Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails and the amendment is adopted.
• The motion prevails and the amendment is adopted.
• The motion prevails and the amendment is adopted.
• The motion prevails and the amendment is adopted.
• The motion prevails. Any opposed? No. The motion prevails.

Bills: HF2436, HF2929

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, HF2929, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food assistance, nutrition assistance, public benefits, eligibility determination, income eligibility, federal poverty guidelines, poverty level, county agency, Tribal agency, human services, children and families, benefits administration

Transcript Highlights:

• and the calendar is motion prevails and the calendar is adopted<00:07:37.479><c> for</c><00:07:37.599
• There being eight ayes and six nays, the motion prevails and the calendar is adopted.
• There being six ayes and eight nays, the motion does not prevail. Vice Chair Angen: Thank you, Mr.
• There being six ayes and eight nays, the motion does not prevail. Representative Schultz no.
• There being six ayes and eight nays, the motion does not prevail. Vice Chair Angen: Thank you, Mr.

Bills: HF550

Keywords: redistricting, Bipartisan Commission, Minnesota Constitution, census, legislative districts, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then most of these jobs are in low-wage industries. Or in jobs that pay low wages.
• restaurants, you know, in the education system, in healthcare, but are often in the kind of lowest wage
• Jobs that pay competitive living wages, have stability, and have the opportunity for growth even within
• We do it by investing in training programs so residents can compete for in-demand, higher-wage jobs.
• Upscaling existing employees so that they can gain certifications and be promoted and earn higher wages

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Statewide, wages and benefits make up 75 to 80% of a school district's budget.
• Statewide, wages and benefits make up 75 to 80% of a school district's budget.
• Statewide, wages and benefits make up 75 to 80% of a school district's budget.
• Um what's the definition wage and stuff.
• </c> regions that will be used and the wage regions that will be used and the wage is<00:36:05.599><c

Bills: HF3790, HF3654, HF3371, HF3470, HF1099

Keywords: education finance, lease levy authority, graduation ceremonies, school districts, Minnesota Statutes, local revenue, funding increase, education, state appropriation, local control, HF3371, local optional revenue, school finance, general education aid, school district funding, referendum revenue, referendum market value, equalization aid, state aid, property tax levy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this is what those will actually prevail this is what those will actually prevail and<01:51:49.920
• The prevailing Thank you, Senator.
• Whose community is going to be the prevailing standards in the adult community?
• </c> minors when it offends the prevailing minors when it offends the prevailing standards<04:41:30.160
• The motion prevailing is to re-refer to the committee. Senator McIl...

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we pay disability or when we pay wage loss payments, that is based upon your insured wages from
• That average weekly wage then forms your wage loss Benefit, which is paid out as long as you were unable
• Whichever is higher, using those to compute your lost wages within the system, the average weekly wage
• They would have a base rate of $30,000 wage, which we would use to calculate average weekly wages, which
• Wages and benefits, and this is by service type, if you will, but notice that wages and benefits appear

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee was called to order, a quorum was established, and the minutes from the prior meeting were approved. The first major presentation came from Montana Public Employees Retirement System executive director William Hollahan, who gave an overview of Montana’s Volunteer Firefighters’ Compensation Act plan. He explained that the plan covers volunteer firefighters in unincorporated areas, is funded by 5% of state fire insurance premium taxes, and currently serves 228 departments with about 2,936 active members and 1,242 retirees. He described eligibility rules, annual training and reporting requirements, benefit levels for partial and full pensions, disability, death, medical, and funeral benefits, and said the plan is actuarially sound with roughly $60 million in assets and a funded ratio slightly above 100%. Committee members asked about prior-service credit, whether EMS personnel are included, the effect on recruitment and retention, and whether expanding coverage would require a funding analysis; Hollahan said prior service is not credited, EMS is not currently included, and any expansion would need financial review. Tim Walleen of Workforce Safety and Insurance then presented a draft North Dakota workers’ compensation solution for volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personnel. He explained that volunteer responders are already covered by workers’ comp for medical and wage-loss benefits, but the proposal would set a minimum annual wage of $30,000 for calculating wage-loss benefits for qualifying volunteers, with the benefit paid at two-thirds of that amount. Representative Porter suggested tying the volunteer definition to existing code rather than a fixed dollar amount, and Walleen agreed. Questions focused on whether search and rescue or other volunteer emergency services could be included, whether departments would face new paperwork, and whether volunteer organizations can already elect coverage; Walleen said there would be no additional paperwork and that volunteer coverage is already available. The committee also heard from volunteer fire service representatives and the state fire marshal. An Oakes-area firefighter, Mr. Olson, testified that small departments are struggling with retention, communication, and administrative burdens, especially around separate bookkeeping and funding rules for donated or fundraising money, and he said departments need clearer guidance from the state. State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark introduced himself and outlined a broader effort to improve education, support, and coordination for fire departments, including a planned 10% audit of certificates of existence beginning in 2027, more outreach through his office, and better assistance with training, reporting, and grant access. He said his office is authorized under current law to provide these services, but the role has been vague and underused. Finally, Arnagard Rural Fire District Chief Rick Schreiber testified in favor of new recruitment and retention ideas, including retirement-style benefits, health insurance, tax incentives, scholarships, grants, and more remote or regional training. He said volunteer departments are losing members, that local tax and donation funds are already stretched, and that any new retirement or incentive program should be sustainable and likely involve a mix of state and local support.

