Video & Transcript Research : 'coverage mandates'

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HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

PBS Info Briefing - Mon Apr 20, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's the best coverage<01:51:36.920> over<01:51:37.120> Oahu. Yes, we rely on that.
  • It’s the best coverage over Oahu. We do have four other radars across the islands.
  • So during the event, we still had coverage here on Oahu.
  • Maui Island has some coverage, just not where it was blocked by Haleakala.
  • > just<01:51:56.880> not Maui Island some coverage, just not Maui Island some coverage,
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/18/2026 - Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:
  • plan, including the hospital call coverage if it's applicable.
  • plan, including the hospital call coverage, if applicable, as changes are made.
  • plan, including the hospital call coverage, if applicable, as changes are made.
  • This bill would enable the access population to have the same lactation support coverage.
  • Without that coverage, we would not have been able to afford those visits.
Summary: The Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency approved the March 11, 2026 minutes and then heard several bills. HB 2686, a patient-protection measure for outpatient surgical facilities, would require surgeons to file and update a call-coverage plan for hospital complications; the sponsor said it would improve continuity of care and reduce emergency room confusion, and the committee recommended it do pass. HB 2051 would require AHCCCS contractors, subject to CMS approval, to cover breastfeeding and lactation services in multiple settings; supporters described it as a maternal and infant health measure, AHCCCS was neutral and noted a projected state cost of about $1.8 million, and the bill received a do-pass recommendation on a 6-0 vote with one member not voting. The committee also approved HB 2837, which requires compensation disclosure for testimony or written comments in municipal zoning matters and requires certain municipal board members or hearing officers to disclose and recuse for recent conflicts involving entities they served; the sponsor framed it as a transparency and conflict-of-interest bill, and it passed 6-0 with one not voting. HB 2875, concerning commercial drone delivery systems, was amended to allow local regulation of drone facilities near medium and large hub airports within a 2.5-mile buffer and to require consultation with airports; Zipline and industry groups supported the measure as providing regulatory clarity, and the committee adopted the amendment and recommended the bill do pass. HB 2324 would let cities with their own fire codes, through an intergovernmental agreement, have city fire inspectors enforce those codes on county-owned buildings in city limits when state enforcement is burdensome; county and fire officials said it would resolve jurisdictional confusion, and the bill passed 6-0 with one not voting. HB 2439 would exempt single-user public or semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ spa rules, and an amendment removed ADEQ rulemaking authority; county health representatives said the change would reduce confusion, but one member raised public-health concerns, and the amended bill passed 4-2 with one not voting. HB 2457 would allow utilities to bypass the certificate of environmental compatibility process for new plants co-located with large electricity users after notice and a public comment session; the Sierra Club opposed it as reducing public review, while supporters said it preserved some local input and improved efficiency, and it passed 4-2 with one not voting. Finally, HB 2953 would cap certain nondisciplinary and civil penalties imposed by the Board of Pharmacy at $25,000 and allow lower penalties based on prior activity; a supporter said it matched limits used in other regulatory contexts, and the committee recommended it do pass unanimously.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Banking and Insurance Feb 4th, 2026

