Transcript Highlights:

• We're issuing that out to agencies, and agencies are using that to make their PDFs more compliant.
• We’re tracking this for pretty much every state agency at this point, so every agency has a slide like
• The challenge that we frequently run into is agencies, as they get these tools, the question a lot of
• So the challenge that we frequently run into is agencies as they get these this is our funding model.
• So the challenge that we frequently run into is agencies as they get these tools, the question a lot

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We only have one agency. We have one agency, but two different governing boards.
• It's not like your typical state agency.
• me what agency that might or might not be.
• You talking to us about maybe a state agency would be best to help with this—what are the other challenges
• support from an agency in the state.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting of the session and received an overview of the Higher Education Appropriations budget from staff director Tim Elwell. He explained the committee’s broad jurisdiction over universities, state colleges, district workforce programs, vocational rehabilitation, blind services, student financial aid, private colleges, and the Board of Governors, and reviewed key budget concepts such as local funds, funds per FTE, performance funding, and the distinction between the total appropriation and the recurring base budget. He noted that higher education is funded largely through state and local sources, with substantial flexibility compared with other state budgets, and that the base budget is heavily weighted toward lump-sum allocations to the public systems. The committee then heard a presentation from the University of South Florida’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida), led by retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie and USF representative Mark Walsh. They described Cyber Florida as a statewide cybersecurity platform created by the Legislature in 2014 to support education, research, workforce development, public policy, and community engagement. McKenzie emphasized the growing cyber threat environment, Florida’s leadership role, and several funded initiatives, including K-12 outreach, workforce training, a cyber range for county governments, critical infrastructure assessments, grant development, and public conferences and outreach. Members asked about public cyber awareness, the lack of a national cyber defense strategy, school district participation in Cyber Launch, and which counties are most at risk; McKenzie said smaller counties with limited cybersecurity staffing are generally more vulnerable and offered to provide follow-up information. Finally, the committee heard from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida, led by Dr. Drew Andrews, along with program and parent representatives from participating institutions. Andrews explained the center’s role in coordinating Florida’s postsecondary comprehensive transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities, supporting program development, distributing grants and scholarships, and monitoring outcomes. He reported that the state now has 33 approved programs at 35 institutions, including universities, state colleges, and technical colleges, and that scholarship and grant funding has grown significantly. He said student retention is about 88 percent, many graduates are employed, and median hourly earnings have increased over time. A representative from Southeastern University described how the center’s support helped build and sustain SEU Link, including a new third-year employment-focused option for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, that’s challenged with data centers and other things coming to the state.
• As you all know, you've tried to solve this workforce challenge.
• But I know it's a bigger challenge for the state.
• I think it's challenging because somebody has to finish second.
• Until and unless those move to another agency, we still have to do those things.

