Transcript Highlights:

• Stephen Brown is a family physician, program director, and professor at the University of Arizona College
• He has helped train over 150 family physicians who are improving health outcomes and reducing health
• Stephen Brown is a family physician, program director, and professor at the University of Arizona College
• He has helped train over 150 family physicians who are improving health outcomes and reducing health
• We should actually be able to treat it, but let's not count it as a different source.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and approval of the prior journal. Members then introduced guests, including Dr. Stephen Brown as doctor of the day, Arizona State Troopers Day participants, the Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Arizona delegation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The Senate also adopted a proclamation recognizing the Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association for its work serving people with communication disorders. The Committee of the Whole considered several House bills. HB 2133, dealing with sexual material and synthetic depictions, was amended on the floor and advanced despite objections that it was overbroad and raised First Amendment concerns. HB 2167, relating to the Attorney General, HB 2600, relating to public school clubs and parental consent, and HB 2811, relating to obstruction of public administration, were also advanced. In a second Committee of the Whole, HB 255 on brackish groundwater recovery, HB 2787 on limiting local cooperation with Mexican wolf reintroduction, HB 2795 on county zoning for small modular reactors, and HB 2985 on state land water allocations were considered; HB 2787, HB 2795, and HB 2985 advanced, while HB 2795 later failed on third reading. HB 2003, concerning driver licenses and instruction permits, was also amended to add a delayed effective date and advanced. On third reading, the Senate passed HB 2013, HB 2031, HB 2102, HB 2103, HB 2117, HB 2226, HB 2262, HB 2278, HB 2378, HB 2584, HB 2693, HB 2270, HB 2370, HB 2665, HB 2666, HB 2876, HB 487, HB 2003, HB 255, HB 2133, HB 2167, HB 2600, HB 2787, HB 2811, and HB 2985, with several members explaining no votes over water policy, local control, public safety, and free speech concerns. HB 2795 failed by a 15-13 vote. The Senate also agreed to a free conference committee on HB 2874 and appointed Senators Finchem, Bolick, and Ortiz to it. Bills passed in open session were ordered transmitted to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• This will equip both hospitals and law enforcement with the resources they need to treat and prevent
• And instead of treating him like any other patient experiencing a life-threatening emergency, they let
• People struggling with addiction or even those who possibly made one mistake are often treated as less
• Members, knowing that we have a physician shortage in Florida and also knowing that it can take up to
• Members, knowing that we have a physician shortage in Florida and also knowing that it can take up to

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard and passed several bills. HB 293 would codify the Office of Faith and Community in the Executive Office of the Governor, create a liaison and advisory council, and was supported by faith-based and nonprofit groups; some members questioned possible duplication with existing services and the source of any future funding, but the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 547 would create an exception to the 30-day notice requirement before hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers sell medical debt when the debt buyer agrees not to use interest, fees, or extraordinary collection actions and must return charity-care-eligible debt; it passed unanimously after brief support testimony. CS/HB 1553 would require reporting of uterine fibroid data to the Department of Health to create a de-identified public database and reauthorize funding for implementation; it also passed 24-0, with members noting the earlier database mandate had not been carried out. The committee then took up CS/HB 1195, “Gage’s Law,” which would require hospitals and hospital-based emergency departments to test for fentanyl in urine drug screens for suspected overdose or poisoning cases. The bill was presented as a response to overdose deaths and the need to better detect fentanyl, and emotional testimony from a parent described a son’s death after a hospital did not test for fentanyl. Members from both parties spoke in strong support, emphasizing stigma, the need for better treatment and data, and the potential to save lives; the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 47 on child care and early learning providers would streamline inspections, speed background screening, offer free online training/testing, update definitions, protect certain family child care homes from insurance issues, and create a license-exempt category for employer-provided child care; after questions about parent notice, database listing, background checks, and insurance, an amendment was adopted and the bill passed 24-0 as amended. Finally, CS/HB 647 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to sign death certificates in hospice settings, addressing delays that can leave families waiting to complete burial arrangements. Support testimony came from advocacy and hospice groups, and members cited the bill’s importance for families and religious burial timelines. The bill passed 23-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have reached out to resident physicians specifically.
• We have reached out to resident physicians specifically.
• We have created training material and administered training to resident physicians in one of the major
• </c><00:29:41.039><c> and</c> reaching out to resident physicians and reaching out to resident physicians
• fairly and get parent and to be treated fairly and get what<00:37:21.040><c> they</c><00:37:21.200><

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the sole source of reimbursement for emergency physicians treating uninsured patients, as well
• The Maddy funds result in more physicians...”
• This is the sole source of reimbursement for emergency physicians treating uninsured patients, as well
• But this is all about making sure they get treated. That's all.
• But this is all about making sure they get treated. That's all.

