Transcript Highlights:

• So it really is an each. person's interest to help us out statewide but help us out in Harris County
• We're always looking for new data sources that will provide us with high quality data that can be used
• Eric was using?
• Did you tell us? Did you give us a number for?
• We hope it will be used.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• China has basically held us hostage and continues to use some of these vulnerabilities to our detriment
• Will you give us that meeting?
• That could be used to incentivize shipbuilding in the US. They're not all going to be implemented.
• And what did the Trump administration do to prepare us to communicate with us, to tell us about findings
• The truth is that the US.

Keywords: tariffs, Trump administration, economy, public testimony, trade policy, market access, export controls

Summary: The meeting focused on various significant topics concerning the recent tariff policies and their wide-ranging implications on the American economy. Members expressed their concerns regarding the negative impact of increased tariffs as proposed by the Trump administration, with specific emphasis on how families might suffer from higher costs and market access issues. The discussion was lively, with members questioning the clarity of the tariff plan and raising concerns about its potential effects on small businesses and American exports.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for joining us.
• Using technology to be able...
• They're employed by us, yes.
• Students are using AI. They are using AI constantly.
• They're using TikTok, they're using AI, they're using a lot of things like that. That's true.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uses and a few other recreational uses uses and a few other recreational uses to<00:01:53.439>
• federal recreational use. federal recreational use.
• government for school use. government for school use.
• That's, you know, commercial use. You've got commercial use. That's small commercial use.
• Back to the recreational use, certainly the general recreational use is fine.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And you're enabling us to do that.
• You're also enabling us to not only do that, but also by helping us have great health care insurance,
• to me they want us to stay in the state; give us a reason and give us something that we can do when
• It really brings us all together and forces us to bring all of our resources to the table.
• You see that... ...allows us to have that impact that you, I think, really seek to see us do in those

Summary: The committee met at NDSU and approved the April 9 minutes. The main purpose of the meeting was an informational presentation from NDSU President David Stewart and university leaders on the university’s priorities, including enrollment, student success, research, commercialization, and use of New Horizons funding. Stewart emphasized a “One NDSU” approach, thanked legislators for past support, and said the university will focus on recruitment and retention, a new strategic plan, and growing research and tech transfer while serving North Dakota’s workforce needs. University leaders said NDSU is using tuition waivers more strategically and will work to reduce them over time through scholarship optimization. Provost Sherry Vale described academic portfolio reviews, program closures or consolidations, strategic hiring, and workload policies aimed at aligning resources with demand. They also highlighted student outcomes, including high completion rates, strong employment placement, and NDSU’s role in producing a large share of the state’s engineers, nurses, and agriculture graduates. Several students testified about how NDSU’s mentoring, internships, research, and support services helped them succeed. The committee also heard from partners on New Horizons-related collaborations: Gateway to Science described K-12 STEM outreach in rural and tribal areas, and Sanford Research discussed joint research efforts, including COBRE-related work, obesity and GLP-1 studies, and a joint biostatistics hire. Later speakers highlighted Governor’s School and NDSU’s research and commercialization efforts, including growth in research expenditures and invention disclosures. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in that treaty that gives us as tribal nations, you know, the right, In that treaty, that gives us
• It used to be over Ivan.
• And we do have a bill before us. And we do have a bill before us.
• So it really doubles up the impact on us, and it really leaves us in a tough spot.
• So it really doubles up the impact on us, and it really leaves us in a tough spot.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• tax exemption for consumers of natural gas, a sales tax exemption for marine use, and a sales and use
• tax exemption... ...exemption for marine use, and the sales and use tax exemption for machinery and
• For ships using diesel, there was another tax preference that exempts 100% of fuel used.
• So fewer ships use LNG than anticipated.
• And those are used to adapt housing.

