Video & Transcript : 'counselor training' :
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OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services REVISED Apr 30th, 2026
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- will get started with Michael Vaughan of Moore to the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors
- to bring to you today Michael Vaughn of Moore to the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors
- , Workforce Training, to serve a five-year term ending June 5th, Health Care Workers Training, Workforce
- Training, to serve a five-year term ending June 5th, 2013.
- And finally, we've shifted to a nationally recognized de-escalation restraint training.
Committee:
Senate Health and Human Services
Summary:
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met to consider a series of gubernatorial nominations, first for several boards and commissions and then for key health-related executive positions. Early confirmations included Michael Vaughn to the Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Tina Frazier to the State Board of Licensed Social Workers, Dr. Kanya Martin and Dr. Edgar Boyd to the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Dr. Christopher Thurman to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission, Samuel Haubrick and Robert Wipp Jr. to the Committee of Home Inspector Examiners, and Dr. Gabriel Pittman to the State Board of Health. Each nominee briefly described their background and qualifications, and committee members generally emphasized professional experience, public service, and rural health needs. All of these nominations advanced on unanimous or near-unanimous votes.
The committee then considered Clayton Bullard for two roles: Cabinet Secretary of Health and Mental Health and Administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Senators focused heavily on Medicaid managed care, provider payment delays, MCO oversight, and the short timeline before a new administration. Bullard said his priority would be stabilizing the agency, building a balanced budget, monitoring contractors and managed care organizations, and ensuring claims are paid promptly; he reported high rates of clean-claim payment within 14 days and said the agency would continue fining MCOs for noncompliance. Members also pressed him on legislative oversight and the need to keep lawmakers informed about policy changes. Both nominations were approved and sent to the full Senate.
Sharon Schell Millington was then nominated to lead the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Senators asked about security concerns, staff safety, de-escalation training, pay for direct care staff, and coordination with local law enforcement. Millington said the agency had increased staff pay, adopted nationally recognized restraint/de-escalation training, and was working to improve communication with law enforcement. Her nomination also passed and moved to the Senate floor. At the end of the meeting, the chair answered a question about board membership requirements, clarified that the statute limits how many members may reside in one congressional district but does not require every district to be represented, and thanked committee staff for their work as the committee’s final HHS meeting of the session.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee Apr 22nd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And we can help fill those positions with formerly incarcerated firefighters who are already trained,
- They've already done their on-the-job training, which I think is valuable.
- It's education when you have on-the-job training.
- Six of our current school administrators were previously teachers or counselors at ECS.
- At ECS, that means 162 employees would be impacted, including counselors.
Summary:
The Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several bills, beginning with AB 2483, which would create a permanent pathway for formerly incarcerated Cal Fire fire crew members to receive certification and pursue firefighting jobs after release. The author and supporters described incarcerated firefighters as highly trained workers who perform dangerous frontline fire suppression work but often leave without credentials or a clear hiring path. The chair strongly supported the bill, and there was no opposition.
The committee then considered AB 1619, which would raise trustee stipend limits for retirement board members from $100 to $320 per meeting for county retirement systems, CalSTRS, and CalPERS, subject to local approval. Supporters argued the current stipend is nearly 40 years old and no longer reflects the complexity and fiduciary responsibility of overseeing large pension systems, and that higher stipends could improve diversity and participation. The bill was passed on a 7-0 vote and sent to Appropriations. The committee also passed its cleanup bill, AB 2780, making technical and conforming changes to retirement laws, and AB 2519, which corrects an unintended consequence of prior CalSTRS legislation so certain charter school employees can remain eligible for CalSTRS membership; both bills advanced unanimously to Appropriations.
AB 2017, the California Eid State Holiday Act, was heard next. The bill would recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in California and provide excused absences for students observing the holidays. Supporters, including Muslim students, educators, and advocacy organizations, said the measure would promote inclusion and help Muslim Californians feel seen and respected. Members spoke in favor, and the bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. Finally, AB 2656 would require public employers to give employee organizations 45 days’ written notice before developing or using generative AI in represented job classifications. Supporters said the bill would ensure transparency and labor input, while county and special district groups raised concerns about scope and implementation but expressed willingness to keep working on the measure. It also passed 7-0 to Appropriations, and the meeting adjourned.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- The response explained that EMT training is about four months, intermediate training is about another
- four months, and paramedic training is about 12 months.
