Video & Transcript Research : 'preterm birth'
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AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Children and Youth Health Committee Feb 6th, 2025
Children and Youth Health
Bills:
SB94
Keywords:
adoption, adoptive parent, adoptee, minor adoption, adult adoption, Alabama Minor Adoption Code, Alabama Adult Adoption Code, Department of Human Resources, DHR, county department of human resources, putative father registry, paternity, consent, relinquishment, implied consent, notice of adoption, contested adoption, home study, pre-placement investigation, post-placement investigation
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services Feb 4th, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- procedures to postpartum education that is already currently being provided to new parents by hospitals, birthing
- centers, and at-home birth providers.
- The bill also requires hospitals and birthing centers to maintain proof of compliance and make such records
- Hospitals, birthing centers, and at-home providers are already required to provide postpartum education
Keywords:
pediatric care, emergency departments, hospital regulations, patient safety, health care standards, veterans, dental care, healthcare, grant program, income assistance, human trafficking, nurse licensure, registered nurse, RN, licensed practical nurse, LPN, Florida Board of Nursing, Department of Health, licensure by examination, nursing education
Summary:
The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment first on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the iBudget waiver. Testimony on the HIV program warned that proposed Department of Health changes could disrupt care for thousands of clients, create confusion, and force people off life-saving medications; a senator suggested affected clients explore medically needy and FQHC/340B options. Testimony on iBudget urged support for a roughly 7% rate adjustment for direct support professionals, citing rising costs and the need to sustain the developmental disabilities workforce.
The committee then considered several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7 and was reported favorably. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligning reporting dates with the House was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1718 lengthened the time an adult may stay in an out-of-home placement before being treated as a visitor, reduced background screening burdens for foster families, made the Step Into Success program permanent, and created a best-practices program; it was also reported favorably.
The committee next approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials and requires related compliance records, and SB 96, which expands the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level; an amendment removed the bill’s specific $500,000 appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing education to include a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure, and SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain area-of-critical-need health care providers if federal designations change, both of which were reported favorably. The committee adjourned after all bills passed their roll calls.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- and safe bathing practices to postpartum education currently provided to new parents by hospitals, birthing
- centers, and home birth providers.
- This amendment simply removes home birth providers from needing to maintain proof of compliance for ACA
- While ACA is the regulatory agency for hospitals and birthing centers, they are not charged with regulating
- entities or persons providing unregulated services during a home birth.
Keywords:
drowning prevention, water safety, swimming lessons, swim vouchers, child drowning, infant safety, toddler safety, pool safety, bath safety, safe bathing practices, postpartum education, newborn care, childbirth education, birth centers, home birth providers, Department of Health, public health, water competency, swim instruction, infant supervision
Summary:
The Senate Health Policy Committee met with a quorum and took up several health-related bills, with a strong focus on drowning prevention and patient safety. SB 428 by Senator Yarborough would expand Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7. Supporters, including a pediatric emergency physician and YMCA leadership, cited Florida’s high child drowning rates and argued that swim lessons reduce risk and should be available to more children. Senator Harrell noted the need to consider increasing the program’s funding as eligibility expands. The bill was reported favorably.
The committee also heard SB 606 by Senator Smith, which adds drowning prevention and safe bathing education to postpartum materials provided by hospitals, birthing centers, and, after amendment, no longer home birth providers. A parent who lost a child to drowning testified in support, and senators emphasized the preventability of such deaths. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 340 by Senator Harrell would require nursing students to complete a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure; after a strike-all amendment shifted the requirement from nursing programs to the students themselves, the bill received support from advocates and was reported favorably as a committee substitute.
