Video & Transcript Research : 'access to services'

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KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Families and Children. (3-5-26)

Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:
  • spend that money, or are these additional milestones that if they hit they then have access to more
  • </c><00:06:30.400><c> to</c><00:06:30.960><c> more</c> they hit they then have access to more they hit
  • they then have access to more of<00:06:31.360><c> that</c><00:06:31.520><c> money.
  • </c><00:09:59.440><c> We</c><00:09:59.600><c> no</c> sent to Health and Human Services.
  • We no sent to Health and Human Services.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Health Services (1-29-26)

Health Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have a few members who need to go back and forth between state government, so we're going to get this
  • meeting called to order.
  • And I just want to say thanks to everyone who came over to be part of this meeting today.
  • </c> to the table. to the table.
  • </c> like to register a vote? Okay. like to register a vote? Okay.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Health Services (1-15-26)

Health Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Welcome to the first meeting of the Health Services Committee of the new 2026 session.
  • Importantly, this bill is structured to be budget neutral while improving access and quality of care.
  • Importantly, this bill is structured to be budget neutral while improving access and quality of care.
  • Importantly, this bill is structured to be budget neutral while improving access and quality of care.
  • </c><00:08:32.240><c> get</c> having to go wait for months to get having to go wait for months to get
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c><00:05:44.320><c> that</c> access to pathways and programs that access to pathways and programs that
  • 40.480><c> their</c> provide services and supports to their provide services and supports to their TSI
  • They're worried about access to homes.
  • They're worried about access to homes.
  • interim</c> Access to Opportunity this interim Access to Opportunity this interim session<01:44:53.760
Summary: The committee opened with a roll call, confirmed a quorum, approved the minutes by voice vote, and recognized a guest of Senator Hickden, retired judge Dan Kelly. The chair then moved through a tight agenda and limited public presentations and questions. The first presentation was on robotics education in Kentucky, led by Representative Chris Lewis, Kentucky FIRST Robotics executive director Kelly Gowen, and students from Whitfield Academy. They argued that robotics should be expanded in high schools as a workforce pipeline for engineering, manufacturing, and advanced technology jobs. The presentation emphasized hands-on learning, industry certifications, teacher development, and a proposed framework to fund robotics education programs statewide. Committee members were not allowed to ask questions because of time constraints. The second presentation was from Canopy Kentucky, led by Adam Watson and founder Scott Collins. They described Canopy’s business and entrepreneurship education programs for fifth graders and high school students, including the NextGen Good Biz initiative and an eight-classroom high school unit. Canopy requested a one-time $750,000 appropriation for fiscal year 2026, matched by private funds, to expand into more schools and rural areas, train educators, and report outcomes. Members asked a brief question about how the programs fit into school schedules and the difference between the elementary and high school offerings. The final presentation, from KDE’s Kelly Foster and Todd Allen, reviewed the state’s school improvement classifications. Foster explained CSI, TSI, and ATSI status, the federal and state legal framework, and how House Bill 298 returned CSI identification to an annual cycle. She reported that Kentucky identified 50 CSI schools on the most recent release, with 53 CSI schools statewide, along with 39 TSI schools and 102 ATSI schools. She also outlined KDE’s support process, including education recovery staff, diagnostic reviews, turnaround plans, and required professional learning for CSI schools.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • It was access to the ITWIST database.
  • Did you have no access to that?
  • Yes, so you had no access to that.
