Transcript Highlights:

• community by serving on the local school community by serving on the local school council<00:08:
• who inhabit the valver uh Unified School who inhabit the valver uh Unified School District<00:12
• generation college and law school generation college and law school graduate<00:18:12.520> after
• H and Naomi D go Elementary School H and Naomi D go Elementary School located<02:37:29.200> in
• functionally functionally have<03:38:42.239> by<03:38:42.319> the<03:38:42.439> end

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, February 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• DPI does not track school meal debt at the individual school level.
• do in schools.
• And I'm sure this happens at other schools, other elementary schools as well.
• kids in school, but there certainly are hungry kids going to school.
• other schools?

Summary: The committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with the statewide Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and OMB reported a clean, unmodified opinion for the state, with strong financial results including a $40.6 billion net position, $30.99 billion in assets, $1.81 billion in liabilities, and continued Legacy Fund growth. OMB also explained the new GASB 101 compensated-absences reporting change and discussed pension-liability fluctuations tied to discount-rate assumptions and investment performance. Members asked about how the state compares to others and about the effect of short-term commodity price swings, and OMB said the report reflects actual fiscal-year results rather than forecasts. The committee then heard the University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund revenue, insufficient monitoring of service organizations at CTS, NDSU, and UND, improper bank reconciliations at Dakota College of Bottineau, Dickinson State, and Williston State, and investment/cash reconciliation problems at Bismarck State College related to bond proceeds. University officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations. Members raised questions about NDSU’s use of certificates of deposit, and university staff explained that CDs are used to earn interest on funds being accumulated for future projects. Several other audits were presented, most with clean opinions and no findings, including the State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Notable exceptions included a State Fair Association audit with an adverse opinion on the foundation component unit because its financial statements were not available for audit, and a Securities Department performance audit finding that performance-based pay increases and bonuses were issued without required evaluations. The committee also discussed the State Auditor’s future needs, including more staff capacity, data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, possible subpoena authority, independent legal counsel, and whether some audits—such as the Ethics Commission and State Fair—should be handled by independent third parties or under different statutory arrangements.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:36:06.880> and still performing their function and still performing their function and
• explicitly excludes school bill explicitly excludes school buildings,<00:58:24.319> town<00:58
• board in a cooperative the the school board in a cooperative school<02:46:55.600> district<02
• years even the select board the school years even the select board the school years<02:51:41.920
• municipalities in multiple school municipalities in multiple school districts.<02:58:27.520>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as they were prescribed to function.
• I paid my way through school.
• That is not how a democracy is supposed to function.
• Is the function of government to squash the life out of its citizens?
• And y'all learned in Sunday school that your neighbors, not so much the...

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting held its first regional hearing, focused on South and Central Texas, including Bexar County, Travis County, and the Rio Grande Valley. After establishing a quorum, the committee adopted its rules on a 6-3 roll-call vote, with Senators Alvarado and Miles voting no. Chair Phil King explained the regional-hearing format, the use of 2020 census data, the online testimony process, and the availability of written comments and future hearings. Several members then gave opening remarks, with Republicans emphasizing public input and Democrats arguing the special session and mid-decade redistricting were unnecessary and aimed at minority districts. A major procedural issue arose over whether the committee should invite or subpoena the DOJ attorney who authored the July 7 letter that prompted the redistricting discussion. Senator Miles moved to subpoena the attorney; the motion was seconded but then set aside after the chair said the committee could not take formal action on a non-procedural matter during a regional hearing under the adopted rules. The chair said he would consult legal counsel about issuing an invitation, and members discussed the August 7 deadline referenced in the DOJ letter. The committee then moved on to public testimony. Witnesses, including Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, law professor Ellen Katz, and Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe, argued that the DOJ letter misread the law and that the targeted districts were lawful opportunity or coalition districts. They said the Fifth Circuit’s Pettway decision was limited to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and did not declare coalition districts unconstitutional, and they cited Bartlett v. Strickland as warning against intentionally dismantling effective minority districts. Garcia and Bledsoe said the hearing was politically motivated and would harm Black and Latino representation; Katz said Texas would act illegally if it followed the DOJ letter’s instructions. Members asked questions about the legal status of coalition districts, the 2021 map-drawing process, and the difference between opportunity, coalition, and crossover districts. The hearing continued with additional public witnesses, including labor representative Emily Amps, who said workers and communities of color were being harmed by the proposed redistricting effort.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:53:47.040> I talented high school artists. I talented high school artists.
• <01:55:13.520> in Harper Creek High School in Harper Creek High School in 2015.<01:55:15.520
• rushed to the scene and for the school rushed to the scene and for the school staff,<02:15:12.800
• And in so functions.
• our spending is functionally borrowed. our spending is functionally borrowed.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 1, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the bridge bill that looks at CTE and special purpose schools.
• Basically, as a lot of you know, there's a partnership school there that was started in 2015.
• And so there's already a functioning assistance in place. The vendors are already approved.
• <00:07:28.240> in of starting to build a high school in of starting to build a high school
• <00:09:25.200> The functioning assistance in place. The functioning assistance in place.

