Transcript Highlights:

• How does your agency go about identifying waste, fraud, and abuse, and how much money have you saved
• I don't believe there have been. been any identified instances of waste, fraud, or abuse in the last
• biennium. waste, fraud, and abuse in the last two years?
• Opportunities for efficiencies, but no waste fraud or abuse how big is your agency? Total budget?
• But is there any areas you said you didn't identify any waste, fraud, or abuse in the last biennium?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• consumer confidence in using these gift cards as a secure method of payment.
• DTPA, yes, you have to be a consumer, and it applies to the individual.”
• This is a pro-consumer... Thank you, Senator Schwertner.
• This is a pro-consumer piece of legislation, is it not? It is.
• They're woefully underappraising loss to the consumers.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, recognized a Karnes County Day delegation and the Texas Association of Museums, received a governor’s message on Texas Diabetes Council appointments, and introduced the Doctor of the Day. The chamber then took up several resolutions, including SR 388 honoring the Texas Association of Museums, and adopted SRs 380, 382, and 387 by voice vote. Senator King was excused due to a family death, and the journal reading was dispensed with. The Senate then moved through a series of bills, most of them on expedited suspension of the regular order and three-day rule. Measures passed included SB 868 on Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program funding for high-wildfire-risk areas; SB 264 exempting certain family motor-vehicle transfers from tax; SB 2112 on oyster mariculture penalties; SB 1484 on catfish labeling and marketing; SB 660 on bollards near hospital emergency rooms; SB 1809 creating offenses for gift card fraud; SB 32 and SJR 81 providing business personal property tax relief and a related constitutional amendment; SB 1267 modernizing boat titling and adding disclosure for hidden hull damage; SB 1470 allowing DPS data sharing for voter list maintenance; SB 2406 and SB 2407 implementing Sunset recommendations for the Sabine River Authority and Lower Neches Valley River Authority; SB 609 on school district compliance with legally required policies; SB 921 on ex parte Medicaid eligibility renewals; SB 2320 increasing DWI penalties; SB 1822 requiring disclosure and oversight of AI-based utilization review algorithms; SB 693 on notaries public and deed theft prevention; and SB 664 setting statewide qualifications and oversight for magistrates and related judicial officers. One of the most contested items was SB 779 on common law public nuisance claims, which drew extended debate over whether the bill would limit lawsuits against lawful, regulated activities and whether it would preserve private nuisance and other existing remedies. Despite objections, the Senate suspended the rules and passed the bill to engrossment by a 17-12 vote, holding it there. Another debated measure was SB 1008 on state and local authority over the food service industry; after a perfecting amendment, it was passed to engrossment and then to final passage. Several bills were adopted or passed with near-unanimous support, while others, including SB 1267, SB 1470, SB 1822, and SB 2320, saw some opposition but still cleared the chamber.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will help us catch issues before a service becomes consumed by fraud. budgeted amount by 10%
• examples of brazen fraud. examples of brazen fraud.
• Is there any more fraud? Are off topics. Is there any more fraud?
• there any more fraud questions? there any more fraud questions?
• talking about the fraud issue? talking about the fraud issue?

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• yield myself such time as I may consume. yield myself such time as I may consume.
• It also includes strong anti-fraud measures that will save billions from the fraud that we know is far
• It also includes strong anti-fraud measures that will save billions from the fraud that we know is far
• It also includes strong anti-fraud It also includes strong anti-fraud measures<02:30:38.399>
• should consume. should consume. >> Thank<02:52:31.439> you,<02:52:31.600> Mr.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, December 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Practices Consumer Protection Act for the Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development, 504565
• programs for the Committee on Human Services. 4586 by Frank relating to the prohibited direct-to-consumer
• SB 4763 by Olcott relating to reports by certain public institutions of higher education on fraud waste
• or for the committing criminal jurisprudence HB 4884 by all caught relating to the operation of a fraud
• by DeRozio ruling the state election integrity and security ballot boxes including the prevention fraud

