Transcript Highlights:

• the photograph in the child’s case file each time the caseworker interacts with the child if the child
• and any other individuals who know the child.
• If a child is at least five years old, the appointed attorney must meet with the child no less than once
• should meet, or the attorney should meet with the child?
• placement for the child.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to radiation protection in cardiac catheterization labs and later a stem cell/regenerative therapy bill. On SB 1121, which would allow hospitals with radiation protection systems to let clinicians forgo lead aprons if they work in the designated safety area and use real-time dosimetry, testimony was largely supportive or neutral after a late amendment gave radiation safety officers discretion to require protective gear if exposures approach thresholds. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1121 on a 9-1 vote. SB 1120, a more prescriptive bill requiring at least 50% of cath lab rooms in hospitals to be equipped with the radiation protection system, drew divided testimony: sponsors and several physicians argued it would reduce orthopedic injury and radiation exposure and improve recruitment and retention, while hospital and radiology groups objected to the mandate, cost, limited vendor pool, and lack of clarity in the bill’s definitions. After adopting an amendment excluding children’s hospitals, the committee deadlocked 6-6 and SB 1120 failed to pass. The committee then considered SB 1118, which would appropriate $3 million to help rural hospitals install radiation protection systems in cath lab rooms. The sponsor said the funding would help rural facilities meet the same safety goals, and the committee passed the bill 6-5. The committee also heard SB 1214, a “guardrails” bill regulating non-FDA-approved stem cell and regenerative therapies, requiring informed consent, sourcing and reporting standards, advertising limits, and civil penalties for violations. Supporters said it would protect patients while allowing access to promising therapies; some members raised concerns about evidence and commercialization, but after adopting a technical amendment, the bill passed 9-3. The transcript ended as the committee moved on to SB 1630, which would seek federal approval for a home- and community-based service benefit for adults with serious mental illness; the sponsor described it as a capped, Medicaid-based community care option, and Access testified neutral while estimating a fiscal impact, but no final action on SB 1630 appears in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> used for child care tuition assistance. used for child care tuition assistance.
• Is it that they have a child in child care they can't afford to cover?
• </c> for child care industry is important. for child care industry is important.
• </c> benefit of paying for child care. benefit of paying for child care.
• </c><02:22:42.720><c> Well,</c> in child care. Well, in child care.

Committee: House Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Delinquent child support payments are a big problem, and this bill is going to be a huge win for the
• When people have outstanding child support liens, they're on these checks already.
• So when I have a client who has, you know, outstanding child support and we settle a claim, there's a
• When people have outstanding child support liens, they're on these checks already.
• For back-paid child support.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• Very training center for child welfare.
• </c> Minnesota's child welfare system. Minnesota's child welfare system.
• </c> child welfare services in the country. child welfare services in the country.
• We know that child welfare years.
• I look at close... child. Uh and in in the remarks of your child.

Bills: HF2135 , HF776 , HF1581 , HF1158 , HF2226

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> basically just like if you had a child basically just like if you had a child who<02:14:36.480><
• </c> healthc care decisions for their child healthc care decisions for their child and<02:43:36.920><
• </c> her child her child needed<02:59:27.880><c> we</c><02:59:28.000><c> should</c><02:59:28.279><c>
• </c> read online I did not force my child read online I did not force my child into<03:16:59.199><c>
• Even if she could conceive a child, she will never be able to breastfeed her child.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's an act to amend Title 14 of the Delaware Code related to child care.
• It's an act to amend title 14 of the dollar code related to child care.
• And, you know, child care is a really big deal.
• And if they have child care opportunities, or they could be coaxed into doing child care opportunities
• And the key stakeholders are business people who need child care.

Bills: SB293 , SB279

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee approved the June 10 minutes and then heard House Bill 447, which would create a framework for voluntary child care cost-sharing partnerships among the state, employers, community sponsors, and families. Supporters said the bill is meant to help make child care more affordable and support workforce participation by using the existing Interagency Resource Management Committee to coordinate planning and funding. Committee discussion focused on how the tri-share model would work, who would participate, and whether it would reach lower-income families; no public comment was offered on the bill. The committee then took up House Bill 300, as amended, which would establish a statewide Title IX coordinator within the Department of Education to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and oversight for interscholastic athletics in grades 6 through 12. The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the position would help schools comply with Title IX, improve consistency, and make athletic participation and spending data more transparent; opponents or skeptics questioned whether a new DOE position was needed and whether districts were already meeting their obligations. The sponsor and witnesses responded that existing federal data are delayed and incomplete, that some Delaware schools have participation gaps, and that a state-level coordinator would provide needed support and accountability. Public comment on HB 300 included testimony from the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware Association of School Administrators, the Delaware School Sports Network, and the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy, all generally supporting the bill or its goals. DASA noted it remained neutral but appreciated changes made in House Amendment 1 to reduce reporting burden. After public comment, the chair asked members to sign the bill release forms for the two bills heard, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• to child sexual abuse material.
• All material containing a child committing sexual acts, All material containing a child committing sexual
• child pornography.
• What is taking place is child sexual abuse.
• So every time, I mean, I could have run a bill that changed child sexual abuse material from child pornography

