Transcript Highlights:

• If we want child care available to families, we have to make child care a job that people can see themselves
• advance living wages for child care workers.
• Child care is essential. I'm so sorry.
• Child care is expected. I'm so sorry.
• Child care is a huge and important issue.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1347, which would streamline cannabis testing lab accreditation by requiring the Liquor and Cannabis Board to accept Department of Agriculture accreditation as the basis for initial certification under certain conditions and to reduce duplication between agencies. The prime sponsor and several industry witnesses said the bill is intended to clarify authority, improve efficiency, and preserve consumer safety, while LCB said it had no policy objection but wanted implementation concerns addressed. Several witnesses supported the concept but said an amendment was needed to clearly assign accreditation authority to WSDA and avoid overlapping requirements. The committee also heard and later took action on several bills. House Bill 2229 would update the Professional Engineers Registration Act by changing board membership rules, increasing pro tem members, and revising registration and exam provisions; the sponsor and board director said it modernizes qualifications without changing licensure standards. House Bill 2091 would require more complete employee contact information to be shared with exclusive bargaining representatives under the Personnel System Reform Act; union witnesses supported it and a policy witness opposed it as a privacy intrusion. Second Substitute House Bill 1128 would create a Child Care Workforce Standards Board to make recommendations on child care worker standards; supporters said it addresses workforce shortages and retention, while providers and associations argued it duplicates existing work and could lead to unfunded mandates. In executive action, the committee voted do pass on Substitute House Bills 2492, 2107, 2151, 2355, and Gross Substitute House Bill 2471, and sent them to Rules. It also voted do pass on Second Substitute House Bill 2105 and referred it to Ways and Means. Other bills heard included House Bill 1701 on shared liquor license premises, where a small business owner supported more flexible shared-space arrangements and LCB suggested amendments to prevent undue influence; House Bill 2264 on unemployment benefits for employer-initiated layoffs, which was supported as a clarification to protect workers who opt into reduction-in-force programs; Substitute House Bill 2472 on fire sprinkler work enforcement, supported by labor and industry witnesses; and Second Substitute House Bill 2345, which would adjust paid family and medical leave premium allocations to address IRS tax guidance, with broad support from labor, business, and the agency.

Transcript Highlights:

• child care 50% tax credit would apply.
• This will refer to a third-party licensed child care facility.
• whose child did not attend an average of at least eight days per month.
• care facilities and support child care facilities.
• care facilities and support child care facilities.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Any child care licensee who is found to have committed child care subsidy fraud is permanently disqualified
• from child care licensure.
• care, and I have been a consumer of child care myself, but it's been a long time.
• care licensing specifically around child care.
• care licensing specifically around child care.

Bills: HB2464 , SGA9305

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: detention facilities, law enforcement, reporting requirements, incidents, private detention

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:28:12.600><c> could</c> a 1-week hospital stay, a child could a 1-week hospital stay, a child
• But the systemic issues that child.
• </c><01:09:57.640><c> waiver,</c> in our new child waiver, in our new child waiver, um<01:09:58.800><
• . child. child.
• </c> child protective services. child protective services.

Committee: Joint Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:

• If a parent is able to parent again and a child hasn't been adopted, and if we failed that child and
• State employees are juggling child care.
• And then we put them against child care.
• It cannot go to the child care.
• It is a child welfare prevention tool.

Bills: HF2436 , HF2929

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Or maybe it isn't even a child. raped. Or maybe it isn't even a child.
• Um, our<00:20:04.320><c> first</c><00:20:04.559><c> child</c> our first child our first child uh<00:20
• rights over that child?
• </c> rights over that child? rights over that child?
• </c> meals, or child care. meals, or child care.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to start with child care. Yes, sir.
• care, the child care innovation pilot.
• And create a child care innovative grant program to incentivize more child care throughout our communities
• I want to talk about the economics of child care.
• Senator Kochhorst for submitting the bill for child care for a child care caregivers to be at the top

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• It authorizes the parent or legal custodian of a child, after a child is removed from the home, to request
• This is not child protection.
• And my next child was 14.
• And my next child was 14.
• I've worked in child protective services.