The committee also considered SB 162 by Senator Davis, which would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies for using smoke evacuation systems during procedures that generate surgical smoke. The sponsor said the equipment is relatively inexpensive and already common in many facilities, while opponents and some senators questioned the medical evidence, enforcement, and possible impacts on rural and smaller facilities. Despite those concerns, the bill was reported favorably, with some members voting no. SB 192, presented by Senator Trumbull on behalf of Senator Martin, would remove the $1,500 cap on advances chiropractic physicians may collect for examinations or treatment; the Florida Chiropractic Society supported the change as pro-small-business, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also received an OPAGA presentation comparing Florida’s health care practitioner regulation system with other states, focusing on board autonomy, rulemaking oversight, board composition, appointments, term limits, and funding mechanisms.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- So a passport or a birth certificate.
- A birth certificate? And that, so that's it, right? Birth certificate, yes. Okay.
- If it's a valid birth certificate?
- So this bill doesn't care if the birth certificate is real or not, as long as I present a birth certificate
- Does the date of birth on the voter registration application match the date of birth on the voter registration
Keywords:
HB 2442, Texas Election Code, Election Code Section 84.001, early voting, ballot by mail, mail ballot, absentee voting, runoff election, primary runoff, general runoff, voter application, election administration, county election officials, opt-out, voter choice, mail voting, ballot application, voting by mail, Election Code, size requirements
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- We know that God created us as man or woman and that our sex is fixed and determined at birth.
- DSD when they are born, if their sex cannot be determined at birth.
- Well, at birth, they're just little bitty babies.
- As one of the gentlemen said, you know, signed "female at birth." ...said, you know, signed "female at
- birth" but is now a bearded man.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Members, House Bill 4882 would require a birthing facility. to perform a congenital cytomegalovirus test
- like in a doctor's office or at a hospital, collects your, you know, your name. name, your date of birth
Bills:
HB 3772, HB 1656, HB 4504, HB 1896, HB 4420, HB 4421, HB 4076, HB 3708, HB 2806, HB 3540, HB 1586, HB 5459, HB 4553, HB 4535, HB 3811, HB 3749, HB 4255, HB 4051, HB 5098, HB 3554, HB 4539, HB 5274
Keywords:
e-cigarettes, health and safety, regulations, directory, penalties, regulation, certification, compliance, manufacturers, FDA, nicotine, mental health, emergency detention, paramedic authority, mental illness, healthcare facility, public health, covenants not to compete, health care practitioners, physicians
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- Black birthing people are more likely to experience preterm birth, severe maternal morbidity, and even
- Preterm births are even higher among Black and Hispanic families, reflecting broader disparities in maternal
- With midwifery care, we can have a lower risk of needing a C-section, of having a preterm birth or a
- birth rates, and wide and growing birth disparities. rising C-section and preterm birth rates and wide
- They lower cesarean rates, they prevent preterm births, they protect mental health, they save lives,
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a lengthy public hearing with testimony on a wide range of health insurance and access-to-care bills. Early testimony focused on prescription drug pricing and pharmacy reimbursement, with supporters of H. 1326 arguing that pharmacy benefit managers and MassHealth managed care arrangements reimburse independent pharmacies too little, contributing to pharmacy closures and “pharmacy deserts.” The committee also heard repeated support for H. 1151/S. 742 on cognitive rehabilitation for acquired brain injury, H. 1288/S. 716 on telehealth parity for nutrition counseling, H. 1309/S. 761 on full-spectrum pregnancy care without cost-sharing, H. 1312 on insurance coverage for doula services, H. 309 on prompt access to health care by removing deductibles for certain services, H. 809/H. 1227 on biomarker testing, H. 1162/S. 810 on reducing inequities in access to medical procedures by limiting insurer cuts tied to Modifier 25, and S. 726 on insurance coverage for mobile integrated health.
