Transcript Highlights:

• It's been supported now by the professional regulations, and so I really appreciate her help.
• Under current law, several school-based professionals, including psychologists, school counselors, nurses
• Their expertise would be recognized alongside other specialized professionals inside of our schools.
• As schools work to recruit and retain qualified behavioral health professionals, recognizing advanced
• Despite equivalent levels of education, licensure, and professional...

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been supported now by the professional regulations, and so I really appreciate her help.
• School social workers support students' mental health, addressing children. professionals.
• Their expertise would be recognized alongside other specialized professionals inside our schools.
• This bill was about equity. ...alongside other specialized professionals inside our schools.
• As schools work to recruit and retain qualified behavioral health professionals, recognizing advanced

Summary: The House met on June 30, 2026, with opening ceremonies, guest introductions, a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moment of silence for two deceased community members. Members also adopted Consent Calendar 29, which included House Concurrent Resolutions 153, 154, and 156, and passed House Concurrent Resolution 157 directing the State Lottery to report on iLottery options to support traditional lottery retailers, as amended to set a February 15, 2027 reporting deadline. The chamber then considered several bills on agriculture, telecommunications, health, fire service standards, corrections, elections, and education. Among the measures passed were Senate Bill 53 on the Delaware Farm to Community Program, Senate Bill 307 on PSC authority for Lifeline telecom carriers, Senate Bill 339 clarifying advance health care directives, Senate Bill 235 extending manufactured home rent increase rules, Senate Bill 325 updating firefighter/EMS background check and membership standards, Senate Bill 309 discharging incarceration-related balances, Senate Bill 324 on constable-related handgun purchase exemptions, Senate Bill 94 on respiratory care practitioners and ECMO medication access, and Senate Bill 293 creating a licensure pathway for summer camp providers in the Purchase of Care program. The House also passed Senate Substitute 2 for Senate Bill 100, proposing a constitutional amendment to protect the right to marry regardless of race or gender while explicitly preserving religious freedom. The bill drew extended debate, with supporters framing it as a safeguard against future rollbacks of marriage equality and opponents raising concerns about constitutionalizing an issue already in statute; several members explained changed votes and personal reflections before the final roll call, which passed 28-12. House Bill 188, which would allow unaffiliated voters to choose a party primary, also passed after amendment, despite some opposition over party-system effects. Two measures were tabled or amended after debate: Senate Bill 233 on removing snow and ice from vehicles was initially tabled to consider a truck-driver exemption amendment, then the amendment failed and the bill later passed as amended; and Senate Joint Resolution 19 on studying health care costs was tabled briefly pending legal clarification. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 404, creating a three-year pilot program for AI and extended reality in schools, passed after testimony from the Department of Education emphasizing guardrails, data privacy, and teacher oversight. The transcript ends as House Bill 478 is being read in, but no final action on that bill appears in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're going to be the professionals as far as the training. That's what they do.
• I think there are exemptions: bona fide professionals, administrators, other professionals are not subject
• This is a professional licensing and registration piece.
• It came through your Committee on Professional Licensing and Registration.
• It was presented in a very professional manner. We had good discussion.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for the prior day by a 123-0 roll call vote. Members then used points of personal privilege to recognize National Police Week and honor fallen law enforcement officers with a moment of silence, and several members gave farewell remarks for departing colleagues and interns. The chamber also introduced a number of special guests, including student groups, interns, a former representative, and the University of Missouri wheelchair basketball team. The House then took up Senate messages and committee reports before acting on House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1839, 2921, and 3015. The sponsor explained the Senate amendment was a technical correction to an online age-verification provision related to pornography; the House concurred 104-30 and then finally passed the package 112-25. The chamber also considered the conference committee report on House Bill 2596, which was described as a small-business health plan measure that modernizes pooled-plan language and adds a 12-month contraception coverage provision while removing a Senate-added blood pressure cuff requirement. After debate on the conference report and a severability clause, the House adopted the report 120-26 and then third-read and passed the bill 119-27. Finally, the House debated Senate Bill 905, which would create the Missouri Ranger training program allowing schools to optionally place specially trained personnel with narrow law-enforcement authority on campus. Debate focused heavily on school safety, local control, training standards, liability, funding, and whether the proposal would improve protection or instead increase the presence of guns in schools. Supporters argued it would give districts another optional safety tool, especially where school resource officers are unavailable, while opponents said schools need more mental health and educational resources rather than armed personnel and raised concerns about training, child development, and unintended harm. The House adopted an amendment clarifying the program after a 96-46 vote, but the transcript cuts off before final passage of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:35:42.320> Um,<00:35:42.880> unbeknownst professional athletes.
• Um, unbeknownst professional athletes.
• athletes, football players professional athletes, football players who<00:36:02.640> have<00:
• Not just for professional athletes, but for people around this table.
• Not just for professional athletes, but for people around this table.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 1042, which would increase the BFA contingent credit limit. State Treasurer Monica Misipelli explained that under RSA 66, state debt capacity is tied to unrestricted revenue and that guaranteed debt counts in the calculation even though it is contingent rather than direct debt. She said the state currently has about 4.2% to 4.3% debt-to-revenue ratio, about $120 million in additional capacity, and that approving the bill’s proposed increase would reduce available capacity for future state borrowing, including capital budgets. She noted the BFA has a long history of using guarantees without a state payout, but said the legislature should consider whether the full additional $250 million is needed and whether unused guarantee authorizations, such as one for the Pease Development Authority, should be reviewed in the future. Committee members asked whether guarantees have the same effect as actual debt for bonding capacity, and the treasurer confirmed that they do for purposes of the formula. Members also asked about the usual level of debt relative to the statutory 10% cap, and she said the state generally stays well below that limit. BFA Executive Director James Key Wallace then testified that the request was driven by rising project costs, inflation, and the need for more runway so the agency does not have to return to the legislature in an emergency. He said the BFA is self-supported, has never had a guarantee paid out by the state, requires collateral and reserves, and believes the appropriate range is closer to $400 million to $450 million; he also said a Senate bill would raise the limit to $400 million. He added that the BFA’s pipeline includes projects from about $15 million to $100 million and that housing availability is an important factor in business location decisions. After closing the work session on House Bill 1042, the committee opened House Bill 241, a bill on health insurance coverage for pain management services for chronic pain. Representative Dave Nagel, the prime sponsor, gave extensive background on his long career in pain medicine and said the bill is intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies and evidence-based pain management. He described the broad population affected by chronic pain and opioid use disorder, and said the proposal has long had bipartisan and stakeholder support. No vote or final action was taken on House Bill 241 in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's going into pharmacy, professional services, outpatient and inpatient services, and then FQHCs
• retail pharmacy versus professional retail pharmacy versus professional services<00:39:55.800>
• And then in professional<00:40:19.880> cost,<00:40:20.400> I<00:40:20.520> think
• we have seen professional cost, I think we have seen BH<00:40:22.160> providers<00:40:23.120>
• In 2019, Kentucky began licensing certified professional midwives, which are maternity care providers