Transcript Highlights:

• You don't even have to prevail on the lawsuit and the judge can award your attorney's fees.
• There being 12 ayes, 0 nays, the motion prevails.
• There being 12 ayes, 0 nays, the motion prevails.
• There being 12 ayes, 0 nays, the motion prevails.
• There being 12 ayes, 0 nays, the motion prevails.

Bills: HB 1520, HB 1525, HB 1530, HB 1535, HB 2068, HB 2091, HB 2347, HB 2372, HB 2805, HB 2815, HB 2867, HB 3154, HB 3482, HB 3483, HB 3663, HB 3781, HB 3901, HB 3915, HB 4135, HB 4153, HB 4158, HB 4329, HB 4331

Keywords: Angelina and Neches River Authority, river authority, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Sunset Act, Special District Local Laws Code, local government, natural resources, board of directors, director training, board governance, public testimony, open meetings, public information, conflict of interest, ethics, complaint system, general manager, board president, staggered terms, removal of director

Transcript Highlights:

• that came out of NorthstarPolicy.org, and they say conservatively an estimated $106 million in lost wages
• There are 10 ayes and nine nays. >> There being 10 ayes and nine nays, the motion does not prevail. no
• I's and nine nays, the motion<01:07:15.640><c> does</c><01:07:15.880><c> not</c><01:07:16.120><c> prevail

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise today because it's been 7,296 days since Pennsylvania last raised the minimum wage.
• I rise today because it's been 7,296 days since Pennsylvania last raised the minimum wage.
• Twenty years since Pennsylvania last raised its minimum wage.
• The last time this General Assembly acted was in 2006, when my minimum wage bill became law.
• Let's finally raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

Keywords: Scheduler, 972, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• adjust in sync with key economic factors such as increased inflation, changes to the state minimum wage
• not being considered, such as all operating government mandate costs, changes to the state minimum wage
• often exceed minimum wage for very good reason.
• But during that time, Massachusetts minimum wage went up, paid family leave started, our operational
• When rate setting is transparent and considers actual costs, we can offer competitive wages.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing focused on two broad sets of issues: home- and community-based care, and school-based Medicaid reimbursement. In the morning session, legislators and advocates testified on bills affecting children and disabled enrollees, including proposals to clarify rate-setting for home health and home care services (H. 767/S. 870), allow family members and spouses to be paid caregivers under MassHealth (H. 1394/S. 886 and related bills), extend MassHealth coverage for applied behavior analysis and other therapies beyond age 21 for adults with autism and developmental disabilities (H. 1351/S. 871), and protect medically fragile children by improving access to continuous skilled nursing. In the later portion of the hearing, testimony shifted to a bill to improve MassHealth reimbursement for schools (S. 862), with speakers describing the school mental health crisis and the need to reinvest Medicaid funds directly into school health services. Witnesses on the home care rate-setting bill said current reimbursement methods are opaque and outdated, contributing to workforce shortages, unfilled shifts, long waitlists, and patients remaining in hospitals longer than necessary. Home care providers and trade groups argued the bill would not set rates directly but would require more transparent methodology and fuller consideration of real costs such as wages, benefits, taxes, training, and technology. On caregiver bills, many family members and provider organizations described the financial and emotional strain of caring for disabled or medically fragile relatives, especially when parents, spouses, or guardians are barred from being paid caregivers. They argued the bills would recognize existing unpaid care, help families remain at home, and reduce reliance on more expensive institutional care. Advocates for adult ABA coverage said services remain medically necessary after age 21 and that ending coverage at that age creates an inequitable “cliff” for MassHealth members compared with those with private insurance. For the PACE/community care bill, elder law attorneys and PACE advocates said current MassHealth income rules force some older adults with modestly higher incomes to spend down to $542 per month, making community living unrealistic and pushing people toward nursing homes. They supported changing the eligibility structure to a premium-based approach that would allow more people to remain in the community. On the school Medicaid bill, advocates said schools are providing effective, preventive mental health care, but reimbursement currently flows to municipalities rather than directly back to school health budgets, limiting districts’ ability to hire and retain staff. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and several witnesses requested favorable reports on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• equity study to change the way in which our We said we needed a wage equity study to change the way
• In my 31 years of teaching in Massachusetts, not once have my part-time colleagues received fair wages
• Colleagues received fair wages for their labor, fair access to health insurance, a fair pension plan,
• Public education workers must rely on public assistance to achieve a quote-unquote livable wage.
• We struggle to keep programs like allied health fully staffed because of low wages.

