Transcript Highlights:

• through pregnancy and postpartum for high-risk pregnant patients and patients with advanced paternal age
• It also directs DMAS to assess coverage for pregnant individuals age 35 and older through the full postpartum
• It also directs DMAS to assess coverage for pregnant individuals age 35 and older through the full postpartum
• Ada Martinez Nalasco, age 14, died immediately.
• a requirement that investigations must occur within 24 hours for child welfare calls for children ages

Keywords: March 13, 2026 - Regular Session Part 2, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 8 to 20, when teams demonstrate experience in meeting the developmental and clinical needs of the age
• c><00:07:57.919> to<00:07:58.160> 20<00:07:58.720> when children and youth um ages
• the developmental and clinical needs of the developmental and clinical needs of the<00:08:02.319> age
• 04.160> closing,<00:08:04.560> I<00:08:04.720> ask<00:08:04.879> for the age
• In closing, I ask for the age range.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3520, as amended by an A1 technical amendment from DHS, was heard in committee. The bill was described as a policy-only measure aimed at modernizing mental health statutes to reduce confusion, ease staffing burdens, and improve recruitment and retention in a workforce facing shortages. The author said the bill was developed with mental health stakeholders over several years, shared with DHS, and intended to have no cost unless provisions are later flagged for fiscal impact. Chris Westgard of Touchstone Mental Health testified in support and walked through the bill’s main provisions. Section 1 would exclude weekends and holidays from the 10-day deadline for completing diagnostic assessments after admission to intensive residential treatment services, which he said would reduce weekend and holiday work for limited staff. Section 2 would clarify statutory language governing the behavioral health fund’s coverage of intensive residential treatment and residential crisis stabilization services. Section 3 would update Youth ACT rules by allowing board-certified psychiatrists with relevant clinical experience to serve as prescribers, making registered nurses optional team members, and allowing teams with demonstrated experience to serve children and youth ages 8 to 20. Members raised questions about statutory wording, including the use of “notwithstanding” and the term “qualified provider.” Nonpartisan staff said the bill could be tightened with a cross-reference if it advances. There was no public testimony against the bill. The committee laid House File 3520, as amended, over for possible inclusion.

Transcript Highlights:

• One that was highlighted during our human services hearing was the Minnesota Board on Aging.
• And so we had the opportunity to talk about those issues, and we also had the Board on Aging come and
• <00:02:29.200> And<00:02:29.360> they the Minnesota Board on Aging.
• And they the Minnesota Board on Aging.
• <00:02:49.200> come and we also had the board on aging come and we also had the board on aging

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The success of both domestic and foreign fresh produce industries depend on having sufficient CBP ag
• By funding CBPA overtime for ag specialists, reducing delays in inspection, improving efficiencies.
• mandates often go beyond what is reasonable or necessary and place an additional cost and burden on ag
• It prohibits municipalities from adopting or enforcing an ordinance that requires an ag landowner to
• Members, this is a common sense bill that affirms the state's longstanding commitment to ag producers

Transcript Highlights:

• In the state of Alabama, you have to wait until age 19 to participate in that program.
• Do you think that's why they set the age at 19 in the first place?
• But I think it's more about tightening up on what takes place here with the age.
• In the Middle Ages, kings often ruled that the authority of...
• My young children do not need an explanation of what adultery is at the age of six.

Bills: HB266, SB85, SB166, HB266, SB85, SB166

Keywords: education, diploma, adult education, dropout prevention, nontraditional high school program, driver's license eligibility, vaccination exemption, religious exemption, medical exemption, vaccine mandate, testing requirement, public schools, K-12, students, parents, guardians, higher education, college enrollment, university attendance, public institutions of higher education

Transcript Highlights:

• name or a face to a program, but we're trying this morning to show you some pictures of real working ag
• Going back to protecting ag lands, we're also protecting the second highest economic driver in Florida
• of water bodies, aquifer recharge areas, wetlands and watersheds, the perpetuation of open space on ag
• What's the goal from the ag place? You're recognized. Thank you.
• Equipment on our state forest is aging. It's very old. A lot of it is military surplus.

