Transcript Highlights:

• provides that negligence alone on the part of an insurer does not constitute bad faith, and requires
• The first was the repeal of a one-way attorney's fee statute, which required an insurance company to
• pay the legal fees of an insured if the insured prevailed in the action against the insurer.
• Johns County, all of Putnam, all of Flagler, and parts of Volusia.
• offered through various state agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, the Department

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and heard several Office of the State Courts Administrator presentations. Judge Mark Mahan discussed the impact of 2023’s HB 837 litigation reforms on court operations, explaining that the law’s changes to comparative negligence, filing deadlines, collateral source evidence, premises liability, bad faith claims, attorney’s fees, and offer-of-judgment rules triggered a major March 2023 civil filing surge. He described how filings tripled statewide, with especially large increases in auto negligence and premises liability cases, and outlined how circuits responded through active case management, added resources, and workflow changes. Members asked whether the bill’s immediate effective date contributed to the surge and whether clearance rates would normalize over time; Judge Mahan said the court system viewed its response as a success and expected rates to settle as the backlog is worked through. The committee then received a presentation on problem-solving courts from Jennifer Grandal and Judge Nina Richardson. Grandal reviewed Florida’s drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, dependency and early childhood courts, noting statewide best-practice standards, annual reporting requirements, funding sources, and data collection systems. Judge Richardson gave a local perspective on treatment courts, emphasizing that they address underlying mental health and substance use issues, rely on judicial supervision and sanctions as well as incentives, and help participants achieve recovery and avoid reoffending. She said the programs are accountable, transparent, and effective, and thanked the Legislature for continued support. Finally, Judge Rachel Nordby and Eric McClure outlined the judicial branch’s legislative agenda. Nordby summarized the Supreme Court workgroup’s recommendations to expand Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including broader coverage, fewer qualifying adverse cases, a longer lookback period, and a public records exemption for stricken defamatory or sham material. McClure then highlighted additional agenda items: modernizing the duty-judge statute, expanding senior management retirement eligibility, authorizing additional judgeships based on workload studies, removing the statutory cap on court-ordered nonbinding arbitration compensation, protecting appellate clerks’ personal information, allowing alternative authentication for certain judicial notarizations, and creating a hearsay exception for guardian ad litem reports and testimony. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after member introductions and staff introductions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under Georgia law, third-party litigation funding has to register with Georgia's Department of Banking
• Georgia is part of a growing tide of nearly a dozen states that have put guardrails of various degrees
• And Christine Ashburn, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, waiving in support.
• So, with determining negligence, insurance companies use the same measure of reasonableness about standard
• As the chairman of appropriations, there's no dollar amount in your bill, and the Department of State

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met and took up a series of bills, beginning with SB 620, which would require candidates for federal, state, county, district, judicial, and school board offices to disclose any citizenship in countries other than the United States. The bill was presented as a transparency measure, with one opponent waiving time, and it was reported favorably on an 8-0 vote. The committee then heard SB 1396 on litigation financing consumer protection. Supporters from the Florida Justice Reform Institute, American Tort Reform Association, and U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform argued the bill would add transparency, limit funder control, and require disclosure of foreign entities involved in litigation funding. Opponents, including the Florida Justice Association, argued the bill would create strategic advantages for defendants and could affect discovery and settlement dynamics. The bill passed 7-2. The committee also approved SB 192, removing a $1,500 cap on patient funds chiropractors may hold in trust; SB 888, limiting indemnity and insurance requirements in design-professional contracts; CS/SB 332, creating a temporary closed-meeting exemption for pre-suit Burt Harris litigation strategy discussions; SB 820, requiring quarterly reporting on problem-solving courts; SB 1500, updating uncontested probate procedures; SB 1224, making fraudulent entry into rental dwellings a third-degree felony; and SB 1000, setting a floor and ceiling for interest rates on law firm trust accounts. Each of these bills was reported favorably, with broad support and little or no opposition. The committee also advanced CS/SB 694, which would compensate the descendants of the Groveland Four. Senator Bracey Davis described the bill as a final step in addressing the wrongful convictions, deaths, and long-term harm suffered by Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepard, and Ernest Thomas. Family members and advocacy groups testified in support, urging the state to complete its acknowledgment of wrongdoing with monetary compensation. An amendment was adopted to divide any appropriation equally among the four families. The bill passed unanimously. Finally, SB 144 creating a public records exemption for personal information of Judicial Qualifications Commission employees and their families was approved 9-1. Several members also requested to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on specific bills before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Um really pleased to have the Department Um really pleased to have the Department of<00:03:45.920
• ><c> Department</c><00:04:35.919><c> of</c><00:04:36.000><c> Energy</c> shutdown, the Department of Energy
• ><c> Department</c><00:47:07.920><c> of</c> negotiators in the Department of negotiators in the Department
• </c> from the Department of Commerce on what from the Department of Commerce on what is<00:49:04.640>
• <01:25:11.920><c> Energy,</c> was only from the Department of Energy, was only from the Department of

