Transcript Highlights:

• develop science to better understand what groundwater levels are necessary to sustain communities, priority
• Three of the key priority areas that have emerged is growing downtown university presence. creating densely
• We think it accomplishes all three of these key priority areas wrapped into one.
• Number one legislative priority. AB 823 support from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The additional funding for SSIS obviously I think is a priority for everyone on this committee.
• It was invoked yesterday that the chair has the privilege to put their priorities in the bill.
• I don't have any priorities in this bill.
• My priority as chair is making the best bill that we can for the people of Minnesota.

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:

• um, much like all of these articles, and to make, uh, the decisions that we think are the highest priority
• Item 25, Tico priority. Number 6, case manager career letter.
• I don't know where the House stands on this or what they may have, um, but it's about priorities and
• At this point, uh, it's not a top priority.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Transcript Highlights:

• Priority wall framing will start at the basement and ground level.
• fireproofing will be ongoing in the fireproofing will be ongoing in the basement<00:03:09.720> priority
• <00:03:10.120> wall<00:03:10.400> framing<00:03:10.840> will basement priority
• wall framing will basement priority wall framing will start<00:03:11.319> at<00:03:11.480>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's a priority for our office. We don't want to waste a dollar. Representative: That's true.
• make sure it is spent well and<00:07:50.400> that's<00:07:50.479> a<00:07:50.599> priority
• for<00:07:51.039> our<00:07:51.199> office<00:07:51.840> we and that's a priority
• for our office we and that's a priority for our office we don't<00:07:52.039> want<00:07:52.159

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Status of Hiring Four Project Managers within Facilities & Support Services in HB6 from the 24RS 00:02:01 Attendance Roll Call 00:09:32, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Personnel, Public Retirement, and Finance, and Administrative Cabinet met for an informational update, with the new chair noting the committee does not vote on issues and is mainly reviewing implementation of budgeted items. The main presentation came from Scott Baker of the Finance Cabinet’s Office of Facility Development and Efficiency, who explained how the office has shifted experienced staff to lead Department of Parks projects and hired new staff to be trained into project management roles. He said the office is managing 146 ongoing parks projects and has moved from weekly to biweekly meetings as work has progressed. Baker said the budgeted staffing changes were intended to speed project delivery while maintaining expertise, since state project management also requires knowledge of procurement law and other Commonwealth-specific rules. He described the workload as heavy, with 15 project managers handling 1,149 active projects, including one western Kentucky manager overseeing 127 projects, and said the office is trying to add more staff and create new positions to improve recruiting. Members asked about staffing levels and workload, and Baker said the office is not overstaffed but is competing with a strong construction industry for talent. Committee members praised the office’s work on parks projects, noting campground and infrastructure needs at places like Lake Barkley and emphasizing prudent use of the large capital budgets approved in recent years. No votes were taken because the subcommittee lacked a quorum, as some members were in other committee meetings. The chair said the committee would continue to meet during session and interim periods and adjourned the meeting after the update.

Transcript Highlights:

• , an education attorney, and the mother of two school-aged boys, this bill is my top legislative priority
• It just was a lot of competing priorities. Okay. All right. Well, thank you.
• Chair, education has been one of my top priorities since I've been here 15 years in the State Senate,
• So I really thank you so much, and I think that's the more priority...
• There are at least four high-priority funding gaps causing this crisis.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education opened a hybrid public hearing on a large slate of bills related to school buildings, school finance, technology, data privacy, safety, and related education issues. Chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlined procedures for the hearing, including two-minute testimony limits and the plan to group similar bills together. Several bills drew no testimony and were closed without further discussion, while others drew extensive testimony from legislators, school officials, parents, advocates, and educators. A major theme was school safety and student well-being. Lori Al-Hadeth testified in support of bills on alert systems in public schools, describing the loss of her daughter in the Parkland shooting and urging adoption of Alyssa’s Law-style panic alert technology. Representative Gallagher and disability advocates also supported a bill authorizing, but not requiring, airway clearance devices in schools, arguing they could save lives in choking emergencies and provide an option for people who cannot use the Heimlich maneuver. Another bill on reducing cafeteria waste drew support from a legislator and a Lexington sustainability official, who said installing dishwashers during construction would reduce waste and long-term costs. Much of the hearing focused on Chapter 70 school funding and the inflation cap. Senator Pavel Payano, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Senna, and multiple local officials and school committee members from Bridgewater, Chelsea, Groton-Dunstable, and other districts argued that the 4.5% cap on inflation adjustments has left schools underfunded during years of high inflation, forcing layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to programs and student supports. They urged bills to eliminate the cap, restore lost funding, increase the Commonwealth’s share of the foundation budget, or create commissions to study reforms. Testimony also highlighted the impact on special education, English learners, and low-income students, with Chelsea witnesses saying the cap has cost their district about $7 million annually. School construction and MSBA reform were the other major topic. AIA Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools, Lynn officials, and AFT Massachusetts described aging facilities, overcrowding, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of financing new schools under current reimbursement rules. Boston officials said the district has many pre-World War II buildings and has only built a handful of new schools in decades, while Lynn leaders said reimbursement rates have fallen well below the statutory 80% because of caps and ineligible costs. Witnesses urged modernization of the MSBA program, higher reimbursement rates, and more resources for school construction. The committee also heard support for a bill to study the adequacy and equity of the school building program, and chairs indicated some bills would be closed after no one signed up to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• It came after months of meetings with local leaders, carefully reviewing community priorities, submitting
• The safety and prosperity of communities in the San Fernando Valley is one of my most critical priorities
• THE SAFETY AND PROSPERITY OF COMMUNITIES IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY IS ONE OF MY MOST CRITICAL PRIORITIES
• How did that manage to become the top priority of the House Republicans in Washington, D.C.?
• HOW DID THAT MANAGE TO BECOME THE TOP PRIORITY OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , new guidelines, and grant review... ...of the president and new priorities, new guidelines, and grant
• And we want to make sure that we drive resources down deeply into communities because our priority is
• Remember that our funding was terminated for FY25 because we didn't align with the President's priorities
• you know, in the application, we really have to use language that aligned with the President's priorities
• And third, the chilling effects of shifting federal priorities.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is this project AI a high priority for you, for the department?
• For me personally, this project is a higher priority. This is where we need to go today.
• Our priority right now especially is those administrative rules, and that's from my perspective.
• That's been a priority for the past several years.
• for the past um several been a priority for the past um several years<00:52:23.920> there<00:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on February 21 and first approved the January 30 minutes and the consent calendar, with item 2540 removed by the Department of Education and item 25057 set aside for discussion. The committee then took up FIS 25057, a Department of Transportation request tied to a federal grant for building information modeling and related data standardization across DOT systems. Transportation officials explained that the $2.405 million consultant-heavy request would connect surveying, design, construction, and asset management systems, improve efficiency and long-term asset tracking, and help the department catch up with other states. Several senators questioned the lack of immediate, quantifiable budget savings and the reliance on consultants, but the item was ultimately adopted. The committee next approved FIS 25054 for the Department of Health and Human Services after questioning a $16 million shortfall in the Children’s Health Insurance Program. DHHS explained the variance as a budgeting and accounting issue tied to separating CHIP from Medicaid managed care, pandemic-era continuous enrollment, and the new federal requirement for 12 months of continuous coverage for children. Members also approved a Cannon Mountain fee item, where park officials described a proposed price freeze for early-bird passes, a new in-season tier, and modest increases in off-season pricing, while noting operating cost pressures, strong snow conditions, and favorable customer value ratings. That item was adopted unanimously. The committee also approved the Department of Corrections item after discussion of staffing, retirement eligibility, overtime, and recidivism. Commissioner Helen Hanks said retirement-eligible staff had declined slightly, recruitment was improving, overtime hours were down, one housing floor had been closed because of lower population, and the department had reduced reincarceration by 8% over seven years, which she said produced substantial savings. The item was adopted. During informational items, the committee heard a Legislative Budget Assistant performance audit of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights. The audit found the commission inefficient and ineffective in processing complaints, with average case closure taking 840 days, significant backlogs dating back decades, expired administrative rules, weak management controls, disorganized and outdated procedures, unreliable data, and unresolved prior audit findings. The audit included 25 recommendations, two of which may require legislative action. Commission staff said they appreciated the recommendations and expected the additional resources from the prior budget cycle to help address the backlog and improve transparency and efficiency.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is work that's come out of the priority admissions task force and priority admissions panel
• And this is work that's come out of the priority admissions task force and priority admissions panel
• And this is work that's come out of the priority admissions task force and priority admissions panel
• And this is work that's come out of the priority admissions task force and priority admissions panel
• And this is work that's come out of the priority admissions task force and priority admissions panel

