Transcript Highlights:

• vectors of vector-borne disease transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes, and of course zoonotic diseases
• <00:51:12.040> born<00:51:12.359> disease vectors of vector born disease vectors of
• mosquitoes and of course zuntic diseases mosquitoes and of course zuntic diseases that<00:51:17.520
• <01:11:10.760> that has supported infectious disease that has supported infectious disease
• and emergent infectious diseases.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• This puts them at risk for crippling, even deadly diseases, not to mention as being also at risk the
• This puts them at risk for crippling, even deadly diseases, not to mention the thousands of students
• <01:09:53.759> Has<01:09:54.040> Fallen diseases Has Fallen diseases Has Fallen what<01
• information from the center of Disease information from the center of Disease Control<01:16:10.320
• <01:16:18.120> will going to go down this path disease will going to go down this path disease

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, fatal
• neurodegenerative disease that causes a person's brain to lose connection with their muscles, slowly
• is a progressive fatal Garri's disease is a progressive fatal neurodeenerative<00:14:25.920> disease
• has on those individuals and their families, and support research to eradicate this disease.
• Thank you, Madam relentless disease. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Speaker. Speaker. Announcements.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Even though Parkinson's disease is the second most common and fastest growing neurological disease, research
• for Parkinson's treatment and cures is underfunded compared to other diseases.
• Over 120,000. ...and improve the lives of individuals living with Parkinson's disease.
• Even though Parkinson's disease is the second most common and fastest growing neurological disease, research
• for Parkinson's treatment and cures is underfunded compared to other diseases.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation met as a subcommittee and heard several bills, with members explaining that measures with significant fiscal impacts would be held for suspense or taken up later. AB 761 would let the Monterey-Salinas Transit District place a local sales tax measure on the ballot with approval from two-thirds of its board rather than needing approval from each member jurisdiction; supporters said it would preserve transit funding for veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities, while an opponent argued it would make it easier to raise a regressive tax. The bill was voted out 5-2 after being called for absent members. AB 1253, which would clarify property tax treatment for wildfire reconstruction beyond substantial equivalence, drew support from the Los Angeles County Assessor and the California Assessors Association but was sent to suspense. AB 8, dealing with hemp enforcement, intoxicating hemp products, and integration of hemp cannabinoids into the cannabis supply chain and tax system, drew strong support from cannabis operators and labor groups and opposition from small cultivators and public health advocates concerned about supply, tax revenue, and voter intent; it was also sent to suspense. The committee then heard AB 1138, a major expansion and modernization of the film and television tax credit program. Supporters, including entertainment unions, workers, studios, and local officials, said the bill would help keep production and jobs in California amid competition from other states and countries; opponents criticized it as picking winners and losers and argued broader business costs were the real problem. The bill was referred to suspense. AB 829, which would create a California Parkinson’s Disease Research Fund and voluntary tax contribution program to support research and services, received unanimous support from advocates and was approved 6-0 to Appropriations. AB 474 would exempt rental income from nonprofit home-sharing programs for low-income homeowners from state income tax and protect participants’ eligibility for certain benefits; supporters said it could help older adults age in place and address housing shortages, and the bill was sent to suspense after members asked for clarification on the fiscal estimate. The committee also heard AB 376, which would exempt wildfire settlement payments from state income tax for certain disaster survivors; supporters from rural counties said the money is meant to help victims rebuild and should not be taxed, and the bill was referred to suspense. Finally, AB 480 would allow developers using low-income housing tax credits to switch from allocated to certificated state credits after an award, with supporters saying it would maximize private investment and stretch housing dollars further; it too was sent to suspense. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly emphasized the need to balance policy goals with fiscal impacts, and several bills were held or referred to suspense rather than voted out immediately.

