Transcript Highlights:

• I have the docket numbers rather than the final bill numbers, but I know that you can cross-translate
• they've been given their regular bill numbers.
• Our technology has outpaced the cell phone. Our technology has outpaced the cell phone.
• But she doesn't know how to use her cell phone, and she really doesn't know how to use her cell phone
• But because she didn't know how to use her cell phone, she had been hard shutting off her cell phone

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held its second hearing on a large docket of technology, internet, cybersecurity, broadband, and media bills. Early testimony focused on community media funding legislation, with lawmakers and local access advocates arguing that as cable subscriptions decline and streaming grows, revenue tied to cable franchises no longer supports community television and PEG programming. Supporters said community media remains a key source of local news, government meeting coverage, and civic transparency as newspapers disappear or consolidate. A related bill on cable contract oversight also drew support, with testimony that the Department of Telecommunications and Cable is backlogged and should more actively review municipal-provider agreements and report its workload to the committee. Another major topic was a proposal to create a Massachusetts Innovation Fund for state IT modernization. The Alliance for Digital Innovation backed the bill, saying agencies need flexible upfront capital to replace outdated systems and improve cybersecurity, and pointing to the federal Technology Modernization Fund as a model. The witness noted that funding for the state program still needs to be identified. The committee also heard strong support for a bill requiring free broadband in public housing, with Rep. Emmela Goodwin and MAPC describing internet access as essential for jobs, school, telehealth, and civic participation. They said the digital divide in Massachusetts is driven largely by affordability rather than infrastructure, though questions were raised about costs, wiring, and whether all housing sites already have broadband access available at the curb. A substantial portion of the hearing centered on bills to limit addictive social media feeds for minors. Supporters, including lawmakers, parents, teens, and advocacy groups, argued that algorithmic feeds contribute to addiction, anxiety, body image problems, and other harms, and said the bills would restrict surveillance-based curation and overnight notifications while leaving search and followed accounts available. Opponents, including FIRE, CCIA, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, argued the bills would require invasive age verification, threaten privacy and cybersecurity, burden adults’ anonymity, and likely face First Amendment challenges. They also warned the measures could disadvantage smaller businesses and may be unconstitutional based on recent court rulings in other states. The committee also heard support for blockchain-related bills creating a commission, a pilot program, and consumer education efforts, with testimony that Massachusetts has the talent but needs a coordinated state strategy. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So people are already on their phone. Everybody is seeing people on their phone.
• He was not operating the phone, but the phone, I think, had fallen down and he picked it up.
• </c> phone and the physical use of the phone phone and the physical use of the phone it's<01:20:06.360
• I do have those numbers.
• I do have those numbers.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee held a public hearing on HB 249, which would allow bicycles, and in the bill’s language human-powered vehicles and e-bikes, to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs when safe. The bill sponsor, Rep. Seth Miller, said the measure is intended to improve cyclist safety and traffic flow at no cost to the state, citing Idaho and Delaware as examples where similar laws were associated with fewer crashes or injuries. He emphasized that the bill would remain optional, would not let cyclists ignore cross traffic, and would help riders avoid the unstable “wobble” that comes from repeatedly stopping and starting, especially on cargo bikes or other heavier bicycles. Committee members raised concerns about predictability, liability, and whether the proposal creates a special class of vehicle. Rep. Crawford asked why the bill also addresses left turns on red for one-way streets; Miller said that provision is meant to address situations where bicycles do not trigger signal equipment and could otherwise be stranded at a light. Rep. Gannon questioned the lack of explicit liability language, and Miller said he did not know of a separate provision but would be open to an amendment if the committee wanted clearer language. Rep. Hill and Rep. Emble expressed concern that other drivers would not know what cyclists intend to do and that the bill could create special rules; Miller responded that cyclists would still be required to yield and that the law would not change right-of-way rules. Several witnesses testified in support. Michael Frank, a Spofford cyclist and League cycling instructor, said the bill would help him safely commute and carry heavy groceries by reducing the effort and exposure involved in restarting after a full stop. Tim Blagden, former head of the Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, said the bill reflects how many people already ride, saves energy and time, and would still require cyclists to stop at red lights unless the intersection is clear. He also noted that traffic signals often do not detect bicycles. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had to fill out my email and phone number, I think. Yeah, it's your campaign.
• Phone number and both of them are optional on the form.
• Unless y'all want to provide your personal phone numbers and email.
• It's the phone number that's more of the problem.
• They have a campaign email or a campaign phone number. I mean, these are.

