Transcript Highlights:

• Kevin McCarthy, President of the Arizona Tax Research Association, here in support.
• Chair, first we have Kevin McCarthy, Arizona Tax Research Association. All right.
• But let’s do some research on that, and we will follow back up with the committee on what research finds
• Sometimes it's just an ethical requirement.
• Sometimes it's a legal requirement; sometimes it's just an ethical requirement.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So in terms of research and evaluation, I am a researcher.
• , research-informed institute.
• So as a faculty affiliate, my role is mostly research, but research can mean different things.
• So as a faculty affiliate, my role is mostly research, but research can mean different things.
• My role is mostly research, but research can mean different things.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting of the session and received an overview of the Higher Education Appropriations budget from staff director Tim Elwell. He explained the committee’s broad jurisdiction over universities, state colleges, district workforce programs, vocational rehabilitation, blind services, student financial aid, private colleges, and the Board of Governors, and reviewed key budget concepts such as local funds, funds per FTE, performance funding, and the distinction between the total appropriation and the recurring base budget. He noted that higher education is funded largely through state and local sources, with substantial flexibility compared with other state budgets, and that the base budget is heavily weighted toward lump-sum allocations to the public systems. The committee then heard a presentation from the University of South Florida’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida), led by retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie and USF representative Mark Walsh. They described Cyber Florida as a statewide cybersecurity platform created by the Legislature in 2014 to support education, research, workforce development, public policy, and community engagement. McKenzie emphasized the growing cyber threat environment, Florida’s leadership role, and several funded initiatives, including K-12 outreach, workforce training, a cyber range for county governments, critical infrastructure assessments, grant development, and public conferences and outreach. Members asked about public cyber awareness, the lack of a national cyber defense strategy, school district participation in Cyber Launch, and which counties are most at risk; McKenzie said smaller counties with limited cybersecurity staffing are generally more vulnerable and offered to provide follow-up information. Finally, the committee heard from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida, led by Dr. Drew Andrews, along with program and parent representatives from participating institutions. Andrews explained the center’s role in coordinating Florida’s postsecondary comprehensive transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities, supporting program development, distributing grants and scholarships, and monitoring outcomes. He reported that the state now has 33 approved programs at 35 institutions, including universities, state colleges, and technical colleges, and that scholarship and grant funding has grown significantly. He said student retention is about 88 percent, many graduates are employed, and median hourly earnings have increased over time. A representative from Southeastern University described how the center’s support helped build and sustain SEU Link, including a new third-year employment-focused option for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• Meeting of the Texas Ethics Commission to order at 9:15 a.m.
• , uh, ethics training.
• Um, the, the, the rules deal with the Texas Ethics Commission's training programs.
• That is, is he looking into, is it looking into these real ethics violations?
• Uh, the Texas Ethics Commission adjourns at 2:51 p.m. Thank you all.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Ethics Commission will establish the specific requirements on how these composures must appear
• , I'm committed to working with committee. members, our constituents, stakeholders, and the Texas Ethics
• Tenley, I show you as General Counsel. for the Texas Ethics Commission. Thank you.
• We know how difficult it is to collect $500 these days from the Ethics Commission when y'all are done
• I think the Ethics Commission can knock that out pretty easily.

Bills: HB 13, HB143, HB144, HB145, HB366, HB470, HB805, HB912, HB13, HB143, HB144, HB145

Keywords: emergency communication, infrastructure, first responders, grant program, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, local governments, HB 143, Texas Railroad Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas, well site, surface facility, electrical power line, National Electrical Code, NEC, electrical safety, utility disconnect, service disconnection

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's one piece of ethics.
• So that's one piece of ethics.
• So that's one piece of ethics.
• So that's one piece of ethics.
• So that's one piece of ethics.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• BOTH FROM A CLINICAL SITE AND THE RESEARCH SIDE WITH THE SIGNING OF THE BAPTIST AFFILIATION AGREEMENT
• WE HAVE ABOUT $1.5 BILLION IN RESEARCH MONEY THAT COMES TO THE UNIVERSITY THAT HAS TO BE WELL SPENT.
• SO OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE THE PREMIER ACADEMIC RESEARCH CENTER AT FLORIDA STATE.
• THE CENTER WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO ALL LINES OF INSURANCE.
• WAS THIS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND RESEARCH CENTER? >> Sen.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Have you found in your research that there would be potential confusion with some of the courses that
• LGBTQ issues are part of major legal cases, public policy debates, scientific research, and civil rights
• They cover personal care, health disparities, data collection, ethical and legal rights, because being

