Category: Medical

The People’s Liberation Army is using DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence (AI) for non-combat support functions, according to Chinese media reports.
Analysts expect the AI models to find imminent application in battlefield intelligence surveillance and decision-making by the Chinese military.

DeepSeek’s open-source large language models (LLMs), which have drawn global attention and praise, are being used in PLA hospitals, People’s Armed Police (PAP), and national defence mobilisation organs, according to publicly available information.

Earlier this month, the general hospital of the PLA’s Central Theatre Command announced it had authorised “embedded deployment” of DeepSeek’s R1-70B LLM, saying it could provide treatment plan suggestions to support doctors.

The hospital also emphasised patient privacy and data security, noting that all data was stored and processed on local servers.

Similar deployments have been seen in other PLA hospitals nationwide, including the elite PLA General Hospital in Beijing, also known as “301 Hospital”, where senior Chinese officials and military officers receive treatment and highly sensitive personal data is believed to be stored.

Ren Hao, a senior software engineer at the hospital, in a report published on the website of CHIMA, a branch of the Chinese Hospital Association, gave details on 301’s collaboration with Huawei, a US-sanctioned Chinese tech giant. The project aims to deploy the DeepSeek-R1 model on Huawei’s Ascend hardware for building a local knowledge database.

Chinese start-up DeepSeek has garnered significant attention for its remarkable cost-effectiveness and performance, prompting US tech companies to reassess their competitiveness.

DeepSeek’s rise has been meteoric, with its AI app topping the Apple App Store charts in China in February. Beijing is promoting AI integration across industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and urban development, and some Chinese government agencies are increasingly utilising DeepSeek models, including for anti-corruption efforts.

Some units of PAP – a paramilitary police force under the command of the Central Military Commission, which also directs the PLA – are using the app for daily physical training and psychological counselling.

The Hainan PAP’s political work department shared an example of soldiers using DeepSeek to address anxiety and create an exercise plan, according to a post on its social media account.

According to Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown University’s Centre for Security and Emerging Technology who focuses on military AI applications, the use of DeepSeek’s models in settings like hospitals and soldier training programmes offers the PLA a controlled environment for experimentation.

By initially deploying LLMs in non-combat scenarios, the PLA could try to address technical and operational challenges before expanding into more sensitive, high-risk areas, Bresnick said.
The PLA had long highlighted the potential utility of AI for military decision-making, he noted, adding that “the emergence of an advanced model like DeepSeek’s R1 might help in that area”.

The PLA has called for the incorporation of high-end technology, particularly AI, to strengthen its combat capabilities. This would include boosting the effectiveness of drone swarm tactics, improving the efficiency and realism of pilot training, and battlefield decision-making support.

A programme on state broadcaster CCTV as far back as 2023 said the PLA was testing ways to deploy hundreds of drones for swarm tactics with the help of AI and cloud computing.

However, specific details about what types of AI tools used by the Chinese military remain classified.

The state-held Guangming Daily said last month that DeepSeek “is playing an increasingly crucial role in the military intelligentisation process, ushering in a new chapter in the evolution of military intelligentisation”.

It said DeepSeek was capable of processing massive amounts of battlefield data in real time, enabling precise situational awareness during combat.

The article also used an amphibious-landing scenario to illustrate how DeepSeek could dynamically adjust operational plans based on real-time battlefield changes, thus helping commanders to make more accurate and fast decisions.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military analyst, said DeepSeek’s applications in routine physical training and logistical support “demonstrate the PLA’s commitment to ‘staying up-to-date and fully utilising AI technology to enhance comprehensive combat capabilities’.”

“It cannot be ruled out that DeepSeek has been used for other combat functions,” Fu said, adding that “the integration of AI into command systems has been under way for a considerable time”.

DeepSeek’s military applications underscore the advancements in China’s civil-military fusion strategy, which aims to integrate civilian and military technologies.

Bresnick said that DeepSeek’s adoption showed how the PLA was assimilating advanced technologies from the civilian sector.

The launch of DeepSeek’s AI and its wide application in China also come at a time of a heated tech race with the United States.

