Video & Transcript Research : 'occupational certification'
Page 95 of 386
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-04-23 (10:00AM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Limited access facilities are those roads where the owners or occupants of the abutting land have no
- push-button and task work order projects, the DOT is authorized to waive some of the contractor's certification
- Survivors of deceased hospice patients are currently experiencing delays in death certificates due in
- allows physicians to utilize advanced practice registered nurses to certify death and file death certificates
Summary:
The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to those affected by the Florida State University shooting and recognition of Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, John Thrasher, student advocacy groups, conservation organizations, and visiting school groups. Members also adopted Senate Resolution 1878 honoring Coach Abdur-Rahim. The chamber then moved into special order business and considered a series of bills, many of them with House companions substituted in and passed by wide margins or unanimously.
Among the measures passed were bills updating child care and early learning provider regulation, imposing costs on false swatting reports, extending protections against extraordinary hospital collection actions, expanding hazardous walking conditions for schoolchildren, creating young adult housing support for foster and homeless students, clarifying school choice disclosure requirements under the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, adjusting interest rules for trust accounts supporting legal aid, revising transportation and traffic enforcement provisions, expanding public records exemptions for certain judicial and health care investigators and appellate clerks, changing municipal water and sewer utility rates in Miami-Dade, strengthening motor vehicle offenses involving impersonation and obscured plates, increasing trespass penalties at certain law-enforcement-controlled sites and large ticketed events, requiring refunds of patient overpayments, authorizing certain stem cell therapies, allowing relatives and direct support professionals to administer insulin in group homes, addressing rideshare impersonation and transit funding rules, and updating the Uniform Commercial Code for digital assets and emerging technologies.
Several bills drew notable debate. The trust fund interest bill prompted extended discussion over legal aid funding, bank participation, and whether the measure would reduce support for legal services; it ultimately passed 28-10. The transportation bill was heavily amended, including removal of speed-limit increases and changes to school bus camera enforcement and micromobility rules, and passed 37-0. The Miami-Dade water and sewer rate bill sparked debate over fairness, fiscal impact, and accusations of racism, but passed 36-2. Public records bills protecting agency investigators and JQC employees also drew questions about accountability and transparency before passing. Most other measures passed with little or no opposition, and a few bills were temporarily postponed or set aside.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- requires that those using scuba gear to do this work hold at least an open water scuba diving certification
- House File 1355, a bill for an act relating to occupational safety, requiring holders of permits to harvest
- So it will require that scuba certification so the people doing this work know how to use the equipment
- So it will require that scuba certification so the people doing this work know how to use the equipment
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
CPC Public Hearing - Thu Apr 9, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Consumer Protection & Commerce
Transcript Highlights:
- Yes, for representing occupants.
- . owner-occupants. owner-occupants.
- >> um to to owner-occupants. >> um to to owner-occupants.
- owner occupancy owner occupancy uh<00:24:43.800>
idea <00:24:44.679>in <00:24:44.840 - You mean a perpetual owner occupancy You mean a perpetual owner occupancy requirement?
Keywords:
SB3302, homemade food products, farm kitchens, home kitchens, Department of Health, DOH, food safety, food labeling, value-added agriculture, small farms, agricultural land, commercial food establishment permit, cottage food, direct-to-consumer sales, local food systems, Hawaii Revised Statutes, chapter 91, farm-to-table, food processing, public health regulation
Summary:
The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on April 9, 2026, and heard testimony on several measures. SB 3302 SD1 HD1, dealing with homemade food products, would require the Department of Health to adopt rules for farm kitchens producing homemade food products that are no more stringent than rules for home kitchens. The Department of Health said it supported the bill with technical amendments, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii also supported it. No opposition was heard.