Summary: The House met with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for February 5, 2026 by roll call vote, 134-2. During personal privilege remarks, a member recognized Bridget Williams, the first Black woman to lead the Heavy Constructors Association of Kansas City, in honor of Black History Month. The chamber then took up several bills. House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2273, 1946, 1814, and 2551, a large anti-trafficking package addressing sex trafficking, grooming, sextortion, terminology changes from “child pornography” to “child sexual abuse material,” a statewide anti-trafficking council, training requirements, expungement for some trafficking victims, and related criminal penalties, was debated at length over constitutional concerns but ultimately passed third reading 148-2. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1757, which helps school districts identify gifted students by the end of third grade, passed 142-8. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2375, a workers’ compensation reform measure clarifying the burden of proof and compensability standards, passed 86-62 after supporters said it would streamline claims and opponents called it unnecessary. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1788, regulating recurring political donations and increasing transparency, passed 134-16. House Bill 1628, a cleanup bill updating higher education and workforce development statutes and repealing outdated provisions including the Vietnam Veterans Survivors Grant, passed unanimously 153-0. The House also perfected House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2033, 1608, 1672, and 1854, a package centered on removing the sunset from the SAFE Act and continuing Missouri’s restrictions on gender-related medical treatment for minors; debate was sharply divided, with supporters citing child protection and opponents arguing it harms transgender youth and intrudes on parental and medical decision-making. The House then announced upcoming committee meetings and adjourned until February 10, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, you know, we do understand the concerns for child witnesses, and I can tell you as someone who's
• Now, you know, we do understand the concerns for child witnesses, and I can tell you as someone who's
• Now, you know, we do understand the concerns for child witnesses, and I can tell you as someone who's
• Now, you know, we do understand the concerns for child witnesses, and I can tell you as someone who's
• Now, you know, we do understand the concerns for child witnesses, and I can tell you as someone who's

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The committee opened its first hearing of the 2025 session with procedural instructions about testimony limits, Zoom participation, written testimony, and a reconvening date if needed. It then heard SB 200 on speedy trials. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing it could create conflicts of interest for prosecutors, potentially make victims or witnesses quasi-parties to criminal cases, force traumatizing testimony on continuance motions, and unfairly delay trials for in-custody defendants. A World Care representative supported the bill and urged broader protections for minors, disabled people, and seniors. The chair also pressed the public defender to suggest improvements, emphasizing that the bill was driven by victims and families. No vote or final action was taken on SB 200. The committee next took up SB 8 on jury duty exemptions for health professionals. Testimony was strongly supportive from nurses, physicians, and disability advocates, who said APRNs and other nurses are in short supply and that jury service can disrupt patient care, especially in rural and neighbor island areas. One witness suggested expanding the exemption to include registered nurses as well as APRNs, while a senator raised concerns about blanket exemptions for non-practicing APRNs and suggested a time limit. The bill remained under discussion with no final action reported. The committee then heard SB 144 on chiropractic, with the state chiropractic board offering comments and the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association supporting the measure as a way to address workforce shortages and provide students more hands-on clinical experience. A World Care witness also supported the bill after clarifying her remarks. The chair then moved to SB 107 on medical informed consent, where the Hawaii Medical Board opposed the bill and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Queen’s Health System offered comments, citing concerns about duplicative standards. A support witness proposed expanding the bill to better address combined mental and physical health conditions. Finally, SB 189 on breast cancer screening drew support from the Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Radiological Society, Queen’s Health Systems, and others, while the Insurance Division raised concerns about possible insurance mandate defrayment and the need for a sunrise analysis. Senators also asked about local demographic data and coverage impacts; the chair indicated decision-making would be deferred to another day.

Transcript Highlights:

• the definition of child care employer.
• How can you do that for a child?
• child death, as a result, especially as it relates to fentanyl.
• What equals a safe home is removing the child from the dangerous situation.
• You won, and now there's going to be more child deaths.