Bills: HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, tax exemption, local government finance, appraisal district, chief appraiser, rendition statement, property tax relief, small business, commercial property, leased property, related business entity, unified business enterprise, tax situs, Texas Tax Code, local taxing unit, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• . that gives consumer the bill of sale. that gives consumer protection<00:08:50.320> to<00:08:
• <00:33:14.559> and prevent fraud and prevent fraud and your<00:33:16.480> workload?
• :36.399> is The consumer protection basically is The consumer protection basically is still<00
• So that consumer national database.
• <00:45:26.400> and titling process is to deter fraud and titling process is to deter fraud

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• MESSING WITH HER ANKLE MONITOR BUT THEY ARE GOING TO TRIAL ON SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNRELATED LIKE A FRAUD
• GIFT CARD MANUFACTURERS RETAILERS AND CONSUMERS HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN GIFT CARD FRAUD WITH
• ENHANCE THE STATE EXISTING CRIMINAL STATUTE AND THE NEED FOR PROSECUTION OF MULTIPLE TYPES OF CARD FRAUD
• DEFINITION THAT IS LAID OUT IN THE BILL INCLUDING INSTANCES WHERE PERPETRATORS DEVICE SCHEME TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a very rough sort of gauge of cost that would be entailed on consumers.
• That's a very rough sort of gauge of cost that would be entailed on consumers.
• The Senate's proposal that brings in $5 to $8 billion does not have a direct consumer increase.
• to our Medicaid fraud control unit, which is the Department of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse inside
• You know, as we're, you know, I'm hearing investments in the waste and fraud area.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee first heard May Revision items for child support, child care, and related human services. The Department of Child Support Services described two technical adjustments, which the LAO said raised no concerns. The Department of Social Services then walked through child care proposals, including a shift in how federal and Proposition 64 funding reductions would be absorbed, a 2.01% COLA, disaster-related child care infrastructure grants, an increase in in-contract administrative support costs for alternative payment agencies, reversion of prospective-pay implementation funding after a federal rule change, a one-time allocation to cover the first quarter of Cost of Care Plus payments in the next fiscal year, reappropriation for existing infrastructure grant closeout work, and estimates of unspent child care funds. The department also outlined trailer bill language on a single rate structure, site safety and emergency procedures, CalWORKs child care data sharing, and child care oversight. The LAO recommended that the Legislature seek more justification for shifting reductions from General Child Care to the Alternative Payment Program, noting that CAP reductions affect more slots and that General Child Care has had significant unspent funds. It supported removing prospective-pay funding, but recommended rejecting the administrative cost shift to a percentage-based rate because it could create future General Fund pressure. It also suggested the Legislature review alignment between the disaster grants and the child care infrastructure program. Senators and members pressed the administration on why the budget would reduce child care slots and COLA percentages while the state still has waitlists and unspent funds, and questioned the need for early funding of Cost of Care Plus payments and the move from a flat administrative amount to a percentage. Public commenters, including providers, advocates, county offices, and infrastructure partners, urged full COLA funding, preservation of child care slots, support for prospective pay, and continued investment in child care access and facilities. After a short recess, the committee moved to Part B on health and heard the Department of State Hospitals. DSH presented a May Revision budget of $3.2 billion and described proposals for a central utility plant replacement at Metropolitan State Hospital, an electronic health record implementation, reduced county bed billing authority due to phased-in LPS bed capacity, limited contract exemption authority for online clinical subscriptions, reversion of prior-year unspent operating funds, and a workforce development proposal shifting some costs to Behavioral Health Services Act funds, including support for an additional psychiatric training cohort at Napa. The department also outlined IST-related savings and a trailer bill to remove the sunset on the independent placement panel program.

Transcript Highlights:

• These third-party reservation sales make it difficult for consumers to find available reservations for
• popular restaurants or force consumers to pay for something that should be free.
• things that they'll have to provide when the reservation is being made, such as the name of the consumer
• Supporting this language will enhance consumer protection and transparency for everyone to know what
• for when a consumer decides to forego a project.