A lengthy discussion focused on SB 2061 SD2 HD1, which concerns a 99-year leasehold residential condominium project and HCDA’s rules for sales, income restrictions, and buyback pricing. HCDA supported the bill and said the House draft clarified unclear provisions and would help move the project to pre-sales. Testimony and committee questions centered on whether the project should remain owner-occupied in perpetuity or allow investor purchases after an initial sales period. HCDA explained that the bill was revised to make the project feasible in the market, that 60% of units would be income-restricted for buyers at or below 140% of area median income, and that the remaining units could be sold without owner-occupancy restrictions. Some members and testifiers expressed concern that the bill had shifted away from the original owner-occupancy vision and could become an investment property model, while others argued the changes were necessary for the project to pencil out and compete with fee-simple developments. No vote was taken during the discussion shown.
The committee also heard SB 2050 SD1 HD1, which would allow chiropractic students in accredited programs to engage in clinical practice beginning July 1, 2028. The Hawaii Board of Chiropractic and the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association supported the measure, and one testifier described personal experience with student chiropractic care in California. Members questioned why the board requested delaying implementation until 2030, and the board said it needed more time to develop rules because it meets only a few times a year and rulemaking is lengthy. Finally, SB 2102 SD2 HD1, on industrial hemp in commercial feed, was introduced; the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity offered comments, the Department of Health raised concerns about regulating pet food and possible jurisdictional conflict, and a farmer testifying in support suggested narrowing the bill to federally approved livestock feed rather than pet food.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- the last two years TCEQ has issued over 15,000 air permits, 32,000 wait... water permits, 41,000 occupational
- in fee-generated revenue collections to recover costs associated. with the issuance of health certificates
- a request of $3,696,000. $900,000 we get all the to support Texas Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification
- Difficulty is we are managing the certification program for CWD for the USDA and you basically have three
- program is unlike other herd certification programs that we deal with as far as brucellosis. and tuberculosis
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Local Government (11-20-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Occupational cancer.
- <00:37:12.720>
Occupational flashovers ever have. Occupational flashovers ever have. - Occupational cancer. cancer. cancer.
- of duty today die from occupational of duty today die from occupational cancer.<00:38:07.359>
- <00:40:23.680>
in group one carcinogenic occupation in group one carcinogenic occupation in
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum, approved the October 21 minutes, and then heard a KO presentation focused on county jail funding pressures. KO leaders and county judges said jail costs have become a statewide crisis, noting that county general fund contributions to jail budgets have risen sharply since 2019. They said the organization’s sole legislative priority this session is to “reshape the shared responsibility” for county jails through three main proposals: incentivizing regional jails, clarifying responsibility for pre-trial felony detainees, and changing the model for housing state inmates.
On regional jails, KO proposed one-time state construction help for new or expanded regional facilities, allowing former county jails to become 96-hour holdover facilities, changing regional jail authority boards so each participating county jailer can serve, increasing the closed-jail supplement, and offering a one-time payment to counties that close a jail and join a regional plan. On pre-trial felony detainees, Judge Mosley argued counties bear the full cost for people held before trial, sometimes for years, and said counties should be reimbursed for time served credit when those inmates are later sentenced. On state inmates, KO said the current per diem of $35.34 is below the average daily county jail cost of $63.44, and proposed a new contract model requiring the Department of Corrections to pay actual housing costs while counties provide agreed programming such as substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral programming, re-entry services, workforce training, and academic programming.
Members asked about the fiscal impact of the package, the feasibility of regional jail population thresholds, and whether the proposal could affect counties’ ability to house federal inmates. KO said regionalization should remain a local decision, that a bill draft and fiscal note were being developed, and that only certain jails are eligible to house federal inmates under existing agreements. Representative Maddox also asked about social media comments by Judge Mosley regarding homeschooling; Mosley said the remarks were unrelated to KO and apologized for any offense. Senator Mills asked what counties would do with savings from jail costs, and judges said the money would likely go to local services such as roads, ambulance service, senior programs, parks, economic development, infrastructure, broadband, and water projects.
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- The unit oversees four key programs: wage and hour, fair employment, resident contractor certification
- ,<00:10:02.760>
and <00:10:02.960>Wyoming <00:10:03.400>prevailing certification - , and Wyoming prevailing certification, and Wyoming prevailing wage. wage. wage.