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee met with a quorum and heard two Department of Agriculture presentations. First, the Director of Rural and Family Lands described the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which buys development rights through perpetual conservation easements on private agricultural land to preserve farming, wildlife habitat, water resources, and open space while keeping land taxable and avoiding state maintenance costs. He said the program has expanded rapidly since 2023 through streamlined applications, templates, and an online portal, increasing acreage protected from about 66,000 acres through 2022 to more than 210,000 acres, with a higher share in the Florida wildlife corridor. He also said review times were reduced by more than 85 days and that projects under $5 million can move faster under statutory authority. The department is seeking $200 million in nonrecurring funding on top of $100 million recurring, citing 203 existing projects and 224 new applications totaling nearly $2 billion in estimated need. Members asked about the scientific ranking process, South Florida participation, project prioritization, maintenance responsibilities, and whether landowners can exit the program; staff said land remains privately owned, easements are in perpetuity, and partnerships and cost-sharing are prioritized. The committee then heard from the Florida Forest Service director, who outlined the agency’s dual mission of wildfire response and land management. He said the service responds to roughly 2,200 to 2,500 wildfires annually, manages 38 state forests and one ranch totaling more than 1.1 million acres, and receives about 15 million visitors each year. He highlighted the impact of Senate Bill 1638 gaming compact funds, which provided $32 million for land management, recreation, equipment, roads, invasive species control, habitat restoration, prescribed burning, reforestation, and staffing support. He said Florida leads the nation in prescribed fire, with 277,818 acres burned on state forests last year and 2.47 million acres burned statewide, and noted ongoing restoration work such as Picayune Strand. He also described challenges including aging equipment, deferred maintenance, contractor availability, and timber market instability caused by hurricanes and mill closures, and suggested longer-term funding and a higher capital asset allowance. Members discussed timber markets, public communication and marketing, recreation fees, and coordination with other agencies and FDOT. The meeting ended with the chair noting that next week’s meeting would report out agency conversations and budget recommendations, and the committee rose.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the age limit that you that... how old can somebody be?
• However, there is no age limit to purchase ivermectin.
• Representative Collier: And so there's no age?
• Schaffner: Yes, I mean most medicines have adult age, children age, most medicines...
• I got a call from a woman who's 26 years of age.

Bills: HB25, HB48, HB149, HB254, HB26, HB192

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert

Transcript Highlights:

• If we look by this 2023 data, look by race and age, If we look by this 2023 data, look by race and age
• Another interesting thing is the age at death. This is again 2023 data.
• Just like how wide the age range is.
• Just like how wide the age range is.
• And Kim, so that's a pretty huge barrier for disabled folks of all ages as well.

