Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to be renaming some internal educational services to a parent-directed services for students
• And the four service groups represented needed additional services designed for specific needs.
• , but what are those services.
• adequate services.
• for these services.

Bills: SB568, SCR5, SB57, SB1447, SB27, SB24

Keywords: special education, funding, individualized education program, visual impairments, accessibility, support services, state education code, 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

Transcript Highlights:

• as and in lieu of service, just as certain mental health and substance abuse services are currently
• We have seen 14 of 16 MCOs provide some form of mental health service in lieu of other services like
• So it is in lieu of other services.
• So it is in lieu of services.
• And so there, there would be no cost to Medicaid services with it being to the client services, um.

Bills: HB 26, HB 140, HB 141, HB 142, HB 215

Keywords: Medicaid, nutrition support, maternal health, chronic conditions, pilot program, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, child abuse investigations, child neglect, child exploitation, advisory committee, Family and Protective Services Council, council abolition, foster care, due process, investigative procedures, child welfare, parental rights, family preservation services

Transcript Highlights:

• the services.
• Will not allow individuals who need services but aren't on services until July 2026.
• So, for fee-for-service, of course, fee-for-service is our smaller program, largely served by Native
• and substance use services, and how we can access those services.
• Services.

Transcript Highlights:

• assessment of services follows agency assessment of services and<00:04:03.799> functions<00:04
• costeffective and transparent services costeffective and transparent services that<00:16:21.360>
• These services include overseeing the state's annual purchasing of $3.7 billion in goods and services
• , security services, or consulting services.
• Consulting Services Security Services uh Consulting Services Security Services uh Consulting Services

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a programs manager for Developmental Disability Services Division of Oklahoma Human Services.
• To DRS services.
• of services and even different philosophy of services.
• like is… Of services.
• That could be a service.

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The committee/task force met with several disability service providers to discuss integrated employment, transition services, and barriers to community jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Robin Arder and Belinda Stevens of ThinkAbility described creating their own businesses when community employers were not hiring their clients, and said rigid service rules, employer readiness, bullying, and reimbursement structures often force the person to fit the service rather than the service fitting the person. They said they have not seen clients lose benefits, but they do closely manage reporting to Social Security and related supports. Tina Hannah of South Central Industries described a broad business model that includes manufacturing, janitorial work, city beautification, state-use contracts, a food truck, and an entertainment trailer, along with an adult day program and residential services. She said many employers are hesitant because of productivity and cost concerns, and that businesses are often more open to contracting with her agency than hiring individuals directly. Miranda Figueroa of A New Leaf said her agency is moving toward a more person-centered model with sheltered work, volunteer sites, paid contracts, and a Transition Academy. She said the academy is a two-year program focused first on independent living and then on employment, with internships and an 85% placement rate, but funding is a major barrier because the program is not accredited and students cannot access traditional aid. She also cited dual diagnoses, inconsistent job coaches, and employer uncertainty as major obstacles. Angela Decker and Deborah Copeland of DRTC described DRTC’s long-running enclave contracts, a new Community Skills and Connections program, and a plan to phase out 14(c) subminimum wage use by the end of the year. They said the new program is designed to keep people engaged in community-based skill-building and networking while families still need day supports, and that DRTC has developed more than 100 community partnerships. Senator Kirt, Rep. Hefner, and participants discussed broader system issues, including the need for better school-to-work transition, more social integration, transportation, safety, and employer education. DRS staff said the agency is already required to provide pre-employment transition services in schools starting at age 14 and offers employer accommodations support and job-carving assistance, though they acknowledged federal reporting expectations and service rules can be restrictive. Several participants raised concerns about line-of-sight restrictions, congregate living rules, benefit cliffs, and the difficulty of moving from DDS to DRS services. The group also discussed the need for better data and possible working groups focused on in-school transition, program support and blending services, and community integration. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• quality for phone service.
• This is not just for voice. service, but it also includes broadband services.
• or a bundled voice and broadband service as well.
• That includes broadband service.
• We have the new concierge service, which I think everybody now wants concierge Caltrans service You've

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• guess the Department of Human Services guess the Department of Human Services went<00:02:48.080>
• provided um services may be an option. provided um services may be an option.
• government to provide those services. government to provide those services.
• through them just as the Department of Human Services does in the fee-for-service model.
• services were even provided.