Bills: HB569, HB766, HB1638, HB2316, HB2773, HB2785, HB3113, HB3709, HB3775, HB4275

Keywords: early voting, ballot correction, voting rights, election integrity, mail-in voting, voter notification, HB 766, precinct chair, precinct chair candidate, ballot application, Texas Election Code, Section 172.021, election administration, candidate filing, party precinct chair, county party, political party office, email address, telephone number, confidential candidate information

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a number of people that would like to speak to the bill.
• Okay, number four will be 1245. Mr.
• Okay, number seven, we’re moving laterally.
• So districts that didn't have cell phone policies were looking at and adopting cell phone policies, and
• But that's... ...access to a cell phone.

Bills: SB1088, SB1156, SB1157, SB1169, SB1245, SB1273, SB1330, SB1332, SB1391, SB1498, SB1531, SB1550, SB1598, SB1677, SB1707, SB1811, SB1818

Keywords: cybersecurity, homeland security, artificial intelligence, state appropriation, VPN security, zero trust, appropriation, public safety, detention, unauthorized aliens, local government funding, border security, fencing, appropriations, southern border, local government, medical education, physician shortage, healthcare funding, Arizona health care

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a phone number that's put up.
• If there is some nefarious intent behind the requested activity, to call the phone number to have a discussion
• There's a phone number that's put up.
• It may not be their phone number, but all they have to prove is that they made the attempt to... ...be
• their phone number, but all they have to prove is that they made the attempt to notify.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard five bills. HB 1097 would rename the Florida Catastrophic Storm Center at FSU as the Florida Center for Excellence in Insurance and Risk Management, transfer the public hurricane loss projection model from FIU to FSU, and provide recurring and nonrecurring appropriations to support independent insurance research and collaboration with OIR and other universities. Members discussed university roles, model oversight, independence from industry funding, and student/workforce benefits. The bill passed favorably on a roll call vote. HB 319 would create a regulatory framework for virtual currency kiosk businesses, requiring registration with the Office of Financial Regulation, consumer disclosures, and penalties for violations. Much of the discussion focused on fraud prevention, especially for seniors, and whether the bill should include transaction caps or stronger recovery tools; AARP supported the bill but urged additional protections. The bill passed favorably. CS/HB 385 made technical changes to the Florida Trust Code and Community Property Trust Act, including decanting, trustee claims, redemption by satisfaction, and homestead transfer treatment; an amendment conforming to the Senate version was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. CS/HB 97 would allow service of process for exploitation injunctions against unascertainable scammers through the same communication method used to contact the victim, such as text or social media, and would let courts freeze funds temporarily while the matter is heard. Testimony from elder law practitioners and AARP supported the bill as a tool against scams, while some members raised due process and overreach concerns; the bill passed favorably. HB 839 would shorten the overpayment recovery window for claims submitted to psychologists and HMOs to match other health providers, with the goal of improving parity and access to mental health care; an amendment was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. The meeting concluded with adjournment after the final roll call votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had to fill out my email and phone number, I think. To fill out.
• I had to fill out my email and phone number, I think. Yeah, it's your campaign.
• Unless you all want to provide your personal phone numbers and emails.
• It's the phone number that's more of the problem.
• to be a semi-personal phone number.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 3709, which would change the partial manual audit process so early voting could be audited by voting location rather than by randomly selected precincts. The author and several supporters said the current precinct-based process is antiquated, labor-intensive, and especially difficult in countywide voting systems and large counties. Opponents and some neutral witnesses raised concerns about whether the change would still allow an apples-to-apples audit against official precinct results, whether random selection procedures should be more clearly defined, and how ballot secrecy and mail ballots would be handled. The Secretary of State’s office said counties already use random selection methods and that the bill would largely standardize early voting audits with election-day procedures, while also noting ballot privacy issues can arise in public records requests. After testimony, the bill was left pending. The committee then took up House Bill 766, as substituted, which would require precinct chair applicants to provide an email address, phone number, or both, while making that contact information confidential. Supporters said the change would help parties and local officials contact applicants more efficiently. Opponents argued it could expose personal contact information to public records requests and harassment, and some suggested the information should instead be handled through party rules. The bill was left pending after the committee substitute was withdrawn. House Bill 3775 followed and would set clearer timelines for when early voting ballot boards may begin opening carrier envelopes, with different start times based on county size. Supporters said the bill would address counties opening ballots too early and improve ballot security, while opponents warned it could delay defect notices and cure opportunities for mail voters and create problems in large counties that process high volumes of ballots. Testimony also focused on whether the bill referred to carrier envelopes or secrecy envelopes and on how counties like Harris County currently image and secure ballot materials. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4275, which would require countywide polling systems to have polling places in each election precinct, intended to address uneven distribution of polling locations across county commissioner precincts. Supporters said the bill would make polling place distribution fairer and more consistent, especially in Harris County, while opponents said it would undermine countywide voting, increase costs, require more equipment and staff, and reduce local flexibility. Several witnesses also raised concerns about ballot secrecy and the practical burden on large and rural counties. The bill remained under discussion as testimony continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• He had access to my personal cell phone number, my email address, might be.
• He had access to my personal cell phone number, my email address, my assistant's cell phone number, her
• Now that gets tricky because I don't Cell phones, a legislative cell phone, a personal cell phone.
• But I did not have her personal cell phone number. We didn't talk. We didn't text.
• But I did not have her personal cell phone number. We didn't talk. We didn't text.

