Transcript Highlights:

• They operate by creating local service networks, bringing together education, health care, employment
• changes that physicians prescribing psychotropic medication to Medicaid children must now provide the pharmacy
• changes that physicians prescribing psychotropic medication to Medicaid children must now provide the pharmacy

Bills: S0006 , S0036 , S0560 , S0778 , S0844 , S0864 , S1002 , S1016 , S1022 , S1030 , S1630

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Keywords: child welfare, negligence, settlement, injury compensation, Department of Children and Families, nursing title, advanced practice registered nurse, advertising, professional standards, disciplinary action, psychotropic medication, community-based care, liability insurance, forensic services, defendants, mental health, judicial system, defense, legal definitions, sickle cell disease

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> want regardless of any local want regardless of any local zoning<00:19:07.400><c> don't</c><00:19
• </c> have great concern about usurping local have great concern about usurping local control<00:19:46.840
• local control, and you could say that's true in a certain sense.
• local control, and you could say that's true in a certain sense.
• local control, and you could say that's true in a certain sense.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> local agency partners. local agency partners.
• The Board of Pharmacy licenses or registers more than 26,000 individuals and entities, each subject to
• These licensees or registrants include pharmacists, pharmacies, technicians, interns, manufacturers,
• And then there's some language for pharmacies around inspection-related licensing authority.
• If you enjoyed the last one about the pharmacy board, um, I appreciate that, but this is the one, Madam

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• If you've talked to your local hospital, you've heard about this.
• If you've talked to your local hospital, you've heard about this.
• If you've talked to your local hospital, you've heard about this.
• If you've talked to your local hospital, you've heard about this.
• If you've talked to your local hospital, you've heard about this.

Transcript Highlights:

• additional funding for House Bill 8 to invest in equipment to train semiconductor technicians for local
• Our downtown Houston locale positions us to lead in this important work.
• This is because of the particular blend of research and healthcare that we have in medicine, pharmacy
• active military and their dependents. state funding to match the support we have received from our local
• So, the nursing program, the expansion of the pharmacy... program, our health sciences program overall

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:40.320><c> as</c><00:11:40.399><c> a</c> manage our family-owned Pharmacy as a manage our
• family-owned Pharmacy as a rural<00:11:40.920><c> healthc</c><00:11:41.200><c> care</c><00:11:41.399>
• We now have two dentists, and one local dentist.
• We have so many local people who have issues getting to care as it is, so asking them to travel to the
• We have so many local people who have issues getting to care as it is, so asking them to travel to the

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education met on February 6 and began with decision-making items. SB 663, concerning additional positions for the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, was deferred again after the chair said the university’s response did not include the requested details on vacant positions, recruitment status, and fill dates. The chair said the committee needed the full information before considering new positions, and the university apologized for treating the request as informal rather than a formal committee inquiry. The committee then discussed SB 672, relating to capital improvement projects for the Y. Manalo Research Station. University representatives said the project had been identified late because of timing and that they were still developing a broader plan for SEAR research facilities. The chair questioned how the project fit within the university’s existing Board of Regents-approved CIP priorities and whether any current priorities should be displaced. The university said it could not unilaterally reprioritize the budget, and the measure was deferred pending better direction on how it fits into the overall plan. For SB 557, which would require the John A. Burns School of Medicine to direct a study on physician and dentist recruitment and retention for Maui, the committee heard strong testimony in support from Maui health care providers and community representatives. Supporters described severe shortages of physicians and dentists, long waits for care, and the need for housing, loan repayment, scholarships, transportation, and telehealth support to retain providers. The university said it was willing to help and suggested the work could be done through existing rural health and AHEC efforts. The bill was kept alive for further work, with the chair encouraging the parties to develop a plan. The committee also heard SB 1107, establishing a medical education position at JABSOM to support ECHO-style mentorship and guidance programs. The university opposed the bill, saying it did not believe the measure addressed a problem that needed fixing and that Hawaiʻi already has five ECHO clinics administered through the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association, not JABSOM. The committee then took up SB 1204, concerning integration of the Kakaʻako medical school and cancer center. University leadership asked for time to develop a plan and timeline, possibly with an external consultant, and requested the bill be withdrawn. The chair expressed skepticism, citing long-standing concerns about the cancer center’s finances and planning. Testimony included support from the American Cancer Society and a patient who warned that integration could jeopardize the cancer center’s NCI designation and clinical trials, while a university vice president said the NIH P30 grant does not require the cancer center and medical school to remain separate and that many NCI centers are integrated. No final votes were taken on the measures discussed in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• RS 33536 deals with pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs.
• First, it establishes a clear dispensing fee and reimbursement rates for independent pharmacies in our
• strengthening transparency and prohibiting some of the practices that disadvantage our independent Idaho pharmacies

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• As advocates including SEIU Local 509, Project Bread, and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute made
• I actually was able to contact Kenzie back when our local newspapers still printed a lot more local news
• It would require an analysis of cost drivers, including pharmacy benefits spending, high-cost claimants
• school students to come and learn how to become a tech assistant at a local pharmacy.
• And you have to be a student at one of my local public schools: East Boston, Winthrop, or Revere.

