Video & Transcript : 'reciprocal licensure' :

Page 55 of 207
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • 1465 by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to the State Board of Licensure
  • 1465 by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to the State Board of Licensure
  • My calculation is, I've surveyed you guys over the last year or two, is State Board of Licensure and
  • 1465 by Kendricks of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate, an act relating to the State Board of Licensure
  • Advisory committee on the lay midwives that oversees the midwives that we allowed to have licensure back
Summary: The House met in session with a roll call establishing a quorum, followed by prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including the Doctor and Nurse of the Day and youth groups visiting the chamber. Special presentations honored the Oklahoma City Blazers under-10 ice hockey team for winning a Texas state championship and MacArthur High School JROTC cadets for repeated drill team success. The chamber also adopted House Resolution 1055 declaring April 29, 2026, as Oklahoma Agriculture Day, and House Resolution 1056 recognizing Denim Day during Sexual Assault Awareness Month; both were adopted without objection. Members then considered a series of Senate bills. SB 2170 on child custody passed 77-0 and requires supervised visitation when a court finds child abuse or sexual exploitation. SB 1833 codifies a federal waiver barring SNAP purchases of candy and soft drinks and passed 62-17. SB 1198, requiring the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to file releases on county- and municipally-owned properties at the request of local officials, passed 79-0. SB 1730, which requires law enforcement sexual abuse reports to be forwarded to OSBI for investigative use, drew debate over victim protection versus due-process concerns and passed 52-29. The House also passed SB 1379 creating a two-year grant pilot for services to labor and sex trafficking victims, including services regardless of immigration status, and approved the emergency. SB 1645 on Medicaid audit procedures, SB 2155 allowing the Route 66 Commission to use MOUs for administrative oversight, and several sunset-extension bills for boards and commissions also advanced, many with emergency clauses approved. SB 1461 extending the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority passed 67-20, but its emergency failed 55-20. Other measures passed included SB 1344 creating an insulin access and affordability program, SB 1309 increasing Roads Fund debt-service capacity, and multiple board-extension bills for construction, polygraph examiners, engineers and surveyors, and midwifery, most with emergency clauses adopted. The House then moved to announcements and recessed until 1:30 p.m.
OK
Summary: The House convened under quorum call and began with several recognitions and presentations, including visits from Comanche County 4-H, the Muskogee Police Department officers who completed EMT training, the March of Dimes, and Ag Day honorees, including the Ag Hall of Fame recipient Ron Justice. The chamber also adopted House Resolution 1054 designating April 2026 as Library Month, with a special presentation honoring library leaders and advocates for their work on the first Library Day at the Capitol. The House then considered and passed a series of bills, mostly on broad bipartisan votes, covering state symbols, fireworks sales, oil and gas royalty protections, AP exam access, veteran records access for grandchildren, Medicaid support for a food-is-medicine grant, law library representation, controlled substances, public health, state security staffing, financial exploitation protections, credit union modernization, workforce data, staffing contracts, enterprise zone incentives, conveyance/title theft protections, hospice narcotics disposal, duplicate statute cleanup, and memorial highway/bridge designations. One major bill, SB 237 on eliminating the solar and battery storage manufacturing tax exemption, was laid over after discussion and questions about tax policy and local incentives. Several measures drew brief explanation and questions, including SB 2159 on state symbols and wheat, SB 1948 on fireworks sales, HB 1371 on oil and gas royalty payments and bankruptcy protections, SB 1975 on AP testing locations, SB 2026 on access to veterans’ discharge papers, SB 1565 on food-is-medicine Medicaid support, SB 1642 on splitting short opioid prescriptions, and SB 933 creating a right-to-try pathway for individualized treatment. Most of these bills passed with little or no debate, and several emergency clauses also passed by the required two-thirds vote. Not all measures advanced: SB 1771, expanding Workforce Commission data authority, failed on a 27-46 vote, and the House later gave notice of intent to reconsider. SB 1365 was reconsidered and then passed, but its emergency clause failed. The session also featured an extended personal privilege speech by Rep. Scott Fetgatter marking his departure, in which he thanked colleagues and staff and reflected on his tenure and legislative work.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Chamber Meeting Feb 5th, 2026

