Video & Transcript Research : 'behavior analysis'
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NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
Senate - Health and Public Affairs Oct 2nd, 2025
Senate Health & Public Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Based on analysis from an outside contractor, those families and other people will see an average increase
- Byers**, that in the financial analysis, and I see LFC is here and I'm assuming that you've collapsed
- Around raising Medicaid reimbursement in primary care behavioral health, and we need to do something
- That we can compensate because there are primary care groups and behavioral health providers who come
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- I want to begin by accepting the suggested Amendments on page five of the committee analysis and I want
- Building, well, thank you, members, let me start by accepting the amendments as outlined in the analysis
- currently in place make compliance difficult in some circumstances and I fear disincentivize pro-social behavior
- the FEPC doesn't mean we shouldn't change. the rules to make them more compliant with pro-social behavior
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 25, 2025 - 04:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- In addition to that, additional analysis revealed that the initial injuries were dated to in utero, meaning
- I am pleased that DCF is required to state a summary analysis that rules out other possible diagnoses
- It works on the current structure and operation of the state's behavioral health system to ensure effective
- The study of school-based behavioral health access focuses on telehealth and some discharge requirements
Summary:
The Human Services Subcommittee considered three bills and reported all of them favorably. HB 1013, relating to crisis care coordination, would create a pilot program in Polk and Volusia counties to connect people who have had Baker Act-related crises with follow-up counseling, assessments, and outpatient services through partnerships between law enforcement and community providers. The sponsor said the program has reduced repeat Baker Act commitments in Polk County, and the committee adopted a strike-all amendment moving the pilot to a different statute, formalizing partnerships, and requiring an independent DCF evaluation due in January 2029. The bill drew support from mental health and justice advocates and passed unanimously.
The committee then heard PCS for HB 511, which addresses child protective investigations involving specific medical diagnoses. Sponsors and several parents, attorneys, and advocates described cases in which children were removed after injuries were initially treated as abuse but later linked to conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, metabolic bone disease, or other medical fragility. They argued the bill would require notice of the right to a second medical opinion, better consideration of preexisting conditions and medical records, and more coordination before reports are sent to law enforcement, while still preserving protections for abused children. Members expressed sympathy for the families and emphasized the need for fairness and accurate medical review; the bill passed 17-0.
Finally, HB 1439, based on recommendations from the 2025 Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder, was presented as a broader mental health and substance use disorder measure focused on crisis response, access to care, and workforce development. An amendment aligned the bill more closely with commission recommendations, including assessment tools, trauma-informed practices, school-based behavioral health access, telehealth, discharge planning, and long-acting injectable treatment access. The commission chair testified that the bill reflected a vetted set of recommendations from subject matter experts and commissioners, and the committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably by unanimous vote. The meeting then adjourned.
HI
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee Jun 23rd, 2026
Privacy and Consumer Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- There are countless examples of this kind of behavior, which we've cataloged in our report, The Electronic
- Your address, your health inferences, your financial behavior, your relationships, all assembled.
- Your address, your health inferences, your financial behavior, your relationships, all assembled without
- analysis.
- We hope that the Committee Amendment analysis was very strong in noting all the other protections out
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (01/15/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- The point being that the behaviors that are described in this bill, most of them would not be allowed
- We as a department were very clear that level of analysis was not something that we internally would
- They will go as deep and as thorough and as wide on their analysis as you would like them to go, and
- that they were using for their analysis that they were using for their analysis and<04:24:55.520
- <04:30:33.960>
and date on the progress of the analysis and date on the progress of the analysis
Summary:
The House Commerce Committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 310, sponsored by Representative Keith Ammon, which would create a study commission to develop a legal framework for stable tokens and tokenized real-world assets. Ammon described stable tokens as blockchain-based digital tokens backed by U.S. dollars or treasuries, and tokenized real-world assets as representations of ownership in items such as gold, real estate, or artwork. He said the bill is intended to help New Hampshire get ahead of emerging financial markets while waiting to see how federal legislation develops.