- Uh the second one is building occupancy. Uh the second one is building occupancy.
- , cartridges, instructor certification, cartridges, instructor certification, and<02:36:45.920>
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- SB number 1080 by West, relating to the issuance of a provisional occupational license to certain individuals
- Let's help the homeless by passing House Bill 510, which provides free birth certificates.
- anticipating in any way that I have to upload my driver's license or I have to upload my birth certificate
- HB175 by Gonzalez of El Paso, relating to establishing optional certifications for child care providers
- There is a national certification, and there are schools here like...
Bills:
SB17, SB1569, SB2420, HB5138, HJR161, HB1937, HB3334, HB5444, HB5137, HB361, HB321, HB5447, HB464, HB678, HB2294, HB4172, HB3225, HB1769, HB5394, HB1837, HB1787, HB2271, HB2440, HB5134, HB5149, HB2151, HB2073, HB2186, HB2025, HB1936, HB1777, HB1663, HB 1306, HB 1290, HB1527, HB4802, HB3462, HB2963, HB2462, HB2560, HB644, HB2725, HB2621, HB2588, HB1443, HB1403, HB3032, HB1557, HB1664, HB2811, HB2088, HB2598, HB3062, HB3134, HB3940, HB4027, HB4097, HB4862, HB4170, HB4157, HB4205, HB4279, HB4377, HB4838, HB5424, HB5294, HB4870, HB4763, HB5639, HB4112, HB2275, HB1677, HB5014, HB3848, HB3797, HB3727, HB3709, HB3177, HB3057, HB4176, HB4202, HB2180, HB3528, HB3658, HCR76, HCR127, SB906, SB1229, SB855, SB703, SB1025, SB888, SB1119, SB1080, SB929, SB1355, SB2231, SB1877, SB1998, SB552, SB17, SB1569, SB2420, HB2697, HB3801, HB3488, HB3477, HB3466, HB3469, HB2594, HB2564, HB2298, HB5331, HB5646, HB5247, HB5323, HB4384, HB3896, HB4014, HB3627, HB3594, HB2524, HB510, HB561, HB 1181, HB3963, HB5111, HB2785, HB1661, HB200, HB1803, HB249, HB721, HB851, HB 1128, HB1904, HB30, HB1916, HB541, HB5560, HB3071, HB5627, HB5435, HB2688, HB3045, HB3483, HB4213, HB4226, HB783, HB175, HB4735, HB5155, HB5057, HB4813, HB5339, HB5196, HB5033, HB3486, HB4211, HB74, HB4730, HB4743, HB4463, HB4139, HB4752, HB4486, HB4437, HB4426, HB4396, HB4263, HB3487, HB3418, HB2266, HB2229, HB2189, HB5224, HB5195, HB3947, HB3358, HB3370, HB3745, HB3697, HB2001, HB1968, HB3371, HB3909, HB4944, HB2284, HB4506, HB3317, HB4166, HB3913, HB1768, HB4603, HB2494, HB3099, HJR138, HB133, HB3832, HB1988, HCR34, HB3421, HB3892, HB5138, HJR161, HB1937, HB3334, HB5444, HB5137, HB361, HB321, HB5447, HB464, HB678, HB2294, HB4172, HB3225, HB1769, HB5394, HB1837, HB1787, HB2271, HB2440, HB5134, HB5149, HB2151, HB2073, HB2186, HB2025, HB1936, HB1777, HB1663, HB 1306, HB 1290, HB1527, HB4802, HB3462, HB2963, HB2462, HB2560, HB644, HB2725, HB2621, HB2588, HB1443, HB1403, HB3032, HB1557, HB1664, HB2811, HB2088, HB2598, HB3062, HB3134, HB3940, HB4027, HB4097, HB4862, HB4170, HB4157, HB4205, HB4279, HB4377, HB4838, HB5424, HB5294, HB4870, HB4763, HB5639, HB4112, HB2275, HB1677, HB5014, HB3848, HB3797, HB3727, HB3709, HB3177, HB3057, HB4176, HB4202, HB2180, HB3528, HB3658, HCR76, HCR127
Keywords:
foreign ownership, real property, national security, criminal penalties, civil penalties, personal information, higher education, privacy protection, governing board, institutional security, software applications, mobile devices, age verification, parental consent, data protection, app store regulation, HJR 161, Texas constitutional amendment, voting rights, non-citizen voting
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations.(2-18-26)
Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations
Transcript Highlights:
- Remember, roughly 200 occupations in Kentucky require a state-issued occupational license.