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fields of Taunton now moves suspension of the rules.
• Scarsdale that the Department of Conservation and Recreation be authorized to designate a certain trail
• Proof of Brockton now moves suspension of the rules.
• Senate No. 907, an act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the minimum age requirement
• Senate No. 907, an act directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive the minimum age requirement

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, we have nine applications pending with the Texas Department of Emergency Management and a
• I think that kind of bolstered the effort of both the Legislature and, of course, the board.
• The Texas General Land Office, the Texas Department of Emergency Management, the Flood Infrastructure
• the insurance programs, but that's just sort of to build on what's already out there in a general sense
• So if we were able to take some of the energy out of the river and, through the use of some type of a

Committee: House Natural Resources

Summary: The House Committee on Natural Resources met to focus on flooding issues across Texas, with particular attention to South Texas and the recent catastrophic flooding in Central Texas. Chair Harris and Vice Chair Martinez emphasized that flooding is a statewide problem requiring continued legislative attention. The committee heard invited testimony from Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes and Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 General Manager Raul Sassine, who described the March flood event in Hidalgo County, including more than 20 inches of rain, six deaths, over $100 million in local damage, widespread road flooding, and repeated shutdowns of Interstate 2 and its frontage roads. They argued that existing drainage systems are under capacity, that TxDOT projects must account for downstream drainage impacts, and that local governments have already invested heavily in mitigation through bonds and partnerships. Fuentes and Sassine also described the county’s long-term flood mitigation and water-reuse efforts, including the Delta region water management project, which would capture stormwater, runoff, and treated effluent, reduce flooding, and create potable water supply. They said the drainage district manages about 780 miles of channels and 1,100 acres of detention facilities, has used prior Flood Infrastructure Fund and GLO grants, and has ongoing applications for additional state and federal assistance. Members discussed the need for TxDOT coordination, emergency access on frontage roads, local “skin in the game,” and the possibility of combining flood control with aquifer recharge and water supply projects. Texas Water Development Board Executive Administrator Brian McMath then presented an overview of the state’s flood planning and funding framework, including the post-Harvey legislative changes that created the Flood Infrastructure Fund, the Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund, and the regional/state flood planning process. He summarized the first state flood plan adopted in 2024, noting that about one in six Texans live or work in known flood hazard areas and that regional plans identified 4,609 flood risk reduction solutions with an estimated cost of $54.5 billion. He also reviewed TWDB programs for flood grants, community assistance, flood insurance compliance, stream gauges, TexMesonet, flood mapping, and the TexasFlood.org viewer. Members asked about drainage fees, technical assistance, gauge placement, the relationship between flood maps and FEMA FIRMs, and whether flood mitigation funds could support aquifer storage and recovery or recharge projects; TWDB staff said such projects can be eligible if they include flood mitigation components, but direct technical assistance cannot be paid from Flood Infrastructure Fund dollars. The committee concluded by expressing interest in further study of combining flood mitigation with aquifer recharge, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's 3% of all jobs in the state of New Mexico.
• I think I've heard that 70% of all of New Mexico's renewables are actually going out of state.
• For a maximum of five consecutive years, the Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department would provide
• of more moderate means to take advantage of that.
• of life.