Committee members asked about the purpose of the bill, the difference between this proposal and Bitcoin, whether state regulation could be preempted by federal law, and whether the commission could be balanced and avoid becoming a vehicle for fraud or money laundering. Ammon said the proposal is blockchain-agnostic, could apply to multiple networks, and is meant to regulate asset-backed tokens rather than create a state-issued coin. He emphasized that the state would not be guaranteeing the underlying assets, but would set rules requiring audits, proof of reserves, and honest representation of backing, with the Secretary of State’s securities office involved in oversight.
Several members raised concerns about the risks of stablecoins, including money laundering, tax evasion, and possible harm to the dollar or confusion about whether the state was endorsing a new currency. Ammon responded that the bill would not undermine the dollar and argued that tokenization could actually expand demand for U.S. currency by making it easier to use globally. He also said the state would not be in the business of weighing assets or directly valuing them, only ensuring a valid audit trail and one-to-one backing. The discussion ended with general agreement that the subject is complex and that a commission could help develop future legislation, but no vote or final action was taken in the hearing.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Appropriations Committee May 13th, 2026
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- And also, as noted in the analysis, very limited cost to the General Fund.
- Any fiscal impacts, as per the analysis, should be minimal.
- Any fiscal impacts, as per the analysis, should be minimal.
- The analysis estimates minor and absorbable cost, HCD.
- For the committee analysis, this bill has no estimated cost to the state.
Summary:
The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on May 13, 2026, with a large agenda of 196 bills. After establishing quorum, the committee first approved two consent calendars covering numerous bills, then heard a series of author presentations and public testimony. Most measures discussed were housing, public safety, health care, and local government bills, with many authors and sponsors emphasizing that the proposals had minor, absorbable, or no state costs.
Among the bills heard were AB 2641 on a sales tax exemption for pawnbroker redemptions; AB 2525 to create a narrow Surplus Lands Act exemption for Mission Bay Park in San Diego; AB 1732 and AB 2433 on student housing and the density bonus law; AB 2055 updating boating safety and enforcement laws; AB 1579 expanding children’s crisis residential options; AB 2139 for an Inland Empire sports-related Surplus Lands Act exemption; AB 2041 on EMS reporting compliance; AB 1973 expanding advanced practice clinicians’ authority for reproductive care; AB 1929 requiring health plan investment disclosures; AB 2700 on utility rates and wildfire victim compensation; AB 1809 removing the sunset on school job order contracting; SB 73 strengthening election security; AB 2418 streamlining commercial building permits; AB 1970 limiting step therapy for serious mental illness and substance use treatment; AB 2361 on peer-to-peer vehicle-sharing liability; AB 1976 streamlining bike and pedestrian project approvals; AB 2110 authorizing local tax increment financing for workforce housing; and AB 2146 easing documentation for supportive housing placements.
Testimony was largely in support, often from sponsoring organizations, local governments, housing advocates, health groups, law enforcement, and wildfire survivors. AB 2700 drew especially extensive public support from Camp Fire and Tubbs Fire survivors and local officials, who urged stronger compensation for wildfire victims and relief from utility costs. AB 2034 and AB 1790 were mentioned during public comment as bills with opposition from industry groups, while AB 1903 and SB 417 also drew comment. Several bills were amended or noted as being subject to future amendments, including AB 1732, AB 2041, and AB 2418.
The committee took action on the bills as they were heard, generally voting them out on due pass motions, many by roll call and several with members not voting on particular measures. The suspense calendar was then read and deemed approved, and the hearing concluded after public comment on bills not heard that day.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-06-16 (7:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- How much does this budget appropriate to DCF for behavioral health care services?
- But no, there's significant funding for mental health and behavioral health services in this budget.
- But no, there's significant funding for mental health and behavioral health services in this budget.
- Getting back to the Elder Affairs care, has there been any analysis done to determine how much funding
- That's one of the dynamics in this bill, and the staff analysis says it itself: the modifications will
Summary:
The House met on the final day of session, swore in Representatives Boyles and Hodgers, and observed a moment of silence for the Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as for Representative Rosenwald’s father. The chamber then moved into final budget work, with leaders outlining the plan to take up H.J.R. 5019, HB 7031, HB 5017, HB 5015, and then the general appropriations act once the Senate transmitted it. H.J.R. 5019, a proposed constitutional amendment to expand the budget stabilization fund, was explained and amended to raise the rainy day fund cap, require annual deposits, and allow withdrawals for critical state needs by a two-thirds vote; it passed 100-1.