Summary: The committee first received staff briefings on amendments for a series of bills, including measures on child care workforce standards, homelessness programs, community preservation authorities, domestic violence survivor relief, public defense funding, student behavioral health supports, water system ownership changes, nonprofit health carrier surplus assessments, 340B drug pricing reporting, Secretary of State filing fees, step housing, campaign security reimbursements, digital equity programs, a Boys and Men’s Commission, a waste-to-energy facility’s Climate Commitment Act obligations, 6PPD tire substitutes, and an early education scholarship. Staff described the policy changes and, where available, the expected fiscal effects of each proposed substitute or line amendment. The committee then went into caucus before returning for executive session. In executive session, the committee voted out House Bill 1073, then adopted a Couture line amendment to House Bill 1128 exempting private K-12 schools with licensed child care programs from the child care employer definition before reporting the bill out as Second Substitute House Bill 1128. House Bill 1316, 1408, 1591, 1592, 1634, 1906, 1960, 2073, 2145, 2248, 2266, 2301, 2333, and 2365 were also reported from committee, with several amendments adopted along the way. Notable actions included adopting an emergency clause for House Bill 1408, rejecting proposed amendments to House Bill 1591 that would have narrowed relief for survivors and removed retroactivity, adopting a narrower amendment to House Bill 1592’s public defense funding formula, and adopting a substitute to House Bill 2145 that limited 340B reporting to hospitals. The committee also debated and rejected several amendments to the step housing bill, House Bill 2266, including proposals for larger school/daycare buffers, more local oversight, and broader local government authority; the bill still advanced on a 16-13 vote. House Bill 2073, which requires nonprofit health carriers to contribute surplus funds to Cascade Care Savings, advanced over concerns about using one-time money for an ongoing program. House Bill 2248 advanced after an amendment redirected annual license fee deposits to the state treasury rather than the Secretary of State’s revolving fund. House Bill 2333 was narrowed to allow use of campaign funds for personal security reimbursements, and House Bill 2365 advanced with some amendments adopted and others rejected as the committee began discussing additional digital equity oversight provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• When a child is removed from the home, the department tries to place them in the most appropriate and
• The department did not track what the ideal setting was for a child based on their needs.
• The department did not track what the ideal setting was for a child based on their needs or whether a
• And as a result, there was no formal mechanism to place staff on a child protection central registry.
• And I think we feel that that is a comprehensive way to address the safety of the child.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• when that child was the result of a sexual assault against the mother of that child and does reference
• </c> a guardian or legal custody of a child a guardian or legal custody of a child for<00:05:12.919><
• was</c> rights of a child when that child was rights of a child when that child was the<00:06:42.039>
• that child enters any residential treatment placement.
• Um, but it also asks... it's if if a child is in a public school it's if if a child is in a public school

Committee: Senate Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• If we're going to do child care, we don't want to turn into Minnesota, so we... ...child care, we don't
• Trump ran for election on child care.
• And child care is expensive.
• And we're talking about child care right now.
• It's the Idaho Child Care Program.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:44:32.800><c> So,</c> child has a disabling condition. So, child has a disabling condition.
• </c> determined to be needed by the child. determined to be needed by the child.
• </c> time they place a child if it is a child time they place a child if it is a child with<01:06:22.799
• </c> we're going to have that child move in. we're going to have that child move in.
• . child. child.

Summary: The commission met to continue its study of the cost of special education, with the chair emphasizing that the group needs to narrow its focus over the coming year toward specific cost drivers, including the IEP process, Medicaid, charter schools, and EFAs. Members reviewed a draft first report due November 1 and agreed it would be a brief synopsis of prior meetings, with minutes attached. The September 30, 2025 minutes were amended to correct the number of federally funded department staff from 234 to 23, and to revise language about Senator Sullivan’s comments so they reflected concerns about IEP advocates and fees charged to families rather than support for the concept. The amended minutes were then approved unanimously, with abstentions noted for members who were absent. The main presentation focused on how special education costs are handled for students attending charter schools. The DOE representative said there are 804 students with disabilities in charter schools across 88 of the state’s 176 districts, and that the district of residence remains responsible for all services and costs. She explained that students must meet IDEA criteria through district evaluation and parent consent, and that services are determined through individual IEP meetings rather than by a blanket charter-school decision. Members asked how those costs are tracked, whether any students are merely “monitored,” and whether districts separately identify charter-school special education expenses; the answer was that most districts fold those costs into their overall special education budget, though some may break them out as a line item. The discussion then turned to transportation and mileage costs for staff providing services at charter schools. Testimony indicated that districts may use their own staff, contract staff, or contract with a charter school for certified services, and that travel costs are often either built into contracts or absorbed as part of staff time rather than separately reimbursed. Members questioned whether mileage is reimbursed when staff travel to distant charter schools and whether those costs can be isolated in district budgets; the response was that practices vary by district and are not usually broken out by special education function. Several members argued this makes it difficult to determine the true cost of delivering special education, especially given New Hampshire’s model in which the district of residence pays regardless of where the charter school is located. The chair noted the complexity of the system and compared it to the state’s separate tuition and transportation approach for career and technical education centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• of an unborn child.
• Madam Chair, members, HB 2144, child support, pre-born children.
• pre-born child.
• pre-born child.
• of the mother of the pre-born child, it also defines the pre-born child as the offspring of human beings