require <00:01:21.280>a occupations in Kentucky require a occupations in Kentucky require- a stateisssued<00:01:22.240>
occupational <00:01:22.880>license. - <00:01:23.600>
So, stateisssued occupational license. - So, stateisssued occupational license.
Keywords:
Call to Order 00:00
Roll Call 00:03
HB 185 Discussion 1:00
HB 185 Vote 2:05
HB 455 Discussion 3:30
HB 455 Vote 9:00
Adjournment 10:30, 958, all
Summary:
The committee first took up House Bill 185, sponsored by Representative Callaway, which would help people with criminal records return to work by reducing barriers related to occupational licensing. Callaway said Kentucky has roughly 200 licensed occupations and argued the bill would support both individuals and the workforce. Members noted the bill had already passed the House twice and that there were no substantive changes this year. The bill passed the committee cleanly on a roll call vote.
The committee then considered House Bill 455, sponsored by Representative Bant, with a committee substitute adopted before the bill vote. The bill would prohibit therapy and psychological services from using AI to independently provide therapy, diagnose mental illness, make therapeutic recommendations, detect emotions, or otherwise replace human judgment in treatment. Bant said the goal was to ensure a human interacts with people dealing with mental illness, while still allowing AI for administrative tasks such as scheduling, reminders, notes, and other authorized functions. She said the substitute clarified that routine automated uses would remain allowed.
Several members asked about the scope of the bill and whether it would affect billing, notes, or appointment systems. Bant said the Kentucky Psychological Association had raised concerns about section 32, but she believed the substitute addressed them. She also cited concerns about AI being used in harmful ways and said similar legislation had passed in Ohio and Illinois. The committee substitute was adopted, and House Bill 455 then passed the committee by roll call vote. The meeting adjourned after members recorded additional votes and attendance.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- She helped me get documents such as a Social Security card, birth certificates, and IDs.
- I personally completed six different trades and more than 30 certificates.
- Staff came out to celebrate, and it was just not a certificate. It was a moment of dignity.
- Did you get your security birth certificate? I had those things already.
- I'm in an SRO, single-room occupancy.
Summary:
The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met at 10:07 a.m. and approved the minutes from its February 9 meeting. The commission said it would accept Department of Correction testimony in writing because of a scheduling issue, and then spent most of the hearing hearing from people with lived experience in county and state correctional settings. Members repeatedly reminded witnesses to keep remarks to about three minutes and focused the discussion on correctional consolidation, collaboration, programming, and reentry.
Testimony from multiple sheriff’s offices was broadly supportive of county-based programming, treatment, education, and reentry services. Witnesses from Hampshire, Barnstable, Hampden, and Franklin counties described access to GED and college courses, vocational training, recovery meetings, therapeutic groups, housing and ID assistance, work release, and reentry centers. Several said these programs helped them gain sobriety, employment, family reunification, and parole readiness. Hampden County witnesses emphasized immediate reentry planning and individualized case management; Franklin County witnesses praised respectful treatment and an accessible off-site reentry center; Barnstable witnesses highlighted the women’s therapeutic treatment program, creative writing, and the Bridge Center; Hampshire witnesses described the Bridge House, work release, and transition supports.
