Transcript Highlights:

• This suggested facilities with competently trained radiology professionals.
• You get licensed, you're trained, but then when you go on for certification, you get specialized training
• Is this something that they have the technical training and ability for? Do they want to do this?
• Is this something that they have the technical training and ability for?
• Madam Chairman, Representative Vagori, yes, they do have the technical ability and training.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee began with two radiology-related bills focused on rural access and workforce shortages. HB 2049 would allow particle accelerators for cancer treatment in critical access hospitals and counties under 400,000 population under general supervision, with rural providers testifying that the change would let patients receive care closer to home while maintaining safety protocols. The bill passed on an 11-0 vote. HB 2050 updated outdated radiologic technologist statutes, revised school accreditation and clinical-hour standards, and allowed radiologist assistants to work under supervision rather than direct supervision; an amendment also added registered nurses to the list of professionals not needing an additional license to use diagnostic X-ray machines. Testimony centered on staffing shortages, national standards, and whether the change would preserve oversight. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 10-2, with some members citing the need for more vetting and concern about oversight of dangerous equipment. The committee then heard HB 2082, which creates a Childhood Cancer and Rare Childhood Disease Research Commission to award grants for phase-one pediatric cancer and rare disease trials using existing license-plate funds and other sources. Parents and patients gave emotional testimony about pediatric brain cancer diagnoses, the lack of effective treatments, and the need for Arizona to support local research; the bill passed unanimously 12-0. HB 2015 required Access to cover breastfeeding and lactation services, and an amendment made the coverage subject to CMS approval. Supporters described breastfeeding as preventive care with benefits for infants and mothers, while Access said it was neutral but appreciated the amendment’s fiscal safeguard. The bill passed 12-0 as amended. Next, HB 2177 directed Access to seek CMS waivers to restore Medicaid payments for certain services provided to American Indian and Alaska Native members by IHS and tribal facilities, including dental, diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive services. The sponsor and a Sage Memorial Hospital witness said the bill would help tribal facilities draw down federal funds and keep services local; it passed 12-0 as amended. HB 2178 required state agency chief medical officers to hold an active medical or osteopathic license and passed without opposition. HB 2179 clarified statutory definitions separating air ambulance from ground ambulance regulation, with industry testimony saying it was a cleanup measure that would avoid unintended consequences; it also passed 12-0. Finally, HB 2183 created an 11-member emergency medicine study committee to examine EMS system sustainability, rural and urban capacity, workforce burnout, and uncompensated care. Firefighters, health care advocates, and an emergency nurse practitioner supported the study as a way to gather data and make recommendations; it passed 12-0. The committee then returned to HB 2072, which establishes an optional state certification for lactation care providers under ADHS, along with rulemaking, fees, discipline, and an advisory committee; the sponsor said the credential was needed so Access could reimburse the service, and the bill was introduced for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• We reimbursing of special education aid.
• </c> to have the personnel that are trained to have the personnel that are trained in<00:11:33.920><c
• . reimbursement. reimbursement.
• Um, Representative Lad spoke of reimbursement. So we're receiving that a reimbursement.
• </c> special education reimbursement special education reimbursement um<00:56:45.599><c> in</c><00:56

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the key benefits of DEMS: this ensures state funding is reimbursed faster, reducing financial
• It took us 581 days to reach $1 billion in FEMA reimbursement for Hurricane Michael.
• In FEMA reimbursable.
• Therefore, you know it's a reimbursable cost.
• If it's not on the list, it's not a reimbursable cost.