Bresnick noted that while most experts still believed that the US had an edge over China in AI development, “the ultimate advantage will belong to the nation that can more effectively integrate and deploy AI in military operations”.

“At present, no clear front runner has emerged there,” he said.

The Nanjing National Defence Mobilisation Office – part of a nationwide network of such offices responsible for civil mobilisation during wartime – last month released a DeepSeek user guide that indicated its AI models could provide efficient support in various areas such as emergency evacuation plans, national defence education and industry resource surveys.

Utilising technologies including LLMs would improve the quality and efficiency of national defence mobilisation, the armed forces’ official newspaper PLA Daily said in an article on Thursday. South China Morning Post

Health Minister Sakina Itoo has said the services of Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) have been extended to Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) to overcome the problem of lapse of funds meant for procurement.

The minister, however, said the hospital, established in Soura area of Srinagar in 1976, continues to be an autonomous institution. In a written reply to a starred question by National Conference legislator Farooq Ahmad Shah in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the minister said it was observed that the internal procurement mechanisms were insufficient and extremely sluggish to meet the requirements of the SKIMS.

Over 34.16 per cent of funds were lapsed in 2021-22, 21.72 per cent in 2022-23 and 34.22 per cent in 2023-24, she said, adding, therefore, the services of dedicated procurement agency for all health institutions of Jammu and Kashmir has been extended to the SKIMS as well in order to strengthen and support the institute and in the interest of patient care.

“This decision will facilitate timely, efficient and effective procurement of machinery and equipment for SKIMS and in turn strengthen the patient care and service delivery system of the hospital,” the minister said.

She said that necessary changes had to be made to bring in transparency and efficiency in the functioning of SKIMS, Soura.

“SKIMS continues to be an autonomous institution. The existing institutional structures and frameworks remain exactly the same. This is true both for SKIMS as a tertiary care hospital and SKIMS as a deemed university,” the minister said.

She said it continues to grant degrees as per SKIMS (Grant of Degrees) Act, 1983. Further the budget allocation for the SKIMS continues to be charged on the grants of the health budget as was previously.

As per the First Schedule of Government Business Rules of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the subject of SKIMS was assigned to the Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) and post re-organization the same continued vide Transaction of Business Rules-2019 issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on August 27, 2020.

“So, there is no change vis-a-vis transaction of business rules of SKIMS,” she said.

With respect to appointments and promotions, the minister said it was observed that vacancies both in gazetted, including faculty and non-gazetted positions, had piled up over the years.

In order to support and strengthen the institution in the interest of patient care and to make the recruitment and promotion processes transparent, time bound and merit based, the services and expertise or two dedicated recruitment agencies, Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), have been provided to fill up the vacancies, Itoo said.

The minister said a dedicated SKIMS Cell was established by the government on June 28 last year to ensure fast track disposal of all matters pertaining to the hospital.

The SKIMS under administrative control of the Health and Medical Education department had and will in future have several advantages like expeditious disposal of matters, coordination and collaboration, resource allocation, training and education and policy alignment. PTI

Max Healthcare Institute Limited announced the approval of a Scheme of Amalgamation between its two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Crosslay Remedies Limited and Jaypee Healthcare Limited. This merger aims to enhance business management, control, and growth, creating a financially efficient entity with integrated operations, reduced overheads, and optimized asset utilization. The amalgamation is expected to streamline management structures and reduce legal and regulatory compliances, thereby strengthening the company’s industry positioning. TipRanks

The Kangra District Private Hospital Doctors Association has urged the Himachal Pradesh government to immediately release pending payments under the Ayushman Bharat and HIMCARE schemes. At a meeting in Kangra, the association strongly criticised the government for delaying payments to private hospitals for over 15 months, calling it an illegal withholding of funds.

The association refuted allegations of inflated billing, stating that despite repeated government claims, no evidence had been provided. “If fraud was suspected, why was the HIMCARE scheme continued until August 31, 2024? Why wasn’t it discontinued in 2023?” they questioned, asserting that denying hospitals their rightful dues on this pretext was unacceptable.

