Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1800 on Parkinson's disease research funding.
• particularly the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in first responders.
• the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in first responders.
• I could have immune disease that makes me…” “That I don’t get something.
• I could have immune disease that makes me very vulnerable.

Summary: The Health Policy Committee met for its final meeting of the session and handled a very full agenda, beginning with a few housekeeping items and a brief thank-you to staff. Senate Bill 596 was temporarily postponed. The committee then reconsidered and amended SB 1606 on patient access to records, clarifying portal access obligations and deleting a section that would have improperly affected nursing home facility records; the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also recommended confirmation of a block of appointees and separately confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after testimony focused on transparency, financial oversight, Medicaid managed care accountability, and internal controls at AHCA. Harris said she would prioritize staffing, monitoring, and improved reporting, and several health care groups waived in support. The committee next heard and passed several bills, including claims bills SB 28 and SB 22 for South Broward Hospital District settlements, both reported favorably. It also approved SB 772 on undesignated glucagon in schools, SB 998 on allowing physician assistants and APRNs to complete death certificates under hospice/palliative protocols, SB 1412 on home health agency administration and staffing flexibility, SB 1800 creating a Parkinson’s disease research consortium at USF, SB 306 on Medicaid managed care network access during holidays and after hours, SB 1768 on stem cell therapies and informed consent, SB 1602 on pediatric readiness standards in emergency departments, SB 1156 on the home health aide program for medically fragile children, SB 1490 on Children’s Medical Services and Medicaid managed care administration, and SB 1182 on Medicaid coverage of continuous glucose monitors. Most of these bills were amended, generally to narrow scope, align with the House, or make technical changes, and most received support from provider associations, advocacy groups, or affected institutions. The most debated measure was SB 1270, which combined several health freedom and medical marijuana provisions. The strike-all amendment retained language prohibiting discrimination based solely on vaccination status, added protections related to mRNA vaccine documentation requirements, and included medical marijuana regulatory and background-screening language. The committee heard extensive testimony both in support and opposition, including concerns from senators about whether the bill would force providers to treat patients contrary to medical judgment, and support from witnesses arguing it protected patient autonomy and access to care. After a time-certain motion, the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded their votes on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2024, there were over 450,000 non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses across California's private
• Prohibiting employers from denying leave to employees who must seek care for occupational injuries during
• was applying to all health care, we think it's especially offensive given that it's happening to occupational
• I can basically lie to the doctor and just say that it's not occupational and use my own health care
• I can basically lie to the doctor and just say that it's not occupational and use my own health care

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I lost my dad to this disease.
• </c><00:13:19.600><c> and</c> she was a caregiver to this disease and she was a caregiver to this disease
• </c><00:13:22.720><c> has</c> I'm not the only one this disease has I'm not the only one this disease
• </c><00:13:32.639><c> in</c> the statistics of this disease in the statistics of this disease in Hawaii
• </c> Every Life Foundation for Rare Disease Every Life Foundation for Rare Disease in<00:53:43.839><c