Testifiers included legislators, physicians, pharmacists, dietitians, emergency and rehabilitation clinicians, and patients and family members. Supporters of the brain injury bill said cognitive rehabilitation is medically necessary, improves long-term outcomes, and can reduce institutional care and public costs; they noted the bill has been heard repeatedly and has support from the Brain Injury Commission and prior favorable committee action. Supporters of the pregnancy care and doula bills described out-of-pocket costs as a barrier to maternal health and shared personal stories of high bills and unmet support needs. Biomarker testing advocates and cancer patients said coverage gaps deny patients access to precision treatment, can lead to avoidable suffering, and should be standardized across insurers; several speakers said insurers often deny claims despite clinical benefit. Dermatology witnesses said insurers’ use of Modifier 25 cuts reimbursement for same-day evaluation and procedure visits, forcing separate appointments and increasing patient burden. Mobile integrated health supporters described home-based care as a way to reduce emergency department use and hospital readmissions, especially for patients with transportation or mobility barriers. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing itself.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- We must work to protect vulnerable children post-birth.
Keywords:
lead ban, plumbing codes, lead-free, public health, environmental management, respiratory therapy, interstate compact, licensing, military service members, healthcare access, regulation, postpartum depression, postnatal care, maternal mental health, perinatal depression, postpartum screening, new mother, birth mother, newborn discharge, hospital discharge materials
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations (10-16-23)
Keywords:
KY LRC YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpla0FnGX9c, 2026-06-21T07:17:05+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, Meeting Start 00:00
Roll Call 00:15
Approval of minutes from September 28, 2023 01:38
Riverboat Alcohol Sales 02:40
Freestanding Birth Centers 06:55
Kentucky Distillers’ Association 37:30
T-21 Minimum Sales Age Enforcement 49:45
Marriage & Family Therapists 01:05:40, 958, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The state even goes into birth centers and inspects birth centers, and there are standards in birth centers
- At home or at the birth center, we would file that birth certificate.
- We would fill out a birth certificate if we assisted with the birth.
- Birth certificate data is not reliable in APGAR scores, place of birth, and birth weight, leaving reasons
- I have attended almost 100 births in hospital birth centers and homes.
Bills:
HB3772, HB1656, HB4504, HB1896, HB4420, HB4421, HB4076, HB3708, HB2806, HB3540, HB1586, HB5459, HB4553, HB4535, HB3811, HB3749, HB4255, HB4051, HB5098, HB3554, HB4539, HB5274
Keywords:
e-cigarettes, health and safety, regulations, directory, penalties, regulation, certification, compliance, manufacturers, FDA, nicotine, mental health, emergency detention, paramedic authority, mental illness, healthcare facility, public health, covenants not to compete, health care practitioners, physicians
TX
Bills:
HB3772, HB1656, HB4504, HB1896, HB4420, HB4421, HB4076, HB3708, HB2806, HB3540, HB1586, HB5459, HB4553, HB4535, HB3811, HB3749, HB4255, HB4051, HB5098, HB3554, HB4539, HB5274
Keywords:
e-cigarettes, health and safety, regulations, directory, penalties, regulation, certification, compliance, manufacturers, FDA, nicotine, mental health, emergency detention, paramedic authority, mental illness, healthcare facility, public health, covenants not to compete, health care practitioners, physicians
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- And here we also measure the preterm delivery rate.
- The March of Dimes just did a report where they graded Florida a D plus for preterm births.
- The March of Dimes just did a report where they graded Florida a D plus for preterm births.
- We also have our state health improvement plan that drives different initiatives, preterm birth being
- And if you reach this level for C-section rates, preterm birth, et cetera, then you achieve that level
Summary:
The Senate Health Policy Committee met to discuss maternal and infant health, beginning with a presentation from New Jersey’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MiHA). Pamela Taylor described New Jersey’s statewide effort to reduce maternal mortality and racial disparities through the Nurture New Jersey campaign, a strategic plan with more than 80 recommendations, universal home visiting, Medicaid-covered doula care, hospital report cards, limits on non-medically indicated early elective C-sections, and a new maternal and infant health innovation center. Senators asked about doula certification, funding, home visiting, and how New Jersey coordinates across agencies; Taylor said the authority uses quarterly stakeholder meetings, annual summits, and a tracker for recommendations, and that community input helped shape its programs.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer then outlined Florida Medicaid’s maternal coverage and managed care structure. He reviewed eligibility and services for pregnant women, labor and delivery, postpartum coverage, newborn coverage, and family planning, noting 12 months of postpartum coverage, expanded benefits in managed care plans, and new contracts launching February 1 with more maternal-health-focused benefits, quality measures, and a new quality withhold incentive structure. Senators questioned doula certification and duplication with Healthy Start, provider access and network adequacy, kick payments, quality reporting, and whether Florida should consider broader eligibility standards; Meyer said many details are still plan-driven, that quality metrics are public, and that the agency is working on maternal-health work groups and incentives.