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several state technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Business Solution (DEMS). FDEM said DEMS is about 50% complete, with some grants and finance functions already live, and is intended to replace manual disaster and grants processing with a cloud-based system. Officials described faster reimbursement timelines after recent storms, major return-on-investment claims, and a planned final phase focused on design, testing, communications, data governance, and additional functionality. Members asked about the total cost, the role of Florida Digital Service, deliverables-based contracting, and how much of the system is live; FDEM said the project is expected to cost about $16 million to $16.8 million and finish by June 2027, with some follow-up information to be provided. The Department of Legal Affairs presented its Office of Attorney General Modernization Program, a follow-up to an earlier effort that failed after spending about $26 million. Acting Attorney General John Gard said the department has now moved to an off-the-shelf case management product, LawBase, and is in development and testing, with the Office of Statewide Prosecution already live and full implementation expected by the end of the fiscal year. The request includes funding for staff augmentation, cloud storage, the LawBase license, redundancy through a backup site in Orlando, and OnBase support. Members questioned the prior failure, the use of Florida Digital Service standards, data location and cloud migration, and the redundancy plan; Gard said lessons learned included better scoping and that the current effort is on track. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles then updated the committee on Motorist Modernization, including the Orion system and the MyDMV portal. Officials said Phase 1 and Phase 2 have modernized driver license and motor vehicle services, with Phase 2 statewide rollout scheduled to begin in April 2025 and Phase 3 proposed at $16.5 million for dealer services, data warehouse improvements, and call center modernization. Members asked about payment options, organ donor questions, staffing, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and the digital driver license program. The agency said the portal already allows some sanctions to be cleared online, an ACH option is being developed, the digital driver license vendor has changed with a fall go-live anticipated, and the department is using security testing and a managed security service provider. Officials also said the system is currently on an on-prem private cloud, with future workloads expected to move to public cloud where appropriate. Finally, Florida Commerce presented on the Reemployment Assistance modernization system, Reconnect, and the FLWINS workforce system. Commerce said Reconnect is hosted in the Azure Government Cloud, has reduced claim filing time, improved fraud detection, and increased appeals capacity, and now needs $4.9 million in recurring funding to cover ongoing operations, cloud hosting, licenses, and staff augmentation. Members asked about adjudication issues, wait times, fraud prevention, and whether the system stores caller identifiers; Commerce said the average wait to speak to a representative is about 18 minutes and claims are generally processed in four to six weeks. The committee then began hearing about FLWINS, which is intended to create a “no wrong door” workforce portal under the REACH Act, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The driver training account to the Idaho High-Needs Student Fund. We have a second.
• McGurkin, Chairman, Representative Harris, the driver training account provides reimbursements to school
• The account provides reimbursements to school districts for providing driver education.
• Overall, the fund is used to reimburse driver education classes. Would continue to sit in the fund.
• Overall, the fund is used to reimburse driver education classes.

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee first approved a trailer appropriation for House Bill 730, adding $351,000 one-time General Fund to the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Welfare for SNAP eligibility system changes. One member argued the change was unnecessary because Idaho already has a low error rate and the current eligibility systems work well, but the motion passed with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 898, which moves the State Historic Preservation Office from the Idaho State Historical Society to the Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination. Members discussed whether the move was requested by the governor and whether it would create efficiencies in permitting and federal coordination. The committee approved both the reduction from the Historical Society budget and the corresponding addition to SMEC, along with language exempting SMEC from certain transfer restrictions. The State Historical Society director was said to support the move. Next, the committee approved trailer funding for Senate Bill 128, creating the Idaho High Need Students Fund. The committee added $5 million one-time dedicated funding and approved transfers of $1 million from the Idaho Career Ready Students Program Fund and $4 million from the driver training account. Analysts explained that while the funding is one-time, it could increase the state’s ongoing maintenance-of-effort obligation under federal special education rules if other funding remains unchanged. Members described the measure as a partial, temporary response to a larger special education funding gap. Finally, the committee revisited the Department of Fish and Game budget after it had failed on the House floor earlier. Members discussed multiple enhancement requests, including habitat projects, Good Neighbor Authority work, fisheries inflation, wolf depredation, communications, and replacement items. A substitute motion that included additional funding for temporary employees failed in the House vote, and the committee then approved a revised motion with a due pass recommendation. The committee also adopted language directing $200,000 of wolf depredation funds to wolf trapping. The meeting ended with discussion of pending items for the next day, including rural health transformation and state police-related budget actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Had you been trained on looking for this, or was this just people who caught things and whose instincts
• There is training constantly with everyone that touches the student's admission record or financial aid
• And final line of question, is there any appeal process to that $2,500 reimbursement?
• Did they give any of the options other than just reimburse it to the system? Well, no.
• But the federal government would not have reimbursed a college for that any more than they would reimburse

