Bills: SB1673, SB1500, SB1447, SB1646, SB2007, SB1275, SB2074

Keywords: prosthetics, health insurance, medical necessity, patient rights, insurance liability, pharmacy benefits manager, healthcare providers, claims processing, reimbursement, insurance regulation, employees insurance, contract awarding, certifications, state procurement, insurance plan, mental health, substance use disorders, utilization review, benefit coverage, pharmacy

Summary: The Senate Business and Insurance Committee met to consider several bills, with the chair emphasizing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and the impact on local and rural pharmacies. Before taking up the bills, the committee announced that Senate Bills 1620 and 1625 would be laid over. The committee also adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 1673 to exempt certain state-funded flexible benefit plans, and then passed the bill, which creates the Prosthetic Access and Accountability Act of 2026 and requires health plans that already cover prosthetic benefits to administer them without disability-based discrimination. The committee then passed several PBM-related measures. Senate Bill 1500 requires PBMs to reimburse rural pharmacies within 30 calendar days. Senate Bill 1447 adds safeguards to the Oklahoma Employee Insurance Plan by restricting PBM contracts, including disfavoring PBMs involved in recent lawsuits or those affiliated with insurers, retail pharmacy chains, specialty pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, or drug manufacturers. Senate Bill 1646 strengthens utilization review standards for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and Senate Bill 2007 prohibits PBMs from reducing reimbursement after a successful appeal and adds administrative fees when they fail to make required adjustments. The committee also passed Senate Bill 1275, which requires upfront disclosure of all fees for short-term rental bookings such as Airbnb and VRBO, with only tax added at checkout. Finally, the committee passed Senate Bill 2074 after extensive debate; it would require fairer and more transparent PBM reimbursement using a Medicaid-based methodology and a professional dispensing fee, with supporters arguing it would help independent and community pharmacies and opponents raising concerns about consumer costs and legal issues. All bills considered in the meeting were reported out with favorable votes, and the meeting adjourned after the chair noted one more meeting would be held the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• Institutions Act through House Bill 1572, ensuring that accredited private nonprofit branch campuses are regulated
• Institutions Act through House Bill 1572, ensuring that accredited private nonprofit branch campuses are regulated

Bills: HB2070, HB2671, HB2617, SB6258

Keywords: funding, education, higher education, Western Washington University, state funding parity, financial aid, state funding, student support, educational reform, university procedures, academic policy, student success, Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database

Transcript Highlights:

• We are regulated by federal regulations, thus the reason our FFL is a federal firearms license and not
• regulate sales.
• ... ...regulations and high-capacity magazine regulations under the federal constitution.
• There are plenty of fenced yards. If you make a fence, it could be a barbed wire fence.
• It could be a smooth wire fence. It's a fenced yard, and I just don't think that's an extension.

Bills: SB38, SB17, SB41, SB264

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Transcript Highlights:

• So, over the last couple of weeks, the vice chairman and Myself have met with the various regulating

Bills: HJR1090, HJR1091, HJR1092, HJR1093, HJR1094, HJR1095, SJR49

Keywords: administrative rules, rule approval, joint resolution, Oklahoma Register, Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, Corporation Commission, Department of Environmental Quality, Liquified Petroleum Gas Board, water resources, wildlife conservation, tourism, zoning commission, energy regulation, agricultural regulation, agency rules, permanent rules, state agencies, Oklahoma Legislature, business and commerce, professional licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• Go to a regulation model, pass legislation and a regulation model, do you...
• Regulate and ban, regulate, not ban. Work with Governor Abbott on this.
• Regulations are not enough.
• The regulations that we have on alcohol, it's already a regulated product.
• HB5 is in regulation.

