Transcript Highlights:

• and our health care assets.
• So, members, 949 is a workforce and access care bill.
• Members, 949 is a workforce and access care bill.
• HB 584 is about our children in foster care.
• H.P. 584 is about our children in foster care.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 6, 2026, with five members present and adopted the April 28 minutes. The committee first heard a presentation on the new Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Program, a leadership and networking initiative focused on Louisiana health care challenges such as workforce shortages, rural access, chronic disease, and the economic impact of health care. Speakers described it as a cross-sector program intended to build informed leaders and support collaboration with health systems, insurers, providers, LDH, and the Louisiana Hospital Association. The committee then moved through a series of bills, generally adopting amendments and reporting measures favorably. SB 57, a nutrition/labeling bill, was amended to delay the effective date for the labeling provision until December 31, 2028, and was reported as amended. HB 62 increased membership of the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission and was reported as amended, and HB 193 adjusted membership rules for the Sickle Cell Commission foundations and was also reported as amended. HB 815 would allow financial institutions to receive death certificates to help close accounts and avoid problems with automatic payments and federal benefit clawbacks; it was reported favorably. SB 405, which had been heard earlier, was reworked to codify LDH’s new Ascend nursing home quality initiative, including short- and long-term quality oversight goals, stakeholder involvement, internal expertise, and reporting requirements; after reconsidering prior amendments, the committee adopted the new amendment and reported the bill as amended. The committee also advanced several health and human services bills. HB 222 would allow Medicaid dental coverage when needed to clear a patient for another covered medical procedure, and it was reported as amended after LDH said the cost could be absorbed. HB 420 expanded DCFS background-check requirements to cover staff with access to sensitive records, and HB 475 required verbal consent before AI is used to record or transcribe a medical visit; both were reported favorably. HB 246 updated membership of the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board and the council for grandparents raising grandchildren, including replacing an inactive coalition seat with the state police, and was reported as amended. HB 486 joined Louisiana to the psychology interjurisdictional compact to expand access to psychologists through telepsychology and temporary practice across state lines, and HB 574 updated outdated board names in the Mental Health Advisory Services Board statute; both were reported favorably. Later, the committee heard HB 949, which would create a licensure framework for radiologist assistants to help address radiologist shortages and improve imaging access, especially in rural areas. Testimony emphasized that RAs work under radiologist supervision and would extend capacity without replacing physicians; the bill was reported favorably. HB 584 required foster children to be provided luggage or similar items instead of trash bags when moving placements, and also corrected language in the Foster Youth Bill of Rights from “privileges” back to “rights” while extending the bill’s applicability to children from birth to age 18; it was reported as amended. The committee also reported HB 1214, which restructures certain LDH state facilities into a more unified system, and HB 1092, a technical renaming/terminology cleanup bill, both favorably. Finally, HB 203 added members from Christus Health System and Xavier University’s College of Medicine to the uterine fibroids commission and was reported favorably before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The maps changed at 8 p.m. last night.
• And I care about you. I know you care. We care. We all care. That's all we're asking for.
• , including reproductive health care.
• The cuts in health care were well laid out.
• And I do know you care about that.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on August 19, 2025, to consider ACA 8, SB 280, and an informational hearing on AB 604. The meeting began with several failed motions to adjourn, to read public comments into the record, and to recess so members could review the roughly 16,000 public comments submitted through the committee portal. The chair emphasized the hearing’s expedited format, transparency measures, and rules limiting witness testimony, and noted a letter from Speaker Rivas authorizing Assemblymember Berman to present ACA 8. ACA 8, described by supporters as the “Election Rigging Response Act,” would place before voters a temporary congressional redistricting plan tied to AB 604 and triggered only if another state, especially Texas, adopts a partisan mid-decade redistricting. Supporters, including Assemblymember Berman, labor groups, CTA, Planned Parenthood affiliates, SEIU, and other allied organizations, argued the measure was a response to partisan gerrymandering elsewhere and a defense of democracy, with voters having the final say in a November 4, 2025 special election. Opponents, including current and former redistricting commissioners, good-government groups, business and taxpayer organizations, and many members of the public, argued the proposal undermines California’s independent redistricting model, was rushed without adequate public review, could cost roughly $200 million or more, and would invite litigation and partisan manipulation. The committee also debated a proposed amendment that would bar legislators who voted for ACA 8 from later running for Congress in districts adopted under the measure. After extended procedural disputes, the committee voted to lay the amendment on the table. The hearing then continued with extensive public testimony, overwhelmingly divided between strong support and strong opposition, but the transcript provided does not show a final committee vote on ACA 8 or SB 280 before the excerpt ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• It takes care of things like if you don't turn the electricity on for a year.
• So it takes care of the estate in the absence of someone doing that. Chair Koster: Thank you.
• And Representative Botana, I've read your bill and I missed a section last night but I went to sleep.
• Last night at 7 o'clock, a text message from stakeholders saying, "We don't like it anymore."
• Last night with text message amendments, phone calls, one walked in the office.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, what's the trajectory for Minnesota Care for Undocumented Adults?
• Do you think it'll be a late night, or will, at a certain point, you call it and throw in the towel if
• Minnesota Care for Undocumented Adults? Minnesota Care for Undocumented Adults?
• > be</c><00:08:41.120><c> uh</c><00:08:41.360><c> a</c><00:08:41.599><c> late</c><00:08:41.839><c> night
• or will at a it'll be uh a late night or will at a certain<00:08:43.200><c> point</c><00:08:43.440><