New Mexico House Floor Meeting

Bills: HB95 , HB111 , HJR1 , HB32 , HB33 , HB61 , HJM2 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM3 , HM11 , HM14 , HM15 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB8 , HB30 , HB43 , HB156 , HM2 , HM16
Summary: The House opened with a quorum, prayer, pledge, and a series of announcements and recognitions tied to Gallup-McKinley County Day, including the presentation and passage of House Memorial 15 designating February 5, 2026, as Gallup-McKinley County Day. Members spoke at length in support of Gallup and McKinley County, its Native communities, cultural traditions, Route 66 heritage, economic development, and local schools and guests in the gallery. House Memorial 15 passed unanimously, 70-0. The chamber then took up House Memorial 3 recognizing nurses and other health care professionals. Several members and guests from labor and health care organizations spoke in support, emphasizing the dedication of frontline workers and the importance of honoring nurses. The memorial passed unanimously, 70-0. The House also passed House Bill 32, a counseling licensure compact, after adopting a technical amendment, by 63-0; House Bill 33, a psychologist compact, by 64-0; and House Bill 95, creating a fifth judge position in the Second Judicial District family court division, after a friendly amendment removing an appropriation because funding was already in the budget, by 65-0. During committee reports, the House adopted favorable reports on several measures, including House Bill 70 substitute, Senate Bill 3 as amended, House Bills 246, 254, 271, 276, 288, and House Joint Memorial 3. In introductions, the House referred several memorials and Senate bills, including measures on teacher workload study, detention facility reuse, health insurance affordability, gifted education endorsements, special education, and burglary definitions. The House also announced committee meetings, upcoming events, and the annual House-versus-Senate basketball game, then recessed until the next morning.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Legislative Session Day 51 Mar 3rd, 2026

Idaho Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Section 2 is repealing language around state licensure of aircraft pilots.
  • Senate Bill 1313 includes the dual licensure part of the statute.
  • doctors. ...get the dual licensure as pharmacists and naturopathic doctors.
  • None of this licensure has ever been forced on anybody.
  • We don't force this licensure. It's only if you want to be.
Keywords: 989, all
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

Rules Feb 24th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • This legislation concerns board licensure requirements, revising the reference that removes currently
  • We want to make sure that our intent is clear, and those whom we do not want to include in this licensure
  • The bill also extends the sunset date for marriage and family therapy licensure to 2032 for graduates
  • Senator Gates, your last bill of the day, tab 47, SB 1708 on veterinary licensure.
  • This bill makes a limited, targeted change to Florida's veterinary licensure by endorsement statute.
Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • All of our fellows are seeking a degree and/or licensure.
  • 100% of them hold a classified licensure.
  • will be eligible for certified licensure at the end of this school year.
  • ...complete their licensure with one agency or university. Can you help me with that part?
  • The special education licensure is actually a K-12 licensure or endorsement, so that would enable them
Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on strategic resource management in public education. LESC staff and PED officials argued that New Mexico has increased school funding, but local budgeting and planning remain fragmented and overly compliance-driven. They described long-term pressures including declining enrollment, rising special education costs, falling cash balances, changes in federal funding, and leadership turnover, and said schools need more intentional multi-year planning tied to student outcomes. They also outlined the many disconnected planning requirements schools must complete, compared New Mexico’s current approach with Ohio’s three-year budget forecasting model, and recommended continuing multi-year appropriations, adding $2.5 million for state grants in the unified application, and directing LESC, LFC, and PED to develop a long-term financial planning proposal. PED said it is working to reduce administrative burden through school accreditation, a unified application for federal and state funds, and internal alignment of guidance and coaching, with pilot schools reporting time savings and better alignment. Members raised concerns about four-day school weeks, the burden on small districts, the need for outcomes and return on investment, and whether the state should move toward a two-year or three-year planning cycle; staff clarified that the proposal was to streamline or eliminate redundant requirements, not add another layer. The committee then received an update on the Educator Fellows program. PED described it as a Grow Your Own pipeline that employs candidates as supplemental educational assistants while they work toward licensure, providing salary, benefits, paid leave, mentoring, and coursework support. Officials said the program helps address teacher shortages, improves student-to-teacher ratios, increases workforce diversity, and supports the Martinez-Yazzie action plan. They reported 370 current fellows across 86 LEAs and about 180 schools, with many fellows being people of color, first-generation college students, or second-career educators; roughly 85 are expected to become certified this year. A local HR director from Belen testified that the program has been especially valuable in small communities, where fellows are already rooted in the community and several have moved into teaching roles. Members asked about high school recruitment, tuition, retirement and benefits, the relationship to the Higher Education Department’s Grow Your Own scholarship, and the role of university partners. PED said fellows choose among accredited higher education partners, the program is separate from the scholarship but complementary, and the state is also building an apprenticeship model and seeking to expand the program to more LEAs, though some districts are on a waiting list because of funding and local match requirements.
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

