Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a senior advocate with Disability Rights California.
• require us to wait until a person in an LPS conservatorship is determined to be no longer gravely disabled
• Their condition must be substantially deteriorating to the point where grave disability is likely without
• I'm a disabled Army veteran retiree and the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for California.
• I'm a disabled Army veteran retiree and the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for California.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She was a teacher for 21 and a half years, and she was awarded disability through the Teachers' Retirement
• In Monroe, she was a teacher for 21 and a half years, and she was awarded disability through the Teachers
• her, ...indemnity benefits, and even though her doctors have already cleared her as permanently disabled
• And I've seen her go from a wonderful, strong citizen, multi-careered, into almost a totally disabled
• I think the amendments were meant to try to get at that, but specifically mandatory minimums for disabled

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Engrossed House Bill 5457, to allow partial credits for time of disability service in the CPRB for troopers
• This bill gives half-time years of service for partial duty and non-duty disabled troopers in the State
• Partial duty and non-duty disabled members of that plan revert to normal retirement upon age eligibility
• Of service for partial duty and non-duty disabled troopers in the State Police retirement system.
• Partial duty and non-duty disabled members of that plan revert to normal retirement upon age eligibility

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous guest introductions, including students, community leaders, food bank representatives, and visitors connected to Hunger Free West Virginia Day. A resolution recognizing March 10, 2026, as Hunger Free West Virginia Day was adopted, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 on the Southern West Virginia water crisis was referred to the Rules Committee. The chamber also heard remarks highlighting Hunger Free West Virginia’s work and a West Virginia company, Unigen, developing pharmaceutical manufacturing in the state. The Senate concurred with House amendments and passed several measures, including Senate Bill 467 on enforcement of Purple Heart parking spaces, Senate Bill 712 on cattle guards on certain public roads, and Senate Bill 781, a supplemental appropriation measure that was also made effective from passage. The chamber then adopted and passed Senate Bill 844, a large supplemental appropriation to the Department of Human Services, and Senate Bill 87, a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Commerce, both effective from passage. Other third-reading bills passed included the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with autism, dementia, or intellectual and developmental disabilities; coverage for scalp cooling systems during chemotherapy; expansion of sex-offender registration to include solicitation of a minor and non-consensual disclosure of private images; child safety reporting requirements for school personnel; age-verification requirements for websites hosting harmful sexual material; free Gold Star parent vehicle registration; online training and updated standards for sanitarians; sheriff hiring authority; organ donor registration through voter registration; a Cold Case Task Force; abandoned vehicle title procedures; nutrition continuing education for physicians; special plate rules; gift card fraud offenses; protections for athletic officials; in-year school personnel movement; administrative services powers; pharmacy benefit manager regulation; vape shop regulation; reduced parole supervision fees; disability service credit for certain troopers; property valuation reporting changes; and quarterly Hope Scholarship payments. The Senate also advanced a large number of House bills and committee substitutes on second reading, including supplemental appropriations and measures on mental health examinations, dog registration rules, juvenile jurisdiction on military installations, military interpersonal violence, kinship care subsidies, a statewide prevention plan, contraband smuggling into federal prisons, forestry equipment levy treatment, and Commerce Department rules for microgrid districts and high-impact data centers. Several committee amendments were adopted, and many bills were advanced to third reading without objection. No executive communications were reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, because we could find out and say that veterans know about their disability compensation, but
• they don't know that if they are hospitalized for a service-connected disability... ...counselors and
• room for a service-connected disability, they only have three days to inform the VA before that care
• room for a service-connected disability, they only have three days to inform the VA before that care
• Chair, Representative Fernandez, I'm a VA-accredited attorney who represents disabled veterans.

Bills: HB2226, HB2406, HB2663, HB2695, HB2805, HB2976

Keywords: veteran status, veterans court, treatment court, diversion program, initial appearance, arrestee processing, criminal procedure, DD-214, Department of Veterans' Services, prosecuting agency, court notification, military service, armed forces, veterans benefits, reentry, mental health court, drug court, specialty court, Arizona criminal law, pretrial hearing