Bills: HB5

Keywords: hemp, cannabinoids, regulation, occupational licenses, consumable products, marketing, criminal offenses, labeling requirements, health and safety, 997, house, all

Bills: HJR1096, HJR1097, HJR1098, HJR1099, HJR1100

Keywords: Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, OMMA, medical marijuana, cannabis, marijuana regulation, administrative rules, major rule changes, joint resolution, legislative rule approval, Title 75, Oklahoma Administrative Code, OAC, licensing, compliance, enforcement, dispensary, grower, processor, patient access, health care authority

Summary: The committee considered three resolutions, all presented by Chairman Kendrick with full PCS substitutes. H.J.R. 1096 approved a medical marijuana rule that had originally been treated as a major rule but was later determined not to be one; members asked no questions and the resolution was adopted unanimously. H.J.R. 1099 was described as a direct result of H.B. 1576 from the prior session concerning Oklahoma Health Care Authority rules; it also drew no questions and passed unanimously. H.J.R. 1100 addressed a rule from the Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services that was discovered late to be a major rule; after brief discussion and no substantive questions, it too passed unanimously. During the meeting, members voted on each resolution after motions for adoption and do pass. The recorded votes were unanimous in favor on all three measures, with no nay votes. After H.J.R. 1100 passed, Chairman Kendrick noted there would be one more committee meeting the next morning at 9 a.m. to address a late-arriving resolution, and he offered to discuss the late major-rule issue with Representative Chapman after adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rules and regulations should have already been adopted.
• forward and asking them to get this done because 2024 to 26 we're quite a long ways out rules and in regulation
• adopted this should have been going forward for families to be able to do routine care with in regulations
• Currently, the board regulates approximately 150,000 nurses and certificate holders.

Bills: HB2048, HB2189, HB2248, HB2403, HB2728, HB2729, HB2730, HB2731, HB2906, HCR2058

Keywords: orders of protection, domestic violence, court procedures, legal guardian, enforcement, healthcare, licensed health aides, scope of practice, ventilator care, training standards, medical freedom, healthcare mandates, employment requirements, public health, government regulation, elderly, physical disabilities, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, home and community based services, funding increase

Bills: HB462, HB477, SB210, HB462, HB477, SB210

Keywords: emergency medical services, military training, licensure, public health, veterans, health benefits, nonprofit organization, agriculture, insurance regulation, taxation, hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, HB462, chiropractic, chiropractor, State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, professional licensing

Bills: HB 12, HB 149, SB 229, SB 1361, SB 1749, SB 1897, SB 2113, SB 2566, SB 2677, SB 1652, SB 2327, SB 2344, SB 2696

Keywords: artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance, automobile sales, finance, retail seller, motor vehicle purchase, motor vehicle sales, pricing restrictions, third-party financing, education, funding, student assessment, accountability, standards, motor vehicle, financing

Bills: SB 1113, SB 1117, SB 1206, SB 1460, SB 1802, SB 1906, SB 1917, SB 2340, SB 2455, SB 2680, SB 2690, SB 705, SB 748

Keywords: dentistry, botulinum toxin, aesthetic treatments, dental regulation, training, electricity, transmission services, municipal consent, utility regulations, construction, state highways, ethics, compliance, licensing, government, transparency, landlord, tenant rights, repair obligations, housing conditions

Bills: SF0087, SF0111

Keywords: felony, law enforcement, police officer, criminal penalties, public safety, select committee, gaming, regulation, Wyoming law, community impact, 916, all

Bills: SF0087, SF0111

Keywords: felony, law enforcement, police officer, criminal penalties, public safety, select committee, gaming, regulation, Wyoming law, community impact, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not mean that we can't meet the requirements of that regulation by Ecology.

Bills: HB2111, HB2495

Keywords: Interstate 5 bridge, toll facility, bond retirement, transportation, state funding, vehicles, streetcar operation, public safety, urban regulation, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also some challenges at the state level when it comes to regulations.
• Um, but our hope is that we can change the regulations where the physician and the PA can determine scope
• I'm interested in what that may be because sometimes regulation is created by unintended consequences
• It is much more robust, and I think the regulations just haven't followed along with that.
• Um, and it's just time to review the regulations.