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• As a state employee, I'm a current state employee, and my insurance—we have some of the best insurance—I
• According to the Department of Health Care Access and Information, 25% of all preventable hospitalizations
• It requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to connect participants who complete the
• It requires the Department of Health Care Services to publish the names of large employers with workers
• I work for the Department of Fish and Wildlife as a senior environmental scientist and participant in

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:23:31.840><c> of</c> We worked with the Department of We worked with the Department of Corrections
• of Insurance.
• During that time period, there will be a new cost study performed working with the Department of Insurance
• </c><07:20:07.520><c> So</c><07:20:08.000><c> with</c> our department of insurance.
• So with our department of insurance.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up, Director Toyoko with the Department of Business and Economic Development. DCCA.
• </c><00:21:35.440><c> travel</c> framework for the sale of travel framework for the sale of travel insurance
• Development, and Tourism to the Office of Enterprise Technology Services in the Department of Accounting
• <01:38:22.880><c> of</c><01:38:23.000><c> Business</c><01:38:23.480><c> Economic</c> Department of Business
• </c> department of accounting and general department of accounting and general Services<01:38:30.280>

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with HB 934 on broadband and digital equity. Testifiers from the Lieutenant Governor’s office, the Office of Enterprise and Technology Services, DCCA, the University system, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and others generally supported the measure and emphasized the need to coordinate broadband efforts, fund operations, and expand access to high-speed internet, devices, and digital navigation services. The Chamber of Commerce and West Coast Comprehensive Health Center supported the bill but objected to HD1 language excluding broadband infrastructure for retail service, warning it could create unintended consequences and limit community-led or rural projects. The Lieutenant Governor explained the state expects roughly $400 million to $500 million in federal broadband funding, described the bill as consolidating efforts under a broadband office attached to the CIO, and said the office would focus on infrastructure, devices, and training. No vote was taken on HB 934 in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 97 on travel insurance. The Insurance Division said it had no major problem with the product but requested technical changes to align with licensing requirements and noted the bill largely codifies practices already used in the industry. Industry witnesses from Allianz and the U.S. Travel Insurance Association said the measure would create a consistent framework, add consumer protections, and align Hawaii with the NAIC model adopted in many other states. Members questioned whether there was a specific problem the bill was solving, and the division responded that it was mainly a framework and form-review measure rather than a response to a known enforcement issue. The bill was discussed but no final action was reported in the excerpt. HB 448 on technology enablement drew broad support from the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Food Industry Association, and other business representatives. Supporters said the measure would help businesses use technology such as digital platforms, e-commerce, robotics, and AR/VR to improve competitiveness, especially in tourism and other sectors. Committee members pressed for clearer scope, cost estimates, and assurances that local companies would be used; the agency said it would prioritize local-first contracting, use federal NIST-related support where possible, and estimated an initial request of about $200,000, though it could not give a firm total. Members expressed concern that the plan was still too undefined. The committee then began HB 455 on small business loans, where the Attorney General suggested explaining why a special fund is needed, and a witness from H Collaborative said the bill would help startup businesses that struggle most to access capital.

Transcript Highlights:

• John Winger, on behalf of America's Health Insurance Plans, apologies for not getting our letter in on
• Madam Chair, members, John Winger, on behalf of America's health insurance plans.
• Good morning, John Sherekin, with the Association of California Life and Health Insurance companies in
• So if I pay out of my pocket for now because I need the medication, then after the insurance company
• Obviously, from the insurance companies’ point of view, they are trying to save the cost of the drug.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Summary: The Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee heard SB 1094 by Senator Weber Pierson, which would expand pharmacist substitution authority for biosimilars and allow health plans to require use of lower-cost generic or biosimilar alternatives when available, unless the prescriber marks “do not substitute.” The author said the bill is intended to lower prescription drug costs, improve access, and require insurers to report on whether substitutions reduce out-of-pocket costs and premium growth. Committee amendments were accepted, including changes to align definitions with federal law, require a link to the FDA Purple Book, add a 30-day advance notice requirement for plan-driven substitutions, and allow exceptions for patients or providers. Supporters included Blue Shield of California, Sharp HealthCare, health plans, CVS, the California Chamber of Commerce, and other business and health care groups, who argued the bill would increase competition, reduce costs, and remove administrative barriers to using FDA-approved biosimilars. Opponents and “opposed unless amended” witnesses, including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the California Rheumatology Alliance, and some physician groups, argued the bill goes beyond current FDA interchangeability standards, could undermine physician judgment, and may create patient safety concerns for some chronic-disease patients who react differently to biosimilars or experience problems with multiple switches. Committee members discussed the “do not substitute” option, patient notification, insurance approval, and whether the bill preserves physician discretion. After debate, Senator Arreguín moved the bill, and the committee voted 10-0 to pass SB 1094 as amended to the Senate Health Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Three companies control 80% of the insurance market, and each owns a PBM but also operates pharmacies
• this is hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• You've got a lot of courage. You've got a lot of faith. You've got a lot of hope.
• , the fiscal impact of this, even though this is banking insurance, not a fiscal committee, is de minimis
• Let's take up tab 10, SPB 7044, by Banking and Insurance, related to public records, custodians of gold

Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee took up several bills, beginning with CS/SB 326, which modernizes Florida’s curator statute in probate law by clarifying when curators may be appointed, what they may do, and the oversight required. The bill was reported favorably without opposition. The committee then heard SB 1256 on pharmacy audits, which would require PBM audits of pharmacies to follow uniform standards and provide due process protections; pharmacists testified in support, describing current audits as burdensome and conflicted. That bill was also reported favorably. Members next considered CS/SB 598 on funeral, cemetery, and consumer services. An amendment was adopted removing provisions on civil damage caps and phasing out direct disposers, and the bill was then reported favorably. SB 632, dealing with transportation network company insurance, would set coverage requirements for the period after a ride is accepted but before pickup; an opponent argued the existing insurance framework should not be reduced, but the bill passed on a divided vote and was reported favorably. CS/SB 786 on trusts, creating a nonjudicial process to close uncontested trusts and discharge trustees, was supported by banking and legal groups and reported favorably. The committee then took up CS/SB 1110 on Medicaid, health insurance, and HMO coverage for orthotics and prosthetics. A delete-all amendment clarified eligible recipients, and the bill drew extensive emotional testimony from amputees, parents, and advocates describing the high cost of activity limbs and the benefits for children’s health and participation. Several senators praised the testimony and the policy, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, SB 1588 on legal tender refined last session’s gold-and-silver law, and SPB 7044 created related public-records exemptions for custodians of gold and silver; both were reported favorably, with SPB 7044 adopted as a committee bill. The meeting ended with senators recording additional affirmative votes on selected bills and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the commissioner of the department.
• I'm the commissioner of the department I'm the commissioner of the department and<00:01:37.560><c> I<
• ><c> of</c> Board of Education dep Department of Board of Education dep Department of Education<00:13
• Please call the next regulation: Public Protection Cabinet, Department of Insurance, 806 KAR 9:360.
• of Insurance.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met on February 10 with a quorum present, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a long agenda of agency regulations, most of which were accompanied by staff-suggested amendments for drafting conformity under KRS Chapter 13A. The Department of Financial Institutions’ 808 KAR 9:10, the Secretary of State’s 030 KAR 2:11, the Office of the Attorney General’s 04 KAR 5:10, the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology’s emergency 201 KAR 17:120, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ 301 KAR 2:41, the Department for Environmental Protection’s 401 KAR 47:110 and 48:320, the State Police regulations 502 KAR 1:012 and 1:121, the Department for Public Health’s 902 KAR 4:15, the Department for Medicaid Services’ 907 KAR 1:15, and the Department for Community Based Services’ 921 KAR 1:400 were all discussed and, where applicable, staff amendments were approved without objection. The Workplace Standards emergency regulation 803 KAR 2:320E was also presented without amendment, and the Department of Insurance’s 806 KAR 9:360 was taken up but ultimately deferred at the agency’s request. Several regulations drew brief substantive discussion. The Fish and Wildlife rule on foxhound training enclosures was explained as expanding both commercial and non-commercial provisions for training with dogs involving red fox and coyotes, with enclosure standards intended to protect wildlife inside and outside the facilities. The environmental protection rules were tied to House Bill 478 and addressed permit-by-rule timelines, reporting, and operating standards for certain construction and demolition debris landfills, including sites up to two acres; members asked whether these facilities were private or municipal, and staff said they were a mix, often tied to private demolition contractors or single projects. The State Police fee increase for hazardous materials endorsements was described as reflecting a federal TSA fee change, and the witness estimated the new fee at about $23. The most extended debate concerned the Board of Education’s 704 KAR 3:535 on full-time virtual and remote learning programs. The agency amendment would cap enrollment in such programs at 10% above a district’s prior-year in-person enrollment, while also clarifying accountability, staffing, and monitoring requirements. Education officials said the cap was intended to address concerns about district capacity and student performance, and they cited Cloverport as an example of a district with high virtual participation and participation-rate issues. Members expressed concern that the amendment was too open-ended for regulation and suggested the issue might be better addressed in statute; no motion was made to adopt the agency amendment, so the regulation was left to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The Department of Insurance also discussed implementation of Senate Bill 188, saying it had received more than 3,000 complaints since the law took effect and was still working through enforcement and complaint processing before asking to defer its PBM licensing regulation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Way of introduction, Chief Randy Blaine, from the Aquinnah Police Department on Martha's Vineyard.
• So, with that being said, like I said, in the smallest town right now, we're a department of four officers
• it's always been kind of hush-hush to the detriment of the tenants to the detriments of landlords I
• my tip of my tongue but in some cases insurance apartment renters insurance will cover it or the landlord's
• Year-round teachers, nurses, police, Department of Public Works workers, tradespeople, and small business

