Transcript Highlights:

• Nutrition education.
• a metabolic expert, that that be a metabolic and nutrition expert with an advanced degree in nutrition
• Currently, there are minimal nutritional standards for meals provided.
• talk about nutrition all day long.
• We have 5 hours of CME just dedicated to nutrition.

Bills: SB 25, SB 314

Keywords: nutrition, health standards, food labeling, education, dietary guidelines, medical education, food safety, school meals, child nutrition, food additives, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• First, it's the nutrition.
• Fourth, requiring nutrition training for physicians.
• As were just mentioned, they serve no nutritional purpose.
• And part of SB25 is the nutrition committee that will be...
• This sets a standard, and I think Texas can lead here.

Bills: SB 25, SB25, SB314

Keywords: attorney ad litem, indigent parents, parent-child relationship, legal representation, Texas Family Code, court procedures, nutrition, health standards, food labeling, education, dietary guidelines, medical education, food safety, school meals, child nutrition, food additives, public health, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nutrition education: poor nutrition drives chronic disease, yet most doctors receive little training
• I urge you to consider requiring enhanced nutritional standards for home-delivered meals for senior populations
• Currently, there are minimal nutritional standards for meals provided. ...to those with chronic diseases
• I have a little bias because I deal in nutrition every day at Adolescent Medicine, so I talk about nutrition
• When it comes to food standards, we're falling behind.

Bills: SB 25, SB25, SB314

Keywords: attorney ad litem, indigent parents, parent-child relationship, legal representation, Texas Family Code, court procedures, nutrition, health standards, food labeling, education, dietary guidelines, medical education, food safety, school meals, child nutrition, food additives, public health, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• School food services directors work tirelessly to meet nutrition standards, stay within tight budgets
• Over the years, we've seen many changes in the nutrition standards across many different venues.
• Under current school meal nutrition standards, schools must offer a variety, at least two, options of
• USDA to develop school meal nutrition standards that are consistent with the goals of the dietary guidelines
• Our nutrition standards should not be what... they were in 2010.

Bills: SB222

Keywords: whole milk, school lunch, school meals, National School Lunch Program, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Child Nutrition Act, USDA, nutrition standards, dairy, nonfat milk, low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, nondairy beverages, plant-based milk, milk substitution, parental consent, legal guardian, food allergies, allergic reaction

Summary: This meeting of the committee focused primarily on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, S222, which aims to permit schools to offer a fuller range of milk options, including whole, reduced, and low-fat varieties, that have garnered bipartisan support. Chairman Bozeman opened the session by highlighting concerns over children's nutrition and the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the significance of nutritious school meals in addressing these issues. Experts from various organizations were invited to discuss the implications of this bill as well as the current challenges facing school meal programs, including budget constraints and food supply issues. The meeting included passionate testimonies about the direct impacts of current dietary guidelines and federal funding reductions affecting schools' abilities to provide healthy meal options.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there are several other provisions in this bill that would move us away from that standard practice
• for growth, but there are several other provisions in this bill that would move us away from that standard

Bills: HB2107, HB2588, HB2946, HB2950

Keywords: SNAP, nutrition assistance, fast food, vitamins, waiver, food policy, municipal planning, homeowner association, building permits, single-family home, property rights, design standards, development fees, municipalities, infrastructure, public services, annual reporting, property development, tourism improvement area, TIA

Transcript Highlights:

• It can lead to cancer, growth issues in children, nutritional deficiencies, joint problems, reproductive
• We are held to rigorous standards, education, accountability, and patient safety.
• It does not assume that screening should immediately become part of standard practice.
• It does not assume that screening should immediately become part of standard practice.
• Children receive celiac screenings at two points during childhood as a standard part of pediatric care

Bills: H5013, H5087, H5115, S2928

Keywords: celiac disease, gluten intolerance, autoimmune disorder, pediatric screening, child health, public health, screening pilot, early detection, 12-year-olds, cholesterol screening, lipid screening, health care providers, Department of Public Health, patient advocacy, family support, Massachusetts, preventive care, diagnostic screening, nutrition, gastroenterology

