Bills: HB105, HB296, HB15, HB264, HB34, HB304, HB146, HB26, HB15, HB34, HB26

Keywords: law enforcement, retirement benefits, Alabama Peace Officers, agency-issued badge, agency-issued pistol, resisting arrest, custody, public safety, Alabama law, traffic infractions, traffic ticket, disposition, criminal contempt, vessel registration, boating fees, state funds, regulatory changes, water safety, compliance, false information

Transcript Highlights:

• I served as head of ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota from 2011 until recently.
• There are articles in the journal titled *Ophthalmology* that are peer-reviewed and published by *Ophthalmology
• The ophthalmology workforce is insufficient to meet current service demands.
• The ophthalmology workforce is insufficient to meet current service demands.
• I think we have prepared, fortunately, Minnesota sort of ophthalmology for an adequate workforce.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we've had a lot of discussions about optometry and ophthalmology over the past couple of years in
• Um, we've had a lot of discussions about optometry and ophthalmology over the past couple of years in
• Um, we've had a lot of discussions about optometry and ophthalmology over the past couple of years in
• Um, we've had a lot of discussions about optometry and ophthalmology over the past couple of years in
• Uh, scope of practice with optometry and ophthalmology is just one of the many areas of scope that we

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• During this time, ophthalmology has often claimed that expanding optometry's scope would lead to blindness
• last session. with the Academy of Ophthalmology last session.
• Even near an ophthalmology clinic, timely care isn't a guarantee due to limited office hours or lack
• Meanwhile, ophthalmology has confirmed a severe and growing eye care shortage projected to worsen by
• I can tell you that a 2020 study from the University of Wisconsin revealed that ophthalmology...

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Sugi Piner Selvim, and I represent the Florida Society of Ophthalmology.
• I'm in my third year of ophthalmology residency at Bascom Palmer as well.
• I'm now a professor of ophthalmology.
• I'm now a professor of ophthalmology.
• We all work with our ophthalmology friends. We all have ophthalmology friends.

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum present and took up five health-related bills. HB 1089, which would add Duchenne muscular dystrophy to Florida’s newborn screening panel, was presented as a way to enable earlier diagnosis and treatment; a pediatric neurologist from Nemours testified in support, noting existing FDA-approved therapies and ongoing clinical trials. After supportive debate, the bill passed 17-0 and was reported favorably. HB 1083 would standardize patient access to medical records by setting deadlines for providers to produce or allow inspection of records and requiring electronic delivery when available. Supporters said it would reduce delays in care and costs, while two industry groups appeared in opposition. Members from both parties spoke in favor, and the bill passed 17-0 and was reported favorably. HB 1297, which aligns Florida’s electronic prescribing rules more closely with federal law and removes some state exceptions, drew opposition from physicians who argued paper prescriptions are still needed for emergencies, shortages, and price shopping. The sponsor said the bill’s goals were patient safety, fraud prevention, and efficiency; despite concerns, it passed 18-0 and was reported favorably. The committee then considered PCS for HB 1421, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which would create a statewide blood clot and pulmonary embolism registry, require hospital reporting and risk-assessment policies, and expand training requirements in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. The bill was presented with emotional testimony from Emily Adkins’ parents, who urged support and co-sponsorship in her memory. Members from both parties praised the family’s advocacy, and the PCS passed 18-0 and was reported favorably. Finally, HB 449 on optometry would expand optometrists’ authority to prescribe certain medications and perform specified laser and non-laser eye procedures after certification. The bill and amendment drew strong opposition from ophthalmologists and their association, who raised patient-safety, training, and delegation concerns, while optometrists argued the bill would improve access, especially in rural areas and counties without ophthalmologists. The amendment was adopted, and the bill as amended passed on a recorded vote and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we've had a lot of discussions about optometry and ophthalmology over the past couple of years in
• Uh, scope of practice with optometry and ophthalmology is just one of the many areas of scope that we
• optometry<00:11:36.640> and practice with optometry and practice with optometry and ophthalmology
• :37.839> one<00:11:38.000> of<00:11:38.160> the<00:11:38.320> many ophthalmology
• is just one of the many ophthalmology is just one of the many areas<00:11:38.959> of<00:11:39.279

