Transcript Highlights:

• our court officer, Jackie, the best of the bunch, and LIS, Luke, who's down there behind Central Intelligence
• we want a legislature that produces high-quality work, and we’ll never get the most talented or intelligent

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on several labor-related bills, especially proposals to give legislative employees the right to organize and collectively bargain, close a prevailing wage loophole for off-site prefabrication work, and strengthen enforcement against wage theft. Committee chairs opened the hearing by explaining the hybrid format and asking witnesses to keep testimony brief. Multiple legislators testified in support of the legislative staff union bill, saying staff deserve the same bargaining rights as other public employees and that unionization would improve pay, benefits, retention, and workplace dignity. Witnesses also discussed how the bill would likely be structured, with separate House and Senate bargaining arrangements or locals, and emphasized that it would only create the option to unionize, not require it. A second major topic was the prevailing wage bill addressing off-site fabrication and prefabrication in construction. Union leaders, contractors, and workers described how more work is being shifted from job sites into shops, especially in sheet metal, HVAC, electrical, and pipefitting work, and argued that the law should treat that work the same as on-site construction when it is part of a public project. They said the current loophole lets some contractors underbid by paying lower wages off-site, while responsible contractors already pay prevailing wages in their shops. Supporters argued the bill would protect workers, preserve apprenticeship and training standards, improve safety and quality, and make enforcement easier through certified payroll and clearer definitions. The committee also heard testimony on wage theft legislation. Representative Dan Donahue, the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division, AFL-CIO representatives, and carpenters’ union witnesses described wage theft, misclassification, labor brokers, and tax fraud as widespread problems that hurt workers, honest contractors, and public revenues. They supported giving the Attorney General stronger enforcement tools, adding contractor accountability up the subcontracting chain, and protecting workers from retaliation and from delays that can cause claims to expire. A separate witness supported a bill to extend the statute of limitations for Wage Act cases while AG investigations are pending, and another supported changes to help hospital workers enforce timely payment rights. No votes were taken during the hearing; witnesses repeatedly asked for favorable reports on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the questions I ask oftentimes: In what ways or shapes are you intending on using artificial intelligence
• And he asks intelligent questions.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of War or the U.S. intelligence community.
• Department of War or the U.S. intelligence community.

Bills: SB524, SR108, SR109, SCR56, SCR57, SCR12, HB227, HB398, HB689, HB897, HB1029, HB1107, HB1217, HB221, HCR58, HB136, SB162, SB382, SCR33, SCR30, SB112, SB194, SB307, SB341, SB346, SB363, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, SB513, SB408, SB131, SB145, SB333, SB464, SB466, SB500, SB283, SB338, SB488, SB35, SB65, SB215, SB228, SB246, SB249, SB268, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB312, SB319, SB323, SB369, SB431, SB474, SB484, SB490, SB492, SB501, HCR14, HB537, HB652, HB653, HB661, HB726, HB756, HB851, HB964, HB966, HB34, HB35, HB48, HB474, HB553, HB758, HB852, HB10, HB16, HB36, HB44, HB46, HB52, HB61, HB78, HB98, HB102, HB124, HB126, HB131, HB135, HB141, HB142, HB164, HB170, HB171, HB179, HB194, HB231, HB245, HB280, HB292, HB294, HB297, HB305, HB336, HB337, HB351, HB436, HB594, HB789, HB956, HB957, HB995, HB1040, HB50, HB117, HB120, HB122, HB139, HB148, HB149, HB185, HB199, HB247, HB271, HB286, HB301, HB358, HB359, HB384, HB413, HB428, HB450, HB462, HB547, HB613, HB631, HB657, HB669, HB675, HB680, HB691, HB712, HB716, HB720, HB723, HB727, HB728, HB735, HB747, HB759, HB825, HB842, HB845, HB846, HB903, HB904, HB907, HB923, HB929, HB941, HB962, HB965, HB1036, HB287, HB370, HB515, HB521, HB570, HB1200, HB29, HB39, HB58, HB67, HB73, HB76, HB77, HB82, HB112, HB121, HB125, HB132, HB134, HB151, HB154, HB155, HB161, HB166, HB187, HB191, HB207, HB211, HB224, HB238, HB241, HB242, HB250, HB260, HB265, HB275, HB300, HB320, HB338, HB339, HB349, HB379, HB399, HB427, HB463, HB464, HB468, HB545, HB550, HB551, HB565, HB588, HB639, HB725, HB782, HB805, HB808, HB834, HB847, HB853, HB858, HB861, HB883, HB916, HB937, HB977, HB1012, HB1027, HB1044, HB1054, HB1071, HB1091, HB1117, HB119, HB129, HB677, HB850, SB68, SB149

Keywords: Jump Start, career and technical education, CTE, career diploma, career pathways, workforce development, high school diploma, career major, individual career and academic plan, ICAP, individual graduation plan, IGP, work-based learning, apprenticeship, internship, dual enrollment, articulation agreement, transfer credit, rural schools, rural LEA

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of War or the U.S. intelligence community.
• Department of War or the U.S. intelligence community.