Summary: The hearing focused heavily on the FY27 state budget and related funding priorities across health care, housing, education, disability services, and public higher education. Multiple witnesses urged restoration or increases in funding for MassHealth Community Partners and complex care management for homeless and medically complex patients, the DMH rental subsidy program, the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, the DeafBlind Community Access Network, and the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Testimony also highlighted the need for fair pay and wage equity for community college faculty and staff, as well as support for early childhood vouchers, cash assistance, and nutrition education programs affected by federal cuts. Several witnesses described how funding gaps affect real people: nurses and care managers said patients with homelessness and severe medical needs lose coordinated care, leading to missed treatment and hospitalizations; early childhood educators said long voucher waitlists leave families without child care; community college staff said low salaries and increased workloads from MassEducate leave workers struggling to afford housing and basic expenses; and housing advocates said cuts to rental subsidies and vouchers push vulnerable people toward shelters or more expensive crisis systems. DeafBlind advocates asked for restored funding, more interpreter access, and better provider support, while a witness also supported hearing-aid coverage legislation. Education funding was another major theme. Boston, Framingham, Triton, and other districts described Chapter 70 and other formula-driven aid as failing to keep up with inflation and actual costs, forcing layoffs, program cuts, and local overrides. Speakers also called for fully funded charter reimbursements, special education circuit breaker funding, transportation aid, school building investments, and relief tied to enrollment declines driven by federal immigration enforcement. Committee members asked several clarifying questions about program status, funding mechanics, and the meaning of terms like “death by housing,” but no votes or formal actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• But what we're seeing are, you know, in the space, lower wages and lost apprenticeship opportunities
• It's protecting wages. Protecting wages.
• It's an economic opportunity to employ people at a good wage.
• They had competitive wages. I would assume that it would be actually safer to build... ...wages.
• And we know from labor brothers and sisters around the state that the wage gains that...

