Transcript Highlights:

• We have up HB 391 relating to faith-based content and batterers intervention program.
• House Bill 391 permits certified batterers intervention programs to incorporate faith-based components
• I understand there's no fiscal impact on the state, but it's my experience that batterer intervention
• For years, our faith-based batterers intervention program transformed lives, teaching accountability
• If faith-based programs are not permitted now in batterers intervention programs, which they're not,

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a full agenda and reported all measures favorably. The committee first heard HB 1327, which would codify the Hope Florida program in state law, and HB 1329, the related public-records exemption for Hope Florida participants; both bills drew questions about oversight, duplication of services, staffing, and data privacy, and both passed 17-0 after an amendment to HB 1329. The committee then approved HB 391, allowing certified batterers intervention programs to include optional faith-based content while remaining grounded in required therapeutic models; an amendment clarified that participation in faith-based components must be strictly voluntary. Supporters argued the bill restores choice and access, while opponents raised concerns about church-state separation and uneven availability of secular alternatives; the bill passed 17-0. Members also advanced HB 1065, creating an Alzheimer’s disease awareness initiative through the Department of Elder Affairs, with broad support from members who shared personal experiences and emphasized early detection and public education. HB 1163, dealing with recovery residences, passed 12-5 after debate over local zoning authority, home rule, and whether the bill would help or hinder placement of level four recovery homes near urban cores. Several members said they supported recovery housing in principle but wanted more clarity on task force findings and local impacts before fully backing the measure. The committee next approved HB 969, which shifts evaluation of school district mental health assistance programs to OPAGA and requires reports on outcomes and effectiveness; members stressed the need to know whether substantial mental health funding is improving student outcomes. HB 1191, which decriminalizes allowing children to travel to school, play outdoors, or stay home for reasonable periods and codifies current DCF policy, passed 16-0 with support framed around parental rights and child development. Finally, HB 1207, the Tristan Murphy Act, passed 15-0 and would expand mental health diversion and treatment options, including training for first responders, a forensic hospital diversion pilot, a behavioral health data repository, and additional evaluation requirements before inmate work assignments. The meeting adjourned after all agenda bills were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• that if there is a discussion between peers that would elevate to needing some sort of clinical intervention
• So, Director, Madam Chair, representatives, very close on the math.
• 54.240> the chair Representatives very close on the chair Representatives very close on the math
• 00:57:56.359> um<00:57:56.760> the<00:57:57.000> grant<00:57:57.400> is math
• the um the grant is math the um the grant is 2500<00:57:59.319> uh<00:57:59.480> per<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• cannot be forced to deny their core beliefs, to say things that are untrue, just to keep a job. a math
• As a state, we should be more focused on math, reading, and science, not pronouns.
• I received pre-trial intervention.
• Just to go over the math with you, okay?
• It's all very difficult. problems using math, technology, and science.

Bills: SB3, SB810, SB965, SB1073, SB1119, SB1505, SB 3

Keywords: Texas Education Code, public schools, school district, open-enrollment charter school, teacher speech, employee speech, biological sex, pronouns, gender identity, retaliation, discipline, workplace protections, school personnel, education policy, LGBTQ, transgender, charter schools, SB 965, religious speech, prayer

Transcript Highlights:

• soccer player who practices before school, sweats, and needs to shower before moving on to first-period math
• I have a doctorate in math from the University of Texas. I'm a mother of three.
• I'm a public middle school math and science teacher.
• some of those same ideologies have resurfaced through gender ideology, encouraging irreversible interventions

Bills: SB7, SB14, SB 7, SB 14

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:44.120> next<00:12:44.320> slide interventions next slide interventions next slide
• Is that one of the interventions you're helping with the nurse line? You are correct.
• <00:28:46.120> you're is that one of the interventions you're is that one of the interventions
• so we didn't do discuss interventions so we didn't do this<00:36:57.079> before<00:36:57.680>
• <01:36:13.239> as resources supports and interventions as resources supports and interventions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• Including mechanical, chemical, and prone restraint, and any intervention that restricts breathing or
• And only after less restrictive interventions have been attempted.
• Because as we know, under the current law and under HB 12, restraint and seclusion are interventions,
• emergency interventions of last resort when a student's behavior presents an imminent danger of serious
• Yet we know that these interventions happen far too often.

