Transcript Highlights:

• Because of my illness and treatment regimen, I did not have a normally functioning immune system from
• Because of my illness and treatment regimen, I did not have a normal functioning immune system from the
• It could prevent schools from excluding contagious children until their medical treatment is complete
• Similarly, policies related to tuberculosis screenings and treatments for corrections officers.
• There were COVID, I think they were called treatments more properly than vaccines.

Committee: House House Regulatory Oversight Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee met for its first hearing of the session, took roll, introduced members and staff, and reviewed committee rules and amendment deadlines. The chair also announced that video recording would not be allowed in the room and set the order and speaking limits for the day’s bills. The committee heard HB 2248, the Arizona Medical Freedom Act, which would bar governmental entities, businesses, schools, and ticket issuers from denying employment, entry, services, or participation based on whether a person has or has not received a medical intervention. Supporters framed it as protecting bodily autonomy, parental rights, and freedom from medical discrimination. Opponents, including physicians, child care and public health advocates, argued the bill was overly broad and could undermine vaccination policies, school and child care illness controls, and protections for immunocompromised people. The bill passed on a 3-2 vote. The committee then heard HB 2086, which would prohibit governmental entities and businesses from requiring vaccination or masks/face coverings, with limited exceptions for workplace safety and infection control. Supporters said it would prevent government coercion and protect individual liberty and business freedom; opponents warned it would interfere with private business decisions and public health measures. After testimony and debate over the scope of the bill and the relevance of Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the committee approved HB 2086 on a 3-2 vote. Finally, the committee considered HB 2688, which would require the Arizona Department of Administration to identify state budget positions vacant for at least 150 days and direct budget units to eliminate those positions each fiscal year, with some exceptions such as Corrections and DPS. The sponsor said the bill was intended to reduce waste and prevent vacant positions from functioning as slush funds, while critics raised concerns about hard-to-fill specialized roles. The committee passed HB 2688 on a 3-2 vote and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• by Representative Patterson relating to requiring parental consent for behavioral mental health treatment
• And parents were concerned about access to certain types of treatment without parental consent. sent
• And parental consent would be per incident, per treatment, or is it a general form at the beginning?
• would have to provide written consent to be able to have their kids treated in that capacity per treatment
• However, HB 497 will specifically eliminate information, not treatment, from being provided to students

Bills: HB367 , HB497 , HB549 , HB983 , HB 1188 , HB 1290 , HB1368 , HB2243 , HB2310 , HB2849 , HB3099 , HB3546 , HB3629 , HB3627

Committee: House Public Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Throughout the course of the treatment, grant recipients will provide participating veterans...
• Mental health and substance use disorder treatment will offer veterans a path to self-sufficiency.
• My wife is a licensed psychologist with a PhD, and she handles the treatment aspect of our organization
• So, what we bring is successful substance use disorder treatment, enabling all of these other homeless
• Prevention, Treatment, and Texas Targeted Opioid Response Programs.

Bills: HCR7 , HB1557 , HB1608 , HB2061 , HB2201 , HB2210 , HB2426 , HB2754 , HJR165 , HB2513 , HCR7

Committee: House S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason for that was there was a concern expressed that direct care and treatment is the arm of the
• <00:01:06.960><c> direct</c><00:01:07.200><c> care</c><00:01:07.360><c> and</c><00:01:07.520><c> treatment
• </c><00:01:07.760><c> is</c><00:01:08.000><c> the</c> that direct care and treatment is the that direct
• The CEO then runs all of direct care and treatment, which is a billion-dollar agency.
• which is a billion-dollar treatment which is a billion-dollar agency.<00:02:46.160><c> Uh</c><00:02:

Summary: The committee took up House File 2037, which would replace the current executive board model for Direct Care and Treatment with a commissioner-led structure. Representative Frederick moved the DE1 amendment, which was adopted, to conform the bill with Senate language and place the CEO under the commissioner. Frederick said the change was intended to preserve some continuity while increasing accountability and insulating direct health care services from politics. Frederick argued that the existing executive board, which meets only a few times a year and hires the CEO, would leave the legislature and governor with limited ability to respond quickly to serious problems in a billion-dollar agency. He said the bill is about accountability to Minnesota taxpayers and creating a structure more like other state agencies. Public testimony was closed without any outside witnesses. Members discussed the tradeoffs between board governance and a commissioner model. Chair Schumacher noted Frederick would become chief author of the bill, and several members said they appreciated the effort to balance accountability, continuity of care, and operational expertise. Questions focused on the role of the advisory council; Frederick said it would remain in place so stakeholders could advise the commissioner and CEO, and that legislators are included among its members. The committee then laid over House File 2037, as amended, for possible inclusion in a later bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we need that care closer to home so they can go get their treatments and come back home in the daylight
• So we need that care closer to home so they can go get their treatments and come back home in the daylight
• </c><00:08:21.360><c> and</c><00:08:22.560><c> you</c> some of the cancer treatments and you some of
• the cancer treatments and you know<00:08:22.879><c> especially</c><00:08:23.120><c> when</c><00:08:23.280
• and come back home in the treatments and come back home in the daylight. daylight. daylight.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it can also completely change the treatment plan of a patient.
• Chair, Representative Willoughby, now are we just talking about treatment?
• You said it's a shall, but are we talking about just treatment?
• I understand for treatment, but how are we leaving this open-ended? Mr. Chair, Mr.
• Is it just for treatment purposes, or because at that point anyone can request that?

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2931, which continues the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board for eight years. The sponsor and a Civil Rights Division representative testified that the board helps examine civil rights issues and supports transparency and justice. The bill received a due pass recommendation on a 5-3 vote. The committee then considered HB 2862, a strike-everything amendment creating a sentencing enhancement for crimes committed while wearing a mask to conceal identity, narrowed by amendment to Title 13 offenses. Opponents, including CAIR Arizona and the ACLU, argued it could burden religious expression and protest activity, while supporters said it targets criminal concealment and improves accountability. The committee adopted the striker and amendment and gave the bill as amended a due pass recommendation by a 7-2 vote. HB 4042 followed, requiring a potential father in a paternity action to serve the mother to avoid waiving certain rights and allowing failure to do so to support termination of the parent-child relationship. An adoption attorney said the change would close a loophole and align termination law with adoption statutes. The bill passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. The committee also heard HB 4136, creating unlawful entry into a residence where a vulnerable adult lives as a felony, with an amendment removing immediate-arrest language and other provisions. The sponsor described a case involving repeated harassment of a vulnerable adult, while opponents said existing trespass, burglary, and aggravating-factor laws already cover the conduct. The amended bill received a due pass recommendation on a 6-3 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> 485, an act relating to the care and treatment of individuals with mental illness.
• Mental illness with the appropriate level of treatment, as I said.
• This amendment just further tightens the language around who may be ordered to treatment.
• It adds uh section 10 to address times when the respondent may agree to comply with treatment and it
• This amendment just further tightens the language around who may be ordered to treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• whom was heard the House bill promoting rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment
• whom was referred the House bill promoting rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment
• whom was referred the House bill promoting rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment
• the contrary, the House bill promoting the rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment
• House bill promoting the rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment, House No.