Summary: The caucus meeting began with introductions from pages and interns, followed by a procedural reminder from Rhonda about caucus consent and third-read consent calendars. She explained that bills coming out of rules can be placed on consent if they are not amended, and that pulling a bill from consent means members should be prepared to speak to it on the floor. The meeting then moved through a long Minority Caucus calendar of bills, with staff giving brief descriptions and members frequently noting bills for no further comment, pulling several from consent, or stating opposition. The bills discussed covered a wide range of topics, including appropriations and federal monies (HB 2148), a Buffalo Soldiers memorial (HB 2062), school library funding restrictions (HB 2008), prayer at public school governing body meetings (HB 2110), school safety administration (HB 2142), parental rights and social transitioning notifications (HB 2249), insurer assessments (HB 2091), agricultural property classification and inspection rules (HB 2104 and HB 2105), firefighters’ workers’ compensation status (HB 2138), truth-in-taxation bond notices (HB 2289), tax filing penalties (HB 2016), engineer and architect reciprocity (HB 2122), felony murder involving an unborn child (HB 2043), body concealment and related felony classifications (HB 2044), domestic violence order-of-protection service rules (HB 2048), mandatory reporting for partial-birth abortions (HB 2074), unlawful flight sentencing enhancements (HB 2108), weapons trafficking penalties (HB 2131), fentanyl sentencing thresholds (HB 2132), drive-by shooting definitions and forfeiture (HB 2045), probation review notices for sex offender hearings (HB 2046), venue changes in superior court when judicial employees are parties (HB 2126), and child support for pre-born children (HB 2144). Water-related bills included snowpack augmentation funding (HB 2024), WIFA grant disclosures (HB 2029), removing water conservation education as an eligible use (HB 2030), stormwater recharge mapping with an appropriation (HB 253), cesspool remediation assistance (HB 2096), groundwater pumping limits in INAs (HB 2097), Colorado River litigation funding (HB 2116), and natural resource board changes and education funding (HB 2117). Election-related measures included moving the primary date and adjusting cure periods and observer rules (HB 2022), and a proposed constitutional amendment on citizenship, ID, foreign contributions, early voting, and mail voting (HCR 2001). The committee also heard two memorials urging federal terrorist designations for the Muslim Brotherhood and CARE (HCM 2001 and HCM 2002). Members and staff offered substantive objections to many bills, often arguing they were anti-student, anti-abortion, overly punitive, unfunded mandates, or unfair tax policy. Several bills were pulled from consent for further discussion, including HB 2008, HB 2110, HB 2142, HB 2249, HB 2043, HB 2074, HB 2108, and HB 2144. Supportive remarks were also made for some measures, such as the cesspool remediation bill, which was noted as having unanimous support, while other bills were flagged for stakeholder meetings or future amendments. The meeting ended with announcements recognizing members’ birthdays and noting Muslim Day at the Capitol, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> child is having an initial evaluation. child is having an initial evaluation.
• So that child will be psychologists.
• that we need to focus on the child.
• </c><01:19:05.199><c> is</c> mobile child like a military child is mobile child like a military child
• </c> 51% of active duty families with a child 51% of active duty families with a child in<01:21:45.679

Committee: House Primary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> they've had time to work with the child they've had time to work with the child they<00:11:40.279
• This child needs XYZ, and how are we going to provide XYZ to this child?
• This child needs XYZ, and how are we going to provide XYZ to this child?
• This child needs XYZ, and how are we going to provide XYZ to this child?
• And it is specific to each child.