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board received a presentation from Dr. Stack and Commissioner Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for a federal Medicaid-related funding opportunity tied to House Resolution 1. They described a compressed six-week stakeholder process that produced more than 50 responses and letters of support, and said the application was organized around five broad priorities: maternal health, behavioral health and substance use disorder, oral health, EMS/trauma response, and chronic disease. They emphasized that the proposal was designed to align with CMS goals, use allowable funding categories, and focus on sustainability rather than a short-term grant. Commissioner Langfeld outlined five core initiatives: rural community hubs for chronic care innovation, beginning with obesity and diabetes; a maternal and infant health effort called POWER; a behavioral health and substance use model called IMPATH; an oral health initiative called Rooted in Health; and an integrated crisis-to-care EMS and trauma response effort. He said the chronic disease work would include prevention, food-as-medicine concepts, and technology tools, while the maternal health effort would expand team-based care around mothers and infants using community health workers and doulas. The behavioral health proposal would build on existing crisis intervention models, oral health would address workforce and access gaps through training, mobile vans, and telehealth, and the EMS proposal would better connect emergency response with home-based and community care. Several senators questioned whether the proposal would meaningfully address rural hospital closures or the broader rural health care crisis. Senator Meredith said the plan was not transformational and would not save rural hospitals, while Senator Berg asked how success would be measured. In response, the presenters said they would use both lagging and leading indicators, with an emphasis on rapid-cycle feedback and data use that is more actionable in real time. They also said the work could help existing models that already show promise, such as behavioral health units and dental workforce expansion, even if it would not solve the larger funding gap created by HR1. Senator Douglas asked how the proposals would motivate patients to participate in their own health care. The presenters responded that the chronic disease prevention work would focus on obesity, diabetes prevention, nutrition, and consumer-facing technology tools to help people engage in their own care, and that EMS-community health worker partnerships could identify unmet needs in the home and reduce preventable problems. The board then moved on to its next agenda item, Medicaid managed care delivery models, with Tom Stevens, Katherine North, and Dr. Patel scheduled to present.

