Transcript Highlights:

• We pray for the people of the state, for families, educators, first responders, workers, and communities
• Representative Newell continues explaining that the bill responds to recent news reports of teachers
• Representative Freiberg responded: Absolutely.
• Representative Horton responded that no, if it's necessary, that is not what the bill means.
• We haven't responded.

Bills: HR112 , HR113 , HR114 , HCR51 , HCR52 , HR94 , HR95 , HR96 , HR97 , HR98 , HR99 , HR100 , HR103 , HR104 , HR105 , HR106 , HR107 , HR108 , HR109 , HR110 , HR111 , HCR46 , HCR47 , HCR48 , HCR49 , HCR50 , SCR25 , SB17 , SB300 , HCR35 , HB51 , HB82 , HB143 , HB145 , HB160 , HB180 , HB192 , HB393 , HB430 , HB445 , HB506 , HB515 , HB521 , HB565 , HB590 , HB614 , HB638 , HB647 , HB670 , HB672 , HB685 , HB692 , HB752 , HB773 , HB781 , HB799 , HB839 , HB860 , HB873 , HB874 , HB887 , HB917 , HB937 , HB956 , HB965 , HB972 , HB977 , HB982 , HB1006 , HB1010 , HB1044 , HB1072 , HB1088 , HB1157 , HB1179 , HB1200 , HR15 , HR20 , HCR14 , HCR6 , HCR19 , HCR10 , HR74 , HCR26 , HCR45 , HB54 , HB67 , HB73 , HB125 , HB133 , HB158 , HB168 , HB169 , HB191 , HB195 , HB245 , HB280 , HB283 , HB296 , HB319 , HB339 , HB399 , HB407 , HB448 , HB550 , HB591 , HB826 , HB995 , HB1085 , HB1086 , HB98 , HB108 , HB131 , HB151 , HB161 , HB288 , HB294 , HB305 , HB310 , HB320 , HB336 , HB380 , HB392 , HB403 , HB420 , HB459 , HB476 , HB540 , HB615 , HB631 , HB637 , HB648 , HB665 , HB682 , HB789 , HB813 , HB815 , HB835 , HB870 , HB905 , HB915 , HB933 , HB938 , HB987 , HB1040 , HB827 , HB953 , HB796 , HB352 , HB463 , HB735 , HB780 , HB882 , HB81 , HB400 , HB140 , HB750 , HB911 , HB961 , HB401 , HB901 , HB9 , HB52 , HB58 , HB154 , HB193 , HB284 , HB410 , HB570 , HB577 , HB582 , HB605 , HB733 , HB868 , HB952

Keywords: commendation, community service, religious leadership, New Orleans, anniversary, Martha's Vineyard, African-American Film Festival, Black excellence, cinema, cultural celebration, Black voices, film industry, Hannuh Ray, Louisiana, youth development, pageant, leadership, community, recognition, compensation

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:24.880><c> But</c> responding to this crisis. But responding to this crisis.
• </c><00:19:44.480><c> Emergency</c> loss, or a deeper crisis. Emergency loss, or a deeper crisis.
• Even in emergency situations, we get a target for that emergency situation. We talk about that.
• Even in emergency situations, we get a target for that emergency situation. We talk about that.
• That's emergencies, you know.

Summary: The committee took up House File 3403, authored by Vice Chair Rep. Kazowski, and first adopted an A1 amendment. The amendment made technical and implementation changes recommended by the Department of Revenue, allowed a small portion of funds for county and tribal administrative costs, and clarified timing and reporting for spent and unspent funds. After the amendment was adopted, the bill was moved to Ways and Means. Rep. Kazowski described HF 3403 as a $50 million emergency rental assistance measure to help stabilize households facing eviction, with $44 million directed to counties and $6 million reserved for tribal nations, administered through the Department of Revenue using the existing local homeless prevention aid formula. Supporters said the bill would provide immediate, targeted help to renters and landlords, prevent evictions, and reduce downstream costs to shelters, schools, employers, and health systems. Several testifiers, including representatives from Greater Twin Cities United Way, St. Louis County, Hennepin County, Minneapolis, social workers, a resident, and tribal housing leaders, said local resources were insufficient to meet rising need and emphasized the impact of federal immigration enforcement and related economic disruption on families, workers, and communities. Testimony highlighted sharp increases in rental assistance requests, rising eviction filings, depleted county funds, and the strain on nonprofit and mutual aid efforts. County and city officials said emergency rental assistance and related legal services had already prevented thousands of evictions, but current funding was not enough. Tribal testimony stressed disproportionate homelessness among Native Americans and supported the bill’s tribal allocation. During member discussion, Rep. Amani Hiltsley said the bill was an economic stabilization tool and requested a roll call vote, noting safeguards against fraud and the broader costs of inaction.

