Transcript Highlights:

• Part of his foundation, um, is considered, uh, what we call adventure therapy.
• Foundation wise, uh, I'm getting a chance to do this adventure therapy program.

Transcript Highlights:

• sorry, it would allocate 1.2 million in existing funds, uh, not new funds to reporting for Medicaid therapy
• And these are children who have acute therapy needs who are not getting the services now because there's

Transcript Highlights:

• He needs physical therapy. He needs ongoing support.
• He needs<00:31:00.960> physical<00:31:01.360> therapy.
• He needs ongoing needs physical therapy.
• He showed how the therapy works, how the food works, and how the caregivers work.
• You know, as I mentioned before, he needs rehab therapy.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that have qualified for the grant program provide traditional and non-traditional mental health and therapy

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Access<02:47:24.800> to<02:47:25.040> physical<02:47:25.439> therapy<02:47:26.240
• This results in lost work time, therapy.
• <02:47:58.080> platform<02:47:58.560> for<02:47:58.880> joint, physical therapy
• platform for joint, physical therapy platform for joint, back,<02:47:59.520> and<02:47:59.760
• , otherwise would go without therapy, otherwise would go without therapy, reducing<02:48:08.160><

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's not the rate that Representative Lad was suggesting for OT or speech therapy or something like
• That includes physical therapy, speech, OT, any of those things could be reimbursed through IDEA, and
• That includes physical therapy,<01:14:12.000> speech,<01:14:12.560> OT,<01:14:13.120>
• , OT, any of those things therapy, speech, OT, any of those things could<01:14:14.640> be<01:14
• <01:14:56.400> or child for counseling or therapy or child for counseling or therapy or something

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stable funding allows counties to implement proven interventions like cognitive behavior therapy, substance
• Stable funding allows counties to implement proven interventions like cognitive behavior therapy, substance
• Stable funding allows counties to implement proven interventions like cognitive behavior therapy, substance
• Stable funding allows counties to implement proven interventions like cognitive behavior therapy, substance
• about it whether that's in therapy about it whether that's in therapy whether<01:20:21.440> it's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of their life living in a single cell room waiting for the appropriate placement, not getting the therapy
• This wasn’t therapy at all; that being in this jail environment...”
• This wasn’t therapy at all; that being in this jail environment.
• <00:32:09.159> that's<00:32:09.320> needed not getting the therapy that's needed not
• getting the therapy that's needed this<00:32:09.840> wasn't<00:32:10.159> therapy<00:32

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These rules are the amendments for the rules for massage therapy in Arkansas.
• amendments to the existing rule are to implement changes pursuant to Act 267 regarding the massage therapy
• These rules are the amendments for the rules for massage therapy in Arkansas.
• amendments to the existing rule are to implement changes pursuant to Act 267 regarding the massage therapy
• can you tell me, since the legislature has turned over the basically the oversight for the massage therapy

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• by AI algorithms on the market actually claiming that they provide. ...claiming that they provide therapy
• is in your pocket,' and even claim to specialize in cognitive behavioral therapy.
• A recent Stanford study found that AI therapy chatbots not only lack effectiveness compared to human
• SB 903 would build off this model to protect individuals seeking therapy or psychotherapy services by
• Practicing therapy without a license is already illegal.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This space will house the urgent care clinic, a sleep center, some pediatric therapy services, and storage
• This space will house the urgent care clinic, a sleep center, some pediatric therapy services, and storage
• It will house the urgent care clinic, a sleep center, some pediatric therapy services, and storage. >
• :00.800> center,<00:03:01.680> some<00:03:02.000> pediatric<00:03:02.640> therapy
• sleep center, some pediatric therapy sleep center, some pediatric therapy services,<00:03:03.920