Summary: The Senate took up several bills on final passage and enacted measures including retirement benefits for a former Attleboro firefighter, maintenance of private roads in Gloucester, expansion of a local board of health, and amendments to the Middleton town charter. It also adopted a series of Eagle Scout congratulatory resolutions and advanced a bill allowing Somerset to prohibit water fluoridation, a Fairhaven charter bill amended on the floor, a Boston easements/takings measure consolidated with a Senate bill, and local bills for Lancaster and Orange. The Senate additionally ordered to third reading and engrossment a bill concerning Dedham-Westwood Water District employees. The chamber approved extensions of reporting deadlines for the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and the Committee on Transportation, after members asked how many bills were covered and the deadlines involved. The Labor extension covered 13 bills until July 30, and the Transportation extension covered 11 bills until July 31, 2026. The Senate also suspended rules to advance two public service committee reports establishing sick leave banks for Greg Pinkerton of the Department of Correction and Stephanie Rivera of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. A motion was adopted for the Senate to adjourn in memory of Dorothy Bonfante, with a brief tribute read into the record describing her family, community involvement, and ties to Peabody and Salem. Later, the Committee on Ways and Means reported that House No. 5316, a bill titled to promote rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment, ought to pass with a new text amendment. The Senate adopted a special order setting the bill for second reading on May 7, 2026, with filing deadlines and procedures for amendments, then suspended the rules and adopted the order by standing vote. The Senate finally adopted an order to meet again on Monday at 11 a.m. and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• THIS BILL REQUIRES DCF TO CREATE A TREATMENT FOSTER CARE PILOT PROGRAM THAT WILL INCREASE FAMILY LIKE
• THE TREATMENT FOSTER CARE ALSO KNOWN AS RATIONAL FOSTER CARE PLACES THE CHILD IN A FAMILY LIKE SETTING
• HOWEVER, UNLIKE TRADITIONAL FOSTER HOMES TREATMENT FOSTER PARENTS RECEIVE SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO CARE
• THE BILL ALSO REQUIRES DCF TO CONTRACT FOR A BED CAPACITY STUDY FOR RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT AND THE GAP
• ANALYSIS FOR NONRESIDENTIAL TREATMENT SERVICES FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION WITH

Transcript Highlights:

• Provisions of this bill would be a treatment foster care pilot program.
• The study of residential treatment capacity: DCF will conduct a study to assess our current and future
• Provisions of this bill would be a treatment foster care pilot program.
• The study of residential treatment capacity: DCF will conduct a study to assess our current and future
• needs of residential treatment beds for child victims of commercial and sexual trafficking.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee considered three bills and reported all of them favorably by unanimous votes. HB 355, by Rep. Jay Alvarez, would allow public K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions to purchase, use, and maintain FDA-approved emergency opioid antagonists rather than being limited to naloxone. The bill was described as giving schools more flexibility and a lower-cost option for overdose response; it received supportive public testimony and passed 18-0. HB 531, by Rep. Hanchowski, expands background screening requirements for child care facilities and programs to include certain recreational enrichment programs, and creates a statewide public awareness campaign about screening requirements. An amendment narrowed the definition of recreational enrichment programs to in-person dance, gymnastics, and martial arts lessons and conformed a statutory cross-reference; the amendment was adopted without objection. The bill then passed 18-0, with support from Florida Smart Justice Alliance and some discussion about strengthening enforcement against bad actors. HB 1127, by Rep. Weinberger, addresses child welfare by creating a treatment foster care pilot program for high-acuity children, directing DCF to study residential treatment capacity, and improving data collection on commercially sexually exploited children. The bill also includes recruitment and funding proposals for foster parents and workforce strategies for DCF. Members praised the bill’s focus on difficult cases and system gaps, public testimony was supportive, and the bill passed 18-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have no treatment plan for it.
• It's being treated as a crime, and people are punished rather than given treatment.
• It needs treatment. But we need oversight in order to see what's going on. My personal...
• Treatment, but we need oversight in order to see what's going on.
• The SAU is supposed to be a pro-social treatment program.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Summary: The hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security focused on several correction-related bills, including visitation reform, elder and medical parole, incarcerated persons’ human rights, and creation of an independent correctional oversight office. Vice Chair Christopher Worrell chaired the hearing in place of Chair Dan Cahill for much of the session and explained that the committee would first hear from incarcerated individuals remotely, then move to public testimony. The committee repeatedly enforced three-minute limits and accepted written testimony as well. Much of the testimony from incarcerated people emphasized that visitation is central to rehabilitation, family stability, and reentry, and that current DOC policies—visitor caps, pre-approval requirements, scheduling rules, dress-code enforcement, and restrictions on contact—have reduced family contact and caused harm. Several speakers argued that elderly and medically frail prisoners should be released through parole because incarceration is costly, ineffective, and inhumane for people who pose little public-safety risk. Others described poor prison conditions, limited programming, inadequate healthcare, segregation-like housing, and the impact of K2 use, suicides, and self-harm. Supporters of the oversight bill said an independent office is needed to address racial disparities, grievance failures, and lack of accountability within the DOC. A number of speakers tied their support to personal experiences, including alleged racial discrimination, denial of programs, and barriers to family visits. Some testified that rehabilitative programming, education, and restorative justice reduce violence and improve outcomes, while others said the DOC spends too little on programming and too much on punishment. Committee members asked a few follow-up questions, including about K2 contraband and how to reduce drugs in facilities, and one member asked about typical visitation lengths. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony on the bills and several witnesses urged favorable reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• If he attends treatment, there's a separate system within the DOCR that he's going into.
• So they're getting copies of the pre-sentence investigation, treatment notes, treatment information,
• And these include everything from probation, supervised mental health treatment, fines.
• It means they need rehab, treatment, support, and education.
• Just in case, since we've implemented it, participation in treatment has gone up.