Transcript Highlights:

• responders.
• Access to a wearable panic alert system that connects directly to local emergency responders and school
• And I think we heard that bill of yours last year in Emerging Issues. Emerging Issues, yeah.
• emergencies?
• Missouri Emergency Nurses Association on that.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The Committee on Crime and Public Safety met with a quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. House Bill 2323, relating to a domestic violence registry, was discussed as a private law-enforcement database for domestic abuse offenders; members noted it was similar to other registry bills already advanced, though some said it differed in details. House Bill 2530, described as the scrap metal bill, was also voted do pass without discussion. House Bill 1882 was withdrawn from consideration after members noted it had been rolled with another bill and had been sent back from fiscal review and Rules. The committee then adopted a House committee substitute and two amendments for House Bill 3332, which concerns public safety personnel recruitment and retention and employment benefits for first responders; the substitute removed additional degree programs from scholarship eligibility and the amendments fixed scholarship prioritization language and removed a sunset from the line-of-duty death benefit. HB 3332 was voted do pass. In public hearing, Representative Justice presented House Bill 3174, Missouri’s version of Alyssa’s Law, requiring each school employee to have access to a wearable panic alert system tied to local emergency responders and school personnel. He said the bill is subject to appropriations and would use a qualified vendor list; members questioned cost, funding, liability, and whether schools could already implement such systems. Support testimony came from Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa’s mother, who described the Parkland shooting and argued that faster alerts save lives, including in medical emergencies, and from a teacher who said the system would help in both active shooter and non-shooter emergencies. No opposition testimony was offered. Representative Williams then presented House Bill 3434, which would create a Missouri statewide sexual assault response task force to examine reporting, investigation, medical response, advocacy, and prosecution and report recommendations by December 31, 2028. She said the task force would build on progress made reducing the sexual assault kit backlog but address ongoing inconsistencies across jurisdictions. Members asked about overlap with a prior expired task force, appointment structure, and whether the group should include more medical or law-enforcement representatives. Support testimony from the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence described the history of the kit backlog, the Telesane program, uneven services across the state, and the need for continued coordination and accountability; the Missouri Emergency Nurses Association also supported the bill, citing the need to address both rural and urban response challenges.

Transcript Highlights:

• And prepare for the emergence of AVs.
• I want to know how they interact with emergency responders, and I'm thinking move over or slow down.
• So when they are coming up on a first responder, also in other emergency situations where there may not
• But if they recognize that there's an emergency of some kind that you describe, a medical emergency,
• responders using MDS.

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• They've got 30 emergency room beds.
• We're in a state of emergency.
• We're in a state of emergency.
• While we tend to focus on emergency care, we can... 3,000 emergency room visits.
• Tony responded that it is not going to be a tear-down.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Summary: The committee heard testimony on H. 3599, a bill concerning access to landlocked Indian lands in Massachusetts. Witnesses, including members of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Herring Pond communities, described long-standing family land access problems, tax assessments they said treated inaccessible parcels as buildable, and a 2016 Supreme Judicial Court ruling that denied easements by necessity on the basis of tribal custom. They said the bill would restore equal treatment under the law and noted support from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and conditional support from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe, with possible language changes still under discussion. Members asked about the tax impacts and the status of tribal support, and the chair said the committee would review the conditions and written letters before proceeding. The committee then took up H. 5047, authorizing the Commonwealth to take the Norwood Hospital property by eminent domain so the site can be restored as a hospital. Sponsors Rep. Rogers, Sen. Rush, and Rep. Lynch argued that the closure of Norwood Hospital after the 2020 flood and Steward bankruptcy left a regional medical gap affecting more than a dozen towns, major venues, and emergency responders. They said the site should be returned to a not-for-profit operator, that the state would not be asked to fund the hospital itself, and that eminent domain would allow an independent valuation and move the project forward. Several committee members voiced support, while Rep. Davis asked about timing, cost, and whether negotiations with the current owner could still resolve the issue; sponsors said the private owner had delayed too long and that the state needed a contingency path. Testimony from local officials, chamber representatives, nurses, firefighters, EMS leaders, and residents emphasized the hospital’s regional role, the strain on ambulance and emergency room capacity, longer transport times, boarding at other hospitals, and added costs to towns for ambulances and staffing. Speakers also described personal experiences with delayed care and said the hospital had been profitable before the flood. The Massachusetts Nurses Association and the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts supported the bill, stressing the need for inpatient beds, emergency preparedness, and a stable regional health care system. The committee also briefly heard and accepted testimony on S. 2922, an Eversource-backed bill authorizing an underground easement at Magazine Beach in Cambridge for the Greater Cambridge Energy Project, before returning to the Norwood Hospital bill; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if I may respond to that, I think you're absolutely right.
• . ...all the way down to the sheriffs and the first responders.
• So when the governor declares an emergency, we kick in the emergency contracting apparatus, really for
• resources between states, the emergency support...
• The emergency management assistant compacts, trading of resources between states, the emergency support