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Housing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing heard testimony on several housing bills, with much of the discussion focused on seasonal communities and funding for year-round housing in places like Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, and the Berkshires. Speakers supported bills including H. 4410/S. 966 and related seasonal communities legislation, which would allow local option real estate transfer fees and expand tools for towns to preserve and create affordable housing. Testimony emphasized severe housing shortages, high home prices, workforce displacement, and impacts on public safety, schools, health care, and local businesses. Many witnesses said the transfer fee would provide a sustainable local revenue stream, citing prior land bank models on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard as proof the approach can work. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3989 regarding seasonal community designation, with supporters arguing that towns should be included automatically or through a simpler opt-in process, and on H. 4568 to expand the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which would broaden access to a federal voucher-based savings and self-sufficiency model. Senator Edwards testified in support of a bill to create training for municipal board members, describing it as a toolkit to improve informed local decision-making. Senator O’Connor testified for a bed bug bill, saying it would create clearer landlord and tenant notification and treatment requirements and provide needed legal guidance after his family’s experience with an infestation. Senator Lovely also testified for the Homeworks program, which provides transportation so homeless children in motels and shelters can attend after-school activities. The committee further heard testimony on a bill to fund housing in seasonal communities through a transfer fee and on a companion measure to expand the seasonal communities toolkit, with repeated calls for favorable reports. Witnesses from public safety, health care, housing nonprofits, schools, and local government described staffing shortages and housing insecurity as urgent problems. Later, the committee took testimony on H. 1559/S. 102 to maintain stable housing for families with pets, with animal welfare groups supporting protections against eviction, breed discrimination, and excessive pet rent. They said housing-related pet surrenders are a major driver of shelter intake. The hearing also included testimony on H. 1498 to limit criminalization of homelessness, which would restrict citations, fines, and related consequences for outdoor camping tied solely to homelessness.

Transcript Highlights:

• It sort of follows the opposite direction of the bill.
• of the of follows the opposite direction of the bill.<00:02:29.520><c> So,</c><00:02:30.239><c> um,<
• ><c> and</c> impacts of section four of the bill, and impacts of section four of the bill, and that's
• </c> that instead of paying for items out of that instead of paying for items out of the<00:03:25.920
• </c><00:03:49.440><c> of</c> provided the the Minnesota Department of provided the the Minnesota Department

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, in code, you can use your telephone to show your proof of insurance.
• If you are driving a... ...use your telephone to show your proof of insurance.
• House Bill 503 moves the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission from the Department of Agriculture
• to the Department of Water Resources.
• The purpose is to take advantage of some scale... ...to the Department of Water Resources.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Eighty percent of the health insurance premium surtax would go to the health care affordability fund
• Chair. members of the committee, I'm Sarah Cloutier, representing Be Well New Mexico's health insurance
• I'm here on behalf of the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance, and we stand in support of this
• Chairman, and Senator Woods, currently, 55% of the healthcare insurance premium surtax goes into the
• Okay, so if there's an insurance premium surtax anyone that buys private insurance in the state of New