Summary: The committee first took up HB 2663, which updates military leave protections for state and non-state employees by aligning statutory language with how service members’ orders are described. Representative Pena said the change was intended to remove confusion without affecting benefits, and members noted it would help protect employees called to training, deployment, or state active duty. The bill passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. The committee then heard HB 2976, a bill addressing administrative control of justice courts and due process for elected justices of the peace when state or county entities take action affecting their statutory authority. Supporters, including two Pima County justices of the peace, described administrative orders that transferred control of their courts without notice, findings, or a meaningful chance to respond, and argued the bill would require notice, a hearing, written findings, and review before such changes. The Arizona Supreme Court’s government affairs director opposed the bill as unconstitutional, arguing the state constitution gives the Chief Justice administrative supervision over all courts and that the legislature cannot impose those procedures by statute. After a lengthy and at times contentious exchange over constitutional authority and the role of elected JPs, the committee voted 6-1 to give HB 2976 a due pass recommendation. After a recess, the committee considered HB 2406, which requires the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services to study how aware veterans are of available state, local, and federal benefits and to report recommendations for improving awareness. Testimony in support emphasized that many veterans do not know the full range of benefits available to them and suggested surveys, outreach, and other low-cost methods to gather information. Some members questioned whether a study was necessary or how it would be conducted, but several said they would support it for now; the bill received a due pass recommendation by a 5-1-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard HB 2226, which requires courts at initial appearance hearings to ask whether a defendant is a veteran and, if so, to consider referral to veterans’ treatment or diversion programs. Supporters said the bill would help identify eligible veterans early in the process and connect them to services, while one member raised Fifth Amendment concerns about asking the question before counsel is present. The sponsor and testifier agreed to work on an amendment clarifying that the answer could not be used against the defendant in later proceedings. The committee moved the bill forward with a due pass recommendation, with members indicating support pending that amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• adopting the HD2 but removing section 4, which simply repeals the existing state protections for disabled
• This subsection shall not apply to individuals unable to do so with physical disabilities.
• This subsection shall not apply to individuals unable to do so with physical disabilities.
• This subsection shall not apply to individuals unable to do so with physical disabilities.
• <00:54:36.720> Mechanical physical disabilities. Mechanical physical disabilities.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• them to have to choose between having a job and caring for a loved one, whether it's an elder, a disabled
• <00:16:10.240> child,<00:16:10.560> a it's an elder, a disabled child, a it's an elder
• , a disabled child, a newborn.<00:16:11.440> All<00:16:11.600> of<00:16:11.759> those
• Uh, Chair, let me ask our administrator of the disability compensation division, Joanne Viddenhard, to
• of uh disability compensation division uh<00:22:08.000> Joanne<00:22:08.320> Biddenhard

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• dysfunction on the backs of health care for children, for women, for seniors, for people with disabilities
• also looking at cuts to programs that serve vulnerable populations such as medically fragile and disabled
• also looking at cuts to programs that serve vulnerable populations such as medically fragile and disabled
• children. and that was before such as medically fragile and disabled children.
• They lost their doctors to these very specific disabilities.

Summary: The Assembly met after a quorum call and prayer, then handled a series of procedural motions, guest introductions, and floor actions. Members welcomed student groups from Hope International University and Vacaville High School, and later recognized several guests connected to public safety dispatch. The chamber also adopted multiple re-referrals and procedural requests, including moving bills between committees and taking up AB 100 on concurrence from the Senate. A major portion of the session was devoted to ACR 34, designating April 14 as Sylvia Mendez Day. Assembly Member Ta and several colleagues spoke in support of honoring Sylvia Mendez and the Mendez v. Westminster case as a landmark in civil rights and school desegregation. The resolution drew extended partisan debate over the framing of the measure and broader issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but it ultimately passed on a roll call vote, with the resolution adopted. The Assembly also recognized Dolores Huerta on her 95th birthday through guest introductions and celebratory remarks, then moved through several bills and resolutions. AB 471 on air district board compensation, AB 677 on pupil records and access to screenings for housing-insecure students, ACR 31 designating California Public Safety Telecommunications Week, and AB 1150 on airport customer facility charges all passed. HR 30 recognizing Khmer New Year also was adopted with broad support. The most contentious policy action was AB 100, the early action budget bill. Supporters said it provided funding for wildfire prevention, hospital payments, Medi-Cal, and recovery in Los Angeles fire areas, while opponents criticized the bill for health care spending and high-speed rail. After a failed attempt by Assembly Member DeMaio to amend the bill and an unsuccessful appeal of the chair, the Assembly concurred in the Senate amendments and sent AB 100 to the Governor. The day ended with consent calendar approvals and adjournments in memory for several community members, including Larkin Carol Wells, Carmen O. Perez, and Oscar B. Ramos.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of the buildings are falling out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.
• The campus requires multiple renovations to make the building compliant with Americans with Disabilities
• The campus requires multiple renovations to make the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities
• having a storm, or if we do not have the ability to serve individuals that may have a physical disability
• Disability Rights Nebraska brought something forward. We brought that to Administrative Services.