MS Senate Floor - 16 February, 2026; 4:00 PM

Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • . >> Senate Bill 2454, Board of Medical Licensure to revise licensure status, definitions, procedure,
  • The State Board of Medical Licensure itself has proposed having three lay members.
  • The State Board of Medical Licensure itself has proposed having three lay members. >> I think what you're
  • The State Board of Medical Licensure itself has proposed having three lay members. >> Um, so we could
  • Licensure itself has asked us to do. >> Um, so we could feasibly just put one then. >> Excuse me.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations. (3-31-26)

Licensing & Occupations

Transcript Highlights:
  • Really at its core, what House Bill 236 is going to do is remove dual licensure and relicensure and oversight
  • Really at its core, what House Bill 236 is going to do is remove dual licensure and relicensure and oversight
  • Uh, they're held to very stringent national standards as well, and we simply do not need the dual licensure
  • need<00:03:01.760><c> the</c><00:03:02.000><c> the</c><00:03:02.160><c> dual</c><00:03:02.440><c> licensure
  • </c><00:03:02.960><c> requirement</c> need the the dual licensure requirement need the the dual licensure
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Agenda Feb 16th, 2026

Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:
  • It amends Idaho Code 50-54595 to allow pharmacists to seek voluntary dual licensure as a naturopathic
  • And important to note that it's voluntary licensure and...
  • And important to note that it's voluntary licensure, and it won't restrict any rights of current pharmacists
  • who choose not to seek the licensure.
  • Would you remind me, I kind of remember in the naturopathic licensure, is there a difference between
Keywords: 989, all
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • Licensure interstate compact. Yeah, I know, but let's start with 31 first.
  • Modern licensure... Thank you.
  • We stand in strong support of House Bill 31, the EMS licensure compact.
  • We do have a process that evaluates their education and their licensure.
  • We stand in strong support of House Bill 33, the psychologist licensure compact.
Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 130, which would require heart calcium scans for people over 50, allow pharmacists to manage related screening and medication, and eliminate cost-sharing barriers for the testing and treatment. The sponsor argued the bill could prevent coronary artery disease deaths and reduce long-term health costs, while an industry lobbyist questioned whether it would actually save patients money and raised concerns about the substitute language. After questions about costs, rural access, pharmacist training, liability, and the effect of treatment, the committee adopted a due pass recommendation on the committee substitute by a 6-4 vote. The committee then considered House Bill 31, the EMS personnel licensure interstate compact. Supporters from the Chamber of Commerce, Think New Mexico, the Health Care Authority, and an autism advocacy group said the compact would help address EMS shortages, improve emergency response, and support rural health workforce needs. One opponent warned about out-of-state personnel practicing under unfamiliar standards and possible retention problems. The committee adopted an immunity-related amendment and then gave the bill a 9-0 do pass recommendation. House Bill 33, the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact, was also heard and amended with a similar immunity change. Supporters said it would expand telehealth and behavioral health access, while some members questioned data on workforce shortages, standards, and how the compact would affect New Mexico’s oversight. The committee approved the amended bill 8-0. House Bill 43, a cleanup bill for PERA disability and survivor pension provisions, was presented as a technical measure to clarify statutes, update the disability earnings cap to match Social Security, and reduce ambiguity without changing benefits or liabilities. Members asked about double-dipping, survivor provisions, and fiscal impact, and the bill received a 9-0 do pass recommendation. The committee also heard Senate Memorial 22, which asks the Legislative Finance Committee to study how CYFD-administered state and federal funds support domestic violence services. Sponsors and advocates said funding has been flat or reduced despite rising need, and that providers need clearer, more transparent data; committee members expressed concern that the state lacks a clear accounting of where the money goes. The memorial passed on a 9-0 vote.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> >> Board of Medical Licensure, 201 KAR 9:086 and 9:305.
  • </c> participants who qualify for licensure participants who qualify for licensure in<00:08:52.240><c
  • </c> back and revisit some of our licensure. back and revisit some of our licensure.
  • Essentially, we put up some guardrails that in order to receive the equine therapist licensure through
  • Essentially, we put up some guardrails that in order to receive the equine therapist licensure through
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the prior meeting’s minutes, and then reviewed a series of administrative regulations from multiple agencies. Most of the regulations were presented as technical updates or policy clarifications, and in each case the committee approved staff-suggested amendments without objection. The Department of Revenue regulation would delete a section on tax credits for trusts and estates to align with statute. The Kentucky Public Pensions Authority package updated definitions, sick leave credit rules, hazardous/non-hazardous employment participation, refund procedures, contribution limits, mortality table references, and incorporated federal tax references. The Board of Medical Licensure regulations addressed renewal and activation of inactive physician-assistant licenses and renewal/reinstatement timelines for athletic trainer licenses. The Fish and Wildlife regulations revised rules for Otter Creek and Peabody areas by deleting definitions and creating shooting-range permit exemptions. The committee also heard emergency vocational rehabilitation regulations that would clarify definitions, due process rights, federal compliance, service fees, in-state service preferences, and service-specific requirements; a workforce insurance regulation updating contribution/reporting rules for professional employer organizations; and a horse racing regulation adding license categories for allied animal health professionals, animal chiropractors, and equine dental providers, while updating fees, application timing, and special events licensing. Members asked questions about the horse racing licensure changes, and the agency explained they were responding to prior session changes and adding guardrails, including veterinarian sign-off for equine therapist licensure on the back side of a racetrack. The Department for Public Health package made several personnel and salary-related changes for local health departments, including salary ranges for new hires, probation and evaluation rules, salary increases after probation, and limits on certain leave payouts for employees who separate without proper notice or are dismissed for cause. The Office of Inspector General regulation added electronic prescription references and removed authority to create a new prescription number for partial dispensing of Schedule II prescriptions. The Department for Medicaid Services regulations updated provider group definitions, removed some service limits, required prior authorization for all genetic testing for non-MCO recipients, changed physician fee schedule updates from quarterly to annually, and added reimbursement for department-approved vaccines. Members asked detailed questions about genetic testing prior authorization and sleep disorder coverage; the agency said prior authorization is intended to take two to five days and that sleep disorder services generally involve sleep apnea-related treatments such as CPAP machines and sleep studies. The committee then adjourned and announced its next meeting for Tuesday, May 12 at 1:00 p.m.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Health Care & Wellness Jan 21st, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Health Care & Wellness

