Transcript Highlights:

• the franchise, not the person working or has the franchisee, from denying renewal, threatening termination
• the franchise, not the person working or has the franchisee, from denying renewal, threatening termination

Bills: HB418, SB138, SB215, HB418, SB138, SB215

Keywords: financial services, banking, insurance, debanking, social credit score, ESG, environmental, social, and governance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI, religious freedom, free speech, viewpoint discrimination, political discrimination, firearms, gun industry, ammunition, fossil fuels, oil and gas, mining, timber

Transcript Highlights:

• The timeline of when it's requested, I think they did an amendment where it puts it at days after termination
• Six months after termination, so I mean, we're talking a year maybe even.
• Now, that's what this bill will do at termination within 45 days.
• In 45 days of termination, that file would be prepared? That file would be prepared.
• So what they do is, like, let's say a child is terminated when they're three and they don't get adopted

Bills: SB500, SB1522, SB1137, SB1266

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

Transcript Highlights:

• This happens more often in termination cases. Particularly in terms of DFPS cases, and what the...
• The department can file a petition to terminate. That is a problem.
• And files these terminations. We simply will be prolonging the end result for children, right? Yes.
• I mean, they're not gonna have money to file their own termination suits. We're not.
• We absolutely need these benefits, and we also are not seeking termination in these cases.

Bills: HCR10, HB1814, HB2160, HB2353, HB2643, HB2971, HB3282, HB3382, HB3996, HB4507, HB4509, HB4805, HB5551, HB1863, HCR10

Keywords: family abduction, child safety, custodial rights, parental kidnapping, awareness day, marriage license, informal marriage, family code, identity verification, child support, family law, child custody, court interview, parent-child relationship, child welfare, attorney ad litem, compensation, legal representation, government entity, HB 2643

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 3281 amends the grounds for the termination of parental rights, elevates the burden of proof to terminate
• It relates to a termination for past behavior of your past terminations.
• Right now, the way that the termination grounds operate allows for termination in situations that may
• And if we don't terminate the rights, what happens to those children?
• And it was a termination. And I've been hitting on a compelling state interest.

Bills: HCR 16, HB 782, HB 2159, HB 2288, HB 3281, HB 3819, HB 4656, HB 4696, HB 5494

Keywords: fatherhood, family support, fatherlessness, community engagement, youth development, social policy, male role models, child development, policy reform, role models, mental health, parenting, single-parent homes, welfare reform, economic opportunity, mentorship, community initiatives, children, welfare programs, education

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:38.240><c> mental</c> branch um that these involuntary mental branch um that these involuntary
• That has to do with the VLTs, video lottery terminals, and changes there.
• That has to do with the VLTs, video lottery terminals, and changes there.
• That has to do with the VLTs, video lottery terminals, and changes there.
• </c><04:33:57.119><c> of</c> down relative to termination of down relative to termination of Tennessee