Summary: The committee first approved the previous meeting minutes and then heard a detailed annual report from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and policy issues. He explained the committee’s review process, confidentiality protections, and national and North Dakota data showing that most maternal deaths are preventable and that mental health conditions, substance use, cardiovascular issues, infection, hemorrhage, and embolism are the leading causes. Members asked about suicide, domestic violence, midwife training, home births, and whether pregnancy testing at death scenes should be expanded; Dr. Arnold said better coroner education, more investigation of unexplained deaths, and possible post-mortem pregnancy testing could improve case identification, especially in rural areas. He also noted that deaths often occur well after 42 days postpartum and that mental health-related deaths remain a major concern. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark on cigarette reduced-ignition-propensity standards and related fire prevention issues. He recommended updating the state’s cigarette propensity law to current national standards and also raised a separate recommendation to require fast-breakaway oxygen tubing for home oxygen users, citing fatal fires linked to smoking around oxygen. Members asked about implementation, cost, insurance coverage, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Dr. Clark said he would provide follow-up information and was willing to help with any legislation, but no agency bill had yet been planned. Next, Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services reported on the North Dakota Stroke System of Care. She described the statewide network of stroke-ready hospitals, registry-based quality improvement, and performance data showing continued improvement in stroke recognition, imaging, thrombolytic treatment, transfers, and EMS pre-notification. She highlighted new quality measures for inter-facility transfers and intracerebral hemorrhage care, and said the system remains strong but depends on continued legislative and hospital support. Committee members asked about participation by the VA hospital and were encouraged to consider outreach to include it more fully in the stroke system. Finally, the committee began a presentation on prior authorization and non-opioid pain treatment from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to non-opioid acute pain medications, especially in the 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window when pain is most severe, and said delays can push patients toward opioids. He emphasized that prior authorization has a role in utilization management but should not create barriers in acute pain care, and he noted that current use of the company’s non-opioid product remains very low. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• members, House Bill 2433 requires insurers that offer Medicare supplement insurance to individuals age
• My experience began when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 48.
• It's estimated that around 20% of school-age kids have strep colonizing in their throat.
• We're talking about from the ages of six going up to the ages of 10, but those are children that, at
• It maintained that rate all the way, for children age 19 to 35 months.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to people 65 and older to also offer them to Medicare beneficiaries under 65 with ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections tied to 65-year-old rates. Supporters, including dialysis and ALS advocates, said the bill would help a small population facing high out-of-pocket costs and could improve access to transplants and care; opponents argued it would shift costs onto older seniors and raise Medigap premiums. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 12-0 vote. The committee also heard House Bill 2593, appropriating $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps obstetric and pediatric providers quickly consult on perinatal depression, postpartum psychosis, suicidality, and other mental health crises, improving outcomes for mothers, children, and families and reducing costly emergency and crisis care. The bill received a do pass recommendation on a 10-1 vote. House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, drew emotional testimony from a young woman with spina bifida and another speaker supporting the sanctity of life. Some members objected that the state should focus on practical supports such as paid leave, child care, and health care access, while others supported the resolution as a statement of human dignity. The resolution passed the committee 7-5. The committee then approved House Bill 4010, creating a Board of Genetic Counselors and licensure standards, after testimony from genetic counselors and a patient advocate about the need for qualified counseling and better access; it passed 11-1. Later, the committee approved House Bill 2196, which would require pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse non-affiliated pharmacies at least their acquisition cost and pay a dispensing fee, and establish an appeals process. Independent pharmacists and their coalition said PBM practices are driving closures and unfairly favor affiliated pharmacies, while PBM and employer representatives warned of major cost increases and said the bill would interfere with private contracts; the bill passed 11-1. The committee also adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, and then gave the amended bill a 12-0 do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, with the sponsor and board staff saying it would help implement routine ventilator care in the home; it passed 12-0. The committee then began hearing House Bill 2404, a strike-everything amendment on inter-facility transports for behavioral health patients, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• That just means I'm willing to run again at my age. So, I want to make that clear.
• Um, the Leadership Council on Aging. We're going to discuss that.
• Uh, section 19 deals with Mississippi Leadership Council on Aging.
• Aging for several years. Uh he reached Aging for several years.
• on Aging uh remove that from the bill. on Aging uh remove that from the bill.

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 409, 12 January, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee held its first meeting under its new Government Structure Committee name and began by electing Senator Chris Johnson as secretary. The chair explained the committee’s purpose as improving efficiency, effectiveness, and stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and said members had asked statewide officials and agencies for ideas on streamlining government and reducing costs. Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gibson testified at length about ways his agency has found efficiencies, especially after the COVID-era consolidation of three agencies into one. He said state procurement and construction rules can add major time and cost to projects, citing a proposed $300,000 building that grew to about $1 million through the state process. He recommended raising repair and quote thresholds, streamlining construction procedures, reconsidering restrictions on payments between state agencies, and allowing more flexibility for agencies to help one another when authorized. Members questioned Gibson about the repair caps, the construction cost increase, Ticketmaster and other technology/vendor arrangements, and whether agencies should have more decentralized control over contracts. The chair and several senators agreed the committee should examine red tape, vendor relationships, and procurement rules, and Gibson said he would provide more information and work with the committee. No formal legislation was acted on in the portion provided. The transcript then shifted to testimony from the Insurance Commissioner, who said his department is heavily affected by IT and board structure issues and oversees 17 boards. He urged consolidation of some boards, criticized the effects of SB 2362 on special-fund agencies, and said the State Fire Academy and other operations have been constrained by general-fund treatment and limited authority. He also discussed insurance-rate pressures, including projected premium increases, wind pool rate concerns on the Gulf Coast, and the need for mitigation to stabilize costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also cannot use water fund money for our ag conservation.
• program for ag producers throughout the state.
• Yes, Ag Fund, EDAP, and currently the Flood Infrastructure Fund.
• And so when you're saying you're thinking of doing something for the ag community.
• I'm going to let Brian talk about the ag portion.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , based on age.
• Um so, uh this on age based on age.
• if you're uh insured to their age 26. if you're uh insured to their age 26.
• that age doesn't change that situation. that age doesn't change that situation.
• these buckets of of income and age. these buckets of of income and age.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also am a Aging Services at DHHS.
• of focusing on policy and advancing policy related to aging, but also our state commission on aging
• of focusing on policy and advancing policy related to aging, but also our state commission on aging
• I blamed aging.
• I blamed myself and blamed aging.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At the age of 13, a child, we used to say that a child could get married at age 13 in this state.
• At the<00:31:21.039> age<00:31:21.279> of the age of the age of 13,<00:31:23.840> a<
• Um, my grandchildren are from the ages of 19 down to eight.
• <01:17:22.320> and consenting to because of their age and consenting to because of their age
• So that would be in age appropriate.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, and welcome to the June 24th Aging and Long-Term Care Committee hearing.
• I'm Hagar Dickman, Director of California LTSS Advocacy for Justice in Aging.
• Justice in Aging is a national legal advocacy organization committed to advancing the rights of low-income
• Carol Swartzlander, California Commission on Aging, in support.
• Carol Swartz, from the California Commission on Aging, in support.