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 216, 3 March, 2026; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first considered a strike-all related to the Mississippi Upskill Grant Program and a K-12 bridge bill tied to CTE and special purpose schools. Members discussed the alignment of workforce and career-technical education from pre-K through higher education. Senator Hopson moved to add a reverse repealer, which was adopted, and the strike-all was then passed as amended and forwarded to appropriations. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1488, which would authorize the University of Southern Mississippi to sell or enter into a long-term lease for university property in Hattiesburg. Senator Johnson explained that the roughly 600-acre tract, gifted in the 1920s and formerly used as a golf course, has a master plan for redevelopment; the bill would streamline the sale process while preserving requirements such as two appraisals and IHL approval. After questions about the acreage and safeguards, the bill was passed as amended and sent to appropriations. Members also approved a strike-all addressing financial literacy requirements for colleges and universities, including added content on mortgages and real estate, and then passed House Bill 1495, a companion to Senate Bill 2238, allowing Mississippi State University and the Oktibbeha County school district to co-mingle funds by mutual agreement for their partnership school/high school project. Finally, House Bill 1582 on community college energy performance contracts was discussed at length; the chair said it needed further vetting by the public property committee, so the committee added a reverse repealer and passed the bill as amended. The meeting ended with a rise and report.

Transcript Highlights:

• California enrolls a much larger share of recent high school graduates in community colleges than other
• You can walk straight in and be accepted, whether you have your high school degree, are seeking a GED
• You can walk straight in and be accepted, whether you have your high school degree, are seeking a GED
• They are not your 18-year-old coming out of high school.
• But, as has been mentioned earlier in this hearing, not all schools recognize TAG.

Summary: The committee held an oversight hearing on a state audit examining California’s community college transfer process and whether streamlining it could improve access to bachelor’s degrees. Opening remarks from legislators emphasized that California’s transfer system is central to equity and workforce development, but that only about one in five transfer-intending community college students complete a transfer within four years. Members highlighted disparities by race, region, campus, and major, and pointed to confusion created by differing requirements across the UC, CSU, and community college systems, including limits and inconsistencies in the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), TAG, and major-specific prerequisites. State Auditor’s staff said the audit found that while UC and CSU systemwide enroll more transfer students than the Master Plan target, individual campuses and high-demand STEM programs often do not. The audit identified barriers including unclear and varying course requirements, limited counseling and education plans, insufficient counselor staffing at some campuses, and weak equity plans. It also found that many students never even apply because they do not accumulate enough units or cannot navigate the process. The auditor described examples where transfer students with strong preparation were denied at selective campuses and noted that articulation alignment across systems remains limited. Representatives from UC, CSU, and the Community Colleges responded that transfer remains a top priority and described ongoing reforms. UC cited a new public dashboard, data-sharing agreements, new transfer pathways, and an ADT pilot at UCLA, while saying campus-level capacity and program differences limit how much can be standardized from the system office. CSU said it admits more than 90% of eligible transfer applicants, is expanding transfer planning tools and direct outreach, and is implementing SB 640’s Transfer Success Pathway Program. Community Colleges said transfer reform must focus on clearer credit mobility, more consistent articulation, and broader ADT adoption. Members pressed the systems on inconsistent major requirements, the need for better coordination, and whether campuses are fully prioritizing transfer students; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• took the next step in a school took the next step in a school construction<00:09:29.360> and<
• school debt program construction and school debt program set<00:09:32.400> to<00:09:32.520>
• Maybe that's a regional high school. school. school.
• Or maybe that's two elementary schools Or maybe that's two elementary schools that<00:10:02.960>
• And we've asked the school construction division of AOE and the school construction advisory board to