Summary: The work session focused on special education, especially the differentiated aid component and special education aid, which members noted is still often called “catastrophic aid.” The chair said the committee was trying to better understand how special education costs are growing, how districts are delivering services through SAUs or internally, and how reimbursement formulas affect local costs. Members also discussed the need for better data before making decisions on several education funding bills, and Representative Brown was tasked with capturing questions for follow-up information from the department or elsewhere. Testimony from the state special education director, Becky Fad, centered on why student counts in various disability categories have shifted over time. She said the categories themselves have not changed much, but autism has increased because of greater understanding and identification, developmental delay has grown because it applies to children under age 10 who may not yet have a clear diagnosis, and some students previously classified under speech/language or other health impairment are now identified in more specific categories such as autism. She emphasized that the IEP is based on a child’s individual needs, so a change in category would not necessarily change services, though it may help educators support the student differently. Members asked about whether the shifts reflect better diagnostic capability, whether the department should gather more data on the reasons for the changes, and whether autism-spectrum data could be broken down further. Fad said the department does not currently have data on the causes of the shifts or on where students fall within the autism spectrum, but that collecting and analyzing such data is on its list of priorities and a new data manager had recently been hired. She also explained that each child is counted only once on the chart by primary disability, that the IEP or eligibility team determines the primary category based on evaluations, and that any child can be referred for special education by a parent, teacher, or doctor, after which the district must meet within 15 days to decide whether to evaluate. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the executive director at Team Child.
• Let's, if there's a child...
• it comes on and you're not prepared, that child had asthma.
• If a child is unable to breathe, how do we get that child to be able to breathe as quickly as possible
• We would have that child sit down, take the inhaler.

Bills: HB2246 , HB2360

Committee: House Education

Keywords: firearm violations, education, student discipline, school policies, safety measures, albuterol, asthma, inhaler, rescue inhaler, respiratory emergency, school nurse, student medication, self-administration, anaphylaxis, public schools, private schools, charter schools, tribal compact schools, K-12 health, medication policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And it just doesn't work for their child.
• So calling it child care programs works?
• Section 19, child welfare technology.
• Section 38, child care assistance. Care assistance?
• Is that where we provide child care to child care workers?

Bills: SB2015

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met with all members present and took up several bills, focusing most of the discussion on SB 1577 and SB 1619, along with a detailed review of the HHS budget bill draft. On SB 1577, Senator Magrum explained that the bill was being revised to focus on wastewater rather than raw water, possibly shifting the Washburn project to the Department of Water Resources so it could access matching funds, and potentially converting the bill into a line of credit if federal money is restored later. Members discussed whether to keep an emergency clause or instead use a date-based approach, and agreed the bill would likely be handled through the full committee and possibly reconsidered later. On SB 1619, Senator Davison said amendments were still being worked on, including changes requested by the Bank of North Dakota, and the committee planned to hold it for possible amendment before full committee consideration. The bulk of the meeting was a section-by-section review of the HHS appropriations bill draft. Members discussed one-time funding items such as technology projects, child care programs, housing programs, behavioral health facility grants, infant and toddler care provider support, juvenile justice diversion, medical housing, and other public health and human services projects. Several adjustments were noted, including reductions or changes to IMD-related funding, incarcerated-person treatment funding, the child welfare technology project, and the provider rate increase. The committee also discussed the FTE block grant structure at length, with staff explaining that the apparent increase in positions reflected budgeting mechanics, zero-dollar “phantom” positions, and positions approved previously but not counted in the FTE total. Members raised concerns about transparency and whether the bill should list FTE numbers, but staff said the block grant was intended to give the department flexibility while quarterly reporting would provide oversight. Other topics included Medicaid expansion funding and provider reimbursement rules, the move toward certifying human service centers as certified community behavioral health clinics, a moratorium on new ICF beds, and studies or reports on Medicaid, obesity, disability services, truancy, and behavioral health facility grants. The committee also discussed removing or revising broad intent language in Section 31 so the department would report findings rather than implement changes without further legislative action. No final votes were taken in the transcript; instead, members agreed to make a few technical adjustments, continue reviewing the bill, and likely revisit it the next day before moving it to conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Animal identify child abuse and neglect.
• </c> witness warning signs to identify child witness warning signs to identify child abuse abuse abuse
• </c> and children, 88% of physical child and children, 88% of physical child abuse<00:07:21.440><c> cases
• Currently, there's an ordinance a child.
• </c> and child abuse. and child abuse.

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Furthermore, there are instances where child... Traumatizing the child victim.
• the child victim.
• SB 1143 would permit child welfare agencies to receive and review forensic interview recordings, Child
• Unfortunately, child welfare agencies that are tasked with investigating child abuse and neglect allegations
• CAC video recordings are integral components to child welfare services and child abuse investigations

Committee: Senate Public Safety