Summary: The LEAD Committee met with the Department of Commerce to review a high-level strategic plan for Oklahoma economic development. Commerce Director Bud presented a plan centered on the state’s competitive advantages: central location and logistics, low cost of doing business, energy availability, labor force, tax environment, and partnerships with tribes, local communities, universities, and workforce organizations. He said the agency must focus on industries where Oklahoma has a “right to win,” identifying aerospace and defense, energy, agribusiness, manufacturing, and cybersecurity as priority sectors, with other sectors such as transportation logistics, automotive, finance/shared services, federal offices, bioscience, and broader IT treated as secondary or longer-term opportunities. Members asked about workforce, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, incentives, research and development, housing, and how Commerce should stay focused on its core mission. Commerce said CareerTech remains a major asset, but the state needs better coordination among agencies, universities, and workforce partners. Officials also said entrepreneurship should be encouraged within target industries, infrastructure readiness should be mapped and aligned to industry needs, and incentives should be evaluated against total cost of operations rather than compared only on percentage terms. They noted that the Incentive Evaluation Commission is comparing Oklahoma’s incentives with other states and that closing deals begins early, with the right people and partners involved from the start. The discussion also emphasized the need for stronger statewide marketing, better use of regional development staff, more robust research/data capabilities, and a stronger international strategy. Legislators raised concerns about Commerce being tasked with programs outside its core mission, and Commerce said it must administer those programs unless the Legislature changes the law, though it would like to streamline and reallocate resources where possible. The meeting ended with broad support for the strategic direction, appreciation for Commerce’s work on recent projects, and adjournment without any formal vote or action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I want to emphasize, from my experience, Extremely challenging.
• Sprawl can be challenging.
• Sprawl can be challenging.
• We all agree that we need a solution to our housing affordability challenge.
• However, there are several challenges that I see with this bill right now.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 751, which would expand the STARS program for commercial roadway infrastructure reimbursement by raising the program’s cap from $35 million to $100 million and lowering the floor from $6 million to $5 million. Representative Monks explained that STARS allows developers to front infrastructure costs for commercial projects and be repaid from new sales tax generated by the development, with no cost to the state because it uses new revenue only. Senators asked about the 60% reimbursement rate and potential projects that could use the program. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1347, a transparency measure for federal homelessness and housing funds administered through the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, focused on the Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant programs. The sponsors said the bill would require annual reporting on who receives the grants, how the money is used, and what outcomes result, without changing funding levels. Testimony included support from transparency advocates and concerns from Senator Robbie and others that the bill could duplicate existing federal and IHFA audits and add unnecessary reporting burden; supporters responded that current reporting does not capture all desired outcome data. The committee approved the bill on a do-pass motion, with Senators Robbie and Taylor recorded as voting no. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 1352, a housing/zoning bill aimed at allowing starter-home subdivisions by limiting local minimum lot-size requirements in cities over 5,000 population while preserving local authority over building codes, infrastructure, and safety standards. Supporters argued the bill would reduce housing costs, expand supply, and help first-time buyers and seniors by enabling smaller lots and smaller homes; opponents from city and planning groups said it would override local control, lacked an income-based affordability requirement, and could create infrastructure and planning problems. After extensive testimony and debate, the initial motion to send the bill to the floor failed on a 4-5 roll call vote, and the committee then moved the bill to the 14th order for possible amendment. Senate Bill 1354 was held over until the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I am pleased to say that the agency is currently in the third RFP phase, and a That the agency is
• First, what are the challenges to do that?
• We had to cut her off because she wanted to continue because it’s like a challenge, a game-like challenge
• That's another challenge, right?
• That's another challenge, right?

Summary: The committee began with a presentation on the 520 Native American Language and Culture certificate, created to let proficient tribal language and culture speakers teach in K-12 schools without a bachelor’s degree. LESC staff, PED, and HED described the certificate’s statutory basis, the role of tribes and pueblos in setting proficiency standards, and ongoing challenges such as uneven MOAs, limited professional development, rural access barriers, data gaps, and retention concerns. PED said oversight of 520 is moving from the licensure bureau to the Indian Education Division, and HED reported that the tribal education technical assistance centers authorized in 2023 are still in procurement but are expected to be awarded in early 2026. A student, Alonzo Hughes, testified about how learning Tewa from 520-certified teachers helped him understand his culture and speak with elders, and members praised the program’s role in language revitalization and asked about funding, teacher pathways, and whether similar models exist in other states. Committee members then discussed several PED rule updates. Staff reviewed an adopted rule implementing HB 54 on AEDs and cardiac emergency response plans, including staff training requirements and staggered compliance dates, and a proposed rule for school nurse licensure under HB 195 that would create a three-tier system and align nurse pay with teacher pay. They also reviewed proposed changes to the Community Schools Act rule, including a full-time community school coordinator requirement, updated grant language, and broader coalition membership criteria; PED said the broader language would not conflict with the Martinez-Yazzie work. A proposed bilingual teacher rule would standardize coursework requirements, add trans-languaging and culturally relevant curriculum competencies, and allow Native American language certification applicants to demonstrate proficiency using tribal standards. In questions, members raised concerns about AEDs being present at athletic events, the need for the amended school nurse bill to move experienced nurses directly into higher levels, and whether the community schools rule’s broader coalition language could affect current education litigation. Members also asked about funding for 520 programs, teacher residency or cohort models, and how to support advanced language instruction and sustainability. PED said the Indian Education Fund and school budgets can support some of the work, but additional strategic funding and cross-training are needed. The committee also heard that New Mexico’s 520 system is unusually robust compared with other states, and members encouraged staff to present the model at national conferences. The meeting ended with the director’s report, which noted a flat budget request of $2,024,300, staff turnover including Natasha Davalos’s departure, and appreciation for the committee’s work before adjournment for the holidays.