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The caucus of the whole received an update from Representative Kornheiser on House Bill 955, focusing on the Ways and Means amendment and how it aligns with Act 73 and the House Education Committee’s broader education transformation work. She said the amendment was assembled from separate pieces developed earlier in the session and covers three main areas: planned property tax updates, steps needed for the future education finance system and foundation formula, and policy changes to support collaborative education service agencies and district mergers. She emphasized that the bill is aimed at the future state of the system, with many provisions tied to later effective dates and pending reports. Kornheiser described the property tax provisions as further defining the new non-homestead/second-home classification so the Tax Department can continue form development and data collection before rates are set, and she said the bill also advances regional assessment districts and a more regular reappraisal cycle. On education finance, she said the amendment adds school construction and school debt provisions, reserve guidance, pre-K funding study language, special education funding protections, and transportation-related follow-up work so those pieces can fit the foundation formula. She also framed the bill as reducing cost drivers in the system, citing health care savings, reference-based pricing, mental health coordination, special education scale, deferred maintenance, and larger-scale school organization. During questions, members asked about merger support funding, transportation timelines, private equity ownership of school transportation, tuition restrictions for approved independent and public schools, and the timing and finality of the second-home tax definitions. Staff explained that merger support would be reimbursed through AOE for committee expenses and would not count against excess spending thresholds, that transportation and other grant categories will be addressed in future reports and decisions, and that the transportation study does not explicitly name private equity but could encompass staffing and cost issues. They also confirmed that the tuition-related provisions apply to approved independent, in-state public, and out-of-state public schools receiving tuition, but only when the foundation formula takes effect. No votes were taken during the caucus; the update was informational, with the bill noted as having been referred to Appropriations and expected to come up for action later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• So one of the things that we're doing is that we actually, each recruiter goes out to high schools and
• I'll be extremely brief with, with each of you, uh, just to let you know what our function is.
• Here in Texas, there are 148 of us and what our function is, is to inform employers and.
• Never left, stayed, went to school here. I've been here 56 years now.
• And so first one was in high school graduation. Second one was during college.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Zoom chat function is for those that need technical issues only, so please utilize the chat function
• The Zoom chat function is for those that need technical issues only, so please utilize the chat function
• The Zoom chat function is for those that need technical issues only, so please utilize the chat function
• The Zoom chat function is for those that need technical issues only, so please utilize the chat function
• Mahalo. needs to achieve are Farm to school needs to achieve are Farm to school goals<00:23:53.720>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we cannot have any more long-term admissions at any school. So we have to train.
• So you won't be entitled to, if, to a school, but you're entitled to ICF services, To a school, but you're
• And then return-to-rights to Rainier School. Permanent rulemaking right now is underway.
• So we did an emergency admission at Rainier School for two weeks, and now we'll be moving him out.
• I mean, obviously, Rainier School, it's not a school. It's not an educational facility.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy update on Washington child welfare from Casey Family Programs and DCYF. Dr. David Sanders said Washington has sharply reduced out-of-home care and increased kinship placements, but he flagged concerns about low screening-in rates, long stays in foster care for many children, and a recent rise in repeat maltreatment and child fatalities, especially among infants. He urged more focus on infants and young children, better coordination among child protection, health care, and law enforcement, and more proactive review and investigation practices. Members asked for disaggregated data on children lingering in care, fatalities, and causes such as fentanyl exposure. DCYF said it has increased relative placements and guardianships, but also reported a concerning rise in 2025 critical incidents, mostly near-fatalities involving children age three and under, many opioid-related. The department described responses including safe child consults for opioid cases, more training, hotspot analysis, and proposed investments in peer support, public health nurses, community referrals, and an updated safety framework. Members also discussed whether a broader commission on child abuse prevention would be useful, and DCYF said it was open to that idea. The committee then received a DSHS reorganization update from Secretary Angela Ramirez, who described the “Reimagined” plan to consolidate four administrations into three new ones, with the stated goals of reducing silos, improving customer experience, and making transitions between services smoother. She said the agency is seeking statutory changes and CMS approval to align the new structure, and members asked about preparing for federal HR1 impacts, especially SNAP. Ramirez said DSHS is monitoring those impacts closely and emphasized the need for accurate data and cross-agency coordination. Finally, DSHS’s Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration updated the committee on residential habilitation centers and implementation of Substitute Senate Bill 5393, which phases out Rainier School by June 30, 2027 and limits new admissions. Officials reported current census and staffing levels at the state’s RHCs, said Rainier has had some residents transition to supported living or adult family homes, and explained that emergency and permanent rulemaking was needed to implement the law. They also said Rainier was recently cited by federal surveyors for not meeting the active treatment requirement for two residents, and that the facility has 90 days to return to compliance before possible payment penalties or further remedies. Members pressed for details on the citation, the meaning of active treatment, the assessment process for admissions, and whether Rainier could be repurposed for other services; DSHS said it is working on corrective action and will follow up in writing.