Keywords: 0:00:08 Call to Order and Roll Call 0:00:38 Approval of Minutes 0:01:02 Information Items 0:02:17 Lease Rpt from Postsecondary Institutions 0:06:42 Project Rpt from Finance and Administration Cabinet 0:15:03 Lease Rpt from Finance and Administration Cabinet 0:24:00 Rpt from OFM – KY Infrastructure Authority 0:42:55 Economic Development Fund Grants 0:53:38 Rpt from OFM – New Debt Issues 1:16:33 Remaining 2025 Meeting Dates 1:16:45 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, approval of the July minutes, and several informational reports. Those reports included a University of Kentucky restricted-fund medical equipment purchase for Chandler Hospital, debt issues for five school districts, Eastern Kentucky University’s planned model laboratory school using construction management risk delivery, a Division of Real Properties lease advertisement, Kentucky Communications Network Authority quarterly project reports, and EKU asset preservation revisions. Members then heard and approved a new UK St. Clair Urgent Care Clinic lease in Morehead and an amendment expanding space for the UK Family and Community Medicine Clinic at Turflin Clinic. Testimony explained that both properties are privately owned, the Morehead lease predated the UK/St. Clair arrangement, and the Turflin Clinic is tight on space. The committee also approved three new projects and an appropriation increase: two Department of Military Affairs projects, a Window Ford Training Center underground electric project and a Williamsburg Readiness Center interior repair project, a Fish and Wildlife property acquisition adjoining Veterans Memorial Wildlife Management Area, and an $8.113 million increase for the Department of Revenue integrated tax system (DORIS). The DORIS increase was described as needed for change orders tied to legislation and to complete the unified tax system. The committee next reviewed no-action items, including a $3 million emergency flood-damage repair project for the Bush Building and Vest-Lindsay House in Frankfort, and three pool projects over $1 million: a Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women window replacement phase 2 project, a Department of Criminal Justice Training interior refurbishment at Thompson Hall, and the Muddy Gut Branch stream mitigation project in Johnson County. The flood project was confirmed to be fully reimbursed by insurance proceeds. Finally, the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority presented six loans and nine grants. Action items included water and sewer financing for Cumberland County, Lebanon, Northern Kentucky Water District, Lewisport, and Providence, plus a major Taylor Mill treatment plant project and several cleaner water grants and reallocations. Members asked about loan rates, local rate increases needed to repay debt, and the Providence emergency water interconnect; staff explained that Lewisport had begun a rate increase process, and that the Providence project would connect Webster County Water District and the city of Providence to stabilize pressure after a systemwide failure. All action items were approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• for classes, and assessments, tutoring, uniforms, transportation to and from school, educational therapies
• We also had a young girl speech therapy she needed.
• For example, if the child had a speech impairment, the speech therapy was provided by the school.
• All of these therapy services were provided by the residing school district.
• , occupational therapy, and so on.

Bills: HB 3

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• In this region, that program provides short-term counseling and therapy services to LGBTQIA individuals
• continue piloting an LGBTQIA mental health connections program, as I noted, that provides counseling and therapy
• . health connections program, and in this region, that program provides short-term counseling and therapy
• continue piloting an LGBTQIA mental health connections program, as I noted, that provides counseling and therapy

Summary: The Select Committee on Older LGBTQ Californians held an inaugural hearing focused on the health care and support landscape for older LGBTQ Californians, including people aging with HIV and transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex seniors. Opening remarks emphasized the long history of discrimination faced by older LGBTQ adults, the growth of the aging LGBTQ population, and the need to translate existing state commitments into concrete services. Senators highlighted concerns about nursing home vulnerability, the aging of people living with HIV, and the impact of federal actions and Medicaid cuts on California’s safety net. The first panel featured Justice in Aging, CalHHS, the Department of Aging, and the Aging and HIV Institute. Testimony described widespread inequities, including discrimination, social isolation, economic insecurity, and gaps in culturally competent care. State officials outlined the Master Plan for Aging, the first statewide survey of LGBTQIA older adults, gender-affirming care protections in Medi-Cal, and efforts to improve coordination across departments. Advocates argued the state has been too slow to respond to federal threats and that services are often hard to find or fragmented. Committee members pressed the departments on how survey findings are being turned into action, how rural and underserved communities are being reached, and whether more formal stakeholder coordination or “no wrong door” access systems are needed. The second panel focused on seniors living with HIV. A long-term survivor gave emotional testimony about the “survivorship penalty,” loss of benefits, housing insecurity, and the need for legal and navigation support, housing assistance, and protection from outdated disability standards. The Department of Aging reported on implementation of SB 258, which added HIV status to the definition of greatest social need for area agencies on aging; it said 20 of 33 area plans now identify HIV as a target population and many include specific strategies, such as LGBTQIA mental health connections programs. The Office of AIDS described Project Cornerstone, Ryan White, ADAP, HOPWA, the Medi-Cal waiver, and PrEP-AP, noting these programs serve thousands of older clients and rely on whole-person case management. Case management testimony underscored persistent needs for medication subsidies, transportation, food, and housing. Committee members questioned how ADAP rebate funds might be used, how SB 258 is enforced across local agencies, and how to reduce administrative barriers and auto-connect eligible people to benefits. The final panel began with the Department of Social Services outlining protections for TGI seniors in licensed care facilities, including SB 219’s nondiscrimination requirements and related provider notices and resident rights materials. The hearing remained focused on identifying service gaps, improving coordination across aging, health, and social service systems, and ensuring state programs better reflect the lived experience of older LGBTQ Californians.

