Bills: SB1, SB3

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• enforcement, and, more importantly, close family members to petition for assisted outpatient treatment (AOT
• AOT, Mr. Chairman, is a supervised community-based mental health treatment.
• AOT is the least restrictive alternative and requires services to be available before an order is entered

Bills: SB1, SB3

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• had a concern that going through the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code and the new AOT
• In AOT, you're talking about the same chapter. Yes, the same chapter.

Bills: SB3, HB70, HB49, HB60, HB151, HB164, SB17, SB35, SB164

Keywords: mental health, commitment, involuntary commitment, civil commitment, assisted outpatient treatment, AOT, court-ordered treatment, behavioral health, psychiatric hold, danger to self, danger to others, suicide prevention, self-harm, homicide risk, capacity, decisional capacity, guardianship, treatment guardian, crisis stabilization, crisis triage center

Transcript Highlights:

• An AOT order, a finding that a person is eligible for AOT and should be ordered to participate in involuntary
• and the AOT statute here in New Mexico to ensure that the AOT treatment is truly whole person-based.
• AOT because of a criminal complaint.
• To the question earlier about what's the enforcement on AOT, this is the spot at which the AOT statute
• The criteria for AOT are vastly different.

Transcript Highlights:

• we can to get as many people into the AOT program as we can.
• They might be a candidate for AOT, or we think they might be.
• An evaluation for competency is not a full evaluation for AOT.
• The time constraints don't align with the civil commitment or AOT process.
• And so if we had a place to put them or a program for them to, you know, similar to AOT, AOT is a very

Transcript Highlights:

• AOT law exists in 48 other states.
• AOT simply doesn't work as families are being promised.
• So if there's a path through AOT to do that, that'd be great.
• I'm working closely with Senator Friedman and AOT now in support of S. 1115, also known as AOT.
• AOT can restore that loss of human potential.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a lengthy hearing on several juvenile justice and parole-related bills, with much of the testimony focused on H. 2051/S. 1087 to end lifetime parole for juveniles and emerging adults, and H. 1923 to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds. Chairs Brandy Fluker-Reid and Lydia Edwards opened the hearing by noting the large number of bills and witnesses, the need to keep testimony moving, and special procedures for incarcerated witnesses and sensitive testimony. They also acknowledged the historic nature of the hearing being chaired by two Black women attorneys. No votes were taken during the hearing itself. Many incarcerated speakers and advocates supported ending lifetime parole, arguing that young people can change, that lifetime supervision creates constant fear of technical violations, and that it undermines rehabilitation, family stability, employment, and reintegration. Several testified about their own trauma, youth, and growth in prison programs, while others emphasized the costs of decades of supervision and the racial disparities in the system. Support also came from elected officials, UTEC, the Transformational Prison Project, United Way, CPCS’s Youth Advocacy Division, the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, and others, who said juvenile systems are better suited to developmentally appropriate treatment and that the bills would improve public safety and reduce recidivism. There was also opposition, including testimony from family members of a murder victim who argued that lifetime parole should remain for serious violent crimes and that some offenders are not sufficiently rehabilitated. One virtual witness described a family tragedy involving the kidnapping and murder of her infant nephew and warned that ending lifetime parole could remove needed long-term supervision for dangerous offenders. In addition to the juvenile justice bills, the committee heard testimony on H. 1867, a bill related to continuing care for severe mental illness, and H. 2063, which would increase penalties for assaults on correction officers and other prison staff; the correction officers’ union supported H. 2063 and related safety bills. The hearing continued with many more witnesses and bill topics, but no final committee action was announced in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• , which we do around 2,000 wetlands permits and around 230 to 250 AOT permits, depending on the state
• AOT—100 hours worth of work, plus the design for 1,000 feet of sidewalk.
• protection reserving enhanced aot protection reserving enhanced aot permitting<01:48:29.560>
• <01:58:30.639> permiting have to go through the aot permiting have to go through the aot permiting
• smaller subdivisions do require aot smaller subdivisions do require aot because<02:05:59.159>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, has had the only county that's had the AOT kind of up and running.
• On AOT is another great example, right?
• AOT is fine in the role as maybe a co-facilitator.
• and the process of integrating AOT through the different.
• We do not have AOT.

Transcript Highlights:

• AOT brings stability to the lives of people suffering from severe behavioral health problems and has
• This map shows those counties with an active AOT program.
• Recently, the state hospitals have done their first two discharges on an AOT order.
• Progress is being made, and the more closely the implementation is to that AOT model, the more likely
• She started AOT in full psychosis.

Summary: The committee received agency updates on several behavioral health and justice programs. The Health Care Authority reported that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has expanded from two counties to eight, with a ninth expected in December, and described AOT as a court-ordered, least-restrictive treatment model that depends on close coordination among courts, treatment providers, and local officials. The agency also reviewed Joel’s Law, which lets family members, guardians, conservators, or tribes petition for an initial involuntary detention when they disagree with a designated crisis responder’s decision. Judges Ferreira and Larson said petition use has increased significantly statewide and in Snohomish County, but many cases do not proceed beyond the initial detention stage; they also noted family frustration, disjointed processes, and bed shortages as ongoing issues. Committee members asked about expansion criteria, the law’s effectiveness, and how the system fits together with other mental health interventions. The Attorney General’s Office presented on the hate crimes and bias incidents hotline created by SB 5427. The hotline began a pilot in King, Clark, and Spokane counties on July 1, 2025, with a statewide launch planned for 2027. Officials said the advisory committee helped shape the referral process, intake questions, outreach materials, and public branding. In the first five months, the hotline received 301 reports, with roughly 45% from King County and about 38% from outside the pilot counties; 42% requested follow-up, and only about a quarter of those wanted law enforcement referral. Testimony emphasized that the hotline is non-emergency, anonymous if desired, and focused on referrals rather than investigation. Members asked about why callers do not seek law enforcement involvement, how the hotline compares with Oregon’s launch, and what kinds of incidents are being reported. The Office of Independent Investigations reported progress on its work investigating police deadly force fatalities. Director Roger Rogoff said the agency has grown to 66 employees, including 31 investigators, and has completed six fatality investigations, with two public final reports posted. He said the office now operates in Region 1 and plans to expand statewide as staffing allows, with a future east-side expansion dependent on additional investigators. He also said the office has 29 requests to review prior cases, but those reviews are time-intensive and limited to cases with new evidence. Committee members asked about staffing needs, local cooperation, and whether the office conducts parallel investigations; Rogoff said OII performs the criminal investigation, while agencies may still do administrative reviews. The committee then heard a lengthy panel on public defense caseload standards and funding. The Washington State Bar Association, Washington Defender Association, county representatives, and city representatives all discussed the new caseload standards and the implementation timeline. Speakers said the standards reflect modern public defense realities but warned that funding, attorney recruitment and retention, office space, and data collection remain major barriers. Survey results from county offices showed wide variation in readiness, with many counties uncertain about timelines and most citing lack of funding as the biggest obstacle; attorney attrition was also described as high. County and city representatives argued that the new standards will require far more attorneys and support staff, and that local governments cannot absorb the cost without substantial state funding. They urged the Legislature to increase state support, improve workforce pipelines, and address structural issues in the public defense system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Throughout my tenure at AOT, I have seen firsthand how tourism promotion serves as a vital economic engine
• Throughout my tenure at AOT, I have seen firsthand how tourism promotion serves as a vital economic engine
• So we have staff that is dedicated to the community aspect—that’s actually my original role at AOT.”
• “...that’s actually my original role at AOT.
• AOT ensures, as you've heard, that those dollars are reaching across the corners of our state.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><01:13:00.320> commitment<01:13:01.040> and<01:13:01.920> uh<01:13:02.320> AOT
• <01:13:03.600> uh for uh civil commitment and uh AOT uh for uh civil commitment and uh AOT
• So um we're have a meeting on AOT.
• Commitment and AOT or ACT. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay.
• or ACT conference that we are AOT or ACT conference that we are looking<01:18:41.920> to<01:18

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The briefing focused on the Hawaii State Hospital’s overcrowding, construction defects in the new addition, and how Act 26 and related court-ordered processes are affecting admissions and discharges. The chair said the hospital has become increasingly forensic-focused, has lost beds after the closure of Kahimohala, and may face further costs and possible litigation over the defective addition. Hospital and Department of Health officials said they are working with the attorney general and contractors on repairs, and that the hospital is currently using all 292 licensed beds, including 13 waiver beds, while average daily census last fiscal year was 376. Officials explained that the high census is driven by both increased admissions and discharge barriers. They said the loss of Kahimohala returned patients to the state hospital, and that Act 26-related petty misdemeanor cases are contributing to admissions. They also said limited lower-level placement options delay discharges. Hospital staff reported that many patients are repeat admissions, about 22% were unhoused before admission, and a significant share are in categories such as fitness-to-proceed evaluations and conditional-release violations. They said these groups could potentially be reduced if evaluations were done elsewhere and if more community or supportive housing were available. The chair and senators questioned whether some fitness-to-proceed detainees need to be held at the state hospital at all, and whether the Clark consent order requires transfer to the hospital. The attorney general’s office said the Clark injunction does not govern unfitness-to-proceed cases; instead, the requirement comes from state statute, and the statute could be changed. Director Johnson said DCR cannot keep such detainees because the court orders them into the custody of the Department of Health, and the department cannot provide the needed therapeutic level of care in a correctional setting. The discussion also emphasized co-occurring substance use and mental illness, especially among petty misdemeanor defendants, and the need for supportive housing and a decompression plan to reduce readmissions and free beds for civil commitments.

Transcript Highlights:

• She also is very experienced in the area of AOT and other areas, sort of collateral to behavioral health
• of the concepts that came out of that was that the judiciary would stand up some pilot programs. on AOT
• good thing about the pilot programs is that you realize some of the issues involved in implementing AOT
• Under AOC, as with AOT, let's take a look. So first of all, that was a large settlement.
• Experience with AOT is even within one judicial district.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> All AOT in that size. >> Yes, all AOTs in that size. >> Seems an unusual place to slip that in.
• <00:31:48.320> permitting 36 is only relevant to AOT permitting 36 is only relevant to AOT
• or is it all AOT in that size?
• <00:32:11.200> The subject matter related to AOT. The subject matter related to AOT.
• that discussion relative to AOT that discussion relative to AOT permitting<00:43:55.599> fees

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• jail, out of hospital emergency departments unnecessarily, and in assisted outpatient treatment, or AOT
• Second is a definition for serious mental illness, which is in KRS 202A as it relates to AOT. literally
• <00:25:35.840> or Casey's law cases, as well as AOT or Casey's law cases, as well as AOT or
• it<00:27:06.559> relates<00:27:07.840> uh<00:27:08.080> to<00:27:08.400> AOT
• is essentially act team services AOT is essentially act team services through<00:55:27.920> a

Keywords: 00:00:06 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:23 - Review of Referred Administrative Regulations 00:02:00 - Discussion of 26RS HB 485 01:00:40 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 485 01:03:25 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 485, a major mental health measure addressing both KRS 202C and KRS 202A. The committee first adopted a committee substitute and then approved a committee amendment correcting misspellings in the bill. Members and witnesses described the bill as the product of years of work with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, mental health professionals, advocates, and the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health. Testimony on the 202C portion focused on individuals charged with serious violent offenses who are found incompetent to stand trial. Witnesses, including a circuit judge and a family member whose mother was killed by her mentally ill brother, argued that current timelines require repeated evidentiary hearings and impose unnecessary trauma on victims’ families and strain on courts and KCPC. Supporters said the bill would lengthen review intervals, clarify the role and payment of guardians ad litem, and reduce repeated relitigation while preserving due process and public safety. They noted that 202C cases are few in number but consume a significant share of KCPC bed space. The committee then turned to the 202A portion, which covers civil mental health commitments for people who may not have committed a crime. Supporters said current law leaves courts with only two choices—hospitalization or release—and that the bill would create a third option by allowing court-ordered outpatient treatment and other guardrails such as medication compliance and follow-up care. Witnesses emphasized that the bill defines terms such as “benefit” and “serious mental illness,” expands the definition of danger, and aims to provide a least restrictive alternative to inpatient hospitalization. No final vote on the bill itself was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, but the substitute and amendment were adopted and testimony continued in support of the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Agency of Transportation to tow vehicles that are abandoned in park and rides owned by VTrans, by AOT
• increases the amount of money that the towing companies can get if they tow a vehicle by the request of AOT
• the Agency of Transportation to tow vehicles that are abandoned in park and rides owned by VTrans, by AOT
• the Agency of Transportation to tow vehicles that are abandoned in park and rides owned by VTrans, by AOT
• the Agency of Transportation to tow vehicles that are abandoned in park and rides owned by VTrans, by AOT

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:22:00.760> in<00:22:00.960> Carroll<00:22:01.400> County<00:22:01.919> aot
• <00:22:02.600> received 718 votes in Carroll County aot received 718 votes in Carroll County
• <00:22:13.880> received<00:22:14.360> 21, 626 in chesher County aot received 21, 626
• <00:22:25.320> received and3 Coos County aot received and3 Coos County aot received 10,47<
• 439 Grafton County aot 439 Grafton County aot 24260<00:22:38.960> Craig 24260 Craig 24260

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this bill would require that, as a part of that curriculum, the AOT should build into its education
• And this bill would require that, as a part of that curriculum, the AOT should build into its education
• positions: one for Natural Resources, or, I'm sorry, for the Agency of Natural Resources, and one for AOT
• c><00:28:46.240> Uh<00:28:46.559> but<00:28:46.799> that resources and one for AOT
• Uh but that resources and one for AOT.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Aot—I'm sorry, Governor Aot—is looking to fix.
• Governor Aot wants to move to fix that, but she's going to need revenue to do that.
• ><00:53:06.440> I'm<00:53:06.559> sorry<00:53:06.760> Governor piece is uh sen aot
• I'm sorry Governor piece is uh sen aot I'm sorry Governor aot<00:53:08.040> um<00:53:08.440><
• um is looking to fix we have an aot um is looking to fix we have an issue<00:53:09.960> still

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Community-based services, such as Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), have been in existence for a while
• Inpatient, there's also outpatient treatment, such as the AOT I was talking about, Assisted Outpatient
• What I didn't hear too much about, I hope, I heard about the AOT that you're developing a plan around
• I want to see how that's going to unfold as we are looking at competency, forensics, AOT, all these things
• But what we're doing is we're working really hard with the AOT team.

Transcript Highlights:

• that we all imagined we would have, we are suffering from the same paradox that plagues programs like AOT
• And we have additional data from another court-supervised AOT program that also shows that mood disorders
• are... ...court-supervised AOT program that also shows that mood disorders are a fraction of participation
• Costa County, Orange County, that all say that mood disorders or bipolar disorders are a fraction of AOT
• And the eligibility for AOT is severe mental illness.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related measures. SB 27 by Senator Umberg would revise and expand California’s CARE Court by limiting the expansion to people with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, clarifying the definition of “clinically stabilized,” and narrowing the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Supporters, including behavioral health officials and family members, said the bill would reduce dismissals and better serve people with severe illness; opponents warned the expansion would strain county staffing and housing resources and could undermine voluntary engagement. The bill passed on a do pass motion to the Committee on Public Safety. SB 503 by Senator Weber Pierson would require AI tools used in health care facilities to be identified, monitored, and mitigated for bias when used in clinical decision-making or resource allocation. The author and supporters from Kaiser Permanente and the California Medical Association said the bill would help prevent discriminatory outcomes and improve trust and safety. The committee discussed the need to clarify developer and deployer responsibilities, and the bill passed as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. SB 68 by Senator Menjivar would require restaurants to provide written allergen information for the top nine food allergens, with tiered flexibility for smaller establishments. The bill was supported by patients, families, nurses, and allergy organizations, who described severe reactions and the difficulty of relying on verbal disclosures alone. The California Restaurant Association opposed unless amended, seeking broader use of the national model food code and additional liability language. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 403 by Senator Blakespear, which would remove the sunset from the End of Life Option Act; supporters described the law as a compassionate, well-functioning option for terminally ill patients, while faith-based groups opposed it. The bill passed to Judiciary. Later, SB 41 by Senator Wiener was introduced to rein in pharmacy benefit manager practices that steer patients to mail-order pharmacies and reimburse community pharmacies below cost; community pharmacists and several health organizations testified in support, describing pharmacy closures and patient access problems.