Transcript Highlights:

• driving.
• So we have seen an increase in instances of impairment in driving with kratom.
• <00:43:07.440> or pulled over for drunk driving or pulled over for drunk driving or marijuana
• somebody's driving impaired with cratom? somebody's driving impaired with cratom?
• People are going to just drive to go get it across state lines.

Bills: HB0103, HB0070, HB0091

Keywords: First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits, foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, artificial intelligence, social scoring, biometric data, privacy rights, government regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• And that kind of focus will create the momentum we need to drive scale.
• Nearly 80% of our riders do not drive or own a car.
• data centers, industrial uses—anything that gets the molecules flowing through the economy helps us drive
• There was no product, or the pumps weren't working, one or the other, and we had to drive to Pasadena
• I drive by most of the time and I'm driving to EV, but it's telling, you know, why wouldn't there be

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy held an informational hearing on California’s hydrogen leadership, with Chair Bob Archuleta framing hydrogen as a complementary clean-energy pathway for hard-to-electrify sectors and emphasizing the need for balanced policy, community benefits, and strategic use of public funds. The first panel of private-sector witnesses from the California Hydrogen Business Council, Bosch, Hyundai, and Sierra Northern Railway described existing deployments in buses, trucks, rail, ports, and industrial uses, and argued that the technology is commercially ready but needs stable policy, faster permitting, stronger demand signals, and more infrastructure. They highlighted projects such as Hyundai’s NorCal Zero freight trucks, Bosch’s hydrogen components and refueling technology, and Sierra’s hydrogen switcher locomotive, while also noting major cost barriers, especially for fuel and equipment, and the need for continued state incentives and coordinated infrastructure planning. Committee members focused on labor standards, community engagement, and the current scale of hydrogen vehicles and fueling infrastructure. Witnesses said they work with labor groups, building trades, and safety organizations, and that early community involvement and first-responder training are important. In response to questions, panelists estimated roughly 15,000 to 16,000 light-duty fuel cell vehicles in California, around 100 hydrogen trucks, and growing bus deployment, with South Korea cited as having much larger fleets. They also discussed hydrogen fuel costs, with one rail operator saying delivered fuel had fallen from more than $60 per kilogram to about $35 per kilogram but would need to drop below $10 per kilogram for broad commercial viability. CARB’s incentive and regulatory programs, including heavy-duty vehicle subsidies and low-carbon fuel standards, were described as important supports, though federal tax credit changes and uncertainty were said to be slowing progress. The second panel addressed hydrogen’s public-health, air-quality, and climate role. CAPCOA, the Coalition for Clean Air, the building trades, and a UC Berkeley researcher argued that hydrogen should be used selectively in the most polluted, diesel-heavy settings such as ports, freight corridors, rail yards, transit depots, and backup power for data centers. They stressed that fuel cell applications provide zero tailpipe emissions, but cautioned that hydrogen produced from fossil fuels or used in combustion rather than fuel cells reduces the environmental benefit. The UC Berkeley witness presented modeling suggesting large reductions in NOx and particulate exposure, with significant avoided premature deaths and health savings if hydrogen displaces diesel in heavy-duty sectors. Panelists also urged that hydrogen not delay direct electrification, that environmental justice be central to deployment, and that infrastructure and safety planning include community engagement and measurable local benefits. The final panel featured public-sector updates from SamTrans, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Port of Long Beach, and the First Public Hydrogen Authority. SamTrans described its transition of more than 300 buses to battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses, including a large order of 108 hydrogen buses, but said the loss of expected ARCHES funding created a major gap for fueling infrastructure and that state support is needed for grants, tax exemptions, and axle-weight rule changes. GoBiz said the federal cancellation of ARCHES funding disrupted the market, but that private capital remains available if demand and cost-reduction signals are strong; it pointed to permitting streamlining and targeted state action as key next steps. The Port of Long Beach reported 106 hydrogen fuel cell trucks in port drayage, a $10 million hydrogen truck grant program, and a request for proposals for a public fueling station, while warning that high costs, fuel shortages, and the Colton incident have slowed momentum. First Public Hydrogen Authority described efforts to aggregate municipal demand, support green hydrogen production projects, and create long-term market certainty for suppliers and off-takers. Committee members repeatedly pressed witnesses on where state funding should go next, with several suggesting that near-term support for transit fleets, fueling infrastructure, and targeted high-impact corridors would be the most effective way to keep hydrogen deployment moving.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means if you're in a 30 mile an hour zone, you're driving, you know, 60 miles an hour through a
• Um, extinguishing exterior lights, that means shutting off your lights, driving in the dark so that the
• , 30 mile an hour zone, you're driving, 30 mile an hour zone, you're driving, you<01:11:28.720>
• means shutting off your lights driving means shutting off your lights driving in<01:11:39.600>
• That's the person who's actually driving. Who's actually driving? The operator?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• people to write in, sign a petition, and then you actually go and you're like, "Yeah, people could drive
• safer on the "Yeah, people could drive safer on the street<00:10:45.440> compared<00:10:45.920
• And then also, you know, the driver had some expired licensing on driving that truck, too.
• licensing on driving that truck, too.<00:13:17.920> And<00:13:18.079> I<00:13:18.160><
• And selfishly for me, so that when I drive that freeway or that highway, I get to see Melissa's name