Several witnesses contrasted those experiences with what they described as limited or delayed programming in DOC facilities, especially for people serving longer sentences or with restrictive classifications. One witness said DOC programming was hard to access because shorter sentences and offense labels affected eligibility; another described overcrowding, little counseling, and no reentry planning in state prison. A juvenile lifer testified that classification barriers and lack of tailored programming left him feeling unprepared, and another witness said DOC’s handling of classification hearings and records was unfair and opaque. Some speakers also raised concerns about mental health care and visitation policies, especially at Framingham, where one witness said suicidal thoughts were met with inadequate responses and another said family visitation was denied without clear explanation. Commissioners asked follow-up questions about DOC access, step-down opportunities, family support, and whether more transitional housing or acclimation time before release would help. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior minutes.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Boston Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals on its recognition of North American Occupational
- Safety and Health Week and Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day.
- than 2 million people die each year from workplace-related accidents, and millions more suffer occupational
- And whereas the American Society of Safety Professionals, members, the Occupational Safety and Health
- Safety and Health Week, and Wednesday, May 6, 2026 is Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day
Summary:
The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted a resolution commending the Greater Boston Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals for recognizing North American Occupational Safety and Health Week and Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day. Senators welcomed guests from the chapter, and the resolution was adopted by voice vote. The chamber also briefly recessed for a photo with the guests.
The Senate then received a message from the Governor filing the Ride Safe Act, which would enhance the safe use of micromobility devices such as mopeds, electric scooters, and bikes. The message noted the bill’s connection to the Mass Leads Act and a special commission on micromobility regulation. The matter was referred to the Committee on Transportation.
The Senate next took up and passed to be engrossed House No. 5245, establishing a sick leave bank for Courtney Cochran, an employee of the Department of Children and Families. The Senate also adopted an order setting its next formal session for Thursday at 11 a.m. and later considered an order governing filing deadlines for amendments to the General Appropriation Bill and scheduling its second reading on May 19, 2026. The session ended with a motion to adjourn, which was approved.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- There are over 160 national industry certifications that are recognized now in the state of Florida,
- And if you have a national industry certification, you're just about guaranteed a job.
- Committee Substitute for House Bill 809, a bill to be entitled an act relating to temporary certificates
- Committee Substitute for House Bill 809, a bill to be entitled an act relating to temporary certificates
- SB 1296 changes the threshold for certification and recertification elections from a majority of those
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, opening with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions, including recognition of the day’s doctor of the day, an intern, and a resolution honoring the late Bob Graham and firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber also adopted a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day. After routine announcements, the Senate moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, many of them with House companion bills substituted in place of Senate versions.
The first major floor action was passage of a tax-related bill conforming Florida’s Internal Revenue Code to federal changes while excluding certain provisions from H.R. 1; it passed 34-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 1758 on public assistance and Medicaid, which proposed stronger fraud enforcement, a Medicaid work requirement for able-bodied adults, expanded behavioral health services, pharmacy and drug rebate reforms, and SNAP fraud reduction measures. A Berman amendment to require Medicaid expansion before work requirements was rejected, as was an Osgood amendment to add photo-ID protections and exemptions for certain SNAP users. The bill remained on the calendar for third reading after extensive debate and questioning about implementation, exemptions, and potential impacts on beneficiaries.
The chamber also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry and related public records exemption, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on gold and silver legal tender, public records exemptions for financial institutions and custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government finance transparency, digital voyeurism, and insurance customer representative licensing. Most of these measures were adopted after brief explanation, minor amendments, or substitution of House companions, with votes generally in favor and several passing unanimously or by wide margins.
Later, the Senate took up CS/SB 1756 on medical freedom, which would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin access, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition. The bill’s first amendments clarified anti-kickback rules for vaccine manufacturers and required informational materials to address risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy; the transcript ends during consideration of this bill, before final passage is shown.