Transcript Highlights:

• THAT DIAGNOSED WITH SCAR TISSUE ON MY INNER, UPPER AND INNER EYELIDS BELIEVED TO BE AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
• YOU ARE RECOGNIZED IN DEBATE. >> I HAVE A BILL ON EARLY SCREENING WHICH IS AGAIN A RARE DISEASE.
• NO CURE THE RESEARCH WE ARE STARTING TREATMENT ODDS ARE GIVEN FOR RARE DISEASES THAT PERHAPS HAVE NO
• I BELIEVE SENATOR HARRELL STATED EARLY SCREENING WHEN IT COMES TO RARE DISEASES WHICH PERHAPS THERE'S
• THE EARLIER WE CAN DETECT THE DISEASE THE BETTER.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• diseases, we've got to ask: what are we really trying to accomplish with this?
• The Centers for Disease Control is to stop the spread of disease, but alpha-gal is non-communicable from
• So when we deal with disease surveillance...
• , but it is a disease of concern, very much so, and we use this data a lot.
• Her daughter actually passed away from this deadly disease, and it's a silent, deadly disease.

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, and welcomed special guests including the Freedom of the Road Riders and students from Warsaw High School. The chamber then took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1855, a reporting bill on alpha-gal syndrome. The sponsor described alpha-gal as a serious tick-borne condition affecting many Missourians, especially rural and outdoor workers, and argued that mandatory reporting would help the state track prevalence, identify hotspots, support physician education, and strengthen requests for funding. Supporters from both parties said the bill would improve public health data and help families who have struggled for years to get a diagnosis; one member raised concerns about cost and whether the data would be useful, but the bill sponsor said the fiscal impact was justified by the medical and economic burden of missed diagnoses. House Amendment 1, changing the department’s follow-up language from “may” to “shall,” was adopted, while House Amendment 2, which would have required patient consent before reporting, failed on a 41-10 vote. The committee substitute for HB 1855 was then adopted and ordered perfected and printed. The House next considered House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2230 and 2978, a measure on school screen time and cursive/handwriting instruction. The sponsor said the bill was revised from a more prescriptive version into a research-based framework that creates a state-level focus group to study screen time’s effect on learning and to make recommendations, while also asking school districts to review policies and provide parents information about screen time. Supporters said excessive screen use has hurt literacy, behavior, and mental health, and that the bill gives local districts flexibility while moving schools toward evidence-based practices. Members raised questions about carve-outs for special education students and English language learners who rely on technology, and the sponsor said those concerns could be handled locally. An amendment to exclude the virtual school program was adopted, and the committee substitute for HB 2230 and 2978 was then adopted and ordered perfected and printed. Finally, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2355, the Food Is Medicine Initiative for Missouri. The sponsor said the bill would allow Missouri to use federal 1115 waiver funds for pilot programs that provide medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, nutrition counseling, and related supports, arguing that food access is a preventive health tool that can reduce chronic disease and lower Medicaid costs. Supporters described food deserts and said the program could improve health outcomes and help families access healthier foods. An amendment adding cleanup language and allowing certain vitamin therapies was offered, but discussion focused on concerns about supplement quality and whether the amendment language was too broad. The transcript ends during debate on that amendment, before final action on HB 2355 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was born in China with a disease called thalassemia. I had a little...
• Now, we do test all blood for infectious diseases, but there are window periods for each infectious disease
• My daughter has sickle cell disease. She's had multiple blood transfusions.
• ...diseases out there, not knowing what the lifestyles of those donors were.
• Secrecy, incompetency, greed, disease.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you have diseases that are progressive often, and if you have interventions that come early in a disease
• If you have diseases that are progressive often, and if you have interventions that come early in a disease
• If you have diseases that are progressive often, and if you have interventions that come early in a disease
• If you have diseases that are progressive often, and if you have interventions that come early in a disease
• If you have diseases that are progressive often, and if you have interventions that come early in a disease

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Special Committee on COVID Response Efficacy met briefly without a quorum because many members were tied up in legislative committee of conference work. The chair said the committee would resume in June and, in the meantime, directed members to the committee webpage and the 2024 committee’s report and COVID-19 after-action report, which he said could be reviewed for possible updates and legislative recommendations on how New Hampshire should respond to future pandemics. The chair then introduced two recent articles as framing material: one about the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear a challenge to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s COVID vaccine mandate, and another about CDC internal emails and alleged failure to publicly acknowledge vaccine safety signals. He argued these examples raised concerns about mandates, transparency, and the balance between individual rights and public health, and said the committee would revisit the issue in future meetings. Representative Pollazok thanked the chair for presenting both legal and medical perspectives and suggested the committee focus on reviewing scientific methodology and the quality of evidence behind competing claims. A member asked whether vaccine pamphlets now include risks and benefits, and the chair responded that FDA-approved products should have patient inserts available on the FDA website, including sections listing adverse events from clinical studies and commercial use. He said he would research and email the committee copies or excerpts. Members also discussed how to evaluate studies over different time periods, dosing levels, and the timing of side effects, as well as the difficulty of comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated outcomes when definitions change over time. Before adjourning, the chair said the committee would ask the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services how it would monitor and assess vaccine or pandemic-related issues in real time and whether additional structures would be needed in a future emergency. He said the committee would likely take July and August off, resume in September, and aim to have a draft report by mid-October and a final report by late October ahead of the November elections.