Transcript Highlights:

• He don't care should not be here.
• </c> That nation of people who don't care. That nation of people who don't care.
• I know I saw them both on the road last Saturday night. It wasn't last night.
• I saw that tag last night. I saw cola. I saw that tag last night.
• 03.440><c> Saturday</c><02:35:03.840><c> night</c><02:35:04.040><c> coming</c> Night.

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a quorum present, then quickly handled routine business including excusing absent senators, adopting the prior journal, and recognizing several guests in the gallery. The chamber also paused to honor Dr. Mark Sullivan, superintendent of Birmingham City Schools, with a Senate resolution commending him as the Alabama Education Association’s 2025-26 outstanding superintendent of the year. Senator Smitherman and Dr. Sullivan both spoke, with Sullivan highlighting Birmingham’s academic gains, reduced failing schools, and lower chronic absenteeism. The Senate then processed a series of House messages and confirmations. It concurred in SB 288 on agriculture authorities and SB 317 on the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services, but non-concurred and sent SB 174 on natural resources and SB 32 on solid waste collection fees to conference. The chamber confirmed numerous appointments, including Rex Jones, William Donahue, Jim Massey, Jason Windham, Alexander Atwater, Charles Dean, Steve McKinnon, Bonnie Temple, Shaniqua Johnson-Enam, Dwayne Jenkins, Troy Skipworth, Gloria Watts, Tracy Doughty, Kevin Ball, Joe D. Briggs, Josh Bryant, Dylan Turk, David R. Pruitt III, and Carol Smitherman, with most confirmations passing on near-unanimous rolls. Committee reports advanced several House bills, including favorable reports on HB 224, 591, 614, 609, 444, 248, 611, 622, 92, and 556, with HB 248 amended. The Senate also adopted a resolution honoring the University of Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball team for winning the 2026 national championship, and another resolution recognizing the seriousness of the national debt and urging Congress to establish regular budget order. A resolution honoring retired Brigadier General Vandiver H. Carter as the 2026 Marion Military Institute Alumnus of the Year and a resolution commending John R. Cooper were also adopted. In local legislation, the Senate passed HB 635 for Choctaw County, HB 639 for Escambia County, SB 10 for Tuscaloosa County, HB 315 for class one municipalities after adopting a committee substitute and a friendly amendment, and HB 404 for class one municipalities. Finally, the Committee on Rules reported and the Senate adopted a special order calendar for the next legislative day, listing a wide range of bills for priority consideration, including measures on solar power facilities, homestead exemptions, education, guardianships, tax increment districts, legal tender, college tuition, crime victims compensation, motor vehicles, entertainment industry issues, campus chaplains, tax abatements, alcoholic beverage producers, data privacy, constables, insurance, municipal audits, income tax, public high schools, taxation, state health planning, and University of Alabama matters.

Transcript Highlights:

• Keeping you up at night.
• that support and care.
• child care care, already eligible for child care assistance were already, suggesting that a universal
• Child care is a public good. Every family who's working or in school needs access to care.
• last night.

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Another one: kids who are aging out of the foster care system.
• But we have to be careful.
• So it was just too late last night to start making changes at the last minute.
• It was just too late last night to start making changes at the last minute.
• They're here till 8 o'clock at night every night. Florencia, me guys.