Summary: The hearing resumed in the Legislative Ethics Board matter involving Tara Simmons after the board confirmed no ex parte communications had occurred overnight. Respondent’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she violated ethics rules by combining legislative support for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and personal dealings were intertwined. After a recess for deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss, and the hearing moved into the defense case. The first defense witness was Sharon Navas, executive director of the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC). Navas testified that she met Simmons in 2018, later hired her, and took steps to separate Simmons’s legislative duties from her work for EEC. She said Simmons was never paid for lobbying or legislative acts, that her compensation came from unrestricted funds, and that the organization used written ethics-compliance language and a formal scope of work. Navas also described the proviso-funded dashboard project involving Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley, testifying that Simmons was not involved in the project’s day-to-day work, did not attend the meetings about the dispute, and was not part of the alleged contract disagreement. On cross-examination, staff focused on the contract documents, the dashboard work, and whether the scope of work matched the parties’ understanding. Tara Simmons then testified in her own defense. She described her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics guidance from House counsel and board-related materials before taking outside employment or supporting provisos. She said she relied on prior ethics advice when separating her legislative role from outside work and when seeking provisos for AEJG and EEC. Simmons also addressed her relationship with Anthony Powers, describing it as a friendship rooted in criminal justice reform work and prior collaboration. The hearing was still in the middle of Simmons’s direct testimony when the transcript excerpt ended, with no final ruling on the merits or disposition of the allegations.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the number one complaint we get.
• I was not looking at my phone for once.
• Amendment number two, on page 1, line 7, after 'test,' Amendment number two, on page 1, line 7, after
• Amendment number four, on page 1, line 13, Amendment number four, on page 1, line 13, after 'section
• number, and stuff like that?

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 16 and first disposed of several local bills without controversy. House Bills 590, 679, and 873 were voluntarily deferred. HB 503, allowing certain utility terrain vehicles and golf carts in Golden Meadow, was amended and reported. HB 720, clarifying tacit dedication and public access to waterways and related access points, was reported favorably. HB 856, expanding indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting authority for DOTD and the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, was amended and reported. HB 487, increasing penalties for drivers who run red lights by using shoulders or turn lanes to pass stopped traffic, was amended and reported. HB 846, prohibiting obscured or covered license plates, was reported favorably. HB 733 and HB 875, both dealing with OMV reinstatement fees and lapses of insurance, were reported with amendments after discussion of audit findings and fee timing. HB 707, moving liquefied petroleum gas commission functions to Agriculture, was amended and reported. HB 693, creating legislator district signs, was amended and then voluntarily deferred. HB 777, requiring a driver's license renewal knowledge exam, was amended and voluntarily deferred for further work with the department. HB 746, concerning oversized trucking permits issued by local governments, was introduced but not advanced, with the author signaling a desire to work on the issue further rather than force a vote. Several bills drew extended debate over safety, enforcement, and government overreach. HB 309, which would have penalized pedestrians for looking at cell phones while crossing crosswalks, was amended from a criminal offense to a $25 civil fine but then voluntarily deferred after members raised concerns about enforceability, tourism, free will, and whether the bill targeted the right party. HB 695, requiring permits and QR-code documentation for consensual non-commercial towing of multiple connected vehicles, was heavily questioned over how it would work in practice, whether it applied to single or multiple vehicles, and how out-of-state travelers would know about the requirement; the committee asked the author to work with OMV and State Police and voluntarily returned the bill to the calendar. HB 868, removing the farm exemption from trailer safety-chain and attachment requirements after a fatal accident involving a trailer separation, was amended and reported despite concerns from members and the Agriculture Commissioner about impacts on older farm equipment and the need to preserve flexibility for agricultural operations. The committee also heard testimony from law enforcement, the auditor’s office, the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and industry groups. Chiefs of police supported the red-light and license-plate bills as common-sense public safety measures, while the Legislative Auditor explained that the OMV fee bills were intended to align Louisiana’s reinstatement fees and grace periods more closely with other states and with audit recommendations. DOTD and the secretary supported the procurement bill as a tool to speed construction and maintenance work. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain supported the propane commission bill and urged caution on the farm trailer safety bill so that older and specialized equipment would not be unintentionally burdened.

