Transcript Highlights:

• Yet we know that fusion centers are storing ALPR data from local departments.
• Without real oversight, we have no way of knowing who has their hands on our data.
• systems, analytical tools, or data sets that are owned by non-governmental entities.
• Data sets that are owned by non-governmental entities.
• So since 2021, this data has been publicly available, providing transparency.

Committee: Senate Joint Legislative Audit

Transcript Highlights:

• substantive extraction and compilation of data to proceed.
• secure data destruction.
• So they don't own the data. That's what we are.
• Say this data would then get published somewhere in a report, in a finding.
• Say this data would then get published somewhere in a report, in a finding.

Summary: The committee heard several higher education bills. It first approved the consent calendar, which included SB 67 and SB 619. The main discussion centered on SB 437, which would direct the CSU system to develop a fair, evidence-based process for verifying whether someone is a descendant of a person enslaved in the United States, as part of the state’s reparations work. Supporters said the bill fills a gap left by the Reparations Task Force and would create a transparent, credible lineage-verification process; opponents argued genealogy methods already exist, the bill would waste money and delay action, and some raised constitutional concerns. The committee took a vote on SB 437, but the roll was left open after the initial tally showed three ayes and three noes. The committee then heard SB 790, which would allow California to join the interstate reciprocity agreement for online postsecondary education. The author and supporters said the bill would improve consumer protections for California students taking out-of-state online courses and help California institutions compete more effectively by reducing the burden of seeking separate state approvals. Opponents, including University of Phoenix and other groups, argued the bill conflicted with the existing reciprocity framework, could exclude some institutions, and might not actually secure California’s entry into the agreement. The committee voted 3-1 to pass SB 790 as amended to the Business and Professions Committee, with the roll left open. The committee also heard SB 391, which would authorize the Community College Chancellor’s Office to charge fees for research partners seeking access to data. Supporters said the office is absorbing significant unfunded workload from data requests and that fees would help recover costs; opponents, including the California Teachers Association community college association, warned the fees could create barriers for faculty and smaller researchers. Members discussed possible exemptions and implementation details. The committee voted 5-1 to pass SB 391 as amended to the Appropriations Committee, with the roll left open. Finally, the committee heard SB 685, a pilot program to provide cost-of-attendance assistance at four CSU campuses for students who experienced homelessness in high school. Supporters said it would help students cover housing, food, and transportation costs and reduce dropout risk; members asked about eligibility and implementation, and the author explained the bill would use McKinney-Vento homelessness designations and target students at risk of “summer melt” and college homelessness.

Transcript Highlights:

• , including public health surveillance data and data that may be subject to the public records law.
• By minimizing the data that is collected, we can minimize the potential for abuse.
• Question about surveillance data.
• Are there any other pieces of surveillance data or areas of surveillance data that we should be mindful
• But we then have to keep that data from the federal government, right?

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Steering and Policy

Summary: The Senate Committee on Steering and Policy held a public hearing on potential updates to Massachusetts’ 2022 Shield Law to strengthen protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care. Chair Cindy Friedman said the hearing was prompted by escalating federal and out-of-state threats, and testimony was sought on loopholes and clarifications involving emergency abortion care, limits on cooperation with outside investigations, protection of patient data, and safeguarding licenses of providers and attorneys involved in this care. The Attorney General’s Office, ACLU of Massachusetts, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, Reproductive Equity Now, the Massachusetts Medical Society, TransHealth, and Health Imperatives all supported strengthening the law. Witnesses urged broader bans on sharing health data with hostile states, explicit AG enforcement authority, exclusion of reproductive and gender-affirming prescriptions from the prescription monitoring program, protections for electronic medical records, and allowing clinicians to use practice names on prescription labels. Several speakers also called for protections for parents of transgender youth, attorneys, and nonprofit organizations, and some raised related concerns about insurance discrimination and the burden of post-24-week abortion restrictions. Committee members asked questions about enforcement mechanisms, data privacy, patient consent, and how to balance interoperability with privacy protections in electronic records. Witnesses said the goal was to prevent immediate harm while preserving patient control and access to care. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair closed by inviting written testimony and then moved to adjourn the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the same thing goes with, you know, systems integration and data sharing.
• And the same thing goes with, you know, systems integration and data sharing.
• Sometimes they're using, you know, state longitudinal data system or workforce data quality initiative
• Sometimes they're using state longitudinal data system or workforce data quality initiative funds, but
• You need a state longitudinal data system.

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Career and Technical Education, focused on integrating workforce, education, training, and human services systems. Moore argued that WIOA, Perkins, and ESSA should be aligned more closely, with fewer federal and state bureaucratic layers, more state flexibility, and a stronger emphasis on labor force participation, postsecondary attainment, and training tied to in-demand jobs. He said the federal agencies are moving toward combined plan timelines for 2026, encouraged states to pursue combined plans and waivers, and described efforts to streamline reporting, reduce administrative overhead, and expand tools such as integrated intake, cross-training, virtual and mobile service delivery, apprenticeship, and talent marketplaces. Moore also emphasized accountability and outcomes, saying states should measure training-related employment, retention, and the share of funds going to direct services rather than administration. He criticized the current workforce system as too costly and ineffective, and said states should use primary labor market information, better wage records, and employer input to align training with actual job demand. Members asked about balancing flexibility with accountability, the role of employers versus postsecondary institutions, serving rural “training deserts,” state waivers, and data-sharing systems such as Mississippi’s workforce technology efforts. Moore said states can use waivers and technology to create common intake and co-enrollment across programs, and that enhanced wage records are key to better workforce planning. The committee then received a separate update from DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Director Jay Hill on reimbursement rates for aging and adult behavioral health services. They said DHS had compiled more than 100 public comments, submitted a recommendation to the governor to hold current rates, and was awaiting executive review, which they estimated could take 30 to 60 days. Members asked about the timeline and the scope of the legislation requiring monthly reports. The meeting ended with notice of a later audit presentation scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Big Mac building.

