Transcript Highlights:

• . that addiction to marijuana is a substance use disorder, a mental health disorder.
• And with regard to substance use disorder.
• substance use disorder treatment.
• Consistently, about 65% of inmates in Texas have a substance use disorder.
• compared to the cost of Robust Regulation and Substance Use Disorder Treatment.

Bills: SCR5, SCR13, SB3, SB6, SB10, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB17, SB18, SB19, SB24, SB35, SB57, SB65, SB112, SB284, SB290, SB388, SB400, SB402, SB412, SB495, SB499, SB502, SB509, SB621, SB706, SB740, SB815, SB842, SB854, SB875, SB893, SB917, SB974, SB1025, SB1061, SB1073, SB1106, SB1268, SB1281, SB1300, SB1362, SB1379, SB1447, SB1451, SB1555, SB1902, SJR36, SJR12, SCR13, SCR25, SCR5, SCR22, SCR12, SCR24, SB495, SB412, SB10, SB18, SB565, SB372, SB842, SB765, SB62, SB19, SB666, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB290, SB13, SB1248, SB740, SB14, SB1006, SB504, SB917, SB925, SB388, SB1902, SB1121, SB995, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB35, SB6, SB815, SB3, SB1281, SB1379, SB1300, SB1497, SB1499, SB1498, SB1451, SB1061, SB15, SB65, SB241, SB304, SB402, SB499, SB621, SB974, SB1023, SB1024, SB1025, SB1106, SB686, SB112, SB371, SB204, SB400, SB609, SB1447, SB670, SB502, SB427, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1555, SB1362, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB987, SB1539, SB893, SB447, SB875, SB406, SB509, SB985, SB965, SB17, SB1119, SB1505, SB12, SB24, SB57, SB1194, SB1253, SB1215, SB1532, SB1268, SB1302, SB856, SB650, SB583, SB673, SB840, SJR57, SCR8, SB213, SB681, SB1172, SB1252, SB378, SB610, SB918, SB1343, SB608, SB487, SB955, SB957, SB988, SB990, SB1019, SB1021, SB1120, SB251, SB958, SB535, SB761, SB1, SB541, SB315, SB379, SB1018, SB1737, SB266, SB1415

Keywords: SCR 5, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, Texas School for the Deaf, TSD, Robert Rives, gymnasium naming, building naming, honorary resolution, commemorative resolution, deaf education, hard of hearing, Gallaudet University, alumni hall of fame, football coach, school facility naming, education K-16, State Affairs, Texas Legislature, public school tribute, water rights

Transcript Highlights:

• simple as depression, anxiety to more severe conditions like substance use, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
• simple as depression, anxiety to more severe conditions like substance use, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
• substance use,<00:04:47.600> schizophrenia,<00:04:48.560> bipolar<00:04:49.040> disorder
• use, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder. use, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.
• come in, say they have mild depression, anxiety, PTSD, something more serious like substance use disorder

Keywords: 00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 02:05 - Discussion of 26RS HB 178 14:05 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 178 15:05 - Discussion of 26RS HB 280 20:00 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 280 22:00 - Discussion of 26RS HJR 24 24:30 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HJR 24 26:00 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Health Services Committee met for the first time in the 2026 session and established a quorum before taking up three measures. House Bill 178, sponsored by Rep. Kim Moser with support from the Kentucky Psychiatric Medical Association, was presented as a budget-neutral collaborative care model to improve access to mental health treatment in primary care settings. Testimony emphasized workforce shortages, long wait times, stigma, and the potential for the model to reduce costs and improve outcomes by having primary care providers work with behavioral health care managers and psychiatric consultants. The bill received a favorable recommendation by roll call vote. The committee then considered House Bill 280, also sponsored by Rep. Moser. The bill and committee amendment were described as cleanup and policy updates affecting Kentucky Board of Nursing licensure standards, including restoring language related to abuse, neglect, and exploitation in the central registry, preserving the board’s ability to investigate out-of-state applicants, and adding an emergency provision. The bill also updated school medication provisions to allow certain prescribed rescue medications, including bronchodilator inhalers, nebulizers, glucagon, Solu-Cortef, and updated epinephrine delivery. The committee adopted the amendment, approved the bill with favorable expression, and then approved a motion to roll the committee amendment into the House committee substitute. Finally, the committee took up House Joint Resolution 24, sponsored by Rep. Ken Fleming, with a committee substitute adopted first. The resolution was explained as a request for the cabinet to withdraw a previously submitted Medicaid-related waiver application so it could be resubmitted under new requirements tied to House Resolution 1. The committee approved the resolution with favorable expression and also adopted a title amendment. The meeting concluded with notice that the next committee meeting would be Thursday, January 22nd at noon.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think what you'll find when we get that information to you and that spectrum of teachers... ...
• when we get that information to you and that spectrum of teachers, this is what makes our state special
• went to about biology, geometry, like the end-of-course exam subject areas, so it's a pretty good spectrum
• went to about biology, geometry, like the end of course exam subjects areas, so it's a pretty good spectrum
• So it covers the whole spectrum.