Summary: The meeting began with JLARC’s biennial executive committee elections. After confirming a quorum, members unanimously elected Representative Pollet as chair, Senator Wagoner as vice chair, Representative Orcutt as secretary, and Senator Solomon as assistant secretary for the 2025-27 biennium. The committee also approved the May 14 meeting minutes unanimously. Chair Pollet then outlined a commitment to more member input on audit scope and coordination with the State Auditor’s Office. Staff presented a preliminary report on Washington State recreation boating programs. They reported that six agencies administer boating-related activities, that the state collected about $108 million in boating-related revenue in 2021-23, and that $86 million was spent, mostly on infrastructure and water access, environmental protection, boater safety, and marine law enforcement. Staff said Washington’s boating laws and programs are broadly similar to other states and noted that the final report is expected in September. JLARC then reviewed several tax preferences. For natural gas used as a transportation fuel, staff said the preferences reduce fuel costs but did not meet emissions-reduction targets because fewer vessels and vehicles converted to natural gas than expected; staff recommended continuing some exemptions and modifying reporting requirements. For travel agents and tour operators, staff said the preference continues to provide tax relief, but large beneficiaries’ savings are rising while small beneficiaries’ use is declining, leading to recommendations to continue the small-business rate and add or revise performance metrics. Staff also reviewed a nonprofit low-income housing property tax exemption, concluding it helps developers build homes as intended but that the performance metric should better reflect housing outcomes; they recommended the legislature decide whether to continue or modify it. Other reviews covered multipurpose senior citizen centers, disabled veteran adapted housing, trade convention attendance, agricultural fertilizer and seed wholesaling, hazardous substance tax treatment for pesticides, and silicon smelter energy preferences, with recommendations ranging from continuation to expiration depending on whether the stated objectives were met. The committee then adopted the final cannabis market study for distribution. Staff reported that Washington businesses produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023, and that inaccurate and incomplete reporting limits the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s ability to regulate the market. The board said it concurs with the recommendations, including developing a plan for a new data system and considering broader social equity options. Finally, staff presented the proposed final report on Department of Health oversight of hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff said DOH was late on most acute-care hospital inspections, had not fully verified third-party inspection standards, and did not adequately review adverse event correction plans or assess language access barriers in its complaint system. DOH said it concurs with all six recommendations and has already made some transparency improvements, including a public dashboard for adverse event reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're advising us on how to appropriately use generative AI in the practice of law.
• Actually, you can use Gen AI for agentic AI, or you cannot use Gen AI right now.
• For most of us, we use websites that come from templates that use...
• For most of us, we use websites that come from templates that use the same basic website functionality
• Use just in everyday life here. It isn't just the use.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.

Transcript Highlights:

• How we use power, when we use power, where we use power, and what resources we use in Texas is evolving
• They gave us 60 days to come up with a framework to get us off go.
• We want people that use the grid to pay for the cost to use it.
• I want to start using the phrase that was used earlier.
• Us, the public."

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please help us with this. We're not getting anything back for it. Please help us with this.
• We don't know what they're being used for, we don't know if they're being used effectively.
• And all of us who come to Tallahassee, many of us...
• And all of us who come to Tallahassee, many of us were mentioned in this rant.
• Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate y'all hearing us today. I'm proud of what you've done for us.