Bills: HB31, HB31

Keywords: absentee voting, disabled, blind, voter assistance, voting rights, SNAP, public assistance, nutritional standards, waiver, food regulation, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Governed by a board of directors including utility executives, regulators, and electric and RNG industry
• these projects will deliver the savings and system benefits outlined in existing Minnesota law, regulations

Bills: HF2103, HF2793

Keywords: energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, community solar, energy policy, sustainability, solar garden program, regulation sunset

Transcript Highlights:

• The FDA already regulates this. That's a fallacy. They do not regulate this.
• They allow industry to regulate themselves.
• Our regulations, whether they be environmental or with regard to food safety, are based on science.
• We are regulated based on science, and we want to be regulated based on science.
• The regulation of food ingredients and packaging should be uniformly addressed at the federal level,

Bills: HB25, HB38

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

Transcript Highlights:

• It's increased, and the way they do it, they have regulations that foreign shrimpers do not have.
• shrimp are not caught in the wild; they are farmed in a country far, far away with little to no regulations
• You can tie a rope around that cattle's or that cow's neck and tie the other end to a fence post, and
• I've tied him to this fence post.
• The chair lays out SB2420 by Senator Paxton relating to the regulation of platforms for the sale and

Bills: HB2226, HB2269, HB2343, HB2760, HB3621, HB4079, HB4204, HB4518, HB4531, HB4555, HB4850, HB4876, HB4903, HB4996, HB5122

Keywords: construction trust funds, Property Code, Chapter 162, construction payments, mechanics lien, contractors, subcontractors, laborers, material suppliers, materialmen, real property improvement, assignment of payment rights, unpaid trust funds, trust fund beneficiaries, construction industry, payment protection, Texas construction law, property owners association, landscaping, grass maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• your question, the community members are the ones who should own the protocol. and we need clear regulation
• I intend to intentionally pause and wait for regulation to happen.
• The result is that often regulations are created that may be overlapping or cause undue hardships for
• . the regulations of pre-K and the regulations of child care actively conflicted.
• This is an example of the regulations that need to be aligned.

Bills: HB2226, HB2269, HB2343, HB2760, HB3621, HB4079, HB4204, HB4518, HB4531, HB4555, HB4850, HB4876, HB4903, HB4996, HB5122

Keywords: construction trust funds, Property Code, Chapter 162, construction payments, mechanics lien, contractors, subcontractors, laborers, material suppliers, materialmen, real property improvement, assignment of payment rights, unpaid trust funds, trust fund beneficiaries, construction industry, payment protection, Texas construction law, property owners association, landscaping, grass maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• The Consumer Federation of America, former Commissioner Bob Hunter. who regulated our market in the 90s
• Workers' comp rates are heavily regulated and deeply discounted, using them as a benchmark for private

Bills: SB 30, SB 517, SB 1313, SB 1314, SB 1316, SB 1541, SB 1698, SB 1845, SB 1860, SB 2420, SB 2429

Keywords: gambling, criminal offenses, penalties, defense, electronic devices, tobacco advertising, youth protection, public health, criminal offense, retailer regulation, e-cigarettes, nicotine products, health, public safety, regulation, advertising restrictions, health and safety, elections, election audit, county elections

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs convened to discuss several critical pieces of legislation including SB30 and SB38. Senator Betancourt introduced a committee substitute for SB38 which underwent a smooth adoption process, moving it favorably toward the Senate. The meeting featured a mix of invited testimonies where both proponents and opponents took the floor. One notable highlight included a testimony from Melissa Casey, who criticized the current legal state as prone to fraud and detrimental to both insurers and the public at large, contending that it inflated insurance costs across the board. The discussions delved deeply into the implications of the bills on judicial processes and potential insurance ramifications, with spirited debates surrounding issues of non-economic damages and jury rights. The atmosphere remained engaged as committee members heard varied perspectives on the bills, showcasing a robust democratic process. The meeting underscored the importance of public testimony in shaping legislation, ensuring that multiple voices were considered as the committee pressed on towards making decisions that affect the legal landscape of Texas.

Bills: SB1673, SB1500, SB1447, SB1646, SB2007, SB1275, SB2074

Keywords: prosthetics, health insurance, medical necessity, patient rights, insurance liability, pharmacy benefits manager, healthcare providers, claims processing, reimbursement, insurance regulation, employees insurance, contract awarding, certifications, state procurement, insurance plan, mental health, substance use disorders, utilization review, benefit coverage, pharmacy