Transcript Highlights:

• number.
• That's why the numbers don't add.
• I think the phones have a lot to do with that.
• And their phones are not ringing. The parks that are open, their phones are not ringing.
• My phone wasn't ringing.

Transcript Highlights:

• In exchange for that, we have... ...given ICE phone numbers of our lockups so they can figure out how
• In exchange for that, we have given ICE phone numbers of our lockups so they can figure out how to call
• So is there a number when people should be on the phones? I'd like to believe...
• So I actually went through and I looked at the number of phone calls and the duration in minutes, and
• And then I did the same thing for the Number of phone calls and the duration in minutes, and I found

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In other words, these are just the number, really the number of beds that are in those facilities?
• , historically low numbers.
• I don't have those numbers.
• It was 5,488 as our total number.
• And he always picks the phone up.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission approved the July 11 minutes and then received a detailed follow-up presentation from the Department of Correction on facility footprint, mission-driven housing, programming, and technology. Commissioner Jenkins and Deputy Commissioner Peterson explained recent and planned facility changes, including the closures of Walpole, MCI Cedar Junction, and MCI Concord, the transition of the Plymouth Section 35/Mass Act program to Health and Human Services, the return of Bay State to DOC control for possible future use, and the Shattuck Hospital move to East Newton Pavilion. Members asked about operational capacity, the exclusion of support beds from occupancy figures, and the status of mothballed or unused facilities. Framingham drew particular attention because of its historically low women’s population and planned renovations; members raised concerns about the cost and the need to consider the broader women’s correctional system. A major portion of the meeting focused on mission-driven units and evidence-based programming. DOC described specialized units for health services, nursing care, clinical stabilization, mental health, residential treatment, protective custody, reentry, emerging adults, education, and substance use recovery, and noted that security threat group support beds are not used. Staff explained the distinction between general population beds and support beds, and between programming and treatment. They said core recidivism-reduction programs are based on risk-need responsivity and COMPAS assessments, with Spectrum Health Systems as the current vendor, and presented recidivism data showing lower reoffending among participants who completed programs such as violence reduction, criminal thinking, and the Correctional Recovery Academy. For women, they highlighted the pathways model at MCI Framingham, which combines trauma-informed, gender-responsive services, and reported strong outcomes for those engaged for at least 26 weeks. Members asked about how needs are identified and counted, how declinations are handled, and how the department distinguishes completion from ongoing maintenance. DOC said participation is voluntary, individuals are re-recommended over time, and completion is recorded in the system when criteria are met. They also discussed educational supports for learning disabilities and trauma, including IEP/504 coordination, tutoring, and a new school psychologist for testing. Questions were raised about family reunification programming, and DOC pointed to family-focused services, mediation, Read to Me Mommy, and the Brave unit for young fathers. Sheriff Cabral and Sheriff Cochie praised the presentation and emphasized the importance of family reunification and the realities of trauma in incarcerated people’s lives. The final section highlighted the expanded use of tablets across all facilities. DOC said tablets now support free phone calls, emails, video visits, surveys, educational content, medical updates, sick-call requests, and an earned-good-time app, while also helping with communication during facility closures and with ongoing programming. Staff said the tablets are used both for learning and recreation, and that more than half of the incarcerated population uses them monthly for educational purposes. Members discussed whether user feedback or “reviews” of programs could help increase participation, and DOC said tablet-based surveys make that possible. The meeting ended with general agreement that the department has expanded programming and technology substantially and is using them to support reentry, communication, and facility operations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please remember to silence your cell phones. If you need to make a phone call, please step outside.
• This is amendment set number two. Yes, Mr.
• Amendment number four amends prohibited act number eight to failing to provide a mechanism for the consumer
• Amendment number nine is technical.
• I don't have a total number. Okay.