Bills: HF3418, HF3739, HF3791, HF3356, HF3695, HF3430

Keywords: pedestrian safety, traffic safety, roadway improvements, nonmotorized transportation, crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes, complete streets, Vision Zero, Toward Zero Deaths, MnDOT, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, local road authority, county roads, city streets, tribal transportation, capital improvements, safety design solutions, grant program

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 25, 2026, and the chair noted the absence of Representative Katie Jones due to the birth of her baby. The chair also acknowledged that the committee would be discussing difficult topics related to the June 14 killing of Mark and Melissa Hortman and Gilbert. The main business began with House File 3418, which Chair Tabke moved for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill, and the committee adopted the A1 author’s amendment. The bill was described as a pedestrian safety measure prompted by a fatal Moorhead crash involving a young boy; it would create an opt-in program for communities to use pre-made traffic safety templates, with the state covering 80% of project costs to speed implementation of measures like lane narrowing, rumble strips, and bollards. A Moorhead testifier said the city could have acted faster with such funding, and members generally supported the goal while raising concerns about overlap with existing Safe Routes to School and active transportation programs, the bill’s fiscal note, and how communities would be selected. MDOT testified that it already supports similar community demonstration projects and has funded about 30 such projects since 2019. HF 3418 was laid over. The committee then took up House File 3739, a memorial highway bill for Mark and Melissa Hortman. An A1 amendment to shift funding away from trunk highway funds and toward legislative budgets was moved but not adopted after members argued memorial signage should continue to be paid for with private funds, as in prior memorial highway designations. The bill author explained the memorial was intended to honor Melissa Hortman’s service and connection to Highway 610, and members discussed the length of the proposed memorial stretch and whether it should be narrowed to the area she represented. Several members supported the tribute but expressed concern about using public funds and about setting a precedent for future memorial highways. The committee indicated the bill would move on to Ways and Means with other issues still to be worked out.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is it that's driving that up that much?
• commissioner and put it on autod drive commissioner and put it on autod drive to<01:08:47.839>
• Senator James, with what you've just said, I think you drive my point home.
• But I've never claimed that reinsurance drives down the cost of the care.
• Senator Dames said, “But I've never claimed that reinsurance drives down the cost of the care.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard a reinsurance overview from Deputy Commissioner Julia Dryer of the Minnesota Department of Commerce on the Minnesota Premium Security Plan. She explained that reinsurance helps stabilize premiums in the individual market by reimbursing insurers for high-cost claims, and said Minnesota’s program has lowered premiums, preserved carrier participation, and helped maintain consumer choice. She warned that without continued funding, the program would be depleted and individual-market premiums could rise by about 25%, with potential losses in coverage and access to care. She also described the program’s structure under a federal 1332 waiver, the role of MCHA in administering the program, and the state’s receipt of more than $650 million in federal pass-through funds to date. Dryer said the current program is funded through the end of 2025, though the federal waiver authority runs through 2027. The governor’s proposal would create a new assessment on insurers, estimated at roughly 2% to 3%, to fund the state share of the program and avoid another full waiver submission. She noted that the proposal assumes MinnesotaCare funding would be held harmless and that the program would be reduced if federal basic health plan funding were negatively affected. She also said projected costs changed because individual-market enrollment has grown and enhanced federal subsidies were removed from the estimate. Members raised concerns about the proposal’s impact on premiums and the history of the fund. Senator Rasmusson argued the