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• background, the Department of Social and Health Services operates two state psychiatric hospitals for involuntary
• These hospitals primarily serve patients who are either civilly committed for treatment through the Involuntary
• employment about their eligibility or their criminal background or anything like that, we would terminate
• If you lie in that process and somehow we don't catch you, once we do find out, you're terminated.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on January 18, 2026, and heard several mostly familiar public safety bills, with the chair noting the committee would move hearings quickly and take executive action on some measures the next day. The first bill discussed was Engrossed Senate Bill 5068, which would broaden eligibility for law enforcement, civil service, prosecuting attorney, and Fish and Wildlife officer jobs to anyone legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law. Sponsor Sen. John Lovick said the bill would expand the applicant pool amid staffing shortages and new training academies. Support came from King County, which said the bill would align state law with federal work authorization rules and help recruitment, while opponents and skeptics raised concerns about background checks, visa fraud, and whether the bill could allow people without U.S. citizenship to work in sensitive public safety roles. The committee also heard testimony from an applicant who said the bill would remove a barrier to becoming a trooper, and from a critic who argued it could worsen wage suppression and hiring practices. The committee then heard Engrossed Senate Bill 5272, which expands school-related offenses for interference and intimidation by force or violence to include school employees, contractors, students, and officials or volunteers in extracurricular athletics, while increasing penalties and adding exclusion periods for nonstudent offenders. Sen. Lovick and former referee Bob West described rising abuse of sports officials and said the bill was needed to address shortages and protect referees and students. Other supporters, including a city council member and a violence-prevention advocate, said the measure would improve sportsmanship and safety. The chair said the committee would move the bill forward. The committee also heard Engrossed Senate Bill 5286, which would codify and fund community policing partnerships at Western State Hospital in Lakewood and Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake, with annual reporting requirements and a biennial funding cap. The mayors of Lakewood and Medical Lake supported the bill, saying the programs had reduced calls and improved safety, and Sen. Jeff Holy said the bill formalized an existing budgeted partnership with a spending cap to address prior fiscal concerns. The committee next heard Second Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5268, which would require community custody for certain unlawful possession of firearm offenses. Sen. Keith Wagoner said the bill would ensure supervision for people unlawfully possessing firearms, arguing that many such cases are under-penalized and can lead to future violence. Law enforcement and prosecutors supported the bill, though the Sentencing Guidelines Commission asked for more specificity for some lower-level firearm possession cases and warned against over-supervising low-risk people. A committee member raised resource concerns, and sponsors responded that DOC supervision has been underfunded but that public safety should be prioritized. The committee then returned to SB 5272 for remote testimony from a longtime referee and others, who described assaults, harassment, and a shortage of officials, and the chair said the bill would be taken up in executive action the following day. Finally, the committee took testimony on Substitute Senate Bill 5855, which would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings while interacting with the public, with exceptions for undercover work, SWAT-type protective gear, and certain medical or environmental protection. Sen. Javier Valdez said the bill was prompted by reports of masked federal officers and was intended to improve transparency and accountability. Supporters, including King County’s prosecutor, local officials, and immigrant advocates, said visible identities build trust and help communities know who is exercising authority. Opponents argued the bill targets federal immigration enforcement, may be preempted by federal law, and could endanger officers through doxxing or weather-related exposure; some also warned of litigation and unintended consequences. Committee members and stakeholders discussed possible amendments to clarify weather and safety exceptions through Labor and Industries rules. No final votes were taken during the hearing, but the chair said the committee would continue working on amendments and later move to executive action on the bills heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• clarifies a personal representative's authority to access the decedent's safe deposit box and to terminate
• voluntary market, keep good accounts in the voluntary market, without those accounts being forced into involuntary
• Accounts being forced into involuntary markets such as the JUA.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum present and heard a full agenda of bills, most of which were reported favorably. Early in the meeting, SB 1000 on trust fund interest for attorney trust accounts was explained as setting a floor and ceiling tied to the Wall Street Journal prime rate and passed without objection after supportive testimony from banking and credit union groups. The committee then took up CS/SB 1082 on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program; the sponsor described it as a way to move emergency out-of-network payment disputes away from costly litigation and into an independent dispute resolution process modeled on the federal No Surprises Act. A proposed amendment drew significant questions from senators and concerns from the Florida Insurance Council about confusion over state versus federal eligibility and possible effects on contracted rates, and the sponsor ultimately withdrew the amendment. The underlying bill was then supported by health care and insurance stakeholders and reported favorably. SB 684 on electronic signatures for total loss vehicles and vessels also passed, with Progressive Insurance waiving in support. The committee next approved CS/SB 158 on pet insurance, which requires continuing education for agents, clearer consumer disclosures, and annual reporting to OIR; the amendment was technical and adopted. SB 1494 on breast cancer screening coverage was presented as expanding required coverage for mammograms and supplemental screenings for certain insurance products, and it passed with support from cancer and radiology groups. CS/SB 314 on digital asset issuers was amended to create a Florida framework for payment stablecoin issuers consistent with the federal GENIUS Act, allowing state-level regulation as an alternative to federal supervision, and was reported favorably. SB 1500 on uncontested probate proceedings, including higher small-estate thresholds and clearer authority for personal representatives, also passed after a banking-related amendment requiring letters of administration for safe deposit box access was adopted. Later, the committee approved CS/SB 618 on workers’ compensation insurance, which raises the consent-to-rate cap for workers’ comp policies from 10% to 20% and adjusts the Florida Workers’ Compensation Guarantee Association board membership; a carrier representative testified that the change would help keep more high-risk accounts in the voluntary market. CS/SB 1568 on a Florida Stable Coin Pilot Program was amended to remove authority for DFS to create a Florida coin, limit the pilot to existing stablecoins with at least $1 billion market capitalization, and require qualified public deposit handling; it then passed. CS/SB 838 on electronic payments for retail installment contracts clarified that convenience fees for electronic payments are permissible while preserving a fee-free option, and it was reported favorably after questions about consumer access to free payment methods. SB 1452, the Department of Financial Services agency bill, made a wide range of administrative changes affecting My Safe Florida Home, unclaimed property, licensing, bail bonds, and other DFS functions; a late-filed amendment on title insurer appointments was adopted, and the bill passed. The committee also approved SB 1706 on the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, targeting condo hardening assistance to owner-occupied units meeting income and occupancy criteria, and SB 990 on protected cell captive insurance companies, which the sponsor and industry witnesses said would modernize Florida law and promote insurance competition and economic activity. The meeting ended with all bills on the agenda reported favorably and the committee adjourning without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh contract council for involuntary uh contract council for involuntary mental<00:37:08.320><c>
• </c><00:37:38.240><c> mental</c> branch um that these involuntary mental branch um that these involuntary
• That has to do with the VTS, uh, video lottery terminals, and changes there.
• That has to do with the VTS, uh, video lottery terminals, and changes there.
• </c><04:33:57.119><c> of</c> down relative to termination of down relative to termination of Tennessee