Bills: HB30, HB120, HJR1, SB210, SB306

Keywords: teacher residency, Teacher Residency Act, public schools, teacher preparation, educator pipeline, teacher recruitment, teacher retention, student teachers, apprenticeship, co-teaching, mentor teachers, residency stipend, teacher salary, level one teacher, charter schools, school districts, New Mexico education, teacher workforce, principal stipend, cohort model

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a crisis intervention team training for our law enforcement. That's so important.
• Our VIP team, our violence intervention team, is a peer-led team.
• So we have our opiate education team, our violence intervention team, our youth violence intervention
• Our VIP team, our violence intervention team is a peer-led team.
• So we have our opiate education team, our violence intervention team, our youth violence intervention

Summary: The Community Safety Committee held an interim work session on crisis response, with members and witnesses discussing how Washington can better integrate 911, 988, mobile crisis, co-response, and alternative response models for behavioral health crises in public spaces. Travis Parker opened with an overview of the Sequential Intercept Model and the crisis care continuum, emphasizing early intervention, 988 access, regional coordination, navigators and peer support, and the need for sustainable braided funding. Several Washington witnesses then described current programs and system gaps, including the growth of co-response teams, the importance of integrating 911 and 988 rather than treating them as competing systems, and the need to reduce unnecessary emergency room use and improve first responder wellness and training. City, fire, and crisis-system representatives described local challenges and reforms. Kim Hendrickson of Poulsbo said most crisis calls still come through 911 and urged better coordination among field-based teams, more behavioral health training for fire/EMS, and more alternatives to ER transport. Laura Pippen, a designated crisis responder, described a strained involuntary treatment system, fewer DCRs statewide, difficulty getting law enforcement support for transports, and limited facility capacity, especially for substance use disorder. Jennifer Stuber and South County Fire’s Keith Sharp highlighted workforce training, a crisis responder certificate program, and first responder wellness efforts. Research witnesses Evan Lauder and James Pine said the evidence is still developing but generally supports on-scene resolution, reduced ED transport and detention in some models, and the importance of clear dispatch protocols, coordination, and ongoing evaluation. Dispatch and program operators then gave examples of how systems are working in practice. Katie Myers of Washington APCO/NENA said 911 remains essential, but needs evidence-based triage protocols, liability protections, and additional funding if it is expected to take on more crisis-response responsibilities. Whatcom County described embedding a “community connector” in the 911 center to coordinate alternative response, while ValleyCom reported that its 988 diversion pilot transferred 2,165 calls with 98% resolved through 988/211 without returning to 911. National examples included Denver’s STAR program, Albuquerque’s Community Safety Department, and Atlanta’s PAD initiative, each showing different ways to route low-acuity or behavioral-health-related calls away from police and toward clinicians, peers, or civilian responders. The session ended with Washington examples continuing, including Whatcom County’s alternative response team, underscoring the committee’s interest in refining and expanding integrated crisis response systems in the next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no reason for me to offer AP math or chemistry anymore.
• There's no reason for me to offer AP math or chemistry anymore.
• There's no reason for me to offer AP math or chemistry anymore.
• There's no reason for me to offer AP math or chemistry anymore.
• I'll just AP math or chemistry anymore.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• can be in changing the intervention can be in changing the trajectory<00:03:24.560> of<00:03:
• This is widely recognized as the gold standard in early intervention.
• <00:08:23.520> And standard in early intervention. And standard in early intervention.
• They need comprehensive<00:09:05.839> early<00:09:06.160> intervention,<00:09:06.640>
• > but comprehensive early intervention, but comprehensive early intervention, but are<00:09:07.120