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the details around what the emergency spending is for a state of emergency, as we understand
• Should something occur Tuesday morning at 12:01, the governor has no authority to respond in an emergency
• So I want our governor to be able to respond quickly to emergencies, whether they're natural, technical
• funds for emergency relief.
• Not about emergency preparedness.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, The Link is unique in that we are one of the state's few emergency shelter and housing
• This is our Passageways emergency shelter housing program.
• </c> This is our Passageways emergency This is our Passageways emergency shelter<00:15:05.040><c> housing
• beds and housing units emergency beds and housing units combined. combined. combined.
• </c> Over 2 years for safe harbor emergency shelter at the state level.

Summary: House File 4738 was laid over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill. Representative Keeler presented the bill as a funding source for Minnesota’s Safe Harbor program, arguing that trafficking and sexual exploitation are statewide problems and that current shelter and housing resources are insufficient. She and several supporters emphasized that the program serves youth across greater Minnesota, not just the metro, and that state and federal funding pressures make additional support necessary. Testifiers from Place Called Home/Life House, The Link, the City of Minneapolis, and a survivor all described the impact of Safe Harbor and related shelter programs. They cited data on youth served, bed nights, mental health services, and high unmet need, including waitlists and youth turned away because programs are full. Testimony stressed that stable housing and trauma-informed services help survivors recover and move toward education, employment, and family stability. One committee member, Representative Davis, objected to the proposed funding source, saying he would not support taking money from women’s sports scholarships and urging a different source. The bill’s tax mechanism was described as ending the sales tax exemption for preferred seating, suite licenses, and related amenities at athletic and entertainment events. Alec Williams of We Make Minnesota supported the proposal as a fair way to raise revenue from high-end discretionary purchases for a public purpose. Committee discussion also focused on the size of the revenue estimate and the breakdown of the impact, with nonpartisan staff saying roughly 85% would come from suite licenses, 10% from collegiate seating, and 5% from amenities. Representative Smith and others framed the issue as both a tax and moral question, and the chair moved the bill to be laid over.

Transcript Highlights:

• In times of emergency, every second counts, and we must ensure that our first responders, who are already
• responders.
• Without the system, non-emergency calls can flood 9-1-1 lines, overwhelming emergency responders and
• during emergencies, and it ensures that first responders can focus on saving lives.
• So would you like me to respond? You want to respond initially? 100%. Absolutely.

Committee: Senate Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> um performing their duties in emergency um performing their duties in emergency situations<01:07
• </c><01:08:26.600><c> as</c> C we're in that capacity responding as C we're in that capacity responding
• </c> our job in a response first responder our job in a response first responder capacity<01:09:09.319
• We need extra time to respond during emergencies.
• What it's looking for is suspending for the period during the emergency, because during an emergency