Private hospitals struggling to survive
Speaking to reporters, Dr Naresh Vermani, association president, highlighted that small and medium-sized hospitals were on the brink of collapse. Many have been forced to take loans to pay salaries and meet other financial obligations due to blocked payments. “If the Chief Minister fails to fulfill his promise of clearing all dues by March 31, 2025, we will take legal action to recover our payments with interest,” Dr Vermani warned.

“Small and medium-sized hospitals are on the brink of collapse. Many have been forced to take loans to pay salaries and meet other financial obligations due to blocked payments. If Chief Minister fails to fulfil his promise of clearing all dues by March 31, 2025, we will take legal action to recover our payments with interest. Besides, CM’s statements tarnish the reputation of private hospitals, disregarding their crucial role in healthcare delivery, especially in Himachal.” – Dr Naresh Vermani, president, Kangra District Private Hospital Doctors Association.

Objectionable remarks against private hospitals
The association also condemned Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh’s recent remarks, which they claimed unfairly accused private healthcare providers of corruption and profit-driven practices. “His statements tarnish the reputation of private hospitals, disregarding their crucial role in healthcare delivery, especially in Himachal where public hospitals and medical colleges have largely become referral centers,” Dr Vermani said.

The association pointed out that private hospitals have been handling emergencies and providing essential medical services in the absence of adequate government healthcare infrastructure.

‘Private hospitals’ role during Covid-19 ignored’
The association reminded the government of the private healthcare sector’s vital contribution during the Covid-19 pandemic, when private hospitals risked everything to ensure uninterrupted medical services. “For a leader of his stature, such remarks are uncalled for,” they said, urging the government to recognise the indispensable role of private hospitals in Himachal Pradesh.

The association reiterated its demand for immediate clearance of pending dues and called on the Chief Minister to retract his remarks and engage constructively with private healthcare providers. The Tribune

The state government has strengthened its healthcare and medical research collaboration with Cuba following discussions held in New Delhi. Health Minister Veena George met with Cuban First Deputy Health Minister Tania Margarita Cruz Hernández and a Cuban delegation on Thursday to advance the partnership.

According to Veena, the collaboration is set to bring significant advancements to the state’s health sector. Cuban expertise in research will be integrated with the approval of the Centre, ICMR, and DCGA. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard is expected to be signed by April.

The decision to partner with Cuba’s research sector in four key health areas was made after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s visit to the country in 2023. The collaboration will focus on developing a triple-negative breast cancer vaccine, a lung cancer vaccine, treatment for diabetic foot ulcers, a dengue vaccine, and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The Institute of Advanced Virology in Thonnakkal, Thiruvanathapuram, will lead the vaccine development using Cuban technology. Research on cancer will be conducted in collaboration with Malabar Cancer Centre, diabetic foot treatment with Thrissur and Kozhikode Medical Colleges, and Alzheimer’s treatment with Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. The New Indian Express

President Donald Trump has said that he believes India will lower its tariffs on American goods, even as he reiterated his threat to impose reciprocal US tariffs on the country starting April 2.

In an interview with Breitbart News, an American news, opinion, and commentary website, Trump discussed the US’ relationship with India.

Asked about his summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, Trump said he has a “very good relationship with India.

“But the only problem I have with India is they’re one of the highest tariffing nations in the world, the website quoted Trump as saying believe they’re…probably going to be lowering those tariffs substantially, but on April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us.

When asked about the India-Middle East-Europe-Economic Corridor (IMEC), a deal he signed the US onto during Modi’s visit to the US, Trump did not mention China in particular but said it was a “group of wonderful nations banding together countering other countries that look to hurt us on trade.

We have a powerful group of partners in trade, Trump said.

Again, we can’t let those partners treat us badly, however. We do better in many ways frankly with our foes than we do with our friends,” Trump was quoted as saying by the website.

“The ones that wouldn’t be as friendly to us in some cases treat us better than the ones that are supposed to be friendly, like the European Union, which treats us terribly on trade,” Trump said.