Transcript Highlights:

• the key differences in how the collaborative care model compares to our traditional mental health therapy
• 09.080> traditional<00:20:09.640> mental<00:20:10.000> health<00:20:10.240> therapy
• to our traditional mental health therapy to our traditional mental health therapy um<00:20:11.320

Bills: HF958, HF688, HF702

Keywords: mental health, behavioral health, psychiatric care, collaborative care model, healthcare funding, service dog, service animal, service dog in training, assistance dog, guide dog, disability rights, housing accommodations, fair housing, landlord, rental housing, homeowners association, HOA, Minnesota human services, accessible housing, reasonable accommodation

Transcript Highlights:

• Private sector breakthroughs, from groundbreaking cancer medications to curative gene therapies, also
• directed the health secretary to examine ways to reduce drug prices and improve access to innovative therapies
• oversight, prescribing practices while promoting alternative solutions such as counseling, behavioral therapies
• track to being a mom and a wife and a productive, happy person, and I'm really grateful for that therapy

Transcript Highlights:

• They perform spinal manipulation, use hands to adjust the spine, and soft tissue therapy, such as various
• ><00:21:09.480> and<00:21:09.880> soft<00:21:10.279> tissue<00:21:10.880> therapy
• uh the spine um and soft tissue therapy uh the spine um and soft tissue therapy um<00:21:12.200>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee opened its first hearing of the 2025 session with procedural instructions about testimony limits, Zoom participation, written testimony, and a reconvening date if needed. It then heard SB 200 on speedy trials. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing it could create conflicts of interest for prosecutors, potentially make victims or witnesses quasi-parties to criminal cases, force traumatizing testimony on continuance motions, and unfairly delay trials for in-custody defendants. A World Care representative supported the bill and urged broader protections for minors, disabled people, and seniors. The chair also pressed the public defender to suggest improvements, emphasizing that the bill was driven by victims and families. No vote or final action was taken on SB 200. The committee next took up SB 8 on jury duty exemptions for health professionals. Testimony was strongly supportive from nurses, physicians, and disability advocates, who said APRNs and other nurses are in short supply and that jury service can disrupt patient care, especially in rural and neighbor island areas. One witness suggested expanding the exemption to include registered nurses as well as APRNs, while a senator raised concerns about blanket exemptions for non-practicing APRNs and suggested a time limit. The bill remained under discussion with no final action reported. The committee then heard SB 144 on chiropractic, with the state chiropractic board offering comments and the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association supporting the measure as a way to address workforce shortages and provide students more hands-on clinical experience. A World Care witness also supported the bill after clarifying her remarks. The chair then moved to SB 107 on medical informed consent, where the Hawaii Medical Board opposed the bill and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Queen’s Health System offered comments, citing concerns about duplicative standards. A support witness proposed expanding the bill to better address combined mental and physical health conditions. Finally, SB 189 on breast cancer screening drew support from the Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Radiological Society, Queen’s Health Systems, and others, while the Insurance Division raised concerns about possible insurance mandate defrayment and the need for a sunrise analysis. Senators also asked about local demographic data and coverage impacts; the chair indicated decision-making would be deferred to another day.

