Transcript Highlights:

• approved by the Board of Nursing.
• When meeting the requirements of the enforcement action, the licensee contacted a board-approved SUD
• , and the board By the program, contracted with and participated in the program, and the board finds
• approved SUD monitoring program.
• In 2024, the Board of Nursing was required to establish a stipend program to defray up to 80% of each

Bills: HB2340, HB2155, HB2531

Keywords: HB 2340, nursing assistants, nurse aide, substance use disorder monitoring program, monitoring program, credentialing, licensure, disciplinary records, enforcement action, public disclosure, privacy, third-party website, stipend program, financial assistance, treatment costs, drug testing, peer support, recovery, rehabilitation, board-approved program

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on six House bills related to health care, cannabis, licensing, emergency transport, veterinary practice, and nursing workforce support. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2242 would preserve access to preventive services and vaccines by allowing the Department of Health to issue immunization guidance, tying insurance coverage to federal preventive-service recommendations as of June 30, 2025, and directing JLARC review in 2032. Supporters, including the Governor’s office and the Insurance Commissioner, said it would prevent gaps in coverage and maintain affordable vaccine purchasing; opponents argued it politicizes vaccine policy and expands state influence. The committee also heard Substitute House Bill 2152, which would allow terminally ill patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice to use medical cannabis under facility policies that prohibit smoking/vaping and require secure storage and documentation. The sponsor and several advocates described it as a dignity-and-compassion measure, while testimony noted the need for safeguards and caregiver flexibility. The committee then heard Substitute House Bill 2088 on the dietitian licensure compact, which would let Washington join an interstate compact for dietitians. The sponsor and multiple witnesses, including military spouses, health professionals, and veterans groups, said it would reduce licensure barriers, help workforce mobility, and improve access to nutrition care, especially for military families and rural patients. House Bill 2110 would allow a registered nurse without EMT certification to staff certain inter-facility specialty care transports when no paramedic is available, provided an EMT is also on board and the nurse has appropriate competencies. Rural hospitals supported the bill as a way to reduce dangerous transfer delays, while nursing and EMS opponents raised concerns about training, accountability, and patient safety; the committee also heard a request to change “should” to “shall” for ambulance orientation. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247 would update Washington’s veterinary-client-patient relationship and telemedicine rules, allowing ongoing telemedicine care after an in-person exam and setting conditions for prescriptions and commercial-animal oversight. The state veterinarian testified that the bill could conflict with federal FDA/USDA requirements that rely on an in-person exam for prescribing certain drugs and for regulatory work, while supporters said it would expand access to veterinary care and reduce delays for low-income and rural pet owners. House Bill 2340 would add nursing assistants to the substance use disorder monitoring and stipend programs; the sponsor, a nurse in recovery, said the bill would help low-paid nursing assistants afford treatment and monitoring costs. In executive session, the committee waived the five-day notice rule for HB 2247, then voted do-pass on House Bills 2155 and 2531 and sent them to the Rules Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next bill is House Bill 2340, which applies substance use disorder monitoring program provisions
• not change based on care setting or services, and that the recurring charges involve lodging, not board
• The recurring charges involve lodging, not board and lodging, for the person in a continuing care retirement
• We have House Bill 2340 before us, applying substance use disorder monitoring program provisions to nursing

Bills: HB2340, HB2540, HB2113

Keywords: HB 2340, nursing assistants, nurse aide, substance use disorder monitoring program, monitoring program, credentialing, licensure, disciplinary records, enforcement action, public disclosure, privacy, third-party website, stipend program, financial assistance, treatment costs, drug testing, peer support, recovery, rehabilitation, board-approved program

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held its final regularly scheduled meeting of the 2026 session and moved into executive session to consider a slate of bills. Staff briefed members on measures dealing with the dietician licensure compact, ambulance transport staffing, substance use disorder monitoring for nursing assistants, hospital inspections, music therapy licensure exemptions, nursing regulation, EMT recertification, radiologic technologist supervision, continuing care retirement communities, and veterinarian-client-patient relationships. Several amendments were discussed, including changes to ambulance transport coordination requirements, clarifications to billing statements for motor vehicle accident ambulance bills, oversight language for continuing care retirement communities, and a striking amendment limiting commercial breeding language to livestock and clarifying veterinary prescription drug use. The committee adopted the amendments it considered and voted to give due pass recommendations to the bills before it. Bills advanced included Substitute House Bill 2088, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2110 as amended, House Bill 2340, Substitute House Bill 2577, Substitute House Bill 2363, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1187 as amended, Substitute House Bill 2339, House Bill 2540, House Bill 2113, Second Substitute House Bill 2384 as amended, and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247 as amended. Each bill was sent to the Rules Committee, and the committee reported the measures as passed subject to signatures. The chair also briefly explained the livestock-related intent of the amendment to the veterinary bill in response to a question about puppy mills. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked committee staff and members for their work during the session, noted that interim work would begin in a few weeks, and moved to adjourn. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's currently sits on the board of ed.
• As a participant member of the OETA board.
• other boards.
• that the child needs, maybe a sports program, maybe an FA program, maybe a calculus AP class, for example
• prep Programs.

Bills: HB1937, HB2153, HB3674, HB2978, HB3885, HB3671, HB3261, HB3021, HB3029, HB4274, HB3701, HB3076

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Transcript Highlights:

• other boards.
• of the receiving school board and district.
• this course or you can't approve that course.
• that the child needs, maybe a sports program, maybe an FFA program, maybe a calculus AP class, for example
• teacher programs.

Bills: HB1937, HB2153, HB3674, HB2978, HB3885, HB3671, HB3261, HB3021, HB3029, HB4274, HB3701, HB3076

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Summary: The Senate Education Committee first considered a series of executive nominations, including Brian Bobeck to the State Board of Education, Jonathan Daniels to the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools, Cody Swanee to OETA, Randy Squires to the Western Oklahoma State College Board of Regents, Dwight Spencer to the Carl Albert State College Board of Regents, V. Lee to the Oklahoma Arts Council, Adisha Chapman to the Murray State College Board of Regents, Trevor Pemberton to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Jennifer Carlson and Melissa Yvonne to the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, Kevin Gross to the Tulsa Community College Board of Regents, and Barbara Myers to the Oklahoma Arts Council. Most nominees briefly described their backgrounds and reasons for serving, and the committee approved each nomination, with votes ranging from 8-1 to 10-0, sending them on to the full Senate or floor as applicable. The committee then took up several education bills. House Bill 1937, dealing with the Communications with Students Act, was amended to require corroborated evidence before immediate suspension and to narrow the definition of student; it passed 9-0. House Bill 2153, which would subject OSSAA meetings and hearings to the Open Meetings Act and repeal the statutory one-year sit-out rule for transfers, drew questions about recruitment and FERPA but passed 7-3. House Bill 3674, requiring school resource officer training on sexual assault and violence, annual continuing education, mandatory reporting, and closure of contractor loopholes, passed 9-0. House Bill 3885, setting a graduated discipline framework for third through fifth graders, prompted debate over classroom safety and student rights and passed 9-1. House Bill 3671, allowing a receiving district to accept a transferring teacher’s career status, passed 10-0. House Bill 3261, assigning employee numbers to school support staff such as coaches and bus drivers for tracking across districts, passed 10-0. Several other bills generated more extensive discussion. House Bill 2978, which would impose annual library audits, public online catalogs, a formal challenge process, and funding penalties for noncompliance, faced repeated questions about how it differed from existing policy and who could challenge materials; it failed 4-5. House Bill 3021, revising graduation requirements and preserving flexibility for applied math/science and local course approval while removing some language requirements, passed 8-2. House Bill 3029, requiring the Department of Education to develop a four-year plan, passed 9-1. House Bill 4274, expanding school choice options for military-dependent students living on base, passed 10-0. The committee also began consideration of House Bill 3076, which would clarify alternative teacher certification provider definitions and OEQA oversight, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• As the senator mentioned, we spend $240 million today for these drugs in the Medicaid program, specifically
• for those with For these drugs in the Medicaid program, specifically for those with both obesity and
• So this is actually upon the approval of actually being able to secure the appropriations and with the
• So since the bill said they were board-certified pediatricians, we needed a physician on our side in
• I'm a surgical oncologist, and I am medical director of the Rare Cancer Program under LCMC Health.

Bills: SB25, SB132, SB155, SB157, SB202, SB237, SB250, SB433

Keywords: registrar of voters, parish registrar, chief deputy registrar, confidential assistant, election administration, elections, salary schedule, compensation, merit evaluation, population-based pay, census-based pay, Department of State, Secretary of State, State Board of Election Supervisors, redistricting, senate districts, Senate District 33, Senate District 34, Senate District 35, precincts

Transcript Highlights:

• It also adds the Washington Opportunities Scholarship Program to the list of financial aid programs that
• the ongoing review of approved teacher and principal preparation programs.
• and principal preparation programs to include the following components: program standards, educator
• approved teacher and principal preparation programs and to particularly pay attention to program standards
• approved teacher and principal preparation programs and to particularly pay attention to program standards

Bills: SB6278

Keywords: teacher preparation, principal preparation, educator preparation, alternative route certification, teacher certification, principal certification, Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, PESB, field placement, student teacher, residency, mentoring, school district partnerships, K-12 education, preK-12, high-need schools, Title I, special education, English language learner, rural schools

Summary: The House Education Committee met in executive session to consider several education bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5242 concerning anaphylaxis medication in schools, staff described changes to school epinephrine policies, and members discussed a striking amendment that clarified the bill to allow trained personnel to administer premeasured epinephrine, expand liability protections, and make related technical changes. A drafting error referencing albuterol was flagged and corrected through an amendment to the amendment. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill out with a do pass as amended recommendation. The committee also advanced Substitute Senate Bill 5346 on student use of mobile devices in public schools. The bill would require OSPI to report on school policies limiting mobile device use during instructional hours and post research and best practices. An amendment shortened reporting timelines, removed a distribution requirement, updated terminology, and encouraged school boards to review OSPI recommendations; members spoke in support of local flexibility, classroom focus, and reducing distractions. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill out with a do pass as amended recommendation. Substitute Senate Bill 5841, on high school and beyond plans and financial aid, was also amended and passed out of committee. The amendment added information about College Bound Scholarship enrollment, financial aid application completion, and required review of certain information before graduation and after financial aid applications are completed. Members emphasized helping students understand scholarship and college funding opportunities. The committee then reported Substitute Senate Bill 6268, requiring OSPI to maintain a 20-year online record of final special education complaint decisions, and Senate Bill 6278, codifying ongoing PESB review of teacher and principal preparation programs, both with do pass recommendations. All final votes were voice votes or standing committee report votes, and each bill passed with broad support, with one nay on the mobile devices bill and the rest unanimous or near-unanimous.

Transcript Highlights:

• traditional or alternative, reviews approved educator preparation programs to assess whether and to
• PESB has established two types of reviews of approved teacher and administrator preparation programs:
• data for each approved program.
• PESB-approved teacher preparation programs must develop and submit to PESB a plan describing how the
• This includes review of PESB-approved program standards, educator role standards, evidence submitted

Bills: SB6278

Keywords: teacher preparation, principal preparation, educator preparation, alternative route certification, teacher certification, principal certification, Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, PESB, field placement, student teacher, residency, mentoring, school district partnerships, K-12 education, preK-12, high-need schools, Title I, special education, English language learner, rural schools

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills focused on special education records, AI and surveillance in schools, financial aid access, educator preparation, emergency epinephrine use, and student mobile phone use. Substitute Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online public record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would improve transparency, help parents and districts understand legal precedents, and preserve decisions that are currently retained for only six years; no opposition testified, and the hearing closed after several pro sign-ins. Substitute Senate Bill 5956 would limit school use of automated decision systems, AI, surveillance tools, and facial recognition in student discipline and safety contexts. Supporters argued it would prevent harmful false positives and discriminatory impacts, while opponents warned it could interfere with school safety and emergency uses of facial recognition; the committee heard extensive testimony from students, advocates, and industry representatives, and the hearing closed with a large number of pro and con sign-ins. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which would expand the High School and Beyond Plan platform to import financial aid application data and add the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program to required financial aid information. The sponsor said the bill would simplify access to aid and create a more transparent, “dashboard”-style system, while a student advocate testified in support; there was also concern raised about data privacy for immigrant and DACA students, and the sponsor said participation would be opt-in. Senate Bill 6278 would codify and adjust Professional Educator Standards Board review of teacher and principal preparation programs, including more regular review of program standards, educator role standards, evidence, and P-12 partner input, and would allow field placement plans to be submitted on a less frequent schedule. PESB staff said the bill largely reflects current practice and provides flexibility, and the hearing closed with unanimous pro sign-ins. Substitute Senate Bill 5240 would broaden who may administer epinephrine in schools and under what circumstances, allowing trained staff to use any available epinephrine when a student with a prescription on file has an anaphylactic reaction, with reimbursement required if another student’s medication is used. School nurses and the School Nurse Organization of Washington raised concerns about using one student’s prescription for another, reimbursement logistics, and possible conflicts with nursing law, while supporters emphasized the need for faster response in emergencies. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5346 would direct OSPI to study school mobile-device restrictions and update digital citizenship resources, with reports due in 2026 and 2028 and a revised definition of digital citizenship. Supporters framed it as a student mental health issue and a measured approach to guidance, and student testimony backed clearer phone rules; the committee began public testimony but the transcript ends before any final action on this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• and renames that program Next Ed.
• Is this a program with Excel and Ed? Where does that name change originate?
• I will say in looking at this, Inspired to Teach is not a new program.
• It was an adaptation of an old program, and every different version along the way when that program has
• This is a tremendous program. It is working.

Bills: SB1319, SB1369, SB1378, SB1379, SB1309, SB1330, SB1481, SB1546, SB1122, SB1403

Keywords: SB1319, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma, remediation, environmental emergency, brine contamination, oil contamination, oilfield pollution, residential property, home buyout, property acquisition, fair market value, revolving fund, remediation fund, state plugging funds, well plugging, abandoned well, natural breakout, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• and renames that program Next Ed.
• Looking at this, Inspired to Teach is not a new program.
• It was an adaptation of an old program, and every different version along the way, when that program
• This is a tremendous program. It is working.
• This is a tremendous... ...program. It is working.

Bills: SB1319, SB1369, SB1378, SB1379, SB1309, SB1330, SB1481, SB1546, SB1122, SB1403

Keywords: SB1319, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma, remediation, environmental emergency, brine contamination, oil contamination, oilfield pollution, residential property, home buyout, property acquisition, fair market value, revolving fund, remediation fund, state plugging funds, well plugging, abandoned well, natural breakout, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 1319, which would create a Corporation Commission process to help residential homeowners whose homes are contaminated by brine, oil, or other substances tied to the Commission’s jurisdiction. Members discussed a subcommittee amendment that removed an appropriation because the bill had already been funded elsewhere, and several questions focused on whether the measure was a state-funded bridge for rare cases where no liable party is immediately identifiable. The bill was advanced on a 23-3 vote. The committee then approved several other measures with little or no debate: SB 1369 to create a protected revolving fund for the 988 mental health lifeline; SB 1378 to create an Olympic Fund for Oklahoma City’s 2028 Olympic preparations; SB 1379 to establish a two-year grant pilot for victims of labor and sex trafficking; SB 1309 to increase the Rhodes Fund reserve for debt service; SB 1330 to change compensation for the pardon and parole board director and members to an attendance-based structure; SB 1546 to allow private donations for the Inspired to Teach program and rename it Next Ed; and SB 1403 to update the Quality Jobs Program, including adding certain transportation-related industries and tightening eligibility if a credit is unused for three years. These bills all received due-pass recommendations, with votes ranging from unanimous to 23-2. The committee also considered SB 1481, which adds 20 minutes of daily recess, and members noted that similar bills were moving through the process and that the bill did not clearly address whether the added recess counts as instructional time. It passed 25-0. Finally, SB 1122, a broadband tax-policy cleanup bill, drew questions about its fiscal impact on local governments and counties; the presenter said municipalities would not be affected because they do not levy ad valorem taxes, though the measure could reduce revenue for other taxing entities by about $20 million statewide. That bill passed 23-1. The meeting ended with announcements about upcoming appropriations meetings and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2210 modernizes the youth apprenticeship program by allowing students to start career pathways
• legitimate reason in which a teacher would need to text or contact a student outside of the school-approved

Bills: HB1937, HB2210, HB2398, HB3021, HB3129, HB3312, HB3557, HB4358

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, House Bill 2210 modernizes the youth apprenticeship program by allowing students to start career
• a student outside of... ...teacher would need to text or contact a student outside of the school-approved
• legitimate reason in which a teacher would need to text or contact a student outside of the school-approved

Bills: HB1937, HB2210, HB2398, HB3021, HB3129, HB3312, HB3557, HB4358

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Summary: The Education Oversight committee heard and advanced several House bills, mostly with policy recommendations or amendments accepted and then due-pass votes. HB 4358, by Pro Tem Moore, would limit screen time for pre-K through fifth grade and shift online testing/remediation provisions to shorter, per-class-period limits; it was sent out due pass. HB 2398, by Rep. Hill, would recognize “credentials of value” for students in career tech and higher education based on workforce demand and other indicators, and it also passed due pass. HB 3557, by Rep. Williams, would keep 4-H fundraising money in the county where it was raised and prevent commingling with other funds; the committee agreed to strike the title and send it out due pass. The committee also advanced HB 3129, which would prevent colleges from charging security fees to students or student organizations based on public expression, and HB 3312, which would create K-12 firearms education curriculum developed with OSDE and CLEET, focused on safety, storage, and response, with no live firearms or ammunition. HB 2210 modernizes the youth apprenticeship program by allowing earlier entry into career pathways, expanding eligibility, and assigning CareerTech oversight and ROI reporting; it passed due pass. HB 1937, in a committee substitute, was discussed at length and would require corroborating evidence before school personnel are suspended over alleged improper communications with students, while still requiring action and reporting; it was also sent out due pass. Finally, HB 3021, a lengthy graduation-related cleanup bill, was explained as reconciling conflicting statutes and making several technical changes, including allowing tribal language to count as a non-English language for graduation purposes. After extensive stakeholder work and a late-filed committee substitute, the committee accepted the PCS and sent the bill out due pass. The meeting concluded after all House bills on the agenda were advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, I don't personally know what programs these Commissions might have programs that people are
• These changes would have to do with any sorts of grants or programs.
• Programs from these three entities.
• This is the Healthcare Workers Resources Act and the assistance program and board that went along with
• They were with this program.

Bills: SB1307, SB1425, SB1826, SB1365, SB1696

Keywords: Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Arts Council, J.M. Davis Memorial Commission, historical preservation, arts funding, museum, gun collection, state agency contracts, 501(c)(3), nonprofit corporation, public funds, sectarian, religious funding restriction, appropriations, fiscal oversight, cultural institutions, historical artifacts, SB1425, health care, healthcare workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Wilder, the board is clear. Representative Wilder, the board is clear.
• Do you get input from them when you're formulating the programs for the STEM programs?
• Okay, the board is clear.
• Okay, the board is clear.
• or the state board.

Bills: HB256, HB272, HB350, HB363, HB386, HB434, HB445, HB690

Keywords: mandatory reporting, school employees, child protection, training requirements, Department of Children and Family Services, education, reading program, student eligibility, literacy, school performance, R.E.A.D. program, book distribution, École Pointe-au-Chien, French immersion, public school, Terrebonne Parish, grade levels, independent school, virtual school, extracurricular activities

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> business assistance partnership program business assistance partnership program has<00:03:29.360
• but in other state VR programs.
• but in other state VR programs.
• program, which is the best program out there for mentally ill folks wanting to get to work.
• The meeting was adjourned. programming the rigorous 2-year program programming the rigorous 2-year program

Bills: HF1538, HF1965, HF2251, HF2838

Keywords: teacher apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, teacher licensure, teacher shortage, workforce development, education finance, K-12 education, higher education, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, Tier 3 license, teacher preparation, mentor teacher, school district, cooperative unit, teacher pipeline, alternative licensure, apprenticeship program, labor and industry, union representation

Transcript Highlights:

• What this is put in place so there's not a risk of a program...
• consolidation as it relates to low-producing programs.
• To decide whether or not a program could continue? Yeah.
• can choose to suspend or delete that program.
• , there's a shared program, whatever it may be.

Bills: HB2398, HB4363, HB3557, HB3701, HB2210

Keywords: credential of value, education, workforce development, labor market, government reporting, higher education, Oklahoma State University, Board of Trustees, presidential selection, college governance, Oklahoma Agricultural Extension, local funding, financial institutions, county extension services, state funds, academic programs, low-producing programs, Oklahoma State Board of Regents, program review, curriculum quality

Transcript Highlights:

• She is also currently working as the program coordinator for the Native Pathways Program at Evergreen
• It's a state program.
• My dad was on the board for 18 years. I was on the board for 15 years.
• a private program like AFLAC.
• a private program like AFLAC.

Bills: SB6061, SB6234, SB6170, SB6176, SB6182, SB6335, SB5647, SB6047, HB2367, HB2606, SB6129, SB6228, SB6231, HB2235, HB2272, HB2340, HB2543, HB2554, HB2632, HB2464, HB2619

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, contracting rules, state highway construction, procurement limits, state regulations, infrastructure funding, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law

Summary: The Senate opened with ceremonial items, then moved through gubernatorial appointments and a series of floor votes. It confirmed Acacia E. Ingram to the Evergreen State College Board of Trustees, Ashland J. Tibbet and David S. Frockt to the Western Washington University Board of Trustees, and Christine Rolfes to the Olympic College Board of Trustees. Members spoke in support of the appointees’ public service and ties to higher education. The chamber also heard a personal privilege statement honoring a Colfax basketball coach who died of pancreatic cancer, followed by a caucus break. The Senate then considered several bills, passing measures on derelict vessels (SHB 2199), radiologic technologist supervision (HB 2113), nitrous oxide retail sales (ESHB 2532), ambulance transport fund alignment (HB 2531), EMT recertification (HB 2540), affordable housing on religious property (2SHB 1859), factory-built housing standards (SHB 2151), social housing public development authorities (EHB 1687), the Washington Voting Rights Act and voter suppression claims (ESSHB 1750), privacy and data protection reporting and AI use (HB 2606), military family school stability (ESHB 2534), coal-fired utility treatment (HB 2367), and school access to albuterol (SHB 2360). Most passed on strong bipartisan roll calls, though the voting-rights bill and coal-utility bill drew the most debate and partisan division. Several bills were amended on the floor. The Senate adopted changes to the nitrous oxide bill, the factory-built housing bill, the social housing bill, the albuterol bill, and the 3D-printer/firearm-manufacturing bill (ESHB 2320), while rejecting some proposed amendments on the voting-rights and 3D-printer bills. Debate centered on whether the voting-rights bill set too low a threshold for lawsuits and whether the coal-utility bill gave improper treatment to coal generation; supporters framed both as needed protections or transition measures, while opponents warned about litigation and policy overreach. The chamber also discussed tribal consultation in energy siting (SHB 2496), ultimately passing it after a close vote, and later returned to the 3D-printer bill, which advanced after amendments narrowed exemptions for gunsmiths and dealers and clarified the bill’s focus on digital files used to manufacture firearms.

Transcript Highlights:

• Program Interim Committee.
• To fully implement the program.
• But what we found through those programs...
• Those programs have been very successful, but what we found through those programs is that peer supports
• So the program came to us, the federal government of... So the program came to us.

Bills: SB2401, SB2402, SB2403, SB2404

Keywords: SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then took up second reading and final passage of several House bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program and other matters. House Bill 1621, requiring the presidential fitness test in school physical education with exceptions and a delayed effective date, passed 43-3. House Bill 1623, appropriating federal rural health transformation grant funds and creating a related loan program and reporting structure, passed 46-0 after extensive debate about using the federal money for community health, infrastructure, and sustainability. House Bill 1622, joining the physician assistant licensure compact, also passed unanimously 46-0. House Bill 1625, authorizing the Ray Richards Golf Course land sale to support a Grand Forks transportation project and golf course improvements, passed 46-0. House Bill 1626, clarifying that the primary residence credit is applied after the early payment discount so taxpayers receive the full $1,600 benefit, passed 40-6.

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion is approved.
• And I think that I have great confidence in both the medical board and the pharmacy board in assuring
• They have better management on their board. They've hired a new CEO.
• rather than create a new loan program.
• window for application, and the program ends June 30, 2027.

Bills: SB2401, SB2402, SB2403, SB2404

Keywords: SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. It adopted the procedural employment committee report naming Senate staff for the special session. The chamber then took up several health-care and appropriations measures, first adopting amendments to Senate Bills 2401, 2402, and 2403 before moving them to final passage. Senate Bill 2401 passed 44-2 and requires physicians to complete at least one hour of continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health, part of a broader rural health care package. Senate Bill 2402 passed 46-0 after major amendments negotiated between the medical and pharmacy boards; as amended, it expands pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution in limited areas while excluding categories such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, chemotherapy agents, Schedule II drugs, biological products, and narrow therapeutic index drugs. Supporters said it would improve rural access and help secure rural health transformation funding, while questions focused on how pharmacist competence would be measured and enforced. Senate Bill 2403, also passed 46-0, creates a short-term medical facility emergency operating loan program through the Bank of North Dakota, reduced by amendment from $10 million to $5 million, to help a financially distressed rural hospital. Senators discussed the hospital’s mismanagement, the need for a bridge loan, and safeguards including a limited application window and expiration in 2027. Senate Bill 2404 passed 46-0 and provides supplemental appropriations to the Information Technology Department for ADA-related website accessibility compliance and to the Public Service Commission for additional legal costs in federal energy-rate litigation. The Senate then made announcements about a Highway Patrol safety presentation and filing deadlines, excused an absent member, and adjourned until the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• true and correct listing of senators who are issued certificates of election by the State Canvassing Board
• the Legislative Assembly is convened to act on funding related to the Rural Health Transformation Program
• ensure North Dakota can swiftly accept and appropriate the federal funding to implement this vital program
• Committee members may participate remotely upon approval from the Majority Leader.
• Committee members may participate remotely upon approval from the Majority Leader or the Speaker of the

Bills: SB2401, SB2402, SB2403, SB2404

Keywords: SB 2401, North Dakota, Century Code, occupational therapy, occupational therapy board, criminal history record check, background check, licensee investigation, physician continuing education, medical license renewal, nutrition education, metabolic health, chronic disease prevention, health occupation boards, medical board, licensure fee, audit response, disciplinary action, Title 43, board of medicine

Summary: The Senate convened in special session with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and roll call establishing a quorum of 45 members present and two absent. The chamber received certification from the Secretary of State and the governor’s executive order calling the special session to address funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program and to act quickly to accept and appropriate federal funds. The main action was adoption of the procedural rules for the extraordinary session. Senator Klein explained the proposed rule changes, which were designed to speed up consideration of bills during the short session, including limits on bill introduction, same-day second reading and final passage, elimination of standing committees for the session, creation of a Joint Policy Committee and Joint Appropriations Committee, and authorization for remote testimony and limited remote participation. The procedural committee’s report on these rules was adopted without opposition. The Senate also adopted reports naming members to the Joint Policy Committee and Joint Appropriations Committee. Announcements noted that the Senate Employment Committee, Joint Policy Committee, and Joint Appropriations Committee would meet later that morning, that the Senate would not reconvene at 4 p.m., and that a Highway Patrol presentation on legislator safety would be held. The Senate then moved through the listed orders of business and recessed, planning to meet in joint session with the House before adjourning until Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• What this bill does, it's an existing program that we have with the Alabama Student Grant Program administered
• They're an approved institution. They are approved... ...approved institution.
• They are an approved institution.
• .. participation in the program from 40% to 20%.
• This is a voluntary program; nobody has to do it.

Bills: HB46, HB379, SB22, HB487, HB273, HB525

Keywords: rural physician, tax credit, healthcare access, physician recruitment, Alabama, HB379, Alabama income tax, nonresident exemption, remote workers, traveling employees, mobile workforce, withholding tax, state tax reciprocity, multistate employees, temporary work, work location tracking, time and attendance system, remote work taxation, professional athlete, professional entertainer