Summary: At the joint hearing on SB 951 SD2, the committees heard testimony on a child protection measure requiring mandatory child abuse and neglect reports to include military status and to improve communication between DHS and the Department of Defense. The U.S. Department of Defense testified in support and described its coordinated community response process for abuse reports, saying the bill would help ensure child safety and better coordination with DHS. DHS was initially absent, later appeared, and said it supported the measure but was still working with DOD on implementation details and staff training. Members asked about how DHS becomes involved and whether there were gaps in the current process. The chair recommended passage with technical amendments, including changing the effective date to 7/1/25 and conforming related language, and both committees adopted the recommendation by vote. The Public Safety committee then heard SB 1377 SD2, which would create a Veterans Cemeteries Board within the Office of Veterans Services in the Department of Defense to provide guidance, education, and technical assistance to state veteran cemeteries. DOD supported the bill and explained that county-run cemeteries must meet National Cemetery Administration standards to remain eligible for federal reimbursements and grants; witnesses described past compliance problems at several cemeteries, including one still not compliant in Hilo, and said the board would help counties prepare for future site visits and improve oversight without taking over operations. Members asked about costs, reimbursement amounts, and whether the state would assume cemetery operations; DOD said the current reimbursement process runs through the state to the counties and that direct takeover would be costly. The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the bill with amendments. The committee also heard SB 1382, which would make intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to a National Guard member performing duty a class C felony. The Hawaii National Guard and HPD supported the bill, citing incidents during the Maui response where Guard members encountered noncompliant and sometimes physically confrontational individuals while assisting police and protecting impacted areas. Testimony emphasized that Guard members are often unarmed and should receive protections similar to first responders. One witness opposed the bill, but the committee moved forward and adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments. Finally, the committee took up SB 1379 SD2 on emergency preparedness and Community Readiness Centers. Hawaii Emergency Management supported the bill, and supporters said it would create a statewide framework for resilience hubs that can provide supplies, action plans, and refuge during disasters. Testimony highlighted recent hurricanes, wildfires, and other hazards, and argued the measure would complement existing county efforts rather than replace them. County of Hawaii testimony opposed the bill, raising concerns about overlap and cost, while members asked about estimated expenses and implementation. The discussion ended with questions about planning and whether the bill would enhance existing programs; no final vote was captured in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> emergencies.
• to assisted living facilities for non-emergency and emergency events.
• non-emergency non-emergency and<00:03:10.159><c> emergency</c><00:03:10.879><c> events.
• </c><00:14:23.120><c> and</c><00:14:23.360><c> emergencies</c> both non-emergencies and emergencies both
• </c> becomes an emergency. becomes an emergency.

Bills: HF3935 , HF2216 , HF4354 , HF4210 , HF4212

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And that’s kind of how the emergency operations plan and emergency operations center work.
• </c> emergency uh, operations center work. emergency uh, operations center work.
• As an agency, we respond to the state emergency operations center whenever there's an alert sent out
• to to the agency uh we we're we respond to to the state<00:14:58.720><c> emergency</c><00:14:59.120>
• 11 uh emergency support function. 11 uh emergency operations<01:12:01.120><c> center.

Summary: The committee met to adopt the minutes of the second meeting by voice vote, then heard an update focused on disaster preparedness, resiliency, response, and coordination among state agencies and partners. The chair emphasized avoiding duplication of resources and highlighted the importance of agriculture-related response issues, including animal evacuation, feed distribution, and the role of extension services during disasters. The Department for Public Health was invited to explain its role in emergency planning and response. Public Health described its Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch as the lead coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function 8, covering health and medical services under Kentucky’s emergency operations framework. Testimony outlined its broad responsibilities, including support for hospitals, morgues, local health departments, behavioral health, crisis counseling, suspicious package testing, disease outbreaks, and coordination with emergency management, EMS, transportation, and nonprofit and private partners. Officials also described the agency’s risk-assessment process, training and exercise programs, and deployed assets such as PPE caches, deployable communications, a federal medical station, a mobile treatment center, and alternate care support used in events like the eastern Kentucky floods and COVID-19. The agency also discussed funding through federal cooperative agreements for public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness, noting that these programs have evolved since 9/11 and have been shaped by major disasters and emerging threats. Officials said Kentucky’s funding has declined over time and that current awards are partially funded for the first time in the program’s history. They expressed support for efficiency if federal programs are consolidated, but cautioned that combining programs could risk further funding losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> injuring many others our emergency injuring many others our emergency department<00:09:55.399><c
• emerging communities you to emerging emerging communities you have<00:37:40.920><c> 20</c><00:37:41.319
• Emergency managers are often the backbone of disaster preparedness and response, while first responders
• Without emergency managers in place, our ability to prepare for and respond to disasters is severely
• of Minnesota Emergency Managers.