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the report, one of the things we elected to do was to recognize that among the spectrum of options
• that are available to the Legislature is the choice ...spectrum of options that are available to the
• It exists, I think, across the utility spectrum.
• Across that spectrum, you see a mix of approaches that work for local communities.
• Across that spectrum, you see a mix of approaches that work for the local communities.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee held the first of several informational hearings on the SB 254 Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study, focused on wildfire risk, utility liability, and how to finance catastrophic losses. Chair Allen opened by describing California’s recent utility-ignited wildfires, the creation of the wildfire fund under AB 1054, and SB 254’s extension of that fund and requirement for a study. The California Earthquake Authority, as wildfire fund administrator, presented the report’s process and findings, emphasizing that the study was intended to be neutral and broad, based on extensive stakeholder outreach, and that the status quo is not working well for survivors, communities, ratepayers, insurers, or utilities. CEA’s report organized recommendations into three policy pathways: continued mitigation investment, more equitable allocation of catastrophe burdens, and expanded state roles in catastrophe financing. For utilities, the report discussed options such as setting a binding risk-tolerance standard, preserving safety certificate accountability, tying executive compensation more directly to safety, creating confidential reporting with safe-harbor protections, reforming utility liability including possible changes to inverse condemnation, limiting damages, reducing insurance subrogation, and creating a fast-pay facility for survivors. The financing analysis compared a more durable wildfire fund, risk transfer/reinsurance, liability reforms, and state-backed mechanisms such as a state insurer, a state backstop, and broader funding for community wildfire mitigation. The CPUC said wildfire mitigation oversight has improved, but wildfire-related costs are driving electricity bills higher and creating an affordability crisis. The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety highlighted its wildfire mitigation plan review and field inspections, and recommended stronger safety reporting and more safety-weighted executive compensation. In member discussion, senators and assemblymembers focused on the cost of the status quo, whether the burden should be shared by ratepayers, utilities, the state, or other parties, and whether California should consider broader disaster-financing approaches. Several members raised concerns about inverse condemnation, the pace of survivor compensation, local land-use responsibility, and the need for a more comprehensive statewide solution rather than piecemeal bills. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid covers nearly 40 percent of all people with an opioid use disorder.
• <02:37:45.760> leading care for substance use disorder leading care for substance use disorder
• It required Medicaid to cover medications for opioid use disorder.
• <03:25:31.560> in treatment for substance use disorder in treatment for substance use disorder
• access to substance use disorder access to substance use disorder treatment<03:25:38.479> but