Transcript Highlights:
  • It is not a licensure or a degree.
  • My CRNA title is a board certification; it is not a licensure or a degree.
  • RCW 18.122.030 defines credential as either registration, certification, or licensure.
  • Licensure is established as most rigorous.
  • An unambiguous declaration of licensure is what is needed.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Health Care & Wellness Jan 21st, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • It is not a licensure or a degree.
  • My CRNA title is a board certification; it is not a licensure or a degree.
  • RCW 18.122.030 defines credential as either registration, certification, or licensure.
  • Licensure is established as most rigorous.
  • An unambiguous declaration of licensure is what is needed.
Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 2261, which would require health care providers to wear badges showing name, credential, and relevant degrees, require similar disclosure in advertising, and restrict use of the title “physician surgeon” to certain physicians and osteopathic physicians. Supporters, including the Washington State Medical Association and patient advocates, said the bill would improve transparency and informed consent. Opponents from nurse, naturopathic, and adult family home groups argued it was overly broad, burdensome, confusing, and could harm access to care or residential home settings; several also said existing disciplinary laws already address misrepresentation. No vote was taken on HB 2261 during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2283, which would raise the medical loss ratio for fully insured individual, small group, and large group health plans to 90 percent. Supporters, including small business, patient, and physician groups, said the bill would push more premium dollars toward patient care and lower costs or increase rebates. Insurers and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner warned it could destabilize the market, reduce flexibility for administrative services, and lead to carrier exits, though OIC said it was working on amendments. The bill was not voted on in the hearing. House Bill 2425, an agency-request bill on nurse delegation, would broaden what tasks registered nurses may delegate, remove some setting and training restrictions, expand emergency medication authority, and adjust liability and retaliation protections. The Board of Nursing, long-term care providers, and skilled nursing/assisted living representatives supported the bill as a modernization that could ease workforce shortages and improve care access, while the Washington State Association for Justice opposed the immunity provisions and raised patient safety concerns. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 2425. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. HB 2110, with an amendment clarifying ambulance staffing and RN scope, passed 18-0 with one excused. HB 2113 passed 18-0 with one excused. HB 2122, as amended to require hospitals to offer flu vaccines with several flexibility and critical-access-hospital exemptions, passed 15-3 with one excused. HB 2152, as amended to require certain facilities to allow medical cannabis use for qualifying terminal patients and to add related exemptions and protections, passed 17-1 with one excused. The meeting then adjourned.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • All of our fellows are seeking a degree and/or licensure.
  • The hands-on experience prepared me not just for licensure, but...
  • 100 of them hold classified licensure.
  • and then complete their licensure with one agency or university?
  • The special education licensure is actually a K-12 licensure or endorsement, so that would enable them
Keywords: 996, all
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate Chamber Jan 20th, 2026 at 04:07 pm