Banking and Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • As we all know, both state and federal law, via EMTALA, creates a mandate for an emergency care safety
  • SB 1494 modifies required coverage for mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screenings in Florida
  • for the following types of insurance coverage: individual... so they can accurately explain policies
  • Members, smaller high-risk employers are struggling to find affordable voluntary coverage.
  • This essentially gives the policyholder the option to accept a higher rate for coverage in situations
Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee heard and advanced a wide range of insurance, financial services, and probate bills. Early in the meeting, SB 1000 on trust fund interest for attorney trust accounts was explained as setting a floor and ceiling tied to the Wall Street Journal prime rate and was reported favorably. The committee then took up CS/SB 1082 on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program for emergency out-of-network claims. After extensive discussion about the relationship between the state and federal No Surprises Act processes, an amendment was withdrawn due to concerns about clarity and scope, but the bill itself was supported by providers and insurers and was reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 684 on electronic signatures for total loss vehicles and vessels, CS/SB 158 on pet insurance consumer disclosures and agent education, SB 1494 expanding breast cancer screening coverage, CS/SB 314 on digital assets and stablecoin issuers, and CS/SB 1500 on uncontested probate procedures and small-estate administration. SB 618 on workers’ compensation insurance was amended to raise the consent-to-rate cap for workers’ compensation policies from 10% to 20% and then reported favorably, with supporters saying it would help keep higher-risk employers in the voluntary market. CS/SB 1568 creating a Florida Stablecoin Pilot Program was amended to remove authority for a Florida coin and limit the program to existing stablecoins, then passed. Later, the committee approved CS/SB 838 on electronic payment convenience fees for retail installment contracts, with the sponsor emphasizing that a fee-free payment option must still be offered. SB 1452, the Department of Financial Services agency bill, was amended and reported favorably; it covered My Safe Florida Home administration, insurance and licensing changes, unclaimed property updates, and other DFS-related provisions. The committee also passed SB 1706 on the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, targeting owner-occupied condominiums at or below 80% of area median income, and SB 990 on protected cell captive insurance companies, which supporters said would modernize Florida’s captive insurance laws and encourage more competition. The meeting ended with all listed bills reported favorably and the committee adjourned.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • certain school districts and open enrollment charter schools to participate in the uniform group coverage
  • And it's a court order, which my understanding is now federally mandated… You can get a court order to
  • Whether it's fines or whether it's a mandate to do it, and if you don't comply, there could be jail time
  • However, the disciplinary mandates enacted during the 88th session have resulted in the unnecessary removal
  • Texas is diverse, and a one-size-fits-all mandate doesn't always serve all of our communities.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Feb 12th, 2026

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • overall health, yet too many veterans lack access to basic dental services due to costs, limited coverage
  • It's their mandate, obviously. They can't opt out of vehicle exposure.
Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with SB 694 on compensation for the descendants of the Groveland Four. Senator Bracey Davis described the wrongful accusations, convictions, deaths, and long-term harm to the families, and an amendment added a $4 million appropriation and updated the recipient for Ernest Thomas’s family. Multiple family members, advocates, clergy, and supporters testified in favor, emphasizing the decades-long delay in justice and the need for accountability and repair. Senators from both parties spoke in support, and the committee reported the bill favorably after a roll call vote. The committee then approved SB 330 on disability provisions for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers; SB 474 on military affairs leave and related benefits; and SB 96 on the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program. SB 96 drew the most discussion, with Senator Sharief explaining that the bill raises eligibility to 400% of the federal poverty level and moves $500,000 in recurring funding to the General Appropriations Act. Senator Wright and Senator Harrell raised concerns about whether expanding eligibility could worsen the existing waitlist, while supporters argued the change would help more veterans access needed dental care. The bill was ultimately reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 7018 on child welfare, making the Step Into Success pilot program permanent and statewide, adjusting visitor/background-check rules for foster homes, and creating a best-practices program through the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. SB 480 on information technology was reported favorably after amendments creating a central IT governance structure under the Governor’s office, adding vendor performance metrics and a preferred vendor list, and restoring criminal justice information security provisions. SB 1066 on the Ocklawaha River and Rodman Dam also advanced after extensive testimony from supporters and historians about partial restoration, recreation, and economic benefits; the sponsor said he would continue working through permitting questions before floor consideration. Later, the committee approved SB 1216 on educator compensation, which gives districts more flexibility on cost-of-living adjustments, advanced degrees, and performance pay caps, and SB 1120 on water management district oversight and reporting. The committee also reported favorably SB 1366 on sovereign immunity and claims against government, which would raise damages caps, index them to CPI, shorten claim deadlines, and cap attorney fees at 25%. That bill drew testimony from hospitals, cities, counties, school districts, and others, with some supporting the Senate’s compromise approach and others raising concerns about impacts on self-insured law enforcement agencies and attorney incentives. The meeting concluded with the favorable report on the bill after debate continued over those issues.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Conservation Feb 5th, 2026 at 09:09 am