new assessment amounts to a large tax increase on health insurance and questioned who would be assessed and whether the surcharge would be capped. Dryer responded that the assessment would be based on annual claims experience and market conditions, with final amounts determined at the end of each year, not monthly. Senator Duckworth and Senator Frentz supported reinsurance as a way to keep premiums lower, while also questioning how the program should be financed. Senator Green asked about the mechanics of the assessment and the role of the department in setting it, and Senator H questioned why the fiscal note assumed 12% annual growth for program costs when general premium growth was lower. No vote or formal action was taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• disciplinary programs and really drive disciplinary programs and really drive that<00:10:29.079>
• trying to impact uh and and drive trying to impact uh and and drive economic<00:33:40.279> growth
• So it's that talent pipeline at UMR that helps drive our innovations forward.
• So it's that talent pipeline at UMR that helps drive our innovations forward.
• So it's that talent pipeline at UMR that helps drive our innovations forward.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee met and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The chair noted that agency overviews from the Office of Higher Education and other state agencies were not available, so the committee proceeded with University of Minnesota presentations instead. The committee also reviewed posted committee rules. University of Minnesota representatives gave an overview of the university’s research enterprise, describing it as a system of five campuses with a possible expansion to St. Cloud, and highlighting research strengths across campuses in agriculture, energy, natural resources, health, and the Twin Cities flagship campus. They said the university has more than $1.3 billion in annual research expenditures, receives most of its research funding from federal sources, and is ranked highly for both overall research and interdisciplinary research. Examples discussed included the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Forever Green initiative, and research tied to sustainable crops, health, and commercialization. Members asked questions about specific research areas, including biodegradable or renewable plastics, wheat research, food dyes, health and environmental toxins, and the market for winter camelina and winter pennycress. University staff said they could follow up with more detailed information and explained that the winter crop work is intended to become market-driven over time, while also improving soil health and creating new revenue streams for farmers. They also clarified that the university’s federal research funding includes money from NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and other agencies, and that the “other” funding category includes foundations, subawards, and internal university seed funding. The committee then heard a second University of Minnesota presentation focused on partnerships, commercialization, and workforce development. Testimony highlighted collaborations with industry and government partners such as U.S. Steel, 3M, Medtronic, Cisco, and defense-related industry leaders, as well as programs supporting microelectronics, AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable aviation fuels. No formal votes were taken beyond approving the minutes, and the committee ended the segment by moving on to the next testifier.

Transcript Highlights:

• license, they're legal to drive.
• Driving under the influence is not covered.
• drive.
• Driving under the influence is not covered.
• Driving under the influence is not covered.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's really sets us apart and kind of drives that recruiting and retention train.
• Because we want to be sure that we’re driving as much efficiency as we can.
• It also drives the Oklahoma economy. The current structure.
• And then you have to come back to our location to actually have to drive the license issued.
• We have a place where we're currently doing drive tests.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to drive to a metro or something like that.
• up costs or driving up that demand.
• Yes, minimum wage does drive price increases, but these prices aren't huge.
• If you just turn around and hand it to them, what's the drive to want to get any better?
• That's what's going to drive their pay. It's not going to be the need for...