Transcript Highlights:

• , which is provided by Diamond Pharmacy.
• </c><00:45:11.680><c> which</c><00:45:11.920><c> is</c> America uh and pharmacy which is America uh and
• pharmacy which is provided<00:45:12.400><c> by</c><00:45:12.640><c> Diamond</c><00:45:13.040><c> Pharmacy
• Uh and to provided by Diamond Pharmacy.
• And a separate contract to cover pharmacy. Okay.

Summary: The committee met to hear updates from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on two related issues: a proposed high-acuity juvenile mental health treatment facility and medical services contracts, including the impact of Wellpath’s bankruptcy proceedings. At the start, the chair agreed to hear the Department of Corrections first so members could get context on the medical contract before turning to DJJ’s proposal. DOC officials said Wellpath, the department’s comprehensive medical and mental health provider since 2013, was awarded its current contract through a 2021 procurement process. They reported that Wellpath’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan had been confirmed and that the company had transitioned ownership to lenders, but had not yet fully completed the bankruptcy process. DOC said there had been no service lapses, no reduction in care, and no known impact on Kentucky vendors or hospitals, and that DOC staff meet with Wellpath almost weekly. Members asked whether the committee had been kept informed and whether the bankruptcy could affect future services or subcontractors. DJJ then presented its concept for a high-acuity facility, explaining that the project is still in the preliminary programming and conceptual stage and has not yet entered the formal design phase with DECA. Officials said the proposal in the capital plan would create a 24-bed facility, with 16 clinical beds and 8 assessment/stabilization beds, to serve justice-involved youth with serious mental health needs. They said the facility would need to separate males and females and high- and low-risk youth, and that current placements often require sending youth out of state to places such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas. Staff said the goal is to centralize treatment, improve safety, and reduce the need for fragmented or out-of-state placements. Committee members questioned the cost estimates, staffing needs, and whether the facility was justified given the small number of youth currently placed out of state. DJJ said the operational estimate includes an unknown medical-contract component and that the number of youth needing the facility can fluctuate because of surges in the juvenile population. Officials also said they had consulted with South Carolina, which is developing a similar facility, and noted that renovating existing facilities was considered but could be more expensive or impractical than building a separate site. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• She added that other factors include mandatory pricing changes for pharmacy benefits and changes in the
• As he read it, it was limited to disability services, behavioral health services, pharmacy, dental, and
• about what the primary drivers of spend are, And across the program, we do see consistently that pharmacy
• And across the program, we do see consistently that pharmacy spend is a higher rinker.
• But we have found that some pharmacies will plug in a diagnosis that we do pay for, get a denial, and

Summary: The committee heard a budget presentation on the Division of Medicaid within the Department of Health and Welfare, including an overview of the division’s five programs, staffing, spending trends, and the large share of the budget that goes to trust and benefit payments. Ms. Williamson explained the difference between ongoing and one-time enhancements, the role of population forecast adjustments, and why the fiscal year 2026 and 2027 numbers change significantly. Members asked about the growth in the budget, the FMAP match rate, the impact of provider rate changes, and the shift of some positions into Medicaid from other divisions after last year’s reorganization. A major topic was House Bill 345 and related budget changes, including the hospital assessment fund alignment, the 4% provider rate reduction, and the effect on Medicaid expansion and other populations. The committee discussed the decline in expansion enrollment, rising costs in traditional Medicaid populations, and the governor’s recommendation to offset part of the 2027 increase with additional reductions. Members raised concerns about access to care, especially for dental, behavioral health, developmental disability, and home- and community-based services, while the deputy director said the department is trying to contain costs through prior authorization, fraud and abuse work, and policy changes. The committee also focused on the MMIS replacement project, which is in year four of a five-year procurement and is funded through dedicated and federal dollars tied to milestones. Another significant item was estate recovery, where the department requested funding to replace an outdated case management system and add contractor support to address a backlog of roughly 20,000 cases; members questioned the return on investment and asked for more detail on the software and staffing split. The deputy director also explained the federally qualified health center reconciliation issue, saying the state had not been properly paying change-in-scope amounts and is now using a new process with interim payments and later reconciliation. In addition, lawmakers asked about program integrity staffing, the use of AI, and whether the department could better target fraud, waste, and abuse investigations. The deputy director said the department is reviewing AI use cautiously and sees opportunities for it in claims review and anomaly detection, but emphasized that the current request is for dedicated receipt authority rather than general funds. No formal votes were taken in the excerpt, but the committee received the presentation, asked extensive questions, and was told that some follow-up information would be provided later.