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• departments of each county, mayors of each county, and chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives
• departments of each county, mayors of each county, and chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives
• <00:10:42.800><c> each</c> council, building department of each council, building department of each
• </c><00:10:46.880><c> departments</c><00:10:47.279><c> of</c> mayors of sorry, building departments of
• mayors of sorry, building departments of each<00:10:47.600><c> county,</c><00:10:48.000><c> mayors</

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Housing heard two resolutions. STR 48 SD 1 called for a comprehensive strategy to adopt updated building codes, with testimony listed from several groups but no one appeared to testify. The committee later deferred the measure, noting it was very similar to House Concurrent Resolution 67 House Draft 1. The committee then took up STR 6D1, which urges the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to develop a plan to produce enough housing to meet state demand. HHFDC testified that the resolution misstated the scope of low-income housing tax credit units and emphasized that the state’s housing need is much larger than previously cited, with a recent study showing about 33,000 units needed for households at or below 60% AMI statewide. HHFDC supported planning but said any plan must be realistic and account for private land constraints. A member raised concerns about rising leasehold costs and affordability for homeowners, and HHFDC responded that rental affordability can be maintained more readily than for-sale housing. The committee adopted HHFDC’s proposed amendments to STR 6D1, including deleting a clause about overbuilding, revising the shortage figures, and adding language referencing Senate Bill 26 and the affordable housing land inventory task force. The committee also amended the resolution to focus on density and timing of development for projects identified by that task force. The measure passed with amendments, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• those things like the the a number of those things like the the Department<00:09:58.640><c> of</c><00
• :09:58.720><c> Human</c><00:09:58.920><c> Services,</c><00:09:59.400><c> Department</c> Department of
• Human Services, Department Department of Human Services, Department of<00:09:59.920><c> Health,</c><
• </c><00:14:05.680><c> Not</c> Department of Labor and Industry.
• I know outside of your department, you know, the Commerce Department, for example, we've got industries

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, NABIP.
• I'm here to testify in favor of Senate 798, an act relative to small business health insurance incentives
• First, the group purchase of insurance and the proper utilization of health care allows for actuarial
• But here's the thing: neither the doctor, the state, nor the insurance company had even the name of this
• I am the Region 1 Vice President of the National Association of Brokers and Insurance Professionals.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a hearing with Chair Jamie Murphy and Senate co-chair Senator Feeney presiding. Members asked witnesses to keep testimony to three minutes and noted that written testimony could still be submitted. The committee heard testimony on several health insurance and pharmacy-related bills, including a proposal to allow controlled prescriptions to be transferred between pharmacies within the same chain, legislation affecting health savings account (HSA)-compatible plans and future insurance mandates, a bill on small business health insurance incentives, and H. 1212 on emergency insulin access. Several parents and patients testified in support of emergency insulin access, describing severe diabetes emergencies, diabetic ketoacidosis, prescription delays, and the need for pharmacists to dispense insulin in urgent situations when doctors or insurers are unavailable. A parent also described the burden of repeatedly obtaining new prescriptions for ADHD medication when pharmacies are out of stock. Witnesses supporting the HSA bill argued that state coverage mandates can unintentionally disqualify HSA-qualified plans and that the bill would preserve tax advantages for enrollees while avoiding repeated legislative fixes. A representative of the Retailers Association supported the small business health insurance incentives bill, saying it could help retain small employers in the merged market by allowing carriers to offer financial incentives tied to cooperative purchasing and utilization efforts. One witness, Kathleen Demarest, testified against a co-pay assistance restriction, saying a state rule had unexpectedly cut off her drug assistance before a generic was actually available, leaving her with very high out-of-pocket costs. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions about HSAs, insulin dispensing, and school support for diabetes care. After all scheduled witnesses had testified and no additional testimony was offered, the committee voted to close the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• These counties often have IT departments of less than five employees; some have only one IT employee.
• These counties often have IT departments of less than five employees; some have only one IT employee.
• Through Federal Homeland Security Grant funds and, in partnership with the Department of Public Safety
• a co-pay, my insurance has to pay for the office visit, and I have to take up the valuable time of a
• and</c> the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety and mindat<00:30:00.720>

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all