Summary: The committee held a study on the potential effects of living wage or minimum wage laws in Oklahoma, with the chair emphasizing that the discussion was not intended to advocate for or against State Question 832. The first panel focused on economic and workforce impacts. An Oklahoma Department of Commerce representative argued that living wage calculations vary by region and household type, that Oklahoma’s average wages are already near or above many living-wage estimates, and that higher mandated wages could lead employers to cut hours, reduce hiring, automate, or avoid expansion, especially in rural areas where childcare, healthcare, broadband, and infrastructure constraints also affect labor participation. Committee members asked about wage distributions, rural cost differences, training pathways, and whether higher wages might draw workers or businesses out of state; the witness said many low-wage workers move up over time and that Oklahoma has seen net in-migration. A State Chamber Research Foundation witness then testified that a $15 statewide wage floor would raise payroll costs substantially, especially for small rural employers, and cited examples from California and Seattle to argue that higher wages can reduce hours, jobs, and benefits while increasing consumer prices. She suggested alternatives such as expanding the state earned income tax credit and promoting upskilling through existing education and training programs. A Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry representative described Missouri’s recent voter-approved minimum wage increase to $13.75, rising to $15, along with paid sick leave provisions. She said the chamber opposed the measure because it would raise business costs, hurt rural communities and youth employment, and force some employers to cut hours, reduce hiring, or close. She cited examples from Missouri businesses facing significant added costs and warned that a future ballot initiative could create a patchwork of local minimum wages. In response to questions, she said Missouri’s law did not distinguish by age or industry, that businesses had raised concerns about union contracts and compliance, and that the chamber viewed the measure as harmful to competitiveness. Peter Hansen of NFIB presented the final major testimony, summarizing an NFIB study projecting that a higher Oklahoma minimum wage would produce some short-term GDP gains but longer-term losses, with GDP turning negative by the early 2030s and job losses growing over time. He said businesses respond to higher wage mandates by raising prices, trimming jobs, converting full-time positions to part-time, reducing benefits, and shifting investment toward automation or other capital. He argued that the burden falls most heavily on vulnerable workers such as young or marginal employees, who are less likely to be hired when labor costs rise. In questioning, he acknowledged that higher wages can improve pay for some workers and may have some short-term positive effects, but maintained that the long-term employment and investment effects are negative. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Another point where we're, you know, not protecting our vulnerable people, our people that can't drive
• people that can't drive, our people that<00:03:37.200> are<00:03:37.519> unable<00:03:
• 37.920> to<00:03:38.159> drive,<00:03:38.640> and<00:03:39.120> um<00:03:
• 39.599> missing that are unable to drive, and um missing that are unable to drive, and um missing
• For the teenagers looking to drive.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it driving development?
• Is it driving generation outside of our borders so that we can say on paper that we're carbon-free?
• Is it driving development? Is ad cost? Is it driving development?
• Is it<00:12:11.760> driving<00:12:12.839> generation<00:12:13.839> outside<00:12
• :14.320> of<00:12:14.480> our it driving generation outside of our it driving generation