Bills: SB524, SR108, SR109, SCR56, SCR57, SCR12, HB227, HB398, HB689, HB897, HB1029, HB1107, HB1217, HB221, HCR58, HB136, SB162, SB382, SCR33, SCR30, SB112, SB194, SB307, SB341, SB346, SB363, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, SB513, SB408, SB131, SB145, SB333, SB464, SB466, SB500, SB283, SB338, SB488, SB35, SB65, SB215, SB228, SB246, SB249, SB268, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB312, SB319, SB323, SB369, SB431, SB474, SB484, SB490, SB492, SB501, HCR14, HB537, HB652, HB653, HB661, HB726, HB756, HB851, HB964, HB966, HB34, HB35, HB48, HB474, HB553, HB758, HB852, HB10, HB16, HB36, HB44, HB46, HB52, HB61, HB78, HB98, HB102, HB124, HB126, HB131, HB135, HB141, HB142, HB164, HB170, HB171, HB179, HB194, HB231, HB245, HB280, HB292, HB294, HB297, HB305, HB336, HB337, HB351, HB436, HB594, HB789, HB956, HB957, HB995, HB1040, HB50, HB117, HB120, HB122, HB139, HB148, HB149, HB185, HB199, HB247, HB271, HB286, HB301, HB358, HB359, HB384, HB413, HB428, HB450, HB462, HB547, HB613, HB631, HB657, HB669, HB675, HB680, HB691, HB712, HB716, HB720, HB723, HB727, HB728, HB735, HB747, HB759, HB825, HB842, HB845, HB846, HB903, HB904, HB907, HB923, HB929, HB941, HB962, HB965, HB1036, HB287, HB370, HB515, HB521, HB570, HB1200, HB29, HB39, HB58, HB67, HB73, HB76, HB77, HB82, HB112, HB121, HB125, HB132, HB134, HB151, HB154, HB155, HB161, HB166, HB187, HB191, HB207, HB211, HB224, HB238, HB241, HB242, HB250, HB260, HB265, HB275, HB300, HB320, HB338, HB339, HB349, HB379, HB399, HB427, HB463, HB464, HB468, HB545, HB550, HB551, HB565, HB588, HB639, HB725, HB782, HB805, HB808, HB834, HB847, HB853, HB858, HB861, HB883, HB916, HB937, HB977, HB1012, HB1027, HB1044, HB1054, HB1071, HB1091, HB1117, HB119, HB129, HB677, HB850, SB68, SB149

Keywords: Jump Start, career and technical education, CTE, career diploma, career pathways, workforce development, high school diploma, career major, individual career and academic plan, ICAP, individual graduation plan, IGP, work-based learning, apprenticeship, internship, dual enrollment, articulation agreement, transfer credit, rural schools, rural LEA