Transcript Highlights:

• that may not be at their core function that may not be at their core function of<00:17:52.400>
• this where we cannot find a functional this where we cannot find a functional substitute<00:25:09.279
• We have the u we have a function.
• > so<00:32:20.559> important our function is so important our function is so important
• The functions have measure measures.

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 409, 12 January, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee held its first meeting under its new Government Structure Committee name and began by electing Senator Chris Johnson as secretary. The chair explained the committee’s purpose as improving efficiency, effectiveness, and stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and said members had asked statewide officials and agencies for ideas on streamlining government and reducing costs. Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gibson testified at length about ways his agency has found efficiencies, especially after the COVID-era consolidation of three agencies into one. He said state procurement and construction rules can add major time and cost to projects, citing a proposed $300,000 building that grew to about $1 million through the state process. He recommended raising repair and quote thresholds, streamlining construction procedures, reconsidering restrictions on payments between state agencies, and allowing more flexibility for agencies to help one another when authorized. Members questioned Gibson about the repair caps, the construction cost increase, Ticketmaster and other technology/vendor arrangements, and whether agencies should have more decentralized control over contracts. The chair and several senators agreed the committee should examine red tape, vendor relationships, and procurement rules, and Gibson said he would provide more information and work with the committee. No formal legislation was acted on in the portion provided. The transcript then shifted to testimony from the Insurance Commissioner, who said his department is heavily affected by IT and board structure issues and oversees 17 boards. He urged consolidation of some boards, criticized the effects of SB 2362 on special-fund agencies, and said the State Fire Academy and other operations have been constrained by general-fund treatment and limited authority. He also discussed insurance-rate pressures, including projected premium increases, wind pool rate concerns on the Gulf Coast, and the need for mitigation to stabilize costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're five months into this, and every one of our five schools has an attendance team that's functionally
• schools.
• schools.
• schools.
• handbook uh that all of our schools handbook uh that all of our schools function<01:02:59.240>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• All 171 of our school districts and all KDE agencies, including Kentucky School for the Deaf and Blind
• School KDA agencies including Kentucky School for<00:27:49.520> the<00:27:49.600> Deaf
• with the services we provide to school with the services we provide to school districts. districts
• Automation would be separate as far as K-12 schools. It's focusing on K-12 schools.
• We cannot put our school fixed.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Commonwealth Office of Technology 00:01:00 Department of Education 00:21:00 Transportation Cabinet 00:35:30 Secretary of State 00:45:15 Cabinet for Health and Family Services 00:56:11 Discussion of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Related legislation 01:09:11, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then focused first on the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s legacy systems and two specific projects. COT officials said many agencies have made progress moving off legacy applications, with remaining mainframe systems slated to be retired through RFPs or other work orders. They also described a legacy funding pool of $10 million