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first considered a request to introduce RS 33-117, a bill from Rep. Levitt concerning charter school enrollment priorities. Levitt said the measure would give priority to children of charter school founders, siblings, and foster children, and then to active-duty Title 10 military families. The motion to introduce the bill passed. The committee then heard House Bill 599 on digital curriculum funding. Rep. Raymond said the bill would change the grant process from first-come, first-served to an as-needed basis, with the State Department of Education developing a rubric to define need and prioritize rural and underserved schools. Superintendent Critchfield described criteria tied to reading, math, college and career readiness, alignment with improvement plans, implementation and evaluation, and sustainability. Some members questioned the discretion involved, and the committee ultimately adopted an amended substitute motion to hold the bill in committee until the 19th. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 516, a cleanup bill related to last year’s law restricting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. Rep. Hawkins said the bill would strike leftover language that had become unnecessary after the bill was expanded to K-12 and was intended only to clarify the law. Supporters said the change would prevent confusion and ensure parental authority, while opponents warned it could create vague restrictions and conflict with CTE and other instruction. After testimony from Planned Parenthood, Idaho Family Policy Center, and questions from members, the committee voted to send HB 516 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> research. no exparte communications. research. no exparte communications.
• </c> forward, which you know some ethical forward, which you know some ethical considerations<00:55:12.319
• </c> primarily goes back to our ethical primarily goes back to our ethical obligations<01:25:26.880><
• I did a little bit of research.
• I haven't finished my research.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't even have the research to know the full damage that vaping will have on our youth.
• AB 1884 would significantly expand drug testing in schools and implement measures that research shows
• We have research. It's been stated here. So I'll stop there and let you answer my question.
• So more sites came into the market selling at face value, what we would call ethical resale.
• So we want ethical resale. That is, you know, I have sick young kids; they're sick all the time.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• so what I'm going to be doing is covering the rest of the dockets, which cover the Idaho Code of Ethics
• so what I'm going to be doing is covering the rest of the dockets, which cover the Idaho Code of Ethics
• Beginning on page 475, you have the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators.
• , which is empowered by law to investigate and determine if a violation of the law or the Code of Ethics
• State Board of Education and renders decisions that provide Idaho with competent, qualified, and ethical

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met to consider a series of State Board of Education rules and education standards updates. Nicholas Wagner presented cleanup changes, including repeal of the pay-for-success contracting rule as duplicative and unused, removal of duplicative definitions in the Career Technical Centers rules, and minor clarity edits in the uniformity rules. The committee asked a few procedural questions, then approved each docket by voice vote. Greg Wilson then presented updates to the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, the Idaho Special Education Manual, temporary and pending rules governing thoroughness, and social studies content standards. The ethics changes focused on limiting digital communication with students to district-approved devices and platforms and clarifying misuse of school property and public funds. The special education items were explained as necessary to bring Idaho into compliance with federal IDEA requirements, including revisions to specific learning disability eligibility, dual enrollment, and dispute resolution; Wilson said the temporary rule needed extension to avoid a compliance gap, and the pending rule would make the manual changes permanent. Committee members asked whether the special education changes affected preschool eligibility and whether they were tied to federal funding; Wilson said the revisions were to comply with federal requirements, and the committee approved the temporary and pending special education dockets. For social studies, Wilson said the Legislature had rejected some prior standards, so the grade 4 and U.S. history standards were revised through a line-by-line review, with additional input from outside groups, and a new Foundations of Western Civilization section was added. The committee approved the social studies standards and the remaining rules, then adjourned after the chair noted budget discussions would continue the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• What the ethics commission has to disclose is which violations of the ethics code are being alleged to
• </c><00:26:28.640><c> code,</c> up to is the legislative ethics code, up to is the legislative ethics
• "But I mean it's incumbent on every legislator to learn the ethics code, to abide by the ethics code,
• code, to abide by to learn the ethics code, to abide by the<00:29:50.880><c> ethics</c><00:29:51.279
• </c> the ethics code, to read the ethics the ethics code, to read the ethics code,<00:29:53.440><c> be