Summary: The Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee met on June 24 with a substitute chair presiding and considered three measures. SB 352 by Senator Reyes was placed on the consent calendar and approved unanimously, 7-0, to be re-referred to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 433 by Senator Wahab, presented on behalf of Senator Stern, was heard next and focused on room-and-board protections for participants in the assisted living waiver and CalAIM assisted living transition community support programs. Supporters, including Justice in Aging, CANHR, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Commission on Aging, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, argued the bill would prevent low-income Medi-Cal residents from being charged unaffordable rates and losing their housing. Opponents, including the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, and Six B’s, said they remained concerned about the bill’s rent-control implications and statutory scope, though they acknowledged recent amendments addressed some eligibility issues. After committee discussion, SB 433 was approved 5-1 with one abstention and re-referred to the Committee on Human Services. The committee also heard SB 582 by Senator Stern, presented by Senator Wahab, which would allow state departments to issue disaster suspensions of active licenses for facilities rendered inoperable by declared emergencies, waive some licensing fees, and provide temporary flexibility for community-based adult services, child care, and evacuation planning requirements for skilled nursing and residential care facilities. Support came from the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, the California Commission on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, CANHR, and a child care resource center, all describing the bill as helpful for rebuilding and continuity of services after disasters. There was no recorded opposition, and SB 582 passed unanimously, 7-0, to the Committee on Health. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Average age $38 an hour.
• Average age $38 an hour.
• Average age $38 an hour.
• Average age $38 an hour.
• and my memory was faded with age. and my memory was faded with age.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a process where there's a lot of layers: DHS, the Board on Aging, area agencies on aging, subcontractors
• What we found was there are seven area agencies on aging.
• And we asked, you know, show us why it cost this much, and the Board on Aging couldn't show us.
• area agencies on DHS uh board on Aging area agencies on Aging Aging Aging subcontractors<00:09:31.600
• 02.480> and Agency on Aging couldn't show us and Agency on Aging couldn't show us and even<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on January 9, 2025, to focus on internal controls, fraud prevention, and legislative oversight of state agencies. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall explained Minnesota’s internal control framework, based on the GAO Green Book, and described five core controls: assigning responsibility, separating duties, restricting access, maintaining policies and procedures, and keeping records. She tied each control to examples from recent audits, including DHS’s Medicaid provider debt recovery, the Minnesota State Academies’ travel reimbursement issue, privileged access at the Minnesota State Lottery, missing mileage-verification procedures at the Board of Firefighter Training and Education, and weak documentation in the Board on Aging’s senior nutrition program. Deputy Legislative Auditor Jod Mson Rodriguez then presented a new follow-up report on implementation of prior recommendations from 2022 through 2024, including special reviews. She said the office gathers agency documentation, evaluates progress, and categorizes recommendations from implemented to not applicable, while noting that some items require more work to verify and that this reflects OLA capacity rather than agency performance. Examples included the Department of Commerce, where some policy changes were verified but further work would be needed to confirm consistent investigator compliance, and the Metropolitan Council, where more data analysis would be needed to determine whether bonus payments were properly earned. She also noted that a legislature-directed recommendation to require grant manager training had not been implemented. Overall, OLA reported that state agencies had implemented or partially implemented close to 70% of its recommendations, while the legislature had implemented or partially implemented about 40% of recommendations from the last three years. Members generally praised the office’s work and discussed how agencies respond after reports are issued. Senator Westrom raised concerns about a recent media report on alleged fraud in CCAP, and Randall said OLA was aware of the issue but could not discuss details. Senator Draheim asked about post-report agency engagement, and Randall and Rodriguez said follow-up varies, with some agencies seeking private meetings and others engaging less, but that the follow-up process often prompts further discussion and improvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are so many entities existing in ag.
• We have like ag and meat processing.
• We have like ag and meat processing.
• We have like ag and meat processing.
• Um, and we need to prepare our ag people to do that.