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Committee of Conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through the HB 1 detail change sheet. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre reported stronger-than-expected lottery performance, raising the current-year return estimate to $27 million and the next biennium estimate to $200 million, with the increase attributed to improved scratch ticket sales and sports betting not hurting revenue as much as expected. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher estimates, including the impact of $50 scratch tickets and whether the figures accounted for future conversion from historical horse racing (HHR) machines to video lottery terminals (VLTs). McIntyre and committee members discussed machine counts, per-day revenue assumptions, and the likelihood that VLT conversion would increase revenues over time, though the timing and pace of conversion remained an open question. The committee also discussed several gaming-related policy items in HB 2, including changes to kino hours and local option games of chance, and noted that the Senate and House differed on how gaming revenues would be allocated between charities, education, and general funds. Members emphasized that revenue projections should remain conservative because operators, not the state, would control the pace of machine conversion. Representative Sweeney noted that operators could earn more per machine under the VLT model, and McIntyre said the new facilities and expansions were largely concentrated near the Massachusetts border. The committee then moved to the HB 1 detail change sheet. It agreed to Senate position on the Department of Safety’s road toll bureau and international registration program changes, which were described as a zero-cost realignment of positions, and held the Department of Corrections section for later discussion. On the judicial side, members approved a technical footnote fix, but held a new contract counsel item for involuntary mental health admissions and deferred discussion of the public defender program increase. The committee also noted no change for the PE development authority, moved safety rest area funding from HB 2 into HB 1 with no additional cost, and flagged the tourism development fund and other judicial items as issues that may depend on overall available revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those injuries resulted in her involuntary, permanent...
• Those injuries resulted in her involuntary, permanent retirement by accidental disability, authorized
• recommendations such as changing a child's goal from reunification to adoption, or recommending the termination

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several retirement and workforce-related bills. House Bill 2980 would place county correctional nurses and certain medical staff into Group 4 retirement. Representative Trino, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, and nurse manager Leanne Cameron argued that correctional nurses work in dangerous, high-stress settings with frequent contact with incarcerated people, high rates of mental illness and substance use in the jail population, and significant workplace violence, and that the change would help recruitment and retention with limited statewide fiscal impact. The committee also heard Senate Bill 210, which would create a commission to study additional regular compensation and annual expenses for members of the General Court. Senator John Keenan said Massachusetts has high leadership stipends compared with other states and argued the current structure can affect independence and public trust. Representative O'Day testified on House Bill 2928 to extend Group 2 retirement to additional Department of Children and Families social workers, and SEIU 509 witnesses described frequent transport of children, crisis response, threats, assaults, and other high-risk duties that they said match Group 2 work. Additional testimony supported House Bill 2943 for DDS service coordinators and supervisors, with witnesses describing home visits in unsafe conditions, transport of vulnerable individuals, direct care during staffing crises, and exposure to violence. House Bill 2899 drew support from the Association of Social Work Boards for social work field placement grants, incentives for supervisors, and expanded retirement benefits for DCF social workers. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2613, a local retirement bill for Salem police officer Kathleen Roachville, who described a severe line-of-duty injury during an arrest involving a combative person in a mental health crisis. Finally, Susan Smith Campbell testified for reclassifying certain DYS administrative officers into Group 2 because of their direct involvement in restraints, assaults, and crisis management. After testimony concluded, the committee adjourned without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the program has decreased due to sufficient progress of recovery efforts and issues in order terminating
• So it's a voluntary, which is what you're describing in your situation, versus an involuntary, whereas
• So it's a voluntary, which is what you're describing in your situation, versus an involuntary, whereas