  • c><00:21:16.880><c> access</c> sued in order to be able to get access sued in order to be able to get
  • gave us access to the resolution that gave us access to the database<00:21:34.799><c> but</c><00:21:
Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 26, presented by Senator Brandon Storm, Family Court Judge Marcus Vanover, and Crystal Adams on behalf of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health. The bill would ensure Kentucky complies with the ADA by prohibiting disability alone from being used to terminate adoption petitions, parental rights, or child-placement petitions. Testimony cited Kentucky Supreme Court and Court of Appeals cases involving parents with intellectual or developmental disabilities and national data showing high removal rates for parents with psychiatric, intellectual, or physical disabilities. The committee approved the bill 15-0 with favorable expression. The committee then heard Senate Bill 85 from Senator Steve Meredith and State Auditor Allison Ball, which continues the transition of the Office of the Ombudsman from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Auditor’s office. Testimony focused on completing the transfer by clarifying access to the ITWIST database, ensuring complaints go directly to the Ombudsman, adding whistleblower protections, and making the office a separate office within the Auditor’s office for efficiency. Members asked about the prior conflict of interest when the Ombudsman was housed within CHFS, the database access dispute and lawsuit, and whether the office still remained independent. The bill passed with favorable expression after some members voted pass. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 805, with Representative Nick Wilson and Representative Sarah Stalker explaining a committee substitute and amendment. The bill would set timelines for the Cabinet to physically locate children reported at immediate safety risk and require annual kinship-care reporting to be automatically provided to the legislature and posted publicly. Wilson said the bill also cleans up language from last year’s House Bill 271, including changing “threats” to “risks” in the safety-plan definition and other terminology fixes. The committee adopted the substitute and amendment and advanced the bill with favorable expression.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • save money and improve efficiency while still ensuring public access to important information.
  • to the to the this information gets to the to the public<00:18:48.600><c> hands</c><00:18:49.000><c>
  • publish. with me over that time to uh to talk with me over that time to uh to talk about<00:22:04.360
  • criteria for the website, what they need to contain, how they need to be accessed, etc., before they
  • </c> but I challenge you to try to find those but I challenge you to try to find those on<00:30:14.159
Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered four bills. House Bill 131, sponsored by Representative Meredith, was amended with a committee substitute and would allow former second class city fire departments more scheduling flexibility, including hybrid shift patterns, while preserving existing collective bargaining agreements. There was no opposition or questions, and the committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill favorably by voice/roll call vote. House Bill 256, sponsored by Chairman Flannery, would impose a 40-year statutory limit on root-of-title interests to clear dormant title issues and improve marketable title, while excluding coal and mineral interests. A committee substitute was adopted, and the bill passed favorably on a unanimous roll call. House Bill 290, sponsored by Representative Wilson, would update county law library funding/use rules to allow more modern expenditures such as online legal services; Representative Willner supported it as a useful modernization, and the bill also passed favorably on a unanimous roll call. House Bill 368, sponsored by Representative Decker, would expand local governments’ ability to use online public notice alternatives instead of relying solely on newspaper publication in smaller counties. Supporters from local government groups argued the change would save money, improve efficiency, and still keep the public informed, while the Kentucky Press Association cautioned that website standards should be addressed and noted concerns about losing newspaper notice revenue. After discussion, the committee passed the bill favorably by roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, members recorded additional yes votes for HB 131, HB 256, and HB 290, and the committee adjourned.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> to uh the Kentucky service provider. to uh the Kentucky service provider.
