Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:34:28.800><c> and</c><00:34:28.960><c> uretheral</c><00:34:29.599><c> uh</c> tra diseases and
• Nicotine is a huge problem from a health standpoint, especially for cardiovascular disease, and so we
• Nicotine is a huge problem from a health standpoint, especially for cardiovascular disease, and so we
• Nicotine is a huge problem from a health standpoint, especially for cardiovascular disease, and so we
• Nicotine is a huge problem from a health standpoint, especially for cardiovascular disease, and so we

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on January 29, 2025, and heard testimony on HB 108, which concerns intoxicating liquor and would expand direct-to-consumer shipping for beer and spirits. Supporters included representatives of Koloa Rum Company, Maui Brewing Company, and Ola Brew, who argued the bill would modernize alcohol laws, help small local producers compete, support jobs and local agriculture, and give consumers more access to Hawaii-made products. They also said Hawaii already has experience regulating direct wine shipments, with age verification and carrier-based delivery systems in place, and that direct shipping could help businesses reach visitors after they return home and diversify beyond tourism. Opposition came from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, whose representative said the bill could increase access for underage drinking, especially because liquor commissions do not currently conduct compliance checks on alcohol shipments and may lack capacity to do so. The group also raised tax-enforcement concerns, saying the existing three-tier system makes excise and sales tax collection easier, while direct shipping would require additional auditing. They urged the committee to oppose the bill or defer it until more research is done, and suggested a common carrier reporting requirement to help reconcile shipments. Committee members questioned both sides about whether current law already allows some alcohol shipments, whether a Kentucky distiller could ship directly to Hawaii, and how reciprocity with other states would work. Supporters said the bill is modeled on wine-shipping language and could be amended to clarify reciprocity, while opponents said the bill lacks a common carrier reporting requirement and would place a burden on county liquor commissions. No vote or final action on HB 108 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, Senators Pelton and Roberts concerning using money in the diseased livestock indemnity fund to
• , to prepare their lands and their ranches for these diseases, and to help cut down on the amount of
• </c> they incur from um a disease outbreak. they incur from um a disease outbreak.
• /c><01:30:01.280><c> um</c> their ranches for these diseases and um their ranches for these diseases
• to recognize when a disease might be in<01:32:03.280><c> their</c><01:32:03.520><c> herd.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The death is his stretch of the heart disease and stroke. What which killed?
• The heart disease and stroke, which kill one in three women a year. One in three.
• We all wore red today because it's important to stand in solidarity and understand that heart disease
• Today we’re talking about heart disease.
• Heart disease will hit when you least expect it.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chronic weight disease is a serious problem in the United States.
• , diabetes, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory diseases, and digestive disorders.
• In addition, Chronic respiratory diseases and digestive disorders.
• diseases, but to actually leading to potential cancers.
• , stroke, fatty liver disease, diseases of the gallbladder and pancreas, and kidney disease.