The House then adopted the conference report on HB 7031, the tax package. The bill repeals the business rent tax and aviation fuel tax, delays the natural gas fuel tax, creates or expands several sales tax holidays and exemptions, including permanent exemptions for disaster-preparedness items, hunting/fishing/camping items, and ammunition and firearms-related purchases, and makes changes to property, corporate income, local tax, and economic development provisions. Members debated the removal of recurring housing trust fund and transit-related revenue streams, the new ammunition exemption, and the data center tax changes; supporters argued the package reduces taxes and preserves annual budget flexibility, while opponents raised concerns about housing, transportation, and gun violence. The conference report passed 93-7.
HB 5017, creating a debt reduction program funded by a recurring transfer to retire state bonds early, passed unanimously. HB 5015, the state group insurance conforming bill, which directs DMS to develop a formulary management plan and codifies the administrative health insurance assessment, also passed. The House then began explanation and questions on the fiscal year 2025-26 general appropriations act, described as a $115.1 billion budget that is down $3.8 billion from the current year and includes more than $12 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs summarized major spending areas, including pre-K-12 funding increases, health care funding for Medicaid, KidCare, nursing homes, opioid treatment, and mental health, transportation and economic development funding, environmental and water projects, higher education, state administration, justice, and information technology. Questions focused on school vouchers, inflationary pressures on school districts, and the adequacy of funding for housing, transportation, and other priorities.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee 3/24/26 - Part 1
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- uh the the the actual criminal behavior uh the the the actual criminal behavior that<00:36:55.480
- criminal behavior criminal behavior I<00:37:05.200>
think <00:37:05.440>we <00:37:05.680 - ,<00:37:09.320>
some some of those criminal behaviors, some some of those criminal behaviors - Is that going to stop criminal behavior?
- Go ahead. going to stop criminal behavior multiple going to stop criminal behavior multiple times. times
Bills:
HF2354, HF3407, HF4359, HF4192, HF3356, HF3695, HF1597, HF3155, HF3871, HF4437, HF4446, HF3990
Keywords:
medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, ghost guns, unserialized firearms, 3D-printed guns, 3D printer firearms, CNC milling, home-built firearms, firearm serialization, serial numbers, unfinished frame, unfinished receiver, ghost gun ban, gun control, firearm design files, CAD files, digital gun blueprints
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Appropriations Committee Apr 9th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- As noted in the committee's analysis, there are minor and absorbable costs to the commission, with potential
- not limited to the local education agency billing option program and the statewide school-linked behavioral
- As noted in your analysis, this bill would require minor absorbable General Fund costs to the CDE.
- As the committee's analysis points out, the fiscal impact of this bill should be minimal.
- And pleased to be here, as you can tell from the fiscal analysis, is less than half a P.Y. that we're
Summary:
The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on April 9, 2025, with a large regular-order agenda and a consent calendar. The committee first approved a set of unanimous consent bills, then heard and acted on several measures, generally with authors describing them as having minor or absorbable fiscal effects. Bills discussed included AB 439 on Coastal Act streamlining, AB 322 on school-based health and mental health reimbursement participation, AB 679 on state park land acquisition exemptions, AB 482 updating the California Table Grape Commission law, AB 681 increasing the Dream Loan Program cap, AB 40 clarifying emergency services include reproductive health care, AB 454 making the California Migratory Bird Protection Act permanent, AB 572 creating protections for families of people killed or seriously injured by peace officers, and AB 639 narrowing the definition of dams to avoid extra regulation for certain water operators.
Testimony was largely in support of the bills. Supporters included representatives from the University of California, the California Table Grape Commission, Audubon California, Sempervirens Fund, emergency physicians, health equity groups, water districts, and several impacted family members and advocacy organizations on AB 572. AB 572 drew especially emotional testimony from family members describing police-involved deaths and the need for transparency and protection from coercive questioning. No organized opposition was raised on most of the bills heard in committee, though AB 439 drew no-votes from some Republicans, and AB 572 and other measures were framed as low-cost or cost-neutral.