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Driving without a license is the most common charge in the State of Hawaii.
• You don’t want to say driving without a license. Thank you.
• without a license it charges of driving without a license it driving<00:19:05.200> without<00
• without a license is the most driving without a license is the most common<00:19:06.320> charge
• you in for you don't want to say driving you in for you don't want to say driving without<00:19:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 540, which would make the most recent state building codes supersede county codes beginning in 2028 and limit county changes without State Building Code Council approval. Grassroot Institute testified in support, while IBEW Local 1260 strongly opposed the bill as written, warning it could let counties weaken state minimum standards and create problems for fire code and sprinkler requirements. Members discussed the need for consistency in building codes and the impact of the State Building Code Council’s status, and the chair said the measure would be deferred indefinitely. The committee also heard SB 626 on disaster preparedness, which would prohibit planting large trees along evacuation routes and require HEMA to identify and remove obstructive trees. Testimony included comments from DLNR, HEMA, and others, with HEMA opposing the measure. The chair said more coordination was needed between DLNR and HEMA and deferred the bill. SB 692, regulating retail and wholesale spray paint sales and assigning jurisdiction to the Department of Law Enforcement, drew opposition from the Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi, which said the bill would impose costly storage and reporting burdens on small retailers and raise identity-theft concerns. The committee deferred that measure as well. In a separate decision-making segment, the committee considered SB 9 on fireworks and recommended passage with amendments. The amendments narrowed or removed several sections, increased certain penalties from $500 to $1,000, adjusted forfeiture allocations, accepted an Attorney General amendment, added an appropriation for community safety education programs, and changed the effective date to July 1, 2077. The motion to pass with amendments was adopted by a vote of 2-1. Later, in a joint hearing, SB 1102 on the aircraft rescue firefighting unit drew support from DOT but opposition from the Hawaiʻi Firefighters Association, which asked that the bill be held. SB 41, establishing Hawaiʻi Disaster Drill Day on August 8, received support from HEMA and a public testifier. SB 1570, addressing Molokaʻi air service disruptions and a possible runway expansion, drew strong public support from Molokaʻi residents and service providers, while the Attorney General raised separation-of-powers concerns about the emergency declaration language and DOT noted the high cost and feasibility issues of runway expansion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's just driving us to ruin, this very simple dynamic.
• You know, let's—okay, what's driving the cost?
• Other things driving up the cost, we've talked about those mandates.
• “Please tell me I don’t have to drive an hour or get mail order.”
• And that's ultimately what's driving the claims cost.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this skilled workforce helps drive innovation in the state's economy.
• uh growth from lot less scope to drive uh growth from this<01:09:59.280> source.
• So, yeah, I think there's scope for us to drive faster growth there also.
• by trying to drive people into the workforce.
• factors that drive migration patterns. factors that drive migration patterns.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I remember driving up the way that the snow blows sideways across the highway when you're on your way
• There's just a ton of things driving the cost of housing, and so a moment where we need more housing,
• There's just a ton of things driving the cost of housing, and so a moment where we need more housing,
• There's just a ton of things driving the cost of housing, and so a moment where we need more housing,
• Thank you. ...they can't find a place to live within a reasonable driving distance from the job.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an agency overview from Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho. After member and staff introductions, Ho described Minnesota Housing’s mission, structure, and role as a mission-driven financial institution that issues bonds, uses earnings to support operations, and works across the housing continuum from homelessness prevention to homeownership and preservation. She emphasized that the agency is not a builder or regulator, but funds and partners with developers, local governments, nonprofits, and lenders. She also noted the agency’s four divisions, including a new local government housing programs division created after the 2023 legislative session expanded the agency’s responsibilities. Ho reviewed funding and program activity, saying Minnesota Housing spent $1.96 billion in fiscal year 2024 and helped more than 73,000 households. She highlighted that the agency’s work is heavily competitive and often oversubscribed, with many projects selected through RFPs and grants but more applications than available resources. She discussed 2023 and 2024 investments, including homeownership, rental, and manufactured housing projects, and said roughly half of competitive dollars have gone to Greater Minnesota over the last several years. She also explained the difference between funds committed and funds actually disbursed, noting that construction and rehabilitation projects can take many months to close and draw down funds. The commissioner also updated members on new programs created in 2023 and 2024, including first-generation down payment assistance, the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing Development Program, public housing rehabilitation, state housing tax credits, and other local and regional initiatives. She said some programs are already closed out, while others remain in early implementation or are still accepting applications. Ho mentioned a forthcoming technical amendment to adjust a high-rise sprinkler program after eligibility issues limited participation. She closed with examples of projects preserved or funded, including a St. Louis Park preservation deal, public housing preservation in Greater Minnesota, a St. Cloud challenge project, and the first-generation down payment assistance program, which distributed $50 million to about 1,450 first-time buyers, most of whom were Black, Indigenous, or people of color. No votes or formal committee actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not to say that that's not possible, but people aren't taking a bunch of mushrooms and driving.
• Not to say that that's not possible, but people aren't taking a bunch of mushrooms and driving.
• Yet the operator, only the person driving the vehicle, is covered by this provision.
• Yet the operator, only the person driving the vehicle, is covered by this provision.
• Yet the operator, only the person driving the vehicle, is covered by this provision.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• otherwise been imposed on a person who is convicted of a first or second violation of aggressive driving
• emotional emergency, a person may not knowingly rent, lease, or lend a motor vehicle to a person whose driving
• emotional emergency, a person may not knowingly rent, lease, or lend a motor vehicle to a person whose driving
• by the stakeholder process, that person still has the ability to simply take the suspension and not drive
• received some outreach from advocacy groups such as Family for Safe Streets and Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Bills: HB2170, HB2417, HB2418, HB2771, HB2772, HB4018, HCR2059