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee held an invited-testimony hearing on LR 425, which examines the Whitehall campus in Lincoln and possible long-term options for youth currently served there. Chair Brian Hardin explained that Whitehall houses two separate programs for adolescent males: a substance use program and a youth-who-sexually-harm program. Testimony from DHHS officials described Whitehall as a Joint Commission-accredited psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) that provides about 40 hours of weekly programming, family involvement, school services, and community reintegration activities. Officials said the department is evaluating whether the programs should remain at Whitehall or move to another state-owned facility, with Hastings described as the department’s preferred alternative because it is more residential in design than a youth rehabilitation treatment center (YRTC).

Transcript Highlights:

• This morning, we heard testimony on bills concerning children, individuals with disabilities, and related
• So there are thousands of people who are older and people with disabilities who are waiting for care.
• In our state, people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or aging-related needs rely on family members
• I have been retired since about age 62 due to a disability, and I have lived without a pension because
• I work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing focused largely on senior long-term care issues, family caregiving, post-acute care access, and direct care workforce pay. Testimony strongly supported bills to raise the personal needs allowance for nursing home and rest home residents (including H. 1411, S. 482, and related bills), with speakers from Mass Senior Action, Dignity Alliance, nursing home residents, providers, and former state officials arguing that the current $72.80 monthly allowance has been unchanged since 2008 and is inadequate for basic items like clothing, toiletries, haircuts, and transportation. Witnesses also backed bills to increase MassHealth asset and income limits for seniors and to stop counting life insurance as cash, describing the current rules as outdated and harmful to low-income elders. The committee also heard testimony on bills allowing family members, including spouses and guardians, to be paid caregivers (H. 1394/S. 886), with supporters saying this would help families keep loved ones at home and reduce reliance on costly institutional care. Another set of bills (H. 1412/S. 903) drew support from a physician who said clearer MassHealth communication and improved post-acute care determination processes would help reduce delays and backlogs for patients awaiting skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or other post-acute placement. Several speakers emphasized that better home- and community-based care can prevent hospital readmissions and support independence. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 877, which would establish an enhanced care worker minimum wage of $25 per hour, indexed to inflation, for certain home care and human services workers. Union representatives and direct care workers from SEIU Local 509, 1199 SEIU, and the AFL-CIO described severe staffing shortages, burnout, low wages, and high turnover across home care, mental health, disability services, and crisis response. They argued that higher pay is necessary to recruit and retain workers and to stabilize services for vulnerable residents. Committee members asked about costs, comparisons with other states, and whether non-wage incentives could help, but witnesses repeatedly said wages were the central issue. The hearing concluded after all registered testimony was heard, with the committee noting it would continue accepting written testimony and then adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what conditions in your environment disable your power? Those are poor conditions.
• Sexuality, disability, interact with systems of power to shape people's opportunities and barriers.
• People with disabilities need some accommodations to participate. Beautiful.
• People with disabilities need some accommodations to participate.
• Targeting speakers who face challenges from intersecting identities at our meetings, i.e., disability