Transcript Highlights:

• options for students, whether it's transit that goes within or around the campus or a contract with the local
• These are dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.
• We would support programs in optometry, dentistry, pharmacy, and...
• In optometry, dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.
• Collectively, the local Title IX officers and StiXO are primarily responsible for ensuring that education

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, chaired by Assemblymember Alvarez, held a hearing focused on University of California budget issues. The committee reviewed UC core operations funding, enrollment trends, federal funding threats, Title IX implementation, and basic needs support. Major themes included the end of the Governor’s multi-year UC compact, the state’s fiscal outlook, UC’s enrollment growth, and the potential impacts of federal policy changes on research, health care, and student aid. On core funding, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to continue compact-related support, defer some payments, and authorize a cash-flow loan. The LAO recommended a smaller or no base increase, earmarking some funds for capital renewal, retiring deferrals when possible, avoiding new compact commitments, and funding UC annually rather than through compacts. UC argued that the compact has supported enrollment growth, student services, and operating costs, but said campuses face rising expenses, structural deficits, and limited reserves. Members questioned the effects of deferrals on students and discussed the need to prioritize less harmful reductions if cuts become necessary. The enrollment panel focused on UC’s growth in California resident enrollment and the nonresident replacement plan at Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego. The LAO recommended maintaining the current enrollment target, funding enrollment separately from base increases, pausing the nonresident replacement plan, and holding enrollment flat in 2027-28. UC said it has already met compact enrollment goals, grown California undergraduate enrollment by about 18,800 students, and that further growth depends on ongoing state support. The committee also discussed the cost of enrollment growth, possible differential nonresident tuition, and a reporting request for UC to analyze the nonresident replacement approach; the motion to adopt supplemental reporting language passed. The hearing also covered federal funding risks, with the LAO and UC warning that federal changes could affect research grants, medical center reimbursement, and student financial aid. UC said research cancellations and suspensions are disrupting labs and graduate student support, while federal health policy changes could increase uncompensated care at UC hospitals. In the Title IX update, UC described its systemwide civil rights structure, annual student training, and campus support offices, and members praised the work while asking about ongoing concerns and intersegmental collaboration. The final basic-needs item began with Finance stating the Governor’s budget does not change ongoing support, but the transcript cuts off before further discussion or action.

Transcript Highlights:

• other words, it essentially makes all biosimilars automatically eligible for substitution at the pharmacy
• inconsistencies and confusing language with the bill as passed by the House, you know, existing pharmacy
• </c> know one that's hosted by their local know one that's hosted by their local hospital<00:28:05.240
• Residents face considerable financial barriers to accessing necessary health care, with limited local
• or would you PR dispense at the pharmacy or would you PR or<02:07:13.840><c> is</c><02:07:13.960><c>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Of promoting specialty access to care and local control.
• That responsibility is very much locally driven.
• serve on the council, during my time in office, I authored and passed a resolution resulting in a local
• It basically says, and I'll read it, a pharmacy. shall disclose the lowest cost cash price at the pharmacy
• office and have their support for adding an amendment that would add an LMHA representative to the local

Bills: SB1117 , SB1373 , SB672 , SB1986 , SB1098 , SB626 , SB1784 , SB2480 , SB2487 , SB437 , SB660

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: dentistry, botulinum toxin, aesthetic treatments, dental regulation, training, medical staff privileges, hospital administration, healthcare regulation, Texas Health and Safety Code, consistency in privileges, SB 672, Texas hospital emergency operations plan, hospital diversion, emergency department, cyberattack, cyber security, power outage, electrical outage, patient diversion, hospital preparedness

Transcript Highlights:

• That can't go to local, can it? The chair lays out as pending business, Senate Bill 36.
• All right, members, this is a road naming bill, so we'll probably send this to local and city calendars
• Cole and local leaders to guide the process.
• The bill is voluntary; no local agency is required to take part.
• They'll make that arrest and they'll call the local authorities to help them out in that situation.

