Transcript Highlights:

• >> Dams, like for holding back water. >> Dams, D-A-M. >> The dams.
• First Senator Gray and Senator Waters. Then President Carson.
• Thank you. >> Senator Waters. >> Thank you, Mr.
• Senator Rosenwald and Senator Waters. >> Thank you.
• up in the that's now being tested up in the Dartmouth area.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee opened by approving the May 15 minutes and then recognized Pam Ellis for her long service with the Legislative Budget Assistant’s office and upcoming retirement. The committee adopted the consent calendar with two items removed for separate consideration, then approved transfers for the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Environmental Services after questions about court benefit costs and dam project funding. The Department of Health and Human Services also received approval for a general fund transfer item. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Youth Development Center settlement fund. New administrator Jared Boyle, joined by the Attorney General, described the fund’s remaining caseload, the payment matrix, and the need for additional funding to begin hearings in August. Members raised concerns about administrative costs, attorneys’ fees, payday loans, structured settlements, and the long-term fiscal impact on the state. Boyle requested $55 million, but the committee ultimately approved a reduced appropriation of $20 million, with members noting the possibility of returning for more funding later depending on revenues and the October revenue review. The Department of Corrections then received approval for a smaller shortfall transfer and a larger overtime-related transfer, with officials citing a 52% corrections officer vacancy rate, ongoing recruitment, academy classes, and efforts to use civilian staff in some non-security roles. A late item from the Veterans Home was also approved to cover overtime, holiday pay, and indirect cost shortfalls within its existing budget. The committee then heard an informational presentation on implementation of Senate Bill 134 and the new federal Medicaid work-requirement rule. DHHS said it plans to submit a state plan amendment, seek approval for hardship exceptions, start with one eligibility check cycle, and use existing federal grant funding to make system changes. Finally, the committee received a performance audit of the Doorway opioid treatment program, which found weak written procedures, incomplete data use, reimbursement delays, and problems with the Governor’s Commission on Addiction Treatment and Prevention. Members discussed follow-up reporting, and the next Fiscal Committee meeting was scheduled for August 21 at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're testing my ADHD. OK. I want to give a top note.
• You're testing my ADHD. OK. I want to give a top note. Here's what you started with.
• bodies of water.
• There are many bodies of water.
• And frankly, many students, even despite being close to water, don't have access to water safety instruction

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• state, as well as managing water quality for the state's water system.
• EPA granted us primacy to enforce drinking water standards and we regulate over 7,000 and public water
• Committee and this legislature does for water and produced water will be very, very important for the
• to deal with water in this state, and particularly flow back. water is really important to this to this
• In the water production business, and you get some oil and gas on the side because you produce more water

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You get your water from the Mississippi River.
• All of the drinking water and irrigation—you get your water from the Mississippi River. We do not.
• No, it's not within the Safe Drinking Water Act. Okay.
• The whole goal is governed under the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect the drinking water.”
• If the pressure test is not high enough, the line is limited by the pressure test divided by the safety

Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• relate to water purity.
• So who would or what agency would oversee the tests?
• When it comes to water quality, There are federal and state standards for what is considered water quality
• As we move into our water, you got to think for a moment.
• Myself and my sister, we had to be tested since we turned 40.