Summary: The Committee on Regulated Industries met with a quorum and heard several bills, with SB 1742 on condos temporarily postponed. SB 1298 on building construction was reported favorably after sponsor testimony about continuing education for building professionals, rural sharing of building officials, residential inspector limits, a planning examiner internship, permitting modernization, and contractor transition liability. SB 638 on home inspectors was also reported favorably after discussion of increasing required education from 120 to 200 hours, adding subject-specific exam and course requirements, and requiring $300,000 in errors and omissions insurance. SB 960 on elevator accessibility requirements was reported favorably, allowing additional shorter support rails in elevators while keeping the existing 42-inch rail requirement. The committee also unanimously recommended confirmation of a block of board and commission appointees. The committee adopted amendments and reported favorably CS/SB 940 on third-party restaurant reservation platforms, aimed at stopping bots and unauthorized resale of restaurant reservations; the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and Booking Holdings supported the bill, and members discussed how the measure would preserve direct restaurant-platform relationships like OpenTable and Resy while targeting third-party marketplaces that resell reservations. CS/SB 196 on foods containing vaccines or vaccine materials was reported favorably after amendments that defined mRNA vaccine use and added a cosmetics-related amendment addressing harmful chemicals such as PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde-releasing agents, and mercury compounds; the Florida Retail Federation raised concerns but said it was working with the sponsor. CS/SB 1418 on heated tobacco products was reported favorably after an amendment clarifying the definition of heated tobacco products and excluding hookah, with support from the Florida Retail Federation and comments that the bill would distinguish these products from cigarettes for tax purposes. The committee also adopted a strike-all amendment and reported favorably CS/SB 1262 on construction contracting, which adds consumer protection and financial literacy topics to contractor continuing education, increases penalties for unlicensed contracting, creates a standardized disciplinary reporting system, and requires timely refunds and project completion standards; the Florida Home Builders Association supported the measure. Finally, CS/SB 1304 on solar facilities was reported favorably after extensive testimony from county commissioners and local officials supporting greater local oversight and decommissioning requirements for utility-scale solar on agricultural land; the bill would remove the current statewide by-right treatment for solar on agricultural land and authorize counties to adopt decommissioning ordinances. The meeting ended with members recording additional affirmative votes on selected bills and adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• rates in the one of the lowest fraud rates in the country<00:20:41.480> you<00:20:41.559>
• I want to be very clear that improper payments are not fraud. They are two different things.
• So I guess what of that 7.42, 4% I see 1.35, 8% the fraud, and we'll get to that in a second, but of
• the improper payment, how much of that is recouped back into the fund, other than the fraud rate?
• <00:37:36.119> rate<00:37:36.400> at at just the fraud rate at at just the fraud rate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Unfair Trade Practices Act goes back to the 1960s and is really the principal consumer protection
• those who don't do this, qui tam is essentially an action that is brought by an individual against fraud
• There's not a fraud on the government by those actions.
• high-level offenders involved in crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and financial fraud
• . fraud.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also can't investigate or prosecute fraud in obtaining benefits, also known as welfare fraud, or fraud
• in<00:07:44.480> other as welfare fraud, or fraud in other as welfare fraud, or fraud in other
• many more people in fraud convictions. many more people in fraud convictions.
• fraud convictions in the entire country. fraud convictions in the entire country.
• investigations in the health care fraud. investigations in the health care fraud.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Waste, fraud and abuse in government agencies is, is a very important issue, uh, to millions of Texans
• We have an, an internal audit department, um, that works, um, to identify waste, fraud and abuse and
• We haven't found any waste, fraud, or abuse in the last two years. We have not.
• We've identified opportunities for efficiencies, but no waste, fraud, or abuse.
• Do you have tools in your toolbox to be able to protect the consumer when an acquiring water company

Transcript Highlights:

• Whether it is outright fraud like that Paul Gessing: perpetrated by then Rep.
• But here in New Mexico, we have no idea what that level of waste and fraud is.
• Now, have we found all fraud and abuse?
• I have a cadre of certified fraud examiners that investigate these complaints of fraud, waste, and abuse
• We have over about 300 active cases of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• protection enforcement, and consumer protection enforcement, and consumer protection will<00:
• veterans and their survivors from fraud veterans and their survivors from fraud is<01:05:15.039>
• , going to be perfect to stop the fraud, going to be perfect to stop the fraud, so<01:07:22.880><
• proposes that they like fraud. proposes that they like fraud.
• > to billions of fraud, dollars of fraud to billions of fraud, dollars of fraud to go<01:18:23.280

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its first meeting of the session with member introductions and a statement from the chair that veterans issues would remain distinct and receive separate attention. The first item was an update on the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley from Executive Director Randall Dietrich. He said the museum has operated for nearly 50 years, has outgrown its current space, and is building a new 40,000-square-foot facility with $32 million in state support plus several million more in private funding. He described construction progress, planned exhibits including restored military artifacts and the USS Ward gun, and said the museum is scheduled to open on September 12. In response to Senator Kunish, Dietrich said the museum is actively incorporating stories and flags representing women, tribal nations, and other underrepresented groups, including 11 tribal flags at the entrance, and is working to integrate those stories throughout the galleries rather than isolating them. The committee then received an update from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs on the veterans suicide prevention plan from Rachel Johnson, Veterans Committee Health Director, with John Kelly later answering questions on department impacts. Johnson said the plan is a coordinated statewide framework built with legislative support, expanding regional coordinators, veteran health navigators, data analytics, and community partnerships, including a suicide mortality review pilot in Hennepin County. She said Minnesota loses about 100 veterans a year to suicide, that firearms remain the primary mechanism, and that prevention must address community connection, economic stability, and access to care, not just clinical treatment. She also said the plan aligns with state and federal strategies and is intended as a living roadmap. In response to questions, Johnson said the department is exploring data-sharing policy issues, has not seen a direct financial impact from federal VA staffing changes, and is tracking federal proposals affecting VA advisory groups. She also said 988 data is available in general but more Minnesota-specific data on the veteran option is still being gathered. Members asked follow-up questions about trends in veteran suicide, the role of families in identifying warning signs, and the Hennepin County mortality review pilot. Johnson said the annual number has remained around 100 for about 15 years, with a dip in 2024 and a return to that level in 2025, and that the Hennepin County pilot was chosen because it offers a manageable geography and existing coalition work, with an initial review expected by May or June. The final item began a presentation from the Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers. Legislative chair Larry Fonder said the group’s priorities are protecting veterans from fraud and modernizing the property tax benefit for disabled veterans, but the presentation would focus on educating the committee about the role, training, certification, and accountability of county veteran service officers. President Tom Anderson, the Winona County VSO and a Navy veteran, began describing his background and office staffing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Governor's message number 693 is referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Bills: SB2169, SB2263, SB2360, SB2359, SB2031, SB2796, SB3090, SB3091, SB3092, SB2120, SB2593, SB2751, SB2135, SB2024, SB2872, SB3179, SB2308, SB2392, SB2470, SB2398, SB2902, SB2841, SB2436, SB2806, SB2691, SB2824, SB2645, SB2384, SB2697, SB3153, SB3156, SB888, SB2423, SB2746

Keywords: business competitiveness, economic development, DBEDT, Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, business climate, regulatory reform, permitting, economic ranking, state ranking, top 10 states, business climate improvement working group, business revitalization task force, CNBC America’s Top States for Business, Hawaii business climate, workforce development, infrastructure, cost of doing business, tax competitiveness, labor unions, private sector

Transcript Highlights:

• I may consume. I may consume.
• I may consume. I may consume.
• Consumers are protected. digital assets. Consumers are protected.
• The status quo fails to protect consumers from fraud.
• consumers. The Genius Act, as I said, consumers.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, July 17, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Randall, in in all the fraud Randall, in in all the fraud investigations<00:18:06.640> that
• No, this is, you know, a major loophole in consumer data privacy laws.
• Um the consumers ought to have the ability to opt out of things.
• Um the consumers on this issue.
• between health records and the consumer between health records and the consumer privacy. privacy