Transcript Highlights:

• But now we're seeing that this can be applied to even non-cancer. diseases, autoimmune diseases being
• Efforts on caring for and curing these diseases and conditions that impact our community will benefit
• Our School of Public Health is focused on chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease,
• We also have a comprehensive care. center for Parkinson's disease. Our own Dr.
• We are the primary facility in the state to conduct research related to respiratory disease. develop

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And approximately one in five are affected by heart disease and stroke risk factors.
• in diabetes, heart disease, hypertension... ...reduce the risk in prevention of chronic disease in diabetes
• , heart disease, hypertension, obesity, colon cancer, depression, and dementia as well.
• in diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, reduce the risk in prevention of chronic disease, in diabetes
• , heart disease, hypertension, obesity, colon cancer, depression, and dementia as well.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Joint Policy Committee met to hear an overview of North Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program before taking up the related policy bills. Department of Health and Human Services staff explained that the state received a $198.9 million CMS award, with funding focused on four pillars: strengthening rural workforce, bringing care closer to home, connecting technology and data, and improving population health through prevention. They emphasized that the program is intended to benefit rural and frontier residents statewide, including areas near urban centers when the project serves rural patients, and that CMS approval, provider readiness, and sustainability will drive what can be funded. Committee members asked about how the program would treat border communities, frontier counties, urban providers serving rural patients, multilingual outreach, tribal consultation, and whether there would be information sessions for applicants. HHS said the website will include sign-up and translation features, more listening sessions and training will be offered, and a rural health tribal liaison will work alongside the existing Medicaid tribal liaison. Members also raised concerns about reimbursement timing, cash flow for providers, and whether projects in urban areas could qualify; HHS responded that urban projects may be eligible if they clearly benefit rural residents. The department then outlined the four policy bills tied to the grant scoring: nutrition continuing medical education for physicians, the presidential fitness test, the physician assistant compact, and pharmacist scope of practice. HHS said these policy actions were incentivized in the federal funding opportunity and that failure to pass them could reduce future funding. The committee did not take final action on the bills in this portion of the transcript and recessed for lunch before moving on.

Transcript Highlights:

• It no longer says immunity from a disease.
• And the disease prevalence in all diseases, not just those that we vaccinate for, were on a decline prior
• All of those had a significant impact on diseases.
• All diseases declined by approximately 96 to 98%.
• And these are the things that lead to disease.

Summary: The committee first heard opening remarks from LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein and CMS Medicaid Director Dan Brillman, who discussed ongoing federal-state collaboration and praised Louisiana’s work on Medicaid and health system reforms. The committee then took up House Bill 1214 by Chairman Miller, which would create an Office of State Healthcare Facilities within LDH to centralize oversight of five state-operated inpatient facilities. LDH said the bill would streamline administration, combine shared services, add no new FTEs, and improve care and outcomes for vulnerable residents. Members asked about capacity and waiting lists at the facilities, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee next considered House Bill 1041 by Representative Ghali, a medical-freedom bill aimed at prohibiting denial of access or discrimination based on “medical intervention status.” After amendments were adopted, the bill was narrowed to exclude K-12 schools, colleges, hospitals, health care facilities, and tuberculosis-related actions, while keeping existing school outbreak exclusion law in place. Supporters, including patients, nurses, physicians, and advocacy groups, testified that mandates during COVID caused coercion, job loss, and harm, and argued for bodily autonomy and informed consent. Opponents, including the Louisiana Hospital Association, American Lung Association, and Louisiana Families for Vaccines, said the amendments addressed some concerns but warned the bill could weaken outbreak protections for children; after debate, the committee reported the bill favorably with amendments. The committee then heard House Bill 414 by Representative Chenevere, which closes a loophole in background-check law by barring hiring of certain direct-care workers with substantially similar out-of-state convictions that would disqualify them in Louisiana. Amendments clarified the definition of covered workers, removed licensed ambulance personnel, and addressed documentation and third-party screening. The Attorney General’s office said the bill is intended to protect vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries from people with serious criminal histories, and supporters from disability and EMS communities backed the measure. The bill was reported favorably with amendments. Finally, the committee began House Bill 786 by Representative Egan, which would prohibit managed care organizations from using extrapolation to determine provider audit overpayments or recoupments, requiring decisions to be based on actual claims. Members discussed a proposed amendment preserving the Department of Health and Department of Justice’s ability to use extrapolation in fraud investigations under existing law, but the transcript cuts off before final action on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It no longer says immunity from a disease.
• And the disease prevalence in all diseases, not just those that we vaccinate for, were on a decline prior
• All of those had a significant impact on diseases.
• All diseases declined by approximately 96 to 98%.
• And these are the things that lead to disease.