Summary: The Senate Public Safety Committee met without a quorum and operated as a subcommittee while hearing a long agenda of bills. Early items included AB 2605, which would require statewide reporting on public defense services; supporters said California lacks basic data on how indigent defense is delivered and that the bill would help identify under-resourced counties, while no opposition appeared. AB 1650 would require rental vehicles used in law enforcement operations to display agency identification; supporters framed it as a transparency and community-trust measure in response to immigration enforcement tactics, while sheriffs and police groups opposed it unless amended, arguing it could compromise undercover and task-force operations and raise legal and indemnification concerns. AB 1930 would require notice to the Attorney General before business entities respond to subpoenas involving legally protected abortion or gender-affirming care information; supporters said it protects patient privacy and provider safety, while opponents raised constitutional, law-enforcement, and business-burden concerns. The committee also heard AB 458, directing state procurement guidelines for firearms and accessories so agencies buy from responsible vendors, with support from police chiefs, gun-violence prevention groups, and local officials, and no opposition testimony offered. The committee then heard AB 1588 on sideshows and street takeovers, which would update the definition of sideshows, include motorcycles and dirt bikes, and align penalties with street racing. Supporters, including police, city, transportation, and road-safety advocates, said the bill responds to dangerous events, property damage, and injuries; opponents from civil liberties and public defender groups argued higher fines and criminal penalties are ineffective and disproportionately harm low-income people, favoring roadway design and community-based prevention instead. AB 910, the Survivors Act, would expand affirmative defenses and vacature relief for survivors of trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence; supporters, including a survivor who described decades of abuse and wrongful conviction, said the bill gives survivors a chance to tell their stories and seek relief, while district attorneys opposed expanding relief to violent offenses and warned it could erase restitution and undermine victims’ rights. AB 2624 would expand Safe at Home confidentiality protections to immigrant service providers, employees, and volunteers; supporters described threats, doxxing, and harassment against immigrant-serving organizations, while opponents claimed the bill was prompted by investigative reporting on fraud and would chill journalism and transparency. The committee also heard AB 31, making the tribal police pilot program permanent and creating a missing and murdered Indigenous persons task force, which drew strong support from tribal representatives and no opposition. Later, AB 1959 sought to close a resentencing loophole tied to a 2001 Santana High School shooting case by restoring judicial discretion in resentencing for certain juvenile offenders; supporters said the current process can lead to automatic release even after parole denial, while opposition testimony began with concerns that the bill was responding to one case and lacked broader evidence. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly noted they supported several bills but could not formally vote because the committee lacked a quorum, so motions were held for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• We talked to our review physicians that do these reviews and determined that seven did seem like a number
• We talked to our review physicians that do these reviews and determine that seven did seem like a number
• Other than that, you know, withdrawals, once the money comes out of that account, we would treat it as
• So I think that they're treating a lot of dual diagnosis.
• I think one of the things we'll see with this is, well, we'll... ...think that they're treating a lot