Bills: HF4438, HF4467, HF4379, SF3402, HF4349, HF4064, HF84, HF85, HF3804

Keywords: healthcare, WIC, community health, licensing, speech-language pathology, audiology, contract term limits, healthcare services, provider enrollment, disenrollment, premium payments, medical assistance, substance use disorders, mental health, children's mental health, early childhood, early intervention, consultation grants, Head Start, child care

Transcript Highlights:

• a priority.
• a priority.
• a priority.
• <00:36:34.000> It priorities and federal partners. It priorities and federal partners.
• Um our priority is to ensure that those Um our priority is to ensure that those who<01:09:18.159>

Bills: SB2350, SB2349, SB2407, SB3320

Keywords: agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, agribusiness, Department of Agriculture, regulatory functions, employee benefits, restorative practices, sustainability, environmental stewardship, local food systems, Native Hawaiian, workforce development, agricultural development, Hawaii Island, property manager, state employment, SB3320, Hawaii, Agribusiness Development Corporation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SP 2350, which would transfer oversight of the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Development Division and the aquaculture and livestock support services branch to the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The Department of Agriculture and ADC both testified, with ADC opposing the bill as written while supporting the goal of strengthening agriculture. ADC said the transfer could create federal operational and coordination risks, jeopardize federal funding and program continuity, and was unnecessary because ADC is a business development entity, not a regulatory agency. The Hawaii Farmers Union also expressed concern that moving the programs could weaken the department’s ability to access federal resources, while the Hawaii Farm Bureau submitted written testimony and the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association and H-Plan were noted as supporting the measure; the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council was noted as opposing it. Much of the discussion focused on aquaculture’s economic potential and the role of regulation, permitting, and funding. Committee members questioned why aquaculture had not grown faster, citing current gross revenues of about $66 million last year, a prior high of $82 million, and a possible long-term target of $500 million. Testimony identified permitting and feed costs as major barriers, along with market conditions and water quality issues affecting producers. ADC described ongoing efforts on feed development, permitting streamlining, coastal-state collaboration on seaweed and restorative aquaculture, and national advocacy for more parity in seafood import standards. Members also pressed the Department of Agriculture on its leadership and priorities, criticizing the lack of bills and resources dedicated to aquaculture and asking whether the department should have more authority to pursue land purchases and development opportunities. The department said it relies on divisions and industry feedback for bill ideas, noted it funds an annual aquaculture survey, and said it was pursuing congressional earmarks and other funding for aquaculture parks, research, and export/import issues. ADC said it would work with the department if the bill passed, but that its current statute does not give it regulatory authority and any such change would require a statutory amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• EP Tom Sawyer and Baron River Lake State Resort Parks are priorities in the west region.
• Natural Bridge and Cumberland Falls State Resort Park are priorities in the east region.
• The dam is a priority for repair since it's failing. This design process is complete.
• <01:24:15.520> for Park Dam the dam is a priority for Park Dam the dam is a priority for repair
• The plants at Dale Hollow and priority.