  • :09.919><c> services</c><00:19:10.400><c> to</c> continued to provide the services to continued to provide
  • this to the new commitment to transition this to the new service<00:19:21.840><c> provider</c><00:19
  • ><c> the</c><00:19:24.000><c> con</c> service provider and to to keep the con service provider and to
  • provider</c> transition to the new service provider transition to the new service provider and<00:20:
Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its May 21 and June 10 meetings, then heard testimony from the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General on the effect of HB 314 on the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (KCNA) board. The Attorney General’s representative said HB 314 changed KCNA’s structure and staffing, but did not alter the statutory duties of the board, which still include developing and implementing strategic plans, providing policy direction, monitoring results, and approving fiscal planning. He argued the board is not merely advisory, has operational and budget authority, and that actions taken outside board approval could be ultra vires and without effect. He also noted the board historically approved settlements and contracts, including matters involving Open Fiber, and said the removal of the executive director position reduced direct personnel control but did not eliminate the board’s broader oversight. The committee then heard from representatives of Kentucky Managed Technical Services/LTS, who described a dispute over the Kentucky Wired network refresh and service-provider transition. They said the project agreement required a market test and acceptance of a proposal for both the network refresh and service-provider role, but that their proposals were rejected and the refresh work was later treated by the parties as a change order issue. They said some equipment worth about $3 million had been delivered, transferred, and paid for, while roughly $7 million in additional equipment was canceled by LTS but reportedly shipped to a KCNA warehouse and not paid for. They also said no refresh installation work has been performed, that they continue providing network maintenance to avoid service disruption, but believe the contract has expired and that there is no current agreement for ongoing service-provider work. Committee members asked whether actions taken without board approval would be invalid, whether the board could alter or terminate contractor arrangements, whether the bond disclosures suggesting a successful contract extension were accurate, and what equipment had been purchased or remained in storage. LTS representatives said they would follow up with the committee on the financial delta between the contracted rate and the month-to-month billing they say has been in effect since the contract expired, and on an inventory of in-service equipment and end-of-life dates. They said they want a commercial resolution, but if no resolution is reached soon they may pursue the formal contractual dispute process, and identified September 1 as their stated target date for resolving the matter and completing the refresh.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Agriculture & Natural Resources Jan 28th, 2026 at 08:00 am

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Contracts for ecosystem service projects may last up to 125 years.
  • or in the Senate about how beavers contribute to ecosystem services.
  • We are asking for the authority to diversify revenue streams through ecosystem services to provide another
  • She said she was there to support DNR having the ability to pursue carbon markets and ecosystem services
  • The commitment to ensuring access to water that supports the Colville's consumptive needs both on and
Bills: HB2170, HB2544, HB2578
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Feb 12th, 2026 at 06:25 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • An act relating to parental access to special education evaluation. Last line.
  • be able to access the fullness of their constitutional right to an education.
  • Speaker, continues to get access to free, fair, and public education. Mr.
  • This law is equally accessible to everyone who may need to defend themselves against a discriminatory
  • Please vote yes to keep this tool accessible to every voter in the state of Washington.
Summary: The House took up second reading and final passage on several bills. House Bill 2575, relating to reducing certain environmental reporting obligations, was amended to direct savings from reduced utility reporting toward low-income electricity assistance, then passed 95-0. House Bill 2334, on cash transaction rounding for the loss of pennies, passed 89-6 after debate over common-sense rounding, tax treatment, and concerns about moving away from cash. House Bill 2714, updating caseload forecasting for food and nutrition assistance programs including SNAP, passed 95-0. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2557, concerning parental access to special education evaluation meetings and timelines, passed 95-0 after a technical amendment clarifying terminology and discussion about giving parents more time to prepare for meetings. The House also passed Substitute House Bill 2594, which codifies protections for unhoused students and aligns state law with federal McKinney-Vento protections; supporters described the bill as ensuring continued educational access for homeless youth, and it passed 94-1. House Bill 2348, updating timber sale process efficiencies, including electronic notice and appraisal/approval requirements for certain land sales, passed 95-0. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2215, dealing with Climate Commitment Act compliance obligations for fuels, drew extensive debate over market fairness, fuel prices, rural impacts, and Ecology’s authority; after adopting a striking amendment and rejecting several others, it passed 57-38. The House then considered House Bill 1710, a Washington Voting Rights Act compliance bill creating a new chapter in Title 29A RCW. Members debated numerous amendments focused on preclearance standards, lookback periods, fee shifting, rulemaking authority, settlement treatment, and the use of citizen voting-age population. Some technical amendments were adopted, while many substantive amendments were rejected. The transcript ends during continued amendment debate on the bill, before final passage is recorded.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Feb 12th, 2026 at 12:35 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • An act relating to expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools, amending ...
  • An act relating to expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools, amending ...
  • The same providers who are providing services to them will continue to provide services, and housing
  • buy and access to develop on their own.
  • buy and access to develop on their own.