Bills: HF1354 , HF1901 , HF2124 , HF2130 , HF2260 , HF2099 , HF104 , HF134 , HF1769

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• When systems fail, we answer the phone, respond to emergencies, calm fears, manage conflict, and try
• Emergency medical calls now take hours, not minutes.
• Yet when the bridge closed, there was no emergency designation, no mechanism to respond with urgency.
• Emergency response routes were constrained.
• I do want to respond to Senator Valdez's question.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee began with a work session on the Fairfax Carbon River SR-165 Bridge closure and replacement. Wilkeson Mayor Jamie Pololi described the bridge as a long-neglected state asset whose closure cut off a gateway community from Mount Rainier access, hurt local businesses and municipal revenue, complicated emergency response, and severed access to public lands. Pierce County’s Melissa Littleton emphasized that the Fairfax closure, along with recent bridge closures from other causes, shows the need for stronger preservation and modernization funding. WSDOT’s Steve Rourke explained that the 105-year-old bridge was permanently closed after structural failure, that a detour route on private property is now the only access for some residents, and that the agency’s planning study considered seven alternatives; the current recommendation is to continue geotechnical work and NEPA review, with construction likely taking 24 months or more once a design is finalized. Committee members asked about detour distance, speeding up the project, emergency authority, historic-preservation issues, community mitigation, and funding needs; WSDOT said about $7 million in existing preservation funds has already been used and more will be needed. The committee then heard public testimony on proposed substitute Senate Bill 5987, which would declare the Fairfax Bridge closure an emergency, direct WSDOT to restore SR-165 access as soon as possible, and give the transportation secretary some emergency authorities. Supporters, including the mayor, residents, recreation advocates, and trail groups, said the bill is needed because the closure was foreseeable, has harmed local economies and recreation access, and lacks a current emergency response pathway. WSDOT testified in opposition, warning that the bill could create false expectations because most of the timeline is driven by federal environmental review and historic-preservation requirements that the secretary cannot waive. The bill drew strong support in testimony, with 606 pro, 1 con, and 2 other recorded on the sign-in tally. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6170, which would raise dollar thresholds for state highway work performed by state forces and for certain contracting rules that help small and disadvantaged businesses compete. Staff said the limits have not been updated since 2005 and the bill would increase the normal state-force threshold from $60,000 to $100,000 and the emergency threshold from $100,000 to $160,000. Senator King, the prime sponsor, said the change would better match inflation and help keep maintenance work in-house when appropriate. Washington Federation of State Employees and WSDOT supported the bill, saying it would help maintenance workers do more timely work without harming existing equity and small-business contracting programs; the committee noted 55 pro and no con on the sign-in tally. The chair then reminded members that amendment requests for the upcoming executive session were due the next day, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, 91% of emergency physicians report that they
• Seven times in my time flying since I've been a nurse, I've been asked to respond to a medical emergency
• If I respond to that emergency, along with the steward on the plane, and that person becomes violent,
• emergency.
• If I respond to that emergency, along with the steward on the plane, and that person becomes violent,

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a substitute for House Bill 1962, then voted House Committee Substitute for HB 1962 do pass by 16-0. The substitute was described as making changes related to an epinephrine-related database and pricing. The committee then adopted a substitute for House Bill 2371 and voted House Committee Substitute for HB 2371 do pass by 16-0; the sponsor said the bill would codify existing Medicaid/state-plan coverage for a blood pressure-related issue and make the private insurance language consistent. House Concurrent Resolution 28 was also voted do pass by 16-0. The committee then heard House Bill 3457, “Maddie’s Law,” which would create an electronic medical-record alert for medically complex children so hospitals can quickly access individualized emergency care plans. Representative Burns presented the bill as a response to the death of a child named Maddie, and multiple family members and advocates testified in support, describing repeated emergency-room delays, the burden of carrying binders of records, and the need for one-click access to care plans. Questions focused on how the alert would work with existing systems, whether QR codes or bracelets might help, whether the bill should also apply to adults, and how the voluntary language fits with the goal of ensuring the information is available. An SSM Health lobbyist testified for information purposes, explaining that the STARS program is a voluntary EMS care-plan system started in 2014 and now includes about 1,800 children in Missouri and Illinois; he said the sponsor was willing to work on the language. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3401, which would require hospitals to develop workplace violence prevention plans, multidisciplinary committees, risk assessments, training, reporting, and incident review processes, while keeping the bill flexible for different facilities. The sponsor and several health care groups cited high rates of threats and assaults against emergency and hospital staff and argued that violence is a preventable workplace risk that contributes to burnout and staffing shortages. Witnesses from emergency physicians, nurses, the Missouri Hospital Association, and other medical groups supported the bill, with some suggesting the signage language be broadened or simplified. No votes were taken on HB 3457 or HB 3401 before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to respond to the representative’s question.
• It’s evolving based on how people respond to it.
• It’s evolving based on how people respond to it.
• It’s the most inclusive definition we can for first responders.
• First responders can often submit data regarding the presence of xylazine when responding to calls.