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, a guest minister prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a St. Charles Parish presentation featuring a youth national anthem singer. The chamber then moved through a large number of House and Senate messages, committee reports, and introductions, including measures on career and technical education, flood risk maps, public-private partnership contracting, arts day, and a task force on work-based learning. Several resolutions were adopted, including SCR 56 honoring the YMCA and SCR 57 honoring Jonathan Nicole, both by unanimous votes. A House concurrent resolution supporting elimination of the U.S. Department of Education also passed 26-9. On Senate bills, the chamber gave final passage to SB 112 on voluntary release time for K-12 religious instruction with a criminal background check amendment, SB 194 on public assistance and citizenship verification, SB 307 on public displays of historical/religious documents, SB 341 expanding church and nonprofit religious self-insurance coverage, SB 346 prohibiting deepfake materials used against students, SB 495 on campaign finance reporting and unitemized contributions, SB 503 on age assurance for minors using mobile apps, SB 507 creating a statewide process for determining non-enrollment, SB 509 on bank-owned life insurance, SB 131 limiting attorney fee recovery in occupational licensing disciplinary cases, SB 145 requiring backup power for adult residential care providers, SB 333 on child-in-need-of-care proceedings and federal reimbursement, SB 464 on severe obesity treatment coverage, SB 466 on expropriation and foreign adversaries, SB 488 on a school safety drone response pilot program, SB 312 on union dues and withholding procedures, and SB 319 on voter identification and provisional ballot procedures. Most passed with little or no opposition, though SB 194, SB 307, SB 503, SB 131, SB 333, and SB 319 drew some dissenting votes. The chamber also passed multiple House bills, including HB 1071 on public records exceptions for aerospace critical infrastructure, HB 537 repealing the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council, HB 652 and HB 653 adjusting Oyster Task Force membership, HB 661 narrowing nepotism restrictions for certain school board hires with an amendment, HB 756 aligning watercraft enforcement with Coast Guard standards, HB 851 banning intentional balloon releases, HB 964 authorizing a Caddo Parish property transfer, and HB 34 and HB 35 on sheriff pension fund eligibility and contribution rules. Several items were returned to the calendar or referred to committees. A major discussion centered on SB 484, which would restructure parts of higher education governance and transfer certain Board of Regents functions; it drew extensive questioning and amendments, including a new Lumcon board structure and financial reporting requirements, but was returned to the calendar for further work rather than final passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• You are intelligent, articulate, fierce, brave, thoughtful, and someone who has truly mastered the ins
• Committee substitute for Senate Bill 482, a bill to be entitled: An act relating to the Artificial Intelligence

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, several introductions, and an announcement that there would be no weekend conference. The chamber then took up a long special-order calendar of bills, generally moving each measure through third reading and final passage, often by substituting House companion bills. Early measures included trust law modernization (SB 786/HB 895), military affairs changes and Guard retirement corrections (SB 474), rounding rules for cash transactions as pennies phase out (SB 1074), podiatric medicine regulation and informed-consent requirements (SB 1092), veterans court expansion (SB 50/HB 199), RV park special assessment clarification (SB 118), concurrent jurisdiction for juvenile offenses on military installations (SB 502/HB 351), alcoholic beverage loss deductions (SB 678/HB 1137), and bail bond/pretrial release revisions (SB 600). Most passed unanimously or near-unanimously; SB 600 passed 36-1 after questions about charitable bail bonds and an amendment aligning with the House version and prosecutors’ concerns. The Senate also considered bills on portable electronics and eyewear insurance (SB 772), the linking industry to nursing education fund and health science workforce programs (SB 1246), recovery residences and behavioral health licensing (SB 1030, with a technical amendment on background checks and probationary licenses), felony battery enhancements for repeat offenders and offenses against law enforcement (SB 436), and child welfare changes including foster-home visitor screening, a permanent statewide Step Into Success program, and a best-practices repository (SB 1718). These measures were explained by sponsors as efforts to streamline regulation, improve workforce and health-care training, strengthen public safety, and reduce administrative burdens while preserving safeguards. Votes on these bills were overwhelmingly favorable, with final tallies typically 36-0 or 37-0. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to a farewell tribute to Senator Lori Berman. Members from both parties praised her leadership, collegiality, policy work, and advocacy on issues including voting rights, women’s rights, Israel and antisemitism, school safety, breast cancer, and family law. Berman delivered a lengthy farewell reflecting on her 16 years in the Legislature, her caucus leadership, and the importance of dignity, respect, and public service. The Senate adopted a motion to spread her remarks upon the journal and then recessed before returning to continue the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• You are intelligent, articulate, fierce, brave, thoughtful, and someone who has truly mastered the ins
• Committee substitute for Senate Bill 482, a bill to be entitled an act relating to the Artificial Intelligence

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:

• The bill also encourages high school computer science courses that include artificial intelligence to
• provide... ...science courses that include artificial intelligence to provide instruction on how AI

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have fully implemented now in all 77 counties intelligent mail barcoding for tracking absentee ballots
• OMES is encouraging agencies to do this because it utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze what the

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All it states is that in an action against a defendant that developed or used artificial intelligence
• harm to a person, it shall not be a defense and the defendant may not assert that the artificial intelligence

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Intelligence so that regulators can better understand how markets are performing in their states and
• And I've had this, that I hired a very intelligent... guy that, I mean, his wife had undergone ovarian