“India and everybody would think of them as an ally. I can say the same for others. But this is a group of wonderful nations that is countering other countries that look to hurt us on trade,” he added.

Trump earlier this month said that India has agreed to cut its tariffs “way down” as he reiterated his claim that the country charges America massive tariffs that make it difficult to sell products there.

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, however told a Parliamentary panel in New Delhi on March 10 that negotiations are still on and no agreement on trade tariffs has been reached so far between India and the US.

Trump has been criticising the high tariffs charged by India.

In his address to the joint session of Congress on March 4, the first of his second term in the White House, Trump criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries and termed them “very unfair.

In the past, Trump has called India a “tariff king” and a “big abuser.

India had said it was looking at deepening trade ties with the US, including by reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, under a bilateral trade agreement.

During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US last month, both sides announced plans to negotiate a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). PTI

The findings are being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25). They highlight how these important cancer screening tools can also be used to assess the amount of calcium buildup in the arteries within breast tissue—an indicator of cardiovascular health.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that middle-aged and older women get a mammogram—an X-ray of the breast—to screen for breast cancer every one or two years. About 40 million mammograms are performed in the United States each year. While breast artery calcifications can be seen on the resulting images, radiologists do not typically quantify or report this information to women or their clinicians. The new study, which used an AI image analysis technique not previously used on mammograms, demonstrates how AI can help fill this gap by automatically analyzing breast arterial calcification and translating the results into a cardiovascular risk score.

“We see an opportunity for women to get screened for cancer and also additionally get a cardiovascular screen from their mammograms,” said Theo Dapamede, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University in Atlanta and the study’s lead author. “Our study showed that breast arterial calcification is a good predictor for cardiovascular disease, especially in patients younger than age 60. If we are able to screen and identify these patients early, we can refer them to a cardiologist for further risk assessment.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States but remains underdiagnosed in women and there is also lagging awareness. Researchers said the use of AI-enabled mammogram screening tools could help identify more women with early signs of cardiovascular disease by taking better advantage of screening tests that many women routinely receive. A buildup of calcium in blood vessels is a sign of cardiovascular damage associated with early-stage heart disease or aging. Previous studies have shown that women with calcium buildup in the arteries face a 51% higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

To develop the screening tool used for this study, researchers trained a deep-learning AI model to segment calcified vessels in mammogram images—which appear as bright pixels on X-rays—and calculate the future risk of cardiovascular events based on data obtained from the electronic health record data. The segmentation approach is what separates this model from previous AI models developed for analyzing breast artery calcifications. Researchers said the model is also strengthened by its use of a large dataset for training and testing, which included images and health records from over 56,000 patients who had a mammogram at Emory Healthcare between 2013 and 2020 and had at least five years of follow-up electronic health records data. “Advances in deep learning and AI have made it much more feasible to extract and use more information from images to inform opportunistic screening,” Dapamede said.

Overall findings showed the new model performed well at characterizing patients’ cardiovascular risk as low, moderate or severe based on mammogram images. After calculating the risk of dying from any cause or suffering an acute heart attack, stroke or heart failure at two years and five years, the model showed that the rate of these serious cardiovascular events increased with breast arterial calcification level in two of the three age categories assessed—women younger than age 60 and age 60-80, but not in those over age 80. This makes the tool particularly well suited for providing early warning of heart disease risk in younger women, who can benefit more from early interventions, researchers said.

The results also showed that women with the highest level of breast arterial calcification (above 40 mm²) had a significantly lower five-year rate of event-free survival than those with the lowest level (below 10 mm²). For example, 86.4% of those with the highest breast arterial calcification survived for five years compared with 95.3% of those with the lowest level of calcification. This translates to approximately 2.8 times the risk of death within five years in patients with severe breast arterial calcification compared to those with little to no breast arterial calcification.