Keywords: Discussion of SB 126 (2025 RS) 00:05:13 Discussion of HB 16 (2025 RS) 00:15:40 Kentucky Department of Parks – Overview 01:05:06, 958, all

Summary: The committee met jointly for State Government, State and Local Government, and Elections and Constitutional Amendments, approved the minutes from the September 23 meeting, and then took up discussion of Senate Bill 126, a proposed constitutional amendment to restrict the governor’s pardon power. Senator Chris McDaniel said the measure was prompted by concerns over pardons issued in 2019 and would bar pardons for 60 days before a gubernatorial election through the swearing-in of a new governor, leaving the power otherwise intact. Members who spoke generally supported the proposal as a way to increase accountability, and McDaniel said he intended to place it on the 2026 ballot. No vote was taken on the bill during the discussion. The committee then moved to House Bill 16 on water fluoridation. Representative Hart and Senator Greg Elkins said the bill would remove Kentucky’s fluoridation mandate and give local water districts the choice to add fluoride or not. They emphasized that the revised draft also adds immunity language to protect districts from civil litigation regardless of their decision. Dr. Jack Call, a Louisville dentist, presented against fluoridation, arguing that the main dental benefit is topical rather than from drinking water and citing studies and reports he said linked fluoride exposure to reduced IQ in children and other health concerns. Cindy Batson, a nurse and parent, also supported the bill and said she had testified on the issue for years. During questions, Senator Rollins raised concerns about fluoride being an industrial byproduct and described fluoridation as forced medication. The discussion remained focused on the bill’s local-control and immunity provisions, with sponsors saying they were not trying to relitigate the broader science but wanted to remove the mandate. The transcript ends while questions and testimony on HB 16 were still underway, and no final committee action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• priorities, and fast-moving situations. priorities, and fast-moving situations.
• of the top priorities is the roads. of the top priorities is the roads.
• That priority is our roads.
• That priority is our roads. That priority is our roads.
• in the mirror what our priorities are. in the mirror what our priorities are.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the previous day’s journal, and heard several announcements, including recognition of the University of Denver men’s hockey championship and a sesquicentennial flag presentation for Colorado’s 150th anniversary. Members also received committee meeting notices and a reminder about open enrollment benefits. Committee reports were then read, advancing several bills from Appropriations, Judiciary, and Transportation, Housing, and Local Government to the Committee of the Whole or to Appropriations with favorable recommendations. The chamber adopted the majority leader’s motion to add a slate of bills to the special orders calendar for May 6, including Senate Bill 5 and several House and Senate bills. The House also adopted a motion limiting debate on Senate Bill 5 to one hour, with the vote recorded at 36 aye, 24 no, and five excused. The House then resolved into committee of the whole and took up Senate Bill 5, which creates a state-court civil remedy for constitutional violations committed during civil immigration enforcement and includes an appropriation. Supporters of Senate Bill 5 argued that the bill is needed to provide a meaningful remedy when federal immigration enforcement violates Fourth Amendment and other constitutional rights, citing alleged abuses, surveillance practices, and court decisions narrowing federal remedies. Opponents argued the bill is likely unconstitutional, duplicates existing federal remedies, and would be struck down in court; they also criticized the use of Rule 14 to limit debate and said Colorado should wait for litigation in other states. The transcript ends during continued debate on the bill, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• One could say it defunds police at a time when everyone agrees that public safety should be a priority
• thought that was something that police training did not really cover, and we made it an absolute priority
• c><00:56:20.400> an<00:56:20.720> absolute made it an absolute made it an absolute priority
• <00:56:25.119> This<00:56:25.440> particular priority to cover.
• This particular priority to cover.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But thanks to the Republican caucus that made this the number one priority.
• , not our priorities, are met.
• , not our priorities, are met.
• And it funds core priorities like public safety, makes permanent the... ...funds core priorities like
• They are asking for a government that reflects their priorities and recognizes their contributions.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge, approved the journal, and welcomed several guests in the gallery, including a high school student and an advocate connected to the domestic violence bill HB 2995. The chamber then moved through multiple Committee of the Whole calendars, first advancing HB 4155, HB 4156, and HB 4157, then HB 4164, HB 4165, and HB 4166, all with do-pass recommendations and no substantive amendments on those calendars. Later, the House also considered SB 1326, a victims’ rights measure, adopted a floor amendment, and reported it out as amended. The House corrected an earlier clerical error regarding HB 4155-4157 being referred to engrossing rather than third reading. The House then took up a long series of final passage votes on Senate bills. SB 2174, SB 2611, SB 1011, SB 1012, SB 1016, SB 1018, SB 1038, SB 1039, SB 1040, SB 1053, SB 1055, SB 1057, SB 1060, SB 1061, SB 1068, SB 1069, SB 1075, SB 1100, SB 1113 on reconsideration, SB 1160, and SB 1170 all passed. SB 2873, SB 1004, SB 1009, SB 1042, SB 1043, SB 1049, SB 1093, and SB 1143 failed. SB 2995, the emergency family-law/domestic-violence bill known as the Alec and Lydia Act, passed with the required two-thirds vote after extensive debate; supporters said it would better protect children and clarify judicial standards, while opponents argued its definitions were overly broad and could harm families. SB 1018 on foreign laws also drew extended debate over Sharia law, with supporters framing it as a defense of American values and opponents calling it unnecessary and discriminatory. Several votes included explanations focused on policy concerns. SB 1004 on sex-offender registration and monitoring drew debate over whether electronic monitoring is effective. SB 1040 on voter registration transparency prompted arguments over public access to voter rolls versus privacy and security. SB 1118 on municipal zoning and historical homes was debated as a property-rights and local-control issue, with supporters saying it could help preserve affordable housing and opponents warning it would override local decisions. The House also adopted motions to reconsider prior actions on SB 1043 and SB 1100, and it requested the Senate return SB 1552 for reconsideration. The session ended with the House still processing additional Committee of the Whole business, including HB 4158, HB 4159, HB 4160, HB 4161, HB 4162, and HB 4163, with HB 4162 and HB 4163 receiving floor amendments and do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• we're focused in on the priorities. we're focused in on the priorities.
• So in here we got $768 million in bond funds, a combination of priorities expressed by the institutions
• So in here we got $768 million in bond funds, a combination of priorities expressed by the institutions
• So in here we got $768 million in bond funds, a combination of priorities expressed by the institutions
• project program and 50 county priority project program and 50 million<00:43:26.800> for<00:43

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:11 Executive Budget 00:00:50, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear a presentation from Dr. Hicks on the governor’s recommended budget for the next biennium. He reviewed the revenue outlook, noting modest general fund growth, a large rainy day fund balance, and the impact of recent income tax reductions. He said the budget was built around recurring reductions, lower debt service and retirement contribution rates, and the use of excess restricted funds, while protecting K-12 education, Medicaid, postsecondary education, public safety, and pension obligations. Dr. Hicks outlined several major spending and reserve proposals, including $350 million from the Department of Insurance’s excess restricted funds to support Medicaid in the first year, $150 million for the affordable housing trust fund, $125 million for rural hospitals, $100 million to offset lost federal ACA premium tax credits, $75 million for utility assistance, and $50 million for food assistance. In education, the proposal included a phased pre-K for all plan funded by sports wagering tax revenue, a 3% annual salary increase for full-time school personnel, continued full funding of teacher pensions, a 2.5% annual increase in SEEK base funding, and additional support for career and technical education and school facilities. He also discussed Medicaid cost pressures, including higher managed care, pharmacy, behavioral health, and nursing facility costs, and explained the expected effects of federal HR1 changes on Kentucky’s Medicaid program. Those changes include work and community engagement requirements and more frequent eligibility redeterminations for expansion members, which the administration estimated would reduce enrollment by about 4,300 in the first year and 28,000 in the second year. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting, which was limited to the budget presentation and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's really a big priority for the president and his administration through the Secretary of Health
• we have been afforded the largest amount of money than most any other state, this is one of the priorities
• This is one of the priorities within that funding of the RHTP program is things like this, where food

