Transcript Highlights:

• going to talk a little bit about some of the implications that different technologies might bring to bear
• One topic that you've probably covered in this group, but that bears repeating, is around the emergency
• I don't understand why the public should bear any of the costs, especially when it comes to specified
• I just don't understand why the public has to bear some of that cost burden.
• But I still think that whether it's a large sighting or a smaller siting, industry should bear these

Summary: The committee met to review advanced nuclear energy issues in North Dakota, beginning with approval of the April 21, 2022 minutes. Nucleon presented an overview of the advanced reactor landscape, distinguishing light-water SMRs, advanced Gen 4 reactors, and microreactors. The presentation emphasized that light-water SMRs are the most near-term deployable and use familiar low-enriched uranium fuel, while many Gen 4 designs may require high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALU), which is not yet supported by a mature U.S. supply chain. Nucleon also noted that advanced reactors are being developed primarily for industrial heat applications, while microreactors are niche, higher-cost systems for remote or mission-critical uses. Committee members asked about fuel availability, safety, recycling, and whether large reactors such as AP-1000s were evaluated; the presenter said fuel development is proceeding in parallel but remains a bottleneck, and that siting and grid capacity often make SMRs more practical than gigawatt-scale plants in North Dakota. Representatives from the National Association of State Energy Officials described how other states are supporting advanced nuclear through task forces, roadmaps, regional coordination, grants, tax incentives, workforce and supply-chain efforts, and pilot programs. They highlighted the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative and said states are focusing on multi-state coordination, demand aggregation, regulatory coordination, waste management, workforce readiness, and community engagement. They also discussed affordability tools such as construction work in progress (CWIP), financing incentives, and consumer protections, citing examples from Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, Tennessee, and others. In response to questions, they explained that pilot programs often involve site-readiness and feasibility studies, and that the federal Nuclear Innovation Campus process is moving forward with multiple submissions while broader waste and recycling policy may require congressional action. The Public Service Commission said it would likely have a major role in any North Dakota nuclear project through certificate-of-public-convenience-and-necessity review, siting, and rate regulation, but noted gaps in current law for small reactors, co-located facilities, NRC coordination, and long-term site stewardship. The commissioner said the commission has no authority over a private, self-contained reactor not connected to the grid. The Department of Environmental Quality explained that the state regulates radioactive materials under its agreement-state authority, but NRC retains primacy over fission reactors; DEQ would likely assist with emergency planning and could have a larger role if fusion reactors emerge. The Department of Emergency Services said it would serve as the lead off-site preparedness agency, requiring a dedicated radiological emergency preparedness program, training, drills, public outreach, and likely additional funding and staffing, with industry expected to bear much of the cost. The Department of Water Resources said North Dakota’s water laws and prior-appropriation system are adequate for nuclear siting, that the Missouri River is the best likely source, and that no statutory or budget changes are currently needed from a water perspective. The committee recessed for lunch after these agency presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now you are really doing a cost-benefit analysis of the people who bear that price.
• Now you are really doing a cost-benefit analysis of the people who bear that price.
• This antiquated idea has led to women often bearing the physical, emotional, and financial burden of
• This antiquated idea has led to women often bearing the physical, emotional, and financial burden of
• I know you've heard the statistic before, but it bears repeating.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's somebody has to bear the risk. Um, and that's a policy call.
• There's somebody has to bear the risk. Um, and that's a policy call.
• There's somebody has to bear the risk. Um, and that's a policy call.
• There's somebody has to bear the risk. Um, and that's a policy call.
• There's somebody has to bear the risk. Um, and that's a policy call.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by language, I guess, assuming ambiguity, what your thoughts are and kind of how maybe we all can bear
• by language, I guess, assuming ambiguity, what your thoughts are and kind of how maybe we all can bear
• So I appreciate your bearing with me on that.
• think, to Senator Page's point about the economy of Delaware, is helpful for the public to really bear

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• committee to understand the other committees... and what can be done to bring additional scrutiny to bear
• , whether it's policies or processes that we need to overcome, whether it's bringing technology to bear
• Last week I visited a company called New Hampshire Ball Bearings that does work on— makes bearings for

Keywords: defense industrial base, small business, workforce development, acquisition processes, national security, cybersecurity, critical minerals