Department of Health Division Director Shea Holloway followed with an overview of Florida’s maternal and child health programs and data. She cited Florida CHARTS data showing pregnancy-related deaths, severe maternal morbidity, and infant mortality trends, and described the Title V block grant, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the electronic prenatal risk screen, Healthy Babies, BH Impact for perinatal mental health, Healthy Start, WIC, family planning, telehealth maternity care, and the Pregnancy Care Network. Senators asked about delays in mortality review reporting, preterm birth, substance use disorder in pregnancy, WIC participation, cesarean rates, and the impact of the abortion ban; Holloway said the department is continuing to monitor outcomes, expand screening and telehealth, and use data and hospital partnerships to improve care. The committee then adjourned without further business.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House health panel hears HF1010 3/26/25
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- births and a savings of $4 billion over 10 years.
- births and a savings of $4 billion over 10 years.
- very few Black-owned birth centers in the United States.
- <00:10:40.560>
outcomes competence high quality birth outcomes competence high quality birth - Roots is proud of our virtually non-existent preterm birth rate, our success supporting families to full-term
AL
Alabama 2026 1st Special Session
Alabama House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee Feb 4th, 2026
Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure
Keywords:
underground facilities, excavation safety, One-Call Notification System, utility protection, public safety, underground damage prevention, notification system, construction safety, pipeline protection, utility management, Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, director compensation, municipality, electricity supply, board of directors, postpartum depression, postnatal care, maternal mental health, perinatal depression, postpartum screening
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- I also have 30 years' experience with preterm birth implications, including asthma as of today.
- The March of Times reports 25% of counties in Hawaii have a hybrid of preterm births and chronic health
- Chronic health conditions increase the rate of preterm birth by 34%.
- preterm births and chronic health preterm births and chronic health conditions.<00:13:05.839>
- <00:13:08.480>
birth <00:13:08.720>by increase the rate of preterm birth by increase
Keywords:
accessible parking, disability, kupuna, public accommodations, small business exemptions, Hawaii Revised Statutes, parking permit, blind, deaf, accessibility, deafness, traffic safety, law enforcement, vehicle registration, communication, emergency services, commercial driver's license, first responders, public safety, authorized emergency vehicle
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 1871, establishing a maternal health monitoring pilot program, drew support from the Department of Health, the Hawaii State Commission on Status of Women, and the Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives, with testimony urging provider-neutral language so midwives and other qualified providers would not be excluded. HB 1977, requiring a maternal and infant health information mobile app, received support from ACNM and Philips, which said similar apps in other states improved awareness of services and helped families navigate care; a member asked the Department of Health about implementation time. HB 1858, relating to certificates of fetal deaths, was supported by the Department of Health and clinicians, who said the current statute is outdated and inconsistent with CDC guidance; the department and a physician testified that the bill should shift documentation responsibilities to physicians and APRNs, and members discussed optional versus mandatory issuance language and whether the bill would improve data on home births and transfers.
The committee also heard HB 1591, expanding definitions for preceptor and volunteer-based clinical training to improve income tax credits. The Department of Health supported the measure but preferred a similar, broader bill; Taxation suggested clarifying terms; the University of Hawaii and the State Center for Nursing supported it. ACNM asked that midwifery preceptors and Hawaii-based students enrolled in mainland programs be included, while the Hawaii Public Health Institute supported expansion of the program as a workforce solution. HB 1574, on the health care education loan repayment program, also drew broad support, including from the governor, SHPDA, OHA, and health organizations, but ACNM raised concerns that the bill’s 30% Medicaid-client threshold could exclude many providers and limit participation.