The committee reported the bills out on roll calls after motions and seconds, with several measures passing on B-roll calls and AB 482 passing on an A-roll call. After the hearing on presented bills, the committee also approved the suspense calendar and accepted brief public comment on bills not heard that day, including opposition to AB 339 and support for AB 335. The meeting then adjourned.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 4/3/25
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- > health This is the behavioral health This is the behavioral health article<00:09:28.320>
section - <00:10:01.040>
health the behavioral health the behavioral health fund<00:10:03.120>or - So they are in behavioral health.
- This section codifies the intermediate school district behavioral health grant program.
- <00:12:52.320>
health <00:12:52.560>grant behavioral health grant behavioral health grant
Keywords:
human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session May 27th, 2026
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The Department of Education would update the model referral protocols for students' behavioral health
- These changes focus on behavior to reduce speeds and improve awareness, not to restrict user access.
- We have monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior by some of the biggest companies in the world that
- We gave courts affirmative guidance by telling them to follow the rule of reason analysis laid out in
- Or is it to actually solve the root cause of the behavior that is leading to criminal activity?
Summary:
The Assembly convened, first dealing with quorum and routine procedural matters before moving through a series of third-reading bills, many focused on immigration enforcement, worker protections, child care, and school or voting-site safety. Early measures included AB 2393, AB 1994, AB 1929, AB 1633, AB 1650, AB 1655, AB 1851, AB 1896, and AB 2230, with authors and supporters arguing these bills would provide accountability, protect immigrant communities, preserve access to benefits and services, and limit intimidation by immigration enforcement. Opponents repeatedly argued the bills were anti-law-enforcement, unconstitutional, or based on exaggerated or nonexistent threats. Several bills passed by recorded vote, including AB 2393 (41-15), AB 1994 (58-0), AB 1929 (41-17), AB 1650 (44-19), AB 1655 (50-14), AB 1851 (56-0), AB 1896 (41-19), and AB 2230 (42-15). AB 1633, a 54-vote bill imposing a tax on for-profit detention facilities, was debated at length but the roll was not completed in the excerpt and the item was moved on from temporarily.
After a caucus break, the House returned and took up additional bills. AB 2379 would require child care providers to be informed of constitutional protections and receive multilingual training regarding immigration enforcement; it passed 59-10 on both the urgency and the measure. AB 2460 would direct the education department to update referral protocols so schools can better respond to students affected by immigration enforcement trauma and family deportation; it passed 52-8. AB 2495 would expand prohibitions on unfair immigration-related practices by employers, making immigration-related threats unlawful in workplace disputes; it passed 50-15. Throughout the day, debate was highly partisan and often heated, with repeated exchanges over whether the bills addressed real harms or were political messaging, but the Assembly ultimately advanced the measures that came to a vote.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- looking in bill, I'm going I in fact I'm looking in bill, I'm going I in fact I'm looking in our analysis
- and I I want to site I want our analysis and I I want to site I want our analysis and I I want to site
- that that we have in book the analysis that that we have in book the analysis that that we have in here
- that might uh cause you to behavior that might uh cause you to behavior that might uh cause you to think
- able to run the data and do the analysis able to run the data and do the analysis from 22 and 23.
Keywords:
resisting arrest, penalties, criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, youthful offender, capital murder, victims' rights, SB254, Alabama, statute of limitations, civil procedure, civil action, sex offense, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, survivor rights, tolling, disability, minor plaintiff
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Higher Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- Based on analysis that we've done at the Alliance, we believe that's looking at expanding about 40 more
- Behavioral behaviors that they're not used to being a part of and used to seeing.
- Behavioral behaviors that they're not used to being a part of and used to seeing.
- A 2010 analysis found little correlation between legacy preferences and increased giving.
- The analysis found little correlation between legacy preferences and increased giving.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its first hearing and heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including hunger-free campuses, FAFSA completion, early college/college-in-high-school programs, banning legacy preferences, AP credit consistency, and tuition equity for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Committee leaders opened by outlining the hearing process and noting the three-minute testimony limit. Legislators and advocates generally framed the bills as equity and access measures aimed at improving college affordability, student success, and workforce development.