Summary: The committee heard SB 921, which would create a tax credit to help agricultural employers offset overtime premium costs for farmworkers. Senator Grove and supporters, including farmworkers, the California Farm Bureau, and agricultural groups, argued the bill would restore lost hours and take-home pay after California’s agricultural overtime law reduced schedules. Opponents, including the California Federation of Labor Unions and CRLA Foundation, argued the proposal would subsidize employers with taxpayer dollars and undermine the principle that employers should pay overtime themselves. The bill was held in subcommittee until more members arrived. The committee then took up SB 1083, a cleanup bill to the prior year’s school employee misconduct database law. The author and supporters said it would add due process protections for classified school employees, require an administrative law judge review before placement in the database, and improve notice and vetting rules for contractors and non-permanent staff. School employer groups and other opponents warned the bill could slow investigations and weaken child-safety protections. The committee approved the bill 3-0 and sent it to Senate Appropriations. Members also considered SB 1089, which would require CalPERS health plans to cover GLP-1 medications and expand access through CalRX for chronic weight management and related health conditions. The author and supporters, including the American Diabetes Association and medical groups, said the drugs can prevent diabetes and improve health outcomes but remain unaffordable for many. Pharma representatives expressed concerns about the bill as drafted but said they were open to continued discussions. The bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. The committee also approved the consent calendar 4-0. Later, the committee heard SB 954, which would narrow and add guardrails to last year’s CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing, including environmental review near disadvantaged communities and labor standards such as prevailing wage and skilled-and-trained workforce requirements. Labor, environmental, and community groups supported the bill as a cleanup of an overly broad exemption, while business and manufacturing groups opposed it, warning it would discourage investment and worsen California’s competitiveness. The bill passed 3-1 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1299, a fire sprinkler fitter certification bill, was heard and passed 3-0 to Appropriations with support from the sprinkler fitters and building trades and no recorded opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• Diseases like this can show signs in the mouth long before they are detectable in other parts of the
• And just as a refresher, gingivitis is the very earliest stage of gum disease, when you might see puffy
• We teach subjects that include anatomy, pathology, biomechanics, diseases, motion palpation, ethics,
• I will make a one-word statement with regards to a disease we all know about and use it as an example
• That example is animal disease reporting.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5899, which would create a chiropractic license endorsement allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on non-human animals. The sponsor described it as a complementary tool to veterinary care, especially in rural areas with limited access to veterinarians. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would expand access to animal chiropractic with training, certification, and veterinary referral to non-chiropractic issues, while opponents from the veterinary community warned about animal and public safety, disease detection, and the lack of a required veterinary referral. The hearing on SB 5899 was suspended and later reopened; testimony concluded with strong support from animal chiropractic practitioners and opposition from veterinarians, and the committee noted 57 signed in pro, 4 con, and 1 other. The committee then held a work session on dental workforce shortages. Presenters from the CORA Foundation, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, tribal dental programs, and the Washington State Dental Association described major access gaps, especially for Apple Health enrollees, rural communities, and communities of color. They highlighted low preventive-care utilization, high rates of untreated decay, workforce vacancies for hygienists and assistants, and the value of career ladders such as community health aides and proposed oral preventive assistants. Several speakers emphasized that training pathways, retention, and sustained Medicaid reimbursement are key to improving access and keeping providers in the system. Senate Bill 6138, requiring a multi-provider system for dental procedures performed under deep sedation, drew testimony centered on patient safety after recent deaths in dental settings. The sponsor said the bill responds to a pattern of tragic incidents and would ensure one person is dedicated to monitoring sedation. Supporters from anesthesiology and some oral surgery groups backed stronger monitoring requirements, while oral surgeons and dental representatives argued the current rules already require multiple trained personnel and that the bill could reduce access and increase costs, especially in rural and Medicaid-serving practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6072, which would update veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules to allow telemedicine-based relationships and limited telehealth services; animal welfare and veterinary telehealth advocates supported it as an access-to-care measure, while the veterinary association sought clearer guardrails and federal-law language. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6094 on pediatric transitional care services, which would create a Medicaid payment pathway and related program changes for residential care for substance-exposed infants; supporters said the model helps infants and parents, improves outcomes, and is financially unsustainable under current funding, and the hearing began with testimony in favor before time expired.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have seen greening, citrus greening, the most devastating disease known to citrus worldwide, take
• So as we're dealing with this devastating disease, citrus greening, we've had Hurricane Irma in 2017,
• and potentially curing this disease than what has happened in the past 100 years.
• And so when you look at a disease that has been around for over 100 years, that research.
• and potentially curing this disease than what has happened in the past 100 years.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture heard an update on the Florida citrus industry from Matt Joyner of Florida Citrus Mutual and Shannon Shepp of the Department of Citrus. Both described the industry’s steep decline over the past two decades due to citrus greening (HLB), hurricanes, freezes, and aging groves, but emphasized ongoing recovery efforts through research, replanting, and new therapies. They highlighted promising tools such as plant growth regulators, protective screens and covers, direct oxytetracycline application, CRISPR-based breeding, and the CRAFT program, which has expanded to more than 10,000 acres of solid-set plantings and over 20,000 acres including resets. Members discussed disaster relief, property tax pressures, grower participation, and the need for assessment relief and other state support. No votes were taken on the citrus presentation. Shepp also outlined the Department of Citrus’s marketing and research role, noting strong consumer demand for Florida orange juice, global advertising efforts, and clinical research tied to health messaging. She said the industry remains a major economic contributor, with thousands of jobs and billions in economic impact, and that the department is working to maintain demand while growers replant and reset groves. Senators asked about the CRAFT program, new grower participation, and how advertising and state policy could help sustain the industry. The committee then received a performance review of the Opa-locka Soil and Water Conservation Districts from David Jahossky of Malden and Jenkins. The review found wide variation among the 49 districts studied, with many lacking recurring revenue, staffing, proper meeting notices, records retention, formal performance goals, and timely financial reports. The report identified nearly 400 recommendations and noted that some districts had already dissolved or were considering dissolution. Senators questioned whether the districts were duplicative of other agencies and whether they still served a useful purpose; the presenter said there was overlap and collaboration but no duplication. A public commenter from Jefferson County argued that local boards still provide trusted, community-based support for producers and help connect them to cost-share and best management practice programs. The chair indicated the review would inform possible legislation to improve or restructure the districts, and the committee adjourned without taking a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• responsibilities and to collaborate with the world to address the challenges of humanitarian aid and disease
• responsibilities and to collaborate with the world to address the challenges of humanitarian aid and disease
• the challenges of humanitarian<00:05:08.000><c> aid</c><00:05:08.560><c> and</c><00:05:09.199><c> disease
• </c> humanitarian aid and disease control. humanitarian aid and disease control.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We've wound up killing over 160 million chickens, turkeys to control a foreign animal disease that's
• I'm just saying that's why we have them up on cages is, uh, mainly predator aspects, disease issue and
• So you have, you know, small producers that In a sense, want to skirt the federal aspects of the disease
• One reason there's not much, um, disease, uh, that's widespread is because the prophylaxis, effect we've
• But foodborne disease was a huge problem.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 984 establishes a pathway by which patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases can...
• And really what we have here is ultra-rare diseases. rare diseases that simply don't have a solution.
• I mean, the list of these diseases is so rare that I hadn't even heard half of these: Barr syndrome,
• Fabry's disease, Batten's disease, LCMD, Sanfilippo syndrome, and there's more.
• It is about preventing disease by the antibodies. And you know what they found out?