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• CBHCs offer extended 24/7 crisis response, including mobile crisis intervention services, short-term
• It has been showing... ...as the leading evidence-based intervention for first-episode psychosis, and
• And the early intervention leads to the best outcomes.
• We know that when we act early, that early intervention leads to the best outcomes.
• Well, early evidence shows that CBHCs are effective in promoting intervention.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on a large group of behavioral health and insurance-related bills. Topics included expanding access to mental health services by allowing physician assistants to authorize Section 12 emergency holds and be recognized as licensed mental health professionals (H. 1131/S. 773); improving coverage for community behavioral health centers so commercial insurance matches MassHealth’s bundled outpatient and crisis services (H. 1276/S. 703); eliminating cost sharing for certain behavioral health services (S. 718); extending detox and clinical stabilization coverage from 14 to 30 days and adding transitional support services (H. 1319/S. 772); requiring coverage for dual-diagnosis treatment in psychiatric facilities (H. 1277/S. 771); and preserving access to treatment for serious mental illness through coverage of coordinated specialty care and assertive community treatment (H. 1135/S. 709). The committee also heard bills on preventive behavioral health services for children (H. 1228/S. 802) and post-pregnancy mental health care, including postpartum depression and pregnancy loss-related care (H. 1314/S. 823).

Transcript Highlights:

• First responder, less restrictive intervention. Definition number six, mechanical restraint.
• A lot of the kids that are subject To these kinds of interventions in school, they may not be verbal.
• prohibits the most dangerous Practices including mechanical, chemical, and prone restraint, and any intervention
• The bill emphasizes de-escalation strategies and less restrictive interventions to prevent crisis situations
• So HB 213 authorizes surgical procedures that carry real risks that require medical interventions that

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you have a pharmacy medical intervention, you need pharmaceuticals, you're also spending more
• what slide 10 is intended to show, is that there is variation in price for these three particular interventions
• You can see where more is paid for that intervention than other areas.
• It's because the math simply doesn't work for them. So we have to do something different.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 51:01.120> evidence-based family court on evidence-based family court on evidence-based interventions
• .<02:51:03.279> Colorado<02:51:03.840> has<02:51:04.080> already interventions.
• Colorado has already interventions.
• They accepted illiquidity and risk; the tax structure made the math work.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:49:56.600> that's<00:49:56.880> actually Um, apologize for the complexity of that math
• have even larger class sizes, less time for educators to prepare for the classroom, and fewer interventions
• classes and academic teams, while also increasing the job demands on teachers. classroom, and fewer interventions
• classroom, and fewer interventions available<01:15:33.360> to<01:15:33.480> our<01:15:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unlike jurisdictions across the country that have used investment, data-driven intervention, and coordinated
• In his third grade classroom, 10 little boys are not just learning math; they're learning how to cope
• Without the robust data, we cannot design the interventions that protect pregnant and postpartum patients
• Without the robust data, we cannot design the interventions that protect pregnant and postpartum patients

Bills: HF3668, HF2779, HF2771

Keywords: gun violence, public health, Department of Health, prevention, criminal justice, health care transparency, ownership disclosure, control reporting, health care consolidation, private equity, management services organization, MSO, provider organization, health insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, hospital system, affiliate reporting, financial disclosure, public reporting, market concentration

Summary: The House Finance and Policy Committee met on March 2 with a quorum present and heard House File 3668, which would create a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The bill author argued the office would treat gun violence as a public health crisis, improve research and coordination, and help reduce deaths and trauma, especially among children. Several supporters testified, including representatives from the Minnesota Medical Association, Protect Minnesota, family medicine, public health, and obstetrics/gynecology, all emphasizing firearm injury and suicide as major public health problems and urging a coordinated, data-driven response. Multiple testifiers shared personal accounts of shootings and their effects on children and families, including the Annunciation shooting, and said the office could help align prevention efforts across health care, law enforcement, and community organizations. Opposition came from the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, which argued the bill would create a permanent taxpayer-funded bureaucracy that could be used to shape firearm policy and restrict a constitutional right. The group said Minnesota should focus instead on enforcing existing laws, prosecuting violent offenders, and providing direct victim services. During committee discussion, Vice Chair Nadeau offered an A2 amendment to move the proposed office from the Department of Health to the Department of Public Safety, citing data-sharing, accountability, and examples from other cities and states; after discussion with the bill author, he withdrew the amendment. Chair Becker then noted existing state and local spending on violence prevention and public safety programs and raised concerns about duplication of effort.