- Okay, so quite a bit of training. I'm sure. I was curious what the training was then.
- My nephew had a counselor here.
- and was unable to find a counselor in Kentucky that really understood his issues.
Committee:
House House Judiciary
NV
Nevada 2025 Regular Session
Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor May 30th, 2025 at 08:00 am
Commerce and Labor
Transcript Highlights:
- And so it really is going to expand how many counselors we have.
- In 2017, we had 50.4 counselors for 100,000 residents, while the national average was 181.
- clinical professional counselors, from which only 28 were in rural counties.
- I'm a licensed clinical professional counselor and licensed...
- I'm a licensed clinical professional counselor and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, and
Committee:
Senate Commerce and Labor
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- You're a trained problem solver.
- This doesn't affect teachers, counselors, anything like that.
- A counselor changed. A counselor changed my life.
- We already have a counselor crisis and a teacher crisis.
- And now, We already have a counselor crisis and a teacher crisis.
Summary:
The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate.
The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions.
The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
January 14, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- The bill expands opportunities for experienced foreign-trained physicians by allowing foreign medical
- Most of the PA ACN applications received are from physician assistants whose training requires review
- Licensed mental health counselors make up the majority of applications received.
- MQA's implementation started with educating and training department inspectors to incorporate the changes
- standards for chiropractic physicians performing dry needling, including specific education and training
Summary:
The Health Professions and Program Subcommittee met for an introductory and oversight briefing from the Florida Department of Health on implementation of several 2024 laws. The committee heard first from Jennifer Winhold on practitioner-regulation measures, including SB 1716 and SB 1600, which expanded workforce pathways through foreign-trained physician licensure, area-of-critical-need temporary certificates for APRNs and physician assistants, graduate assistant physician licenses, interstate compacts, and a new universal licensure-by-endorsement process. She also reviewed HB 197 on massage therapy enforcement, HB 975 on broader background screening, HB 1561 on office-surgery and liposuction safeguards, HB 159 on pharmacist HIV post-exposure prophylaxis certification, and HB 1063 on chiropractic dry needling and foreign degree licensure. Members asked about compact scope, foreign graduate requirements, massage enforcement overlap with DBPR, and registration thresholds for liposuction procedures.
Dr. Emma Spencer then outlined implementation of SB 76 and related programs, including changes to the FRAME and dental loan repayment programs, the volunteer health care provider program, the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, the Health Care Innovation Council and revolving loan program, and the Andrew John Anderson Pediatric Rare Disease Grant Program. She said the department had updated portals, posted forms, launched or was developing public search tools, and submitted required reports and contracts. Members questioned whether loan repayment funds were reaching rural and underserved areas, how nonprofit applicants were being informed about the Alphonse screening grant program, the short application window for that grant, and how the department would evaluate whether the programs were improving recruitment and retention.
A third presentation, delivered by Mike Mason standing in for Shea Holloway, covered maternal and child health and other public health initiatives. He reported on the telehealth maternity care program’s expansion from a pilot in Duval and Orange counties to 23 counties, the pregnancy-and-parenting resources website required by HB 415, CMV newborn screening requirements under SB 168, sickle cell registry and research grants under HB 7085, and the swim lessons voucher program under SB 544, which received nearly 10,000 requests for 3,500 vouchers and enrolled 86 facilities. Members asked about utilization, marketing, website launch timing, and how the department was promoting these services. No bills were voted on; the meeting concluded with the chair noting that more committee presentations and bills would follow and that briefing materials would be distributed to members.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Higher Education Committee Jun 24th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I have trained and given presentations and seminars to hundreds of people showing them how this can be
- SB 241 will add and explicitly require that librarian, counselor, student personnel workers, supervisor
- EOPS students interact with their counselors and support staff multiple times each semester to address
- EOPS students interact with their counselors and support staff multiple times each semester to address
- This framework enables programs to better align their services, education, job training, and community
Summary:
The committee heard several higher education bills. It first approved the consent calendar, which included SB 67 and SB 619. The main discussion centered on SB 437, which would direct the CSU system to develop a fair, evidence-based process for verifying whether someone is a descendant of a person enslaved in the United States, as part of the state’s reparations work. Supporters said the bill fills a gap left by the Reparations Task Force and would create a transparent, credible lineage-verification process; opponents argued genealogy methods already exist, the bill would waste money and delay action, and some raised constitutional concerns. The committee took a vote on SB 437, but the roll was left open after the initial tally showed three ayes and three noes.