Bills: SB95, SB268, SB493, SB619, SB660, SB922, SB984, SB1098, SB1188, SB1307, SB1332, SB1822

Keywords: immunization, written informed consent, civil liability, health care provider, vaccine compensation, administrative penalty, health care, licensing, complaint procedure, disciplinary action, law enforcement, pharmacy benefit manager, PBM, gag clause, prescription drug pricing, out-of-pocket cost, cash price, pharmacist, pharmacy, prescription drug benefit

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, chronic disease across America, and if you read any studies, it's As you know, chronic disease
• I always want to include that with chronic disease. And so he is an expert in that.
• And so this is a challenging disease, and you need care, and eventually in the disease you're going to
• But, you know, it's changed a lot in the way that we look at this disease.
• Like my mother has Alzheimer's, or my mother-in-law has Alzheimer's disease.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on major health-related projects and programs. CHI St. Alexius representatives reported progress on behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks, including demolition and construction milestones, staffing plans, and timelines. The Bismarck project remains on track for completion in June 2027 with about $346,500 spent to date. Williston reported construction underway, a $750,000 unbudgeted air handler replacement, active recruitment for psychiatrists and other staff, and a projected substantial completion in early 2027. Grand Forks reported about 30% completion, weather-tight status expected in August, and continued staffing ramp-up as the facility expands from its current 24-bed operation. The Department of Health and Human Services then reviewed a set of technical line-item transfers, emphasizing that they were administrative corrections with no net change in funding. The department also walked through the Salaries and Wages Block Grant and FTE counts, noting overall staffing remained within appropriated limits and that behavioral health staffing had increased. Members asked about vacancies, consultant use, and the mix of in-state versus out-of-state expertise for the Rural Health Transformation Program. HHS said it had posted 12 funding opportunities, received 422 applications, obligated $8.4 million so far, hired 26 people, and was preparing additional grant rounds and a CMS budget submission. The department said the program is structured around workforce, prevention/healthy living, care closer to home, and technology/data, with ongoing stakeholder engagement and community forums. The committee also heard on the certified community behavioral health clinic implementation plan, SNAP payment error rates, and the state laboratory project. HHS said CCBHC certification is being implemented in four regions—Williston, Minot/North Central, Fargo/Southeast, and Dickinson/Badlands—with care coordination expanding and baseline data still being collected. On SNAP, the department reported a 2025 payment error rate of 9.89%, acknowledged cost impacts under HR1, and said it is using training, system changes, and pre-authorization quality checks to reduce errors toward a 6% target over the next 6 to 12 months. Finally, Public Health reported the state laboratory reached substantial completion on June 12, with total costs at $69.95 million of the $70 million budget, though a service elevator issue will require a new lift to be added using contingency funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> he wanted to talk about rare disease he wanted to talk about rare disease work<00:24:53.840><c>
• </c> priorities for the rare disease priorities for the rare disease community. community. community.
• </c> families dealing with rare diseases. families dealing with rare diseases.
• ><c> priority</c><00:25:45.279><c> review</c> rare pediatric disease priority review rare pediatric disease
• . diseases. diseases.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hepatitis C is a serious but curable disease.
• Hepatitis C is a serious but curable disease.
• No one should suffer from a disease that is curable.
• No one should suffer from a disease that is curable.
• Hepatitis C is a significant public health communicable disease problem.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health heard a series of bills focused on access to care, insurance coverage, and public health. AB 387 on youth sports AED access drew support from the author and safety advocates, but opposition from school, park, city, and county groups over liability, cost, and access concerns. The author said he would continue working on amendments to shift the bill toward requiring access to existing AEDs rather than mandating facility procurement. Committee members emphasized the life-saving purpose of the bill while also raising affordability and access concerns for youth sports programs. The committee also heard AB 1682, which would require health plans and insurers to cover FDA-cleared scalp cooling devices for chemotherapy patients. Supporters, including breast cancer survivors and health groups, described the emotional and quality-of-life benefits of preventing hair loss and said cost is the main barrier to access. There was no formal opposition, though one senator raised concerns about whether the mandate could exceed essential health benefits. The chair and members expressed support for the bill’s goals and said it would be taken up when quorum was established. AB 2093, a follow-up to the 988 crisis line law, sought to clarify statewide leadership, improve coordination among 988, 911, and mobile crisis teams, and create a more sustainable funding structure. Behavioral health organizations and crisis center representatives supported the bill, saying implementation challenges and demand growth require statutory fixes. Committee members generally supported the concept but noted the bill was a gut-and-amend and that additional work was needed with county and behavioral health stakeholders. The committee then heard AB 1843 on hepatitis C treatment, AB 1629 on dental assignment of benefits, AB 2540 on community college access to medication abortion services, and AB 1929 on disclosure of health plan investments. AB 1843 had broad support from medical and public health groups but opposition from health plans, which argued it conflicted with the prior-authorization framework in SB 306 and could raise drug costs. AB 1629 was supported by dental and patient advocates but opposed by dental plans and insurers over concerns about network participation and out-of-pocket costs. AB 2540 drew strong support from reproductive health advocates and student representatives, while community college health services and some others opposed or were neutral pending amendments; the author said the bill was about equity and accepted amendments to reduce burdens. AB 1929 was backed by labor and immigrant rights groups as a transparency measure, but opposed by health plans and insurers who said Covered California was not the right entity to administer the disclosures and that the information was already publicly available. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly weighed public access and transparency against cost, administrative burden, and implementation concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• neurologic disease of horses.
• This is a horrible disease affecting horses.
• This is a horrible disease affecting horses.
• </c> disease epidemic in whitetailed deer. disease epidemic in whitetailed deer.
• </c> management and emerging disease management and emerging disease surveillance<00:35:15.680><c> and