Bills: HB139, HB1818, HB1942, HB1959, HB2221, HB2254, HB2563, HB2067, HB2275, HB3211, HB139

Keywords: HB 1818, Texas Insurance Code, Texas Department of Insurance, commissioner of insurance, health maintenance organization, HMO, insurer, utilization review, preauthorization, prior authorization, medical necessity review, health care services, medical care, insurance regulation, insurance examination, regulatory oversight, confidential records, public information exception, Chapter 843, Chapter 1301

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, there's also the incredible presence of artificial intelligence and what that means for our
• Intelligent manufacturing, global trade—obviously that gets to the importance of the border region—sustainable

Transcript Highlights:

• She's ably assisted by a capable team: Lisa Teddon, Dawn Carter, Daphne Jyn, Jace Young, Tanista Miller
• abley<02:02:36.400> assisted<02:02:36.719> by<02:02:36.880> a<02:02:37.040> capable
• <02:02:38.000> Lisa abley assisted by a capable team.
• Lisa abley assisted by a capable team.
• In the national interest, partisanship has to be put aside, and the most intelligent and experienced

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, March 19, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• your office regarding business fraud or foreign adversaries, what capabilities do you have?
• your office regarding business fraud or foreign adversaries, what capabilities do you have?
• your office regarding business fraud or foreign adversaries, what capabilities do you have?
• ,<01:29:54.320> and auditing capabilities, and auditing capabilities, and if<01:29:55.880>
• And And then capabilities do you have?