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 023 Feb 6th, 2026
Colorado Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Appointed members of the Private Occupational School Board for a term expiring July 1, 2026: Howard OG
- Appointed members of the Private Occupational School Board for a term expiring July 1, 2026: Howard OG
- Appointed members of the Private Occupational School Board for a term expiring July 1, 2026: Howard OG
- <00:46:52.880>
school <00:46:53.040>division the private occupational school division - the private occupational school division occasioned<00:46:53.760>
by <00:46:53.839>the
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the February 4, 2026 journal as corrected, and received several committee reports and bill status updates. Committee actions included favorable reports on Senate Bills 12, 13, 14, and 16, with some bills amended before being sent to the Committee of the Whole, and notice that Senate Bill 32 had been correctly engrossed and was ready for final passage. The chamber also laid over the general order second reading calendar until Friday, February 6, 2026.
The main floor action was final passage of Senate Bill 32, concerning the promotion of immunization access. Supporters argued the bill would help Colorado maintain a science-based vaccine policy, protect public health, and preserve pharmacists’ ability to provide vaccines amid concerns about federal instability. Several organizations were cited as endorsing the measure. The bill passed on a 20-12 vote.
The Senate also adopted Senate Joint Resolution 8, honoring Colorado’s 2026 Winter Olympians and Paralympians. Senators highlighted Colorado’s winter sports culture, training facilities, and the state’s many athletes competing in the Games, and one senator offered a tribute to a former Olympian in the chamber. The resolution passed unanimously, 32-0. In addition, the Senate confirmed governor’s appointments to the Department of Higher Education and the Private Occupational School Board on a 32-0 vote.
The meeting ended with announcements, including committee schedules and birthday recognition for Senator Zamora Wilson, followed by adjournment until Friday, February 6, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And as it relates to their prison job and a recognized occupation, the inmate can also apply this work-life
- experience to occupational education, college credits, evaluation upon, uh, uh enrollment in a degree
- Receive an occupational license prior to release, and the only license that's currently available under
- First, the substitute would require licensing authorities to revoke occupational license.
- Number 1, a felony conviction for an offense that directly relates to the licensee's occupational duties
Bills:
HB153
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Today, we are very honored to welcome over 250 Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants
- , and Occupational from across Texas to your capital. profession that empowers individuals of all ages
- We know that occupational therapy.
- Occupational therapists play a crucial role. in supporting individuals recovering from life-changing
- To all the occupational therapy practitioners that are here today, and all the students, thank you for
Keywords:
Houston East End, Chamber of Commerce, East End Day, economic development, community involvement, scholarships, business events, McAllen, celebration, community pride, cultural events, economic growth, McAllen Day, community recognition, South Texas, local pride, Wise County Day, Texas Senate, Wise County, state recognition
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- ’s just real and personal property devoted to noncommercial, temporary, and seasonal residential occupancy
- <00:16:12.720>
for <00:16:12.959>Resident residential occupancy for Resident residential - occupancy for Resident Recreation Recreation Recreation purposes<00:16:16.160>
um <00:16:17.160 - I find it really frustrating to sit here as officials with election certificates, with the ability to
- I find it really frustrating to sit here as officials with election certificates, with the ability to
Keywords:
HF51, Sibley County, State-Aid Highway 21, capital investment, bonding bill, general obligation bonds, transportation infrastructure, road improvements, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, local infrastructure, county grant, Minnesota Department of Transportation, bond proceeds fund, public works, utility infrastructure, education finance, school district funding, tax base adjustment
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- something that came out of the conversations related to the possible elimination of the 14(c) certificates
- I made joint visits with an occupational therapist.
- 01:03:44.920>
visits <01:03:45.240>with <01:03:45.359>an <01:03:45.599>occupational - joint visits with an occupational joint visits with an occupational therapist<01:03:46.680>
we - I also serve on the Minnesota Certification Board, and as you can well see, I'm in my vehicle today because
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention - 03/24/26
Housing and Homelessness Prevention
Transcript Highlights:
- other than that, uh young uh occupants other than that, uh young uh young<00:37:17.000>
adults - , so the young the minors that occupants, so the young the minors that are<00:37:26.080>
in <00 - <00:37:34.280>
number <00:37:34.520>three occupant number three occupant number three um - So, on a lease, yes, there's the tenant, and then there's the occupants.