Bills: HF3043, HF2891

Keywords: public safety, illegal remunerations, healthcare fraud, grants, criminal penalties, state law, grants management, state employees training, certification, monitoring grants, accountability, grant fraud, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• provider for the service.
• <00:13:05.639> so<00:13:05.920> if services provider for the service so if services
• We're an emergency service.
• 14:36.079> service<00:14:36.440> for doing essential service for doing essential service
• No provider, no service.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee discussed three ambulance reimbursement bills and tried to distinguish their approaches. House Bill 185 would require insurers to pay the full amount billed by an ambulance provider when there is no contract rate, with no balance billing to the patient; the Insurance Department clarified that emergency ambulance services are already covered under the benchmark plan, so the bill’s reference to policies without ambulance coverage is effectively meaningless. House Bill 725 would set reimbursement at 325% of the Medicare rate for non-contract ambulance services and prohibit balance billing. House Bill 316 was described as addressing the broader problem that Medicare/Medicaid rates are low and that current balance billing shifts costs to patients or municipalities; its sponsor said the bill would require insurers to pay a rate that gives providers a fighting chance to remain in business, and he viewed 325% of Medicare as the most logical option. Members debated whether insurers should pay the billed amount, a negotiated in-network rate, or a regulated percentage of Medicare. Some argued that out-of-network ambulance providers are underpaid and that in-network rates are often too low to sustain service, especially for emergency providers who cannot steer patients. Others said ambulance companies should not be able to bill whatever they want and questioned the fairness of charging insured patients or insurers more than the service is worth. There was also discussion of whether rate schedules should be reviewed by an oversight body and whether different costs in rural areas justify different reimbursement levels. A recurring issue was balance billing and who ultimately bears the shortfall. Several members said balance billing harms patients and often does not get paid, leaving cities and towns or property taxpayers to cover the difference for municipal ambulance services. Others argued that shifting the cost to insurance premiums would spread the burden more fairly, though it could raise premiums by a few dollars per person per month. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the discussion focused on clarifying the bills and weighing their policy tradeoffs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wraparound services are provided through the Department of Human Services and in partnership with the
• Wraparound services integrate formal services and informal supports across systems to develop and implement
• Wraparound services integrate formal services and informal supports across systems to develop and implement
• Services to the students.
• And then the second... ...services in coordination with the Department of Human Services.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee met, established a quorum, and approved the minutes from the prior meeting. It then took up House Bill 5537, a repeal bill that removes several obsolete code sections related to professional development, a behavioral interventionist pilot program, child daycare facility lists, and high school graduation rates, and also adds another outdated section to the repeal list. After adopting the committee amendment, the committee voted to report HB 5537 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass as amended. The committee then spent most of its time on House Bill 4656, which would replace the current truancy status-offense framework with a chronic absenteeism and child-in-need-of-supervision model. Counsel explained that the bill shifts the focus toward earlier, preventative intervention, including wraparound services, student support specialists, and a new definition of chronic absenteeism tied to failed interventions, lack of meaningful contact, grade-level impact, or absences reaching 10% of instructional days. Senators questioned how the new process would work, how it would affect court authority, prosecutors, juvenile drug courts, and whether it would change the role of schools and DHHS. Witnesses from Fayette, Greenbrier, and Taylor counties testified. School attendance and juvenile justice officials generally said the current truancy process and court involvement help secure family participation and services, and they warned that removing the status offense could weaken enforcement and reduce the ability to compel participation in interventions. They described existing diversion programs, improvement periods, and court-supervised services as effective tools, with Greenbrier reporting that most diversions do not result in petitions. The committee ultimately voted to report HB 4656 to the full Senate without recommendation and with a further recommendation that it be re-referred to the Committee on Education. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Family Services clients.
• This contract is for EBT services.
• This is a new original contract for in-home services for DCFS clients in specified service areas.
• They provide reentry services.
• They provide reentry services.