Summary: The committee reviewed a series of Arkansas Department of Human Services and Department of Health rules, with most items receiving no objection. DHS Medical Services presented a rule to restore continuous glucose monitors to Medicaid durable medical equipment and pharmacy benefits after addressing provider concerns, and another rule to allow hospitals to bill at a rehabilitation level of care when patients are receiving only rehab services in an acute-care setting, while also moving Medicaid utilization management review from day 4 to day 7 for most hospitals and day 10 for rehab hospitals. Members questioned whether the rehab rule could lead to children being sent out of state, but DHS said the intent was to keep patients in-state and reimburse appropriately; the rule was reviewed without objection. DHS also presented PACE program updates to align with federal requirements and Act 144, and a separate personal care manual rewrite that would replace the Arkansas Independent Assessment with a claims-based medical eligibility review by Optum, clarify hourly service flexibility, and comply with Acts 625 and 853; both were reviewed without objection. The committee then heard a Medicaid eligibility rule from DHS County Operations that excludes foster care/adoption subsidy income for certain eligibility groups, clarifies treatment of 529 accounts, tax refund interest, and independence accounts for workers with disabilities, and carries an estimated fiscal impact of $485,000 in year one and $586,000 in year two. Members asked about account limits and how the independence accounts work; DHS explained they must be established while the person is in the workers-with-disabilities category and can continue to be excluded in other Medicaid categories, with no cap on deposits. The committee also reviewed a permanent DHS mental health rule allowing general or medical-surgical hospitals to operate adolescent substance abuse units and bill Medicaid, following an emergency rule approved in June. DHS said the first such unit had opened at Unity in Searcy, with no other hospitals currently in the pipeline, and members discussed follow-up care, grant support, and the use of existing hospital infrastructure. Finally, the Department of Health presented an annual update to the controlled substances list, adding substances tied to Act 934 of 2025 on intoxicating hemp and other DEA/Arkansas concerns, with no public comments received. Health also proposed repealing the separate synthetic marijuana products rule because those substances are already covered by the controlled substances list. Both Health items were reviewed without objection, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also work closely with physicians, dietitians, and school districts to help ensure that children with
• So obviously I don't, I'm an adult gastroenterologist, I don't treat kids.
• , the higher the risk of complications, the harder it is to treat.
• I think we're in for another treat. The third panel is... All right.
• I think we're in for another treat. The third panel is Brandon Polterak.

Bills: H5012 , S2927

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Keywords: student nutrition, food allergies, celiac disease, gluten-free meals, allergen-free meals, medically restricted diets, school meals, college dining, K-12 education, higher education, disability access, accessibility services, food service, nutrition information, website disclosure, school website, meal accommodations, special diets, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71

Transcript Highlights:

• They protect nursing staff, deliver patient care, safeguard physicians during medical procedures, and
• </c> patient care and safeguard physicians patient care and safeguard physicians during<00:47:42.720>
• </c><00:52:07.839><c> nurse</c><00:52:08.079><c> or</c><00:52:08.319><c> other</c> unit or a physician
• nurse or other unit or a physician nurse or other person<00:52:09.200><c> providing</c><00:52:09.760
• the same under protections are treated the same under Minnesota<01:04:47.359><c> statutes.

Bills: HF2358 , HF3496 , HF3504 , HF2169 , HF3440

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: public safety, coercion, criminal penalties, law enforcement, victim protection, HF3496, supervision abatement, earned compliance credit, earned compliance credits, conditional release, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, restitution, willful nonpayment, probation-like supervision, release supervision, community supervision, lifetime conditional release, early termination of supervision

Transcript Highlights:

• Family Medicine Doc, and I'm the president of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, representing
• I'm a family physician and the CEO of Community University Health Care Center, taking care of the patients
• My patients utilizing an inhaler to treat their asthma or a medication to manage their depression deserve
• Physicians across the state urged support for SF 1806 as an important step to help protect patients.
• to see if a bio similar that physician to see if a bio similar that might<00:43:21.319><c> be</c><00

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> and</c><00:31:41.600><c> our</c> infectious disease physician and our infectious disease physician
• Physicians, the manufacturers of all the Physicians, the manufacturers of all the childhood<01:50:42.719
• And you're a physician. >> I'm a physician. I'm a retired orthopedic surgeon.
• </c> doctors and you know us as physicians doctors and you know us as physicians have<02:54:42.000><c
• </c> really liked what the young physician really liked what the young physician said<03:34:50.160><c

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:21:25.039><c> You</c><00:21:25.200><c> will</c> would deal with treating place.
• You will would deal with treating place.
• In addition to that, it will set a reimbursement rate for what's called treat in place.
• A lot of times when EMS treat in place.
• </c> physician in the emergency department. physician in the emergency department.