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Summary: The House and Senate Legislative Audit committee met to approve prior minutes and review four higher education audit reports. Staff first presented the University of Arkansas System report, which included three findings that had been certified and referred to the Governmental Bonding Board, the attorney general, and the appropriate prosecuting attorney: unauthorized purchases at UAPB totaling about $37,000, a fraud scheme involving falsified FAFSA/transcript records at East Arkansas Community College with about $66,000 in losses, and unallowable charges in the Veterans Upward Bound program at UA Fayetteville totaling $8,500, of which $6,700 was recovered. Committee members praised the institutions’ internal audit and management teams for identifying the issues and asked detailed questions about how the fraud was detected, especially the online student identity-theft scheme at EACC and the safeguards now being used to verify student identity and prevent similar cases. EACC officials explained that the fraudulent admissions involved online applicants using falsified transcripts and identity-theft tactics, that 39 suspicious students were identified, and that seven slipped through far enough to receive federal aid, resulting in a $2,500 reimbursement obligation to the university. They said the college now uses a cross-departmental student validity team, extensive red-flag protocols, direct outreach to high schools, ID verification, and other checks, and that the issue has been shared across the UA system and with other campuses. UA Fayetteville also clarified that no veterans were harmed by the Veterans Upward Bound finding; the program was closed and students were redirected to other veteran support programs in the state. The committee then deferred the Northwest Arkansas Community College report. Staff next summarized two additional reports, from Southeast Arkansas College and Southern Arkansas University Tech, which contained only financial statement misstatements corrected during audit fieldwork; SAU Tech also had a finding involving unauthorized withdrawals that the college discovered and recovered. With no further questions, the committee voted without objection to file the reviewed reports and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:14:30.519><c> 3</c><00:14:30.800><c> minutes</c><00:14:31.240><c> was</c> train training only 2
• </c> abuse Additionally the training abuse Additionally the training misrepresented<00:14:37.120><c>
• </c><00:14:53.920><c> we</c> training in planning this training we training in planning this training
• </c> number one at least half the training number one at least half the training must<00:15:01.079><c
• </c> comprehensive expert informed training comprehensive expert informed training to<00:16:02.680><c

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• at a 95% rate cost would be reimbursed at a 95% rate rather<00:36:39.079><c> than</c><00:36:39.599><
• and then for formula for reimbursement and then for fiscal<00:37:04.520><c> years</c><00:37:05.000><
• This will increase it to about 4.5.8 FTE to support MDE's fund training and coaching for MDE and LEAs
• This will increase it to about 4.5.8 FTE to support MDE's fund training and coaching for MDE and LEAs
• </c> how would that affect the reimbursement how would that affect the reimbursement and<01:44:45.719

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We are currently hiring and training new staff and providing H.R. 1 training to existing staff, working
• Eligibility staff hiring and training is a complex process that requires new staff to be trained in multiple
• We are currently hiring and training new staff and providing HR1 training to existing staff, working
• They're going to training.
• It wasn't trained in initial training. We just concluded a new training cohort.

Summary: The committee held its second hearing on CalFresh enrollment and nutrition, focused on the effects of H.R. 1 on eligibility, administration, and food access in California. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Social Services outlined major federal changes: expanded work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, narrowed eligibility for certain lawfully present non-citizens, and new state and county cost-sharing for both administrative and benefit costs. Officials said about 665,000 Californians could lose benefits under the work requirement, roughly 72,000 non-citizens could lose eligibility, and California could face hundreds of millions to billions in new costs depending on error rates and implementation details. DSS described its mitigation efforts, including county guidance, trainings, automation, outreach materials, and coordination with workforce programs, while county representatives argued the workload is larger than current funding assumptions and that staffing and training needs are urgent. Members also heard from a CalFresh recipient, Lauren Keltz, who described how benefits helped her family during her daughter’s medical crisis and how a clerical error led to the loss of food, health, and cash assistance, contributing to homelessness and food insecurity. Her testimony was used to underscore the consequences of administrative errors and benefit disruptions. Grocery and agriculture representatives said CalFresh is not only an anti-hunger program but also a major economic driver, with benefits spent locally at grocery stores, farmers markets, and farm stands. They warned that cuts would reduce demand for fresh food, hurt independent grocers and small farmers, and increase reliance on food banks, while urging continued support for market match and farm-to-food-bank programs. In the second panel, advocates and local administrators emphasized the human and operational impacts of the federal changes. The California Immigrant Policy Center called for expanding the state-funded California Food Assistance Program to cover more immigrants excluded by H.R. 1. A San Francisco eligibility worker and a San Diego county administrator said the new rules will add substantial casework, require more client outreach and exemption screening, and strain already limited staffing. Justice in Aging stressed that CalFresh is a key anti-hunger tool for older adults and people with disabilities, especially as housing and health costs rise, and supported outreach funding for seniors. Throughout the hearing, members discussed the need for state funding, better automation, and stronger county and community partnerships to reduce disenrollment and protect access to food.