Senate Conservation

Transcript Highlights:
  • It provides for mandated coverage in a way that no other state has.
  • By mandating five years of flood-related coverage, regardless of changing conditions, this bill creates
  • Do we mandate certain coverages in policies? What are the other examples of where we mandate?
  • And so, Madam Chair, Senator, in the health realm, we have done this—mandating coverage—and we haven't
  • So mandates around insurance coverage are not something new.
Bills: SB154, SB187, SB193, SM3
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPC Public Hearing - Tue Mar 3, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Consumer Protection & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • DCCA Insurance Division in support. coverage for standard fertility coverage for standard fertility preservation
  • But again, though, if this is mandated, will more people seek? That's the question.
  • But again, though, if this is mandated, will more people seek? That's the question.
  • ,<01:00:35.520> um that even if there's a state mandate, um that even if there's a state mandate
  • um supervision and health care coverage. um supervision and health care coverage.
Summary: The committee heard several administration bills related largely to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. On HB 2323 HD1, which would modernize workers’ compensation notice and filing procedures, DLIR and other agencies testified in support of the original bill language but said HD1 removed key components and weakened the bill’s clarity and continuity. HB 2324 HD1, which would repeal state hoisting-machine certification requirements and the separate crane operator certificate, drew support from DLIR; members asked about whether the change would affect safety or local operators, and DLIR said OSHA-compliant certifications already exist and the union supported the change. HB 1509 HD1, which would require faster employer responses to treatment plans and impose penalties for nonresponse, received support from DLIR and others, while DHRD said it wanted an amendment. The committee also took up HB 2164 HD1 on compounded prescription drugs in workers’ compensation. DLIR supported the bill as a way to define compounded drugs and curb inflated pricing, but DHRD and a medical provider opposed it and asked for amendments. Testimony focused heavily on whether the definition should include 503B compounding facilities and whether physician dispensing should be limited to the first 30 days after injury. HB 2165 HD1, dealing with unemployment insurance eligibility and removing the two-year limit on recouping overpayments, was supported by DLIR but opposed by Unite Here Local 5, which argued it would make it harder for striking workers and other claimants. Members questioned the impact of changing reporting deadlines from calendar days to business days and raised concerns about future benefit offsets; DLIR said the bill was needed for federal conformity and that the committee would revisit the offset percentage and effective date. Later, the committee heard HB 2367 on pay transparency, requiring salary ranges in job postings and removing the small-employer exemption. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, AAUW, Hawaii Women Lawyers, and an individual testifier supported the bill, saying pay transparency promotes fairness, trust, and pay equity; one testifier described being underpaid compared with a predecessor and said posting ranges would save applicants’ time. HB 2619 HD1, concerning homemade food products and farm kitchens, received generally supportive comments from the Department of Health, which requested an amendment to preserve flexibility in future rulemaking. HB 1765 HD1, on spear-fishing safety warnings, drew support from a safety educator and comments from DLNR; supporters said warning labels would help prevent hypoxic blackout deaths and were low-cost and easy to implement. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Health and Human Services Apr 1st, 2025

Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Is it the health plan, an alternative coverage arrangement, the patient, or the employer?
  • They're being dropped from their insurance coverage, being questioned in other states where they have
  • It will require PBMs to make contracts readily available on an online portal or mandate at least 90 days
Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 883, which would protect physicians’ ability to prescribe off-label medications and treatments, framed by the author as a “Right to Treat” measure tied to COVID-19 care. Supporters, including physicians and patient-choice advocates, said the bill would safeguard the doctor-patient relationship and prevent interference by boards, pharmacies, or hospitals. Several witnesses described using hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, budesonide, antibiotics, steroids, and monoclonal antibodies during the pandemic, and said they faced complaints, board scrutiny, or pharmacy refusals for those prescriptions. The bill was left pending after public testimony closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 331, which would extend hospital price-transparency requirements to additional health care facilities such as freestanding ERs, urgent care and retail clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient clinics, and birthing centers. Proponents argued that broader disclosure of prices for shoppable services would help consumers compare costs and reduce surprise billing, while opponents from ambulatory surgery centers said the bill would impose costly compliance burdens on small providers and that insurers or the state already have much of the needed data. The bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 2422 would expunge Texas Medical Board records and impose reparations for disciplinary actions tied to COVID-era treatment decisions, including references to ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, budesonide, and masks. The author and supporters argued that doctors were unfairly targeted for trying to save patients and should be made whole; the Texas Medical Board representative said most pandemic complaints were dismissed, that actions generally involved broader issues such as privileges, documentation, or informed consent, and that no physician was disciplined solely for prescribing off-label COVID medications. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2207, which would loosen Texas Medical Board rules on physicians advertising themselves as board certified, especially by reducing barriers tied to maintenance of certification requirements. Supporters said the current rule is overly restrictive, inconsistent, and costly, and that it drives physicians out of practice; they also said Texas is one of only a few states with such a rule. Witnesses described hospitals using the rule against physicians and said the change would improve transparency and competition. The bill remained pending after testimony.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Banking and Insurance Feb 11th, 2026

Banking and Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 632 updates Florida law governing insurance coverage for transportation network companies
  • Coverage may be provided by the driver-vehicle owner of the TNC combination.
  • There's no need to change it and decrease the coverage when this is one of the most dangerous times for
  • Next, we'll take up Tab 5, Senate Bill 1110 on coverage for orthotics and prosthetic services by Senator
  • annual reporting on orthotics and prosthetics coverage and payments.
Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee met with a quorum present and temporarily postponed SB 7042 on legal tender and SB 1380 before taking up the remaining agenda. The committee first reported favorably C.S. for SB 326, which modernizes Florida’s curator statute in probate law by clarifying when curators may be appointed, what they may do, and what oversight applies. It then reported favorably SB 1256, which standardizes PBM pharmacy audits by requiring uniform audit standards, scope, frequency, penalties, and due process protections for pharmacies; testimony from pharmacists emphasized concerns about conflicts of interest, excessive audits, and disproportionate penalties, while preserving fraud investigations. The committee also reported favorably C.S. for SB 598 on funeral and cemetery services after adopting an amendment that removed provisions on civil damages caps and phasing out direct disposers; the bill updates licensure and contract rules and addresses unclaimed remains. SB 632, which sets insurance requirements for transportation network companies during the period after a ride is accepted but before pickup, was reported favorably despite opposition from an attorney who argued the existing coverage framework should not be reduced. C.S. for SB 786, creating a nonjudicial process to close out undisputed trusts and discharge trustees, was also reported favorably. The committee then took up SB 1110, a major bill expanding Medicaid and private insurance coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics, including activity limbs, and requiring annual reporting. After adopting an amendment clarifying eligible recipients, the committee heard extensive emotional testimony from amputees, parents, and advocates describing the medical, developmental, and financial importance of prosthetic coverage, and members spoke in strong support before the bill was reported favorably. Later, the committee considered SB 1588, which implements last session’s legal tender law by refining definitions, narrowing custodian provisions, eliminating unnecessary examination requirements, and repealing the sunset clause; members raised questions about verification and anti-money-laundering concerns, but the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee approved SPB 7044 as a committee bill to expand public records exemptions to records relating to newly regulated custodians of gold and silver. The meeting concluded with senators recording additional affirmative votes on selected bills and adjourning.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Human Services Apr 22nd, 2025

Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh, currently, many Texas newborns are falling through the cracks and not getting timely health coverage
  • House Bill 3940 improves access to newborn health coverage and care by providing necessary information
  • this bill is not going to solve the issue of newborns not being automatically enrolled into the coverage
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate County and Municipal Government Committee Apr 8th, 2025

County and Municipal Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 270 would create a statewide mandate that taxes collected statewide mandate that taxes collected
  • statewide mandate that taxes collected in Alabama for the benefit of educating in Alabama for the benefit
  • the law for all 67 counties that do be the law for all 67 counties that do not already have a local mandate
  • which not already have a local mandate which not already have a local mandate which equitably distributes