The AI model was developed as a collaboration between Emory Healthcare and Mayo Clinic and is not currently available for use. If it passes external validation and gains approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers said the tool could be made commercially available for other health care systems to incorporate into routine mammogram processing and follow-up care. The researchers also plan to explore how similar AI models could be used for assessing biomarkers for other conditions, such as peripheral artery disease and kidney disease, that might be extracted from mammograms. American College of Cardiology

Medical device manufacturers should use a risk pyramid to determine whether their products are classified as high-risk and require conformity assessments by notified bodies under the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act, according to Sebastian Fischer, regulatory strategy principal at TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH.

Fischer and other experts discussed what manufacturers must do to comply with upcoming requirements under the act at DIA Europe 2025 on Wednesday.

The AI Act came into force on 1 August 2024. It will apply to products with high-risk applications on 2 August 2026, which includes medical devices placed in the Class IIa category or higher. It will then apply more broadly on 2 August 2027, with full implementation anticipated by 31 December 2030.

Fischer stated that the EU AI Act introduces a risk-based system for classifying AI applications. This system ranges from minimal-risk devices at the bottom of the pyramid to unacceptable-risk systems at the top. Fischer said that any system that uses harmful AI-based manipulation or deception, or a system that uses social scoring is an unacceptable risk and is prohibited.

Medical devices are classified as high risk if they use AI-embedded software used to diagnose or detect abnormalities and would require assessment by a notified body.

Devices with limited-risk include those that are not used to diagnose or detect abnormalities, which are subject to specific transparency obligations under the AI Act. At the bottom of the pyramid are those minimal-risk devices, and these are unregulated. This category is not explicitly mentioned in the AI regulations.

Fischer noted that while AI regulation may be new, the use of AI in medical devices is not.

Fischer recommended that manufacturers review a position paper from Team-NB and the German Notified Bodies Alliance for Medical Devices entitled Questionnaire: Artificial Intelligence in Medical Devices.

Thorsten Stumpf, project lead for regulatory affairs at Metecon GmbH elaborated on some of the requirements for providers for high-risk AI systems in addition to needing to undergo a conformity assessment before placing the product on the market or putting it into service.

Manufacturers must adhere to labeling requirements, which includes providing identification on the packaging. This should include the manufacturer’s name, registered trade name, trademarks, contact address, and CE marking.

In addition, risk management teams should be in place to assess the AI system. Lastly, manufacturers must also have technical documentation which includes keeping record-keeping logs over the lifetime of the AI system.

Fischer said that implementing the AI regulations is mostly an administrative exercise in getting the documentation in order.

Rajarshi Banerjee, CEO of Perspectum Ltd, emphasized the need to prepare for a new wave of applications utilizing advanced AI tools in medical devices. Many of these devices herald a future focused on the use of non-invasive technology to diagnose diseases.

His company has received FDA clearance and EU CE marking for its LiverMultiScan software application, which is a non-invasive test used to detect liver disease. He explained how the use of algorithms in the technology can be used to replace liver biopsies, which he said are often inaccurate.

The technology can determine whether the whole liver or only a part or it is diseased through an MRI scan. Scans from the MRI are sent to a laboratory that employs a proprietary algorithm. The result is a summary of images that detail the health of the liver. RAPS.org

Medical device and pharmaceutical packaging is a necessity to keep products sterile and ready for consumer use. But what happens when there is a risk that the packaging itself can harm the device or drug?

New research cited in a recent article from Packaging Insights states that that is the case for IV bags, claiming that microplastics are present in (intravenous) IV infusions used in medical treatments.

The research, published in the ACS partner journal Environment & Health, found that, after filtering, infusion solutions from PP bottles contain thousands of plastic particles.

“The scientists estimate that a single 250 mL IV infusion bottle could introduce thousands of microplastics — ranging from 1 to 62 micrometers in length — directly into a patient’s bloodstream.”

What I found surprising is that the article states that the smaller the particles, the bigger the danger.

“It’s important to note that smaller particles potentially pose greater hazards. While most particles we measured were between 1–10 μm, even smaller nanoplastics have greater penetration capabilities and may even cross the blood-brain barrier, reaching more critical organs in the human body,” says Liwu Zhang, one of the leading researchers in the study.