Bills: SB3263 , SB3261

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate Committee on Education and Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on several bills related to student health and safety, University of Hawaii programs, and workforce development. For SB 2969, which would appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii to expand and sustain the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Maui Health Registry, testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Witnesses described the ongoing physical and mental health impacts of the August 2023 Maui fires, said the study has identified serious untreated conditions and connected participants to care, and emphasized its role in serving survivors and training students. The committee also heard support from the Department of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Lung Association, Maui residents, and study staff. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then heard SB 2657, which would establish an Alzheimer disease and related dementia research center at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. University of Hawaii and Alzheimer’s Association representatives supported the bill, saying a local center would improve coordination of existing research, build state capacity, and help Hawaii compete for future NIH designation and federal funding. A family member affected by Alzheimer’s also testified in support, citing the disease’s impact in Hawaii. In response to questions, the university said the proposal would follow a five-year phased plan, with the first year funding used to recruit a senior neuroscientist and staff person, at an estimated cost of about $375,000, and that the effort would still strengthen Hawaii’s research infrastructure even if federal funding is not secured. For SB 2612, which clarifies immunity for Department of Education employees and agents who assist students with medication administration under certain conditions, the Department of Education said the bill is intended to protect volunteers and help ensure students can participate in school activities even when staffing is limited. The committee discussed how volunteers would be selected and whether every school would have someone available, and DOE said schools currently rely on health attendants, nurses, and trained volunteers. The committee also briefly discussed liability language and gross negligence exceptions. The hearing then moved to SB 2412, which would fund a bachelor’s degree program in sign language and sign language interpretation at UH Mānoa with a future master’s pathway. Testimony from interpreters, educators, and university officials emphasized the shortage of interpreters, the need to retain local talent, and the program’s role in building a pipeline; university representatives said the initial request would fund a faculty/staff position as a first step, with additional funding needed later. No final committee action or votes were announced in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's the Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Council, as I mentioned, the Workers' Compensation
• <00:31:08.360><c> safety</c><00:31:08.720><c> and</c><00:31:08.960><c> health</c> occupational safety
• and health occupational safety and health professionals<00:31:10.840><c> um</c><00:31:11.000><c> it's
• All right, next turning to Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Act and standards that assure safe
• safety and health act and occupational safety and health act and standards<00:33:13.480><c> that</c>

Committee: Senate Labor

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• where the disease is found. ...but certainly where the disease is found, to react quickly and begin
• And that's the surveil endemic areas where we know the disease exists.
• Do we need testing like in Orleans Parish for chronic wasting disease?
• It is a specified disease within its own, and the incident rate is moving slowly.
• And that's the closest disease we have to CWD.

Summary: The committee and invited witnesses discussed chronic wasting disease surveillance and response in Louisiana, focusing on both wild deer and captive deer facilities. LDWF staff said surveillance goals are being met in about 32 of 64 parishes, but there are gaps in low-sample areas, and they described current efforts using voluntary hunter-harvested deer sampling, targeted sampling in higher-risk animals, and coordination with D-MAP properties. Witnesses and members raised possible ways to improve detection, including incentives for testing, use of taxidermists and processors to collect samples from older bucks, possible mandatory testing tied to special doe days or special seasons, and better use of D-MAP or mobile sampling units. Several members also suggested environmental testing, better deer-density data, and clearer mapping of hotspots and source areas. A major portion of the discussion centered on how to respond when a positive CWD case is found. Members debated whether Louisiana should follow an Arkansas-style approach, including allowing baiting during hunting season while using other tools to manage disease, versus stricter no-bait or no-feeding rules. Some members argued that immediate restrictions after a positive discourage hunters from submitting samples and hurt landowners and feed businesses, and suggested delaying new restrictions until the end of the season while intensifying sampling. Others emphasized that any response should be science-based and should preserve hunter participation. There was also discussion of whether control areas should be parish-based or based on geographic distance, and whether the state should establish thresholds that would allow a control zone to be reduced or removed if enough negative samples are collected. For captive deer facilities, LDWF and LDAF staff reviewed the USDA herd certification program and current surveillance practices. They said Louisiana has about 350 licensed deer facilities, including breeder and hunting facilities, and that a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish led to depopulation and 12 quarantine farms; follow-up testing in 2025 found no new positives in the traced facilities. Staff said the state has relied on USDA competitive grants for diagnostic testing in the last two years, covering roughly $100,000 to $150,000 annually, while department self-generated funds covered more than $800,000 over the last three years. Members and witnesses recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory 24-hour reporting of positives to LDWF and USDA APHIS, and clearer, reciprocal communication between LDWF and LDAF when positives are found. No votes were taken; the chair said staff would compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April 9 commission meeting, with the understanding that the committee will later make formal recommendations to the Legislature.

Transcript Highlights:

• In total, six children lost their lives to vaccine-preventable diseases in states that expanded exemptions—diseases
• We can't afford to have our kids at home sick with vaccine-preventable diseases.
• These diseases are not benign.
• And I do not want to see the diseases we've been preventing these past 38 years. I've seen those.
• Sometimes it's children with asthma, sickle cell diseases, or compromised immune systems.