Transcript Highlights:

• with elementary school students showing a significant deficiency in either early literacy skills or math
• If an individual visits an emergency room and does not require medical intervention, they may decide
• There are so many issues in today's society that mandate social work intervention, and there is a shortage
• Social work intervention, and there is a shortage of people qualified to provide these services.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the pledge, quorum call, and several recognitions, including guests for Education and Sharing Day, law enforcement officer of the day Detective Miata Anderson, and later FAMU Day at the Capitol and other visiting groups. The chamber adopted the special order report and then moved through a series of budget-related bills and conforming measures, with debate focused largely on recurring funding, environmental programs, housing, insurance reserves, and tax policy. Members approved HB 5011/SB 2506, which conform environmental resource funding to the proposed budget by shifting Seminole Gaming Compact-related dollars from recurring to nonrecurring funding; supporters said this preserves annual legislative review, while opponents warned it would reduce funding for the Resilient Florida program, wildlife corridor protection, invasive species removal, and other conservation efforts. The House then passed HB 5013, reducing state-funded property reinsurance reserves by lowering the RAP program and repealing FORA funding, and HB 5501, which redirects documentary stamp tax revenues from housing and transportation trust funds to general revenue; Democrats argued the housing changes would reduce affordable housing support, while Republicans said the move was needed to control recurring spending. The chamber also passed HB 5015 on state group insurance, HB 5201 on Florida PALM accounting conforming changes, HB 5203 on Capitol Center tenancy and utilities control, and HB 5009 creating a Florida Accountability Office and revising audit and budgeting functions. The most extended debate came on HB 7031, which permanently reduces the state sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25% and also lowers several related tax rates. Supporters described it as broad-based, immediate tax relief for Floridians, while opponents said property tax relief would be more targeted and that sales tax cuts also benefit tourists and out-of-state visitors. The bill passed 112-0. The House then took up the main budget bill, HB 501, and subcommittee chairs outlined the proposed $112.9 billion budget, including education, health care, transportation, agriculture and natural resources, higher education, state administration, justice, and IT spending. Members began questioning the pre-K-12 budget on school funding, vouchers, proration, mental health and safety allocations, and inflation, with the discussion continuing beyond the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• with elementary school students showing a significant deficiency in either early literacy skills or math
• If an individual visits an emergency room and does not require medical intervention, they may decide
• There are so many issues in today's society that mandate social work intervention, and there is a shortage
• Social work intervention, and there is a shortage of people qualified to provide these services.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present, then adopted the special order report and moved into a series of budget-related bills. The chamber first took up HB 5011/SB 2506 on environmental resource management and natural resources funding, where Democrats argued the bill would reduce recurring support for the Resilient Florida program, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, invasive species removal, and other conservation efforts. Supporters said the change would shift money from recurring to nonrecurring funding so the Legislature could reassess priorities each year and rely more on private-sector stewardship. After a strike-all amendment and conference posture change, SB 2506 passed 97-12. HB 5013, reducing state-funded property reinsurance reserves, passed 108-0, and HB 5501, redirecting documentary stamp tax distributions from housing and transportation trust funds into general revenue, passed 82-26 after extended debate over its impact on affordable housing and transportation funding. The House also passed HB 5015 on state group insurance, which requires DMS to develop a formulary management system and was described as producing significant savings; members raised concerns about prescription access and implementation, but the bill passed 109-0. HB 5201 on state financial accounting and HB 5203 on the Capitol Center both passed unanimously, as did HB 5009, which creates a Florida Accountability Office and reorganizes audit functions. The chamber then passed HB 7031, a major sales tax reduction bill lowering the state sales tax rate and several related rates; supporters framed it as permanent relief for all Floridians, while opponents said property tax relief would be more meaningful and that the sales tax cut would also benefit tourists and out-of-state visitors. HB 7031 passed 112-0. The House then began consideration of HB 501, the proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget, totaling $112.9 billion and emphasizing reduced recurring spending and large reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined their budget silos: K-12 education at $20.6 billion with teacher raises, school hardening, literacy, transportation stipends, and security funding for Jewish day schools; health care at $47 billion with full Medicaid and KidCare funding, opioid settlement spending, mental health beds, and senior services; transportation/economic development at $18.5 billion; agriculture and natural resources at $5.8 billion with reduced Everglades spending but continued water, resiliency, and land management funding; higher education at $8.7 billion; state administration at $2.9 billion; justice at $7.3 billion; and IT at $529 million for Florida PALM, FX, and other systems. Members then began questioning the K-12 budget, focusing on FEFP funding, proration, voucher growth, stabilization dollars, mental health and school safety funding, and whether districts would be held harmless under the proposed allocations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Crisis intervention is key.
• The more opportunity for intervention.
• , skills, sort of crisis intervention, skills, sort of crisis intervention, deescalation<00:54:56.319
• <01:07:56.960> and we're looking at crisis intervention and we're looking at crisis intervention
• intervention, suicide prevention. intervention, suicide prevention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These departments encompass everything from prevention and education through crisis intervention.
• We discuss risk mitigation, interventions for individual students, and then evaluate community impacts
• We report... ...intervention with these collaborative efforts and accountability.
• Some of those funds going to pay for co-pays for medicine and therapeutic intervention.
• We also have our suicide intervention program.