Transcript Highlights:

• Districts that offer qualifying coverage to their part-time faculty receive 50% reimbursement of the
• The tiered nature of this program, with 50% and 100% reimbursement rates, seeks to reduce barriers to
• But I'm here to present AB 1665, which requires student mental health training for coaches.
• We already have training in place for physical health needs.
• We already have training in place for physical health needs that our students are experiencing.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's now the Job Training Incentive Program.
• The Job Training Incentive Program is simply a reimbursement to the employer of wages paid to an employee
• during their initial training period from two to six months.
• Again, it's a reimbursement program; the company has to make the investment, and then they get reimbursed
• We train them.

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide parity in reimbursements and bring reimbursements from commercial insurers in the Commonwealth
• in line with the federal Medicare reimbursement schedule.
• They do reimburse 100%, but we're concerned with some carriers not cutting down.
• Medicaid reimbursement accounts for nearly one-third of health centers' total revenues.
• Another ongoing issue for health centers is under-reimbursement from commercial payers.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held an informational opening hearing for the Financial Services Committee, with Chair Murphy and Senator Feeney introducing new and returning members and explaining that no bills were being heard that day beyond brief introductory testimony. Commissioner of Banks Mary Gallagher thanked the committee for last session’s money transmission modernization law, and several members echoed appreciation for her office’s work. The hearing then featured a long series of stakeholder introductions and overviews of their priorities for the session. Testimony covered a wide range of financial, insurance, housing, health care, and consumer issues. Banking and mortgage groups discussed housing affordability, foreclosure delinquencies, flood insurance, regulatory changes, and the impact of federal policy shifts. Insurance representatives raised concerns about auto and homeowners market pressures, labor rates, tariffs, rebates, e-titling, third-party litigation funding, and public adjuster restrictions. Consumer and advocacy groups highlighted debt collection reform, earned wage access, retirement savings access, public banking, and consumer protections in financial services. Several speakers also emphasized the need for committee expertise and offered themselves as resources for future bills. Health-related organizations focused on insurance mandates, prior authorization, behavioral health access, pharmacy benefit manager reform, community health center funding, maternal health and midwifery reimbursement, and anesthesia reimbursement parity. Other groups, including credit unions, retailers, auto dealers, dental and medical associations, and behavioral health providers, described their roles in the Commonwealth and previewed legislation or policy areas they expect to follow this session. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational and ended after testimony from the sign-up list and a few late additions.

Transcript Highlights:

• specialized training, all this training that we're able to do for our local partners, our local police
• So this opens up North Lamar and Florence for us to do additional training and leadership training with
• Like I said, we would be able to speak to, if it was a reimbursement, where those reimbursements would
• So the right training, the right equipment, and focused on it, So the right training, the right equipment
• Because I trained there.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard a presentation from the Legislative Budget Board on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Article 5 budget. LBB recommended $3.7 billion in all funds for 2026-27, a 5.2 percent decrease from the base, while FTEs would rise by 856.7. Major items included funding for driver license services, DPS facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, border security, and rider changes. The committee also reviewed DPS exceptional items not included in the recommendation, including additional staffing, technology, and facility requests. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, criticizing long wait times, call abandonment, and repeated staffing increases without clear process improvements. LBB said the agency’s call-answer rate was about 9 percent in fiscal 2024, with average hold times around 34 minutes, later reduced to roughly 22-25 minutes. Senators questioned whether more FTEs alone would solve the problem and urged a broader efficiency study and better use of technology. DPS officials said they were pursuing process changes, including appointment-system upgrades, online pre-population of forms, and remote issuance options, while noting that Real ID requirements and population growth continue to drive demand. DPS leadership then outlined the agency’s priorities: completion of the Williamson County training academy, recruitment and retention of troopers, capital needs for vehicles and aircraft, and expanded responsibilities at the Capitol complex and the Alamo. Officials said the new trooper funding would help address staffing shortages, public safety, and border operations, and that overtime and deployment patterns had been adjusted to reduce burnout and improve flexibility. They also discussed Operation Lone Star, saying DPS spending is largely overtime, travel, and fuel, and that the agency continues to coordinate with federal partners while awaiting clarity on possible federal reimbursement for border security costs. Senators also raised concerns about oilfield theft, cartel activity, high-speed pursuits, bilingual pay, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and DPS said it would follow up on some of those issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• That level of training matters when a patient's life depends on decisions made in seconds.
• SB 1758, state lands improvement reimbursement and eligibility.
• SB 1758, state lands, improvement, reimbursement, and eligibility. Natural resources.
• SB 1809, National Guard education reimbursement. Education.
• SB 1821, DCS training, child place, and management, HHS.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 221 would allow EMS providers to be reimbursed for responses to emergency calls when they
• Senate Bill 221 would allow EMS providers to be reimbursed for responses to emergency calls when they
• And so right now, in the current statute, there's no mechanism for them to get reimbursed for going to
• Where can I practice the way I was trained? Where will my clinical judgment be respected?
• And many nurses are never trained on how to care for families that experience the death of a baby.