Summary: The meeting of the committee revolved around critical discussions on enhancing the defense industrial base, focusing on small business engagement and the importance of streamlined processes in defense contracting. There was a significant emphasis on the need for more investment in the defense manufacturing sector, particularly in the face of competition from countries like China. Some members expressed frustration over the treatment of small businesses, citing barriers that prevent these innovative companies from effectively participating in defense contracts. The need for a workforce capable of meeting the common challenges posed by evolving technologies and geopolitical threats was also highlighted throughout the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• people that are color blind to see that they could maybe not trespass on property if they're out, say, hunting
• trespass on property if they're out, not trespass on property if they're out, say,<03:59:53.440> hunting
• 54.280> going<03:59:54.400> to<03:59:54.480> go<03:59:54.600> into say, hunting
• or they're going to go into say, hunting or they're going to go into an<03:59:54.840> egg<03:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, those tags are all comp that to come out in those hunts and that comes directly out of their budget
• to come out those tags are all comp that to come out in<01:13:27.280> those<01:13:27.440> hunts
• and<01:13:27.920> that<01:13:28.400> comes<01:13:28.640> directly in those hunts
• and that comes directly in those hunts and that comes directly out<01:13:29.199> of<01:13:29.280

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Almost all of the properties are open to public access, including for hunting and fishing, hiking, basically
• are open to public access uh including are open to public access uh including for<00:11:12.200> hunting
• and<00:11:12.839> fishing<00:11:13.600> hiking<00:11:14.600> basically for hunting
• and fishing hiking basically for hunting and fishing hiking basically low<00:11:15.279> impact

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with testimony from Charlotte Harding of the Conservation Land Stewardship Program, who explained that the office protects the state’s interests in conservation lands by monitoring conservation easements and related stewardship obligations. She described the program’s funding sources: a land conservation endowment held at the State Treasury and administered by the Council on Resources and Development, plus transfers from Fish and Game for easements not covered by the endowment. Members discussed how the endowment is funded when new easements are created, the program’s staffing, the loss of a state vehicle, and the need to increase in-state travel so staff can use personal vehicles for field monitoring. Harding said the office has two full-time positions and a seasonal employee, that the work is mostly monitoring rather than hands-on land management, and that enforcement issues are referred to the grantee agencies or, if needed, to the Council on Resources and Development. She also noted that the office works directly with landowners to resolve smaller issues and that stewardship has become a greater focus in the conservation community because ongoing oversight requires funding. Members asked about examples of properties under the program, including LCIP lands such as Musquash Headwaters, Hidden Valley Boy Scout Camp, and Nash Stream, and the committee did not take a motion before moving on. The committee then heard from Paul Breen and Susie Anzelone of the Pease Development Authority regarding the Division of Ports and Harbors operating budget. They explained that the authority provides finance, legal, environmental, and engineering support to the division, which operates New Hampshire’s only deep-water berth at Market Street, as well as facilities in Hampton, Rye, the Portsmouth Fish Pier, and navigational waters in the Piscataqua and Great Bay. They described the authority’s history after the closure of Pease Air Force Base, the transfer of roughly 2,400 acres, and the creation of a self-sustaining enterprise fund tied to airport and port operations. They emphasized that the division does not draw on the general fund because revenues from wharfage, dockage, parking, registration, and mooring fees cover operating costs, with any surplus retained for capital improvements and replacement. Members questioned several budget lines, including a sharp increase in overtime and workers’ compensation. Breen said overtime is driven largely by security needs at the deep-water port and fluctuates with vessel traffic, such as salt shipments, while workers’ comp is a DAS-set cost and not something the division controls. He said the budget is conservative and that if revenues fall short, capital projects would be the first items scaled back. The discussion also covered fee-setting, with Breen saying rates are reviewed against the local market and infrastructure constraints, and that some smaller facility fees had recently been increased after being stagnant for years.