Summary: The committee spent much of the meeting hearing presentations on student mental health supports at Central Washington University, Washington State University, the University of Washington, and the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. CWU described high levels of student distress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and basic-needs insecurity, along with a campus-wide holistic well-being model that includes behavioral intervention teams, emergency aid, peer outreach, community partnerships, and a collegiate recovery community. WSU emphasized loneliness, common presenting concerns such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship distress, and the role of housing and residence life, resident advisors, living-learning communities, and coordinated crisis response in identifying and supporting students. UW highlighted prevention and support programs through LiveWell, including alcohol and other drug consultations, confidential advocacy, suicide intervention, student needs navigation, peer health educators, and peer wellness coaches. The community and technical college system reported persistent access barriers, especially for students ages 18 to 24 and those facing housing or food insecurity, and said the legislature-funded mental health pilot at four colleges expanded counseling access, telehealth, and referral pathways, while broader system efforts focus on awareness, telehealth, basic-needs supports, and workforce training in behavioral health fields. Members asked each panel how they gather student feedback, and the institutions said they use surveys, evaluations, and ongoing outreach to students in services. Questions also focused on substance-use and recovery resources, Greek life outreach, and whether colleges have enough licensed mental health staff versus academic advisors; the community college board said not all colleges have licensed mental health providers on staff, and some rely on community contracts or telehealth. The committee also discussed whether counseling services are increasing because of post-pandemic effects or because students are more willing to seek help, with presenters saying both factors likely play a role. The committee then shifted to artificial intelligence in higher education. Washington State University, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and the community and technical college system described campus AI task forces, governance structures, and efforts to set policies for students, faculty, and staff. Presenters said institutions are requiring course-level AI use statements, promoting ethical and transparent use, expanding access to approved tools such as Microsoft Copilot, and using AI for teaching, research, advising, and administrative support while guarding privacy, equity, and academic integrity. Members raised concerns about deepfakes, bias, student monitoring, and whether AI should be used to screen applications or evaluate student work; presenters said human review remains essential and that some institutions prohibit AI use in hiring or admissions screening. The final presentation, from OSPI, described the statewide rollout of the School Links high school and beyond plan platform under 2023 legislation, saying it will standardize career and college planning across K-12, provide better data and student guidance, and connect students to postsecondary pathways and employers; OSPI said the rollout is underway but current funding only extends through June 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are for House Bill 231, as it will help us target interventions to reduce hunger in Texas, thereby
• to rolling out our Make Texas Healthy Again agenda so we can demonstrate the impact of our new interventions
• Uh, the Texas Department of Agricultural did a food study, um, covered access, income intervention, low
• income areas, grocery store access, transportation issues, agency interventions and interventions, and
• systemic interventions.

Bills: HB231

Keywords: HB 231, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, permit exemption, dam, reservoir, erosion control, flood control, floodwater control, sediment control, watershed protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, local sponsor, water appropriation, small dam, water diversion, maintenance, rehabilitation