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up several health-related bills. SB 1082, on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program, was presented as a way to let providers and insurers use the federal independent dispute resolution process for emergency out-of-network claims under state-regulated commercial plans. A late-filed amendment clarified access to the state program, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1168, on background screenings, would centralize clearinghouse screening functions at the Agency for Health Care Administration; an amendment clarified that sealed and expunged records may be reviewed for eligibility determinations, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1156, on ambulatory surgical centers, would move their regulation into a standalone section of law separate from the hospital-focused Chapter 395, and it was reported favorably. The committee also considered SB 1480 on temporary certificates for practice in areas of critical need. A strike-all amendment created a grandfathering process for current certificate holders with active primary care relationships if federal designation changes remove an area’s critical-need status. Supporters said it would protect patients and preserve access to care in underserved areas, and the bill was reported favorably. The most extensive debate was on SB 1756, the medical freedom bill. The sponsor said it would require vaccine educational materials and alternative schedules for parents, expand school immunization exemptions to include conscience-based objections, clarify that emergency treatment authority does not include mandatory vaccination, and allow pharmacists to provide ivermectin behind the counter with written warnings. The committee adopted one amendment to extend liability protections to physicians as well as pharmacists, but rejected a substitute amendment that would have required counseling for exemption requests. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed, with physicians, pediatricians, cancer advocates, parents of immunocompromised children, and public health groups warning that the bill would lower vaccination rates and increase risk to vulnerable Floridians. The bill remained pending after testimony, with no final vote taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that killed people but are now chronic diseases.
• I am not enjoying seeing these preventable diseases again.
• He had meningococcal disease and would die.
• The new CDC guidance recommends vaccines for only 11 diseases instead of the 17 diseases previously recommended
• We manage your parents' chronic diseases.

Bills: SB5877 , SB5967

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: anesthesiology, medical personnel, surcharges, licensing, healthcare regulations, preventive services, state authority, healthcare access, insurance coverage, public health, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've actually seen that courage in many of you as you protected your communities during the recent occupation
• the</c><00:04:58.880><c> recent</c> communities during the recent communities during the recent occupation
• :01.120><c> on</c><00:05:01.320><c> both</c><00:05:01.600><c> sides</c><00:05:01.960><c> of</c> occupation
• And some on both sides of occupation.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• or restricts the among the occupants or restricts the number<01:35:43.679><c> of</c><01:35:43.920><c
• ><c> to</c><01:35:46.080><c> less</c> number of occupants of the unit to less number of occupants of
• limits which fail unreasonable occupancy limits which fail to<01:40:45.199><c> reasonably</c><01:40:
• Again, I I in my in my uh occupants.
• or more is not a three occupants or more is not a discriminatory<01:56:30.840><c> act.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• diseases collectively are not rare at all.
• Eight in 10 rare diseases are genetic.
• Three in 10 children with a rare disease will not live to see their fifth birthday.
• Eight and 10 rare diseases are genetic.
• and spread awareness for rare diseases in the Commonwealth.