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Aging opened its March quarterly meeting by welcoming Alison Bauer as its first full-time director, effective March 30. Bauer briefly introduced her background in law, social work, public health, state government, philanthropy, and teaching, and said she planned to meet one-on-one with each commissioner. The commission then approved the December quarterly meeting minutes by motion and vote. The main portion of the meeting was a workshop led by Adriana Boulin on diversity, equity, inclusion, power, belonging, and intersectionality. Boulin defined key terms, guided participants through reflection exercises on personal values and conditions that support or undermine power, and discussed the history of intersectionality. Commissioners and guests shared examples of DEI work, including listening sessions, inclusive trainings, equitable hiring, LGBTQ+ aging advocacy, and community programs. Participants also reflected on how the commission has felt powerful, citing the strategic plan, the hiring of an executive director, the website, listening sessions, and passage of the LGBTQI+ and HIV long-term care bill of rights. The group then focused on how to apply an equity lens to the commission’s strategic priorities, especially improving representation and inclusion. Commissioners discussed the need for more racial, ethnic, trans, immigrant, and other marginalized representation, as well as barriers such as recruitment challenges, the size of the commission, and CORI/background-check concerns for some governor-appointed seats. They also explored whether an advisory board or expanded outreach to community organizations could help broaden participation. No formal votes or final actions were taken beyond approving the minutes, but the meeting ended with agreement to continue the equity work and with the next quarterly meeting scheduled for June.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cross-disability waiver. That's something that will be sometime before it's fully implemented.
• Also, though, redesigning our level of care process for the developmental disabilities waivers.
• So yes, you would see decreases associated with those other waivers as we implement cross-disability.
• Chairman, Sarah, so this cross-disability advisory council that already exists, correct? Yes.
• You know, I mean, we see it then moving towards the cross-disability waiver.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations HR Division met with all members present to review the medical services portion of the HHS budget. Sarah Aker, Executive Director of Medical Services, walked the committee through several budget items, including HCBS cost-to-continue adjustments, the DD bed assessment, expansion of value-based purchasing, targeted rate increases for home health and QSP services, and the cross-disability waiver. Members generally supported the targeted increases for home health and QSP, and Aker explained that the cross-disability waiver funding would support startup work, service design, and infrastructure ahead of a planned July 1, 2028 implementation. The committee spent significant time on rate-setting and provider payment issues. Members discussed ambulance rate rebasing, with several senators expressing concern that the proposed increase was too high relative to peer states; the committee ultimately moved toward reducing that item to $1 million rather than zero so it could be revisited in conference committee. They also discussed a House-added critical access hospital networking grant and similarly leaned toward reducing it to $1 million. Aker explained the department’s value-based purchasing plans, including use of a vendor selected through RFP, and clarified how the department’s existing Medicaid managed care and hospital value-based programs work. A major portion of the meeting focused on long-term care and basic care payments, including a House-added extension of the $5 per day basic care add-on and a proposed shift in nursing facility incentive grants toward a withhold-based model. Senator Mathern indicated he would bring an amendment to delay or modify the withhold change, and Aker said the department would prefer language that directly addresses whether a withhold may be implemented. Members also discussed 1915(i) services, FMAP changes, the Medicaid legacy system modernization carryover, and a House-added legislative intent section on medical assistance. The committee adjourned for the morning with plans to return later to continue Human Services budget work and revisit unresolved items in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• the legislature pioneered support decision-making agreements called SDMA that allow persons with disabilities
• Jeff Miller, Disability Rights Texas, thank you Mr.
• Obviously, at Disability Rights Texas, we believe supportive decision making has made a huge impact in
• and we believe that the bill would be better and would be more usable for both individuals with disabilities

Bills: SB66, SB2165, SB2342, SB2878, SB2903

Keywords: disability, supported decision-making, legal assistance, confidentiality, access to justice, autonomy, civil rights, advocacy, Texas Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child welfare, foster care, substitute care, missing child, missing from placement, permanency hearing, parent-child relationship, SAPCR, conservatorship

Transcript Highlights:

• pioneered supported decision-making agreements Dean Safrony: called SDMAs that allow persons with disabilities
• Jeff Miller: Jeff Miller, Disability Rights Texas. Thank you, Mr.
• Obviously at Disability Rights Texas we believe that supported decision-making Jeff Miller: has made
• It would be more usable for both individuals with disabilities, the people that support them, the attorneys

Transcript Highlights:

• Because someone who has a disabling injury is more prone to a subsequent injury, and employers are held
• It has since been expanded to apply to all disabled workers.
• The fund then carries the risk and obligations of workers' comp for any subsequent injuries to disabled
• changes which will reduce litigation costs, reduce medical-legal costs, and reduce the number of 100% disability
• And in light of the Todd decision, 100% disability rating applies to approximately 80% of claims, which

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met as a subcommittee at first because a quorum was not initially present, then later established a quorum and heard several bills. The main special-order item was AB 1795 (Gibson), which would create statewide standards for testing, inspection, and remediation of wildfire smoke damage in homes, with CalEPA and public health agencies developing science-based standards and insurers required to follow new claims-handling timelines. Supporters, including Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and wildfire survivors, said the bill would bring consistency and safety; insurers and consumer groups generally supported the concept but sought further amendments on scope, standards, and claim handling. The committee voted do pass as amended and refer AB 1795 to Appropriations, with the roll held open for later additions. The committee also considered AB 1576 (Ortega) on the Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund, which would make changes intended to reduce litigation and employer assessments while preserving the program’s purpose of encouraging hiring of workers with prior disabilities. Labor-side witnesses supported the bill as a reform step, while business, public entity, and insurance groups opposed it, arguing it did not address the core structural problems and that a trailer bill was a better vehicle for broader reform. AB 1576 was voted do pass to Appropriations, with the roll held open. AB 1931 (Papan) would create an optional limited-lines license for utilities to offer home protection products for repairs to appliances and utility service lines. Support came from HomeServe, utilities, and industry groups, who said the bill would clarify current law and add consumer protections such as training, disclosures, and a free-look period; there was no opposition in the room. The committee passed AB 1931 to Appropriations. AB 2361 (Pacheco) would limit vicarious liability for peer-to-peer vehicle-sharing platforms like Turo while preserving insurance coverage requirements; supporters said it would align California with other states, while consumer attorneys opposed it as reducing accountability and consumer recovery. The committee passed AB 2361 as amended to Appropriations. AB 2098 (Kalra), heard later, would require employers to allow leave for workers to attend treatment for occupational injuries during work hours, subject to notice and business-necessity limits; labor groups supported it and business and insurance groups sought narrower standards. It was also voted do pass to Appropriations. The committee then completed roll-call add-ons and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This program expands school choice by providing especially low-income, disabled, or underserved K-12
• I truly believe in my heart that the greatest beneficiaries of this program will be poor and disabled
• setting these up are going to be targeting kids that are eligible for special things, special needs, disability
• I don't disagree with the original intent of our ESAs, which were to assist children with disabilities
• I don't disagree with the original intent of our ESAs, which were to assist children with disabilities

Bills: SB1142, SCR1028

Keywords: scholarships, tax credit, education funding, nonprofit organizations, Arizona Revised Statutes, constitutional amendment, state revenue, tax policy, legislative approval, two-thirds vote, 1182, all

Summary: The House Ways and Means Committee heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 1028, which would send to voters a constitutional change narrowing an existing exception to Arizona’s two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases. The resolution would require legislative approval for increases in state revenue through fees and assessments that are authorized by statute before January 1, 2027, and set by a state officer or agency without a prescribed formula, amount, or limit. The sponsor argued the measure would close a loophole that has allowed agencies to raise fees without direct legislative accountability, while opponents said it would make it harder for agencies to adjust fees for inflation, operations, and regulatory costs and could shift costs to taxpayers or slow services. After testimony and debate, the committee voted 5-3 with one absent to return SCR 1028 with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1142, which would have Arizona opt into a federal tax credit program for donations to scholarship-granting organizations. Supporters said the measure would bring new private scholarship funding into Arizona at no cost to the state, expand school choice, and help students with tutoring, special needs services, transportation, and other educational expenses. Opponents argued the federal program was not yet fully written, lacked clear guardrails, and could further strain public schools by diverting resources away from the majority of students who remain in the public system. Committee members debated whether the program would benefit Arizona students without affecting state funds, and whether more transparency and rules were needed before adoption. After discussion, the committee voted 5-3 with one absent to return SB 1142 with a do pass recommendation. Several members explained their votes on both measures, with supporters emphasizing voter choice, accountability, and limiting fee increases, and opponents emphasizing the need for revenue, public school funding, and caution about the unresolved federal scholarship rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide a Comprehensive program of rehabilitation to Oklahoma's children with intellectual disabilities
• and developmental disabilities.
• What we really strive to be is a one-stop shop for Oklahoma families who Have a kiddo with a disability
• of the hoops, barriers, and bureaucracy of healthcare, particularly healthcare for Kiddos with disabilities
• These therapeutic screenings are really critical for early identification of disabilities.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For preschool programs for kids with disabilities, I don't recall that this budget is restoring that.
• Is it his preference to fund those programs rather than helping kids with disabilities?
• funds that come from the federal government come to all of ours, whether it's education funds or disability
• I spent most of that time representing people with disabilities, including people with intellectual disabilities
• from my former colleagues is that now, in this moment, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of disabilities I apologize we<00:26:32.240> did<00:26:32.440> submit<00:26:32.880>
• Told is executive director for the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities.
• , or disabling vaccine injuries or death exponentially exceeded the risk of severe disability or death
• vaccine injury severe vaccine disability vaccine injury severe vaccine disability or<02:46:59.720
• <02:47:01.439> death or disabling vaccine injuries or death or disabling vaccine injuries or death