Transcript Highlights:

• judgment that the child her professional judgment that the child has<01:28:53.600> been<01:28
• required by the medical professional required by the medical professional to<01:38:24.119> the
• <04:43:35.600> and<04:43:35.798> law by medical professionals and law by medical professionals
• I know mediation doesn't work, you know, as somewhat here, but you really need professionals.
• family mediation with professional family mediation with professional mediators<05:05:37.480>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Children and Family Law Committee opened with a brief prayer for Representative Grossman’s son, Oscar, who was reported to be in critical condition after a traumatic fall. The committee then took up House Bill 430, which would reduce DHHS retention of unfounded abuse and neglect reports from 10 years to 3 years. Prime sponsor Chairman James Spain argued that 10 years is excessive and burdens families with a long-lasting stigma, while emphasizing that founded reports and reports with reasonable concern would still be retained indefinitely. Committee members questioned whether longer retention helps identify malicious reporting or patterns of abuse, and whether parents understand the distinction between unfounded and unfounded with reasonable concern. The Office of the Child Advocate and DCF opposed the bill. Child Advocate Cassandra Sanchez said historical reports are important for identifying patterns, reviewing critical incidents, and understanding family dynamics, and that screened-out and unfounded reports can be essential context when later reports arise. She also noted that the records are highly confidential and not publicly accessible. DCF General Counsel Susan Larabe added that the bill could create inconsistencies by retaining screened-out reports longer than unfounded reports, and explained that unfounded reports can be used in court and in administrative reviews when there are multiple prior reports. The committee discussed how other states handle retention, with testimony that some keep records indefinitely and others for long periods. The hearing on HB 430 concluded, and the chair said the bill would not be executed until early March, leaving time for amendments. The committee then opened House Bill 187, concerning restraining orders sought by a parent on behalf of a minor child. Prime sponsor Representative Mike Belcher said the bill is intended to correct a gap in the law so children can access the same restraining-order protections adults can, through a parent or guardian, and framed it as an equal-protection issue. Members questioned why the proposal was placed in the child abuse and neglect statute rather than the civil restraining-order statutes, and whether it should instead be handled as a broader civil-law fix. Alanda Peterson, who said she created Jade’s Law, testified that the original wording was meant to protect all children, not just those harmed by family members, and supported expanding the language. The hearing continued with additional discussion of the bill’s scope and purpose.

Transcript Highlights:

• This can be done at the moment of contact for trained professional pharmacists who know what they're
• This can be done at the moment of contact for trained professional pharmacists who know what they're
• This can be done at the moment of contact for trained professional pharmacists who know what they're
• /c><00:04:52.680> for<00:04:52.880> trained At the moment of contact for trained professional

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 4493 would authorize pharmacists to initiate, prescribe, administer, and dispense certain drugs for opioid use disorder, especially buprenorphine/Suboxone. Representative Baker said the bill is intended to save lives by giving people immediate access to treatment at the moment they seek help, rather than making them wait for a doctor’s appointment or navigate more cumbersome methadone access. He emphasized that pharmacists are widely accessible, including in greater Minnesota, and that optional training would support safe prescribing. Representative Bierman spoke in strong support, calling the measure a life-or-death step forward for people with substance use disorder and noting that many people do not receive treatment when they need it. He said he initially had concerns but Baker listened to his suggested changes and worked with him and bill drafters, which helped address those concerns. Bierman also referenced the ongoing fentanyl crisis and encouraged members to learn more from displays honoring overdose victims. Baker closed by sharing personal remarks about losing his son to addiction and describing how limited treatment options were at that time. He said the new federal change allowing pharmacist training makes the bill timely and urged members to support it. After discussion, the House took a roll call vote and passed the bill 134-0, with the title agreed to.