Bills: SB294 , HB296 , HB300 , SB269

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Keywords: public officers, bonding, risk management, notification, delinquency, consumer protection, rental home, marketplace guarantees, insurance, commissioner of insurance, healthcare, breast cancer screening, insurance coverage, deductible, copayment, emergency medical services, ambulance reimbursement, health care insurers, balance billing, provider networks

Transcript Highlights:

• home health care industry that had to coordinate the care of the patient with the insurance. the physicians
• We're a physician-owned private practice here in the great state of Texas, with over 300 cancer practices
• It's kind of the same as ERISA; they're all self-funded, which is why they've been treated differently
• other words, the company is basically insuring the company employees, and therefore they've been treated
• We're going to put our skin in the game and invest in insurance on their own," and therefore we've treated

Bills: SB502 , SB513 , SB622 , SB670 , SB731 , SB732 , SB916 , SB961 , SB1122

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And we've really put in charge the clinical leadership, emphasizing the role of physician leadership
• a patient... ...physicians, nurse practitioners, to really assess clinically when a patient is deemed
• And we should not accept a system where families sounding the alarm are treated as obstacles instead
• And we should not accept a system where families sounding the alarm are treated as obstacles instead
• I'm a psychiatric physician with additional training in forensic psychiatry as well as public policy.

Summary: The joint Senate and House Behavioral Health committee met for informational presentations on the Oregon State Hospital and civil commitment, followed by a planned tour of the hospital. Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital leaders reported that Sean Murphy will become the next permanent superintendent on July 13, with Sarah Castle to follow as permanent chief nursing officer on July 20. They described recent leadership turnover, a major organizational restructure, and efforts to build a culture of safety, transparency, and accountability. Officials said the hospital regained Joint Commission accreditation and CMS compliance, and they highlighted daily safety huddles, incident review processes, stronger escalation procedures, and improved management of seclusion and restraint. Committee members pressed hospital leaders on past prolonged seclusion practices, falls, staffing, and the need for better public reporting; OHA said it is building a public dashboard of key safety and workforce metrics. The committee then heard a civil commitment overview from the Oregon Judicial Department. The presenter explained that civil commitment is a separate legal process from criminal cases, usually beginning with a hospital hold, investigation, court review, appointed counsel, and a hearing within five days. She summarized changes made in House Bill 2005, including revised standards for danger to self, danger to others, and basic-needs commitments, plus a second 14-day diversion option. She cautioned that the new law has only been in effect since January and that it is too early to draw firm conclusions from the data, though there has been a recent uptick in commitments and a decrease in diversions. Testimony from NAMI Oregon and a forensic psychiatrist emphasized that Oregon still relies too heavily on jails and state hospitals because community services, housing, and outpatient supports are insufficient. They argued that the state needs more less-restrictive alternatives, including better use of assisted outpatient treatment or outpatient civil commitment, and more supported housing so people do not cycle between homelessness, incarceration, and hospitalization. A family member described a relative remaining psychotic in jail for more than 120 days before ending up back at the state hospital, urging faster intervention and better collaboration among courts, counties, hospitals, and state agencies. Committee members and witnesses also discussed workforce shortages, the expansion of secure residential treatment beds, and the need for broader system reforms beyond the hospital itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• She is a primary care physician at the University of Arizona, Phoenix.
• track at Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, she trains and mentors future primary care physicians
• She is a primary care physician at the University of Arizona, Phoenix.
• track at Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, she trains and mentors future primary care physicians
• As treated as unacceptable, while other special interest plates move forward, it raises serious concerns

Summary: The House convened, took attendance, approved the prior journal, and recognized a number of guests and proclamations, including a proclamation supporting freedom, life, and liberty for the people of Iran. The chamber then moved into Committee of the Whole to consider several Senate bills. SB 1166 and SB 1252 were reported do pass without controversy. SB 1184 drew debate over a floor amendment that would have added the pride flag to the list of flags HOAs and condo associations could not prohibit; the amendment was rejected on a 21-32 division vote, and the bill was then reported do pass. The House also entered an additional Committee of the Whole to amend SB 1092, adopted a floor amendment setting an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027, and reported the bill do pass as amended. On third reading, SB 1020, a special license plate bill benefiting the Arizona Space Commission and related space education efforts, passed 35-21 with several members explaining votes in support of space industry development and in opposition because a proposed community college scholarship plate was not included. SB 1247, an emergency measure relating to health care institutions, passed 55-1 and cleared the two-thirds threshold for its emergency clause. The House also concurred in Senate amendments to HB 2307, then later passed HB 2307 unanimously as an emergency measure relating to dangerous and incompetent defendants. The chamber also considered a bill repealing Cesar Chavez Day and replacing it with a different observance tied to the farm worker movement. Members on both sides spoke at length about sexual abuse allegations involving Cesar Chavez, the importance of standing with survivors, and the need to honor farm workers and the broader movement rather than one individual. The bill ultimately passed 48-8 with the two-thirds emergency requirement. The House then received announcements, including caucus and committee meeting notices, a remembrance of Christian Petillo, and a congratulatory note for the University of Arizona men’s basketball team, before adjourning until March 31, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• It clarifies when a new medical report is needed and treats doctors and psychiatric nurses in the same
• Physicians prescribing psychotropic medications to Medicaid children must now provide the pharmacy with
• If a parent goes to a physician and does want to have some medication given to their child with gender
• And a question on the $100,000 fine for a physician should they do this: that would go directly to the
• Parents like me are forced to second-guess what we can disclose to in-state physicians about what care