The committee then heard SB 790, which would allow California to join the interstate reciprocity agreement for online postsecondary education. The author and supporters said the bill would improve consumer protections for California students taking out-of-state online courses and help California institutions compete more effectively by reducing the burden of seeking separate state approvals. Opponents, including University of Phoenix and other groups, argued the bill conflicted with the existing reciprocity framework, could exclude some institutions, and might not actually secure California’s entry into the agreement. The committee voted 3-1 to pass SB 790 as amended to the Business and Professions Committee, with the roll left open.
The committee also heard SB 391, which would authorize the Community College Chancellor’s Office to charge fees for research partners seeking access to data. Supporters said the office is absorbing significant unfunded workload from data requests and that fees would help recover costs; opponents, including the California Teachers Association community college association, warned the fees could create barriers for faculty and smaller researchers. Members discussed possible exemptions and implementation details. The committee voted 5-1 to pass SB 391 as amended to the Appropriations Committee, with the roll left open. Finally, the committee heard SB 685, a pilot program to provide cost-of-attendance assistance at four CSU campuses for students who experienced homelessness in high school. Supporters said it would help students cover housing, food, and transportation costs and reduce dropout risk; members asked about eligibility and implementation, and the author explained the bill would use McKinney-Vento homelessness designations and target students at risk of “summer melt” and college homelessness.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine bridging the gap, focusing on enhancing outreach to support veterans' mental health. Apr 29th, 2025 at 09:30 am
Senate Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- If we fire the counselors and others who are doing outreach, it will cripple efforts to save veterans
- It is leading doctors and counselors to look elsewhere for work. I am almost out of time.
- We're talking about train the trainers, the people who train the other folks, the supervisors, some of
- Our focus at Vet Centers has been the hiring of our counselors as well as our outreach staff.
- We train minority veteran leaders and. providers in culturally competent care, and we create spaces,
Committee:
Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs
Keywords:
veterans, mental health, suicide prevention, Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Grant Program, HOPE Act, BRAVE Act, Every State Counts for Vets Mental Health Act, advocacy, legislation, mental health resources
Summary:
The committee meeting focused primarily on the critical issues surrounding veterans' mental health and suicide prevention. Discussions centered on the reauthorization of essential programs aimed at providing non-clinical support services to veterans, particularly the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Senators emphasized the urgent need for adequate mental health resources as the suicide rate among veterans remains alarmingly high. Key testimonies were provided by various advocates and officials, illustrating both successful implementations of these programs and areas needing improvement.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- I know that counselors at high schools have a lot of influence over career paths, college paths, and
- So from a structure of a high school, I think the guidance counselor from a school district should be
- So I think what I'm hearing is a counselor is just as important as a coach or a teacher to start from
- So I think what I'm hearing is a counselor is just as important as a coach or a teacher to start from
- The guidance counselors at high school. in the right direction? 100%. Okay.
Bills:
HB9 , HB177 , HB181 , HB202 , HB225 , HB398 , HB459 , HB540 , HB906 , HB1052 , HB1057 , HB1245
Committee:
Senate Senate & Governmental Affairs
Keywords:
HB 9, HB9, Act 527, Shreveport, Stuffed Shrimp Capital, state symbol, Louisiana symbols, municipal designation, honorary title, cultural designation, tourism, local pride, seafood, shrimp, stuffed shrimp, cuisine, city branding, Louisiana Revised Statutes 49:170.26, court reporter, official court reporter
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee Apr 22nd, 2026
Public Employment and Retirement
Transcript Highlights:
- And we can help fill those positions with formerly incarcerated firefighters who are already trained,
- They've already done their on-the-job training, which I think is valuable.
- It's education when you have on-the-job training.
- Six of our current school administrators were previously teachers or counselors at ECS.
- At ECS, that means 162 employees would be impacted, including counselors.