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:54:52.840><c> transfer</c><01:54:53.840><c> uh</c> the possibility of disease transfer uh the
• </c><04:18:50.960><c> that</c> carrier of rabies a deadly disease that carrier of rabies a deadly disease
• As was mentioned before, there are other diseases that these animals can carry.
• As was mentioned before, there are other diseases that these animals can carry.
• </c><04:27:28.040><c> as</c> something that's for for disease as something that's for for disease as

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first held a work session on HB 505, which would allow the sale of freeze-dried foods produced in homestead food operations. Members raised concerns about the bill’s broad language, especially the provision stating freeze-dried food would not be considered potentially hazardous. Several suggested narrowing the bill to specific products such as processed foods, berries, fruit, dairy products, ice cream, or vegetables, and requiring use of commercial freeze-drying equipment rather than dehydrators. There was also discussion of oxygen absorbers, moisture control, sanitation, and whether the issue should be handled in statute or rules. By the end of the discussion, members generally agreed the topic should be treated in a separate section of law rather than folded into the existing homestead food license, and the chair said the matter would be sent to the food safety subcommittee, with the possibility of a study committee if more time was needed. The committee then moved to HB 277, a technical correction to the animal cruelty statutes. Representative Bixby explained that current law refers to a “colt,” which applies only to male baby horses, leaving fillies unaddressed; the bill would replace “colt” with “foal” and make related wording changes so the restriction applies to any horse under 90 days old not being nursed by its dam. The New Hampshire Farm Bureau testified in support, saying the change was requested to clarify and modernize the statute and that the issue had been identified during work on related animal cruelty legislation. No votes were taken in the portion provided. The chair recessed the work session until 11:00 a.m. and announced that Representative Ktoa would take over the hearing on HB 277.

Transcript Highlights:

• , chronic kidney disease, and rare kidney diseases within our state's Medicaid population.
• It's increasingly clear that chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease, are not only becoming
• More than 10% of Americans, about 35 million Americans, suffer from kidney disease.
• Nine out of ten Americans with chronic kidney disease are unaware they have the disease.
• Nine out of 10 Americans with chronic kidney disease are unaware they have the disease, and so this is