Transcript Highlights:

• The movement of an agency or the work with an agency from one...
• The movement of an agency or the work with an agency from one agency to another would result in fiscal
• This has been a couple of challenging years.
• With these conditions, implementation of this legislation would be challenging.
• You know, it's been a very challenging couple of weeks, so I really appreciate you guys.

Bills: SB6339, SB6184, SB6224, SB6255, SB5977, SB5979, SB6249, SB6007, SB6186, SGA9299

Keywords: alternative placements, individual ownership, restrictive policies, healthcare, operational control, homeless youth, youth services, mental health, support programs, state law, behavioral health, children, support services, poverty reduction, intergenerational poverty, WorkFirst, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF, self-sufficiency, economic justice

Transcript Highlights:

• The economists from four agencies.
• This provides a little bit more detail, agency by agency, on the Executive Recommendation for FY27.
• Chairman, kind of goes through some of those agencies.
• You appropriate money to executive agencies.
• So we did prioritize a few agencies above, you know, kind of above a flat level, but for All agencies

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The agency is concerned with the bill and how it would affect our ability to respond to emergencies.
• </c> if um mdva has Authority as an agency if um mdva has Authority as an agency over<00:16:22.279><c
• Chair, the agency appreciates the language.
• So the agency appreciates the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• So the agency appreciates the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Kerr. Thank you, Mr.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you mentioned there's one that deals with challenges to signatures.
• I think you mentioned there's one that deals with challenges to signatures.
• And observers can be there to challenge processes and procedures.
• The law allows observers to challenge whether processes are being followed.
• So it would prohibit those challenges across the board? Correct.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on May 6, 2026, with a quorum present and heard one bill, SB 73. The author described the measure as a response to perceived threats to California elections, including restrictions on armed or non-uniformed personnel at polling places, protections for ballots and voting equipment, and limits on law enforcement access to election materials without a court order. The chair reviewed a set of agreed amendments, including removing a section conflicting with AB 1664, deleting proposed criminal penalties, clarifying the role of the Attorney General and Secretary of State, and refining language on signature challenges, law enforcement support, and certified voting technology. Supporters, including AAPI Force, CHIRLA, the League of Women Voters of California, and Common Cause, argued the bill would protect voters from intimidation and preserve election integrity. Opponents from CALA argued the bill was unnecessary, would hinder legitimate investigations, and reflected distrust of law enforcement and federal oversight. Committee discussion focused heavily on whether the bill was responding to real-world threats and on the ballot seizure in Riverside County. Members questioned how the measure would affect signature challenges, chain of custody, and investigations into possible fraud. The author and supporters said ballots should remain in election officials’ custody and that federal or local agents should not be able to interfere with election materials or intimidate voters. The chair and other members also discussed the urgency clause and the need to move the bill quickly despite the proximity of the June election. The committee voted to do pass and re-refer SB 73 to the Committee on Public Safety. The roll call initially showed the bill passing 5-1, then after the absent member arrived, the final vote was 6-2, and the bill was reported out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Deputy Associate commissioner of Authorizing and Policy at the agency.
• Many adult Texans are eager to work but face challenges because they don't have a high school diploma
• Uh, the committee sub removed GEDs from the program based upon stakeholder and agency feedback.
• to address the governance and operational challenges in Texas early childhood education system.
• Was that the data was all over the place and in many cases, the fact that we have different agencies

Bills: HB117

Keywords: county regulation, impervious cover, land use, unincorporated areas, environmental management

Transcript Highlights:

• Operations Agency.
• Each of these agencies has come up in the discussion.
• other agencies.
• Agency Council.
• Agency Council.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we work with any other government agencies like that or federal agencies?
• So your squirrels are also a huge challenge as well. Squirrels and rifles are huge challenges.
• They're actually probably a greater challenge than the cyber challenge at this point as well.
• agencies, because every interconnecting agency—most interconnecting agencies are developed particularly
• Are there any statutory challenges that preclude your agency from carrying out your duties to protect

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that might look like MassHire, MassAbilities, staffing agencies, or working with some of the local
• And we all know that well-trained officers are a value to any agency.
• One would be, should parole and community justice centers be combined into one agency?
• I know I can only speak for one of the larger agencies, UTEC.
• And I’m sure there are several grants in whether it’s a federal agency or a PPA that offers some sort