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The chairman opened by explaining that the committee would hear proposed interim topics and then rank them by written submissions rather than debating them one by one. The Public Service Commission presented two topics: an educational session on small water utilities, citing maintenance needs, water-quality compliance, and difficulty accessing capital, and a review of civil penalties for pipeline safety violations because Wyoming’s statutory penalties are far below federal levels and could affect compliance and funding. Members and outside presenters then outlined a range of additional topics. Representative Campbell proposed work on fire protection districts and EMS districts, focusing on financial stability, mill levies, and possible county authority to combine districts and levies. He also raised public records at meetings, corporate filing fees, and fraudulent corporate filings. The Community College Commission proposed updating annexation statutes so communities can join community college districts more easily, especially where current mill-levy rules create funding issues. Senator Crago supported the fraudulent corporate filings topic and noted related technology-based solutions and overlap with blockchain issues. Other proposals included CPA “Pathways” licensing changes to address a shortage of accountants, a review of public meetings and public records laws, continuation of the electricity study with emphasis on grid reliability and large-load capacity constraints, and a broader review of the public meetings and records act. Ashley Harpstreith of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities supported extending municipal audit deadlines and described a statewide shortage of auditors and CPAs. Healthy Wyoming proposed studying health coverage options for low-income working adults, including state-sponsored or cooperative models. Representative Chestek proposed making most nonpartisan county offices elected on a nonpartisan basis. No votes or final selections were taken in the portion provided; the committee mainly heard testimony and discussed whether topics should be assigned to this committee or another one.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you'd have to have an entity that's capable of that.
• And you'd have to have an entity that's capable of that.
• And you'd have to have an entity that's capable of that.
• And you'd have to have an entity that's capable of that.
• And you'd have to have an entity that's capable of that.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board met with a quorum, approved the November 12 minutes by voice vote, and then heard a presentation from former Governor Ernie Fletcher and Dave Johnson on Medicaid reimbursement for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Fletcher argued that addiction should be treated as a chronic disease requiring a longer continuum of care, not just short residential stays, and said recovery should combine clinical treatment with social supports such as housing, transportation, employment, peer coaching, and recovery housing. He cited data on overdose trends, low treatment rates, and high costs for people with SUD, and said current reimbursement models create poor incentives and do not adequately support long-term recovery or measure outcomes well. Fletcher proposed a “carve through” model administered at the MCO level with standardized metrics, data sharing, and an independent recovery coordinator that would assess patients, coordinate care, and connect them to clinical and social recovery services. He suggested using bundled payments, shared savings, and partial risk arrangements, with recovery housing reimbursed on a PMPM or weekly basis and funded in part through existing Medicaid spending and other sources such as opioid abatement funds. He also emphasized peer support, telemedicine, criminal justice coordination, workforce and education supports, and the use of technology, including text messaging and possibly AI, to maintain long-term follow-up and identify relapse risk. Members questioned how the model would work in practice, especially the education and staffing requirements for recovery coordinators, reimbursement levels, and how many patients each coordinator or peer would serve. Fletcher said peers could be certified and would need additional training in assessments such as ASAM and recovery residence standards, but he did not give a precise salary figure, saying the market and bundled rates would determine that. He also said follow-up should continue for years, noting relapse risk over the first 18 to 24 months and that meaningful employment and ongoing peer contact help sustain recovery. No formal vote or action was taken on the substance use presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're maintaining and enhancing our data exchange capabilities to support all of our partner agencies
• It does provide all of the capabilities I think COT is looking at.
• solution to build out those capabilities solution to build out those capabilities so<01:06:30.000
• And if the governor takes a look at his people, they're capable.
• they're capable. they're capable.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Commonwealth Office of Technology 00:01:00 Department of Education 00:21:00 Transportation Cabinet 00:35:30 Secretary of State 00:45:15 Cabinet for Health and Family Services 00:56:11 Discussion of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Related legislation 01:09:11, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then focused first on the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s legacy systems and two specific projects. COT officials said many agencies have made progress moving off legacy applications, with remaining mainframe systems slated to be retired through RFPs or other work orders. They also described a legacy funding pool of $10 million per biennium used to help agencies transition. The two projects discussed were the Kentucky aerial photography and elevation data program, which provides statewide aerial imagery and lidar data for GIS, E911, environmental, transportation, and other uses, and a citizen identity and access management system intended to give residents a single login for state services. Officials said the GIS program costs about $1.2 million annually to host and maintain, with data acquisition costing several million more per year, and that the citizen identity system would cost about $2.5 million per year after an initial three-year COT investment. Members asked about duplication of funding, licensing, local government use, and whether multi-factor authentication would be required; COT said the GIS data is being acquired as statewide unlicensed data and that MFA would be available but not yet mandated statewide. Committee members pressed COT on costs, overlap with cabinet-level IT spending, and the practical benefits of the GIS and identity projects. COT explained that GIS hosting is generally covered through enterprise assessments billed quarterly to agencies, while the new aerial data is intended to benefit the whole state and local partners. On the identity project, officials said it would centralize authentication for citizens who use state systems, improve compliance with zero-trust and NIST-related security expectations, and reduce help desk and maintenance burdens through self-service account tools. Members also discussed whether the system would extend to local governments; COT said it would be a Kentucky.gov-style state login for users inside the state identity infrastructure, not a local-government system. The Department of Education then testified that it does not operate mainframes or major legacy systems, having moved long ago to cloud-based, off-the-shelf products and vendor-supported services. KDE officials described a strong emphasis on staff cybersecurity awareness, standardized statewide systems, vendor risk-sharing, and reducing sensitive data exposure, including efforts to move away from student Social Security numbers. They also highlighted a transition from Microsoft Active Directory to Identity Automation, which they said will improve identity management and make multi-factor authentication universal across K-12. In response to questions about Kentucky Wired and internet service, KDE said all 171 school districts and KDE agencies have been moved to a new next-generation internet service through ENA by Zayo, with strong satisfaction, e-rate savings, and better reliability. Officials warned that any internet disruption would immediately affect attendance, grades, student records, payroll, security systems, and communications across the K-12 system.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, at some point we need to get a little bit more intelligent long-range in our thinking.
• > long<01:22:47.360> range<01:22:48.239> in<01:22:48.560> our bit more intelligent
• long range in our bit more intelligent long range in our thinking. thinking. thinking.
• And we could facilitate an intelligent next generation of vehicles, but we're tying to the 100% electric
• And so I'm for allowing that intelligently.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the capability is there, the information is there.
• Yeah, I think there's a capability of that.
• But capable, yes, and there might be more than one way to do it.
• I know that they have had some not great success in those capabilities.
• I don't understand completely what their capabilities are.

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• That would greatly help the utilization and processing capability in the seven-county metro for that
• That would greatly help the utilization and processing capability in the seven-county metro for that
• That would greatly help the utilization and processing capability in the seven-county metro for that
• That would greatly help the utilization and processing capability in the seven-county metro for that
• We're talking about capabilities that really don't exist in many parts of the country.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have testing capability and studies on the safety of only a handful of these.
• I know both of you are equally capable of being able to do this.
• We are processing about 20 head a day, 20 head a day, but you have the capability of handling how many
• Do you have the capability for cold storage for these? For the carcasses?
• Madrid, can you tell me what USA Beef has the capability of processing there?

Transcript Highlights:

• that as we're going to balance things with SIF, but other funds that we have some sustainability capability
• The hospital will continue to provide that same capability.
• The changes within that $847,000 in savings are associated with administrative capabilities, not medical
• care capabilities.
• I'll show you where that dynamic capability looks like in real life.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.