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, February 6, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have been studying stress and the nervous system and mental health disorders for many decades.
• and rapid incidence of new disorders.
• Human support is the biggest protector of stress-related mental health disorders.
• This includes schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They need professional medical management.
• We need to think of prevention of these disorders, especially for children.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee held an informational hearing on the health impacts of wildfires and the effects on health care systems and access to care. The first panel focused on public health consequences, with testimony from UCLA and UCSF physicians, a community organizer, and an Altadena recovery leader. Witnesses described acute and long-term physical harms from wildfire smoke and ash, including asthma and COPD exacerbations, cardiovascular and stroke risks, pregnancy impacts, infection risk, and possible added hazards from lithium-ion battery fires. They also emphasized mental health effects such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, “firebrain,” and the need for psychological first aid, trauma-informed community networks, and youth-focused resilience programs. Community advocates stressed that Latine, Indigenous, undocumented, and Black communities face disproportionate harm because of language barriers, unsafe work conditions, lack of insurance, and exclusion from disaster aid, and they called for stronger language access, worker protections, permanent disaster relief, and better outreach. Committee members asked about air monitoring, masks, wind events, lithium-ion batteries, and how to reach communities with translation and emergency information. Panelists said AQI is useful but incomplete, that N95s help for smoke but P100 masks are needed for ash/asbestos exposure, and that communities should be warned to stay indoors and avoid windy dust-ups after fires. They also discussed the importance of building relationships during non-emergency periods, using text alerts and trusted community organizations, and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate information. Several members and witnesses highlighted the need for more research on long-term health effects, especially for people with chronic lung disease, workers who cannot stay indoors, and residents exposed to repeated disasters. The second panel addressed health care system response and access to care. DHCS and DMHC described emergency flexibilities used during the Southern California fires, including federal waivers, extended Medi-Cal renewal deadlines, reinstated coverage for some disenrolled members, suspension of prior authorization and prescription refill barriers, out-of-network access at in-network cost-sharing, and communication through websites, toll-free numbers, and social media. Hospital and community health center leaders described major operational strain: emergency room surges, canceled surgeries, dialysis disruptions, staff displacement, temporary housing needs, and financial losses. Huntington Health and AltaMed reported using incident command systems, temporary care spaces, bilingual and culturally tailored services, mobile clinics, infection control measures, and community health workers to keep care going. Members and witnesses also discussed the need for better disaster staffing pools, more flexible facility rules, stronger mental health coverage, child care planning, and statewide coordination for future emergencies; no formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• and body dysmorphic disorders.
• I'm here not only as an advocate, but as someone who has personally struggled with an eating disorder
• use disorders.
• Individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, and co-occurring substance use disorders
• For people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, the right medication at the right

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders.
• , depression, attention deficit disorder, depression, attention deficit disorder, obsessive<01:23
• disorder, bipolar obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder,<01:23:33.320> schizophrenia,
• c><01:23:34.120> and<01:23:34.320> substance disorder, schizophrenia, and substance disorder
• use disorders. use disorders.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:09:27.279> force<00:09:27.760> on<00:09:28.079> gambling<00:09:28.760> disorder
• Advisory task force on gambling disorder Advisory task force on gambling disorder the<00:09:30.519
• and effective responses to illicit drug use; the task force on pregnancy health and substance use disorders
• and effective responses to illicit drug use; the task force on pregnancy health and substance use disorders
• and effective responses to illicit drug use; the task force on pregnancy health and substance use disorders

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean We're talking about BSCC's substance use disorder treatment mental health programs being funded
• You get people that have both, what we call co-occurring disorders.
• At the end of the day, it's a population with a substance use disorder, and they're committing crimes
• at least partially because of that substance use disorder.
• The same sort of treatment protocol in terms of treating folks who have substance use disorders.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:05:37.440> and who treats substance use disorders and who treats substance use disorders
• of outpatient substance use disorder of outpatient substance use disorder treatment<05:04:17.840
• <05:12:16.718> treatment of substance use disorder treatment of substance use disorder treatment
• I know everyone knows somebody with alcohol use disorder.
• I know everyone knows somebody with alcohol use disorder.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the guiding principles we worked under is that all people living with mental health disorders
• Infants who test positive for congenital or heritable disorders often require urgent medical intervention
• Currently, my practice is focused on patients with rare inherited life-threatening disorders.
• Minnesota has been a world leader in utilizing cellular therapies for these disorders.
• Newborn screening is a tremendous tool in our arsenal for treating disorders.