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee considered eight bills and reported all of them favorably, several as amended. HB 1347 on clinical laboratory personnel was presented as a response to staffing shortages in Florida labs; the sponsor and Quest Diagnostics supported aligning state licensure with CLIA standards to improve hiring and turnaround times. The bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 47, dealing with specific medical diagnoses in child protective investigations, drew extensive emotional testimony from parents and advocates who said children had been wrongly removed after misdiagnoses; the bill was amended to tighten timelines and record-sharing requirements, then passed 26-0. CS/HB 287 created a public records exemption for applicants, owners, operators, and references of family foster homes and passed unanimously. The committee also approved CS/HB 439, allowing chiropractors to inject vitamins and nutrients under training and safety limits, after an amendment clarified they may not prescribe prescription drugs; it passed 26-0. CS/HB 1021 would allow pharmacists to administer medications in trauma centers under physician direction, and an amendment added pediatric trauma centers; it passed 26-0. HB 867 would let occupational therapists perform dry needling after specified training and supervision, and it passed 25-0. HB 1309, which shortens deadlines for patients to access their medical records and aligns nursing home access rules with federal law, drew opposition from health information management groups over privacy and portal/data-security concerns, but supporters argued it simply speeds access to records; it passed 21-5. CS/HB 915 codifies and expands Medicaid eligibility protections for working people with disabilities so they can keep coverage while employed, with strong support from disability advocates and emotional testimony from the sponsor about her son’s benefits concerns; it passed 26-0. After these votes, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, Chairman, Chairman. 735,000 families last year used a child credit of our child.
• to the child care deduction.
• to the child care deduction.
• as child care costs soar.
• We've increased the child tax credit by 25%, from 100 to 125 per child. 735,000 people in Arizona did

Transcript Highlights:

• Several other parents sent their child to school that day, not knowing that their child was going to
• was confirmed as a child care center participating in Minnesota's child care assistance program.
• States will now have the option to pay child care providers based on what a child is enrolled for, pay
• was confirmed as a child care center participating in Minnesota's child care assistance program.
• a child is enrolled for. rules pay child care providers based on what a child is enrolled for, pay the

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Summary: The committee first heard an update on Topok Elementary School District’s long-running noncompliance with Arizona’s Uniform System of Financial Records. The Auditor General’s office explained the USFR noncompliance process and reported that Topok had made substantial progress, correcting many deficiencies in areas such as open meeting law, procurement, payroll, attendance reporting, property control, and information technology. The district’s superintendent and staff described the corrective actions they had taken, the use of outside consultants, and their plan to maintain compliance through stronger leadership, training, and consistent procedures. Members praised the district’s progress and asked about the remaining deficiencies and the status of the 3% state-aid withholding, which the Auditor General said would be addressed by the State Board of Education. The committee then considered a request for a fourth school safety special audit, tied to concerns raised by Representative Martinez about Phoenix Union High School District and school violence response practices. The Auditor General said the proposed audit would be a new topic focused on policies and procedures for responding to credible threats of violence and allegations of staff misconduct affecting student safety, and could include Phoenix Union in the sample. Representative Martinez described a fatal 2024 shooting, weapons incidents, and concerns about district oversight. The committee approved the motion 10-0. Next, staff presented the fiscal years 2027-2028 school district performance audit schedule, describing 26 randomly selected school districts and career and technical education districts, plus 84 planned follow-ups. The Auditor General said the schedule is intended to shorten the average time between audits and that the school audits division is now fully staffed. Members asked about county coverage and the inclusion of ESA accountability, but the schedule was ultimately presented for review rather than approval. The committee also heard a detailed federal compliance audit presentation on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by DES. The Auditor General reported repeated findings involving missing provider documentation, questioned costs, and FFATA reporting errors, including a 2024 sample that led to questioning $2.88 million in costs. The office recommended stronger documentation, record retention, reporting procedures, and staff training; DES concurred and said it would correct the findings in 2026. Members discussed the limits of the single-audit scope, the possibility of a broader special audit, and the federal government’s recent actions on CCDF oversight in other states. Finally, the committee considered and discussed a special audit request for CCDF that would broaden review to provider oversight, licensing, site visits, and billing accuracy across multiple state agencies, with estimated costs of $547,000 to $625,000 and a projected report date of July 31, 2027.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides relative to the modification of child custody.
• Relative to the modification of child custody.
• Second, it protects against foreign child custody laws.
• It provides for testimony of medical experts in child custody and child need of care cases.
• It provides for testimony of medical experts in child custody and child need of care cases.

Committee: House Civil Law and Procedure

Summary: The House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure met and reported a series of measures, many of them asking the Louisiana State Law Institute to study legal issues. HCR 31 was reported favorably to study the use of the term “foreign” as applied to juridical persons. HCR 61 was reported favorably after discussion about expropriation and carbon capture, with the author agreeing to broaden the study beyond carbon capture alone. HCR 96 was also reported favorably to study civil bench warrants and notice procedures in judgment debtor proceedings. The committee likewise advanced HCR 160, which asks the Law Institute to study property transfer issues and the public records doctrine in light of a recent case. Several bills dealing with court procedure and family law were heard and advanced. SB 68, a constitutional amendment to give the Louisiana Supreme Court authority to discipline out-of-state attorneys in certain circumstances, was amended and reported favorably. SB 76, concerning modification of child custody judgments, was reported with amendments after testimony that it would codify existing standards and add a five-year rule for applying the lower best-interest standard. HB 1198, which prohibits arbitration of child custody and visitation disputes and limits recognition of foreign custody laws contrary to Louisiana public policy, was reported favorably. SB 66, which prioritizes testimony from medical experts in child custody and child-in-need-of-care cases, was also reported favorably after testimony from advocates and medical groups. The committee also advanced measures involving civil litigation and state legal procedures. HCR 38, urging Congress to reform FISA and the FISA court to protect privacy rights, was reported favorably. SCR 19, asking the Law Institute to study long-duration trusts and possible revisions to the Trust Code, was reported favorably. SB 336, allowing civil investigative demands in Medicaid fraud/False Claims Act investigations, was reported favorably after explanation that it would let the Attorney General gather information without filing suit first. SB 139, adjusting interest on personal injury and wrongful death claims against the state or political subdivisions, was reported favorably. Finally, SB 475, dealing with fees for service of process, was reported favorably. HB 668 was voluntarily deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 169c and through our child protective 169c and through our child protective services<00:09:15.519
• </c> same kinds of services so if the child same kinds of services so if the child and<00:25:15.279><
• </c><02:11:12.960><c> Advocacy</c> um child interview at a Child Advocacy um child interview at a Child
• Child welfare work, child protection, juvenile justice is challenging.
• Child welfare work, child protection, juvenile justice is challenging.

Summary: The Division 3 House Finance Committee opened a work session and announced scheduling updates, including a second Medicaid work session on March 5 at 9:00 a.m. and a reminder that recommendations or budget amendments must be moved to the full finance committee by the end of March. Members were told no motions, roll calls, or votes would be taken, and the chair also reviewed upcoming meeting dates and weather-related cancellation procedures. The day’s presentation was a budget work session on the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), with officials Marie Nunan and Nathan White introducing the agency’s budget materials and mission. DCYF’s presentation focused on its core mandates and recent operational changes. Officials described child protective services, juvenile justice services, and the Sununu Youth Services Center, then highlighted workforce improvements, including reduced vacancy rates for assessment caseworkers, juvenile justice officers, and youth counselors. They attributed the staffing gains to legislative pay raises, mass recruitment posting changes, a more stable and trauma-informed model at SYC, and broader flexibility after prior budget cuts and hiring freezes. Members asked about full-time versus part-time staffing, and DCYF said most positions discussed were full-time, with some harder-to-fill part-time youth counselor roles at SYC. The committee also discussed DCYF’s emphasis on serving families earlier through its Community Navigator hotline referrals and community-based voluntary services, which are intended to connect families to supports before abuse or neglect escalates. Officials said the Community Navigator program had received 807 referrals since August 2023. On juvenile justice, DCYF described its assessment and diversion process and said it had reduced juvenile probation involvement by 30% from 2019 to 2023; members were directed to slide 17 for 2024 data, and officials said the trend continued toward fewer in-home juvenile justice cases. The agency also reported progress in kinship care, saying initial out-of-home placements with kin now occur 74% of the time and that kinship placements are associated with more reunification. Officials said kinship caregivers are being licensed and paid similarly to foster parents, and that the legislature’s kinship law has helped. Finally, DCYF outlined transition-age youth supports, including the HOPE program, Youth Villages LifeSet, and housing vouchers. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• If a child slips and falls, we could be sued.
• of child welfare practice.
• child wasn't really going to school.
• The family will take custody of that child.
• But until you've held a dead child and you've tried to figure out how the dead child got there, our concern

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Um I believe um of a child.
• in keeping that child safe.
• in keeping that child safe.
• child<01:21:50.000><c> safe.
• </c> crime to interfere with child custody. crime to interfere with child custody.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• So is so how was right for that child.
• So if can register a child in school.
• But we're still hurting the child by a parent that only wants the best education for their child.
• ,</c> going to punish the child, going to punish the child, right?
• </c><00:19:15.840><c> We</c> child. And we know that it's illegal. We child.