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee work session focused first on Civic Commons’ “starter home production plan,” a statewide strategy intended to increase production of homes affordable to households roughly between 60% and 120% of area median income. Presenters said the Covenant Home Ownership program will not succeed without more starter homes, and outlined recommendations including a temporary cross-sector crisis task force, a developer network, new financing tools, public seed funding, and a multi-site demonstration program to test off-site construction and standardized designs. Committee members asked about silos in the current system, the role of off-site and modular construction, target income ranges, and where the plan would be most useful. Civic Commons said the plan is meant to be statewide, community-informed, and respectful of local context, with pre-approved plans and standardized approaches for both single-family and multi-unit housing. The Department of Labor and Industries then gave an update on factory-built housing oversight. Officials said residential factory-built structures are a small but important part of their work and described progress in prioritizing residential plan reviews, which they said has reduced review time from months to about two days. They also reported creating a plans examiner supervisor position, moving forward with rules for third-party plan review and inspection, and beginning analysis of national standards from the Modular Building Institute to see whether they align with state code. Committee members and L&I discussed the value of standardized plans, real-time tracking for applicants, and the role of state inspection in reducing local jurisdictional variation. The Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council testified that it supports efforts to reduce permitting delays and increase housing production, but warned against weakening safety standards or labor protections. The labor representatives said prefabrication and modular construction can help if the workforce is protected, wages and apprenticeship opportunities are preserved, and projects use tools such as community workforce agreements. They also raised concerns about wage theft, misclassification, and unlicensed contractors in residential construction, and suggested stronger front-end contractor education or licensing. Committee members responded that the goal is to expand production without sacrificing safety or good jobs. The committee also heard city perspectives on local housing reforms. Olympia described its affordable housing emergency ordinance, which gives qualifying projects priority in the permitting queue, and said success depends on communication among housing staff, planners, engineers, and developers. Walla Walla, an early adopter of middle housing, reported increased ADUs, duplexes, and smaller-lot development after eliminating single-family zoning and expanding tools such as MFTE and ADU flexibility. Des Moines described adopting middle housing and ADU ordinances in June 2025 after a lengthy public process, while Poulsbo described proactive code changes including duplexes on corner lots, unit lot subdivisions, manufactured home protections, expanded ADU allowances, and pre-approved ADU plans shared with neighboring jurisdictions. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1203 examines wages in the face of the low-cost-of-living crisis.
• This training requirement, combined with the wages, will drive this industry underground.
• The bill reconstitutes the IWC to issue a new wage order for the industry.
• Wage and hour laws are an important way that the Legislature has recognized as the way that there is
• deadline, and also any other changes in a security wage order.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 936 on nitrous oxide sales. Senator Blakespear and supporters, including Orange County and Humboldt County supervisors, described growing misuse of large nitrous canisters, impaired driving, youth access, and waste and safety problems. There was no formal opposition testimony, and multiple organizations and local governments voiced support. Committee members generally supported the bill but raised questions about enforcement and the role of existing licensing agencies; the author said amendments addressed concerns about balloons and bags. The bill was moved on a due-pass recommendation to Senate Appropriations and left on call. The committee also heard SB 1312 on abandoned cemeteries, SB 1340 on small business procurement reporting, and SB 903 on AI in mental health care. SB 1312 would build on last year’s cemetery workgroup to address abandoned private cemeteries; the author and the Cemetery and Mortuary Association said the bill is intended to use forthcoming recommendations to improve maintenance and oversight. It was moved due pass to Senate Appropriations and left on call. SB 1340 would require state agencies to report contract and payment data involving small businesses to the Office of the Small Business Advocate; the Controller’s office supported the measure, and it was moved due pass to Senate Appropriations and left on call. SB 903 drew the most extensive debate. The bill would restrict the public offering of psychotherapy services through AI unless a licensed professional is involved, require disclosure and informed consent, and preserve confidentiality rules. Supporters argued that chatbots and AI therapy tools can mislead consumers and create safety, bias, and privacy risks, while opponents from the California Medical Association and TechNet warned the definitions were too broad and could hinder beneficial clinical tools, triage, research, and FDA-approved applications. Committee members pressed the author on clarity, administrative uses like note-taking, and whether the bill would allow clinician-supervised AI; the author said the intent is to keep a human clinician in the loop and continue refining the language. The bill was moved to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technology, and Consumer Protection Committee and left on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 1271 on midwifery preceptor data and SB 1327 on EV charger accuracy oversight. SB 1271 would collect data on licensed midwives’ capacity to serve as preceptors to strengthen the training pipeline; supporters described workforce shortages, rural access problems, and closures of labor and delivery units. It was moved due pass to the Senate Health Committee and left on call. SB 1327 would shift EV charger accuracy oversight from CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards to the California Energy Commission; supporters said this would standardize enforcement and better match the agency already regulating EV infrastructure, while county sealers and others opposed the move as unnecessary, costly, and potentially weakening local consumer protection. The bill was moved due pass to the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee and left on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• A tight labor market puts upward pressure on wages.
• wage jobs.
• There are the job losses that could affect wages, salaries, and personal income tax.
• Senator, someone mentioned $60 an hour or $60,000 a year for wages.
• So, is that a livable wage? Anymore, so what happens when you got a $21 wage?

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails. The amendment to the amendment prevails.
• </c> prevails. The rules are suspended. prevails. The rules are suspended.
• 00:10:22.000><c> the</c><00:10:22.079><c> amendment</c> prevails.
• The motion prevails. The amendment is adopted. There's an amendment at the desk.
• The amendment motion does not prevail.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Motion<00:05:01.440><c> prevails.
• Motion prevails. The amendment is adopted.
• Motion prevails. The amendment Opposed. Motion prevails. The amendment is<01:29:23.440><c> adopted.
• Motion<01:31:30.640><c> prevails.
• Motion<01:50:48.280><c> prevails.</c> Motion prevails. Motion prevails.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing no objection, the motions prevail.
• The motion prevails. &gt;&gt; Those opposed, nay. The motion prevails.
• Motion prevails.
• There being 67 ayes and 67 nays, the motion does not prevail.
• There being 67 ayes and 67 nays, the motion does not prevail.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, motion prevails. I'm happy to turn it over to the testifiers, Mr. Chair.
• Motion prevails. Next on the agenda is ... Thank you, Senator Hoffman. Senator Damis here.
• Motion prevailed. Senator Hoffman, Mr. Chair, I have the A2 amendment I'd like to offer.
• Motion prevailed. Thank you. Any other amendments, Senator Green? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Nay should prevail. Okay.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing no objection, the motions prevail. Announcements.
• The motion prevails. Representative Niska (member_14056). I move that the House do now adjourn.
• The motion prevails and the House stands adjourned until 11 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails. Members, will you be so kind as to stand?
• The motion prevails.
• The motion prevails. Senate Resolution 24-29 will be referred to the Committee on Rules.
• The motion prevails. The Senate is now adjourned. The motion prevails. The Senate is now adjourned.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all