Transcript Highlights:

• The language clarifies that not only do they make those decisions, but they can use any professionals
• c><00:07:34.800> can<00:07:34.960> use<00:07:35.120> any<00:07:35.440> professionals
• but they can use any professionals but they can use any professionals behind<00:07:36.639> them

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That might have been completed many years ago to the work and experience of skilled professionals licensed
• This serves to streamline the professional licensing process for military spouses in Texas.
• In short, this bill seeks to streamline the professional licensing process for military spouses in Texas
• it further to include military veterans and military service members, thereby streamlining the professional

Transcript Highlights:

• This would allow us to... guarantee them a certain number of hours every month to have an IT professional
• These professionals bring with them a lot of institutional knowledge on conducting the grant program,
• So this would allow us to be able to have a professional-grade study on how to accomplish that.
• we've had, but we need that to help us, assist us in recruiting and retaining. skilled financial professionals

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• allowed in Florida and offers the same standard of care as traditional in-office visits by licensed professionals
• I'd first like to say we love our nurses and our medical professionals, so— Thank you, Madam Chair.
• I'd first like to say we love our nurses and our medical professionals.
• So let's— —support our patients as well as our medical professionals, including our nurses.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health Policy met with a quorum and heard five bills. SB 126, on prescription hearing aids, would remove Florida’s prohibition on mailing hearing aids when required tele-audiology testing and procedures are completed before sale. The sponsor said the bill would improve access, especially for people with travel or geographic barriers. The Florida Academy of Audiologists expressed support in concept but said it was still working with the sponsor on an amendment for consumer safety. The committee voted the bill favorably. SB 152 would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies using smoke evacuation systems during certain surgical procedures. Supporters, including the Florida Nurses Association and several nurses, described surgical smoke as a workplace and patient safety hazard containing harmful chemicals, viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants, and said evacuation technology is available and already required in some settings. The committee voted the bill favorably. SB 264 would expand step-therapy exemptions for severe mental illness, including certain postpartum and pregnancy-related mental health conditions, so physicians would not have to require patients to fail preferred drugs in specified circumstances. Support came from Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, NAMI Florida, and several medical and pharmacy groups, who argued that delays in effective treatment can worsen crises and increase hospital and crisis-care costs. The committee voted the bill favorably. SB 342 would create a public-records exemption for current and former AHCA employees and certain family information, citing threats and harassment directed at inspectors and regulators. President Gaetz said he generally opposes such exemptions but supported this one because the employees are not elected officials and face real safety risks. The committee voted the bill favorably. SB 294 would limit the Board of Pharmacy’s ability to add heart failure, coronary heart disease, and cardiac rhythm disorders to the list of chronic conditions eligible for collaborative pharmacy practice, keeping those conditions under direct physician management. The Florida Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, Florida Medical Association, and the Florida chapter of the American College of Cardiology supported the bill, while the Florida Society of Health System Pharmacists opposed it. The committee voted the bill favorably. Senator Trumbull asked to be recorded in support of SB 126 and SB 152, and the meeting adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seminary professional, spiritual director from 1984 to 19991.
• Since its inception, NIFA Texas has championed the interests of financial professionals, provided valuable
• Role in promoting professional development, fostering a positive environment, and upholding the highest
• Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the 2023 Legacy Leader Award from the Young Hispanic Professional

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 2122 specifies that an applicant speaking or seeking professional
• The bill also specifies that an applicant seeking professional registration through reciprocity or endorsement
• Lastly, the bill allows an applicant for registration as a professional engineer with the board to meet

Bills: HB2122, HB2184, HB2910

Keywords: technical registration, engineering, architect, land surveyor, reciprocity, endorsement, qualification standards, fetal death, funeral homes, informed consent, abortion, women's rights, medical assistance, emotional support, contractors, administrative recovery, regulation, statute of limitations, residential contractors' recovery fund, 1182