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, my name is Rebecca Lane here, and I'm the president of the New Mexico Academy of Ophthalmology.
• So New Mexico has a proven physician-led solution that's ACGME-accredited in an ophthalmology program
• I also teach these procedures to our ophthalmology residents, our future ophthalmologists.
• I also teach these procedures to our ophthalmology residents, our future ophthalmologists.
• of Ophthalmology, our own oversight agency, the New Mexico Medical Board.

Bills: HB99, HJR5, HM39, HB206, HB213, SB41, SB153, SB165, SB261, SB264

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, and even today, it was said that there are ophthalmological deserts.
• Last year, and even today, it was said that there are ophthalmological deserts.
• Last year, and even today, it was said that there are ophthalmological deserts.
• The opposition, our colleagues in ophthalmology, want you to believe otherwise.
• This is a tiny little sliver of ophthalmology.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 144 and House Bill 145, both related to professional licensing for dietitians and dental hygienists. HB 144 was described as a technical fix to align statute with existing Board of Dental Examiners rules allowing dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide and local anesthesia, with supporters saying the bill would add needed training and examination requirements to statute. A dentist and dental society representative testified that the practice is already being done safely within scope, and committee members discussed whether nitrous oxide is still used and whether the bill was mainly to keep the paperwork and law consistent. The committee moved HB 144 forward on a 12-0 vote and placed it on consent. HB 145 would join New Hampshire to a dietitian licensure compact and add a criminal history check for initial licensure to match compact language. The sponsor and board witnesses said the compact would improve portability, support telehealth, help military families and spouses, and maintain public safety by ensuring qualified practitioners and information-sharing among member states. Committee members asked about withdrawal from the compact, the difference between single-state and compact licensure, and why a background check was included; the witness said the compact is not yet active, with four states enacted and seven needed, and that the background check is required by the compact language. Additional testimony from a private-practice dietitian supported the bill, citing continuity of care, rural access, and workforce mobility, while some members raised concerns about telehealth across state lines and the practical effect of the background check.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a current ophthalmology resident at UNM Hospital in Albuquerque.
• I'm a current resident at the University of New Mexico in ophthalmology.
• I'm the president of the New Mexico Academy of Ophthalmology.
• I'm about to start ophthalmology residents.
• There might be an EHR specifically for pediatrics, behavioral health, or ophthalmology.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But, second, the ophthalmologic community has been doing something about those deserts.
• A new ophthalmological facility has opened in Berlin at the hospital. I think most of us know that.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had a lot of discussions about optometry and ophthalmology over the past couple of years in this
• The committee's scope of practice with optometry and ophthalmology is just one of the many areas we need
• provide pre- and post-operative cataract removal care and LASIK care, all closely in harmony with ophthalmology

Transcript Highlights:

• During this time, ophthalmology has often claimed that expanding optometry scope would lead to blindness
• Yet, despite our years of negotiations and willingness to compromise, ophthalmology has responded by
• Even near an ophthalmology clinic, timely care isn't a guarantee due to limited office hours or lack
• Meanwhile, ophthalmology, the journal of ophthalmologists themselves, confirms a severe and growing eye
• University of Washington revealed that ophthalmology training using simulated eyes was very effective

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• this bill, and she said to me that if this bill passes, it would severely affect the practice of ophthalmology
• So I think the bill does affect ophthalmology and optometry, at least the ophthalmology.
• It does affect ophthalmology and optometry.
• But my question is simply: the current practice of ophthalmology and optometry in this state allows an