Transcript Highlights:

• Health Services substance use disorder Health Services substance use disorder treatment<01:18:59.719
• solved through substance disorder solved through substance disorder treatment<01:22:18.320> at
• <01:28:19.320> a mental health substance use disorder a mental health substance use disorder
• use disorder.
• cancer in the substance use disorder cancer in the substance use disorder space<02:18:56.080>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a Senate-only position that funds a substance use disorder treatment staff study.
• <00:34:39.919> treatment uh substance use disorder treatment uh substance use disorder treatment
• <00:35:44.560> treatment funds a substance use disorder treatment funds a substance use disorder
• So this is a substance use disorder<00:36:27.760> midpoint<00:36:28.320> rule<00:36:28.680
• > modification disorder midpoint rule modification disorder midpoint rule modification included

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then you have, at the other end of the spectrum, another federal agency that is suppressing information
• And then you have at the other end of And then you have at the other end of the<00:36:33.680> spectrum
• another<00:36:34.960> federal<00:36:35.359> agency<00:36:36.320> that the spectrum
• another federal agency that the spectrum another federal agency that is<00:36:37.200> suppressing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Special Committee on COVID Response Efficacy met briefly without a quorum because many members were tied up in legislative committee of conference work. The chair said the committee would resume in June and, in the meantime, directed members to the committee webpage and the 2024 committee’s report and COVID-19 after-action report, which he said could be reviewed for possible updates and legislative recommendations on how New Hampshire should respond to future pandemics. The chair then introduced two recent articles as framing material: one about the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear a challenge to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s COVID vaccine mandate, and another about CDC internal emails and alleged failure to publicly acknowledge vaccine safety signals. He argued these examples raised concerns about mandates, transparency, and the balance between individual rights and public health, and said the committee would revisit the issue in future meetings. Representative Pollazok thanked the chair for presenting both legal and medical perspectives and suggested the committee focus on reviewing scientific methodology and the quality of evidence behind competing claims. A member asked whether vaccine pamphlets now include risks and benefits, and the chair responded that FDA-approved products should have patient inserts available on the FDA website, including sections listing adverse events from clinical studies and commercial use. He said he would research and email the committee copies or excerpts. Members also discussed how to evaluate studies over different time periods, dosing levels, and the timing of side effects, as well as the difficulty of comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated outcomes when definitions change over time. Before adjourning, the chair said the committee would ask the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services how it would monitor and assess vaccine or pandemic-related issues in real time and whether additional structures would be needed in a future emergency. He said the committee would likely take July and August off, resume in September, and aim to have a draft report by mid-October and a final report by late October ahead of the November elections.

Transcript Highlights:

• Producers Alliance, the policy director of Rural Vermont, and 10 Vermont farmers ranging across the spectrum
• , Vermont farmers, ranging<00:29:45.960> across<00:29:46.360> the<00:29:46.480> spectrum
• <00:29:46.960> of<00:29:47.040> the<00:29:47.360> of ranging across the spectrum
• of the of ranging across the spectrum of the of farming<00:29:47.840> we<00:29:47.960> do<

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House began with a devotional and then took up several Senate bills for first reading and referral: S. 323 on miscellaneous agricultural subjects, S. 325 on regional planning and Act 250 tier jurisdiction, and S. 328 on housing and common interest communities. The chamber then adopted House Resolution 16, reaffirming Vermont’s friendship with Taiwan and supporting stronger bilateral relations and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after its reading, and remarks followed welcoming guests from Hazen Union School and Director General Charles Lao of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston. During the action calendar, the House postponed action on H. 657, relating to services for unaccompanied homeless youth, for one legislative day. It then passed H. 727 on sustainable data center deployment, H. 935 on emergency management, and H. 938 establishing the Vermont homelessness response continuum. The House also committed H.R. 15, another Taiwan friendship resolution, to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. The main substantive debate centered on H. 941, relating to municipal regulation of agriculture. The committee explained the bill as a response to a Vermont Supreme Court ruling and described it as restoring limits on municipal regulation of farms while allowing narrow local exceptions and creating a stakeholder group to continue studying the issue. Testimony came from a broad range of agricultural, municipal, and policy stakeholders, and the committee reported a 7-0-1 vote. An amendment offered by Representative Durfee, based on feedback from the House Environment Committee, replaced a Tier 1A concept with parcel-size-based exceptions, clarified state authority over growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and adjusted the stakeholder charge; the House adopted the amendment and ordered the bill to third reading. The House also heard announcements about committee appointments, caucus meetings, a public hearing on community safety concerns, and then adjourned until April 1, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's one end of the spectrum.
• On the other end of the spectrum is what we're seeing in some of the situations that we're dealing with
• So you have this huge spectrum of what's happening. ...contracting with them.
• So you have this huge spectrum of what's happening across the state.

