hospital licensing, with support from SHIPA, the Developmental Disabilities council, healthcare groups, Kaiser Permanente, and DOH, and commenters said the bill would allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance through CMS-recognized accreditation, with a suggested wording change to “approved” accrediting organization.

Transcript Highlights:

• section of statute.
• of the size of to be trained regardless of the size of the the the precinct<00:06:56.280><c> uh</c><
• some of the conversations that'll exist on some of those items.
• in the state of Minnesota.
• some of the conversations that'll exist on some of those items.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm associate dean for the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources at Kentucky State University
• 2%, 3% of the country feeds the other 100% of the country.
• Thank you, Representative. >> And on behalf of Kentucky State University, I would like to extend my heartfelt
• behalf of Kentucky State University,<00:17:45.000><c> I</c><00:17:45.120><c> would</c><00:17:45.800>
• </c> of that matters. of that matters.

Committee: House Agriculture

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:15 HB 195 Discussion: 05:22 HB 195 Roll Call Vote: 16:33 SB 199 Discussion: 18:34 SB 199 Roll Call Vote: 41:25 SB 5 Discussion: 43:50 SB 5 Roll Call Vote: 46:35 HB 687 Discussion: 48:10 HB 687 Roll Call Vote: 50:15, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have Christian Fern, Executive Director for University of Hawaiʻi Professionals Assembly, in
• c> and</c> process of months of briefing and process of months of briefing and hearings<00:30:38.320>
• </c> amount of time the duration of amount of time the duration of internships<00:36:57.079><c> and</
• of Commerce of Hai CEO for the Chamber of Commerce of Hai in<00:38:55.200><c> support</c> thank<00:38
• Ninth, we’ll also be incorporating the University of Hawaii’s amendments, I believe this is on page 7

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This would include 25 million of capital expense funds that would go for R&R at our universities.
• </c> of those aside? of those aside?
• </c> the of the bill. the of the bill.
• </c> south of Hattisburg. south of Hattisburg.
• There's one highlights of of what it is.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 18 February, 2026; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> and</c> copies of records of distribution and copies of records of distribution and sales<00:07:
• Bishop of Colchester. Yes. Black of Essex. Yes. Lumi of Burlington. Yes. Wasn't of Westminster.
• Duke of Burlington. Yes. Driffy of Shaspberry. Yes. East of Guilford. Yes. Emmens of Springfield.
• Feltus of Lyndon. No. Galetti of Berry Town. No. Carfano of Essex. Yes. Gman of Rockingham. Yes.
• of Lincoln, >> leaders of Lincoln, >> Luna of St.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a study that was funded equally by the Lakes Commission under our budget and the University of
• I think you've probably seen many business school University of Idaho economic studies before, but this
• I want to thank, in addition to the university, first... ...to the University of Idaho, particularly
• Is that kind of the heart of your question?
• of snow?

Summary: The committee began by recognizing page Marley Johnson, who said she plans to finish school, attend flight school, and possibly pursue an aviation degree. Members asked about her experience in the Senate, and she said it changed her perspective by showing that state politics can be collaborative and focused on doing what is best for Idaho. The committee presented her with a letter of recommendation for flight school and an American 250 flag flown over the Capitol. The committee then considered several gubernatorial appointments and Idaho Department of Lands rules. It voted to send David Bobbitt’s reappointment to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and heard testimony from James Keating for reappointment to the Idaho Parks and Recreation Board; no vote was taken on his appointment at that time. The committee also heard a presentation from the Lake Pend Oreille Basin Commission on a study claiming the Corps of Engineers’ lake-level management costs the North Idaho economy about $40 million annually, with testimony focused on extending the full recreational season. Members asked about effects on recreation, fish habitat, and the geographic reach of the economic impact. Three pending rules from the Department of Lands were reviewed and approved. One rule on mine land reclamation was described as a zero-based regulation update that mainly reduced word count and reorganized application requirements, with no major substantive changes. A fee rule for navigable waterways and encroachments under the Lake Protection Act was also approved; it reduced word count, added definitions, and clarified encroachment-related provisions, with no fee increases. A third rule on easements on state-owned lands was approved as well; it deleted nominal application and assignment fees, adjusted compensation language, expanded emergency work definitions, and extended temporary permits from 10 to 20 years. Committee votes on all three rules were unanimous. Finally, Idaho Parks and Recreation Director Susan Buxton gave an agency update on parks operations, deferred maintenance, new campgrounds and docks, trail management, reservation pricing, and budget impacts. She said outdoor recreation remains a major economic driver, that the department has used appropriated funds to add capacity and improve facilities statewide, and that some service reductions may occur because of budget cuts. In response to a question, she said snowmobile registration revenue is down because of limited snow, which could affect county-run snowmobile programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I received my law degree and master's in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania, and I received
• my biology degree from the University of Virginia.
• Welcome and thank you for giving of time of your mother, of your daughter, of your special To the Delaware
• Welcome and thank you for giving of time of your mother, of your daughter, of your special To, of your
• But I think it was one time I had a chance at the University of Delaware to listen to a talk by Justice