Summary: The Health Policy Committee heard and advanced several health-related bills. SB 1546 on background screening for athletic coaches was explained as another extension of the deadline for coaches to be added to the background screening clearinghouse; it passed favorably with support from athletic and youth sports organizations. SB 958 on type 1 diabetes early detection was amended to match the House version, requiring the Department of Health to provide school districts, school boards, and charter schools with informational materials for parents; it was reported favorably as a committee substitute. CS/SB 1070 on electrocardiograms for student athletes drew extensive discussion about sudden cardiac arrest prevention, implementation timelines, costs, funding through private and public sources, and whether insurance, KidCare, or Medicaid should cover screenings; after supportive testimony from school and athletic groups, it was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also heard SB 1060, which would create a joint legislative oversight committee for Medicaid managed care to review encounter data, financials, audits, and rebate calculations with assistance from an actuary and the Auditor General. The sponsor and several senators framed it as a transparency and verification measure in response to large mid-year Medicaid funding increases and concerns about network adequacy and vertical integration; it passed favorably. CS/SB 944, which shortens the insurer overpayment recovery look-back period for claims involving psychologists from 30 months to 12 months, also passed favorably with support from the Florida Psychological Association. SB 1370, moving ambulatory surgical centers into their own statute rather than under hospital licensure provisions, was supported by surgery center representatives and reported favorably. The committee approved SB 768, as amended, to narrow the foreign-country-of-concern licensure attestation for health care entities to direct controlling interests and clarify the “reasonable efforts” standard; it passed after questions about how the standard would work in practice. SB 1544 on opticianry prompted significant debate over whether the bill would limit nonlicensed staff in ophthalmology and optometry settings; after a proposed amendment was withdrawn and multiple witnesses spoke both for and against, the bill was temporarily postponed. Finally, the committee adopted a strike-all amendment to SB 1808 requiring health care practitioners and facilities to refund patient overpayments within 30 days, with enforcement through AHCA fines or professional discipline, and then reported the bill favorably.

Bills: HB198, HB325, HB488, HB719, HB749, HB755, HB797, HB823, HB1028, HB1194, HB1222

Keywords: Medicaid, reimbursement, ambulatory surgical centers, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, healthcare funding, Louisiana Department of Health, surgical procedures, TOPS-Tech, scholarship, education, eligibility, college credit, dual enrollment, state funding, HB 488, Belle Chasse Bridge, Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund, Plaquemines Parish

Transcript Highlights:

• Society, a comprehensive ophthalmologist, ophthalmology resident and future Vermont ophthalmologist,
• [sighs] $128,171.90 is how much doctors of ophthalmology have spent trying to kill this bill.
• [sighs] $128,171.90 is how much doctors of ophthalmology have spent trying to kill this bill.
• Yet, our ophthalmology workforce is not growing with the need.
• Yet, our ophthalmology workforce is not growing with the need.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House began with several announcements and recognitions, including a lengthy tribute to Representative Carolyn Brangan of Georgia on her retirement and years of service, followed by remarks from Brangan explaining that she is leaving to care for her husband during cancer treatment. Additional members offered brief reflections, including one on the end of the session and another welcoming students from Founders Memorial School to the gallery, and a member from Brattleboro highlighted a collaborative mural in the card room titled “These Green Hills, Vermont State Symbols and Personal Reflections.” The body then took up its calendar. It adopted Joint House Resolution 12, authorizing limited remote voting in joint committees through the remainder of the calendar year, with an ADA-related accommodation for members physically present but unable to access a meeting room. The House also suspended rules to take up and concur in the Senate amendment to House Bill 935 on emergency management. The committee report described grant programs for emergency response and technical rescue, new definitions and shelter-planning language centered on “whole community,” a wildland fire response task force, and an emergency rulemaking provision requested by the Agency of Natural Resources; the committee approved the Senate proposal on an 8-3 straw poll, and the House concurred. The House next adopted the conference committee report on House Bill 952, the capital construction and state bonding budget adjustment bill. The report explained changes made in conference, including shifting funds to cover a higher-than-expected bid for the St. Johnsbury facility, restoring some funding for maintenance at the women’s correctional facility in Chittenden County, and setting aside $750,000 toward planning for Wi-Fi installation in correctional facilities. It also noted a lease-related language change for a Vermont Huts project at Little River State Park, with notification to the institutions committee chairs. The House then took up Senate Bill 64 on optometrists’ scope of practice; the committee presentation supported allowing specially credentialed optometrists to perform certain minor surgical, laser, and injection procedures, citing improved access, safety, cost, and workforce development, and the bill was read for second reading with committee recommendations for concurrence.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have seen there are a few ophthalmology PAs in the state, which is relatively new.
• I'm really interested in the ophthalmology PAs. >> Are there specific procedures for the ophthalmology
• Jack Parker and his PA, Emma, speak to my students next week about ophthalmology, so I can certainly
• Then, if I want to do additional things, if I want to do ophthalmology, if I want to do dermatology biopsies