The research is meant to shine a light on the medical packaging industry and encourage developers to explore alternative materials or processes that could eliminate this threat while still offering the devices the protection they need. Healthcare Packaging

The practice of “surprise billing” by hospitals should be severely restricted, state Senate health policy leaders said Wednesday, as they took a bipartisan vote to crack down on the practice and require more transparency for patients.

The idea is to give people a better idea of what a medical procedure might cost them before they agree to it, to give patients more certainty over whether their care will be in-network or out-of-network, and to stop new bills from continuing to arrive months or even years after the fact.

Supporters say if Senate Bill 316 becomes law, it would at least give people more information to make decisions on their health care. And ideally, they say, it could potentially also lead to lower costs for everyone in the future.

“There is, I think, no other industry that a consumer agrees to pay for a service in advance with no clue as to what the cost will be, and no clue as to what they will be charged in full for those services,” Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, said Wednesday.

She added that the bill “is an attempt to shine a light on every part of the health care system — to begin to see where the cost drivers truly exist, and to start to tamp down on those costs.”

The Senate has passed similar bills twice in recent years. But both bills went nowhere in the state House, in face of intense lobbying in opposition by the hospital industry. The North Carolina Healthcare Association, which lobbies for hospitals, declined to comment Wednesday on the new bill.

In addition to the various requirements to give patients more information before a procedure, the bill would also require hospitals to send patients an itemized bill — with descriptions written in what Galey called “plain English” — before the hospital could send the patient into collections for not paying their bill.

About one in every eight North Carolina adults had medical debt before the state approved Medicaid expansion, according to health policy analysis group KFF. Part of the deal for Medicaid expansion, which the legislature passed following heavy pressure from then-Gov. Roy Cooper, was for hospitals to forgive approximately $4 billion in medical debt held by low-income North Carolinians. Cooper announced last year that every hospital in the state was participating.

No lawmakers or members of the public spoke against the bill Wednesday, although Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, said that based on her experience as a nurse there are probably some parts of the bill that would be difficult if not impossible for hospital staff to comply with.

She suggested further conversations on how to amend the bill to ensure hospitals could follow it — and the state could enforce it.

“It could provide clarity moving forward, and make sure you can enforce what you’re trying to do,” Adcock said.

AI claims denial
The Senate Health Committee also debated a separate bill — but stopped short of taking a vote on whether to advance it — that would ban health insurance companies from relying too heavily on artificial intelligence to deny people’s claims.

Insurance companies could still use AI to help review and make decisions on claims, even if Senate Bill 315 becomes law. But it would ban AI from being used as “the sole basis” of any decisions to deny or modify someone’s health care services.

“It’s 2025 — AI is a fact of life,” Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, said. “It’s something that’s being used by doctors around the state, and health insurers, and hospitals. It’s inevitable. It’s going to be here, but I know that every person in this room has heard stories about their health insurers across the nation having some issues with it.”

UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest private health insurer, faces a class action lawsuit accusing it of using AI to deny many people’s claims. Last year the company’s CEO was gunned down in what police have said was a targeted assassination, apparently based on the company’s policies and practices.

Burgin said the other bill on surprise billing also would exempt health insurance staffers from having to put their contact information on certain forms given to customers. He said it “addresses the aftermath of fear for employee safety after the tragedy that occurred a few months ago involving the UnitedHealthcare CEO.”

UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Manhattan in a targeted attack — a killing that fueled a public outcry over claim denials by insurers.

The anti-AI bill would also make a number of other changes to crack down on health insurance companies’ efforts to deny people’s claims, including by banning insurers from retroactively requiring prior authorization for certain types of care, and then using that to issue denials.

The bill would also require appeals of insurance denials to be heard by licensed doctors who have experience in the type of medicine in question.

And it would appear to ban insurance companies from paying their on-staff doctors more money for suggesting claims be denied, by requiring appeals to be heard by doctors with “no financial interest, or other conflict of interest, in the outcome of the appeal.”

A top health insurance industry representative, Peter Daniel, spoke at the meeting to tell lawmakers they were willing to work with the Senate on the bill as it moves through the legislature. WRAL