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on June 15 with Senators Brownsberger and Representative Hunt co-chairing. After deciding not to approve prior meeting notes at this session, the commission heard testimony from the Massachusetts Parole Officers Association (MPOA), represented by Brian Lucier and Shauna Hawksley. MPOA described its role across field offices, correctional facilities, and specialized units, and emphasized that parole officers provide community-based case management and reentry support by connecting people to housing, mental health, substance use treatment, employment, education, and public benefits. They argued that parole officers develop local expertise and relationships that improve referrals, and said there is room for better coordination with DOC and House of Correction reentry staff, especially because referrals are sometimes duplicated or need to be changed after release. They also noted the loss of reentry navigator positions in 2025 and said those functions would be more effective if positioned in the community rather than in custody. The MPOA also urged consideration of restoring regional reentry centers, which they said previously improved information sharing, reduced duplication, and strengthened reentry services. They contrasted those centers with Community Justice Support Centers, saying CJSCs can be hard to access because of location, transportation, and work-schedule conflicts, while parole’s former regional centers were referral-based and did not require regular attendance. Commission members asked about parole training, arrest authority, POST/MPTC participation, and revocations. MPOA said new officers receive about 500 hours of parole-specific academy training plus firearms, defensive tactics, and first-responder instruction, but parole is not currently tied into MPTC because it is not POST-certified. They also said they do not have data on what proportion of revocations are driven by public-safety threats versus barriers like housing or employment, but anecdotally revocations are now less often for first-time technical or treatment-related issues and more often for conduct posing a community risk. In the discussion of next steps, members talked about extending the commission’s reporting deadline from September 30 to November 30 through the pending budget, finishing remaining DOC facility visits in the fall, and holding additional meetings on mental health and other unresolved issues. Several members said the commission should continue trying to engage the judiciary and district attorneys, while recognizing that participation may be difficult to secure. The meeting ended with agreement to adjourn and continue the work later in the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• My agency.
• We're issuing that out to agencies, and agencies are using that to make their PDFs more compliant.
• So the challenge that we frequently run into is agencies, as they get these tools, the question a lot
• So the challenge that we frequently run into is agencies as they get these this is our funding model.
• So the challenge that we frequently run into is agencies as they get these tools, the question a lot

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> it doesn't allow the agency flexibility. it doesn't allow the agency flexibility.
• So the challenge I I totally will be.
• Wyoming</c> biggest challenges that Wyoming biggest challenges that Wyoming communities<01:13:05.120
• </c><01:28:10.320><c> or</c> are economic development agencies or are economic development agencies or
• That is that is the challenge. Um, real. That is that is the challenge.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So here comes part of the frustrating challenge, I guess.
• It's provided information to agencies, communication experts, and PIOs. ...to agencies, communication
• We run into some challenges.
• It's being managed by some agency. So I...
• It's being managed by some agency. So I... It's being managed by some agency.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this bill this bill resolves a challenge this bill this bill resolves a challenge over<00:24:13.799
• He said one of the challenges they have is getting...
• </c><00:49:06.359><c> that</c> becom an EMT one of the challenges that becom an EMT one of the challenges
• </c> there's a lot of Workforce challenges there's a lot of Workforce challenges and<00:52:58.280><c>
• </c> volunteerism is a significant challenge volunteerism is a significant challenge in<01:01:51.960>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I do think that it is a challenging option.
• The whole country to understand this challenge.
• But the price challenges remain.
• And I think that is going to be an ongoing challenge.
• We have significant challenges with U.S. icebreaking.

Keywords: Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes

Summary: The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's institutional differences from agency to agency.
• to</c><00:17:25.560><c> agency.
• </c><00:17:26.160><c> So,</c> differences from agency to agency.
• So, differences from agency to agency.
• The various roles of state agencies with respect to WAV transportation, the process and challenges associated

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a challenge for Washington State.
• It's a challenge for, as you can see, the country as a whole.
• How do we build on that good work is the challenge for us? So let's move.
• And that's a real challenge here. And I've got five minutes. Okay.
• Last year, our agency received over 136,000 calls.

Bills: SB5979, SB6308, SB6319

Keywords: opioids, substance abuse, dependent children, child welfare, caregiver substance use, court orders, shelter care, judicial discretion, family law, early childhood, family services, diversion programs, court-ordered assessments, 904, all