Committee: Joint Judiciary Committee

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence honoring a deceased member, then approved the April minutes. The first major presentation was from Chelsea Florey of Child and Family Services on the Diversion Task Force and related grant programs created with one-time funding from HB 1012. She reported that five of six proposals were funded, with youth diversion services operating in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and a Red River Children’s Advocacy Center program focused on problematic sexualized behavior. Members discussed barriers such as staffing shortages, voluntary family engagement, service fatigue, and the need for better coordination, broader outreach, and possible changes to diversion eligibility rules so low-level cases can remain in diversion longer. Several legislators pressed for more practical system changes and clearer service navigation, while Florey said the task force is trying to build a service array or hub and is leaning on the Children’s Cabinet for broader recommendations. The committee then heard from North Dakota Lottery Director Thomas Lawler, who gave an operational overview and biennium report. He described the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, Pick and Click subscriptions, Players Club membership, and revenue distribution. For the 2023-25 biennium, about $67 million in tickets were purchased, with roughly $16.2 million transferred overall, including money for the general fund, drug task force grants, and compulsive gambling prevention and treatment. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether the amount is set by statute. A lengthy presentation followed from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on criminal justice data connectivity and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that North Dakota’s jail, court, HHS, and correctional systems use multiple separate databases that do not communicate in real time, requiring manual cross-checks and staff communication. He said the department is exploring a centralized hub or other integration approach, but noted challenges with identifiers, vendor contracts, confidentiality, and cost. Robin Schmolenberger then updated the committee on a Medicaid data-sharing project with HHS, saying monthly application assistance is now occurring in correctional facilities and that automated bi-directional data exchange is expected in late 2026 to help suspend and reactivate Medicaid coverage and identify former foster care youth. Members also discussed parole, probation, transitional housing, and the need for better real-time notifications and clearer data definitions. The committee also received an update from county representatives on the 24/7 sobriety program, including a recent attorney general opinion that if a court waives 24/7 fees, sheriffs may use the cheaper twice-daily breath test or urine testing instead of SCRAM bracelets or drug patches. Finally, Bruce Johnson of the Racing Commission presented on an audit report, acknowledging serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, grant documentation failures, a breeders fund eligibility reversal, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has already changed its procedures by tracking fund limits monthly, requiring grant applications and itemized reports, enforcing breeders fund rules as written, and routing purchases through procurement with written contracts. The committee asked follow-up questions throughout but took no formal votes on these presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> or research into small cell treatment or research into small cell treatment for<00:08:16.560><c>
• </c> they should have initiation of treatment they should have initiation of treatment which<00:18:56.480
• some of these treatments that I've described<00:24:20.120><c> in</c><00:24:20.440><c> some</c><00:24
• The primary treatment for mild to moderate hearing loss is hearing aids.
• And so, this is where the diagnostic testing dictates what type of treatment is necessary.