Representative Vargas testified for H. 1466 and H. 1467, arguing that hunger-free campus should be codified because many public college and community college students face food insecurity, and that FAFSA completion should be improved through individualized outreach and an opt-out or completion requirement. Senator Lovely, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and other advocates supported the hunger-free campus bill, citing data that 44% of public university and community college students experienced food insecurity in 2023 and that food insecurity harms graduation rates. Femi Stoltz and Shanti Lopez Toro backed the FAFSA bill, saying many students miss out on Pell grants and need direct support; they pointed to state examples such as Louisiana and to recent state action requiring FAFSA awareness. Committee members asked about the federal FAFSA rollout, regional equity in food access, and the need for long-term funding and data collection.
A large panel supported H. 1455 on college and high school/early college, including former Chair Roy, the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, a student graduate, MBAE, and Tripp Jones. They described early college as a proven model that helps low-income and first-generation students, improves degree attainment, and supports workforce needs; witnesses said the goal is to scale from about 9,000 students and 55 partnerships toward 22,000 to 25,000 students by 2030, with possible future growth beyond that. Members raised questions about funding, public-private partnerships, parental involvement, faculty development, and whether the bill should include data review and more standardized policies across institutions. Representative Garcia also testified for H. 1432 on AP credit, saying students should receive consistent credit for AP scores of 3, 4, or 5. Senator Edwards and James Murphy testified for the legacy preference ban, arguing it is unfair and rooted in exclusionary history; they said some states have already banned legacy preferences in public and private institutions. Finally, UMass Dean Michael Fox, alumnus Dan Mayer, and student Jake Rasmussen supported S. 920 to include Stockbridge associate degree programs in MassEducate, saying tuition equity would help enrollment and support Massachusetts agriculture and green-industry jobs.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-06-16 (7:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- evaluation done by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research and the Office of Program Policy Analysis
- But no, there's significant funding for mental health and behavioral health services in this budget.
- But no, there's significant funding for mental health and behavioral health services in this budget.
- Getting back to the Elder Affairs care, has there been any analysis done to determine how much funding
- That's one of the dynamics in this bill, and the staff analysis says it itself: the modifications will
Summary:
The House convened on the final day of session, observed a moment of silence for the Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and for Representative Rosenwald’s father, then swore in and seated new members Boyles and Hodgers. The Speaker also outlined the chamber’s end-of-session priorities, including action on the budget and related conforming bills. The House then took up H.J.R. 5019, a constitutional amendment to expand Florida’s budget stabilization fund by raising the cap, requiring annual transfers, and allowing withdrawals for critical state needs. After sponsor explanations and questions about what would qualify as a critical need and how the fund might respond to possible federal funding cuts, the House adopted an amendment that added more flexibility for suspending transfers and withdrawals. The joint resolution then passed on final passage.
Members next considered HB 7031, the tax package conference report. The bill repeals the business rent tax and aviation fuel tax, delays the natural gas fuel tax, creates or extends several sales tax exemptions and holidays, and makes changes affecting property taxes, local taxes, pari-mutuel taxes, and revenue distributions. Debate focused heavily on the new permanent exemption for ammunition and hunting-related items, the elimination of recurring housing trust fund and transit-related distributions, and the shift of some funding from recurring to nonrecurring status. Supporters argued the package provides tax relief and preserves annual budget flexibility, while opponents criticized the ammunition exemption and the reductions in recurring housing and transit support. The conference report was adopted and the bill passed.
The House then passed HB 5017, which creates a debt reduction program funded by a recurring transfer from general revenue to retire state bonds early, and HB 5015, the state group insurance conforming bill, which directs DMS to develop a formulary management plan and codifies the administrative health insurance assessment. Finally, the chamber began explanation and questions on the General Appropriations Act conference report for fiscal year 2025-26, described as a $115.1 billion budget that is down from the current year and includes more than $12 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs summarized major budget areas, including K-12 education, health care, transportation and economic development, agriculture and natural resources, higher education, state administration, justice, and information technology, highlighting funding for school choice, Medicaid, housing, transportation infrastructure, Everglades restoration, workforce programs, cybersecurity, and technology modernization.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 2/17/25
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And for us, that means that there’s an analysis for all farm expenditures.
- And for us, that means that there’s an analysis for all farm expenditures.
- And for us, that means that there’s an analysis for all farm expenditures.
- And for us, that means that there’s an analysis for all farm expenditures.
- An analysis for all farm expenditures.
Keywords:
agriculture, agricultural education, leadership development, Minnesota Agricultural Education and Leadership Council, MAELC, chapter 41D, grant funding, general fund appropriation, commissioner of agriculture, farm education, youth agriculture programs, ag literacy, workforce development, extension education, research funding, extension services, technology transfer, grant programs, 1183, house
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- and not funded by taxpayers. 340B savings support FQHCs with essential services, primary care, behavioral
- health, pharmacy services... ...to dental, optometry, behavioral health, pharmacy services, substance
- We have one of the largest and most integrated behavioral health programs in the state, including 18
- First, this bill authorizes the State Center for Health Information and Analysis, CHIA, to review the
- A previous analysis in JAMA found that more than half of the 50 top-selling drugs in Medicare had low
Summary:
The committee held a lengthy hearing on a large docket of pharmacy and drug-pricing bills, with most testimony focused on PBM reform, 340B drug discount program protections, specialty medication access, and medication adherence. Chair James Murphy and Senator Paul Feeney opened the hearing and took testimony from legislators, patient advocates, pharmacists, health center leaders, industry representatives, and policy groups. Several speakers described delays, denials, high out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacy closures tied to PBM practices, while others emphasized the importance of community health centers and independent pharmacies in serving patients.
On the 340B program, supporters including Senator Eldridge, Senator Payano, Community Care Cooperative, Fenway Health, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and several community health center leaders argued that bills such as H. 1107 and S. 819 would stop discriminatory PBM and manufacturer practices, preserve contract pharmacy access, and protect safety-net providers that say they reinvest savings into care, pharmacy expansion, interpreter services, behavioral health, and other services. Opponents including PhRMA, the Community Liver Alliance, and a public policy analyst argued the program lacks transparency and accountability, has grown beyond its original purpose, and may benefit large hospitals and for-profit entities more than low-income patients. They urged more reporting and oversight rather than expanding protections.
On PBM reform, testimony supported bills including H. 1157, H. 1234, S. 724, S. 831, and related measures that would require rebate pass-through, ban spread pricing, limit steering to PBM-owned pharmacies, and improve reimbursement for community pharmacies. Independent pharmacists and patients said current PBM practices raise costs, create administrative burdens, and threaten access to local pharmacies. PCMA, representing PBMs, opposed the reforms, arguing PBMs lower costs, that plan sponsors choose to contract with them, and that the Health Policy Commission and CHIA should complete their ongoing study before new mandates are adopted. The committee also heard support for H. 1322 and S. 734 on specialty medications, and for H. 781 and H. 1305 on medication synchronization to improve adherence. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- So I think that's a great question: Is absenteeism a behavior problem or a barrier problem?
- And so then that can actually manifest as behavioral problems, acting out in class and those kinds of
- Did you do any analysis as to those students, how many actual instruction hours they were missing?
- We have a David Lawrence Center for Behavioral Health relationships with our Sheriff's Department.
- I would say to you today that of more concern is your social media and your online behaviors than it
Summary:
The committee met to discuss student attendance and chronic absenteeism in Florida K-12 schools, with Chair Simon outlining the state’s attendance requirements and intervention process, including school contact after unexcused absences, child study team review, district superintendent referral, DJJ family services referral, truancy petitions, and possible parental prosecution and driver’s license consequences. Dr. Chris Curran of the University of Florida presented statewide data showing chronic absenteeism has risen sharply since the pandemic, with Florida at about 31.4% in 2023–24, and noted that absenteeism varies by district, school level, demographics, and urbanicity. He emphasized that causes are multifaceted—ranging from transportation, mental health, housing instability, safety concerns, and family circumstances—and said effective responses include early warning systems, text or phone outreach, multi-tiered interventions, mentoring programs like Check & Connect, and community partnerships. He also cautioned that punitive responses alone are often less effective than addressing root causes and keeping students engaged academically even when they miss school.
Collier County Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli described her district’s attendance efforts as a priority supported by attendance specialists, social workers, mental health staff, home visits, attendance contracts, and extensive parent communication. She said Collier’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 9% in 2023–24 and attributed success to consistent monitoring, family outreach, and community support, while stressing that students must be physically present to learn. She also argued that many absences are tied to barriers such as clothing, transportation, childcare, or family mental health, and that districts need resources to address those issues. Dr. Rachel Dawes added that Collier uses multilingual brochures, attendance awareness campaigns, vacation-planning guidance, door tags, automated calls and letters, and a truancy flow chart, with truancy court used as a last resort.
Volusia County Executive Director Mike McAuliffe described a districtwide overhaul that included an attendance matters campaign, automated notices sent early and often, same-day and period-by-period notifications, a data dashboard, and tiered supports through MTSS. He said Volusia reduced chronic absenteeism from 34% in 2023–24 to a projected 29% and reported a first-quarter rate of about 20% in the current year. He highlighted community partnerships, including AdventHealth support for washers and dryers, bikes for students with transportation barriers, and monetary recognition for schools that reduce absenteeism. In response to questions, both district leaders emphasized that funding, staffing, and consistent follow-through are essential, and that attendance work is most effective when paired with family engagement, data monitoring, and practical supports rather than punishment alone.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- When we think about this, we could extend this analysis to health outcomes, to poverty, to crime, various
- other things that are ...analysis to health outcomes, to poverty, to crime, various other things that
- using performance data, students with disabilities, serving multilingual learners, managing class or behavior
- teachers, and they've kind of gone away from the fundamentals of teaching in terms of classroom behavior
- I actually want to talk about my experience, my past experience in behavioral health where I saw firsthand
Summary:
The Education Committee began with a lengthy presentation from Dr. Victoria Dyson Homer on the Arizona Teacher Residency Program. She argued that Arizona faces a teacher shortage and high attrition, with many teachers uncertified or leaving early, and said research shows high-quality, practice-based residencies improve retention, teacher confidence, and student outcomes. She compared Arizona with Texas, described Arizona Teacher Residency’s structure as a year-long apprenticeship paired with coursework and mentorship, and said the program’s early data show strong retention and positive student feedback. Committee members asked about how the residency differs from traditional student teaching, its master’s-degree structure, and whether it should influence broader teacher-preparation and salary policies.
The committee then heard and debated SCR 1006, a ballot referral dealing with school restroom and pronoun policies. The measure would require schools to provide reasonable accommodations for students unwilling or unable to use sex-designated multi-occupancy restrooms or sleeping quarters, and would bar school employees from using pronouns or names inconsistent with a student’s biological sex without written parental permission. The sponsor framed it as a parental-rights and student-safety measure, while opponents from education, civil liberties, and mental health backgrounds called it discriminatory, unnecessary, and harmful to transgender and non-binary students. After public testimony and member debate, the committee approved SCR 1006 on a 7-5 vote.
The committee also considered SB 1126, which would require schools to provide certain student records and related information to Department of Child Safety caseworkers during abuse or neglect investigations and would prohibit schools from blocking staff from speaking directly with DCS. DCS testified neutrally, saying the bill could help resolve delays and improve information sharing, while members raised FERPA and guardianship concerns. The bill passed 10-0 with two members present.
Finally, the committee took up SB 1210, which requires certain out-of-state private postsecondary institutions offering fully online programs to Arizona residents to register with the state’s private postsecondary regulator and comply with tuition recovery fund requirements unless covered by reciprocity. Supporters said the bill closes a regulatory loophole and protects students financially; it passed 11-1. The committee then adjourned.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
Senate - Tax, Business and Transportation Mar 20th, 2025
Senate Tax, Business & Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- Is unconstitutional, then so too is the IRB structure, as noted in tax and res analysis.
- We went through this analysis.
- Chair and sponsors to put a billion toward behavioral health.
- respond, um, I appreciate, uh, uh, Senator Figueroa's remarks because if you think about, uh, the behavioral
- And like you said, Senator, if we can take a billion dollars for behavioral health.