Bills: HB414, HB786, HB1041, HB1052, HB1118, HB1139, HB1182, HB1185, HB1214, HB1217, HB1231, SR63, SCR27, SB5, SB194, SB415, SB433, SB451, SB462, SB516

Keywords: healthcare, criminal convictions, employment, background checks, prohibited offenses, Medicaid, claim payments, extrapolation, provider audits, medical freedom, discrimination, access, medical intervention, child protection, confidentiality, multidisciplinary teams, child advocacy centers, public records, investigations, hospital

Transcript Highlights:

• I am here to advocate for sickle cell disease.
• Sickle cell disease affects the entire body.
• I'm also a caregiver to my daughter who is living with sickle cell. disease.
• Sickle cell disease is a disease that impacts the black community predominantly.
• But it's a disease that everybody needs to be aware of.

Transcript Highlights:

• But on top of that, because dementia and Alzheimer's is not just one disease, my father-in-law is also
• It's such a horrible disease, and it's a disease where we tell our loved ones goodbye twice as the disease
• <00:03:00.080> um Alzheimer's is not just one disease um Alzheimer's is not just one disease
• disease where we we disease and I it's a disease where we we tell<00:03:15.120> our<00:03:15.280
• <00:03:19.519> progresses know as they as the disease progresses know as they as the disease

Keywords: Roll Call – 00:14 Discussion on HB 479 – 00:49 Vote on HB 479 – 09:03 Review of 921 KAR 001:400 Proposed – 09:50 Notice of Half-Year Block Grant Status Reports – 10:08, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, passed over House Bill 291, and took up House Bill 479, an act related to dementia training. Rep. Derek Lewis, joined by Rep. Adriel Camel and Mackenzie Wallace of the Alzheimer’s Association, explained that the bill would provide free dementia-specific training for Adult Protective Services workers and help them better recognize and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and the needs of people with dementia. Testimony emphasized the personal impact of dementia on families, the difficulty of navigating diagnosis and care, and the need to connect families to services. A senator asked about the bill’s data and scope, and Wallace explained that the county-level figures reflected Adult Protective Services referrals and diagnosed cases of Alzheimer’s or other dementia among people 65 and older. She also noted broader public health efforts related to brain health and a federal grant effort tied to those issues. Several members spoke in support, including Sen. Denine, who described his father’s recent death after a difficult period with dementia and said the training would help families and workers identify and respond to the disease earlier. After discussion, Sen. Heron moved the bill, the motion was seconded, and the committee voted 6-0 to pass House Bill 479 with favorable expression. The chair said it should pass on the Senate floor. Afterward, the committee briefly reviewed administrative regulation 921 KAR 2:100 and found it reviewed with no questions. A child care block grant item was also presented for information only, with no questions raised. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving to slide 8, this talks about another division, infectious disease prevention division. disease
• We do respiratory diseases like flu, but we also do other high consequence diseases like if Ebola, we
• We've got our environmental epidemiology and disease registries and so we have disease registries for
• disease, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
• So chronic disease, mental health services, et cetera.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

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

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And those conditions were arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes,
• And those conditions were arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes,
• With chronic cardiac diseases being the leading cause of death in the United States, we must be asking
• I have treated thousands of patients with cardiac problems, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and
• We’re narrowly focused on cardiac diseases, significant cardiac diseases, not eliminating the general