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on two celiac disease screening bills, H. 5013 and S. 2928, which would create a three-year pilot program to add celiac screening to routine cholesterol/lipid testing for children around ages 8 to 12. Supporters included the bill sponsors, patients and family members, clinicians, researchers, and advocates, who described long delays in diagnosis, the wide range of symptoms, the risk of long-term complications, and the value of early detection. Several witnesses said the pilot would help determine feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability, and would pair screening with educational and support resources for families. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on H. 5087, a bill regulating the operation of medical spas. Witnesses from the aesthetic medicine field, including a lobbyist, a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, and a plastic surgeon, generally opposed the bill as written. They argued it was outdated, redundant with existing Massachusetts licensing and board oversight, and too restrictive of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other licensed providers. They said the bill could reduce access, increase costs, and push care into less regulated settings, while also noting they support patient safety and would be willing to work on revised regulation. Committee members asked questions about how celiac screening would work in practice and about the medical spa bill’s relationship to current law. On the celiac proposal, witnesses explained that screening could begin with a simple blood test, with further testing if needed, and that the pilot would assess implementation in real-world pediatric care. On H. 5087, the chair noted the committee would review the testimony and written submissions carefully, and witnesses were encouraged to provide follow-up materials identifying specific redundancies or concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not sure if that's something that's standardized across the state, but happy to work with you to
• , and they set those standards for what is considered a healthy meal.
• So when I talk to districts, nutrition departments, they say, we don't know.
• These additives offer no nutritional value.
• We have been unable to track a standard. four-year graduation rate.

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Standards for Texas public schools.
• So I mean this is these are our standards that we're asking teachers to cover just like we're asking

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• children under 18 relied on this program. the state's children under 18 were food insecure, and nutrition
• of four of those food insecure children... four of those food insecure children were eligible for nutrition

Bills: SB245, SB246, HB30, HB30

Keywords: SB245, public assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, food assistance, Alabama Medicaid Agency, Department of Human Resources, eligibility verification, self-attestation, data matching, fraud prevention, improper payments, program integrity, benefit eligibility, income verification, residency verification, asset verification, electronic benefit transfer, EBT, cross-checks

Transcript Highlights:

• In the standard of care, is there any mismatch on that with this bill?
• But for new construction after the posting, you would have to follow the new standards.
• And it would allow for the ability for you to be able to convert to the new standards.
• The reason is because right now there is no standard in Louisiana.
• We have a standardized fee schedule.

Bills: HB946, HB1093, SB26, SB29, SB30, SB195, SB219, SB222, SB255, SB314, SCR2, SCR22

Keywords: healthcare transparency, hospital pricing, consumer protection, collection actions, fines, naturopathic medicine, Louisiana Board of Naturopathic Medicine, licensing, healthcare, prescriptive authority, natural therapies, opioid treatment, regulation, addiction recovery, state law, SB 29, Act 732, coroner, autopsy, child death

Bills: HB527, HB563, HB580, HB579, SB190, HB15, HB390, HB527, HB563, HB580, HB579, SB190, HB15, HB390

Keywords: liability, off-roading, parks, participant safety, risk management, SNAP, food assistance, public assistance, income standards, Department of Human Resources, eligibility, HB580, Alabama Healthy Schools Act, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school meals, cafeteria, vending machines, fundraising sales

Transcript Highlights:

• provide Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the flexibility to establish different procurement standards
• HB 3088 grants TPWD targeted authority to establish procurement standards and procedures for items bought
• Specifically by them for resale, it does so explicitly exempting their standards and procedures from

Bills: HCR6

Keywords: Meals on Wheels, senior services, nutrition, community support, volunteerism

Bills: HF2436, HF2929

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, HF2929, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food assistance, nutrition assistance, public benefits, eligibility determination, income eligibility, federal poverty guidelines, poverty level, county agency, Tribal agency, human services, children and families, benefits administration

Bills: HB25, HB38, HB997, HB 1119, HB25, HB38

Keywords: HB 25, Texas nutrition, nutrition education, healthy living, public health, school physical activity, recess, physical education, nutrition and wellness course, health curriculum, State Board of Education, Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, ultra-processed foods, artificial colors, food additives, chronic disease, metabolic health, culinary medicine, functional medicine, dietary guidelines

Bills: HB25, HB38, HB997, HB 1119, HB25, HB38

Keywords: HB 25, Texas nutrition, nutrition education, healthy living, public health, school physical activity, recess, physical education, nutrition and wellness course, health curriculum, State Board of Education, Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, ultra-processed foods, artificial colors, food additives, chronic disease, metabolic health, culinary medicine, functional medicine, dietary guidelines

Bills: HF2078, HF777, HF841, HF1112, HF1098, HF1926

Keywords: child care, day care, child care center, licensing, license requirements, parent access, guardian access, custody order, court order, furnishings, equipment standards, learning materials, early childhood education, infant care, toddler care, preschool, school-age child care, play materials, sensory materials, gross motor equipment