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered several bills. SB 590, by Senator Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement, with a retroactivity amendment adopted. Supporters said it would help hold mandatory reporters accountable in institutional abuse cases; it was reported favorably. SB 778, by Senator Simon, would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency could be housed in the same secure setting under Chapter 916, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at APD; it was also reported favorably. The committee then took up SB 560, by Senator Garcia, which streamlines psychotropic medication procedures for children in DCF custody, clarifies when new medical reports are needed, reduces duplicative background checks, and simplifies consent documentation. An amendment removed language expanding who could serve as a qualified evaluator and revised the Road to Independence Program changes to focus only on post-secondary education services and support, extending eligibility ages to 26 while keeping a five-year maximum. Members discussed fiscal impacts and funding sources, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard SB 1010, by Senator Yarbrough, which strengthens enforcement of existing prohibitions on sex-reassignment prescriptions and procedures for minors and adds civil and criminal penalties, along with Attorney General enforcement authority and related parental rights provisions. An amendment clarified that actions could be brought by individuals as well as the Attorney General and that the provisions apply only to minors. The bill drew extensive public testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing child protection and accountability and opponents warning about chilling effects on medical care, schools, and parental rights. Senators raised concerns about standing, scope, and impacts on teachers and clinicians, but the bill was ultimately reported favorably on a 5-1 vote, with Senator Sharif voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pillar two requires nutrition education for Texas physicians. students, medical students, medical residents
• Again, moving to prevention is far better placed to address these issues than trying to treat them later
• Mark Hyman, I'm a physician, I'm a researcher, and an advocate for nutrition-focused healthcare reform
• Fourth, requiring nutrition training for physicians.
• We see it in the restrictions that prevent physicians from running critical lab tests, and we see it

Bills: SB 25 , SB25 , SB314

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So for emergency physicians, there are some that would start in 2025, but the broad...
• The proposition laid out specific physicians, osteopaths—there were specific... ...specific physicians
• for emergency physicians for both 2025 and 2026.
• for emergency physicians for both 2025 and 2026.
• Funds to help cover base rate increases to physicians.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held the first of several hearings on the Governor’s May Revision for health care, with opening remarks focused on the state’s projected $12 billion deficit, looming federal Medicaid changes, and the potential impact on Medi-Cal, public health, reproductive health, and safety-net providers. Several members criticized the proposal as balancing the budget on vulnerable Californians, while others defended the need for cost containment and questioned the administration’s assumptions. The chair set ground rules for respectful, focused questioning and outlined three topics: the Medi-Cal proposals, Proposition 35, and Proposition 56. DHCS Director Michelle Baas presented the May Revision’s Medi-Cal package, saying the department’s budget totals $200.6 billion overall, including $45.2 billion General Fund, and that the proposals are intended to address rising caseloads, pharmacy costs, and managed care spending. She described proposed changes for adults with unsatisfactory immigration status, including a freeze on new full-scope enrollment for those 19 and older, $100 monthly premiums beginning in 2027, elimination of adult dental and long-term care coverage, removal of PPS/RAP payments to FQHCs and rural health clinics for that population, and a pharmacy rebate aggregator. Other proposals included eliminating certain OTC drug classes, removing GLP-1 coverage for weight loss, prior authorization and step therapy changes, reinstating the Medi-Cal asset test, eliminating acupuncture as an optional benefit, allowing utilization management for hospice, raising the managed care minimum medical loss ratio to 90%, reducing PACE capitation rates toward the midpoint of the actuarial range, eliminating the skilled nursing facility workforce and quality incentive program, and suspending the SNF backup power requirement. The LAO said the revised Medi-Cal spending estimate is about $2.5 billion higher than the Governor’s Budget in the budget year, and that the increase appears driven more by higher per-enrollee costs than by caseload alone. The LAO said the budget solutions are concentrated in a few areas, are largely ongoing, and should be considered in light of federal uncertainty, but suggested the Legislature could explore alternatives such as more targeted income thresholds for the undocumented expansion and simpler asset-test rules. Department of Finance officials said the proposals are difficult but necessary to address a third consecutive deficit and rising Medi-Cal costs. Members then pressed the administration on the methodology and impacts of the proposals, especially the enrollment freeze, premiums, asset test, hospice controls, PACE reductions, and the elimination of benefits and provider payments. No votes or formal actions were taken at this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• High-quality voice and image replicas should be treated as the actual voice and likeness of the system
• It treats both groups the same, which we believe is unreasonable.
• Sensitive personal information to be treated as publicly available if a corporation and data brokers
• Physicians should feel empowered to play an active role and be assured that the tools they are using
• But somebody could prescribe one medication to treat something and then they go to their...