Keywords: procurement, foreign adversary, China, state contracts, information technology, security, speeding, speed limit, traffic enforcement, driver safety, speed inhibiting device, appropriation, law enforcement, task forces, funding, criminal justice, community supervision, rehabilitation, supervision fee, victim compensation

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety approved the minutes from March 18, 2026, then heard and voted on several bills. HB 4018, which clarifies that a county sheriff has exclusive authority to regulate posse and reserve organizations acting under the sheriff’s authority, passed on a 5-1 vote after supporters said it simply codifies existing authority and improves accountability; one member opposed it as giving too much unchecked power. HB 2417, allowing certain drivers to use a court-ordered speed-inhibiting device instead of a license suspension for specified offenses, passed 6-1, with supporters calling it an optional safety measure and opponents raising cost, privacy, and enforcement concerns. HB 2771, allowing ADCRR to require prisoners to pay reasonable rehabilitation-program costs as a condition of community supervision, passed 5-2, and HB 2772, creating a driver’s-license medical indicator for advance directives such as a DNR, passed unanimously after discussion about implementation, renewal, and cost to applicants. The committee also approved HCR 259, a resolution reaffirming support for county sheriffs and recognizing their constitutional role, on a 4-3 vote. HB 2418, which appropriates $600,000 to be distributed evenly among the five original major incident regional law enforcement task forces in Cochise, Coconino, Navajo, Pinal, and Yuma counties, passed unanimously; testimony said the bill codifies a distribution practice that has already been followed administratively. Finally, HB 2170, the Protection Procurement Act, which bars state contracts for certain Chinese government-controlled companies unless no reasonable alternative exists and imposes penalties for false certification, passed 4-3 after proponents argued it protects Arizona from security and supply-chain risks. The meeting ended with thanks to staff and pages and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• If it is legal, then it's okay for a 15-year-old in South Carolina to drive up and go get that?
• And my 17-year-old daughter can go get in the car, drive to a convenience store.
• She can drive there, get it, and there's nothing that anyone can do.
• We know that the FDA has said that 0.5 milligrams is too much to drive.
• It's not safe to take this and drive. This is what we're going to do in South Carolina.

Keywords: 977, all

Transcript Highlights:

• do this and they'll come again, or see, that's a chicken-or-egg conversation, I guess, is what I'm driving
• understand, or correct me if I'm wrong, there's a power plant also that would have to be built to drive
• AgTech is and what AgTech can do and how it can drive economic development in areas.
• We build this out, really driving these things into the market.
• And going back to the earlier drive and mission that Holly brought up as well, we want to put dollars

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We drive them on LNG... ...We drive them on LNG projects. We use them everywhere.
• I mean, it talks about driving procedures, installation criteria.
• Where it talks about how you have to drive it? Procedure? Which part?
• Where it talks about how you have to drive it and do all the other things.
• If I'm a developer, it'll be done before I'm starting to drive piles.

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.