Summary: The review subcommittee met to consider a supplemental agenda, methods of finance, an alternative delivery project, discretionary grants, and a large slate of construction, out-of-state, and in-state contracts. The supplemental item was a $2.6 million out-of-state contract with Tyler Technologies for a mobile app that would let citizens access state services through a single sign-on, initially for DFA vehicle and licensing services, with possible expansion to other agencies. Members also reviewed five methods of finance, including University of Arkansas projects for roof and cooling tower replacements, a new $100 million academic classroom building at U of A Fayetteville, a police department renovation at UA Fort Smith, and a boiler/chiller replacement at Hope-Texarkana. Questions focused on project timing, why some items were being reviewed after work had begun, and the high estimated cost of the Fayetteville classroom building; DFA explained that projects under $250,000 are not reviewed and that the larger project was still in design and would later seek a guaranteed maximum price. The committee also reviewed two DHS discretionary grants: one for targeted youth advocacy in southwest Arkansas and another adding $582,000 for family-centered treatment training and implementation. In the services contract section, members discussed construction-related contracts, including an ASMSA electrical scope increase tied to three-phase power requirements and the U of A Fayetteville architect contract for the classroom building. Out-of-state contracts included major items such as ACT Education’s $17 million amendment to provide required pre-ACT testing for 9th and 10th graders, a $12.5 million DFA contract for rural health transformation grant management, DHS’s $16.5 million EBT services contract with updated chip-card and fraud-prevention features, and ADH’s special procurement for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. The committee also reviewed U of A system consulting contracts for financial advisory and sponsorship strategy work, with university officials saying the outside expertise was needed for specialized planning and revenue-generation efforts. In-state contracts covered corrections reentry services, nursing board investigations, foster care and child welfare services, DHS office janitorial work, emergency management radio system expansion, veterans’ home nursing staffing, and UAMS grants consulting. A lengthy exchange centered on the Department of Corrections’ reentry housing contract, with members pressing officials about vacant beds and urging fuller use of the program, while corrections staff said placements depend on screening and eligibility. Another discussion addressed the balance between out-of-state and in-state contracting, with a member noting the large dollar volume going to out-of-state vendors and asking whether Arkansas vendors receive any preference; State Procurement said current law does not allow an in-state preference. The committee approved the supplemental agenda, the methods of finance, the alternative delivery project, the discretionary grants, and the contract lists, and then received routine reports and an emergency action report before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:46.680> next<00:03:46.879> slide Services next slide Services next slide please<
• already are taxing uh a lot of services already are taxing uh a lot of services uh<00:41:47.160>
• banking service fees on Title Services banking service fees on Title Services closing<00:57:26.920
• payment services uh Loan Servicing payment services uh safety<00:58:21.720> deposit safety deposit
• service charges Trust Services Bank bank service charges Trust Services safe<01:09:46.600> deposit

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• receive required services receive required services a<00:57:57.039> law<00:57:57.319>
• <01:07:36.079> a district special education services a district special education services
• 15:54.480> service implementation of a service implementation of a service um<01:15:55.920>
• Services will be paid by services paid to individual group rate.
• Absolutely. services will be paid by Services paid services will be paid by Services paid to<01:25:01.400

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Controls for hospice services.
• We are health and human services, not American-only services.
• with providing that service.
• those services?
• Cuts to dental services.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• into services as they apply.
• Yes, they do have to be active in behavioral health services, which can include recovery support services
• But part of this is for them to be in services and the services should include, you know, motivational
• So a bed could be a service or a physical literal bed. Um, or, uh, a step down service. Got you.
• Those services are typically the living support services and the day program services for the traditional

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the market-driven unit price for a service, so kind of what is being charged for that service
• , those services specified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• Those services specified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• care claims for dental services.
• How are we paying for a service, and are we getting what we expect out of that service as a result of