Bills: HB253, HB153, HB255, HB287, HB371, SB151, HB8, SB177

Keywords: distance learning, virtual instruction, public education, student enrollment, school funding, education standards, pandemic education response, low-carbon construction, construction materials, rebate, environmental product declaration, EPD, embodied carbon, carbon intensity, greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonization, industrial incentives, clean manufacturing, cement, concrete

Transcript Highlights:

• or 5 gigahertz band of the spectrum to fully operate? And I'm just curious.
• recently to take away the exclusive use by the Department of Defense for the use of that part of the spectrum
• That would have to be worked out if we lost access to that bandwidth, yeah, to that spectrum.
• Just with regard to that, I mean, there is a reason why that particular part of the spectrum is being

Keywords: committee meeting, legislation, public testimony, SB4, HB2214, bipartisan support

Summary: The committee convened to discuss various bills and hear testimonies related to legislative matters, including public concerns and implications surrounding the proposed legislation. Notably, the members engaged in a vigorous debate over SB4, where several representatives shared differing viewpoints on its impact on local communities and the environment. Public testimonies were heard, with advocates arguing for the bill's potential benefits, while opponents raised significant concerns regarding the fiscal implications and land use. Following these discussions, the committee moved to vote on HB2214, which passed without issue, illustrating the bipartisan support for certain initiatives tied to public welfare.

Transcript Highlights:

• want people to understand agriculture, we have to educate them on agriculture and so all the broad spectrum
• and so all educate them on agriculture and so all the<00:13:11.199> broad<00:13:12.000> spectrum
• <00:13:13.279> business<00:13:14.000> it's<00:13:14.240> just the broad spectrum
• of business it's just the broad spectrum of business it's just not<00:13:15.839> plowing<00:13

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee met with a large group of 4-H and FFA students and guests in attendance, and members repeatedly highlighted the importance of those youth programs to agriculture and future leadership. The committee first took up House Bill 356, as amended by a committee substitute, which would create the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative. The sponsor explained that the substitute broadened the bill beyond hands-on farming to include agricultural education, agribusiness, advocacy, internships, apprenticeships, and other experiential learning, while also lowering the starting age from 6 to 5, removing the requirement that participants have access to farmland, and changing the program into a pilot focused on urban youth. Testimony from a 4-H student and Kentucky 4-H leadership emphasized that the goal is to remove barriers and provide access to agriculture education for all youth, including those in urban areas. Several members spoke in support, noting the value of urban agriculture and youth exposure to the field, and one member asked whether urban community gardens would fit within the concept; the sponsor said the substitute was designed to allow that kind of access. The committee then voted unanimously to pass HB 356 as amended, and also approved a title amendment. After HB 356, the committee moved to House Bill 315, a foreign adversary land bill intended to limit certain foreign entities’ ability to purchase land in Kentucky. The sponsor said the bill was carried over from a prior version drafted by a former representative. The chair then recognized Tim Shank, general counsel for the Kentucky Bankers Association, who testified in opposition to the mechanics of Section 8 dealing with foreclosure. He said banks are already heavily regulated and must screen borrowers through federal systems such as FinCEN, and warned that the bill’s provisions could create problems for community banks that make agricultural loans and potentially limit access to credit if the issue became widespread. The transcript ends during discussion of HB 315, before any final committee action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so if we put territorial expansion sort of at one end of the spectrum here, and then we can think
• Which would also make it extremely important that DOD maintains that spectrum used to be able to identify
• So again, with regards... to Greenland we have a range of options and there's a spectrum in there and
• I think at the lower cost a sort of lower hurdle part of that spectrum I would put diplomatic arrangements

Keywords: Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes

Summary: The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.