Bills: HB31, HB31

Keywords: absentee voting, disabled, blind, voter assistance, voting rights, SNAP, public assistance, nutritional standards, waiver, food regulation, 1136, house, all

Bills: SB227, SB269, SB407, SB463, SB527, SB547, SB1283, SB1380, SB1383, SB1511, SB1640, SB1784, SB2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Bills: SB227, SB269, SB407, SB463, SB527, SB547, SB1283, SB1380, SB1383, SB1511, SB1640, SB1784, SB2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Bills: SB 227, SB 269, SB 407, SB 463, SB 527, SB 547, SB 1283, SB 1380, SB 1383, SB 1511, SB 1640, SB 1784, SB 2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Bills: SB227, SB269, SB407, SB463, SB527, SB547, SB1283, SB1380, SB1383, SB1511, SB1640, SB1784, SB2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met with several members initially absent, then later established a quorum. The committee heard multiple bills, with most testimony focusing on access to care, insurance practices, senior safety, and health care worker protections. Several bills were laid out with committee substitutes, and public testimony was limited to two minutes per witness. Most bills were left pending after testimony, with no final votes taken in the portion provided. Senate Bill 2069 would create a work group to study the feasibility of a statewide acute psychiatric bed registry; the substitute shifts appointment authority to the Health and Human Services Commissioner and extends reporting and sunset dates. Senate Bill 463 would expand workplace violence protections to additional hospice, home and community support, intermediate care, and state-supported living center settings. Senate Bill 1283 would require background checks and transparency measures for senior retirement communities after testimony about the Dallas-area serial killings of elderly residents. Senate Bill 1784 would require 60 days’ written notice before medical debt is sent to collections. Senate Bill 527 would require medical insurance coverage for general anesthesia for medically necessary pediatric dental procedures for children under 13 with qualifying conditions; pediatric dentists testified that denials delay needed care. A major portion of the meeting centered on prior authorization. Senate Bill 1380 would eliminate prior authorization for a broad list of services, including emergency, primary, mental health, substance use, chemotherapy, preventive, pediatric hospice, and certain chronic-condition care. Physicians and hospice advocates supported the bill, describing delays, administrative burden, and patient harm, while health plans opposed blanket exemptions and argued prior authorization helps prevent unnecessary care and control costs. Relatedly, Senate Bill 547 would require insurers to report gold-card prior authorization exemptions to TDI and create a centralized database and annual report; TMA supported better tracking, while health plans warned of duplicative reporting and administrative cost. Senate Bill 407 would require health care facilities to honor conscience- and religion-based vaccine exemptions for employees, with testimony from a physician and vaccine-choice advocate supporting the bill. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1383, which would regulate senior living referral agencies, allow more flexible compensation structures, and add disclosure and consumer protections; an out-of-state referral company and A Place for Mom supported it. Senate Bill 1511 would allow freestanding emergency centers to provide outpatient services in addition to emergency care, with consumer protections such as estimates, limits on facility fees, and restrictions on balance billing. The chair repeatedly announced that bills were being left pending after testimony, and no final committee action or recorded votes were taken in the transcript provided.