Committee:
House Public Employment and Retirement
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Feb 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill seeks to address the shortage of genetic counselors in our state by establishing an education
- This bill seeks to address the shortage of genetic counselors in our state by establishing an education
- Florida is still considered today to be a genetic counselor desert with just 179 licensed GCs, many of
- I think what many higher education institutions need to focus on is workforce training.
- And I understand Florida has now the number one state in the country in workforce training.
Summary:
The committee on Higher Education Appropriations heard and favorably reported two bills: SB 1570, which revives the former Project Leo program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices, and CS/SB 1376, which creates a grant program to support genetic counseling education in response to a statewide shortage of genetic counselors. Both bills drew supportive comments, with the genetic counseling bill also receiving public support from a university representative.
The committee then took up a large slate of confirmations. It first approved a block of reappointments to various university and college boards of trustees, including institutions such as UWF, Broward College, Chipola College, FIU, Pasco-Hernando, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, Valencia, FAMU, FAU, UCF, FSU, New College, UNF, USF, and Broward College. It then heard from numerous new appointees and some requested reappointments, many of whom emphasized workforce training, nursing, military and veteran support, dual enrollment, and local economic development as priorities for their institutions.
Several nominees highlighted their personal ties to the schools and communities they would serve, including appointees to Pensacola State, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, UNF, UWF, FIU, the College of the Florida Keys, Valencia College, and Chipola College. Committee members repeatedly asked about nursing NCLEX pass rates, workforce alignment, and institutional growth. One reappointment, Thomas Zachary Smith to the UWF board, was pulled from the block for separate questioning about his past public comments and his role in Project 2025; he said he would serve in his personal capacity and treat all students equally. The committee also separately heard from a Florida Poly reappointment, I. Shapiro, who was questioned about prior remarks regarding race and Supreme Court nominations, and from a New College reappointment, Mark Bowerlaine, who described campus improvements and enrollment growth. The meeting ended amid ongoing confirmation processing and separate votes on the remaining nominees.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Feb 25th, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- I have to say something about this one too, because I remember way back when genetic counselors were
- Florida is still considered today to be a genetic counselor desert with just 179 licensed GCs, many of
- I think what many higher education institutions need to focus on is workforce training.
- I think what many higher education institutions need to focus on is workforce training.
- And I understand Florida has now the number one state in the country in workforce training.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Education
Transcript Highlights:
- When it came time to apply to college, my counselors were by my side every step of the way.
- Originally, I didn't think college was an option for my family, but my counselors helped me to apply
- When it came time to apply to college, my counselors were by my side every step of the way.
- Originally, I didn't think college was an option for my family, but my counselors helped me to apply
- to different scholarship programs, and I'm very proud to share that I'm Counselors helped me to apply
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Education
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees.
Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists.
Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you all train your officers on these things already as you recognize them? Is that correct?
- So you have training on what a mental health crisis looks like. Different awareness is correct.
- Do you all train your officers on these things already as you recognize them? Is that correct?
- Do you all train your officers on these things already as you recognize them? Is that correct?
- Were you surprised at all to learn that the Board of Commissioners, City Counselor, or the counselor,
Committee:
House Crime and Public Safety
Summary:
The committee on Crime and Public Safety held public hearings on House Bill 3175 and House Bill 3066. HB 3175, called Mason’s Law, was presented by Rep. Chris Brown as a system to let the Department of Revenue, Missouri Highway Patrol, and MULES alert officers during traffic stops if a driver may have a disability or health condition affecting communication. Brown described a traffic stop involving a young man with autism and said the bill would allow a physician-verified designation tied to license plates and driver records. Testimony in support came from Mason and his mother, who said the bill could prevent dangerous misunderstandings, along with a friend, a speech-hearing association representative, and Kansas City police, who said officers already receive crisis-intervention training. No opposition testimony was offered.
HB 3066, by Rep. Brad Christ, would clarify parts of the new St. Louis City police governance structure, including responsibility for civil liabilities, budgeting, and extending the transition director’s term. Christ said the bill is meant to clean up language from last year’s police governance changes and address disputes over who pays for lawsuits arising from different time periods, while also allowing the Board of Police Commissioners more flexibility to move money within its budget. Several witnesses and members raised concerns that the bill would weaken the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment, reduce transparency and checks and balances, and shift financial burdens onto city taxpayers and vital city services. City representatives opposed the bill and urged waiting for a memorandum of understanding to resolve the issues locally, while supporters from the police board, the police officers association, and the Attorney General’s office said the bill would provide needed clarity and efficiency and help resolve lingering liability questions.