Bills: HF2436, HF2929

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, HF2929, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food assistance, nutrition assistance, public benefits, eligibility determination, income eligibility, federal poverty guidelines, poverty level, county agency, Tribal agency, human services, children and families, benefits administration

Transcript Highlights:

• bills received by the committee: S-2927 and H. 5012, An Act Relative to Students Accessing Food and Nutritional
• It was published in the journal Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
• More than two-thirds of districts published nutrition or allergen information online, usually through
• documentation, including ingredient lists, standardized recipes, and product labels.
• Children rely on their school meals for a significant portion of their nutrition.

Bills: H5012, S2927

Keywords: student nutrition, food allergies, celiac disease, gluten-free meals, allergen-free meals, medically restricted diets, school meals, college dining, K-12 education, higher education, disability access, accessibility services, food service, nutrition information, website disclosure, school website, meal accommodations, special diets, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held a hearing on two late-filed bills, H. 5012 and S. 2927, titled An Act Relative to Students Accessing Food and Nutritional Information, sometimes referred to by witnesses as the “Snack Act.” The bills would require schools to make clearer, centralized online information available about gluten-free and allergen-free meals, including menus, food safety protocols, ingredient information, and contact information, so students with celiac disease and other medically necessary dietary restrictions can safely participate in universal school meal programs. Representative Michelle Badger and Senator Joan Lovely both testified in support, describing the legislation as an equity measure that would help families trust school meals and reduce barriers to participation. A series of witnesses, including pediatric and adult gastroenterologists, a Harvard Medical School faculty member, a Celiac Disease Foundation representative, parents, and several children and college students with celiac disease, said that celiac disease requires a strict lifelong gluten-free diet and that lack of clear communication often leads families to avoid school meals. They emphasized risks from cross-contamination, the stress and social exclusion children experience, and the fact that many schools already have the underlying information but do not present it in an accessible way. Committee members responded positively, praising the young witnesses and noting that the bill could benefit students beyond the celiac community by improving transparency for all medically restricted diets. One member suggested the Department of Public Health might also address the issue through regulations, similar to a prior restaurant allergy protocol effort. No votes were taken at the hearing, and the chair closed the hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in addition to this would be an option, so in addition to the standard application, we could also
• However, it does not clearly distinguish between standard driver licenses and limited term licenses issued
• and its Senate companion Senate Bill 511 by the good and honorable Senator Betancourt set a clear standard
• What standard is he going to use? And what is the remedy going to be?

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't focus on just the nutrition of the body, but the nutrition of the mind too.
• The nutrition that we have around the farm is all the different types of plants, the fruit-bearing and
• workshops, butter-making workshops, and moringa team-working workshops, where we focus on that body nutrition
• So if they're pre-diabetic, hypertension, etc., and addressing it through nutrition.
• Definitely the community bread project, where we... ...and addressing it through nutrition.

Bills: S0534, S7020

Keywords: food insecurity, hunger, college students, nutrition assistance, pilot program, open government, sunset review, aquaculture, public records, exemption

Summary: The committee met, called the roll, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. It first considered the appointment of Melanie Ressler to the Florida Citrus Commission. No appearance forms were requested, and the committee voted unanimously to recommend her confirmation favorably. The committee then took up SPB 7020, which reenacts a public records exemption for certain aquaculture production records held by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Senator Trunow explained that the exemption protects shellfish and submerged land lease records, supports compliance with federal partners and statutory requirements, and helps protect marketplace competition. A representative from the Department appeared in support, and the bill was moved as a committee bill and reported favorably. Next, the committee heard SB 534, Senator Bernard’s hunger-free campus pilot program bill. He described a pilot within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to identify campuses with high numbers of Pell-eligible students, develop a survey with the Hunger Task Force, designate staff to help students enroll in SNAP, expand campus food access, and require reporting on outcomes and future funding. The bill had one appearance form in support and was reported favorably without debate. The committee also received a presentation from the St. Pete Youth Farm, led by Carla Bristol and youth ambassadors. They described the farm as a youth-led community project on city-owned land that addresses food insecurity while providing leadership, financial literacy, career readiness, mental wellness programming, composting, aquaponics, and community events. Senators praised the program, asked about possible expansion into a culinary kitchen and partnerships with schools, and the presenters said they hope to expand youth opportunities, food preparation training, and related programming. The meeting concluded with adjournment.