Summary: The House took up several bills on second and third reading, beginning with House Bill 2360 on expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools. A motion to recommit the bill to the House Health Care and Wellness Committee failed on a roll call vote, 38 yeas to 56 nays. Supporters said the bill would help school nurses respond to students in respiratory distress and reflected input from nurses, OSPI, and the Department of Health. Opponents raised concerns about training, drug interactions, follow-up care, costs to districts, and schools making medical decisions without a diagnosis. The bill then passed 60-34. House Bill 2467, clarifying measurement rules for fifth-wheel travel trailers, passed 94-0 after sponsors said it would help Washington dealers and consumers. House Bill 1983, relating to timberland tax treatment when land is sold to DNR, passed 68-26 amid debate over whether it would help forest management or make it easier for DNR to acquire timberland. House Bill 2531, updating ambulance transport fund quality assurance rules to align with federal regulations and preserve matching funds, passed unanimously 94-0. The House also passed Substitute House Bill 1390, which phases out the Community Protection Program for certain developmentally disabled individuals with high-risk histories and transfers participants to other waiver programs. Supporters said the program was overly restrictive, out of compliance with federal law, and had trapped people in long-term confinement-like conditions; opponents argued it would weaken public safety and move dangerous individuals into community settings without adequate safeguards. The bill passed 52-44. House Bill 2367, eliminating a preferential treatment related to the former TransAlta coal plant in Centralia, passed 63-33 after supporters framed it as closing the book on coal and opponents warned about energy reliability, jobs, and an emergency clause. Substitute House Bill 2133, making a property tax exemption for certain senior centers permanent, passed 96-0. Substitute House Bill 2355, establishing labor protections for domestic workers, passed 57-39 after supporters emphasized dignity and long-standing worker abuse concerns, while opponents cited fiscal impacts. The House then passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2534, with a technical amendment, to improve educational stability for children in military families; it passed 96-0. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1974, creating a land banking framework to support affordable housing, passed 59-37 after an amendment reduced fiscal impact by striking some tax preference sections. House Bill 2223, allowing certain irrigation district board service by farmers with spouses employed by the district, passed 93-3. Substitute House Bill 2239, allowing family burial grounds on private property, passed 96-0 after supporters cited rural needs, cultural traditions, and personal family stories. The session also included a brief congratulatory recognition for Representative David Stuebe after his first bill passed the House.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Feb 12th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • To bring those to market, to increase the market, to increase the production of some of those varieties
  • point for our small and diverse businesses to get access into public works construction and still be
  • That entry point for our small and diverse businesses to get access into public works construction and
  • And now you've got to figure out how you are going to get yourself in an area without great access to
  • It's going to ensure that we have better coverage of veterinary services when there are issues on the
Summary: The House convened with a quorum, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer before approving the previous day’s minutes and taking caucus breaks. Members were reminded that the three-minute rule for debate had begun and would remain in effect through House of Origin cutoff. The chamber then moved through second- and third-reading action on a series of bills, mostly on capital, consumer, labor, and professional licensure topics. Several bills were advanced and passed with broad or unanimous support. House Bill 2338 would expand low-income weatherization work to community-scale and multifamily projects; House Bill 2353 raises the threshold for requiring pre-design on public projects; Substitute House Bill 2363 allows music therapy students to practice under supervision while exam scores are pending; Substitute House Bill 2525 creates a Heritage Orchard Program to preserve rare apple varieties; Substitute House Bill 2420 increases small works roster thresholds; Substitute House Bill 2428 prevents unintended lapses in life insurance by allowing a third-party designee to help maintain coverage; House Bill 2604 allows electronic signatures for transferring a vehicle to an insurer; and Substitute House Bill 2107 makes permanent a requirement that L&I provide written notice to employers/contractors when hazards are identified. Each of these bills passed by large margins, generally 94 yeas and no nays, except HB 2338, which passed 93-1. The House also adopted Amendment 1517 to Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247, a striker that revised the veterinary client-patient relationship bill to require annual veterinarian visits for certain animal production, commercial, and breeding operations and to align the measure with federal law. Supporters said it would allow veterinarians to use telehealth between physical exam visits and improve access for rural and agricultural communities. After the amendment, the bill passed 94-0. The session ended with more caucus announcements and the House at ease.