Summary: The Insurance and Banking Subcommittee met to hear and vote on several bills, with all measures reported favorably. The first major item was PCS for HB 175 on payment stablecoins, which would create a Florida regulatory framework aligned with the federal GENIUS Act so issuers can choose state regulation instead of federal licensing. Members asked extensive questions about how stablecoins differ from other digital assets, whether Florida would need federal approval, and what impact the bill would have on the Office of Financial Regulation; the sponsor and OFR said the state framework would mirror federal standards and that any workload increase was currently indeterminate. The PCS passed unanimously after testimony from OFR and the Florida Blockchain Business Association in support. The committee then approved CS for HB 961, which streamlines electronic signature requirements for salvage titles and certificates of destruction, and HB 1415, a DFS stablecoin pilot program allowing certain stablecoins to be used for licensing and regulatory fees. HB 1415 was amended to remove authority for a Florida coin, limit the pilot to established stablecoins with at least $1 billion market cap, and require secure custody through a public depository or custodial bank. Members discussed how any interest or revenue would be used, with sponsors saying the pilot was still exploratory and intended mainly to cover program costs. Both bills passed favorably. HB 1039, establishing a state cryptocurrency reserve, also passed after a strike-all amendment moved administration of the reserve from the CFO’s office to the State Board of Administration and tightened eligibility to cryptocurrencies with a $100 billion market cap over the prior 12 months. Supporters argued the bill would create a framework for future diversification and investment in established digital assets, while several members raised concerns about volatility, reporting frequency, and the meaning of new terms such as qualified liquidity provider and secure custody solution. The committee also passed CS for HB 951 on penny rounding for cash transactions, with an amendment clarifying cash transaction definitions and treating money orders and gift cards like credit-card transactions for rounding purposes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Trust is a foundation of patient care.
• Abortion care is common and safe, and APCs have been trained in providing this care for over a decade
• humane care...
• humane care.
• We strongly support access to abortion care.

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a full agenda of bills covering travel consumer protections, cannabis commerce with tribes, medical record integrity, pest control licensing, pawn and gold-buying regulation, pharmacy discipline, land surveying, and expedited licensing for veterans separated under a federal transgender military policy. Members also later heard AB 1973, which would expand the ability of advanced practice clinicians to provide abortion care, with supporters arguing it would improve access and opponents warning about safety and scope-of-practice concerns. Several bills were presented before quorum was reached, and the chair repeatedly urged absent members to arrive so the committee could vote. Testimony on the bills was largely in support. Authors and witnesses said AB 1758 would raise the seller-of-travel assessment cap to keep the Travel Consumer Restitution Fund solvent; AB 2506 would allow state cannabis licensees to sell products from tribal licensees while respecting tribal sovereignty; AB 1637 would prevent non-physicians from altering physician-authored medical notes; AB 2477 would create a short provisional period for pest control workers awaiting licensure; AB 2633 would close a loophole involving remote gold-buying events and stolen property reporting; AB 2141 would let the Board of Pharmacy resolve some cases through stipulated settlements before formal accusations; and AB 1933 would make technical clarifications to land surveying law. AB 1775 drew emotional testimony from transgender service members and advocates describing the impact of federal separation policies and the need for California licensing and support. Once quorum was established, the committee voted out the consent calendar and each of the heard bills, generally on party-line or near-unanimous votes. AB 1637, AB 1758, AB 1775, AB 1933, AB 2141, AB 2477, AB 2506, and AB 2633 all passed out of committee, most to Appropriations or another policy committee as noted. AB 1973 also passed, despite a no vote from some members and an opposition witness from the California Family Council. The committee later took vote changes and additional roll calls for absent members before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• This budget includes a $3.5 million transfer to the Affirming Health Care Trust Fund.
• And this care is essential and life-saving. This is not pie-in-the-sky science.
• Gender-affirming care is not new. It is not experimental.
• And I will say it again, it is life-saving care. And I will say it again, it is life-saving care.
• Arthur was a caring man of faith and a lifelong active member of St.