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The commission heard argument on a renewed motion to compel discovery and related sanctions in an ethics case. Enforcement counsel said the respondent had provided incomplete and inconsistent discovery responses, including no authenticated medical records, and asked the commission to compel full interrogatory answers, bar the respondent from relying on unsupported medical claims at hearing, allow subpoenas for medical records and an LRC report, and continue the December 2 hearing. Respondent’s counsel replied that the defense had complied with discovery, that medical records were being withheld for reasons previously discussed, and that no outstanding discovery remained. The next matter was enforcement counsel’s motion in limine, which sought to exclude a wide range of evidence as irrelevant to the three ethics charges already found to have probable cause. Counsel argued the hearing should focus only on whether the respondent intimidated Fox’s, offered a favor in exchange for a donation, and engaged in inappropriate conduct while intoxicated in his office, and not on complainants’ motives, media coverage, bullying, religious discrimination claims, LRC policies, or other legislators’ conduct. He also argued that any claim of mental or physical condition should be excluded absent supporting medical proof. Respondent’s counsel opposed the motion, saying the excluded topics went to witness credibility, bias, motive, and context, and that LRC materials and testimony from additional witnesses were important to the defense. Commission members questioned both sides about the breadth of the motion in limine and whether any topics could be agreed to as irrelevant. Counsel for the respondent maintained that some challenged topics, including Lexington media coverage and broader legislative practices, were relevant to credibility and context. Enforcement counsel responded that even if such conduct were common, it would not excuse a violation of the ethics code. No final ruling or vote was announced in the excerpt provided.

Bills: SB2347, SB2911, SB2033, SB2158, SB2993, SB2778, SB2672, SB2014, SB3144, SB3096, SB3097, SB2968, SB2363, SB3154, SB2400, SB3313, SB2896, SB3279, SB2614, SB2687, SB2754, SB2549, SB3325, SB2658, SB2659, SB2602, SB2611, SB2877, SB3063, SB2615, SB3232, SB2875, SB3272, SB2854, SB3203, SB2803, SB2804, SB3302, SB3229, SB2969, SB2412, SB2657, SB2880, SB2540, SB2414, SB3142, SB3202, SB2281, SB2852, SB2272, SB2479, SB2589, SB2936, SB2720, SB2730, SB2749, SB2688, SB2798, SB3040, SB3107, SB3010, SB3109, SB3140, SB3187, SB2057, SB2377, SB3048, SB3083, SB3182

Keywords: tenant rights, landlord obligations, housing crisis, eviction prevention, multilingual access, intoxicating liquor, direct shipment, breweries, distilleries, Hawaii, renewable energy, grid-ready homes, interconnection process, electric utility, energy independence, surcharge, customer access, energy storage, smart inverters, veterinary workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• issue any of our hospitals have faced regarding our systems, including our search engines and our research
• And this actually covers the ability to make additional income, the ability to ethically provide AI in
• :02.000><c> to</c> make additional income, the ability to make additional income, the ability to ethically
• provide AI in a uh in the ethically provide AI in a uh in the right<00:27:06.720><c> fashion</c><00:
• :34.880><c> the</c><00:32:35.039><c> best</c><00:32:35.600><c> uh</c> That it is done to the best ethical