Summary: The State Affairs Committee met with a quorum present and took up several measures. It first considered HJR 1215, an ad valorem tax exemption for farmers and agricultural lands. The committee adopted an amendment making technical changes and removing a requirement that implementing language be set by general law. Several agricultural and business groups supported the measure, and it was reported favorably by a vote of 22-4. The committee then heard CS for CS for HB 1169, a bill revising water management district planning, budgeting, reporting, and business practices, including restrictions on lobbyist expenditures and additional budget disclosures. An amendment removing the statutory section on management review teams was adopted after debate over whether those teams were still useful. The bill was reported favorably 19-8-7. Members then debated PCS for CS for HB 1221, which would redirect local option tourist development tax revenues toward property tax relief and give counties more control over certain local taxes. County, tourism, beach preservation, and hospitality groups opposed the bill, warning it would weaken tourism marketing, beach renourishment, and local services, while supporters argued it would provide property tax relief and accountability. The bill passed 14-12. Finally, the committee considered HB 4079, which would dissolve the town of White Springs. The sponsor and supporters described years of mismanagement, intimidation, and illegal conduct, while opponents argued dissolution was an extreme step and pointed to the ongoing election and other remedies. After extensive public testimony and debate, the bill was reported favorably 19-6. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• tight deadline to respond to us.
• Congressman, are you with us? Congressman, are you able to hear us?
• That should be done by us, for us.
• or push us aside.
• harder for us.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let us continue to use it; it is our building, so we will continue to use the building for training purposes
• If anything comes up, I hope you'll reach out to us and let us know. Thank you.
• I hope you'll reach out to us and let us know. Thank you.
• So I wanted to use that as a resource for us out of our transition housing program.
• Mike Cahill joining us.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs met to hear updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Washington Military Department, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Commerce on federal and state impacts affecting veterans, military families, and military installations. JBLM’s garrison commander said the base remains focused on housing, child care, and spouse employment, but is facing workforce reductions tied to federal personnel actions, especially in air traffic control, 911 dispatch, and firefighting. He also said JBLM is preparing for increased mutual-aid needs during fire season, and that the Army Transformation Initiative could change unit composition at JBLM over time without a major overall population shift. He confirmed that the Lewis Army Museum is on a closure list, but said the building will remain in use for training and that the base is exploring partnerships to keep museum functions operating, possibly with volunteers or local partners. The Washington Military Department reported about 400 Guard members deployed on federal missions and described ongoing state missions in cybersecurity and firefighting. The department said the Army National Guard’s 81st Stryker Brigade will transition to a mobile combat team, with associated changes in equipment, manning, and end strength. It also warned that continuing resolutions are delaying funding, limiting new military construction starts, and increasing costs. The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs outlined a $3.2 million reduction from the governor’s budget and related cuts affecting internships, vacant positions, outreach travel, claims support contracts, counseling and wellness, veterans’ innovation assistance, and the military transition and readiness council staff position. WDVA said it is ending or scaling back several programs, including in-house nursing assistant training, the veteran farm at Ordean, Vet Corps due to AmeriCorps funding changes, and the tobacco cessation program, while noting that the legislature funded about $23.7 million in capital projects for veteran homes, cemeteries, and transitional housing. The Department of Commerce presented on the Defense Community Compatibility Account, which funds projects that reduce conflicts between military installations and nearby communities. The program currently has 10 projects across five legislative districts, including school and child care improvements, water wells, land acquisition, and a joint firefighting training center in Everett. The presenter said the main challenge is that DCCA projects often need non-state funding secured before they can compete, which can make it hard to leverage federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program dollars; he recommended more flexible state timing to help projects qualify for federal funding. In closing discussion, members raised possible future agenda items including child care near bases, veteran homelessness, suicide prevention, Navy Day, military family housing, and a possible Department of Licensing issue involving guard and reserve designations on driver’s licenses. No formal votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after members were invited to suggest topics for the October and December committee meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• the innovative approaches we're using. the innovative approaches we're using.
• stepped on the side and did us. stepped on the side and did us.
• For us, it makes sense for us to utilize an area that's more efficient and more suitable for us to do
• a timing of the use of those funds. a timing of the use of those funds.
• . us. us.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Act 279 working group met for an informational briefing with DHHL on its use of the $600 million appropriation and progress on the department’s implementation plan. The chair reviewed the working group’s oversight role, noting that it was created to monitor expenditures, project development, and progress toward reducing the Hawaiian Homes waitlist, and that the group must submit a progress report before the 2026 session and a final report before the 2027 session. DHHL said it had provided an updated booklet reflecting the Hawaiian Homes Commission’s February 2024 recommendations and a detailed accounting of encumbrances and project progress across the islands. DHHL highlighted several implementation themes: innovative financing and construction methods, land acquisitions and exchanges, technology, beneficiary services, and partnerships with counties and private entities. The department described a “project lease” model that gives beneficiaries access to a project rather than a specific lot, with options such as turnkey homes, owner-builder, self-help, or rent-to-purchase arrangements depending on financial qualification. Officials said this approach is intended to serve lower-income beneficiaries, expand access for people on the waitlist, and allow beneficiaries to receive support services such as financial literacy and down payment assistance. The department reported that roughly $511 million had been encumbered for infrastructure, about $152.8 million for acquisitions, financing, and beneficiary services, and about $36 million in other covered costs, with about $588.9 million encumbered as of December 31 and about $120 million expected to be spent by that date. Officials said the original implementation plan covered about 2,722 units, while the updated plan projects roughly 6,000 to 7,000 leases and 2,472 lots to be occupied. They also described phase-two needs for additional funding, including projects on Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, and said they would need continued legislative support, including possible bonding and private activity bond set-asides, to complete remaining projects. Members discussed the distinction between encumbered and spent funds, and DHHL explained that encumbrances reserve money for specific contracts while construction spending occurs over time through progress payments. The department also showcased examples of innovative projects, including a high-rise project in urban Honolulu financed through a mix of private activity bonds, tax credits, and state funds, and an acquisition-based project in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi using multiple funding sources. DHHL emphasized partnerships with the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County, and said it is still assessing future projects to keep infrastructure costs manageable and ensure homes are safe and affordable for beneficiaries.