Summary: The committee began with an extended work session on the long-term care workforce. DSHS Assistant Secretary B. Rector described the new Home and Community Living Administration and outlined major workforce pressures: Washington had about 126,000 long-term care workers in 2022, with demand expected to outpace supply as the 85-plus population and dementia prevalence rise sharply. She emphasized that direct care workers are largely women, people of color, and immigrants, and that family caregivers are also a major part of the system. She highlighted recruitment and retention efforts funded through federal Money Follows the Person dollars, including high school training partnerships, a retention toolkit, transportation support, caregiver newsletters, tribal workforce navigators, and a remote caregiving pilot. Committee members asked about career pathways, technology use, and turnover drivers; Rector said wages, benefits, unstable hours, and workplace support are key issues and promised follow-up data. Aidan Swain of the Washington Health Care Association said skilled nursing and assisted living facilities face acute RN vacancies, wage pressures, and Medicaid reimbursement that does not cover costs, and urged modernization of training, better reimbursement, and continued support for facility-based care. Maddie Fouch of SEIU 775, representing about 55,000 caregivers, said low wages, weak benefits, lack of voice, and certification delays are driving turnover and shortages, and argued for higher compensation, better worker protections, and more transparent reimbursement. Catherine Smith of Behavioral Health Solutions described growing behavioral health needs in nursing homes, the role of expanded behavioral supports programs, and credentialing delays that slow hiring. No votes were taken; the panel was informational only. The second agenda item was an overview of the palliative care benefit work group report required by 2024 legislation. Nico Jansen of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner explained that the work group, convened with the Health Care Authority, studied a potential palliative care benefit for fully insured commercial plans and also Medicaid, PEBB, and SEBB. He said palliative care is a philosophy of care focused on symptom management, coordination, and support for serious illness, and is distinct from hospice because it can be provided alongside curative treatment. The actuarial analysis concluded that creating a new benefit would likely increase costs, estimating about a 28-cent per member per month increase overall and roughly $2.6 million to $4.5 million in annual state Medicaid costs if implemented in 2027. Jansen said the consultants did not find sufficient evidence to assume savings from avoided hospitalizations or long-term care, though several work group members disagreed and submitted response letters. Senators asked about other states, Medicare, health homes, and whether more research could clarify cost savings; OIC said some states, including Hawaii, are moving ahead with Medicaid palliative care benefits, Medicare covers some related services but not in the same way, and further evidence may emerge over time. OIC did not take a position on whether the Legislature should create the benefit. The final presentation covered health care price transparency tools in Washington and federally. Evan Klein and HCA Chief Data Officer Vishal Chaudry reviewed federal hospital and health plan transparency rules, the state all-payer claims database, prescription drug price transparency, the Health Care Cost Transparency Board, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and other reporting systems. They explained that the APCD contains claims from fully insured commercial plans, Medicaid, and public employee programs, but not self-insured employer data except for limited voluntary submissions. They also described how machine-readable files, consumer price tools, and aggregated dashboards are used, and noted that data limitations, delays, and complexity remain significant. Senators asked about voluntary self-insured participation, the role of AI in making data more usable, and whether transparency can really help consumers given access barriers and medical debt. HCA said AI is increasingly used by private entities to mine large transparency datasets, but state agencies still face limits in data access and analytic capacity. The committee did not take action; the session was informational and ended with a discussion of how transparency data might better inform policy and purchasing decisions in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• For involuntary inpatient and outpatient services, we invested in key services such as our FACT teams
• For involuntary inpatient outpatient services, we invested in key services such as our fact teams.
• and have other service, other insurance providers, to make sure that they're aware of those services
• we see that their service gaps.
• So we do have, in terms of services, we track implementation of new services.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met to review implementation of House Bill 7021, the recent overhaul of Florida’s Baker Act and Marchman Act, and to hear from DCF Assistant Secretary Erica Floyd Thomas about how the department is using the $50 million appropriation tied to the bill. Representative Maney, the bill sponsor, gave a lengthy background on why he pursued the reforms and emphasized that the goal was to improve access, reduce unnecessary crisis interventions, and give agencies the resources needed to carry out their responsibilities. He and the chair both noted that the bill was the product of many years of work and broad bipartisan support. DCF reported several early outcomes and implementation steps, including a statewide reduction in Baker Act initiations over the past five years, strong diversion rates from crisis through 988, mobile response teams, care coordination, and forensic multidisciplinary teams, and the creation of new tools such as a Baker Act dashboard and the first annual Marchman Act report. The department described key statutory changes: law enforcement discretion in initiating Baker Acts, a single-petition process, remote appearances, stronger discharge planning, interim services, updated parent notification and hold-period rules, an ombudsman office for children’s behavioral health, and regional collaboratives to identify local service gaps. DCF said it has updated manuals, FAQs, trainings, and rules, and that the managing entities have begun contracting for services. Members asked about how the $50 million was allocated, why much of it went to crisis capacity rather than outpatient care, how much has been spent so far, whether administrative costs are capped, and how the department will measure success. DCF said most of the money was used to preserve and expand crisis beds, detox beds, CSU beds, short-term residential treatment, discharge planning, and outpatient supports, with $1.3 million for the ombudsman and regional collaboratives and $48.3 million to managing entities. The assistant secretary said the department tracks readmissions, utilization, provider capacity, and monthly and quarterly reports from managing entities, but it is still early to see full effects because contracts were only recently executed. Members also raised concerns about children, families, veterans, workforce shortages, transparency, and gaps for hard-to-place individuals, including those with developmental disabilities or dementia. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after questions were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:11.000> we in order to provide these Services we in order to provide these Services
• Parents need to make sure that the services billed are the services provided.
• <00:31:12.880> the<00:31:13.039> services build are the services build are the services
• services, nutrition services, medication monitoring, and counseling.
• > Services nutrition services medication Services nutrition services medication monitoring<00:43:33.040