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: A presenter from Fast Health Corporation described a proposed Kentucky Health Command System tied to Senate Bill 175, which would create a state-sanctioned AI platform for rural hospitals and telehealth. The company said the system would help rural residents get health information remotely, triage minor issues, and escalate more serious cases to Kentucky providers, with use cases including blood pressure, diabetes, maternity care, smoking cessation, and other preventive-care topics. The presenter argued the system would help rural hospitals compete with out-of-state telehealth companies and keep patients connected to local care. The presentation also emphasized a commercial model the sponsor said would generate new revenue through ads and branded interactions, with the bill reportedly directing 80% of that revenue to rural hospitals and 20% to the state to maintain the system. The presenter said the technology would augment, not replace, doctors and nurses, and claimed it could improve access and convenience in underserved areas. Committee members raised concerns about liability, whether the AI could provide medical advice, and whether there was evidence it had reduced emergency room visits; the presenter said the system could not give medical advice and acknowledged the technology is still very new. The sponsor of the bill said the goal was to help transform rural health care, reduce unnecessary ER use, and capture revenue that would otherwise go to commercial search engines and out-of-state companies. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion ended with questions about branding, loyalty, and the legal limits of the AI system.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, there's a growing body of research that shows that these tools can do more harm than good.
• research and development overseen by IRBs.
• We feel that we should be able to use research-based, safe and effective FDA-approved tools.
• That'd be no different than going to the library and researching it.
• Research from the Yale School of Medicine found that Thank you. Experience.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kevin McCarthy, President of the Arizona Tax Research Association, here in support.
• Chair, first we have Kevin McCarthy, Arizona Tax Research Association. All right.
• But let's do some research on that, and we will follow back up with the committee on what the research
• Sometimes it's just an ethical requirement. Sometimes it's a legal requirement.
• Sometimes it's just an ethical requirement.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several school-related bills, with much of the discussion focused on governance, transparency, and accountability in school districts. House Bill 2318 would impose term limits on school district governing board members in districts with at least 250 students, while allowing county superintendents to appoint a term-limited member to fill a vacancy. Supporters argued it would bring fresh ideas and prevent entrenched leadership; opponents said voters should decide. The bill received a due pass recommendation after a divided roll call. House Bill 2312 would allow certain patriotic youth groups to address students during school hours and require equal access for those groups in school forums. The sponsor said it was intended to promote programs such as FFA, Scouts, and similar organizations. Some members objected that it would take instructional time and was not truly permissive if access was granted to one group, and the bill nonetheless received a due pass recommendation. House Bill 2320 would require school districts to hire a registered independent municipal advisor before calling a bond election and for each successful bond issue. The sponsor and supporters said this could reduce underwriting fees and save taxpayers money, while some members raised questions about costs if a bond failed and whether the bill should be narrowed; it passed with a due pass recommendation after several members voted present or no. The committee also approved House Bill 2376, which would bar districts from buying or leasing school property while a charter or private school is still operating there, and House Bill 2378, which tightens conflict-of-interest rules for the School Facilities Oversight Board by barring the architect and engineer members from having school-construction business. Both were framed by the sponsor as responses to concerns raised in Tolleson Union-related testimony and reporting. House Bill 2379, as amended, requires school board members to complete biennial training approved by the Auditor General, to be offered by county superintendents or ADE, with counties able to contract with others; supporters called it needed training, while opponents raised concerns about unfunded mandates, inclusion of ASBA, and charter schools. It received a due pass recommendation. Finally, House Bill 2380 would require board and subcommittee meetings to be held in-district, preserve online access to materials, and require public approval of out-of-state travel, with reimbursement if retroactive approval is denied. Rural districts and others raised concerns about flexibility, executive-session confidentiality, and administrative burden, but the bill was discussed with amendments and public access concerns rather than a final recorded action in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, there's a lot of other data research needs to be done.
• So please do your research.
• Please know that there are... we have researched what it is doing to we have researched what it is doing
• Please know that there is scientific research evidence that you need to research, so thank you very much
• </c> what I thought before I did my research what I thought before I did my research so<02:52:15.399>

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 with hormonal contraceptives, I did a little research yesterday on this, but some do have shelf lives
• Most does have a policy, but there was a research paper that they authored on unplanned pregnancies,
• There was a research paper that they authored on unplanned pregnancies, and it identified something like
• MOST provides nonpartisan research services to the Missouri General Assembly at the request of legislators
• abide by their own confidentiality rules and also their, you know, whatever professional code of ethics

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And with hormonal contraceptives, I did a little research yesterday. ...need to be filled.
• And with hormonal contraceptives, I did a little research yesterday on this, but some do have shelf lives
• There was a research paper that they authored on unplanned pregnancies, and it identified something like
• MoSPI provides nonpartisan research services to the Missouri General Assembly at the request of legislators
• Research also indicates dispensing a 12-month supply of contraception results in greater medication adherence

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Mental Health met in executive session and first adopted a substitute for House Bill 3401, Representative Phelps’s workplace violence bill, then voted the House Committee Substitute do pass. The substitute broadened language by removing a specific reference to bodily fluids, based on testimony from hospital security personnel that broader wording would be easier to prosecute. The roll call showed the substitute adopted and the bill passed out of committee. The committee then heard House Bill 2370, sponsored by Representative Peters, which would require private insurance to cover a one-year supply of self-administered hormonal contraceptives at one time, similar to Missouri HealthNet. Supporters included ACOG, the Missouri State Medical Association, Beacon Reproductive Health Network, and the Missouri Nurses Association, who argued the bill would improve access, reduce missed doses and unintended pregnancies, and save costs by reducing barriers such as transportation, work schedules, and pharmacy refill gaps. The Missouri Insurance Coalition opposed the bill, arguing it would impose a mandate on private plans, increase costs—especially for brand-name products—and raised questions about whether the bill would require bulk dispensing and how it would interact with existing refill rules. The committee also heard informational testimony from MoSPI noting rural access barriers, higher adherence with 12-month supplies, and that Missouri HealthNet already covers an annual supply. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3278, sponsored by Representative Lobbinger, which would create a multidisciplinary adult protection team framework for adults 60 and older and adults 18 and older with cognitive impairments or disabilities. The bill is intended to improve coordination among agencies handling abuse, neglect, and exploitation cases by allowing limited information sharing and reducing duplicated investigations while preserving confidentiality and guardianship protections. DHSS testified in support, saying the bill would provide a clearer framework for existing multidisciplinary teams, streamline coordination, and help protect vulnerable adults without creating new positions or infrastructure. Committee members asked about membership, meeting frequency, conflicts of interest, and how the bill differs from the ombudsman system; the sponsor and DHSS explained that the teams would be case-specific, generally meet as needed or quarterly, and apply to community cases rather than facility residents. The sponsor also submitted letters of support from existing multidisciplinary teams and related organizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill Buckley, Ethics and Religious Commission, in support.
• Gerwig: Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Chair Tuck: Next up, HB 1515, Public Records Exemption for Research
• HB 1515, Public Records Exemption for Research Database, by Representative Dunkley.
• opportunity to present HB 1515 related to the public records exemption for HB 327, Uterine Fibroid Research
• HB 327&nbsp; 658 Members, this is a public records exemption connected to HB 327, Uterine Fibroid Research