Bills: HB 1500, HJR 7, HJR 112, HB 34, HB 133, HB 112, HB 119, HB 128, HB 130, HB 132, HB 2756, HB 166, HB 406, HB 186, HB 271, HB 331, HB 380, HB 1583, HB 1584, HB 1819, HB 621, HB 303, HB 552, HB 366, HB 463, HB 1211, HB 1327, HB 1461, HB 923, HB 1760, HB 2043, HB 2467, HB 5333, HB 5265, HB 1592, HB 1576, HB 1552, HB 2018, HB 3511, HB 1781, HB 2013, HB 2340, HB 2349, HB 2508, HB 2970, HB 2520, HB 865, HB 2851, HB 3385, HB 3336, HB 3529, HB 3309, HB 1127, HB 1232, HB 1397, HB 4236, HB 1804, HB 1926, HB 4041, HB 1965, HB 1964, HB 2679, HB 2730, HB 3698, HB 3699, HCR 77, HB 3354, HB 163, HB 201, HB 272, HB 333, HB 405, HB 519, HB 569, HB 654, HB 694, HB 791, HB 1006, HB 1136, HB 1240, HB 1266, HB 1275, HB 1437, HB 1532, HB 1675, HB 1842, HB 1868, HB 1888, HB 1894, HB 1943, HB 1990, HB 2029, HB 2061, HB 2286, HB 2523, HB 2622, HB 2626, HB 2652, HB 2692, HB 2842, HB 2885, HB 2914, HB 3016, HB 3096, HB 3129, HB 3248, HB 3251, HB 3255, HB 3479, HB 3611, HB 3623, HB 3701, HB 3724, HB 3803, HB 3804, HB 3805, HB 3806, HB 3810, HB 3816, HB 3832, HB 3887, HB 4127, HB 4129, HB 4130, HB 4131, HB 4163, HB 4187, HB 4229, HB 4238, HB 4454, HB 4588, HB 4643, HB 4736, HB 4738, HB 4739, HB 4945, HB 5015, HB 5616, SB 767, SB 1619, SB 1738, HJR 5, HJR 2, HB 1399, HB 388, HB 114, HB 205, HB 2789, HB 2791, HB 499, HB 2960, HB 3163, HB 3135, HB 2427, HB 1672, HB 1722, HB 2618, HB 879, HB 1126, HB 4134, HB 3513, HB 1445, HB 1893, HB 1734, HB 3229, HB 3306, HB 1276, HB 3516, HB 4145, HB 1585, HB 4810, HB 2558, HB 2742, HB 1695, HB 33, HB 144, HB 109, HB 103, HB 148, HB 3809, HB 2217, HB 220, HB 2421, HB 2363, HB 421, HB 2455, HB 3711, HB 2559, HB 2775, HB 3126, HB 3666, HB 3595, HB 3260, HB 3376, HB 3826, HB 3770, HB 1831, HB 2614, HB 3113, HB 322, HB 431, HB 869, HB 1203, HB 1244, HB 1875, HB 1950, HB 2152, HB 2341, HB 2809, HB 2856, HB 3012, SB 1415, SB 1058, SB 487, SB 1499, SB 513, SB 1697, SB 1197, SB 1437, SB 1809, SB 836, SB 1879, SB 1145, SB 963, SB 1038, SB 1147, SB 914, SB 711, SB 1409, HB 3707, HB 589, HB 1360, HB 2337, HB 2391, HB 718, HB 23, HB 2436, HB 1500, HJR 7, HJR 112, HB 34, HB 133, HB 112, HB 119, HB 128, HB 130, HB 132, HB 2756, HB 166, HB 406, HB 186, HB 271, HB 331, HB 380, HB 1583, HB 1584, HB 1819, HB 621, HB 303, HB 552, HB 366, HB 463, HB 1211, HB 1327, HB 1461, HB 923, HB 1760, HB 2043, HB 2467, HB 5333, HB 5265, HB 1592, HB 1576, HB 1552, HB 2018, HB 3511, HB 1781, HB 2013, HB 2340, HB 2349, HB 2508, HB 2970, HB 2520, HB 865, HB 2851, HB 3385, HB 3336, HB 3529, HB 3309, HB 1127, HB 1232, HB 1397, HB 4236, HB 1804, HB 1926, HB 4041, HB 1965, HB 1964, HB 2679, HB 2730, HB 3698, HB 3699, HB 3354, HB 163, HB 201, HB 272, HB 333, HB 405, HB 519, HB 569, HB 654, HB 694, HB 791, HB 1006, HB 1136, HB 1240, HB 1266, HB 1275, HB 1437, HB 1532, HB 1675, HB 1842, HB 1868, HB 1888, HB 1894, HB 1943, HB 1990, HB 2029, HB 2061, HB 2286, HB 2523, HB 2622, HB 2626, HB 2652, HB 2692, HB 2842, HB 2885, HB 2914, HB 3016, HB 3096, HB 3129, HB 3248, HB 3251, HB 3255, HB 3479, HB 3611, HB 3623, HB 3701, HB 3724, HB 3803, HB 3804, HB 3805, HB 3806, HB 3810, HB 3816, HB 3832, HB 3887, HB 4127, HB 4129, HB 4130, HB 4131, HB 4163, HB 4187, HB 4229, HB 4238, HB 4454, HB 4588, HB 4643, HB 4736, HB 4738, HB 4739, HB 4945, HB 5015, HB 5616, SB 767, SB 1619, SB 1738, HCR 77