New Mexico Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • A bill enacting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, providing for the appointment of New Mexico
  • sections of the Medical Practice Act, and providing for a contingent repeal of the Interstate Medical Licensure
  • An act relating to licensure, enacting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. of New Mexico Compact
  • Commissioners of the Medical Practice Act, providing for a contingent repeal of the Interstate Medical Licensure
Keywords: 996, all
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate Chamber Jan 20th, 2026

New Mexico Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • A bill enacting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, providing for the appointment of New Mexico
  • sections of the Medical Practice Act, and providing for a contingent repeal of the Interstate Medical Licensure
  • An act relating to licensure, enacting the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. of New Mexico Compact
  • Commission bylaws, rules, and minutes, providing for a contingent repeal of the Interstate Medical Licensure
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Rules Feb 24th, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • This legislation concerns board licensure requirements, revising the reference that removes currently
  • The bill also extends the sunset date for marriage and family therapy licensure to 2032 for graduates
  • The bill also extends the sunset date for marriage and family therapy licensure to 2032 for graduates
  • Senator Gaetz, your last bill of the day, tab 47, SB 1708 on veterinary licensure.
  • This bill makes a limited, targeted change to Florida's veterinary licensure by endorsement statute.
Committee: Senate Rules
Keywords: 999, senate, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Business and Commerce May 23rd, 2025

Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill proposes joining a licensure compact to fix a problem that doesn't exist.
  • The bill proposes joining a licensure compact to fix a problem that doesn't exist.
  • The Dental Compact Bill is about licensure portability.
  • The Physician Assistant Licensure Compact is an occupational licensure compact that allows physician
  • And the physician assistants licensure compact has 16 members so far.
Bills: HB111
Summary: The committee heard a long series of House bills, with most measures laid out by Senate sponsors and then left pending after brief public testimony. Early bills focused on construction and licensing issues, including HB 305 on prompt payment for public construction audits, HB 5093 on restoring public access to notary contact information, HB 2037 on updating landlord-tenant repair and security deposit rules, HB 4214 on a centralized public information request contact database, and HB 5435 exempting higher education institutions from a 90-day notice requirement for certain public-private partnership projects. Testimony was generally supportive on these bills, and no votes were taken; each was left pending. The committee also considered several transparency and regulatory bills. HB 111 would expand the Public Information Act to certain nonprofit state associations and narrow some attorney-client and working-paper exceptions, with supporters arguing it would improve oversight of public funds and critics questioning the scope and thresholds. HB 5129 would protect occupational license holders’ personal identifying information from disclosure without consent, HB 4350 would allow peace officers to redact personal information from online real property records, HB 4748 would authorize multiple-award state purchasing contracts, and HB 4765 would clean up code enforcement officer licensing rules. HB 4134 would allow motor vehicle creditors to charge limited fees for electronic payment options while requiring a free alternative, and HB 1043 would direct a study of blockchain-based property title records; both drew testimony, with some concern about the practical effects and vendor implications of the blockchain study. Several bills addressed insurance, workforce, and digital-asset regulation. HB 3520 would reduce the insurance coverage required for transportation network companies during the period when a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, drawing support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform and opposition from trial lawyers who argued the higher coverage better protects the public. HB 3320 would create a self-insurance pool for religious institutions, with TDI explaining it would still be regulated but operate under a special statutory framework. HB 4233 would modernize rules for digital asset service providers by removing certain auditor-access requirements and updating reporting and licensing provisions. HB 3923 would reduce bachelor’s-degree requirements for some state jobs, though Every Texan argued low pay, not degree requirements, is the main driver of turnover. HB 4518 would create a legal structure for decentralized unincorporated nonprofit associations tied to blockchain governance; business law experts opposed it as unnecessary and potentially risky, while crypto advocates supported it. Finally, HB 1803 would join an interstate compact for dentists and dental hygienists, with supporters citing workforce shortages and opponents saying Texas already licenses quickly and that the compact could weaken state oversight. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly closed testimony and left bills pending, and a quorum was eventually established before later items were heard.
FL

Florida 2026 4th Special Session

January 14, 2026 - 01:30 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • TO REMOVE BAD ACTORS FROM LICENSURE.
  • THIS EXPEDITES LICENSURE FOR FLORIDA IS A MUTUAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM.
  • THIS EXPEDITES LICENSURE FOR FLORIDA LICENSEES GOING OUT THE OTHER STATES AND FOR OTHER LICENSEES COMING
  • OUR INITIAL LICENSURE AND LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT APPLICATIONS ARE PROCESSED IN A TIMELY FASHION FOR
  • WE DO WANT FLORIDA TO BE A NATIONAL LEADER AND MODEL FOR LICENSURE, HOWEVER, WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THE ELIMINATION