Summary: The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee heard Senate Bill 6, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, which would create an endowed research fund to support collaborative university research in Kentucky. Stivers described the bill as an extension of earlier higher-education research efforts, arguing that Kentucky should build research “hubs” by requiring or encouraging partnerships among universities and outside entities, with potential focus areas including health care, engineering, aerospace, agriculture, and other emerging fields. He said the proposal would establish five research tranches over five years and sought a $30 million endowment for each, generating annual interest to fund consortium-based research and leverage additional private and federal dollars. Senators Frommeyer, Neal, Givens, Boswell, and Richardson spoke in support, emphasizing economic development, job creation, and examples from other research clusters such as Boston and North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The committee voted 12-0 to report the bill favorably to the Senate floor. The committee then received a presentation from Dr. Matthew Bush of the University of Kentucky on pediatric hearing loss and cochlear implants. Bush explained that early hearing detection and intervention is critical because hearing loss in newborns is a neurocognitive emergency that affects language, literacy, and long-term outcomes. He outlined national screening benchmarks, Kentucky’s incidence of childhood hearing loss, and the high educational and societal costs of untreated hearing loss. Bush also highlighted disparities in rural and western Kentucky, where children face delayed diagnosis, longer waits for hearing aids or cochlear implants, and more difficulty accessing follow-up care. He described cochlear implants, the multidisciplinary care they require, and research showing improved language development, quality of life, and cost savings when children are treated early.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> if there's maybe a different treatment if there's maybe a different treatment that<02:42:47.800>
• </c><03:01:13.360><c> their</c> before getting the treatment their before getting the treatment their
• </c> effective treatment for our um patients. effective treatment for our um patients.
• Anybody else wish to testify on cancer treatments?
• Patients have access, quick access, to effective treatment.

Committee: Joint Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> treatment altogether. treatment altogether.
• </c><00:07:36.560><c> and</c> access to nonopiid pain treatments and access to nonopiid pain treatments
• The harm goes deeper than an instance of denied or inadequate treatment.
• </c><00:30:34.159><c> It</c> denied or inadequate treatment. It denied or inadequate treatment.
• Seeking medical and treatment.

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and first moved through administrative regulations without comment. The committee then heard Senate Bill 56, sponsored by Senator Gerald Neal, which would require Medicaid and its managed care entities to treat non-opioid pain medications on equal footing with opioid analgesics by prohibiting more restrictive coverage controls, prior authorization, or step therapy for non-opioids. Neal argued the bill would improve access to safer pain treatment options and reduce the risk of opioid use disorder, and Billy O'Brien of Young People in Recovery testified in support, describing personal experiences where non-opioid options were difficult to obtain despite a desire to avoid opioids. After discussion, the bill received a motion and second and passed the committee on a 10-0 vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 72, sponsored by Senator Don Douglas and presented with Greg Chaffin of Alliance Defending Freedom. Douglas described the bill as a provider recruitment and retention measure intended to protect health care workers from being compelled to act against their conscience and to address workforce shortages and pressure in health care settings. He said the bill would protect individual beliefs while maintaining professionalism. A large number of witnesses then testified, and the chair limited public comments to two minutes each because of the number of speakers and the controversy surrounding the bill. Most public testimony opposed SB 72. Speakers including representatives of the Kentucky Council of Churches, a psychologist, an ordained minister and nurse, a nurse practitioner, and an ACLU policy strategist argued the bill was overly broad, could allow refusals of care by a wide range of health care workers, and could delay or deny treatment, especially for vulnerable patients and in rural or emergency settings. Several cited concerns about discrimination, patient safety, and the lack of adequate protections for patients. One witness recounted the death of an 18-year-old pregnant patient as an example of the harm that can result from delayed care. The transcript ends during additional testimony on SB 72, before any committee vote or final action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We now have only an emergency department, same-day surgery, mental health treatment, and addiction treatment
• ,</c><00:19:32.960><c> and</c> surgery, mental health treatment, and surgery, mental health treatment
• </c> addiction treatment for men only. addiction treatment for men only.
• Person fell off a roof and they awarded me one treatment.
• </c> practice and how many treatments practice and how many treatments somebody<00:38:06.079><c> might