Committee: Joint Judiciary, Division B

Transcript Highlights:

• , Bureau of Child Support Services.
• , Bureau of Child Support Services.
• </c> going to be the division for child going to be the division for child excuse<00:17:35.320><c> me
• </c><00:17:36.400><c> Support</c> excuse me the Bureau of Child Support excuse me the Bureau of Child
• has</c> represent that child when that child has represent that child when that child has a<04:08:54.960

Summary: The meeting began with committee process reminders from the chair, including rules for questioning witnesses, time limits for testimony, and how motions and committee reports are handled. The chair also discussed the committee’s history, emphasized a cooperative approach with agencies and the Judiciary, and noted that a special committee on the Family Division of Circuit Court had previously done useful work; he said a new subcommittee could be appointed later to continue looking at judicial-system issues. He also mentioned that the Speaker’s office was expected to name members to the DHHS oversight committee by Friday at 1. The substantive presentation was from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Child Support Services. Attorney John Williams introduced the bureau team, and Bureau Chief Lisa Dekowski described the program’s mission: encouraging responsible parenting, family self-sufficiency, and child well-being by locating parents, establishing paternity, setting or modifying support orders, and enforcing court-ordered child and medical support. She said the bureau operates statewide under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, works with courts, employers, and other partners, and serves both in-state and out-of-state cases, with some international and tribal coordination. She also cited program scale, saying the bureau dispersed about $76 million to families in New Hampshire in fiscal year 2023 and that most collections go directly to families. Members asked about enforcement tools, especially passport denial. In response to a question about a case involving a very small shortfall, the bureau said the federal passport-denial threshold is $2,500 in arrears, not a few cents, and that denial remains in place until the balance is resolved or an arrangement is made with the agency, with hardship factors potentially considered. The bureau also explained that either parent can apply for services when a child support order exists and that the bureau can help initiate income withholding orders. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• But does every child participate in CMS?
• , because that child itself won't have any income.
• , because that child itself won't have any income.
• So the child already has to need PDN services.
• I'm a mother of a special needs child with comorbidity of issues.

Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting of the 2025-2026 term, took attendance, confirmed a quorum, and heard introductory remarks from members and staff. Chair Anderson outlined the subcommittee’s jurisdiction over access and affordability issues, including health facility regulation, insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, and state employee health coverage. The main agenda item was an update on implementation of HB 391, which created a family home health aide program for medically fragile children. Representative Tramont, the bill sponsor, explained that the law was intended to let trained family caregivers be paid through Medicaid to care for their children, reduce reliance on private duty nursing, and relieve families. He and several members expressed frustration that implementation had taken nearly two years and that families still faced barriers. Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer of AHCA and Bridget Royce of DCF said the program was implemented October 1, 2024, with billing available, but no home health agencies had yet launched the required 80-hour training program and no claims had been paid. They described the program’s requirements, including agency employment, background screening, training, a $25-per-hour Medicaid rate paid to the agency, and an annual assessment report. A major issue discussed was that income earned by family caregivers counts toward Medicaid eligibility and could cause families to lose coverage. AHCA and DCF outlined two possible fixes that would require CMS approval: disregarding the income for eligibility purposes or treating the child as a family of one. Members and public witnesses strongly urged changes to avoid forcing families to choose between income and coverage. Several providers said they had begun preparing training programs, but asked for clearer approval processes and more patient-specific training requirements. The committee then heard extensive public testimony from parents and caregivers of medically fragile children, who described the financial, emotional, and logistical strain of caring for children with severe disabilities and argued that the bill should be expanded to include Florida KidCare families and others in the coverage gap. They also raised concerns about the eight-hour-per-day limit, low pay, and the need for simpler rules and direct support. Home health providers and associations supported the concept but asked for modifications, including more targeted training and clearer implementation guidance. The meeting then shifted to a second agenda item on the Andrew John Anderson Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing Program, which was funded in the 2023 budget. Deputy Secretary Meyer said the program has been implemented since January 1, 2024, but utilization has been lower than expected, with only about 60 claims paid and many denials occurring through managed care. Public testimony from a lab, a hospital, and a pediatric rare disease expert said the program is clinically valuable and cost-saving, but managed care billing barriers, prior authorization issues, and DRG-related denials are limiting access; they urged direct billing to Medicaid and possible expansion to all newborns.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> presentation with an update on the child presentation with an update on the child welfare<00:04:
• We focus on licensed child care centers, different than Cindy and family child care.
• </c> care providers uh on staff child ratios. care providers uh on staff child ratios.
• of dollars per child.
• </c> with their child and the child's name. with their child and the child's name.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> not change is our understanding of Child not change is our understanding of Child Development<01
• This is not just unique to my child.
• </c> practitioner would you ever TI a child practitioner would you ever TI a child that<01:16:43.920>
• This is not just unique to my child.
• </c> this did to my child for my child she this did to my child for my child she didn't<01:17:42.440>

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• child..."
• The death of the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially born.
• though the death of the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially born.
• that child.
• That's the name of the procedure that the child survived.

Committee: House Children and Families