Bills: SCR37 , SB145 , SB237

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: informed consent, healthcare, medical procedures, patient rights, surgeon general, regulatory review, adult residential care, generators, emergency power, health safety, Louisiana Department of Health, compliance, regulations, child welfare, Department of Children and Family Services, mandatory reporting, abuse prevention, investigative teams, child ombudsman, forensic interviews

Transcript Highlights:

• reimbursements to be collected.
• reimbursements to be collected.
• support an additional psychiatric training. ...reimbursements ongoing to support an additional psychiatric
• training cohort at DSH Napa.
• And are they reimbursable? Are they reimbursable? Thank you.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a May Revision hearing covering several health-related budget proposals and broader concerns about the state’s budget structure. The Chair opened by praising some May Revision changes, such as added health IT funding, county administration support tied to Medi-Cal changes, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some lawfully present immigrants, and additional support for Covered California subsidies, while criticizing proposed increases in Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other reductions affecting counties, mobile crisis units, workforce incentives, and physician shortages. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state’s budget condition remains weak despite progress on the structural deficit, and the Department of Finance said the May Revision uses a mix of reductions, reforms, revenue proposals, and fund shifts to cut out-year deficits. The committee first heard Department of State Hospitals proposals, including adjustments to county bed billing authority, contract exemption language for online clinical/pharmacy subscriptions, reversion of unspent funds, a revised Metro Central Utility Plant replacement project, electronic health record implementation, and workforce development funded partly through Behavioral Health Services Act resources. DSH also described savings and realignments in incompetent-to-stand-trial and conditional release programs, including extending the independent placement panel program and shifting funds to support additional bed capacity and a mental health rehab center. Members asked about the use of BHSA funds for workforce programs, and the department said the proposal would replace General Fund support with BHSA reimbursements. The Emergency Medical Services Authority proposed funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for enterprise system development, and the Department of Managed Health Care proposed modernization of its complaint system and claims-settlement data system to improve oversight and comply with AB 3275. The largest discussion centered on the administration’s BHSA spending plan under Proposition 1, including state-directed prevention, workforce, and other uses, plus General Fund offsets for existing programs. The LAO questioned whether some proposed offsets fit Proposition 1’s non-supplant and eligible-use requirements, while the administration argued the uses were consistent with the measure and that the state-directed share can be adjusted annually. The Commission for Behavioral Health’s proposals drew the most public and member concern. The administration proposed cutting the commission’s Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and reducing the Community Advocacy Program by $6.7 million, while redirecting BHSA dollars to other state purposes and direct services. Commissioners, advocates, and several members argued the cuts would weaken community voice, reduce support for underserved populations, and disrupt grants already in process; they also objected to using BHSA funds to backfill General Fund commitments. Public commenters, including youth, disability, behavioral health, LGBTQ, tribal, veteran, immigrant, and community-based organization representatives, overwhelmingly opposed the cuts and urged preservation of prevention, advocacy, mobile crisis, and innovation funding. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• He then asked whether the witness was a director of training or of education and training.
• He then asked whether the witness is a director of training or of education and training.
• He asked the witness whether he is a director of training or of education and training.
• </c><01:02:13.680><c> work</c><01:02:13.920><c> like</c> trained so training people to work like trained
• , with some of the training.

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• AS MENTIONED THE UTILITY RELOCATION REIMBURSEMENT GRANT PROGRAM IS UNDER OUR UMBRELLA IN THE OFFICE OF
• BROADBAND AND THE OFFICE WILL BE OVERSEEING A $50 MILLION ALLOCATION TOWARDS REIMBURSED PROVIDERS FOR
• THAT'S WHAT WE WILL BE PROCESSING TO REIMBURSE THEM FOR THEIR COSTS BUT THE ONLY COSTS THAT WE WOULD
• AND TIMELY REIMBURSED FOR THAT WORK BECAUSE IT WILL BE A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM ON THE FRONT END AND
• IN THAT SAME BILL DOT HAS A 50% REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON WHAT PROCEDURES

Transcript Highlights:

• privacy training, a whole variety of different training things as we onboard. ...privacy training, a
• We also do ad hoc training.
• We also do ad hoc training.
• ALICE training is an active shooter response training.
• ALICE training is an active shooter response training.