No votes were taken on either bill during the hearing. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced that several other House bills and a House resolution would not be executed that day and might be heard later.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The training we provide for that is also free to schools.
- Oh, sir, it's much more than a training. It's an actual module in **Sentinel**.
- That means that the talent in your system has to be trained to do that well.
- many school counselors cannot fully provide given their workloads.
- our kids safe with supportive, nurturing, watchful, trained professionals.
Committee:
House Public Education
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Jan 20th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Early Learning & K-12 Education
Transcript Highlights:
- Counselors can easily access it.
- These transactions often require participation from multiple staff, including counselors, registrars,
- These transactions often required participation from multiple staff, including counselors, registrars
- Do they go to the registrar, to the counselor?
- For students with strong counselor and family support, this process may feel manageable.
Committee:
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education
Keywords:
digital transcript, transcript sharing, student records, education data exchange, K-12, higher education, community colleges, universities, school districts, charter schools, state-tribal education compact schools, educational service districts, data interoperability, secure platform, student consent, FERPA, privacy, education technology, records management, transcript standard
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Jan 20th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Counselors can easily access it.
- These transactions often require participation from multiple staff, including counselors, registrars,
- These transactions often required participation from multiple staff, including counselors, registrars
- To the counselor?
- For students with strong counselor and family support, this process may feel manageable.
Summary:
The Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee heard three bills. Senate Bill 6052 would create a statewide digital transcript data-sharing environment for K-12 and postsecondary institutions, with student or parent permission required for disclosure. Supporters from universities, OSPI, school districts, counselors, and education groups said the bill would reduce paper handling, staff time, errors, and delays in admissions and enrollment, while improving security and student access; members asked about alignment with the High School and Beyond Plan, FERPA, apprenticeships, and out-of-state transfer issues.
Senate Bill 6051 would allow local school boards to grant waivers or partial waivers of certain state laws and rules to individual schools, while excluding health and safety, civil rights, parental rights, basic education, and other protected areas. The sponsor said the bill is intended to give districts flexibility and surface recurring regulatory burdens, but OSPI, the State Board of Education, WEA, and school board groups raised concerns about broad scope, lack of definitions, possible impacts on special education and basic education compliance, and added complexity or legal costs. Some district representatives supported the idea of flexibility and relief from unfunded mandates, but suggested the bill needed more work.
Senate Bill 5907 would expand ECEAP access for military families with incomes below 60% of state median income and prioritize children with deployed or single custodial military parents. The sponsor and supporters from ESDs, school districts, Head Start/ECEAP, child advocacy groups, and veterans organizations said military families face frequent moves, deployments, child care instability, and related stress, and that the bill would provide a modest, cost-effective benefit without state fiscal impact. In executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute and passed SB 5860 to Ways and Means, and adopted a proposed substitute and passed SB 5574 to Rules.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- ,</c><00:04:56.880><c> nurses</c><00:04:57.280><c> and</c> workers, counselors, nurses and workers, counselors
- Um, our student support professional aid that was meant to get more counselors, psychologists, school
- um psychologist, school more counselors um psychologist, school nurses<00:14:43.040><c> um</c><00:14
- ,</c><00:16:06.959><c> the</c> the folks that were the counselors, the the folks that were the counselors
- ,</c> that's where I got my CPI training, that's where I got my CPI training, crisis<00:31:36.159><c>
Bills:
HF1049
Committee:
House Taxes
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
HHS, HHS DEFER, HHS DEFER Public Hearings 04-16-2026
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> in both on-hands training in both on-hands training and<00:15:02.280><c> technical</c><00:15:02.720
- ><c> training</c> and technical training and technical training to<00:15:03.960><c> ensure</c><00:15:
- Although I've been working with the DD population for a very long time, starting as a counselor and also
- Starting<00:17:18.560><c> as</c><00:17:18.880><c> a</c><00:17:18.959><c> counselor</c> Starting as a
- counselor Starting as a counselor and<00:17:20.760><c> also</c><00:17:21.079><c> as</c><00:17:21.199>
Summary:
The Health and Human Services committee heard and considered several gubernatorial nominations to advisory boards and councils. Early in the meeting, members heard testimony in support of Miriam Chang for the Health Planning Council Windward O‘ahu subarea, with supporters highlighting her long medical practice on the Windward side, work at Ko‘olau Health Center, and community involvement. Chang said she wanted to help improve health, especially in rural areas. The committee also heard support for Terrilyn Luke’s nomination to the Center for Nursing Advisory Board; the Center for Nursing director and nursing organizations backed her, and Luke said she would bring a front-line nursing perspective, focus on workforce conditions, retention, and collaboration, and help address tensions between the Center and nursing labor groups. The committee then heard support for Valerie Rose’s nomination to the Language Access Advisory Council; Rose briefly noted her prior work in the Chronic Disease Branch and Bilingual Health Aide Section.