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, SPB 7014 simply terminates the mediation and arbitration trust fund within the state court system
• An involuntary intoxication defense to basically Public policy and involuntary intoxication defense to

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum and first approved SPB 7014, which terminates the state court system’s mediation and arbitration trust fund; staff noted the fund has no current balance and that filing fees were already redirected in 2011. The bill was reported favorably as a committee bill without objection. The committee then took up CS/SB 48 on alternative judicial procedures for foreclosure sales. Senator Garcia described it as a response to reported abuses in Miami-Dade County, adding longer sale timeframes, stronger notice requirements, rules for alternative sale methods, online auction authorization, and consumer protections for surplus funds. After adopting a technical amendment, members raised concerns about whether the bill was codifying a process they believed should remain with clerks of court and about the new online auction provisions; Senator Garcia ultimately moved to temporarily postpone the bill. Members also approved CS/SB 322, creating a nonjudicial process for sheriffs to remove unauthorized persons from commercial property, and CS/SB 138, which revises DUI-related language from “intoxicating” to “impairing” and allows judicial circuits to create DUI diversion programs. CS/SB 138 drew opposition from some members and testimony from cannabis advocates and defense lawyers who argued the catch-all language was too broad and could sweep in lawful medications or create testing and expungement issues, but it still passed. The committee further reported favorably SB 130 on wrongful incarceration compensation, extending filing deadlines and removing restrictive bars to compensation, and SB 234, which strengthens penalties for violent resistance against law enforcement officers and clarifies that such resistance can lead to life imprisonment if it results in an officer’s death. Both bills received supportive testimony, though SB 234 also drew concerns from defense lawyers about removing language tied to lawful duty and good faith; the sponsor said the bill preserves defenses while focusing on violent resistance. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so on this committee it is an involuntary defer, because the motion is made from the committee.
• Yes, we are voting on your motion to involuntary defer.
• This is before taking into account the other impacts the proposed Port of New Orleans container terminal
• Bernard for this potential Louisiana International Terminal development. Okay.
• Bernard Port facility to the proposed Louisiana International Terminal is to compare a goldfish to a

Bills: HB345, HB502, HB511, HB655, HB667, HB713, HB714, HB730, HB743, HB777, HB803, HB836, HB871, HB1037, HB1167, HB1174, HB1175

Keywords: rail infrastructure, ports, Class II railroads, Class III railroads, transportation, Caddo Parish, property taxes, abatement, payment in lieu of taxes, taxing entities, governmental approval, pursuit intervention, law enforcement, safety technology, GPS tracking, public safety, ferries, Department of Transportation, contracts, state legislation

Summary: The committee heard several transportation and aviation measures. HB 1175, by Rep. Turner, updated aeronautics-related definitions and was reported favorably without objection. HB 655, by Rep. Brough, authorized DOTD to use cost-plus contracts for operation and maintenance of state ferry systems, with Secretary Glenn LaDay explaining it was intended to give DOTD flexibility for possible privatization or contracting of ferries such as Cameron; it was also reported favorably. HB 1037, by Chairman Borek, shifted certain DOTD operational responsibilities to a chief operating officer and was reported favorably, and HB 1174, also by Chairman Borek, recreated DOTD and was reported favorably as a cleanup measure. HB 714 and HB 502 were voluntarily deferred. The committee then considered several port-related bills. HB 871, by Rep. Carver, would have added two St. Tammany Parish appointees to the Port of New Orleans board, but the author asked to voluntarily defer it, saying the timing was premature given ongoing work on the Louisiana International Terminal and related access projects. HB 345, by Rep. McMakin, expanded the Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program to include rail infrastructure at ports and was reported favorably. HB 713, by Rep. McCormick, would cap the Caddo-Bossier Port executive director’s compensation at the statewide average of the top ten port directors; after extensive debate and testimony from the port, the Port Association, and Caddo Parish opposing the bill, the committee voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer it. HB 667, also by Rep. McCormick, would change Caddo-Bossier Port commissioners from appointed to elected; witnesses argued it would politicize the board, create election costs, and conflict with the port’s current structure, and the committee again voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer the bill. The committee also advanced local infrastructure and flood-protection measures. HB 743, by Rep. St. Blanc, creating the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District in St. Mary Parish, was reported favorably after testimony that the district would help the parish manage the airport as an economic development asset. HB 836, by Rep. Hilferty, would reconfirm members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East by Senate confirmation; after concerns that the original August 1 date could interfere with hurricane-season operations, the committee adopted an amendment moving the reconfirmation date to December 1, 2026, and then reported the bill favorably by substitute. Finally, HB 730, by Rep. Cruz, was presented to prohibit the use of ADS-B aircraft tracking data to assess taxes or fees on aircraft owners, with an amendment narrowing the bill to smaller aircraft; the discussion continued into questions about enforcement and exemptions for carrier airports.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there are three local governments that should terminate their contracts with ICE at the earliest
• Chair, Representative, yes, that would give us a cause to terminate the contract, which This would be
• The parties have already bargained for and agreed on contract termination provisions that require mere
• Do you know why the DA did not pursue involuntary commitment for that young person.
• I know there are options out there for involuntary commitment, like you talk about, but it's not something

Transcript Highlights:

• AND CRISIS HELPLINE, METHADONE ASSISTANCE TREATMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND FORENSIC EVALUATORS AND INVOLUNTARY
• [LAUGHTER] THE AMENDMENT STRENGTHENS THE BILL BY IMPROVING HOW A WE HANDLE INVOLUNTARY EXAMINATIONS UNDER
• THIS MEAN THAT IN THE STATE PROGRAM WILL BE EQUALLY HAVE THEIR LICENSE REVOKED AND SUSPENDED OR TERMINATED
• I'M CONCERNED THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ALONE HAS THE DISCRETION TO TERMINATE A LICENSE OR REVOKE A LICENSE

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a bill relative to the employment of military spouses in the event of involuntary deployment of
• Representative Salan, on your first change, it says involuntary mobilized for up to one year and one
• on your first um change um it says Salan on your first um change um it says U<00:57:21.680><c> involuntary
• 22.960><c> mobilized</c><00:57:23.559><c> for</c><00:57:23.880><c> up</c><00:57:24.039><c> to</c> U involuntary
• mob mobilized for up to U involuntary mob mobilized for up to one<00:57:24.480><c> year</c><00:57:24.720

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So for these petitions for involuntary treatment..."
• This bill expands involuntary commitment beyond the legal standard established by the U.S.
• This was a landmark decision which required that involuntary confinement of non-dangerous individuals
• This is created in a new category of involuntary holds.
• We anticipate a higher use of involuntary holds compared to what's in current statute.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to also offer them to people under 65 who qualify for Medicare because of ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections. Supporters, including patient advocates and an ALS patient, said the bill would improve access to needed coverage and transplant-related care and could have only a small premium impact. Opponents, including Blue Cross Blue Shield/AHIP, argued it would shift significant costs onto older seniors and shrink the Medigap risk pool. The bill was ultimately given a do-pass recommendation on a 12-0 vote. House Bill 2593 would appropriate $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps providers quickly treat pregnant and postpartum patients with depression, psychosis, OCD, and suicide risk, and also supports pediatric mental health care. Supporters said it improves outcomes and reduces emergency and referral costs. The committee approved the bill with a do-pass recommendation by a 10-1 vote, with one member present. The committee also passed House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, after emotional testimony from a woman born with spina bifida and another supporter. Several members objected that the state should focus on concrete supports such as health care and family leave, but the resolution still received a 7-5 do-pass recommendation. House Bill 4010, creating a licensing and regulatory board for genetic counselors, also advanced 11-1 after testimony from genetic counselors and a cancer survivor who said licensure would protect patients and improve access. House Bill 2196, addressing pharmacy benefit manager reimbursement and dispensing fees, passed 11-1 despite opposition from PBMs and employers who warned of higher costs; independent pharmacies argued the bill would help them cover costs and stay open. The committee then adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, which would publish aggregated information and hold a later stakeholder review. Supporters said Arizona needs state-specific transparency data, while opponents called it redundant to federal CMS reporting; the amended bill passed 12-0. House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, also passed unanimously after the board said it was already working on curriculum and implementation. The committee held House Bill 2813 and 2725, and began discussion of House Bill 2404, as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 774 amends the laws on involuntary Involuntary substance abuse examinations, and the issuance
• fair and balanced policy should ensure that tenants can use email to dispute charges, send lease termination

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• involves minor guardianship cases, domestic violence cases, juvenile cases, CHINS, abuse, neglect, termination
• So, we do have mediation programs in minor guardianship cases, in termination of parental rights, adoption
• So those are involuntary admissions or involuntary emergency admissions case managers who serve in that
• So those are um involuntary<01:16:29.600><c> admissions</c><01:16:30.000><c> or</c><01:16:30.239><c>
• involuntary</c> involuntary admissions or involuntary involuntary admissions or involuntary emergency