Keywords: Information Resources, Department governance, cybersecurity, state assistance, procurement training, technology resources, advisory committees, water fund, Texas water supply, constitutional amendment, state revenue, infrastructure, parental rights, child upbringing, government interference, Texas legislation, science park district, economic development, technology innovation, higher education collaboration

Transcript Highlights:

• 17, 2020—almost five years ago—so using those same appropriations, we look at wastewater, drinking water
• in the water.
• all along, or the Department of Health has, but also on the dairy farms this summer that we offer testing
• all along, or the Department of Health has, but also on the dairy farms this summer that we offer testing
• all along, or the Department of Health has, but also on the dairy farms this summer that we offer testing

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill preserves the Department of Water Resources' water rights to the State Water Project until
• DWR manages the State Water Project and provides water to 27 million Californians.
• water.
• Californians that rely on the State Water Project for their water needs.
• natural way to store water.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee was updated on the status of the December 31, 2022 delinquent private water and sewer audits
• The committee was also updated on the status of the December 31, 2023 delinquent private water and sewer
• Department of Corrections reported unauthorized fuel card purchases by an employee and did not properly test
• We tested 39 students who received scholarships and noted 56 instances in which 32 of these students
• Scholarship awards tested at UAPTC revealed no exceptions.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:42:06.240> continuous information on stack tests continuous information on stack tests
• We've been involved with the solar hot water mandate for many, many years.
• I'm dressed up as a heat pump hot water heater.
• <00:48:52.400> heating is requested um that water heating is requested um that water heating
• dressed up as a heat pop hot water dressed up as a heat pop hot water heater<00:50:55.119> I<

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures, beginning with HB 117 on condominiums. Testifiers were split: reserve-study professionals and the Community Associations Institute opposed tying reserve requirements to assessed value, arguing reserve studies should be based on actual components and costs and that the bill could lead to over- or under-collection. Condominium owners and advocates supported the bill, saying some associations are not completing reserve studies or are failing to provide audits and adequate funding, and urging stronger fiduciary accountability. A member later asked about compliance rates, and a witness said he was not aware of any association that had failed to do a reserve study, estimating compliance at well over 95 percent, likely close to 100 percent. The committee then took testimony on HB 544 on pet insurance, which drew support from the Attorney General’s office and the Insurance Division with comments about contract-impairment issues, as well as support from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association and the Hawaiian Humane Society. Testifiers said the bill would help consumers understand and use pet insurance as veterinary costs rise. HB 983 on certified public accountants also drew mostly support, with the Hawaii Society of CPAs and the Hawaii Association of Public Accountants offering conditional support and proposed amendments. Public accountants said the bill could help address a shortage of CPAs and expand pathways into the profession, while some speakers cautioned that the language needed clarification and that public accounting experience should be tied to CPA-firm work. An instructor from UH West Oahu said students cannot afford the extra credits currently required and would benefit from a more accessible pathway. The committee also heard HB 1050 on Title 24, with DCCA supporting the measure and no opposition or questions. The discussion then moved to HB 256 HD1 on environmental protection and incinerator emissions. The Department of Health offered comments, while Energy Justice Network and Climate Protectors Hawaii supported strengthening the bill, warning that it could weaken existing standards at H-Power unless amended to preserve stricter state rules and require modern pollution controls. A member questioned the Department of Health about H-Power’s permits and whether additional controls would be required if federal rules change; the department said permits are reviewed every five years and that the facility currently meets state and federal requirements, while EPA rules remain in a public comment process. Finally, the committee heard HB 1051 HD1 on energy efficiency portfolio standards, with support from the Consumer Advocate, State Energy Office, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Public Utilities Commission, and Hawaii Energy. The committee then heard HB 350 HD1 on energy, where the State Energy Office supported the bill, Solar Ray Corporation offered conditional comments urging any new mandated water-heating technology to meet the same efficiency level as existing solar thermal systems, and the Kauai Climate Action Coalition testified in support. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate, uh, the committee members and Senator Weber for your continued support in water rural water
• quality and treatment change raw water quality and treatment needs. needs. needs.
• <00:04:24.680> rural your continued support in water rural your continued support in water
• <00:04:26.080> health, water infrastructure and public health, water infrastructure and public
• >> water treatment facility in Fort Ridgely Township.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill preserves the Department of Water Resources' water rights to the State Water Project until
• DWR manages the State Water Project and provides water to 27 million Californians.
• water.
• Californians that rely on the State Water Project for their water needs.
• natural way to store water.