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• their services.
• <00:25:20.480> an<00:25:20.799> IEP<00:25:21.440> service service an IEP service
• > but service it may be a medical service but service it may be a medical service but at<01:14
• Medicaid service cost the of the service Medicaid service cost the of the service cost<01:19:58.640
• <01:22:20.000> you're service, the OT service that you're service, the OT service that you're

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's called recovery support services, and I think it's in those situations that recovery support services
• Treatment and other recovery services, whether APO is the best provider for those services or whether
• model, increasing access to mobile services, and peer recovery support services.
• to mobile services, and peer recovery support services.
• We services.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And there was also backdoor service.
• And there was also backdoor service.
• Within debt service, The last bucket I wanted to point out was debt service fund and pension fund.
• incorporated, was additional parks and recreation services, libraries, and planning services to make
• Variety, but primarily the municipal utility services tax, state-shared revenues, and communication services

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs convened with a quorum and took up SB 308, a bill related to the Florida Museum of Black History. The bill would establish a Florida Museum of Black History Board of Directors and direct it to work with a supporting nonprofit foundation, while also requiring the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners to provide administrative assistance and staffing until planning, design, and engineering are complete. With no appearance forms or debate, the committee voted the bill favorably. The remainder of the meeting was an informational briefing from the Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities on local government budgeting practices. Presenters explained how counties and cities develop budgets, the legal framework governing property taxes and other revenues, the distinction between restricted and unrestricted funds, and the role of constitutional officers, public safety, debt, pensions, and capital planning. They emphasized that most local revenues are restricted by law, that general funds are the main discretionary source, and that local governments must balance annual budgets while meeting mandated service levels. The presenters also discussed how property taxes, fees, local option taxes, and state-shared revenues support local services, and they highlighted the fiscal pressures created by public safety, emergency management, infrastructure, and retirement costs. Members asked questions about the share of local revenue that is unrestricted and the implications for any proposal to eliminate property taxes. The presenters responded that only a portion of county and municipal revenue is flexible, with much of it dedicated to specific purposes by law.