Bills: HB5097 , HB5513 , SB523 , SB857 , SB964 , SB1101 , SB2143 , SB2332 , SB2383 , HB 1108

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: criminal history, background checks, government code, licensing, information access, rural law enforcement, child care grants, community support, law enforcement retention, advisory committee, SB 523, Texas driver’s license, alternative address, residential address, confidential address, address confidentiality, Department of Public Safety, DPS, Transportation Code, Section 521.1211

Transcript Highlights:

• I know you've gotten quite a few calls on this, probably from your local counties.
• It limits local governments from discriminating against recovery residences.
• The Senate amendment would require local governments to define reasonable accommodations.
• My understanding is that the local counties oppose this bill. I think they're here today.
• There were only like 2 pharmacies that even did that because it was a compound.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> leadership at the local level. leadership at the local level.
• </c> that um that really works with our local that um that really works with our local community<00:15
• level for particular systems, we put in the back on pages 11 and 12 for locals a few local systems.
• Some of you things in your local area.
• <00:35:09.680><c> areas</c><00:35:10.240><c> and</c> local areas and local areas and a<00:35:11.280><

Bills: HB517 , HB98 , HB235 , HB236 , HB237 , HB238 , HB239 , HB240 , HB241 , HB242 , HB565 , HB517 , HB98 , HB235 , HB236 , HB237 , HB238 , HB239 , HB240 , HB241 , HB242 , HB565 , SB380

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: underground damage prevention, one-call notification system, utility locating, excavation safety, dig safe, call before you dig, utility lines, underground utilities, pipeline safety, gas pipeline, electric utility, telecommunications, water utility, wastewater, cable television, locate request, premark, tolerance zone, positive response, contract locator

Transcript Highlights:

• substitute bill really had a lot of the duties that could have been addressed more in our Alabama CASA local
• The CASA program's been in place, like I said, for almost 40 years, and there were various local programs
• And they have standards that local programs and our entity have to go by.
• Also, Alabama CASA adopted standards for local programs.

Bills: HB227 , HB454 , SB323 , HB266 , SB52 , SB53 , SB296 , HB37 , HB429 , HB93 , HB249 , HB328 , HB111 , HB132 , HB26 , SB261 , HB227 , HB454 , SB323 , HB266 , SB52 , SB53 , SB296 , HB37 , HB429 , HB93 , HB249 , HB328 , HB111 , HB132 , HB26 , SB261

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: firefighter benefits, occupational disease, line of duty, disability pension, death benefits, retirement benefits, hypertension, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer presumption, HIV, hepatitis, municipal firefighters, state firefighters, fire districts, workers' compensation, public safety employees, post-retirement benefits, benefit eligibility cutoff, occupational illness

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a local decision. Many districts that we talked to felt like they had achieved their goal.
• He is the first person to ever be chairman of a local, state, and national Hispanic chamber. Mr.
• The following resolutions by Busey are being referred to the Committee on Local Consent Calendars: HR
• Noble, the following resolutions by Buckley are being referred to the Committee on Local and Distinct
• The following resolutions by Martinez Fischer are being referred to the Committee on Local and State

Bills: HB5560 , HB2 , HB24 , HB3233 , HB1397 , HB2067 , HB3133 , HB5696 , HB5680 , HB2885 , HB3966 , HB3556 , HB3595 , HB144 , HB26 , HB2038 , HB521 , HB4 , HB 1178 , HB42 , HB 1211 , HB783 , HB3963 , HB2240 , HB1690 , HB 1234 , HB3372 , HB27 , HB4211 , HB2243 , HB2853 , HB4638 , HJR7 , HB 100 , HB 126 , HB3783 , HB5138 , HB2512 , HB5616 , HB4751 , SB17 , SB1637 , SB1833 , SB2155 , SB21 , SB2778 , SB260 , SB8 , SB12 , SB37 , SB379 , SB441 , SB1566 , SB2878 , HB4112 , HB3866 , HB4749 , HB2844 , HB150

Keywords: groundwater, civil penalties, water conservation, drought contingency, environmental protection, public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, zoning, public notice, local government, residential development

Bills: HB5560 , HB2 , HB24 , HB3233 , HB1397 , HB2067 , HB3133 , HB5696 , HB5680 , HB2885 , HB3966 , HB3556 , HB3595 , HB144 , HB26 , HB2038 , HB521 , HB4 , HB 1178 , HB42 , HB 1211 , HB783 , HB3963 , HB2240 , HB1690 , HB 1234 , HB3372 , HB27 , HB4211 , HB2243 , HB2853 , HB4638 , HJR7 , HB 100 , HB 126 , HB3783 , HB5138 , HB2512 , HB5616 , HB4751 , SB17 , SB1637 , SB1833 , SB2155 , SB21 , SB2778 , SB260 , SB8 , SB12 , SB37 , SB379 , SB441 , SB1566 , SB2878 , HB4112 , HB3866 , HB4749 , HB2844 , HB150

Keywords: groundwater, civil penalties, water conservation, drought contingency, environmental protection, public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, zoning, public notice, local government, residential development

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk, let's go to the uncontested local bills, please.
• Question for the body now is the local application.
• Pharmacy. Pharmacy. &gt;&gt; Representative<00:36:56.000><c> Underwood.
• by the two state pharmacy schools.
• Uh, I see that at the local issues.