Transcript Highlights:

• the viability of those corporations and publicly owned utilities, you know, they're... ...a load-bearing
• So the structure and the challenge about the durability of the wildfire fund as a risk-bearing mechanism
• those intersect, where they are in conflict with each other, and what solutions might be brought to bear
• For example, under Under current law, if it is deemed inappropriate for the rate base to bear the cost
• Strong accountability in the name of safety requires that those who control the risk exposure also bear

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• load customers pay for their own costs of service and that the general body of ratepayers does not bear
• And if ratepayers, as a result, are going to bear any substantial risk if large data centers don't pay
• is to try to mitigate that risk as much as possible so that our ratepayers, our residents, do not bear
• diligence because we are giving clear guidance here in this legislation that the ratepayer is not to bear
• diligence because we are giving clear guidance here in this legislation that the ratepayer is not to bear

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, several introductions, and an announcement that there would be no conference that weekend. The chamber then took up a long special order calendar and passed a series of bills, often by substituting House companions. Early measures included trust law modernization to create a nonjudicial trustee discharge process, military affairs changes expanding leave and retirement-related provisions, a bill to prepare for the end of penny use by standardizing cash rounding, and a podiatric medicine bill regulating cellular or tissue-based products and informed consent. The Senate also approved veterans court expansion, RV park assessment clarification, alcohol-loss tax deduction authority, bail bond and pretrial release revisions, and a military-installation jurisdiction bill to allow juvenile cases on bases to be handled in state juvenile court under certain conditions. Most bills passed unanimously or near-unanimously, with the bail bond bill passing 36-1 after questions about charitable bail bonds and confirmation that existing law on return of charitable bail funds would remain unchanged. The chamber then paused for a lengthy farewell presentation honoring Senator Lori Berman, featuring a video, remarks from many senators, and Berman’s own closing speech reflecting on her 16 years of service, her legislative priorities, and her call for civility, bipartisanship, and continued support for issues such as school safety, Israel, anti-Semitism, and affordability. After the tribute, the Senate resumed and passed additional bills, including one expanding insurance coverage definitions for portable electronics and eyewear, a workforce and nursing education funding bill broadening support for health science programs, a recovery residences regulatory streamlining bill, a felony battery enhancement bill adding resisting an officer with violence as a qualifying prior offense, and a child welfare bill extending visitor thresholds in out-of-home placements, making the Step Into Success program permanent, and creating a best-practices program. The chamber also advanced a candidate qualification bill tightening party-affiliation requirements and adding a House provision on recent legal name changes; debate began on that measure as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Living in a low-income district, we bear the brunt of climate change.
• low living in a low cost low living in a low cost district,<00:27:18.400> we<00:27:18.880> bear
• the<00:27:19.279> brunt<00:27:19.919> of<00:27:20.159> climate district, we bear
• > bear<00:27:21.760> the<00:27:21.919> brunt<00:27:22.159> of<00:27:22.480
• > unclean We bear the brunt of unclean water, unclean air.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So the FCC formula is based on three components: the net bear cost of a pole times the annual carrying
• So you get a share of all those capital and operating costs applied to the net bear costs.
• So implicitly, costs of loading and weight bearing.
• We do not believe our member-owners should bear the full cost of having to change the law, especially
• They're asking us to bear a big burden for something where they're not really wanting anything to pass

Bills: HB3445, HB3448

Keywords: telecommunications, electric cooperative, rights-of-way, infrastructure, provider access, right-of-way, pole attachment, regulatory access, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I, I, I've said this a number of times, but it bears repeating with this bill and, and this idea is.
• No, no, I'm just trying to step back in and, uh, get my bearings.
• I'm the director of communications and development for Close to Home in San Antonio and Bear County,
• So we have a database in San Antonio and Bear County and it's nationwide. It's called HMIS.
• I know that in San Antonio and Bear County specifically, that's all I can speak to is that if you're

Bills: HB163, HB 296

Keywords: judicial liability, personal bond, felony offenses, judges, criminal justice reform, voter registration, election procedures, change of address, residence requirements, Texas Election Code, Texas election law, residence address, precinct voting, county move, same-county move, Election Code, registrar, statement of residence, polling place, local elections

Transcript Highlights:

• that are about to sign up for this job this spring, and maybe save some more lives because we can't bear
• that are about to sign up for this job this spring, and maybe save some more lives because we can't bear
• that are about to sign up for this job this spring, and maybe save some more lives because we can't bear
• ><00:36:22.920> because<00:36:23.160> we<00:36:23.319> can't<00:36:23.640> bear
• because we can't bear to see another<00:36:24.480> family<00:36:24.760> go<00:36:24.960