Summary: The special commission on xylazine met virtually to review and discuss the first draft of its final report. Chair Mindy Domb opened the meeting, confirmed quorum, and the commission approved the minutes from its December 11 public meeting. Staff then walked commissioners through the proposed report structure, including background on xylazine as both an FDA-approved veterinary drug and an illicit drug supply contaminant, as well as appendices for public meeting materials and public resources. The commission discussed findings and recommendations for several working groups. For oversight and enforcement, members focused on licit versus illicit sources of xylazine, noting that the illicit supply is typically obtained through online vendors rather than diverted from veterinary use. Recommendations included better storage and reporting practices in authorized settings, review of manufacturing and distribution information, and focusing enforcement on fentanyl trafficking and large-scale xylazine importation rather than personal possession. Commissioners also discussed whether xylazine should remain in Schedule 6 or be subject to additional penalties, and several members emphasized the need for coordination, information-sharing, and possibly a DPH task force or advisory body to monitor emerging drug threats. For outreach and treatment, staff summarized strong existing programs such as drug checking, wound care education, naloxone distribution, mobile and low-threshold care, and self-directed wound kits, while noting gaps including the lack of an FDA-approved reversal agent for xylazine, difficulty distinguishing xylazine from other exposures, and uneven access by geography, insurance, and audience. Commissioners stressed the need for provider education, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, family support networks, and first responders, and for clear guidance on wound care and when more intensive treatment is needed. The education and training section identified first responders, clinicians, non-clinicians, and people who use drugs and their families as key audiences for tailored, stigma-free materials, with emphasis on real-time, centralized data, naloxone and breathing support, recognition of overdose versus xylazine exposure, and adapting materials as the drug supply changes. The meeting ended with discussion of next steps: staff will circulate a revised draft by March 2, the commission will meet again on March 9 to consider the report and recommendations, and an additional late-March meeting was reserved if needed before the statutory deadline.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in particular, when children go to the emergency room, we want to make sure the emergency room has
• Who's going to wind up in the emergency room here?
• That is why training for law enforcement and first responders is essential.
• Murphy responded that he believes the bill largely does address the issue.
• Before it becomes an emergency, and with that, I would ask for your support.

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:01:12.080><c> medical</c> phone when you're emergency medical phone when you're emergency medical
• Time and time meaningfully respond.
• </c> responder ever wants to receive. responder ever wants to receive.
• responders.
• </c> with things that are not an emergency. with things that are not an emergency.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> recyclers and declaring an emergency. recyclers and declaring an emergency.
• </c> an emergency. an emergency.
• Every day across Kentucky, police officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel respond to situations
• Most first responders have witnessed situations where emergency scenes have become crowded, emotional
• . responders. responders.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to welcome all the emergency management officials here today.
• So hopefully we don't have an emergency somewhere else in the state.
• in the emergency management industry to respond to those hurricanes.
• Management and emergency managers across the state of Florida.
• I would ask you to please respond to them.

Summary: The committee met to review agency program funding as it prepared to build the budget, hearing brief presentations from six agencies and then taking member questions. Florida Division of Emergency Management highlighted its role in response, preparedness, recovery, and mitigation, describing a largely federal pass-through budget, major technology investments, and large disaster and preparedness grant activity. The Department of Commerce, Department of State, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Department of Transportation, Department of Military Affairs, Florida State Guard, and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also summarized their budgets, staffing, and major programs, including workforce and economic development, elections and arts funding, housing assistance, transportation work programs, military readiness, state guard expansion, and highway safety and motorist services. Members focused questions on several issues: arts and library grant funding and whether award criteria had changed; Commerce’s rural infrastructure and job growth grants and why funds were not being disbursed faster; Florida Housing’s use of SAIL, Live Local, Hometown Heroes, and SHIP funds and how smaller agencies learn about and access funding; and DOT’s work program gap between agency and governor proposals. The most extensive questioning was directed to Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles about long DMV lines, vacancies, overtime, staffing shortages, and the ability to shift funds between divisions. The department said staffing and pay constraints, especially in South Florida, were driving service delays and vacancy rates, and that overtime was being used because troopers were leaving for better-paying jobs. The Florida State Guard was also questioned about its spending and procurement pace, including aircraft purchases and facilities. Its director said long procurement timelines explained the low initial spending and that obligations had risen sharply as contracts matured. Members also asked about the department’s public opposition to Amendment 3 and whether agency resources were used in that effort; the director said no contracts or purchases were made to influence the vote and said the colonel’s comments were made off the clock. The meeting ended with the chair asking agencies to respond promptly to unanswered questions, and the committee adjourned without any recorded votes or formal actions beyond receiving the presentations and questions.