Summary: The Senate considered and amended House 4769, a major higher education bond bill titled an act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher education transformation (the BRIGHT Act). Members adopted a series of amendments funding deferred maintenance and capital projects at public colleges and universities, including MassBay Community College (HVAC and window replacement), Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Springfield Technical Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Worcester State University, Quinsigamond Community College, Roxbury Community College, UMass Boston, Middlesex Community College, Salem State University, Berkshire Community College, and MCLA. Several amendments were rejected, including proposals related to a sustainable hand hygiene program, board membership, and some other institutional or policy changes, while a number of amendments were held or withdrawn. The bill ultimately advanced through third reading and was passed to be engrossed by a unanimous roll call, with senators emphasizing the need to address deferred maintenance and modernize higher education facilities statewide. A major floor debate centered on an amendment by Senator Tarr to dedicate $300 million of Fair Share surtax revenue to K-12 education. Supporters argued that many school districts face rising costs, minimum aid, and an outdated Chapter 70 formula, and that the amendment would create a marker for future reform. Opponents said the Commonwealth already dedicates substantial surtax and other funding to K-12 education and that the amendment was not the right vehicle. After a roll call, the amendment was rejected. The Senate also rejected several Tarr amendments on fiscal safeguards, equity analysis, bond covenant requirements, and Chapter 62F taxpayer protections, while adopting others related to UMass Gloucester Marine Station housing and coastal erosion work, and to modernizing Massachusetts State College Building Authority bonding and office-location rules. The chamber also adopted a motion to adjourn in memory of Bolton Police Chief Luke Hamburger, who was remembered for his service, leadership, and community ties. Before adjournment, senators took brief statements on other issues, including a call for greater awareness of rare diseases and the need for improved access to diagnosis and treatment. The Senate also approved extension orders giving committees additional time to report on pending environmental and municipal bills, and it set its next meeting for Monday at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, this is the appropriation for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.
• The appropriation for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses provides enhancements to
• Senators, this legislation reflects a lot of work from our folks at the Division of Occupational and
• Senators, this legislation reflects a lot of work from our folks at the Division of Occupational and
• of occupational and professional licenses. It's been five, six years, seven years.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of aging, particularly neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
• ><c> and</c> diseases like Parkinson's disease and diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's<
• disease, right?
• </c> non-terminal disease. non-terminal disease.
• They're terminal diseases, right? you. They're terminal diseases, right?

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Karen Heffler from the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapy. Is she remote?
• I'm an occupational therapist.
• I am also representing the Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy.
• We are advocating for nearly 9,000 licensed occupational therapy practitioners across our commonwealth
• I have spent much of my career as a school-based occupational therapy provider and have participated

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Health Care Financing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing focused on two broad sets of issues: home- and community-based care, and school-based Medicaid reimbursement. In the morning session, legislators and advocates testified on bills affecting children and disabled enrollees, including proposals to clarify rate-setting for home health and home care services (H. 767/S. 870), allow family members and spouses to be paid caregivers under MassHealth (H. 1394/S. 886 and related bills), extend MassHealth coverage for applied behavior analysis and other therapies beyond age 21 for adults with autism and developmental disabilities (H. 1351/S. 871), and protect medically fragile children by improving access to continuous skilled nursing. In the later portion of the hearing, testimony shifted to a bill to improve MassHealth reimbursement for schools (S. 862), with speakers describing the school mental health crisis and the need to reinvest Medicaid funds directly into school health services. Witnesses on the home care rate-setting bill said current reimbursement methods are opaque and outdated, contributing to workforce shortages, unfilled shifts, long waitlists, and patients remaining in hospitals longer than necessary. Home care providers and trade groups argued the bill would not set rates directly but would require more transparent methodology and fuller consideration of real costs such as wages, benefits, taxes, training, and technology. On caregiver bills, many family members and provider organizations described the financial and emotional strain of caring for disabled or medically fragile relatives, especially when parents, spouses, or guardians are barred from being paid caregivers. They argued the bills would recognize existing unpaid care, help families remain at home, and reduce reliance on more expensive institutional care. Advocates for adult ABA coverage said services remain medically necessary after age 21 and that ending coverage at that age creates an inequitable “cliff” for MassHealth members compared with those with private insurance. For the PACE/community care bill, elder law attorneys and PACE advocates said current MassHealth income rules force some older adults with modestly higher incomes to spend down to $542 per month, making community living unrealistic and pushing people toward nursing homes. They supported changing the eligibility structure to a premium-based approach that would allow more people to remain in the community. On the school Medicaid bill, advocates said schools are providing effective, preventive mental health care, but reimbursement currently flows to municipalities rather than directly back to school health budgets, limiting districts’ ability to hire and retain staff. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and several witnesses requested favorable reports on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff looked at the occupations that comprise the state's travel industry.
• These occupations have median annual wages of nearly $170,000.
• Nationally, travel agents are the leading occupation, representing one quarter of industry jobs, with
• Nationally, travel agents are the leading occupation, representing one quarter of industry jobs, with
• DOR is not consistently receiving these notices of occupancy from the developers.