- The occupants then are the minors that are authorized to actually inhabit that unit.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (7-31-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- I'd like to officially call the meeting, the second interim meeting of Licensing and Occupations, to
- This is o employment occupational This is o employment occupational um<00:09:20.560>
issues. - hiring authority and occupational hiring authority and occupational licensing<00:10:06.080>
boards - <00:10:16.640>
So <00:10:16.880>we're is occupational licensing. - So we're is occupational licensing.
Summary:
The committee first approved the June 18 meeting amendments, then heard an update from Representative Emily Callaway on the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. She reported no major budget or regulatory concerns, but noted hiring challenges, especially for investigators, and said the board is pursuing a scholarship program using cash reserves and penalty payments. She also said the board has about 20,000 licenses, handled 134 cases in 2024, and had an open-investigation count that stayed roughly flat. The board said initial licenses take about 5 to 7 business days and endorsements about 10 business days, with one citizen-at-large vacancy on the 11-member board.
Callaway and board staff also discussed emerging issues such as AI, digital plan submissions, and the use of drones and LiDAR in surveying education. They said Kentucky’s surveying exam pass rates are well above national averages and that universities such as East Tennessee State, Cincinnati State, Bellarmine, Spalding, and Eastern Kentucky are helping train students for the field. The committee then took up Callaway’s occupational licensing bill aimed at removing barriers for people with criminal records. The proposal would let applicants seek an upfront determination of whether a record would disqualify them, require boards to consider specified materials and give written reasons if they deny eligibility, and bind the board’s decision absent new or undisclosed offenses. Supporters said the goal is to help roughly 30,000 people reenter the workforce and avoid wasted time and money on training that could later be disqualified.
The committee next heard from Representatives Fleming and Willner on a psychology licensing bill, a reintroduction of prior legislation. They said the measure is intended to address mental health workforce shortages by adding two members to the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology, setting a more predictable timeline for licensure examinations, and requiring annual reporting on processing times for licenses and complaints. They said the bill is meant to speed entry into the profession as new psychology programs expand in Kentucky. No objections were raised.
Finally, the Alcoholic Beverage Control commissioner and general counsel presented two administrative amendments tied to SB 202 to allow direct-shipping forms for cannabis-infused beverages, and the committee approved both regulations by voice vote. The committee then held a broader discussion about whether ABC should be expanded by statute to regulate additional intoxicating substances and emerging products. ABC officials said the agency already handles alcohol, tobacco, vape licensing, and some related enforcement, but any broader authority would require legislative action and likely more officers and funding. Members discussed the need to stay ahead of new products, possibly through an emerging-industries framework, while also protecting businesses and consumers.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
House Standing Committee BR Sub. on Health & Family Services (2-19-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Again, one thing that we're looking at right now are the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and
- There are some services, for example, the physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy,
- Again, one thing that we're looking at right now are the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and
- Again, one thing that we're looking at right now are the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and
- There are some services, for example, the physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy,
Summary:
The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services met with a quorum still coming together and first handled roll call and minutes. The main presentation came from the Department for Medicaid Services, with Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Beckle giving an overview of Kentucky Medicaid, its federal-state financing structure, and the department’s 1915(c) home- and community-based waiver programs. They explained FMAP funding levels for traditional Medicaid, administration, IT, expansion adults, and CHIP, and noted the size of the program, including more than 600,000 Kentucky children eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, about 485,000 expansion adults, over 69,000 enrolled providers, and $18.5 billion in 2024 expenditures.
