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The New York attorney general’s office is asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to double down on its warnings and discourage the use of an asthma drug. “The New York Office of the Attorney General writes to encourage the FDA to address the dangers of montelukast, particularly to the most vulnerable population—minor children—and protect all patients from these heartbreaking, unintended side effects,” Darsana Srinivasan, chief of the Office of the Attorney General’s Health Care Bureau, wrote in a Thursday letter addressed to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf. (Suter, 2/22)

This year 35 states will participate in a $2.5 billion federal nutrition program that will help low-income parents buy groceries for their children when free school meals are unavailable during the summer months. But Texas, which has 3.8 million children eligible for the program, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has opted not to join this national effort. If it had, qualifying families would have received $120 per child through a pre-loaded card for the three summer months. The USDA calculated that Texas is passing on a total of $450 million in federal tax dollars that would have gone to eligible families here. (Banks, 2/22)

The Florida House signed off on Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $767 million health care workforce expansion plan on Thursday, with one Republican in opposition who said the program was a misguided waste of taxpayer dollars. The House approved two bills, each with a 117-1 vote, that seek to expand health care in Florida, either through training opportunities, increased access to services in rural stretches of the state or promoting technological advances. (Sarkissian, 2/22)

The Florida Republican-led House overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday to create the strictest social media prohibitions in the country by cutting off anyone under 16 years old from many platforms despite some objections from Gov. Ron DeSantis. House members voted on the bill mere hours after it was backed by the Senate in a surprise move that procedurally could force DeSantis to act sooner on legislation that he has been skeptical of for weeks. (Atterbury, 2/22)

The Wisconsin state Assembly passed a bill Thursday that would unlock $125 million to help municipalities and landowners cope with pollution from so-called forever chemicals. But Gov. Tony Evers isn’t on board. The Senate passed the Republican-authored legislation in November. The Assembly followed suit with a 61-35 vote on Thursday, the chamber’s last floor period of the two-year legislative session. ... The chemicals have been linked to health problems including low birth weight, cancer and liver disease, and have been shown to make vaccines less effective. (Richmond, 2/22)

State officials say they will pursue punitive fines against Anthem for mismanaging a Medicare Advantage contract for state retirees, after many reported delayed mail order prescriptions, unexpected charges and long hold times. Frustration among retirees — and state leaders — has been building since Anthem took over on Jan. 1, but it boiled over Wednesday during an Executive Council meeting. (Bookman, 2/22)