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• clearinghouse validation rule and fraud clearinghouse validation rule and fraud prevention<00:02
• consumer-directed services program. consumer-directed services program.
• consumer-directed option. consumer-directed option.
• <00:49:25.360> services through consumer-directed services through consumer-directed services
• participants have that consumer-directed participants have that consumer-directed option.<00:53:

Keywords: 0:06 - Roll Call 0:30 - Approval of Minutes 0:45 - OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 2:08 - FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION CABINET - OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER 2:55 - BOARD OF DENTISTRY 5:30 - BOARD OF OPHTHALMIC DISPENSERS 7:30 - BOARD OF NURSING 8:32 - BOARD OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 9:30 - EDUCATION AND LABOR CABINET - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE OF DISTRICT SUPPORT SERVICES 15:35 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH 18:44 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, HEALTH SERVICES AND FACILITIES 23:39 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR MEDICAID SERVICES 1:01:46 - CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, DEPARTMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, OFFICE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS 1:03:46 - Next meeting/adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then took up a series of administrative regulations from several agencies. Early items included Attorney General consumer protection rules on removal sales, health spas, liquidation sales, and nonresident sellers of visual aid glasses; Finance and Administration Controller rules on clearinghouse validation and fraud prevention; and Board of Dentistry rules updating exam requirements, controlled substance prescribing, training for neuromodulators and dermal fillers, infection control, sedation/anesthesia continuing education, and required education on pediatric abusive head trauma and controlled substance ingestion prevention. The committee also approved staff amendments on these items, generally to conform to KRS Chapter 13A, and members asked a brief question about the dentistry controlled-substances changes, which was answered as an alignment with statute. The committee next approved regulations for the Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers, Board of Nursing, and Board of Emergency Medical Services. The ophthalmic dispensers package would revise meeting and recordkeeping language, raise renewal fees, set reinstatement and apprentice-license rules, add complaint and hearing procedures, and repeal a duplicative regulation. The nursing regulations would streamline approval of training programs and require notice and documentation of site visits and deficiencies. EMS rules would create five EMS medical director certifications, set expiration and renewal requirements, require publication of disciplinary sanctions, and exempt currently approved directors before October 1, 2026. Staff amendments were adopted without objection on each set. The Education and Labor Cabinet’s school transportation regulation drew extended discussion. The agency explained the changes were intended to implement Senate Bill 46 and update references affected by later legislation, including an oral amendment to delete a subsection reference tied to KRS 160.380. The committee adopted both the agency and oral amendments without objection after brief questions about the scope of the bill changes and van transportation for students. The committee then heard a lengthy package from the Department for Public Health on WIC and related nutrition program regulations, including updates to infant and child certification periods, documentation requirements, vendor criteria, sanctions, hearing procedures, and high-risk vendor standards. Staff amendments were adopted without objection. Finally, the committee considered the Inspector General’s regulation for freestanding birthing centers, which included both staff and agency amendments. The agency changes would require two neonatal resuscitation program-certified staff, set rules for medical director vacancies and appeals, revise facility and staffing terminology, adjust transfer-agreement requirements, and allow waivers when agreements cannot be secured. Mary Katherine DeLodder of the Kentucky Birth Coalition testified in support, saying the parties had worked through concerns and were ready to move forward. The committee then moved on to Medicaid’s 1915C child waiver regulations, where staff amendments were adopted, but Lucy Heskins of Kentucky Protection and Advocacy testified against the package because it did not include person-directed services, which she said are required by Kentucky law and important for families using the waiver.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, and consumer protection. Mr.
• committee on commerce and consumer committee on commerce and consumer protection.<00:12:25.839><
• We're strengthening protections in this bill for broker fraud, investment broker fraud, which has seen
• > which fraud, investment broker fraud, which fraud, investment broker fraud, which has<00:34:
• So, as we're uh fees for consumers.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all