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services took up two bills. Senator Burgess presented SB 116, the Senate Veterans Package, which would reduce the number of Veterans Hall of Fame nominations, expand FDVA health survey and coordination efforts, add mental health training to the veterans suicide prevention pilot program, fix statutory references, improve coordination between Veterans Florida and FDVA, and require FDVA to develop a plan for adult day health care facilities for veterans and their families. An amendment was adopted to appropriate $300,000 for the suicide prevention training pilot and $50,000 for the health survey. The bill was supported in debate, especially for the adult day care provision, and CS/SB 116 was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then heard SB 294 by Senator Harrell, which would exclude specified cardiac conditions—such as heart failure, coronary heart disease, and cardiac arrhythmias—from the list of chronic health conditions that may be managed under collaborative pharmacy practice agreements. Senator Harrell argued that these complex conditions require direct physician involvement and that pharmacists should not be making medication changes for severe cardiac patients based on protocols alone. Senator Rouson asked why heart conditions had been included previously, and Vice Chair Davis asked about fiscal impact; Harrell said there would be no state cost, though patients might face additional out-of-pocket expenses, which she said could be offset by avoiding more serious complications. Public testimony on SB 294 was divided. The Florida Pharmacy Association opposed the bill, arguing that collaborative practice agreements are voluntary, physician-controlled, and already include safeguards, and that pharmacists are highly trained to help manage chronic conditions and improve access and outcomes. A cardiologist with the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology supported the bill, warning that cardiac patients are complex and that pharmacists may make dangerous decisions without the full clinical picture. Senator Burton also supported the bill, saying the original collaborative practice framework was not intended to let pharmacists diagnose or treat serious cardiac disease. SB 294 was then reported favorably by roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, Senators Rodriguez and Garcia asked to be recorded in the affirmative on SB 116, and the committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was born in China with a disease called thalassemia.
• Now we do test all blood for infectious diseases, but there are window periods for each infectious disease
• My daughter has sickle cell disease. She's had multiple blood transfusions.
• And so that's why we see this 2 to 7 times increase in infectious diseases.
• Secrecy, incompetence, greed, disease.

Transcript Highlights:

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

Bills: SB3263, SB3261

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:

• because pediatricians are experts at caring for diseases of childhood.
• We think about getting up front and ahead of disease.
• Late-presenting disease, advanced cancers that sometimes are beyond the scope of treatment, heart disease
• Last resort are showing at a very late stage of disease.
• Advanced disease is more costly and it causes more suffering.

Summary: The committee held a panel discussion focused on how Florida health care organizations are working to improve access, quality, and affordability. Panelists from Florida Community Care/Independent Living Systems, Sunshine Health, AdventHealth, UF Health, and Nemours described their approaches, including Medicaid managed care, value-based contracting, community partnerships, mobile screening units, smart-room technology, telehealth, and specialized programs for maternal health, children, and complex chronic conditions. Several speakers emphasized that managed care and coordinated care can improve outcomes while reducing unnecessary utilization and costs. Members asked about the impact of Medicare’s V28 changes, mobile cancer screening, urgent care versus emergency room billing, pediatric specialty access, complaint resolution, Black maternal mortality, provider shortages, network adequacy, and the use of AI in prior authorization. Witnesses said V28 has affected providers and revenue, UF Health’s mobile screening program is expanding beyond a few cancer types, and its urgent care model bills patients at the appropriate level rather than both urgent care and ER rates. Nemours said it reduced specialty wait times through scheduling changes, telemedicine, and registry tools, while AdventHealth described postpartum coordination and maternal heart programs to reduce maternal complications and mortality. On complaints and access problems, panelists said their organizations use patient/member advocates, care managers, call centers, and escalation processes to resolve issues, and Sunshine Health specifically discussed a transportation complaint that was addressed with its vendor and the family. Sunshine Health also said it is not using AI for prior authorization, though it is exploring responsible uses elsewhere, and Florida Community Care said it is not using AI in utilization management. In closing, panelists identified workforce shortages, provider burnout, and high-cost drugs as the biggest ongoing challenges. The meeting ended with thanks to the panel and adjournment after Representative Brackett moved to rise, without objection.