per biennium used to help agencies transition. The two projects discussed were the Kentucky aerial photography and elevation data program, which provides statewide aerial imagery and lidar data for GIS, E911, environmental, transportation, and other uses, and a citizen identity and access management system intended to give residents a single login for state services. Officials said the GIS program costs about $1.2 million annually to host and maintain, with data acquisition costing several million more per year, and that the citizen identity system would cost about $2.5 million per year after an initial three-year COT investment. Members asked about duplication of funding, licensing, local government use, and whether multi-factor authentication would be required; COT said the GIS data is being acquired as statewide unlicensed data and that MFA would be available but not yet mandated statewide. Committee members pressed COT on costs, overlap with cabinet-level IT spending, and the practical benefits of the GIS and identity projects. COT explained that GIS hosting is generally covered through enterprise assessments billed quarterly to agencies, while the new aerial data is intended to benefit the whole state and local partners. On the identity project, officials said it would centralize authentication for citizens who use state systems, improve compliance with zero-trust and NIST-related security expectations, and reduce help desk and maintenance burdens through self-service account tools. Members also discussed whether the system would extend to local governments; COT said it would be a Kentucky.gov-style state login for users inside the state identity infrastructure, not a local-government system. The Department of Education then testified that it does not operate mainframes or major legacy systems, having moved long ago to cloud-based, off-the-shelf products and vendor-supported services. KDE officials described a strong emphasis on staff cybersecurity awareness, standardized statewide systems, vendor risk-sharing, and reducing sensitive data exposure, including efforts to move away from student Social Security numbers. They also highlighted a transition from Microsoft Active Directory to Identity Automation, which they said will improve identity management and make multi-factor authentication universal across K-12. In response to questions about Kentucky Wired and internet service, KDE said all 171 school districts and KDE agencies have been moved to a new next-generation internet service through ENA by Zayo, with strong satisfaction, e-rate savings, and better reliability. Officials warned that any internet disruption would immediately affect attendance, grades, student records, payroll, security systems, and communications across the K-12 system.

Transcript Highlights:

• But this history center also has area schools.
• But this history center also has area schools.
• c> their schools, regional schools have their schools, regional schools have their students<00:20
• <00:37:06.000> making public and private schools making public and private schools making
• <01:03:50.319> under how regional models can function under how regional models can function

Bills: HF3700, HF3982, HF3927, HF3933, HF3949, HF4238, HF4275, HF4476, HF4504

Keywords: Duluth, Lake Superior Zoo, capital improvements, funding, bonds, appropriations, capital investment, port development, grant caps, state assistance, navigation facilities, Dakota County, state bonds, park improvements, infrastructure, transportation, safety, congestion, water infrastructure, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• We do, you know, over 200 school districts or 200 schools, including charter schools and school districts
• You have to realize our school is a high-poverty school, and historically those students don't do as
• One of our schools made it to a C this year.
• These were private dollars that were provided to the school? Are these school operational funds?
• Congratulations to those school districts.