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, approved dispensing with the previous day’s journal, and then took up a long third-reading file. Early procedural actions included moving AB 1589 to the inactive file and continuing reconsideration items. The chamber then considered a series of bills largely focused on immigration enforcement, detention, worker protections, child care, voting access, and related public services. Several immigration-related measures passed, including AB 2393 on damages for false imprisonment/arrest, AB 1994 on an immigrant victims’ rights and resources card, AB 1929 on health plan investment disclosures, AB 1633 imposing a tax on for-profit detention facilities, AB 1650 requiring decals on rental vehicles used for enforcement, AB 1655 protecting CalWORKs benefits when a child is detained, and AB 1896 disqualifying people who participated in immigration enforcement from certain public employment. AB 2230, which would bar immigration enforcement near polling places and child care facilities, also passed after extensive debate. Supporters framed these bills as accountability and protection for vulnerable communities; opponents argued they targeted federal law enforcement, were unnecessary, or raised constitutional concerns. AB 1851 on statewide school mental-health guidance also passed unanimously. After the midday recess, the Assembly returned and continued with more bills tied to immigration impacts and child welfare. AB 2379 passed with urgency, requiring child care providers to be informed of constitutional rights and trained on protections when confronted by immigration enforcement. AB 2460 passed to update school behavioral-health referral protocols for students affected by immigration enforcement trauma. AB 2495 passed to expand prohibitions on employer immigration-related threats, and AB 2662 was presented as a way for California to monitor and document federal enforcement actions and report on their community impacts. Throughout the day, the floor featured repeated exchanges over whether the bills addressed real problems or were political messaging, but the measures that came to a vote generally advanced with majority support.

Transcript Highlights:

• , or is there not even enough to even do a test well or a test EOR project?
• To do a test? No, to do a fuller-scale... ...of what we would need. To do a test?
• Those are water floods.
• There's water infrastructure revolving loans. There is the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority.
• I mean, I honestly believe a lot of it's, especially you look at water.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee received a compliance and status update on Industrial Commission programs and the Bank of North Dakota. Staff reviewed appropriations and spending for several Industrial Commission funds and grant programs, including lignite research, oil and gas research, clean sustainable energy, grid resiliency, salt cavern analysis, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members discussed the timing of reimbursements, uncommitted balances, and the structure of the pipeline capacity and enhanced oil recovery funding. The Industrial Commission also reported on its administrative budget, grant management system project, and recent leadership transitions across several agencies. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described active grant rounds and the status of major projects. She said the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority approved three projects in its sixth round, with remaining uncommitted cash and loan capacity still available, though no new funding was appropriated this session. She also said the Oil and Gas Research Council approved six enhanced oil recovery projects and expects additional funding after a federal Department of Energy award replaces one project’s state funding. For grid resiliency grants, she said some projects have been funded, some commitments were returned or reallocated, and some DOE funds remain pending. She also updated the committee on the salt cavern business case study, which replaced an earlier larger development proposal, and on the NDSU research park grant, where the nonmatching portion was paid and the matching portion has moved slowly because the match must be in cash. Ron Ness then gave an extended presentation on enhanced oil recovery and North Dakota oil and gas trends. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, especially gas takeaway and projects like the Bakken East pipeline. He argued that enhanced oil recovery using CO2, natural gas, surfactants, and other methods could extend Bakken production for decades, but that the state needs more CO2 supply, better storage, and updated tax and regulatory incentives. Members asked about lateral lengths, CO2 availability, pipeline impacts, and the role of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Ness emphasized that the projects are intended to share technical learning across operators and attract follow-on investment. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and strategic update. President Don Morgan said the bank’s mission remains to support North Dakota agriculture, commerce, and industry while cooperating with the state’s financial sector. He reviewed the bank’s main business lines: participation lending with community institutions, student loans, disaster lending, mission-based programs, and a new fintech-focused effort. Morgan said deposits are flattening, so the bank is managing balance sheet growth carefully, while still reporting improved net income and strong efficiency. He also introduced Rough Rider Coin as a bank-to-bank payment rail, not a public cryptocurrency, intended to speed and modernize payments within North Dakota’s banking and credit union system. Committee members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster program use, and how credit lines and liquidity would be affected if deposits shrink.

Transcript Highlights:

• ADEQ Director as it relates to prescribed rules for the production, treatment, distribution, and testing
• of potable water by public water systems.
• the ADEQ Director as it relates to prescribed rules for the production treatment distribution and testing
• of potable water by public water systems.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Applicants must pass the compelling factor test, where the agreement must be the compelling factor in
• The other thing we dealt with very few minutes ago was this kind of but-for test.
• And there's a test in place that says, but for this tax incentive you wouldn't... ...agree.
• The other thing we dealt with very few minutes ago was this kind of but-for test.
• And there's a test in place that says, but for this tax incentive you wouldn't... ...And there's a test

Bills: SB913, SB1086, SB1087, SB1143, SB1534, SB1553, SB1718, SB1754, SB2004, SB2322, SB2448

Keywords: hotel occupancy tax, municipal revenue, tax code, local government funding, Texas legislation, county taxation, economic development, hotel industry, local government, counties, taxation, tourism, workforce development, youth programs, employment, education, technical training, health physics, higher education, nuclear energy