Summary: The Senate considered a supplemental appropriations bill and a series of amendments focused on education, health, transportation, tax administration, and oversight. Senator Kennedy spoke in support of increasing funding for DTA caseworkers to improve SNAP access and reduce delays, but then withdrew the amendment by unanimous consent. Senator O’Connor’s amendment adding $500,000 for Free Period to provide free menstrual products in public schools was adopted, as was Senator Miranda’s $1 million METCO transportation and student support amendment. Senator Collins briefly proposed extending paid family and medical leave and unemployment insurance coverage to graduate student workers, but withdrew that amendment for later discussion. Several amendments were debated and either adopted or rejected. Senator Tarr’s proposal to create oversight of the Group Insurance Commission and fund an Inspector General review was defeated after opposition argued existing oversight was sufficient. Tarr also offered amendments on MBTA deficiency fund withdrawals and on requiring 90 days’ notice before state tax code decoupling changes; both were rejected after standing votes. Senator Driscoll’s amendment for Randolph Public Schools restroom improvements was adopted, while his veterans student loan forgiveness amendment was withdrawn. Additional amendments were adopted for Bridgewater Middle School water filtration, Uffum’s Corner Health Center, and NeighborHealth’s pharmacy technician training program for local high school students. A major discussion centered on school funding and enrollment declines. Senator DiDomenico withdrew an amendment that would have provided $100 million to address Chapter 70 funding losses tied to enrollment drops, but he and Senator Collins used the floor to argue that districts facing declining enrollment and rising costs need a broader state response. The Senate also adopted a new draft of the supplemental budget and then passed the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote, with 35 members in the affirmative and 4 in the negative. The chamber then adjourned to meet again Monday, and did so in memory of Arthur H. Tobin, a former Quincy mayor, state legislator, and clerk magistrate.

Transcript Highlights:

• of those who have taken care of us.
• of those who have you've taken care of those who have taken<00:01:40.880><c> care</c><00:01:41.040><
• We ask that you would taken care of us.
• At this time, the Department of Revenue has to set all that up and take care of it.
• Uh PVAs do can decide the night before.

Summary: The committee first adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 139, which would allow a political party to replace a candidate who dies or withdraws after the filing deadline but before ballot certification. Representative Decker explained the substitute as a narrow election-related fix, and the bill was then passed by the committee on an 11-yes, 1-pass vote and sent to the full House. The committee then heard House Bill 356, which would move the Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) qualification test from a once-every-four-years, Frankfort-based format to administration through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System at multiple locations and times. Representative Bridges said the Department of Revenue would still write and control the exam, KCTCS would only administer it, the fiscal note was zero, and the change would improve access and convenience without weakening standards. KCTCS said it was prepared to help if directed. Members generally agreed PVAs should be tested, but some raised concerns about test integrity, whether a broader testing network could create uneven conditions, and whether the change should instead use a smaller number of regional test sites. Others supported the bill as a common-sense way to expand access and avoid forcing candidates to wait years after missing a single test date. The committee also discussed the lack of a study guide for the exam and whether that should be addressed separately. No final vote on House Bill 356 is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I called you at 5:31 at night. You were still at the office on a Thursday night.
• And I called you at 5:31 at night. You were still at the office on a Thursday night.
• And I called you at 5:31 at night. You were still at the office on a Thursday night.
• Well, that takes care of the second question about specifically what you do to reach out to make sure
• I work with an amazing team of executives, amazing staff who care about this work and want to see it

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• And then... during pregnancy and childbirth, pre and postnatal health care, and preventative care, protection
• If they can't be cared for at the site, then they go to the hospital and they get the care that they
• And they try not to delay some of that care, especially like the OBGYN care.
• And then also making sure that on the health care side, there's care coordination and case management
• , that can be delayed prenatal care or no prenatal care at all for a lot of women in the state.

Summary: The committee held its inaugural meeting and heard opening remarks from the chair and vice chair about the committee’s purpose: studying issues affecting women and children in Louisiana, including health, education, economic opportunity, safety, and criminal justice. After roll call, the committee proceeded with informational presentations rather than taking any formal votes. Members emphasized the committee’s role in gathering testimony and identifying policy solutions. The first major presentation came from the Governor’s Office of Human Trafficking Prevention. The director reviewed 2025 data showing 2,963 identified victims, 15,437 service instances, and trafficking reports in 62 of 64 parishes. She explained Louisiana’s coordinated response system, including screening tools, child advocacy center referrals, and the DCFS hotline option for trafficking reports. She also described familial trafficking, new victim outreach and identification tools, and two priority bills: HB 321, which would create immunity from prostitution offenses for child victims under Safe Harbor principles, and SB 83, which would require school board trafficking policies and expand victim advocacy services to labor trafficking victims and survivors up to age 21. Committee members asked about reporting procedures, school use of the tools, service gaps, and whether the data showed increases due to better identification. The committee then heard from the Attorney General’s office on online child exploitation and child sexual abuse material. The presenter said the Louisiana ICAC Task Force received 31,203 tips in 2025, made 545 arrests, identified or rescued more than 80 child victims, and executed over 1,500 search warrants. He described rapid tip-to-arrest responses in recent cases, the expansion of partner agencies statewide, and the creation of an Orleans Metro ICAC task force. Members asked about community presentations, the role of social media in exploitation, the use of geolocation, the prosecution of out-of-state offenders, and the need for more analysts and outreach staff. The discussion also covered sadistic online enticement, sextortion, live-streamed abuse, and the need for parents and schools to monitor children’s online activity. At the end of the meeting, the committee began receiving a legislative auditor’s presentation on the treatment and care of incarcerated women, focusing on jail policies, health care, restraint use, and reentry, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation is completed. No committee votes or formal actions were recorded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• are very important to the functioning of our ends in their care. care of patients.
• I won't belabor the point about access to care and the potential to reduce care.
• To continue to take care of our patients in our community and also to be able to care for them in the
• the care every patient deserves.
• So the other night when I was on my shift taking care of the 13 patients, we had one patient who is known