Summary: The committee met to review education audit reports and heard responses from several school districts with findings. Camden Fairview School District was cited for using operating funds for an end-of-year employee awards banquet and for unauthorized credit card charges that caused a small loss; district officials said the current administration had strengthened controls, stopped the banquet practice, and improved monthly credit card reconciliation. Members questioned whether the prior officials were still employed, whether the credit card issue was an outside hack, and how teacher appreciation could continue without using district funds. Forest City School District was cited for spending about $33,000 on an off-campus staff celebration and entertainment event; district representatives said the money came from long-standing Pepsi-related donation funds, that the event was intended to recognize staff and growth, and that they would change practices and receive training going forward. Members discussed whether those funds were private donations or operational funds, and staff said the district’s accounting treatment made them subject to the constitutional restriction at issue. The committee also reviewed several other findings. Conway School District was referred for an ongoing investigative report involving misuse of district funds and resources by former maintenance employees. Magnolia School District had undeposited activity funds totaling more than $21,000, tied to a resigned high school secretary and sponsor receipts not deposited. Westside School District had about $30,000 in credit card charges lacking documentation or business purpose, including charges by the superintendent, personal purchases, and items shipped to personal addresses; the matter was referred to the prosecuting attorney. Boonville School District was cited for paying a board member’s son more than the statutory limit for seasonal groundskeeping without the required exemption, and DESE later denied the exemption request. After discussing those cases, the committee filed the remaining eight findings en masse and then filed the 89 reports with no findings. Members noted that most school districts audited had clean reports and encouraged districts to continue good practices while learning from the findings discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any of us who work with the functioning.
• But it didn’t happen, I don’t believe, as a function. >> Yeah.
• . function. function.
• We've had more success with students going to the USNH schools than the community college systems.
• ,<00:42:46.400> you ready to commit to going to school, you ready to commit to going to school

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met on December 19, 2025, approved the draft minutes from the November 21 regular meeting, and received a DHS commissioners update. Patricia Tilly reported on the state’s rural health transformation application, saying CMS had provided only one question and positive feedback, that the final federal award amount was still pending, and that DHS was preparing an accept-and-expend item for fiscal review using an up-to amount. She also said the new Hampstead YDC facility remains on track, with substantive construction expected by late summer 2026 and move-in likely in early January 2027. In response to questions, she confirmed the playground/outdoor activity area had been in the original design and was added when funding became available. Henry Litman, Medicaid director, discussed the Senate Bill 248 study committee report on palliative and hospice care. He explained the distinction between palliative care, which can be provided while a patient still seeks curative treatment, and hospice care, which involves electing not to pursue curative services. He said the committee’s work pointed to a need for better education for providers and the public, and described ongoing conversations with the Foundation for Healthy Communities and Home Health and Hospice about developing materials and possibly addressing how palliative services are bundled. He also said the study committee itself did not generate future legislation, though members could pursue it separately. Litman then answered questions about Medicaid eligibility and long-term services and supports, including delays in processing, the backlog from pandemic-era redeterminations, and efforts to speed reviews. He said the department is using temporary staffing funded in part by last session’s legislation, working with the New Hampshire Healthcare Association, counties, and UNH Law to streamline policy and training, and relying more on electronic asset verification while still guarding against improper asset transfers. He emphasized the goal of balancing faster access to benefits with compliance and fraud prevention. Robert Rodler followed with the annual tuition waiver update for children in foster care or guardianship. He reported 82 applicants and 65 waivers granted, including 35 for USNH schools and 30 for the community college system, and noted a correction would be issued for inaccurate continuing/new student figures in the report. Senator Gray said he intends to pursue a separate budget appropriation for these tuition waiver costs in the future so the funding would be clearly identified and easier to track. No additional votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think a well-functioning P3 model would greatly benefit cities.
• But you are functioning on a Chapter 2267A. No, 2267A was not passed.
• These are things like medicine, school supplies, and clothing.
• Aggregated smart devices can function as virtual power plants.
• You can drive a school bus in and plug it in to provide resilient power that will keep a school operating