Summary: The meeting began with JLARC’s biennial executive committee elections. After confirming a quorum, members unanimously elected Representative Pollet as chair, Senator Wagoner as vice chair, Representative Orcutt as secretary, and Senator Solomon as assistant secretary for the 2025-27 biennium. The committee also approved the May 14 meeting minutes unanimously. Chair Pollet then outlined a commitment to more member input on audit scope and coordination with the State Auditor’s Office. Staff presented a preliminary report on Washington State recreation boating programs. They reported that six agencies administer boating-related activities, that the state collected about $108 million in boating-related revenue in 2021-23, and that $86 million was spent, mostly on infrastructure and water access, environmental protection, boater safety, and marine law enforcement. Staff said Washington’s boating laws and programs are broadly similar to other states and noted that the final report is expected in September. JLARC then reviewed several tax preferences. For natural gas used as a transportation fuel, staff said the preferences reduce fuel costs but did not meet emissions-reduction targets because fewer vessels and vehicles converted to natural gas than expected; staff recommended continuing some exemptions and modifying reporting requirements. For travel agents and tour operators, staff said the preference continues to provide tax relief, but large beneficiaries’ savings are rising while small beneficiaries’ use is declining, leading to recommendations to continue the small-business rate and add or revise performance metrics. Staff also reviewed a nonprofit low-income housing property tax exemption, concluding it helps developers build homes as intended but that the performance metric should better reflect housing outcomes; they recommended the legislature decide whether to continue or modify it. Other reviews covered multipurpose senior citizen centers, disabled veteran adapted housing, trade convention attendance, agricultural fertilizer and seed wholesaling, hazardous substance tax treatment for pesticides, and silicon smelter energy preferences, with recommendations ranging from continuation to expiration depending on whether the stated objectives were met. The committee then adopted the final cannabis market study for distribution. Staff reported that Washington businesses produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023, and that inaccurate and incomplete reporting limits the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s ability to regulate the market. The board said it concurs with the recommendations, including developing a plan for a new data system and considering broader social equity options. Finally, staff presented the proposed final report on Department of Health oversight of hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff said DOH was late on most acute-care hospital inspections, had not fully verified third-party inspection standards, and did not adequately review adverse event correction plans or assess language access barriers in its complaint system. DOH said it concurs with all six recommendations and has already made some transparency improvements, including a public dashboard for adverse event reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• That will have us begin with our issue number one, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or
• From the occupational safety and health fund to establish the advisory committee and study laid out in
• As you know, Cal OSHA is funded primarily by the occupational safety and health fund which has had and
• With their limited tax dollars, where are some of the occupational safety hazards?
• Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. Rulemaking support. Comments. Public.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Elected officials must prioritize the safety of building occupants and first responders.
• In an emergency, when one stairwell may become compromised by smoke, heat, or fire, occupants need a
• Representative Crane, the 48 inches depends on the occupant load that is to be using that as their egress
• The part is we don't have a way to separate the occupants from a potentially toxic environment in one
• and design buildings, ultimately our job and our number one priority is the life and safety of the occupants

Committee: House Business

Summary: The House Business Committee met with a quorum, approved the February 25 minutes, and removed House Bill 881 from the agenda, leaving House Bill 706 as the only item for consideration. The bill, presented by Senator Ali Robbie, would allow local governments to permit single-stair apartment buildings up to six stories with a range of safety requirements, including NFPA 13 sprinklers, fire-rated stair enclosures, smoke detection, egress features, and limits on building size and unit count. Robbie argued the measure could reduce construction costs, help smaller infill projects pencil, and expand housing supply, while noting that pressurization was not included because of added cost and lack of consensus. Public testimony was split. The Professional Firefighters of Idaho and Boise Fire Marshal Mike Bazanio, speaking for the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association, opposed the bill, arguing that a second stairway is a critical life-safety feature and that a single stair creates a single point of failure for occupants and firefighters. They said they were not persuaded by the cited research and emphasized concerns about smoke, evacuation, and firefighter access. Supporters, including a Boise resident, a housing advocate, and an architect, said modern single-stair buildings with strong sprinkler and fire-safety standards have a good safety record, would improve affordability, and would give cities more flexibility to build smaller, more efficient housing types. In closing, Robbie said the bill had been negotiated with fire officials, building code officials, and architects, and that the main unresolved issue was stair pressurization. After debate, Representative Razor moved HB 706 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Representative Crane opposed the bill, while Representative Harris said he would support it because local control would limit adoption to cities able to handle the buildings. The committee approved the motion on a 14-4 roll call vote, and HB 706 was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• But major depressive disorder is a real clinical disease, or psychiatric disease, and it's the leading
• or neurodegenerative diseases, because they’re kind of all in that same realm.
• and Alzheimer’s disease before.
• In psychiatry, it’s a disease, and it’s something that needs to be treated with care.
• It cannot diagnose you as having any sort of disease or any sort of disorder.