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard a series of health care-related bills, with Chair Tuck emphasizing respectful debate and noting that all bills on the agenda would be voted on that day. The first measure, HB 743, would give the Attorney General authority to investigate and bring civil actions against health care practitioners who violate Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and would make aiding or abetting such conduct a third-degree felony. Supporters said it closed loopholes and protected minors and parental rights, while opponents argued it was vague, overbroad, and could chill lawful care and professional judgment. The bill passed 13-4 and was reported favorably. The committee then unanimously approved PCS for HB 567, which narrows a continuing-education requirement for podiatrists so only those who prescribe controlled substances must take the related two-hour course. It also unanimously approved HB 439, allowing chiropractors, under specified training and certification requirements, to inject vitamins and nutrients while continuing to prohibit intravenous injections. The committee also passed HB 1235 to enter Florida into the respiratory care interstate compact, and HB 1237, a linked public-records/public-meetings exemption needed to implement that compact; both measures were supported as workforce and access-to-care bills and passed without opposition. Later, the committee approved PCS for HB 809, which addresses temporary physician certificates in areas of need and aims to prevent doctors from losing the ability to practice when area designations change. Members asked about licensure pathways and the effect of federal or board designation changes, and supporters framed the bill as protecting continuity of care in underserved communities. The committee also unanimously passed HB 1347 to align clinical laboratory personnel licensing with federal CLIA standards amid staffing shortages, and HB 1515, a public-records exemption tied to a uterine fibroid research database. Finally, the committee approved HB 169 updating acupuncture statutes, including terminology changes and limits on injection therapy, and HB 1021, Representative Young’s first bill, allowing qualified hospital pharmacists in Level I and II trauma centers to administer emergency medications at a physician’s direction during life-threatening situations. HB 1021 drew the most questions, mainly about scope, definitions, and who could authorize the pharmacist, but after a technical amendment it passed unanimously. All remaining bills were reported favorably, and the meeting adjourned after the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an advocate for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and a health care administrator running a private
• We have nothing against drug manufacturers and their investment in research and development.
• They support ethical providers, and they allow the state to act when abuse or neglect occur. ...support
• ethical providers, and they allow the state to act when abuse or neglect occur.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first introduced RS 33403, a follow-on to prior podiatry legislation that would merge podiatry medical practice oversight with the Board of Medicine and move certain rules into statute. The motion to introduce passed without objection. The committee then heard House Bill 713, which would ban copay accumulator policies so third-party copay assistance counts toward a patient’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. The sponsors and supporters argued the bill helps patients with expensive chronic conditions, while opponents from Idaho health plans and some members raised concerns about higher premiums, market interference, and possible conflict with Idaho’s anti-kickback law. After testimony from patients and advocates, the committee rejected the bill on a roll call vote, 7 ayes and 8 nays, and held it in committee. The committee next took up House Bill 655 and RS 33527, a pilot program aimed at reducing prior authorization burdens for certain Medicaid providers who precept medical students, with the goal of encouraging more rural training and future practice in Idaho. The bill would apply only to Medicaid, cap participation, and include family practice, psychiatry, OB-GYN, and later advanced practice providers and physician assistants. After discussion about the pilot structure and administrative burden, the committee voted to hold HB 655 in committee but then approved RS 33527 for introduction and sent it to the second reading calendar. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 723 on children’s residential facilities. The bill adds quality-of-care oversight, annual unannounced inspections, resident and staff interviews, a youth bill of rights, and critical incident reporting requirements, all intended to address problems identified in an OPE report and testimony about abuse and lack of oversight in facilities. Supporters described serious harm to children and the need for clearer rights and reporting mechanisms; the sponsor said the bill uses existing systems to avoid new costs. The committee passed HB 723 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.