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 12 and considered a wide range of health, social services, and licensing measures. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably HCR 98, which asks the Louisiana Department of Health to study whether SNAP recipients should be allowed to use benefits for grocery delivery fees. The author said the proposal would not change SNAP rules directly, but would examine access issues for elderly, disabled, rural, and transportation-limited residents. The committee also advanced SB 273, a hospice patient-protection bill requiring documentation of hydration, nutrition, and care decisions in inpatient licensed facilities where hospice is provided, with LDH oversight and enforcement authority; members discussed how responsibility is shared between facilities and outside hospice providers, and adopted technical amendments. The committee then approved SB 415, creating the Empower Louisiana Food Purchase Program, a privately funded charitable food-card program intended to let nonprofits distribute food-only cards to people in need. Members and the author discussed whether the cards would be reloadable, which retailers could accept them, and whether prepared foods could be included; LDH said the program could use all SNAP-authorized retailers, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. SB 437, a cleanup bill for judicially referred residential substance abuse treatment facilities, was also reported favorably with amendments after LDH clarified that facilities providing treatment must be licensed, while residences only housing individuals would not be. SB 451, updating newborn hearing screening terminology and reporting requirements, was reported favorably after testimony that the bill would strengthen early detection and follow-up for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Later, the committee advanced SB 426, which modernizes the addictive disorder regulatory authority and creates a formal peer support specialist licensing pathway. Supporters said the bill would strengthen the behavioral health workforce, improve accountability, and create a progression from peer support to higher credentials; the committee adopted technical and transition amendments and reported the bill favorably with amendments. SB 236, requiring LDH annual reviews and reports on kidney disease treatment services in Medicaid, was also reported favorably with amendments. Additional measures approved included SB 39, allowing provisional licenses for massage therapy graduates; SB 190, which tightens oversight of poor-performing nursing facilities in the CMS Special Focus Facility Program and sets an 18-month improvement timeline; SB 124, allowing hospitals within the same health system to share peer review records without waiving privilege; HR 174, urging study of fenbendazole as a possible cancer treatment; SB 270, allowing terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in health care facilities; SB 359, changing terms for certain Morehouse Parish hospital district commissioners; and HR 194, requesting de-identified school visual acuity screening data for research. The committee adjourned after reporting all measures favorably, several with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• , chronic kidney disease, and rare kidney diseases within our state's Medicaid population.
• It's increasingly clear that chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease, are not only becoming
• More than 10% of Americans, about 35 million Americans, suffer from kidney disease.
• Nine out of ten Americans with chronic kidney disease are unaware they have the disease.
• Nine out of ten Americans with chronic kidney disease are unaware they have the disease, and so this

Bills: HR174, HR194, HCR98, SB39, SB124, SB190, SB236, SB270, SB273, SB359, SB415, SB426, SB437, SB451

Keywords: fenbendazole, cancer treatment, public health, FDA, clinical trials, patient safety, visual acuity, student health, de-identified data, longitudinal analysis, education policy, SNAP, food stamps, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, grocery delivery, delivery fees, service charges, online grocery, food access, food insecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• parents for venereal disease.
• A nurse or whoever that gives the assessment, if they had a venereal disease, the health care provider
• A nurse or whoever that gives the assessment, if they had a venereal disease, the health care provider
• My understanding of that section related to the disease is if that is a minor who is coming in for care
• The venereal disease part is a conflict for me only because the two most prolific being gonorrhea and

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Beler, we have you as, uh, in chronic disease and self for the bill. Is that correct? Yes, sir.
• We often say in medicine that to properly treat or prevent a chronic disease, we must first understand
• Texas is facing a chronic disease epidemic.
• Diabetes, heart disease, obesity is crippling our workforce, burdening our hospitals, bankrupting our
• This chronic disease crisis, 1.7 million Americans are dying a year of preventable chronic disease, preventable

Bills: HB25, HB38

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, interest rate, ad valorem taxes, homesteads, property tax, tax deferral

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee on Health and Human Services, having under consideration SB 1249 relating to Alzheimer's disease
• Committee on Health and Human Services, having under consideration SB 1249 relating to Alzheimer's disease
• Committee on Health and Human Services, having under consideration SB 1249 relating to Alzheimer's disease
• On consideration of SB 1249 relating to Alzheimer's disease state brain appropriation, the committee
• On conservation, SB 1249, I linked Alzheimer's disease, state, and appropriation recommends the bill

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly concurrent resolution 56 by Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez relative to Parkinson's disease
• Over 120,000 Californians live with Parkinson's disease.
• It is the fastest growing neurological disease costing the state over $5 billion annually in direct and
• Neurological disease and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease behind Alzheimer's.
• millions of Americans who are caregivers, family members, and friends greatly impacted by Parkinson's disease

Keywords: 988, house, all