Bills: SF0101

Keywords: Second Amendment, firearm regulation, state legislation, public safety, civil penalties, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But the other problem is after the age of 16, where do we go from there too?
• But the other problem is after the age of 16, where do we go from there too, as well?
• So I believe we have to break out these age groups somehow based on enforceability. And, Mr.
• What was the age of the victim?
• Essentially, it's the age of flying cars.

Summary: The committee held a panel discussion on micro-mobility device regulation and enforcement, focusing on e-bikes and e-scooters. Sheriff Robert Hardwick and Chief Jamie Cruz described serious injuries involving children, including crashes at high speeds, and argued that current law is outdated because it folds e-bikes into the bicycle statute. They urged a separate statewide framework with clearer age limits, licensing or training requirements, helmet rules, and penalties for modifying devices to go faster. Both also emphasized that parents should bear responsibility and that enforcement should include education, progressive discipline, and, if needed, civil citations. FDOT District 6 Secretary Daniel Iglesias and DHSMV representative Lonnie Groner said their agencies are prioritizing education, outreach, and better data collection. They noted that micromobility devices are increasingly common, create safety and accessibility issues on sidewalks and shared-use paths, and are difficult to track because crash reports often do not identify them consistently. Members discussed whether motorized devices should be barred from sidewalks, whether riders should be licensed and insured, and how enforcement could be made uniform statewide. The panel also said manufacturers have not been meaningfully engaged and that local approaches vary widely. The committee then heard 2026 legislative priorities from FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue and DHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. Perdue outlined FDOT’s large five-year work program, ongoing congestion-relief projects, investments in ports, airports, rail, workforce, heavy equipment, facilities, and cybersecurity, and the need to do more with flat revenues. Kerner summarized DHSMV’s agency bill priorities, including requiring a Florida address and proof of residence for vehicle registration, updating identification requirements, aligning tank vehicle and motor carrier rules with federal standards, improving IFTA administration, raising the crash-report damage threshold, and allowing electronic notices. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• context on where this bill came from: in Clay County, we have a zoning classification for residential ag
• situations where there's uncertainty as to whether the county has to allow the density on those working ag
• when we clarified those definitions last year that we don't intend that to be in these residential ag
• or these ag communities.
• And that was the general... ...ag communities, and that was the genesis of the bill, and it's pretty

Bills: S0962

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum present and took up SB 962, a bill by Senator Bradley relating to affordable housing and zoning preemption. Senator Bradley explained that the bill is intended to protect working farms and farm operations by clarifying that farms are excluded from the definitions of commercial, mixed use, and industrial use for purposes of certain multifamily residential development authorizations. He cited concerns from Clay County and similar agricultural areas where existing zoning classifications and farm-related activities, such as produce stands, could be unintentionally affected by the prior definitions. There were no questions, appearance cards, or debate on the bill. Senator Bradley waived closing, and the committee proceeded to a roll call vote. SB 962 was reported favorably. After the bill vote, members exchanged brief closing remarks and thanks to the chair and committee. Senator Bernard then moved to adjourn, and the meeting ended.