Transcript Highlights:

• beyond behavioral health, including rehab placement, referrals to in-house nursing care, physical therapy
• , and occupational therapy.
• I believe that people who are suffering with chronic conditions and may want to seek counseling, therapy

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, keep in mind, general dentists can do root canals and do periodontal therapy, and we often use them
• registered dental hygienist co-located at a Medicaid-assisted treatment center who's providing Suboxone therapy
• or methadone maintenance therapy, right?

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Care Management Meeting opened with a DSS update on the PCMH program. Staff reported the program remained steady at 124 practices, 553 sites, and 2,548 providers, with some month-to-month fluctuation driven by practice consolidation, retirements, and a few practices leaving the program because NCQA requirements were burdensome. Members asked about declining provider and site counts, member attribution trends, and whether PCMH practices overlap with behavioral health homes; DSS said attribution changes are largely due to members becoming ineligible, moving, or getting other insurance, and that PCMH and behavioral health homes are separate programs that coordinate informally. The committee also discussed why some smaller practices leave the program and whether the requirements could be made easier to support retention. The committee then resumed a detailed presentation on the Husky Dental program. The presenter described the dental benefit’s history, the importance of preventive oral health, workforce and consolidation pressures in dentistry, and the lack of interoperability between dental and medical records. Network data showed year-over-year declines in enrolled dental practitioners and service locations, with access gaps concentrated in rural and eastern parts of the state. Appointment availability surveys showed average waits of 38 days for adults and 23 days for children, but much longer waits at FQHCs than private fee-for-service practices. The presenter said Connecticut remains above the national median on CMS pediatric dental quality measures, though sealant rates remain a concern, and noted that preventive care is associated with lower per-member costs. Members raised concerns about provider participation, large practices dropping Medicaid, mobile dental care, and whether the public directory accurately reflects which dentists are actually accepting new patients. The presenter said the plan uses secret-shopper calls, tracks appointment availability, and has begun using place-of-service coding to better identify school-based dental care. She also noted a new MOU with 20 Head Start programs to share data and provide oral health literacy and navigation support. The final major topic was implementation planning for HR1. DSS said CMS guidance was expected in early June and proposed using upcoming meetings to cover medical frailty, communication strategy, and data integration/ex parte verification. Committee members urged the department to create a dashboard to track disenrollments and other impacts of HR1, to build a process for complaints and problem resolution, and to think through cost-sharing, caregiver verification, exemptions, and notices. Members also asked about using existing eligibility structures such as the working-disabled program as a model. The committee agreed to move the next meeting to June 10 by Zoom, with the agenda to be circulated in advance and any PCMH Plus quality data shared if available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our program uses modalities such as art and music therapy, trauma-informed yoga, breathwork, and sound
• women, and we concluded the day by participating in the Art of the Soul, a powerful art and music therapy
• It sounds like they're able to get the traditional healing therapies already through... ...at 100% FMAP

Bills: SB1112, SB1517, SB1537, SB1584, SB1673, SB1776

Keywords: mental health, hearings, acquaintance witnesses, patient rights, treatment evaluation, barbering, cosmetology, appropriation, funding, licensing, board operations, peace officer, training, public safety, traffic offenses, judicial system, corrections, recruitment, state budget, crime victims

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas Jake's goal is to provide support and therapy to the veteran population at the Veterans Affairs
• She wants to attend Albert to study physical therapy.
• She wants to attend Albert to study physical therapy.

Bills: HB2059, HB3920, HB2992, HB3267, HB4457, HB3800, HB3818, HB4425, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4333, HB4340, HB4343, HB4344, HB4363, HB4229, HB4230, HB4236, HB4246, HB1979, HB3431, HB3052, HB3047, HB3048, HB4092, HB4302, HB3261, HB3704, HB3312, HB3546, HB3849, HCR1021, HB4105, HB4159, HB4304, HB3835, HB3619, HB4490, HB3710, HB4201, HB3907, HB3748

Keywords: health care, medication, inmates, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, reimbursement, county jails, medical expenses, sales tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, procurement, transplant research, Oklahoma Tax Code, HB2992, Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma utilities, ratepayer protection, data centers, artificial intelligence computing, AI data centers