Committee: Joint Education Committee

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on dual credit programming across North Dakota, with presentations from Valley City State University, Lake Region State College, Fargo Public Schools, and teachers from West Fargo and Drake-Anamoose. Speakers described dual credit as a way to give high school students college-level rigor, reduce future tuition costs, and help students explore academic and career pathways. Several presenters emphasized that strong local relationships between colleges and school districts are central to program quality, especially in rural areas where access to advanced coursework can be limited. Valley City State University outlined its quality-control model, including annual teacher trainings, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty evaluations, qualification standards, school visits, and a goal of building 24-credit College Studies Certificates. The university reported about 504 students in the fall and 559 in the spring, with roughly 5,539 projected credit hours and about 130 students expected to earn the 24-credit certificate. Members asked about faculty qualifications, online versus in-person delivery, student retention, revenue, and whether a more centralized statewide model might be more efficient; the presenter said centralization could reduce duplication but might weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College described a broader regional model, with about 913 dual credit students last fall across 44 school districts, roughly half of them taking online college courses and half taking face-to-face courses taught by qualified high school teachers serving as adjuncts. The college said it has paid for graduate credits to help teachers meet credentialing requirements and reimburses districts for teacher support and materials. Fargo Public Schools reported 50 dual credit courses through multiple higher-ed partners, 1,571 enrollments, and a 12.61% increase in participation, while also raising concerns about inconsistent registration systems, credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity across institutions. Teachers from West Fargo and Drake-Anamoose reinforced the value of dual credit, while noting concerns about retention in foundational science courses and the importance of maintaining rigor and support for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• The true cost of care is not the same as the reimbursement.
• So for our preschool age group, it's probably $32 is what our reimbursement rate is.
• Do you provide any training from your office for the providers? Yes, sir.
• Do you provide any training from your office for the providers? Yes, sir.
• Do a 10-minute training video.

Committee: All EDUCATION- HOUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was at a train station going on a pilgrimage, and I saw the police going up to people checking their
• I am residency trained in emergency medicine, but I practice cosmetic surgery and anti-aging medicine
• They control pricing, reimbursement, and access. They do it behind a curtain.
• , to require the Louisiana Department of Health to establish a minimum trip and mileage reimbursement
• Members, this bill basically addresses an issue with NEMT and their actual rate and reimbursement rate

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on April 23 and first disposed of several items without hearing them, including HB 1093 and HB 1145, and voluntarily deferring HB 946. The committee then quickly reported HB 1095 favorably without objection. That bill would require nursing facilities to have fuel or another alternative power generation source to maintain power, and supporters said it preserves existing backup-power safety requirements while giving facilities more flexibility as technology changes. The committee then took up HB 926, which concerns vaccination status and admission to public buildings and seeks to prohibit medical mandates. After adopting an amendment set and additional changes clarifying exclusions for licensed health care providers and facilities, medical masks, and child welfare/school-related provisions, the committee heard testimony both for and against the bill. Supporters framed it as a civil-liberties measure limiting vaccine-card requirements for public buildings, while opponents warned it could interfere with public health measures, school immunization rules, and the ability of health care facilities to protect patients. The bill was reported favorably on an 8-4 vote. HB 1220, a cleanup bill for the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, was then reported favorably after a technical amendment set. HB 1227, which would require complaints involving medical judgment to be reviewed by a three-physician panel before formal disciplinary action, drew extensive testimony from a physician sponsor, a doctor describing his disciplinary experience, and the board’s executive director, who said the board already uses practicing physicians, nurses, and experts in its process and warned the proposed panel system could be impractical because physicians are difficult to recruit for such reviews. At the sponsor’s request, the committee voluntarily deferred HB 1227 for further work. Finally, the committee reported HB 1217 favorably with amendments to a pharmacy benefit manager transparency bill, after supporters said it would expose hidden pricing and rebate practices and opponents argued some provisions were duplicative or unnecessary. HB 1028, setting minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for non-emergency medical transportation, was reported favorably and referred to Appropriations after supporters described the need for higher rates and members discussed funding. The committee also reported HB 1185 favorably, with amendments preserving the existing Rural Hospital Preservation Act while extending similar protections to additional rural-lookalike hospitals, and adopted HCR 76 to continue the Health Inequities and Disparities in Rural Areas Task Force for another year.