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Civil immigration enforcement is a federal function.
• And those who know me know I like to give little tours to school kids regularly in this chamber.
• We see families disengaged from schools, from work, from hospitals, and from the courts.
• They're focused so much on protecting their students. to ICE in the schools.
• For many students, school is the most or only space of normalcy that they have left.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House first handled several routine matters, including adoption of a birthday resolution honoring Caroline San Martino Moran and suspension of Joint Rule 12 to allow consideration of a petition involving the City of Waltham and the Veterans Memorial Rink. It also advanced two local bills: one authorizing DCAMM to release a sewer line easement in West Roxbury, and another relative to the town administrator of Carlisle. Both bills were amended by Ways and Means and ordered to third reading or engrossed as amended. The chamber also passed a memorial-marker bill for fallen law enforcement officers in Milton and Canton. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 5305, the “Protect Act,” which was presented as a measure to limit state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement, restrict ICE access in courthouses and other sensitive locations, strengthen notice and language-access protections for detainees and workers, and expedite U and T visa certifications. Supporters, including members of the Black and Latino Caucus and other legislators, argued the bill would protect due process, encourage victims and witnesses to come forward, preserve public trust, and keep local police focused on criminal matters. They cited courthouse arrests, fear in immigrant communities, and the need for clearer boundaries between state and federal authority. Several amendments were offered and voted on during consideration of H.5305. An amendment to strike Section 4 was rejected, as were amendments seeking to alter the courthouse enforcement provisions and to recognize immigration judge warrants. Other amendments were adopted, including one clarifying sheriff-related provisions, one expanding language around release dates, one adding protections related to school settings, and one expediting U visa certification for family members aging out. A roll call was taken on the bill and on multiple amendments, with the House ultimately adopting the amendments described and continuing consideration of the bill as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• They recruit local high school-age kids, train them.
• He went to school. He had a family.
• He went to school, and he gave a shout-out for all that, so thank you.
• . ...with the MBA for the Anderson School at UNM.
• And it does have that function.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Environment Department on PFAS contamination in private wells in La Cienega, Santa Fe County. Staff said the plume likely came from historic use of firefighting foam associated with airport and National Guard fire-training activities, with possible additional contribution from septic systems and consumer products. They described the contamination as affecting about 200 private wells, the short-term response of providing residential filters through a $2 million legislative appropriation, and ongoing work to define the plume’s full extent, identify responsible parties, and consider longer-term regional water solutions. Members asked about filter costs, replacement schedules, disposal of used cartridges, follow-up testing, health studies, and whether cleanup or containment had begun; the department said cleanup would follow once the plume is fully mapped and that DOH is soliciting interest in a blood study. The committee also discussed the need to track disposal of PFAS filters and the possibility of broader statewide capacity for similar work. The committee then took up abandoned uranium mine cleanup. NMED and EMNRD staff reviewed the new uranium mine reclamation program created by HB 164, the state dashboard tracking sites, and the FY26 appropriation of $20 million for neglected contaminated sites, of which $12 million is being used for neglected uranium mines and the remainder for other contaminated sites. They said six contractors were hired, three priority sites in Grant County are moving forward quickly, and additional sites are being prepared for possible FY27 work. Members pressed for details on how funds are spent, why the revolving fund remains unfunded, how federal, state, tribal, and landowner requirements are coordinated, where contaminated material will be moved, and whether cleanup could also address homes built with contaminated materials. Staff said the work is governed by multiple regulatory layers, that the state is seeking an additional $25 million for FY27-FY28 plus a time extension, and that partnerships with tribes would require longer-term agreements. The committee also discussed federal cleanup efforts and the new Good Samaritan law, with members urging stronger advocacy for New Mexico sites, including tribal lands, and asking whether the Attorney General should pursue legal action against federal parties responsible for legacy contamination. Staff explained that some sites are already covered by settlement funds tied to responsible parties, while neglected sites are those with no responsible party and no other cleanup program. The committee then heard from EMNRD on Class VI carbon sequestration primacy. Staff said New Mexico currently has no operating Class VI wells, about 27 Class II acid-gas injection wells are operating, and only a small number might be candidates for conversion. They explained that the state’s primacy application would require more public outreach than federal rules alone, and that cost estimates for post-injection site care are based on long planning horizons, with some costs borne by operators and some by the state after closure. No votes were taken on the substantive items discussed; the committee approved the prior meeting minutes and took a brief recess between presentations.