Summary: The committee heard several AI- and consumer-protection-related bills, with extensive testimony from authors, supporters, and industry opponents. SB 53 by Senator Wiener would create transparency requirements for large AI developers, including disclosure of safety and security protocols, reporting of critical safety incidents, whistleblower protections, and the CalCompute public cloud. Supporters said it is a narrower, transparency-based follow-up to last year’s vetoed AI safety bill, while opponents argued it still relies too much on company size, could expose trade secrets, and should be narrowed further. The committee approved SB 53 on a do-pass-as-amended vote to Appropriations, with the roll held open for absent members. SB 766 by Senator Allen would codify the FTC’s Cars Rule and create a three-day cooling-off period for certain used-car purchases, along with stronger disclosure rules on pricing, add-ons, and government affiliation claims. Supporters said it would save consumers money and time and help buyers avoid bad deals, while dealer and industry groups said amendments addressed many of their concerns. Several former opponents moved to neutral, and the committee passed SB 766 unanimously as amended to Appropriations. SB 7 by Senator McNerney would regulate automated decision-making systems in employment by requiring notice, human review for discipline and termination, and limits on predictive behavior analysis. Labor and consumer advocates supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or overly automated workplace decisions, while employer and industry groups raised concerns about scope, notice burdens, and the predictive-analysis ban. The committee passed SB 7 to Appropriations on a 4-2 vote, with the roll held open. SB 833, also by Senator McNerney, would require human oversight of AI used in critical infrastructure, along with training and system assessments; it drew limited opposition focused on scope, and the committee passed it as amended to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote, also holding the roll open. Later, the committee took up SB 11, which would address AI-generated voice, image, and video cloning and deepfakes by clarifying likeness protections, requiring consumer warnings, and addressing misuse and evidence tampering. Supporters framed it as a targeted response to nonconsensual deepfakes, while industry groups said recent amendments improved the bill but still had concerns about penalties and warning language. The committee also heard SB 720, the Safer Streets Act, which would let cities opt into a revised red-light camera system that shifts from driver to owner liability, removes facial identification, makes violations civil rather than criminal, and directs revenue toward transportation safety projects; the author presented the bill, but the transcript ends before any final action on SB 720.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they can get these compounded drugs only, yes, from physicians and from pharmacists.
• This bill is only adding the added protections only if you get it from physicians.
• So they can get these compound drugs only, yes, from physicians and from pharmacists.
• This bill is only adding the added protections only if you get it from physicians.
• When something bad happens to an animal patient being treated at their own facilities, like an animal