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills, mostly related to economic development, tax incentives, and workforce programs. Senate Bill 1534 would direct a study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission on health physics education and workforce needs; resource witnesses from the Workforce Commission and Coordinating Board testified, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1553 would authorize Kerr County to impose a hotel occupancy tax for tourism-related uses, and Senate Bills 1086 and 1087 would authorize similar county hotel taxes for Children’s County and Mason County; all three bills received supportive testimony and were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1754, which would prohibit county and local tax abatements for renewable energy facilities selling power wholesale, with testimony sharply divided between landowners and policy groups opposing renewable subsidies and industry representatives and some senators arguing the bill would harm clean energy investment and local decision-making; the bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2322, which would exempt dispatchable electric generation facilities from the JEDI program’s compelling-factor test so they could qualify for school district tax incentives; testimony was mixed, and the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 1718, which would add the NRA annual meeting to the state’s major events reimbursement program. The bill’s sponsor and NRA representatives argued the event brings substantial tourism and economic activity, while opponents said it would use taxpayer funds to subsidize an organization that opposes gun safety measures; the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 2004 would add the Arlington Grand Prix to the major events reimbursement program, with the committee substitute exempting it from the usual competitive site-selection requirement because of timing; testimony from the event organizers and Arlington tourism officials was supportive, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 2448 would create a rural workforce development grant program at the Texas Workforce Commission to support college-and-career readiness and technical assistance in rural communities; witnesses from Texas 2036, Collegiate Edgination, and a rural school district supported it, and it was left pending. Finally, Senate Bill 913 would repeal a special requirement that Alpine dedicate at least 50% of its hotel occupancy tax to advertising and promotion, and Senate Bill 1143 would require more coordination and reporting for youth workforce programs serving disconnected young Texans; both bills received supportive testimony and were left pending. At the end of the hearing, Senator Johnson moved that the committee stand in recess, subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• and electricity exactly how much water and electricity they use.
• Waters, will each from California, Ms. Waters, will each control 20 minutes.
• water and electricity.
• Waters, and Mr. Hill.
• We need air quality testing, soil testing, and frequent health monitoring.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's be clear: test scores are not the full story.
• H. 660 asks to make the MCAS a computer-adaptive test.
• Students learned how to perform water chemistry testing to see the fluctuation of nitrogen compounds.
• I'm sure a delicious, yeah, I'd love to do a little taste test. Mr.
• H. 738, an act relative to civic test requirements for graduation.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees. Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists. Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've farmed, that's a water horn. We've been there, we bought the home farm in 1960. My dad did.
• I am the executive director of the Northern Plains UAS test site. Yes, there are some slides.
• I am the executive director of the Northern Plains UAS test site. Yes, there are some slides.
• The contours have been redone so water doesn't flow right into the building.
• The contours have been redone so water doesn't flow right into the building.

Summary: The committee began with roll call, introductions of a new fiscal analyst and a new member, and approval of the March 19 minutes. The first major presentation was from the Office of Management and Budget on the state’s general fund and special fund status through May. OMB reported general fund revenues were running below the legislative forecast by about $76 million, driven largely by weaker individual income tax and sales tax collections, though the projected ending balance remained positive and above the budgeted level. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap and would transfer excess earnings to the general fund, and the legacy fund balance continued to grow. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing revenue variability. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analyses, followed by discussion of a bill draft for the fixed-route city transportation network study. The draft would create a $15 million general fund grant program with a formula-based distribution to eligible fixed-route transit cities, intended to support operating and capital needs and help match federal transit funds. Transit officials from Minot and Fargo testified in support, explaining local fare and match structures and the difficulty of replacing aging buses and securing federal matching dollars. Several members questioned whether the program should be limited to the current four cities or broadened to future eligible urban areas, and whether local funding sources should be explored further. The committee did not finalize the bill draft at that point and planned to continue discussion at a later meeting. The committee also approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to approval of a bi-state authority with South Dakota, after staff explained that no agreements had ever been implemented and the provision appeared outdated. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried. Later, the Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site presented updates on uncrewed aircraft systems initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and efforts to build a revenue model for Vantis. Test site officials said FAA approval had been secured for the radar data program, replacement of noncompliant drones was underway, and future revenue could come from state and external users once pricing and intellectual property arrangements are finalized. Members asked about Chinese-made drones, supply chain issues, automation, and how the system would manage beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation then presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and a reentry housing study. Officials said the proposed facility would relocate the minimum-security prison to the penitentiary campus, reduce costs from an earlier estimate, and provide more beds and programming space, with construction potentially beginning in 2027 and opening around 2031. They also described staffing needs, the planned move of women to the New England facility, and possible expansion of men’s housing there. The parole and probation chief described a reentry housing task force studying housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with a goal of developing data-driven recommendations for subsidies and support services; a representative from Protection and Advocacy closed by expressing general support for fixed-route and paratransit funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• Like water. Like water. Water ain't simple. I'm working on a national plan for water.
• So come in and we'll give her a strep test and a flu test.” We tested her for both of them.
• So we did another test, and she tested positive.
• That's a $4 test, not a $50 to $100 test.
• That's a $4 test, not a $50 to $100 test.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• /font> utility owners to pay off over navigable waters
• I mean, I'm assuming electricity water, but
• if you could just tell me, assuming electricity water,
• We're going to test that.
• We're going to test that.