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from February 18 and March 4, 2026, then took up House Bill 2122 while holding House Bill 2910. HB 2122 would clarify reciprocity and endorsement requirements for professional registration with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration, including that applicants must hold a valid license, registration, or certification issued by the proper authority in another jurisdiction and, in some cases, a national council record. Support testimony described it as a simple cleanup measure that would facilitate reciprocity, including for Arizona engineers and the United Kingdom. The committee voted 7-0 to give HB 2122 a do pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 2184 with an eight-page strike-everything amendment. The amended bill would extend the deadline for filing death certificates after taking possession of human remains from seven calendar days to 14 business days, require a disposition transit permit in certain cases involving unborn children under 20 weeks’ gestation or under 350 grams, and address parental authority and abortion clinic form requirements. Testimony in support emphasized grieving parents’ need for dignity, burial options, and recognition after miscarriage or fetal death, while opposition was narrow and focused on replacing the term “unborn child” with “fetal remains.” Several members said they were sympathetic but also stressed that wording mattered. The committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then voted 4-3 to give HB 2184, as amended, a do pass recommendation. Senators Epstein, Fernandez, and Ortiz voted no, with Epstein explaining that he wanted the bill to move forward but believed the language needed to be changed before final passage. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I work with seclusion in a personal and professional manner.
• So I'm very professional manner.
• :28.080> with<00:28:28.240> setting of professionals who work with setting of professionals
• Uh and professionals every single month.
• I think about our professional group.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:15.800> dealing people who are uh professionals dealing people who are uh professionals
• <00:10:15.720> Pest who are doing uh professional Pest who are doing uh professional Pest
• Some of these professional services are expensive.
• professionals in the field who say that professionals in the field who say that they<00:21:55.480>
• You know, they're professional, licensed individuals that we respect. We hire vets.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met in a work session on several environmental bills, beginning with HP 152, which would prohibit the sale and use of adhesive-based rodent traps. Members discussed whether the bill should be amended to allow professional pest control use while restricting retail sales to the public. Testimony and member comments focused on animal welfare concerns, the relative humaneness and effectiveness of glue traps versus snap traps, consumer education, enforcement difficulties, and whether the bill should instead be limited to professionals. No vote was taken on HP 152 during the discussion. The committee then turned to HB 171, establishing a moratorium on new landfill permits. Representative Gruber distributed an amendment shortening the proposed moratorium from five years to three years as a compromise. Members supporting the moratorium said it would give the Department of Environmental Services time to update rules and reflect recent landfill-siting reforms, while opponents argued that three years was too long, could tie the hands of a future legislature, and might be difficult to pass in the Senate. Others noted the House, Senate, and governor had each discussed different lengths of moratorium, making the bill a likely bargaining position in later negotiations. Throughout the landfill discussion, members emphasized that the three-year version was intended as a middle ground between a one-year proposal associated with the governor and a six-year Senate bill. Several members said the moratorium reflected years of bipartisan work on solid waste and landfill policy and would help create time for new rules to take effect. The transcript provided does not show a final committee vote or other action on HB 171 during this segment.

Transcript Highlights:

• professionalism and due diligence.
• patient with professional patient with professional professionalism<01:02:45.760> and<01:
• <02:29:45.560> may professional may professional may only<02:29:47.560> take<02:29:47.800
• president of the professional president of the professional firefighters<03:18:32.520> of
• <03:33:02.080> uh want to shift off to a professional uh want to shift off to a professional