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Nationally, PE firms currently own and operate over one-third of methadone clinics or opioid treatment
• This is an area of bipartisan policy concern given that opioid treatment programs are the only licensed
• manifested in investments across hospitals, physician practices, nursing homes, as well as opioid treatment
• ><00:08:13.120><c> well</c><00:08:13.280><c> as</c><00:08:13.440><c> opioid</c><00:08:13.919><c> treatment
• </c> homes as well as opioid treatment homes as well as opioid treatment programs.<00:08:15.280><c> Most

Transcript Highlights:

• And when I would ask what kind of treatments they were going through, And when I would ask what kind
• of treatments they were going through, there was one grandparent that said, 'We've been here 13 days.
• But when the disease is rare, you learn that there is not enough study, not enough treatment options,
• She's completed treatment...' ...with a rare pediatric brain tumor.
• She's completed treatment and recently received a clear brain scan, and she has continued to be monitored

Committee: House Special Committee on Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• And when I would ask what kind of treatments they were going through, And when I would ask what kind
• of treatments they were going through, there was one grandparent that said, 'We've been here 13 days.
• But when the disease is rare, you learn that there is not enough studies, not enough treatment options
• She's completed treatment and research...' ...with a rare pediatric brain tumor.
• She's completed treatment and recently received a clear brain scan, and she has continued to be monitored

Committee: House Special Committee on Tourism

Summary: The Special Committee on Tourism first met in executive session and approved House Bill 1651 by a vote of 11-0. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1756, which would designate the first full week in September as “June’s Week” and Rare Pediatric Disease Week in Missouri. Sponsor Representative Steinmeyer described his granddaughter June’s battle with a rare pediatric brain tumor and said the bill is intended to raise awareness of rare pediatric diseases, connect families with support, and encourage media coverage and education. Several witnesses testified in support, including family members and advocates who spoke about the emotional, financial, and diagnostic challenges faced by families dealing with rare childhood illnesses; there was no opposition testimony. Committee members expressed sympathy and support, with several noting the importance of awareness and the lack of pediatric cancer research. Questions focused on why September was chosen and what activities might occur during the week; the sponsor said he wanted the designation to avoid conflict with June’s birthday and to create space for media stories and educational outreach. Supporters emphasized that the bill would not require funding, only recognition, and that it could help families feel less isolated. The committee also heard House Bill 1828, sponsored by Representative Violet, which would authorize state support for maintenance and operations at the Missouri National Veterans Memorial in Perryville when needed and subject to appropriation. The sponsor said the memorial serves veterans and families through reflection, healing, and education, and that the bill follows precedent from other memorial funding arrangements without diverting money from other Veterans Commission priorities. A memorial representative testified that the site has already received significant state-supported construction funding and that the bill would help preserve and maintain the facility. There was no opposition, and the hearing concluded with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:28.680><c> while</c><00:08:28.919><c> also</c> to support Medical Treatments while also to
• centers the opportunity to treatment centers the opportunity to incorporate<00:08:46.440><c> a</c><00
• </c><00:09:55.399><c> it</c> appropriate and effective treatments it appropriate and effective treatments
• </c><01:57:47.480><c> centers</c> the alternative treatment centers the alternative treatment centers
• </c><01:59:00.560><c> of</c> use of cannabis for the treatment of use of cannabis for the treatment of

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs