Transcript Highlights:

• AI IS NOT JUST A TOOL BUT A TECHNOLOGICAL SHAPE OF THE FUTURE FOR INSURANCE.
• HUMAN RESOURCES. MAILROOM, ALL THAT KIND OF BACK ROOM STUFF THAT GOES ON.
• THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN AROUND AND IN USE FOR A LONG TIME.
• HOW DO YOU FORESEE THAT, THE AI TECHNOLOGY TO AFFECT PREMIUM PRICES?
• KOVAL, THINK WE ARE IN THE EMERGING STAGES OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND MR.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's obvious that our health care sector is technologically amazing...
• Imagine the difficulties for someone who does not have the resources that we do.
• CHWs lower the... ...resources that we do. Where do they get started?
• These new technologies and practices should be integrated Currently performed by cemeteries.
• It's really the oldest technology that exists.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing covered a wide range of public health bills, with much of the testimony focused on two major themes: expanding access to care and stabilizing health-related workforces and services. On House 2364, an act relative to medical health and fitness facilities, representatives from Dedham Health and Athletic Club argued for a pilot program recognizing supervised exercise as medicine, saying it could improve outcomes for chronic disease, fall prevention, and mental health while reducing costs. On House/Senate bills concerning community health workers (H. 359/S. 251), multiple witnesses from MACHW, Health Care for All, MHA, Cambridge Health Alliance, Mass General Brigham, Boston Children’s Hospital, Asian Women for Health, and the City of Somerville described CHWs as essential for navigation, trust-building, language access, and addressing social needs, and urged reimbursement by MassHealth, the GIC, and private insurers, along with workforce development measures. One pediatric neurologist also told the committee that losing grant-funded CHW support led to more avoidable ER visits and threatened clinic operations. The committee also heard extensive testimony on hospital closures and essential services. Witnesses including Dr. Alan Sager, MNA President Katie Murphy, nurses from Brockton Hospital and Providence Behavioral Health, and local officials and legislators from Norwood described the loss of hospitals and service lines, especially maternity, pediatric, and behavioral health care, and argued current closure processes are too weak to protect communities. They supported bills such as H. 2460/S. 1503 and H. 2534/S. 1574, which would require earlier notice, community input, stronger state oversight, possible receivership, and limits on reopening or expanding after closures. Testimony emphasized the impact of Steward’s bankruptcy, the closures of Carney and Neshoba Valley, and the need to preserve access to essential services in underserved areas. Several end-of-life and professional regulation bills were also discussed. On H. 2436, Representative Omar Gomez and funeral industry witnesses supported eliminating Office of the Chief Medical Examiner fees for the removal of a child’s body in cases involving children five and under, describing the bill as a small but important relief for grieving families. On H. 2444 and related Senate bills, cemetery and consumer advocates supported legalizing alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction as environmentally friendly after-death options, while cemetery representatives opposed H. 2360, which would allow funeral establishments to operate crematories, arguing cemeteries should retain that role. The committee also heard support for H. 2382, which would exempt dentists and oral surgeons from a new office-based surgical center framework, and for H. 2461, which would create hospital efficiency standards; employers and retailers backed that bill as a way to address rising health care costs. Finally, the committee heard testimony on autism services and hospital governance. On S. 1414, behavior analysts and school representatives said Massachusetts already licenses assistant-level ABA providers but MassHealth does not reimburse them, causing long waitlists and limiting school and family access; an actuary testified that a three-tier ABA reimbursement model could reduce MassHealth costs by up to 6% per child served. Senator Lovely also testified in support of S. 1572, which would require at least one registered nurse on each acute care hospital governing board, arguing nurses’ frontline perspective would improve quality and retention. No votes were taken in the hearing excerpt, but many witnesses urged favorable reports on their respective bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide access to resources in the community.
• We made that decision based solely on where our resources were.
• We considered whether we had the resources to do it.
• If you all would be requesting additional resources for this work, what would those resources go toward
• Also, as well, for the bigger offices, like explaining the need to use technology and ask for technology

Summary: The committee received agency updates on several behavioral health and justice programs. The Health Care Authority reported that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has expanded from two counties to eight, with a ninth expected in December, and described AOT as a court-ordered, least-restrictive treatment model that depends on close coordination among courts, treatment providers, and local officials. The agency also reviewed Joel’s Law, which lets family members, guardians, conservators, or tribes petition for an initial involuntary detention when they disagree with a designated crisis responder’s decision. Judges Ferreira and Larson said petition use has increased significantly statewide and in Snohomish County, but many cases do not proceed beyond the initial detention stage; they also noted family frustration, disjointed processes, and bed shortages as ongoing issues. Committee members asked about expansion criteria, the law’s effectiveness, and how the system fits together with other mental health interventions. The Attorney General’s Office presented on the hate crimes and bias incidents hotline created by SB 5427. The hotline began a pilot in King, Clark, and Spokane counties on July 1, 2025, with a statewide launch planned for 2027. Officials said the advisory committee helped shape the referral process, intake questions, outreach materials, and public branding. In the first five months, the hotline received 301 reports, with roughly 45% from King County and about 38% from outside the pilot counties; 42% requested follow-up, and only about a quarter of those wanted law enforcement referral. Testimony emphasized that the hotline is non-emergency, anonymous if desired, and focused on referrals rather than investigation. Members asked about why callers do not seek law enforcement involvement, how the hotline compares with Oregon’s launch, and what kinds of incidents are being reported. The Office of Independent Investigations reported progress on its work investigating police deadly force fatalities. Director Roger Rogoff said the agency has grown to 66 employees, including 31 investigators, and has completed six fatality investigations, with two public final reports posted. He said the office now operates in Region 1 and plans to expand statewide as staffing allows, with a future east-side expansion dependent on additional investigators. He also said the office has 29 requests to review prior cases, but those reviews are time-intensive and limited to cases with new evidence. Committee members asked about staffing needs, local cooperation, and whether the office conducts parallel investigations; Rogoff said OII performs the criminal investigation, while agencies may still do administrative reviews. The committee then heard a lengthy panel on public defense caseload standards and funding. The Washington State Bar Association, Washington Defender Association, county representatives, and city representatives all discussed the new caseload standards and the implementation timeline. Speakers said the standards reflect modern public defense realities but warned that funding, attorney recruitment and retention, office space, and data collection remain major barriers. Survey results from county offices showed wide variation in readiness, with many counties uncertain about timelines and most citing lack of funding as the biggest obstacle; attorney attrition was also described as high. County and city representatives argued that the new standards will require far more attorneys and support staff, and that local governments cannot absorb the cost without substantial state funding. They urged the Legislature to increase state support, improve workforce pipelines, and address structural issues in the public defense system.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll call the Information Technology Committee to order. Good morning, everyone.
• We'll call the Information Technology Committee to order.
• I'm the chief technology officer here for the state of North Dakota.
• And we also maintain a statewide community directory of resources.
• And we also maintain a statewide community directory of resources.

Summary: The Information Technology Committee approved the March 26 minutes and received a series of reports from NDIT on major IT projects, the annual report, mainframe modernization, and cybersecurity services. The project portfolio was reported at 116 major projects with a baseline cost of $546 million, overall under budget but modestly behind schedule. Several projects that had been in variance status last quarter were said to have closed, including HHS bed management, vital records modernization, and DOT roadway capital planning. New startup reports were mostly HHS efforts tied to refugee data management, technical debt cleanup, and legacy application decommissioning, while closeouts included HHS, OMB, DPI, and DOT projects with mixed budget and schedule results. In the annual report discussion, NDIT described its service-fund financials, peer-state rate comparisons, records management reporting, and customer satisfaction efforts. Members asked about how revenues and grants flow through the service fund, how NDIT charges agencies for services, and whether customer satisfaction or CSAT scores are tracked and could be reported more regularly. NDIT said it does track service-team CSAT and survey data, and committee members encouraged more regular reporting of those metrics. The committee also discussed application portfolio management, statewide IT planning, and whether agencies should slow new system replacements while the state pursues an ERP system. The mainframe update focused on the state’s ongoing effort to retire legacy systems by about 2030. NDIT and HHS said the work is being managed as a tech-debt program, but progress is slowed by data cleanup, integration complexity, staff retirements, vendor capacity, and federal requirements. Members asked whether there is a coordinated commitment and whether additional vendor support or consultants are needed; NDIT said it is working jointly with HHS and is seeking an RFP to help accelerate modernization. The cybersecurity presentation then shifted to statewide maturity assessments and services. NDIT said it provides endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning, security awareness training, threat briefings, and penetration testing, and that assessments are based on CIS controls. Members raised concerns about low participation in the self-assessment process, the lack of mandatory reporting or audit authority, and whether insurance incentives through Enderf or possible State Auditor involvement could improve compliance. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• That technology takes money. And that technology... Technology is paid for by whom?
• , including... water, geologic mapping and hazards, a variety of energy resources, and mineral resources
• exploration for energy resources.
• And then understanding better certain geologic resources, critical minerals, being one of those resources
• exploration for energy resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• and our beautiful natural resources, from invasive pests.
• Because a department only introduces new technology maybe every 20 years.
• Because a department only introduces new technology maybe every 20 years.
• And so a lot of resources go into doing that, not only resources from the administration, but from every
• My name is Marquise King Mason with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Summary: The meeting began with a lengthy opening discussion with Secretary Karen Ross of the Department of Food and Agriculture, who reviewed the department’s proposed budget, emphasized California agriculture’s record output, and highlighted major priorities including climate-smart agriculture, groundwater management, local food systems, farm-to-school, food hubs, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety. She also warned about federal budget cuts, especially at USDA and FDA, and discussed market access challenges abroad, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the need for automation and workforce training. Members raised questions about the future of Farm to School, the California Nutrition Incentive Program/Market Match, local food procurement, and how to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and food hubs; Ross said the department had strong evidence the program benefits small farms and Title I schools and noted continued interest in building out local food infrastructure. The committee then took up item one on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee previously rejecting 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. LAO and Finance said the vacancies represented a source of budget flexibility, but warned that eliminating them could create program impacts; LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance argued the reductions were part of a broader budget-resiliency exercise and that departments could reclassify or shift vacancies to higher priorities. Members focused heavily on the practical impacts of the cuts. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris argued that Fish and Wildlife staffing shortages were already slowing permits needed for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects, and questioned the value of saving relatively small amounts of money. Fish and Wildlife officials said the department had prioritized mission-critical work and could still meet permitting obligations, but acknowledged limited-term staffing constraints. State Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow maintenance and eventually worsen deferred maintenance. Food and Agriculture said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection and eradication, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate and reclassify positions if needed. The chair and several members signaled concern about the Fish and Wildlife and Parks cuts, while also noting the broader need for budget reductions. The committee then moved to item six, hearing an overview from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Staff described the office’s role in CEQA implementation and said the budget requests were baseline funding to maintain existing functions, including IT services and administrative/legislative support, rather than new programs. The chair asked the presenters to move quickly through background material so the committee could get to questions, and the item began with no votes taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rpc is a resource and it works best when the entire region is at the table working together, especially
• If they're going invest capital and resources into our state, we to make sure it is stable environment
• Regional councils say state resources were not duped, taking services.
• Don't take this important resource away from the county's in a small community.
• And I'm just dying out there that we update our database to be up to update our technology within the

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school and they could pour resources school and they could pour resources into<00:32:35.039>
• They were embracing technology everywhere, and everything was technology-based where they could interact
• They were embracing technology everywhere, and everything was technology-based where they could interact
• They were embracing technology everywhere, and everything was technology-based where they could interact
• They were embracing technology everywhere, and everything was technology-based where they could interact

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Primary and Secondary Education Committee met and first considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 43, a proposal tied to the Southern Regional Education Board’s crisis recovery network. Senator West and Dr. Puit explained that, for an additional $10,000 in dues, Kentucky would help create a network of 40 trained counselors in each of the 16 Southern states to provide post-crisis stabilization and psychological first aid after events such as the Marshall County shooting. They emphasized that the effort would be complementary to local and state response, would run through the school district, would not replace therapeutic services, and would allow districts to coordinate parent notifications and other protocols as usual. Members asked about parent involvement and whether pastoral counselors could participate; the presenters said local districts would remain in charge and that pastors could be included if properly credentialed. The committee then voted, and SCR 43 passed with the expression of opinion that it should pass. The committee next took up Senate Bill 207, the School of Innovation Act, with a committee substitute. Senator West described the bill as creating an optional path for districts to contract with an outside education service provider for a three-year school-of-innovation model, aimed at turning around low-performing schools or supporting other schools that want to innovate. He said the model would preserve core district functions such as transportation, facilities, and SEEK funding, while allowing waivers from certain statutes and regulations inside the school building. The committee substitute also added a high-quality instructional materials component, creating a vendor-supported repository of vetted instructional materials that KDE would still control, with testing data used to evaluate whether the materials were improving outcomes. Members questioned how the proposal differed from existing district-of-innovation law and what safeguards would exist for students. Senator West said the bill would repeal the unused district-of-innovation framework and replace it with a clearer process and guardrails, including KDE oversight, attendance rules, and authority to shut down a school arrangement for financial malfeasance. He also said the model could work with local partners, including superintendents’ associations, and could be used by magnet or other schools, not only low-performing ones. The discussion also touched on whether the bill would allow more flexibility in choosing third-party providers and whether it could support longer-term recovery and even philanthropy in schools. The transcript ends during the discussion of SB 207, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned earlier, Tate, about resources, you know, the possibility of additional resources.
• In the AI literacy course, there are parent resources or community resources that they can use.
• community resources that they can use. community resources that they can use.
• utilizing AI resources to our benefit. utilizing AI resources to our benefit.
• suite of resources available to them. suite of resources available to them.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will now turn to the DENREC Drainage Project List and review and approve the Resource Conservation
• All right, with that said, I make a motion to adopt the Resource Conservation and Development Project
• Under DTI, Section 43 prohibits state agencies from initiating an information technology data center
• Under Department of Natural Resources, Section 71 says, Under the Department of Natural Resources, Section
• Section 81 authorizes DNREC and the conservation districts to use resource conservation and development

Summary: The committee met for a fiscal year 2027 capital budget writing session with all 12 members present. It first reviewed and approved the DNREC Resource Conservation and Development drainage project list, which would add projects across New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties and bring the total eligible projects to 1,561. Members offered personal remarks thanking retiring conservation district staff, especially Kevin Donnelly, for years of work on drainage and water issues. The committee then reviewed DelDOT Rule 12 changes, including annual date updates and a reduction in the inflation markup applied to older estimates, and approved the rule as amended. The committee next adopted DelDOT Appendix A and the FY27 paving and rehabilitation list, including the subdivision street management fund and various road resurfacing projects. DelDOT explained that paving projects are for state-of-good-repair work and that major changes from corridor studies would be handled separately. The committee also approved DelDOT epilogue changes, including updates to authorization amounts, a $25 million increase for toll infrastructure work, changes to subdivision street paving language, and an increase in the subdivision street paving management fund to $30 million. Several sections were placed on hold for later updates. The committee then moved through boilerplate epilogue sections in the bond bill, approving a wide range of provisions affecting conservation districts, housing, economic development, corrections, DNREC, public safety, transportation, agriculture, fire prevention, education, and other agencies. Many sections were adopted in groups, while some were held for later revisions or deleted as no longer needed. The session included updates to school capital rules, transportation restrictions and reporting requirements, DNREC conservation and land-use provisions, and funding and administrative authorities across multiple agencies. The committee broke for lunch after approving the education-related sections through 147, with additional sections still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to have the technology.
• It's really where technology meets the inputs necessary to apply that technology.
• And it certainly can and will change as technology is developed.
• Nathan Anderson from the Department of Mineral Resources.
• These are, again, the ones that are completed with more modern technologies.

Summary: The committee met to receive updates from the Tax Commissioner’s office on property tax relief programs and related compliance work. Commissioner Brian Croshys reviewed the Homestead Property Tax Credit, Disabled Veteran Credit, and Primary Residence Credit, noting that the Homestead program expanded significantly after HB 1158, that some households are “adjusting out” of eligibility as incomes rise, and that the committee may want to consider indexing income thresholds. Members asked for additional data on bracket breakdowns, possible costs of eliminating income limits for seniors, and how many households are zeroed out by the combined programs. Croshys also discussed the simpler administration of the disabled veteran credit, the growth in participation, and the heavy workload and auditing safeguards built into the new primary residence credit system. He said the department found no material compliance findings and that the program is designed to be digital-first, with county auditors and the Tax Commissioner’s office both involved in review and notification. The committee recessed for lunch and later reconvened, with the chair noting that more detailed PRC information would likely be available at a September meeting. Shelly Myers then presented the statewide property tax increase, or “zero growth,” report and the 2025 statistical report. She explained how county auditors report levy and valuation data, how increases and decreases are counted, and which jurisdictions showed the largest percentage changes in countywide, citywide, school district, and park district levies. In the statistical report, she summarized recent trends in assessed values: agricultural values remained relatively flat, while residential, commercial, and centrally assessed property values increased over the past five years. She also reviewed statewide tax levies by property class and clarified that centrally assessed growth figures were annual averages. Members discussed how shifts in land use and annexation can make it appear that tax burdens are moving from ag to residential/commercial property. Myers then summarized the interim study on the 3% levy limitation under HB 1176, saying most counties complied without budget changes, while some used hiring freezes, deferred purchases, or reserve funds; 23% of counties had to reduce levies, and the affected funds were mainly general, road and bridge, and weed control. She said 12 counties reported zero new growth in the data and that 35 counties reported not using all of their cap. The committee also received an oil tax presentation from Croshys on the stripper well extraction tax exemption. He outlined the number of active stripper wells, the production and revenue implications of the exemption, and projections for future biennia under different tax scenarios. He said the exemption represents substantial savings to operators but also corresponds to production tax revenue that would otherwise be collected, and he emphasized that future outcomes depend on oil prices, well counts, and technology such as CO2 enhanced oil recovery. Nathan Anderson of the Department of Mineral Resources briefly answered a question about why Red River wells have a different production threshold than Bakken wells, explaining it was tied to completion costs and lateral length. The committee then heard from Charlie Gorecki of the EERC, who presented an analysis of typical Bakken well decline curves and argued that most oil is produced before a well reaches stripper status, but that keeping wells open and investing in refracturing or other interventions can recover additional production. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting; the main actions were receiving reports, asking for follow-up data, and scheduling further discussion for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Natural Resources and Energy Committee has met and reports Senate Bill 57 should pass with Senate
• The Natural Resources and Energy Committee has met and reports Senate Bill 57 should pass with Senate
• It shows the latest in technology coming into our industry.
• It shows the latest in technology coming into our industry.
• coming into our a uh technology coming into our a uh industry.<00:20:04.559> And<00:20:04.720

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call establishing a quorum, and approval of the previous day’s journal. The House clerk then informed the Senate that the House had passed House Bills 49 and 470 and requested concurrence. The clerk also read the second-reading calendar, which included Senate Bills 45, 98, 118, 145, 153, 155, 158, and 160, all of which were sent to the Rules Committee. Committee reports placed several bills on the calendar, including SB 69, 56, 72, 57, 172, 9, 141, and 110, with various committee substitutes and title amendments noted. The Rules Committee later posted those bills for the next day’s regular orders, and the Committee on Committees made several referrals, including SB 41 to Appropriations and Revenue; SBs 124 and 152 to Education; SBs 125, 138, 162, and 170 to Judiciary; SJR 90 to Transportation; SBs 47, 104, and 159 to Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection; and Senate Resolutions 85 through 89 to the floor. During floor business, members filed amendments and co-sponsorship requests, including amendments to SB 39 and SB 110 and co-sponsorships for bills such as SB 98, SB 172, SB 63, SB 135, SB 179, and SB 169. Senators also made several announcements and remarks, including notice of upcoming committee meetings, a reception for working families, the National Farm Machinery Show, and concerns about coal, energy affordability, and a constituent’s high utility bill. One senator called up Senate Resolution 82 for the next day, and the chamber adopted Senate Resolution 84, honoring Harriet Thompson of Winchester for her service to the Clark County Republican Women’s Club and the Republican Party. New legislation was introduced, including SB 180 on property valuation, SB 184 on education reporting, SBs 185-187 on branch budget recommendations and branch budget bills, SB 188 on railroad safety, and SCR 96 to reestablish the disaster prevention and resiliency task force. No floor votes were taken on the bills themselves during this meeting beyond the adoption of SR 84. The Senate then recessed for committee meetings, returned, and adjourned until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning. provide students with critical resources provide students with critical resources Foster
• Next, Maui Nei Marine Resource Council, not present. Maui Food Technology Center, also not present.
• Next, Maui Nei Marine Resource Council, not present. Maui Food Technology Center, also not present.
• who lack access to critical resources who lack access to critical resources legal<04:12:09.840><
• this uh next Maui Nei Marine Resource this uh next Maui Nei Marine Resource Council<04:12:57.399

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, uh, as technology evolves, we may need to revisit the statute.
• Moreover, the advent of artificial intelligence and deep fake technology has added a new dimension to
• Chairman, um, what about Meta, Google and Microsoft, like technology companies?
• Chairman, members, I do have a resource witness. I'll start, start with that.
• It didn't sound like it was from like the legislative resource library.

Bills: HB207, HB235

Keywords: HB 207, Texas Government Code, Section 411.201, license to carry, LTC, handgun license, concealed carry, federal judge, immigration judge, immigration court, U.S. immigration court, judicial security, firearm carry permit, Texas handgun license, federal judiciary, HB235, Texas, sales tax exemption, use tax exemption, disabled veteran

Transcript Highlights:

• Technology is helping us do more of that. I foresee that as part of our future.
• To build out that technology of ropeless for that season.
• and research. ...all of those port-based projects under one umbrella and share technology and resources
• And it's been said that we have to think like the resource that we harvest.
• And there has been a shift in the way the resource has kind of rebounded in the springtime.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture held its annual State of the Fishery forum, focusing on salmon, Dungeness crab, kelp, ocean conditions, and related aquaculture and committee reports. Opening remarks from committee leadership emphasized climate impacts, reduced federal NOAA support, state investments through Proposition 4, coastal resilience funding, and the importance of fisheries to rural economies and tribal communities. Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot described a decade of drought and climate stress, highlighted progress such as Klamath River dam removal, wetland restoration, and the state’s salmon strategy, and warned that federal funding uncertainty and staffing cuts could undermine restoration and fishery recovery efforts. Senator Cortese raised concerns about illegal cannabis cultivation damaging riparian habitat and water flows, and both Crowfoot and Fish and Wildlife Director Bonham said enforcement against illicit grows remains a major environmental priority but is constrained by resources. Director Bonham provided a broad update on California fisheries, reporting encouraging signs for salmon after several difficult years, including improved ocean conditions, stronger returns in some runs, and successful short recreational openings in 2025. He also noted major challenges, including reduced federal hatchery production at Nimbus, ongoing uncertainty around winter-run and spring-run recovery, and the need for continued habitat restoration, monitoring, and hatchery investment. On Dungeness crab, Bonham said the fishery remained valuable but constrained by whale entanglement risk, warming ocean conditions, and domoic acid concerns; he described new marked-line distribution, ropeless and alternative gear trials, and ongoing aerial and vessel monitoring. He also said the department’s unified cannabis enforcement task force had served numerous warrants and seized large amounts of illegal cannabis, but more funding is needed for sustained operations. In the salmon panel, Yurok Tribe fisheries director McCovey said the Klamath still faces low run sizes, climate-driven warming, wildfire impacts, and federal uncertainty, but he pointed to dam removal, restoration work, and AB 263’s river-flow protections as major advances. PCFFA president Bradshaw stressed that the three consecutive salmon closures have devastated coastal communities and argued for major reinvestment in aging Central Valley hatchery infrastructure and better broodstock management at Fall Creek. CalTrout’s Schneider said salmon remain at risk statewide, but cited Prop 4, habitat reconnection, floodplain restoration, improved water management, and monitoring as the main tools for recovery. In the crab panel, CDFW’s Schumann reported that the 2024–25 season produced record prices per pound and about $55 million in value despite delays and trap reductions, but he warned that three confirmed whale entanglements and elevated whale presence could force a conservative opener for 2025–26. PCFFA’s Domrash supported marked line, alternative gear, and a new gear-recovery network, while also criticizing the current ramp system as a response to a problem not fully grounded in science.

Transcript Highlights:

• For architectural modeling and design technology.
• In third place, Zane Schumacher in diesel equipment technology.
• So with regard to resources, yes. So I'll give you an example.
• with workforce and employer resources.
• State resources with workforce and employer resources to focus on in-demand positions in the state.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Human Resources Department of Human Resources Administration.<00:19:42.160> I<00:19:42.320
• <00:19:54.080> Uh, the division technology services.
• Uh, the division technology services.
• <00:19:59.679> information Kentucky human resources information Kentucky human resources information
• would uh answer that from a technology would uh answer that from a technology perspective.<00:25

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard capital plan presentations from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Personnel Cabinet, and the School Facilities Construction Commission. The Justice Cabinet described its large portfolio of more than 900 facilities across the state and said decades of underfunded maintenance have created a backlog of repairs. Requested projects included a high-acuity mental health treatment facility for juvenile justice youth, two female detention centers to support the regional detention model, major corrections repairs and replacements, a new kitchen at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, a new dormitory at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women, completion of a new Eastern Kentucky prison, DOCJT training facility upgrades in Richmond and Madisonville, State Police radio system replacement and post construction, a combined Frankfort headquarters/Post 12 facility, and expanded crime lab and storage capacity. When asked about the high cost of the EKCC kitchen project, staff said construction inside an operating facility raises costs and that building a new adjacent kitchen would be more economical in the long run. The panel also asked about Fish and Wildlife officers training at DOCJT; staff said they do and that the training is funded through the CLEFT fund. The Justice Cabinet also said the recently enacted Senate Bill 4’s AI inventory and registry requirements would be part of its enterprise application and AI inventory system work. The Personnel Cabinet requested funding to replace CHRIS, the state’s human resources and payroll system, which supports payroll and benefits for about 48,000 employees and the Kentucky Employee Health Plan for roughly 192,000 members. Staff said the current SAP-based system went live in 2011, is approaching end of support in 2030, and has not received functionality enhancements since 2016. They said the replacement is estimated at $151 million, with most of the cost tied to professional services and software, and that the project would begin in July 2026, go live by July 2030, and require a stabilization period through 2032. In response to questions about outsourcing payroll or reusing existing systems, staff said the complexity of state HR, payroll, tax updates, and integrations with other agencies makes outsourcing or partial reuse impractical. The School Facilities Construction Commission introduced its role in helping all 171 school districts address unmet facility needs, focusing on core school facilities such as roofs and elementary buildings rather than athletic projects. No votes or formal actions were taken during the excerpted discussion; the meeting consisted of presentations, explanations of requested projects, and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• option in the resource adequacy market.
• Currently, these resources are limited from fully participating in the resource adequacy market, but
• And then how do we get all these distributed resources that now we're recognizing that distributed resources
• Our member companies continue to innovate and invest in increasingly resource-efficient technologies
• and take energy use seriously. ...and increasingly resource-efficient technologies and take energy use

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You are recognized to explain the Agriculture and Natural Resources portion of the GAA.
• The Agriculture and Natural Resources portion of the GAA. Thank you, Madam Chair and members.
• I'm pleased to present the highlights of the Agriculture and Natural Resources budget.
• Madam Chair, this includes the highlights. of the Agriculture and Natural Resources budget.
• My name is Marquesas Blyams and I work in assistive technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• Safety and technological innovation.
• We look forward to hearing about traffic safety and technological innovation.
• So there's this resource allocation aspect. We see if the project's working.
• , simply because of the lack of resources that we do have or the minimal resources.
• , simply because of the lack of resources that we do have or the minimal resources.

Keywords: 904, all