Bills: HB220, HB259, HB463, HB536, HB750, HB830, HB950

Keywords: child exploitation, online reporting, platforms, cyber crime, PROTECT Act, excavation, demolition, infrastructure repair, BEAD Program, utility damage, construction coordination, contact point, emergency services, telephone charge, wireless service, reporting requirements, communications district, wireless communication, school safety, community permits

Transcript Highlights:

• So side it shows you the actual numbers.
• when they were in some other state and, uh, a number of things.
• when they were in some other state and, uh, a number of things.
• So we state and uh a number of things.
• </c><00:45:25.440><c> of</c> are not, but we've had a number of are not, but we've had a number of ongoing

Bills: HB0111, HB0112, HB0122

Keywords: capital construction, state funding, Wyoming, major maintenance, community colleges, task force, legislative services, budget appropriation, unexpended funds, sunset clause, healthcare, rural health, transformation program, funding, incentives, training, access, perpetuity fund, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so as a guy that did a number of years in that environment, I'm, Yeah, so as a guy that did a number
• if it can monitor my phone.
• But do you have to opt in to allow this to be on your, I presume it's a phone, your own cell phone?
• We offer that, and my phone has always been available.
• Number one, and number two, were there provisions in the contract for turnover, refresher courses, retraining

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That number was probably lower, but one of the things driving this increase in approval rate is the number
• And what was that number? It's 100.
• You can see the numbers here. Again, it's not a huge number.
• How do you initiate searches for cell phones?
• So sometimes sometimes they'll discover a cell phone and then that cell phone after a search of that

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In exchange for that, we have given ICE phone numbers for our lockups so they can figure out how to call
• So there's no phone. Back in the day, you used to go to, like, a pay phone.
• So is there a number when people should be on the phones?
• So I actually went through and I looked at the number of phone calls and the duration in minutes, and
• These numbers...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership. Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind. The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, the number of spouses is unknown.
• So it's a small number, but it's the right thing.
• Seeing no neutral testimony, none in Vegas, phone lines for neutral. none in Vegas phone lines for neutral
• What's the number, like the base number that you expect that you believe are selling into the state or
• I do believe that number will be a little bit higher now.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Phone app.
• It was a local phone number.
• number.
• It was there was a local phone number.
• I took the phone legitimate phone call.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:29 Discussion SB 153 01:25 Vote SB 153 10:35 Discussion SB 118 11:36 Vote SB 118 12:48 Discussion HB 380 13:40 Vote HB 380 40:12, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll be talking about them phones.
• </c><00:36:28.079><c> is</c> equate talking on a cell phone is equate talking on a cell phone is equivalent
• But once you get in the habit of putting your phone, docking your phone when you get in the car and then
• when</c><00:46:54.000><c> you</c><00:46:54.079><c> get</c> phone, docking your phone when you get phone
• </c><00:50:06.319><c> down</c> watching today is put that phone down watching today is put that phone

Keywords: 01:09 Roll Call 02:11 SB 7 12:42 SB 7 Vote 13:48 SB 30 17:26 SB 30 Vote 19:56 SB 28 46:35 SB 28 vote, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the lowest number.
• I know we find approximately 100 cell phones per year.
• So it might only be 400 phones, but that 400 phones becomes a profit center for the individual with the
• phone.
• But that one single phone can be used by several inmates, and it's not just one phone to one individual

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 890 in executive session and adopted a House committee substitute and amendment before voting the substitute do pass by a roll call of 11 ayes and 1 no. Members explained the substitute combined provisions from related bills, corrected a drafting issue, and removed or updated language affecting certain boards and councils that had not been meeting, with supporters saying the changes would eliminate inactive bodies and allow needed state business to move forward. One member raised concern about concentrating power, while others said the bill stayed within the original spirit of reducing unused boards. The committee then heard Senate Bill 945, sponsored by Senator Carla May, which would raise the civil filing surcharge for the St. Louis City law library from $15 to up to $20. Senator May and a representative of the Law Library Association of St. Louis said the increase would help fund legal research materials, digital resources, public access services, and facility needs, noting the fee had not changed since 1996 and that similar surcharges already exist in other counties. Questions focused on whether the increase would be enough, how the fee compares to other court costs, and whether incarcerated people can access materials; testimony in support emphasized the library’s public service role and that criminal defendants and indigent litigants generally do not pay the surcharge. The committee also heard House Concurrent Resolution 29, which urges Congress to restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork. The sponsor and supporters argued that consumers should know where meat comes from, that the current voluntary system is inadequate, and that labeling would help independent cattle producers compete against large packers and imported product. Opponents from Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, and the Missouri Pork Association argued that mandatory labeling would add regulatory burden and costs, could create trade problems, and that voluntary labeling is preferable. Supporters countered that other commodities already require origin labels, that the infrastructure exists, and that consumers deserve transparency; the committee heard extensive testimony from cattle producers, farm advocates, and industry groups, but no final action on HCR 29 was taken in the portion provided.