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the prior minutes and then took up two Department of Human Services rules. Mary Franklin of DHS’s Division of County Operations presented a Medicaid/CHIP rule that removes the 90-day waiting period for certain ARKids B children who lose other coverage, clarifies child support enforcement procedures for pregnant women, and updates good-cause language to say “rape or incest” rather than “forcible rape.” Members asked about how child support referrals and sanctions work during pregnancy and the postpartum period; Franklin explained that sanctions would not be imposed until after the 60-day postpartum period and that good-cause determinations can prevent sanctions in appropriate cases. The rule had no public comments and a small fiscal impact, and it was reviewed without objection. Elizabeth Pittman of DHS’s Division of Medical Services then presented a medication-assisted treatment rule. She explained that the change simply removes an expired federal end date from the state plan and updates the CMS template, while leaving existing coverage for counseling and lab services tied to substance use disorder treatment unchanged. In response to questions, she said the rule does not add new benefits or costs because the coverage was already required by federal and state law. The committee reviewed the rule without objection. The meeting also included an informational presentation from Jenna Goldman of UAMS about a culinary medicine experience for legislators, scheduled for March 16 for the Senate and March 17 for the House at the Institute on Aging in Little Rock. She described it as a food-is-medicine program where participants would learn about healthy cooking and how to apply it in communities with limited food options. Members discussed its connection to rural health and potential grant opportunities. The meeting ended with a brief visit from a Monticello sixth-grade class, who asked Capitol trivia questions before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's really a big priority for the president and his administration through Secretary of Health and
• we have been afforded the largest amount of money than most any other state, this is one of the priorities
• This is one of the priorities within that funding of the RHTP program: things like this, where food is

Summary: The committee met briefly to approve prior minutes and then reviewed two Department of Human Services rules. The first, from the Division of County Operations, would remove the 90-day waiting period for certain ARKids B children who lose other coverage, clarify child support enforcement procedures for pregnant women and postpartum sanctions, and change the good-cause language from “forcible rape” to “rape or incest.” DHS said there were no public comments and only a small fiscal impact for system changes. The second rule, from the Division of Medical Services, updates the Medicaid state plan for medication-assisted treatment by removing an expired federal end date and adopting a new CMS template; officials said coverage does not change and there is no financial impact. Both rules were reviewed without objection. Members also heard an informational presentation from UAMS about a culinary medicine experience planned for March 16 for the Senate and March 17 for the House at the Institute on Aging in Little Rock. The program is intended to show how food can be used as medicine and to connect with the state’s rural health transformation priorities and possible grant opportunities. Members were encouraged to attend, wear comfortable shoes, and participate in the kitchen-based activity. The meeting ended with special recognition of a Monticello sixth-grade class visiting the Capitol for a scavenger hunt. A student asked several questions about the Capitol building’s materials and architecture, and members responded informally before the committee adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:44:28.880> for<01:44:29.119> her, priority for her, priority for her, so<01:44:31.119
• And it's also a huge priority for her.
• Tobin and Sienna were the absolute number one priority for her. She loved Matt.
• <03:08:18.319> She priority for her. She loved Matt. She priority for her.
• She kept a stack of her priority bills.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, approval of the February 12, 2026 journal, and reports that several bills were correctly printed or engrossed. Committee reports then moved Senate Bills 7 and 31 from Health and Human Services, Senate Bills 53 and 54 from Local Government and Housing, and Senate Bill 43 from State, Veterans, and Military Affairs to the Committee of the Whole, with some measures recommended for the consent calendar. The chamber also announced substitute prime sponsors for Senate Bills 260008 and 2631 following Senator Michaelson Jenet’s resignation. The Senate then recessed to hold a memorial for former Senator Faith Winter and later voted to proceed out of order for memorials. Senate Joint Memorial 001, honoring Winter, was read at length and adopted. The memorial described her work on transportation, climate, paid family and medical leave, environmental justice, rural health care, and bipartisan legislation, and it was ordered sent to her family members. The Senate also suspended Rule 31A by a two-thirds vote so current and former House members could address the chamber from the well. Several members and family representatives offered remarks remembering Winter as a mentor, organizer, and coalition-builder. Speakers highlighted her advocacy for paid family leave, transportation funding, cleaner air, women’s leadership, and workplace accountability, as well as her personal warmth and support for colleagues and family. No additional legislative votes or bill actions were taken beyond the memorial adoption and procedural motions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I know believe the priorities are.
• state to say these are the priorities state to say these are the priorities for<02:59:31.040>
• this in the budget and those priorities. this in the budget and those priorities.
• It's a priority of the current that.
• Let's be sure it's still a priority.

Keywords: 916, all