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 1921 on video game shutdowns. The author and Consumer Reports supported requiring game operators to give 60 days’ notice before ending server support and to offer a menu of remedies, including refunds or playable/offline alternatives, while the Entertainment Software Association opposed the bill as an unwarranted new standard for digital products and raised safety and legal concerns about community servers. Members questioned the scope of refunds, copyright, and community-server issues, and the author said he was open to further amendments. The bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and placed on call. AB 1965, dealing with cannabis testing, was presented as a measure to strengthen the Department of Cannabis Control’s authority over testing labs and improve product safety and transparency. The California Cannabis Operators Association supported the bill, saying it would help ensure consistent standards and protect consumers in a market with a large illicit component. There was no opposition, and the bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard AB 2141, which would allow the Board of Pharmacy to resolve certain disciplinary matters through a voluntary pre-accusation settlement process. The author and a supporting pharmacist said it would speed resolution of smaller, technical cases and reduce costs, while a member raised concerns about transparency and whether the public would have less information about licensee misconduct. The bill passed the committee on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations, with Senator Menjivar voting no, and was placed on call. AB 2163, creating strategic clean energy and critical mineral development zones, was supported by the author and Imperial County as a way to prioritize geothermal and lithium development in areas like the Salton Sea region; it passed on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. Later, AB 1990 on compounded weight-loss drug advertising drew significant debate. Supporters argued it would curb misleading ads and require disclosures about risks and non-FDA approval, while opponents from the compounding pharmacy community said it would create burdens, duplicate existing false-advertising law, and could harm patient access. Members questioned whether the bill actually addressed targeting minors and whether it would force use of FDA-approved labeling; the author said the bill was meant to add specificity and guardrails. The bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Senate Judiciary, with some no votes, and placed on call. The committee also heard AB 2783 on court reporters, which would add a national certification pathway and extend a remote reporting pilot; it drew support from court reporting stakeholders and passed unanimously on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations, placed on call. Finally, AB 2771, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education sunset bill, and AB 2772, the interior design certification sunset bill, were presented and heard with mixed testimony: AB 2771 received support from student and borrower advocates and was moved to Senate Education, while AB 2772 drew both support and strong opposition over CCIDC governance and accountability, with the committee hearing extensive public comment before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• This will also begin the process of treating victims of death differently than victims with substantial
• Assembly Bill 221, introduced by Assembly Member Edgeworth, exempts certain offices of physicians and
• However, this bill jeopardizes physicians by placing oversight in the Board of Medical Examiners, so
• A physician must disclose an investigation by the board will start.
• A physician must disclose an investigation by the board will start.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is just another way of treating eye pressure.
• I mean, if we want to talk about complications, there is no perfect physician.
• I mean, if we want to talk about complications, there is no perfect physician.
• That can be used and focused on the posterior capsule to treat the membranes.
• As physicians, we are guided by the Hippocratic Oath to first do no harm.

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2300 by a unanimous roll call vote of 18-0. The substitute combined a number of previously approved professional registration items, including emergency suspension authority, chiropractic and massage therapy provisions, accountant regulations, the athletic trainer compact, social worker regulations, a speech-language pathologist fix, telehealth, nonprofit pharmacies, and the physician assistant compact. Members noted that work was still ongoing on bell bondsman language before the committee moved into public hearing. The main public hearing was on House Bill 2897, which would expand optometrists’ authority to perform certain laser and in-office procedures. Representative Farnan and optometry supporters argued the bill is about patient access, especially in rural areas, and said it would allow three laser procedures—YAG capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, and laser iridotomy—plus clarify other already-performed office procedures, while still excluding major surgeries such as cataract surgery, LASIK, and corneal transplants. Supporters said optometrists already receive relevant training, that a 32-hour certification course would serve as a safeguard, and that patients often face long waits or long travel times for care. Opponents, including ophthalmologists, argued the bill would blur the line between optometry and surgery, create safety risks, and rely on insufficient training and ambiguous language. They cited complications from laser procedures, questioned emergency care claims, and said optometrists should not be regulated as surgeons unless placed under the State Board of Healing Arts. No vote was taken on HB 2897, and the chair recessed the hearing for later continuation. The Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education then took up House Bill 3239 and adopted Amendment 0.01H, which capped the program at $4 million to keep it from becoming an open-ended cost. The committee then adopted the House Committee Substitute and voted the bill do pass by 11-7. The committee also combined House Bills 2913 and 3228 into one substitute and voted that combined measure do pass by 19-0. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2195, which would create the Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program and encourage school districts to incorporate driver-safety content into existing courses without adding a fiscal note or mandating a standalone driver’s ed class. Sponsor Representative Reedy and supporters from AAA Missouri and the Missouri Driver Education Coalition said the bill would address teen crash rates, improve access to driver education, and help schools use existing curriculum time more flexibly. The hearing remained in discussion with testimony continuing.