Committee: Senate Executive

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of veteran of the week, introduction of doctor and/or nurse, a direction of previous day's journal.
• Both of these men have given decades of faithful service as firefighters protecting the lives of those
• Today, I have the honor of introducing to you Doctor Kamissa Stewart, who graduated from the University
• of Oklahoma's College of Medicine.
• Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma.

Bills: HR1046 , SB1733 , SB1439

Keywords: Oklahoma City, terrorism, Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, memorial, remembrance, first responders, community support, child abuse, reporting requirements, sexual misconduct, law enforcement, school personnel, confidentiality, student safety, fossil fuels, liability protection, climate change, energy independence, oil and gas, 914

Transcript Highlights:

• One key component of that system is our maritime ports. We have 23 of those in the state of Texas.
• Out of about 8300 trucks that were pulled over, 48% of them were put out of service because of the condition
• of it.
• Do you have a sense of the scale of adoption of autonomous trucking?
• Uh, the thing, the takeaway here is that we're a proud member of the A&M University System, but it's

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• So incredibly proud of all of you.
• The other exciting thing is the bill mandated the development of a universal postpartum visit by a nurse
• of the kind of work we do to get a sense broadly of the kinds of contributions that the different perspectives
• of the kind of work we do to get a sense broadly of the kinds of contributions that the different perspectives
• And I like this time of the day, too, kind of like the end of the day meeting.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Ellen Story Commission for Postpartum Depression held its spring meeting with a large turnout, beginning with roll call and a review of the agenda. Co-chairs Representative Brandy Fluker-Reid and Senator Liz Miranda highlighted progress from the recently enacted maternal health omnibus law and the Moms Matter Act, including creation of a midwifery board, expansion of out-of-hospital birth options, doula services, lactation support, MassHealth coverage changes, and a trust fund for community-based behavioral health and substance use grants. Members also discussed implementation of the new law, the commission’s annual report, and the need to continue supporting birth centers and perinatal mental health services. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on commission membership and vacancies. Commissioners discussed whether to remain on the body, the need to fill several open seats, and whether the commission’s statutory composition should be updated to better reflect current practice and expertise. Members suggested adding more clinicians working directly with perinatal families, infant mental health experts, and a representative from PSI of Massachusetts, while also noting the value of having regulators and professional society representatives at the table. Several participants said any changes to membership would likely require legislation, and the co-chairs said they would explore options and possibly circulate a flyer or other invitation process for nominations. The commission also discussed meeting structure and future planning. Members generally supported moving to quarterly virtual meetings, with a preference for a 4 p.m. start time, and some suggested one annual in-person gathering. The group agreed to postpone the usual May Advocacy Day because the Great Hall was unavailable and instead aim for a fall event, with volunteers stepping forward to help plan it. Commissioners raised top-of-mind issues including postpartum depression screening reimbursement, care for people after miscarriage or abortion, access for undocumented pregnant people, and the impact of federal cuts. The meeting ended with agreement to crowdsource legislative priorities for the next quarter, consider future presentations from outside organizations, and send updates between meetings, followed by a motion to adjourn that passed unanimously.