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, therefore, as the cost of care increases, the plan bears that increased cost.
• Small businesses bear enormous risk because of single employees.
• So please bear with us while we stand at ease for a couple. Hey, thank y'all. Thank you.
• So please bear with us while we stand at ease for a couple. Hey, thank y'all. you know.
• And if they can't pay, the hospitals end up bearing that cost.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would also just note, though, regarding your question about the entities that bear the burden,
• workforce development agency, we acknowledge that lots of our sister agencies do have resources to bear
• workforce development agency, we acknowledge that lots of our sister agencies do have resources to bear
• workforce development agency, we acknowledge that lots of our sister agencies do have resources to bear
• <00:27:17.840> on agencies do have resources to bear on agencies do have resources to bear

Bills: HF4598, HF4884, HF3732

Keywords: workers' compensation, Minnesota workers' compensation, Workers' Compensation Advisory Council, reinsurance association, Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association, WCRA, occupational disease, presumption, first responders, firefighter cancer, PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, police officer, paramedic, emergency medical technician, correctional officer, security counselor, public safety dispatcher, temporary total disability, permanent partial disability

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senate File 27, Leash Dogs for Tracking Black Bear, sponsored by Senator Landon. >> Senate File
• 27, leash dogs for tracking >> Senate file 27, leash dogs for tracking black<00:22:24.480> bear
• black bear, sponsored by Senator Landon. black bear, sponsored by Senator Landon.
• onerous, uh, responsibility on the owners of the establishments who have these machines to have them bear
• <01:16:32.800> the governments that are going to bear the governments that are going to bear

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• least the bill's chief author is from the right county, but otherwise the bill authors are from White Bear
• least the bill's chief author is from the right county, but otherwise the bill authors are from White Bear
• least the bill's chief author is from the right county, but otherwise the bill authors are from White Bear
• least the bill's chief author is from the right county, but otherwise the bill authors are from White Bear
• least the bill's chief author is from the right county, but otherwise the bill authors are from White Bear

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• your narrative, how does that square with the inordinate amount of costs that the families have to bear
• ...that the families have to bear, who don't have an infinite well of resources.
• And they bear those costs out of scantily finite resources.
• she unleashed a force that I don't think anybody wants to deal with. ...and that is a herd of mama bears
• And that is a, I'm not sure what you call a herd of bears, but a herd of mama bears that are, at the

Bills: SB1285, SB1289, SB1326, SB1328, SB1329, SB1330, SB1392, SB1402, SB1425, SCR1013, SCR1014

Keywords: sentencing, correctional facilities, multiple sentences, death penalty, aggravating circumstances, juvenile offenses, class 2 felony, foreign donations, election administration, certification, Arizona Revised Statutes, transparency, public disclosure, victims' rights, attorney fees, government accountability, right to counsel, legal representation, parents' rights, family law

Transcript Highlights:

• Bear with us one second. I think we might have the... Okay. Bear with us one second.
• All right, members, bear with me. We're going to do this again.

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council met and first adopted the previous meeting minutes, then honored Lori McDonald of the Department of Human Services for nearly 28 years of state service. Members read a resolution recognizing her legislative, constituent, and leadership work at DHS, and the council adopted it unanimously. McDonald thanked members for their support, and the Senate also presented her with a citation, a flag flown over the Capitol, and a commemorative coin. The council then received the May 2026 revenue report, which showed gross adjusted collections of $7.76 billion year-to-date, up 4.4% from the prior year, and net available for distribution of $6.36 billion. The Bureau of Legislative Research noted collections were running above last year and that the updated forecast reflected a surplus. The Executive Subcommittee report was adopted after members were told it had approved captive insurance premiums and deductibles, a claims administration contract, emergency DHS rules, waiver requests, committee fund allocations, and the cancellation of the regular July ALC meeting in favor of only meeting for urgent matters. Several subcommittee reports were then adopted, including Administrative Rules, Game and Fish and State Police, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Lottery Oversight, Occupational Licensing Review, Peer Review, Review, State Insurance Programs Oversight, and Personnel. During the Administrative Rules discussion, members questioned the Department of Education about delays and vendor performance under the ClassWallet contract; department officials said they were meeting regularly with the vendor, keeping expense review in-house, and would consider other options if needed. In Personnel, the Department of Commerce clarified that a reallocation request was part of a broader departmental realignment and shared services move, not the Arkansas Workforce Connection waiver. The council also reviewed and took action on several communications, including filing retirement system investment summaries as reviewed, approving rural community grant funding, giving favorable advice for state park acquisitions/expansion, approving special maintenance funding for state parks, and filing proposed Office of State Technology service rates as reviewed before adjourning.