Committee: House Science & Technology

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Go, suffering from an inherited liver disease, faced a dire prognosis.
• Disease remain heart disease remains one of the greatest health challenges of our time and is the leading
• , and in 2022, 1 in every five deaths in the United States was caused by heart disease.
• Of kidney disease.
• The Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force has developed a state plan to address chronic kidney disease

Transcript Highlights:

• At one point, there were no treatments for the disease; you get the disease and you kind of just wait
• At one point, there were no treatments for the disease; you get the disease and you kind of just wait
• </c><01:05:00.520><c> that</c> then of like a zentic disease that then of like a zentic disease that
• But if there's ever a situation when that particular animal can transmit a disease and that disease is
• disease is present, then we definitely want to act because we don't want the disease to be spreading

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing opened with House Bill 1462 on crisis services. Testimony from the Department of Law Enforcement, the Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Department of Health supported expanding behavioral health crisis services as an alternative to arrest or incarceration. Witnesses said additional crisis sites would help divert people in mental health crisis to appropriate care, and the Department of Health described its current crisis center in Ewa, including the need for renovations such as a padded room and the time required to get the facility operational. In response to questions, the department estimated the Ewa center’s budgeted cost at about $4.3 million, not including rent or startup repairs, and said a second site’s cost would depend on whether it was freestanding or attached to an existing facility. The committee then heard House Bill 700 on cognitive assessments. The Executive Office on Aging supported the bill’s intent but asked that it be amended to make assessments optional rather than mandated, to pilot the program first, and to allow flexibility in handling HIPAA-protected data. SHPDA also supported the measure but said it should not be mandatory and suggested that payers reimburse for assessments when requested by patients, families, or physicians. The Alzheimer’s Association and caregivers strongly supported standardizing cognitive assessments to improve early detection and access to newer treatments, while noting the existing opt-out provision. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the bill but asked that the age 65 threshold be removed because cognitive decline can begin much earlier for people with Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and related conditions. In response to a question, the Office on Aging said a pilot project could likely be done for about $150,000, with data security being the main added cost. The final bill discussed was House Bill 237 on peer support programs. Testimony from Family Hui Hawaii, Early Childhood Action Strategy, peer support workers, and families described peer-to-peer programs as a cost-effective way to reduce isolation, strengthen families, and provide long-term community support. Speakers said these programs help parents and caregivers navigate crises, child welfare involvement, addiction recovery, and other challenges, and can have lasting benefits for children’s development and family stability. Several witnesses tied the bill to broader state goals, including infant and early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and child welfare reform. Written testimony from about a dozen organizations and individuals was also noted in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• occupations want to be included as a part of this bill.
• occupations want to be included as a part of this bill.
• occupations want to be included as a part of this bill.
• occupations want to be included as a part of this bill.
• ,</c><00:12:37.760><c> there</c> limited to only three occupation, there limited to only three occupation

Bills: HB268 , SB279 , SB304 , SB303 , SB298 , HB268 , SB279 , SB304 , SB303 , SB298

Committee: Senate County and Municipal Government

Keywords: lottery winnings, lottery prize, state lottery, income tax exemption, tax exemption, gambling, games of chance, prize proceeds, Alabama Department of Revenue, state income tax, tax relief, winnings, jackpot, lotto, Alabama State House, Montgomery, Legislative Council, demolition, state capitol, state capitol building