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, is the Professional Cowboy Rodeo Cowboys Association in Colorado Springs would love to relocate
• <01:14:17.600> cowboy<01:14:18.480> professional<01:14:18.800> rodeo professional
• cowboy professional rodeo professional cowboy professional rodeo cowboys<01:14:19.840> association
• And then the professional rodeo. Uh, is there a reason they haven't already dove into that?
• And then the professional<01:30:07.920> rodeo.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is important for all school professionals to know how to identify a seizure, even if they do not have
• that it will carry through to the next generation of lifeguards, EMTs, paramedics, and health professionals
• Requiring professional development for all school employees would be a step in the right direction.
• This bill also provides resources to support professional development for educators, ensuring that they
• Our students deserve our prompt attention from our school mental health professionals.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with the chairs emphasizing time limits, written testimony, and grouping similar measures together. Early testimony focused on opioid use disorder education in schools (S.382), with Senator Keenan arguing that students should be taught about the risks of substance use disorder and naloxone use as part of health curricula. Representative DeCost also briefly introduced H.551, a narrow bill concerning parent rights for children in third grade and younger. Several bills were then closed without testimony, including measures on type 1 diabetes informational materials and other diabetes-related proposals. A major portion of the hearing centered on school health and emergency response bills. Supporters of H.652/S.342 on diabetes management in schools described inconsistent district practices and urged clearer standards so students can receive care in classrooms rather than being sent out of instruction. Bills on epinephrine access and seizure disorders drew extensive testimony: advocates for stock epinephrine in schools argued that unassigned epinephrine can save lives and should be funded in a cost-neutral way, while a pediatrician opposed one version as an unfunded mandate. For seizure-safe schools (S.422/H.635), students, parents, educators, and advocates described missed or delayed responses to seizures, stigma, and the need for staff training, seizure action plans, and emergency medication protocols. A separate bill, H.645, allowing anti-seizure medication on school buses, was supported by a parent and student who said current law forces costly and restrictive transportation arrangements. The committee also heard testimony on youth skin health bills (S.334/H.600/H.619), which would let students carry and apply sunscreen at school and camp without a physician’s note. Supporters from melanoma prevention, dermatology, and industry groups said the bills would remove unnecessary barriers and promote sun-safe habits, while one witness cautioned about drafting details and unintended consequences. The hearing then moved to CPR/AED education for graduation (S.456), where Senator Tarr, a student advocate, and the Red Cross all supported requiring hands-on CPR certification for high school students. Finally, the committee took testimony on healthy school lunches (H.539/S.401): supporters from the Healthy School Lunch Coalition and school food directors backed stronger nutrition standards and a standing advisory council, while Consumer Brands Association witnesses opposed the bill as too vague and potentially disruptive. A nutrition scientist also warned about unintended restrictions on medically necessary or innovative foods. The chairs closed the hearing on the healthy lunch bills and then opened testimony on universal school meals for virtual schools (H.700), with Superintendent Patrick Latuka supporting access for students in Commonwealth virtual schools who currently receive no meal support.

Transcript Highlights:

• They make the least amount of the professionals that we regulate.
• They make the least amount of the professionals that we regulate.
• On page 16, we have a list of the types of medications that unlicensed health care professionals may
• That raises a simple question: Is a homeschool educator considered a qualified professional?
• I ask that home educators be explicitly included within the definition of qualified professional.

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• As some of you may not be familiar with our profession, PAs are highly trained medical professionals
• As some of you may not be familiar with our profession, PAs are highly trained medical professionals
• As some of you may not be familiar with our profession, PAs are highly trained medical professionals
• As some of you may not be familiar with our profession, PAs are highly trained medical professionals
• As some of you may not be familiar with our profession, PAs are highly trained medical professionals

Keywords: Call to Order 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:35 SB 22 Discussion 00:01:20 SB 22 Vote 00:11:45 SB 100 Discussion 00:15:07 SB 100 Vote 00:38:53 SB 88 Discussion Only 00:42:11 Adjournment 01:03:52, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on February 18, 2025, and first took up Senate Bill 22 by Senator Reginald Thomas, which was presented as a cleanup measure following prior cosmetology reforms and a Legislative Oversight and Investigations report. The bill would allow cosmetologists to retake exams multiple times with a one-month wait, authorize the Board of Cosmetology to immediately close facilities that intentionally use unlicensed workers while preserving due process, give the board flexibility to hire an executive director based on qualifications rather than licensure, and recognize certain out-of-state or territorial cosmetology licenses. Board officials said the changes were intended to improve fairness, equality, and administrative due process. Senators asked about retesting fees and whether partial retests could dilute standards; Thomas clarified that the exam is cumulative and must be retaken in full. The committee approved SB 22 with all favorable votes, and Senator Meredith explained his support as a workforce and fairness issue. The committee then heard Senate Bill 100 by Senator Jimmy Higdon, as substituted, concerning tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product retail licensing and enforcement. Youth advocates from the University of Kentucky testified in support, describing youth nicotine use as a public health crisis and urging stronger enforcement, annual compliance checks, retailer licensing, and tougher penalties for illegal sales to minors. Higdon said the bill would create a Division of Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vapor Products Licensing within ABC, require licenses for retailers, authorize inspections and confiscation of contraband, impose escalating criminal and civil penalties for unlicensed sales and sales to minors, publish a list of licensed retailers, and dedicate fine revenue to enforcement and youth education. He said the measure targeted bad actors rather than responsible retailers. A retailer witness also supported licensing but raised concerns about contradictory product definitions that could sweep in hemp and medical marijuana vapor products, and asked that the bill be delayed until after an expected Supreme Court decision affecting federal vapor-product rules. The transcript ends during discussion of SB 100, before any committee vote on that bill.