A major focus was the waiver system, including the acquired brain injury waivers, model waiver, independence waiver, Michelle P. waiver, and Supports for Community Living waiver. The department said these waivers are intended to keep people with physical or developmental disabilities in home and community settings rather than facilities, and that many services are not covered by Medicare or commercial insurance. Officials described participant-directed services, interagency administration, and eligibility rules, including that some waiver programs use the child’s income only rather than family income. They also reported an unduplicated waiver wait list of 13,930 people and said the General Assembly had added waiver slots in the last budget, including 650 ABI slots and 1,275 more to be allocated July 1, 2025.
The department also discussed a waiver rate study conducted by Guidehouse, explaining that CMS requires a defensible rate methodology because there is no Medicare or commercial benchmark for many waiver services. They said the study used cost and wage surveys, provider and stakeholder input, and aimed to improve transparency, provider stability, and rate parity. Officials reviewed prior COVID-era Appendix K rate increases and budget-driven increases, and said the budget ultimately funded rates at about 70% of the benchmark study, while preserving higher existing rates where needed so no provider would be cut. They highlighted larger differences in behavioral support and case management rates, and said a public report is available.
Members asked several questions about the potential impact of federal FMAP changes, especially possible reductions in the enhanced match for expansion adults and Medicaid IT/admin activities. DMS said any FMAP reduction would require more state general fund dollars, estimating about $75 million for each 1% drop in the expansion match, while impacts on administrative IT funding would depend on the systems being built or implemented in a given year. Members also pressed for clarification on waiver wait-list procedures, funded versus filled slots, and what happens when someone on the wait list is later found ineligible. DMS said people on the wait list may not yet have been assessed, can be reevaluated if conditions change, and are still eligible for regular Medicaid state-plan services if they qualify, even if they are waiting for waiver services.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Public Safety Committee Apr 8th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We have item number 15, Assembly Bill 1140 by Assembly Member Connolly, entitled Single Occupancy Cell
- A firearm certificate is required to purchase a gun in California.
- California Department of Justice Firearm Safety Certificate Study Guide.
- There are approximately 2.8 million gun buyers that have to renew their firearm safety certificate.
- the copy of the valid firearm safety certificate with the report.
Summary:
The committee first adopted a seven-bill consent calendar, then heard several public safety measures. AB 1127 by Assembly Member Gabriel would restrict sale of certain semi-automatic handguns that can be easily converted to automatic weapons with “switches”; supporters, including Everytown and Moms Demand Action, said it targets a specific Glock-style design flaw linked to mass shootings, while the NRA and gun-rights groups argued the bill duplicates existing federal law and effectively bans popular handguns. The bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Judiciary and remained on call. AB 468, also by Gabriel, would increase penalties and clarify offenses involving looting and impersonating emergency personnel in evacuation zones and during disasters; firefighters, district attorneys, and law enforcement supported it as a deterrent, while public defenders and justice advocates warned it was overbroad and could worsen racial profiling. The committee approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, also held on call.
The committee then heard AB 1187 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, which would require eight hours of firearm safety training, including live-fire instruction, before obtaining a firearm safety certificate and would add a requirement for new residents who import firearms. Supporters said California should require training comparable to other safety-sensitive activities and that the measure would reduce gun deaths; opponents argued the bill misunderstands the existing FSC process, would be hard to implement because of range and instructor limits, and would burden a constitutional right. The bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations and was held on call. The committee also heard AB 1424 by Rodriguez, which would require CDCR climate resiliency and heat-safety measures in prisons, including temperature monitoring, shade, showers, fans, and emergency planning. Prisoner-rights and labor groups strongly supported the bill, citing extreme heat, wildfire, and flooding risks, while one opponent said the monitoring mandate could be too costly; the bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Labor and Employment and held on call.
Finally, the committee began hearing AB 1258 by Assembly Member Kalra, which would extend the sunset of the Young Adult Deferred Entry Program through 2029 for selected counties. Kalra and Santa Clara County Judge Erica You described the program’s success in reducing recidivism and providing wraparound services for young adults with felony charges, including housing, counseling, and parenting support. The transcript cuts off before the committee completed action on AB 1258.