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, that's just, I really don't care.
• or days, or flex shifts on nights or days.
• "On nights or days. So it really is all over the map.
• And because he found out somebody cared, he gave that bullet to Mike. Mike still has it.
• And then we got back to dinner that night and finished up.

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, that's just, I really don't care.
• or days, or flex shifts on nights or days.
• On nights or days. So it really is all over the map.
• And because he found out somebody cared, he gave that bullet to Mike. Mike still has it.
• And then we got back to dinner that night and finished up.

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bills 2940 and 3083, both aimed at expanding military leave protections for public employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserves. The sponsors said current Missouri law’s 120-hour paid military leave cap works for typical 8-to-5 employees but falls short for firefighters, police, EMS, and other shift workers, especially those on 24-hour schedules. The bills would raise the cap to 38 working days and clarify that employees returning from service keep their job, seniority, and benefits; a companion Senate bill was noted as already heard in committee. Members asked about whether the bills applied to private employers, emergency activations, and how the 38-day figure was calculated, and the sponsors explained the measure is intended mainly for routine drill and annual training, not emergency call-ups. Some members raised concerns about fiscal impact and whether the bill could create extra compensation or make military personnel less attractive to hire, while others said the change was a fair way to protect public servants from having to use personal leave for required military duty. Support testimony came from the Missouri State Council of Firefighters, whose secretary-treasurer said the bill would help recruitment and retention and better align military service with public safety careers. He described firefighters’ varied schedules and said many departments already value military experience because it translates well to stress management, discipline, and commitment. Committee members also discussed how the bill would affect firefighters, police, EMS, county employees, and other shift workers, and the sponsors emphasized that the measure is meant to help employees keep their personal leave for personal use while still meeting military obligations. After the bill hearing, the committee heard an informational presentation on Camp Hope, a Farmington-area nonprofit founded in 2007 to serve wounded veterans at no cost. The presenters described the camp’s hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor programs, its volunteer and donor-based funding, and its role in helping veterans with PTSD, TBI, and other injuries through camaraderie and peer support. Members asked about the camp’s budget, veteran capacity, caregiver participation, and location, and the presenters invited the committee and public to visit the camp’s open house and help spread the word. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That group is the informal FFN, friend, family, and neighbor care group.
• She is brilliant and caring. She is stoic and yet feels profoundly.
• They clock out and it's good night, Ralph. Good night, Sam.
• Their love carried me through every victory, every loss, and every late night.
• That night, they had a headache. And then it was Monday again.

Transcript Highlights:

• children up at night.
• children up at night.
• children up at night.
• children up at night.
• children up at night.

Transcript Highlights:

• In many provisions that we have from The personal care attendant to folks who get services in nursing
• He cares about this place and he cares about the pensions, and he really did good work.
• And then the other night on the floor, we found $77 million on a train to Duluth.
• care about themselves. I care about our friends and family serving now or in the future.
• workers and also take care of Minnesota.

Transcript Highlights:

• for Eminence Home Care.
• And I want to point out the patients are getting care; they're getting excellent care.
• And I want to point out the patients are getting care; they're getting excellent care.
• to point out the patients are getting care; they're getting excellent care.
• such as long-term care.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And help them to know that your love and your care will go with them when they go forth.
• We were here last night, of course, till after 2 o'clock working, and during the course of the night,
• Yeah, I know we went really late last night.
• And so, in order to make sure that I'm taking care of Beaver, I had to go ahead...
• As of last night, we had passed 172 bills to the governor, 87 of them Senate bills.