For HB 1575, creating a feasibility committee on Parkinson’s patient air transport, the Department of Health supported the intent but said transportation is more likely an insurance or benefit issue and suggested redirecting funds to Parkinson’s research; the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Hawaii Parkinson Association supported the bill, citing inter-island travel barriers and high costs for patients and caregivers. HB 1854, establishing certification of community behavioral health clinics, was supported by the Department of Health and DHS, which said certification would help clinics qualify for enhanced Medicaid reimbursement and expand access; the Attorney General’s office raised a legal concern about the special fund language and recommended a purpose section, and the committee discussed whether the fund would be self-sustaining and noted a possible amendment to change membership language and reduce the board size if the amendment moved forward.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- , and they have higher breastfeeding rates and higher birth weights.
- births and a savings of $4 billion over 10 years.
- Center, a nationally recognized freestanding birth center located in North Minneapolis.
- And one of the very few black-owned birth centers in the United States.
- of our virtually non-existent preterm birth rate.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- of data to the Alabama Department of Public Health, because they already report all those things, births
- 00:19:06.480>
all <00:19:06.680>those <00:19:06.920>things, <00:19:07.320>births - ,<00:19:08.360>
deaths, report all those things, births, deaths, report all those things, - births, deaths, everything<00:19:09.480>
is <00:19:09.640>already <00:19:10.480>reported
Keywords:
HB128, Alabama Board of Nursing, Sunset Law, sunset review, nursing board, nurse licensure, registered nurse, RN, licensed practical nurse, LPN, advanced practice nursing, certified registered nurse anesthetist, CRNA, consumer member, board appointments, congressional districts, geographic representation, nursing regulation, nursing education programs, licensure compact
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services REVISED Apr 20th, 2026 at 02:00 pm
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- perfectly clear that the Oklahoma legislature has always prohibited sex to gender identity amendments on birth
- intended to do is make it clear that we were not going to allow these types of amendments on any of our birth
- Am I reading it correctly that there's no process to allow intersex people to correct their birth certificates
- Like, for example, on page 8 and 9, we've always allowed for you Know within a year after the birth and
- The birth certificate should reflect facts at birth.
Bills:
HB1979, HB1225, HB3931, HB4454, HB3849, HB1746, HB3720, HB4275, HB4300, HB3586, HB2268, HB3755, HB4117, HB4294, HB3650, HB4298
Keywords:
early childhood education, task force, governance structure, healthcare access, stakeholder engagement, quality services, vital records, birth certificate, birth registration, biological sex, sex designation, male, female, nonbinary, gender identity, X marker, transgender, vital statistics, State Department of Health, State Commissioner of Health
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
December 10, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- THE AGENCY UTILIZED THIS APPROACH TO FOCUS ON REDUCING PRETERM BIRTH RATES IN PRIMARY C-SECTION RATES
- SO THE FIRST ONE, THE GOAL OF THE PRETERM DELIVERIES WAS TO REDUCE THE RATE OF BIRTHS BEFORE 37 WEEKS
- FLORIDA MEDICAID WAS PRETERM BIRTH RATE AND C-SECTION RATE WERE BELOW OR BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE
- I DO QUESTION WHEN IT CAME TO DATA ON LOW BIRTH RATE. YOU REFERENCE MRS.
- DATA FROM BIRTH CERTIFICATES THAT RECORD MEDICAID AS THE PROVIDER IN THE BIRTH.
AL
Alabama 2026 1st Special Session
Alabama House Boards, Agencies and Commissions Committee Jan 14th, 2026
Boards, Agencies and Commissions
Keywords:
early voting, electoral participation, voting centers, Alabama elections, absentee ballot, HB128, Alabama Board of Nursing, Sunset Law, sunset review, nursing board, nurse licensure, registered nurse, RN, licensed practical nurse, LPN, advanced practice nursing, certified registered nurse anesthetist, CRNA, consumer member, board appointments