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to continue its review of recommendations for New Hampshire’s family court, with the chair emphasizing a collaborative approach and noting that the group would focus on the origins of the family division, recurring problems identified in earlier reports, and comparisons with other states. Members discussed organizing testimony into three broad topics: the court hearing process and pro se litigant preparation, mediation/arbitration/counseling, and the interaction of domestic violence issues with family court and related criminal proceedings. The chair also noted that the subcommittee would not meet again for two weeks and encouraged members to review materials from Judge Michael Mace and NCSL research on other states’ family court systems. Attorney Heather Culp, senior administrator for the judicial branch’s circuit court, testified about New Hampshire’s ADR programs. She explained that the Office of Mediation and Arbitration, created by statute in 2007, oversees more than 12 statewide ADR programs across the Supreme, Superior, and Circuit Courts, including family division programs such as divorce-parenting mediation, neutral case evaluation, guardianship, termination of parental rights, and voluntary adoption mediation. She said the divorce-parenting mediation program is the largest family division ADR program, with about 3,400 mediation sessions in 2023 out of roughly 6,700 cases, and that most cases involving minor children are referred to mediation soon after the first appearance session. Culp described the family division process as beginning with a first appearance session led by a case manager, who provides information, helps with paperwork, and schedules mediation, usually within 30 to 45 days. She said mediation is strongly encouraged in parenting and divorce cases, but there is no requirement to reach agreement, and parties may settle some issues while leaving others for court. She also explained that mediation is prohibited or limited in certain domestic violence cases: cases with active civil protection orders may proceed only with both parties’ consent and possible safeguards, while cases involving criminal protective orders are not sent to mediation. Mediators in court-referred family cases are contracted with the court and must be certified by the executive branch’s mediator certification board; mediators do not communicate with judges, except through a brief ADR report noting whether the case settled or what the next procedural step is. Members asked about referrals, timing, and the meaning of “neutrals,” and Culp said the court uses in-house contracted neutrals for family division ADR and does not refer divorce-parenting cases to outside providers.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you should terminate your rights and you could have more kids.
• And we're seeing a rise in more involuntary treatment in states like California, for example, which was
• the first adopter of an SUD IMD waiver, so more use of involuntary treatment to address the needs of
• So in California, we're seeing more involuntary use of involuntary treatment to address the needs of

Summary: The meeting focused on Turtle Mountain’s public health and behavioral health priorities, especially access to rural health transformation funding and a long-running data use agreement with the state. Tribal public health leaders described how, during COVID, a temporary data-sharing arrangement allowed them to do their own contact tracing and case management, and they argued that a similar agreement is now needed to respond more quickly to very high syphilis rates and other infectious disease concerns. Committee members generally expressed support and said they would follow up with state officials, while tribal representatives emphasized that they already have the staff and infrastructure to use timely data effectively. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to the Turtle Mountain Recovery Center and the broader issue of the IMD exclusion and residential treatment capacity. Tribal leaders described the center’s opening, its five levels of care, its 16-bed limit, and its efforts to become financially sustainable through billing, grants, and partnerships. They shared success stories and argued for an IMD waiver or similar flexibility so the center could expand to 32 beds and better meet local need. Committee members discussed the policy barriers to expanding residential treatment, including federal approval timelines, state funding choices, and the need to preserve a continuum of care that includes outpatient and community-based services. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from Hector Hernandez-Dogato of the National Health Law Program on the history and mechanics of the IMD exclusion and Section 1115 waivers. He explained that the exclusion limits Medicaid payment for services in facilities with more than 16 beds, but noted existing exceptions and alternatives such as state plan options, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He also reviewed mixed results from states that have used IMD waivers, warning that they do not automatically improve overdose deaths, emergency room use, or access to community care, and may risk reinforcing institutionalization if not paired with strong upstream services. The committee discussed a draft bill to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE for HHS to pursue an IMD waiver, with members suggesting the bill may need to explicitly include serious mental illness as well as substance use disorder and asking for department input at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> longer in that category, it terminates. longer in that category, it terminates.
• and they are both tied termination and they are both tied directly<00:08:50.120><c> to</c><00:08:50.320
• None of those were involuntary, but otherwise I would have fit within the criteria if I were not willing
• None of those were involuntary, but otherwise I would have fit within the criteria if I were not willing
• None of those were involuntary, but otherwise I would have fit within the criteria if I were not willing

Keywords: 926, house, all