The committee also took up nominations in a later agenda segment. James Montgomery was heard for the State Rehabilitation Council and described his interest in serving based on a family experience with disability and his work in talent management, saying he wanted to help people with disabilities gain opportunities. Kevin Nakamura was heard for the Board of Certification of Operating Personnel in Wastewater Treatment Plants and said his 30-plus years of wastewater experience would help ensure operators are properly trained and certified to protect resources and the environment. Pina Lemusu was heard for the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; she said her long career with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and personal experience with disability would help her contribute to the council. Additional testimony in support came from the State DD Council and Voc Rehab representatives.
The committee voted to recommend advise and consent on the nominations it considered, including Miriam Chang, Terrilyn Luke, Valerie Rose, James Montgomery, Kevin Nakamura, and Pina Lemusu. Most recommendations were adopted without objection, though Senator Dela Cruz voted no on some of the later nominations. The meeting also briefly noted another nomination, Olivia Kim, which was recalled and advanced with an advise-and-consent recommendation before adjournment.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (10-23-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- It means that that organization has looked at their medical training and certified their training to
- It means that that organization has looked at their medical training and certified their training to
- It means that that organization has looked at their medical training and certified their training to
- ,</c><00:40:43.040><c> board-certified</c> an American trained, board-certified an American trained,
- </c> Counselors update. Counselors update.
Summary:
The committee met on October 23, 2025, approved the September 25 minutes, and heard several informational presentations on occupational licensing and workforce access. The first major topic was the dietitian licensure compact, presented by Rep. Vanessa Gracel, Whitney Duddy, and Caitlyn Bison. They said the compact would be revenue-neutral, improve licensure portability, support military families, expand telehealth and rural access, and preserve state regulatory authority. Testimony noted that 15 states had joined the compact, including Ohio and Tennessee, and that Kentucky would have a seat on the compact commission if it enacted the measure. Members asked about bordering states and possible telehealth competition concerns; witnesses said they had not seen evidence of harmful effects in other compacts and described the compact as expanding access rather than displacing local providers.
The committee then heard testimony on music therapy licensure, with Chris Millet, Laura Elliot Buckner, and Dr. Kimberly Cinemore speaking in support of Senate Bill 42. They described music therapy as a clinical, board-certified profession requiring formal education, supervised training, and national certification, and argued that state licensure would protect the public, clarify scope of practice, and help retain Kentucky-trained professionals. Witnesses said the bill would not require new state funding, could be administered through a self-sustaining licensing structure, and would not prevent others from using music in their work. In response to questions, they said licensure could help open doors to insurance, waiver, and HSA reimbursement, but would not guarantee coverage.
Finally, the committee heard testimony on expanding physician access through a provisional licensure pathway for internationally trained physicians. Adam Meyer of the Cicero Institute said Kentucky faces a severe physician shortage, especially in rural areas, and argued that qualified international physicians should not have to repeat residency if they meet strict criteria, including an employment offer, prior training and experience, good standing, U.S. exam passage, and a three-year provisional period before full licensure. Rapender Carr of Baptist Health supported the concept, saying it could help fill hard-to-recruit positions across the state and improve access in rural markets. No votes were taken on these policy topics during the meeting.