Transcript Highlights:

• With us to walk us through some of the riders they receive in our base budget.
• It is used throughout the world.
• It is used throughout the world.
• > the they are used it's used throughout the they are used it's used throughout the world<00:42
• We use this research funding. We use our own research. If you have a good idea, we'll try it.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and legislators, I appreciate you giving us time for us to talk about Target Zero. which is
• It's especially important for us here in New Mexico because across the nation it puts us in a negative
• And so we're going to use our influence, we're going to use our connections, we're going to dig down
• FHWA has given us proven safety countermeasures that we can use.
• we use in wildlife areas.

Transcript Highlights:

• Brian Meyer is with us today to brief us on what the federal government is looking for when determining
• I'll just I'll just use.
• is that can be used for the funding.
• So that's what CMS is going to use.
• Yes on this in Florida, I use the funding but the state would do not use the funding would be.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please do not draw lines that divide us. Draw lines that reflect us.
• Ready to share with us.
• Nazer, are you with us? Thank you. Susan, are you with us?
• I use pronouns he, him.
• Because when Democrats take back power, you don't want us using it the way you're using it against us

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not going to use... it in the United States. We're going to use it in Mexico.
• how to use and handle that.
• to treat COVID-19 would now be in emergency use, be okay to use against a New World screw worm.
• Approved for use.
• Further approval for special use, off-label use, additional label use, yes sir.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what is used nuclear fuel? Used nuclear fuel is very much like new nuclear fuel.
• And use fuel as a part of that decision. I'll get into the forms of used fuel in a second.
• . one's pulling a solution as those of us who care about use fuel continue to push.
• After 20%, you get past civilian domestic use into use that’s more for the military.
• It uses metallic fuel, unlike the oxide fuel that current reactors use.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• “Okay, leave us alone. Do not try to regroup us. Do not try to divide us more than we already are.
• Don't silence us.
• We deserve representation that understands us, lives among us, and fights for us, not someone chosen
• Are you with us?
• And like I said, many of us are saying no to this. Please listen to us.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met virtually for its West Texas regional hearing, established a quorum, and explained that the hearing was part of a series of statewide information-gathering sessions before any map was filed. The chair outlined the Zoom procedures, the two-minute testimony limit, and the availability of written comments through the committee’s public portal. Senators also discussed the logistics and transparency of the process, including the expectation that any proposed map or amendment would be made public once filed and that additional hearings would follow. Senator Blanco, whose district includes West Texas and the border region, said the area’s communities of interest should be kept together and warned against repeating the loss of representation that followed the last redistricting cycle. Senators Alvarado, Hinojosa, Miles, and others debated the value of virtual hearings versus in-person hearings, the number of people who had testified, and whether the committee could subpoena witnesses after the regional hearings ended. The chair said he was awaiting legal guidance and would consider a subpoena motion at a formal meeting the next day. A lengthy exchange also occurred over the tone of public testimony and the chair’s view that some comments directed at Republicans and the president had been offensive or historically inaccurate. Invited witnesses and public commenters largely opposed mid-decade redistricting and argued that any new map should reflect population growth, especially among Latino and other minority communities, and comply with the Voting Rights Act. Nina Perales of MALDEF said the hearings were not meaningful without a draft map and testified that Texas has a long history of discriminatory redistricting; senators questioned her about litigation, DOJ’s July 7 letter, and the 2021 congressional map. Tania Chavez Camacho, Luis Figueroa, and several El Paso residents emphasized that maps should preserve communities of interest, avoid cracking and packing, and be transparent and participatory. A smaller number of witnesses supported redistricting, including one El Paso resident who said the current districting leaves the area underrepresented and another who argued that some communities want to return to a map closer to the earlier District 16 configuration. Several witnesses also criticized the DOJ letter as inconsistent with the state’s position that the 2021 maps were drawn race-blind, while others said the current process was too rushed and lacked sufficient public input.