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing opened with House Bill 1462 on crisis services. Testimony from the Department of Law Enforcement, the Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Department of Health supported expanding behavioral health crisis services as an alternative to arrest or incarceration. Witnesses said additional crisis sites would help divert people in mental health crisis to appropriate care, and the Department of Health described its current crisis center in Ewa, including the need for renovations such as a padded room and the time required to get the facility operational. In response to questions, the department estimated the Ewa center’s budgeted cost at about $4.3 million, not including rent or startup repairs, and said a second site’s cost would depend on whether it was freestanding or attached to an existing facility. The committee then heard House Bill 700 on cognitive assessments. The Executive Office on Aging supported the bill’s intent but asked that it be amended to make assessments optional rather than mandated, to pilot the program first, and to allow flexibility in handling HIPAA-protected data. SHPDA also supported the measure but said it should not be mandatory and suggested that payers reimburse for assessments when requested by patients, families, or physicians. The Alzheimer’s Association and caregivers strongly supported standardizing cognitive assessments to improve early detection and access to newer treatments, while noting the existing opt-out provision. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the bill but asked that the age 65 threshold be removed because cognitive decline can begin much earlier for people with Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and related conditions. In response to a question, the Office on Aging said a pilot project could likely be done for about $150,000, with data security being the main added cost. The final bill discussed was House Bill 237 on peer support programs. Testimony from Family Hui Hawaii, Early Childhood Action Strategy, peer support workers, and families described peer-to-peer programs as a cost-effective way to reduce isolation, strengthen families, and provide long-term community support. Speakers said these programs help parents and caregivers navigate crises, child welfare involvement, addiction recovery, and other challenges, and can have lasting benefits for children’s development and family stability. Several witnesses tied the bill to broader state goals, including infant and early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and child welfare reform. Written testimony from about a dozen organizations and individuals was also noted in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would agree with Representative Keagle that this is not the final answer on disability home care
• And I would agree with Representative Keagle that this is not the final answer on disability home care
• answer<00:03:18.760> on the final answer on the final answer on uh<00:03:19.959> disability
• home<00:03:20.720> care<00:03:21.000> services<00:03:21.840> um uh disability
• home care services um uh disability home care services um which<00:03:22.400> we<00:03:22.920

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up a series of amendments to the bill. Representative Keagle’s A21 amendment, which would have prohibited online sweepstakes games, raised the paddle wheel prize value, and added Hessian pepper as a social skill game, was discussed with support cited from a broad coalition of organizations, but it failed on a roll call vote. The A27 amendment, directing the Department of Commerce to perform a 62J evaluation of home care nursing services, was then adopted after members described it as a temporary step toward a longer-term solution for disability home care issues. Senator French’s A11 amendment, which raises the cap on deposits into the consumer protection restitution account and changes how those funds are distributed to eligible consumers, was also adopted. Representative O’Driscoll then offered the H.F. 4188 A22 amendment, described by counsel as incorporating language from House File 4333 on short-term and long-term home care insurance; members supported it as a way to expand private insurance options, and it was adopted. Finally, Representative Keagle moved Article 3, Section 11, a provision to reimburse clinical trainees providing mental health services at full rates, and that motion was adopted as well. Afterward, the committee authorized nonpartisan staff to make technical or necessary corrections to the bill, noted that the bill would not be wrapped up that day, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assistance dog organizations play a critical role in supporting individuals with disabilities by raising
• For example, Tucker's client is a woman who's in a power chair and is pretty severely disabled, and he
• and is woman who's in a power chair and is pretty<00:08:19.680> severely<00:08:20.479> disabled
• and<00:08:21.479> he<00:08:21.639> will<00:08:21.879> do pretty severely disabled
• and he will do pretty severely disabled and he will do things<00:08:22.400> for<00:08:22.680>

Keywords: 1183, house