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving on to Senate Bill 1491, Senate Draft 1, House Draft 1, relating to departmental data sharing.
• the data to be shared throughout the state longitudinal data system.
• </c> state agencies required to share data state agencies required to share data and<00:22:31.840><c>
• ><c> be</c><00:22:33.679><c> shared</c> and determine the data to be shared and determine the data to
• </c> throughout the state longitudinal data throughout the state longitudinal data system.<00:22:37.919

Summary: The conference committees reconvened on April 25, 2025, and worked through a series of measures, mostly public employment cost items, appropriations, workers’ compensation, data sharing, and retirement-related bills. Several bills were briefly held for later action because Finance/FIN-WAM or related release had not yet been received, including SB 382, HB 423, HB 480, HB 214, HB 828, HB 717, HB 1065, and HB 1036, with some of those rolled over to a 2:30 p.m. meeting in Conference Room 16. HB 1424, relating to appropriations, was described as requiring the Director of Finance to report on transfers between position funding and operating expenses; the conferees agreed to a CD1 and voted to pass it. HB 430, relating to internships, was also agreed to in CD1 with technical amendments removing certain appropriation language and was passed after clarification that the funding covered both years and included the Helima program. The committees then moved through a block of public employment cost items. HB 1026, HB 1027, HB 1028, HB 1029, HB 1030, HB 1032, HB 1034, and HB 1035 were each reported as having CD1 agreement and Finance/WAM release, with appropriations tied to various bargaining units and governor’s messages; each was voted out. HB 1036 and HB 1037 were held over due to release issues, while HB 1038 was noted as having CD1 and Finance/WAM release and was passed for bargaining unit 13. HB 1039 was also rolled over for lack of release. Later, SB 336 on defense of state employees was agreed to with technical cleanup and passed as a CD, and SB 1491 on departmental data sharing was amended to add agencies to the state longitudinal data system and require aggregation/anonymization of certain data before being passed as a CD. Additional measures were also resolved. SB 935, relating to government, was amended to reduce the ERS multiplier for judges beginning in 2031, remove sheriff and deputy sheriff language, and require a DHR study on changing vesting from 10 to 5 years; it passed as a CD with no appropriation. SB 1567 required DERT to complete a comprehensive review of classification and compensation systems by October 31, 2026, allowed a third-party contractor, required legislative reports, and included $1.75 million in the budget; it passed as a CD. SB 855, relating to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act, clarified covered employers, required automatic enrollment unless employees opt out, repealed a fee cap, and added funding for FY26 and FY27; it passed as a CD. SB 743 established a data sharing governance working group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and required a legislative report; after a brief recess it was passed as a CD. SB 717 and SB 1065 were both continued to the later 2:30 p.m. meeting because release was still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, those would be the transparent use of the data.
• , state data, or secondary data.
• You want to know, we're going to use the AMA data, we're going to use, well, you know, this set of data
• They don't have the data.
• And run data on any data set you have in is not shouldn't be extremely burdensome.

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

Committee: House Insurance

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:

• Having consistent data from every district also helps to ... skills screening data was collected. skills
• screening data was collected.
• :40.320><c> gives</c> Statewide baseline screening data gives Statewide baseline screening data gives
• </c> baseline data set. baseline data set.
• When we think about the screening data we're collecting, looking at our MCA data is what we're going

Bills: HF3421

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: early literacy, reading instruction, teacher preparation, teacher candidates, teacher licensure, educator licensing, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, field experience, supervised practicum, evidence-based reading, science of reading, literacy methods, teacher training, preservice teachers, school-based experience, reading intervention, Minnesota education policy

Transcript Highlights:

• that will be matched with national student loan and IRS earnings data, and this data is going to be
• that will be matched with national student loan and IRS earnings data, and this data is going to be
• that will be matched with national student loan and IRS earnings data, and this data is going to be
• that will be matched with national student loan and IRS earnings data, and this data is going to be
• that will be matched with national student loan and IRS earnings data, and this data is going to be

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened with a hearing on CACR 7, a proposed constitutional amendment to explicitly state that defendants are innocent until proven guilty in all cases and suits brought by the state. The prime sponsor argued the amendment would strengthen due process, prevent government overreach, and extend the presumption of innocence beyond criminal cases into civil and administrative matters such as forfeiture and family court proceedings. In testimony and questioning, the sponsor cited New Hampshire constitutional provisions, historical examples, and concerns about courts shifting burdens onto individuals. Committee members raised questions about the amendment’s wording, its relationship to existing law, and whether it would have practical effect if current statutes already place the burden on the state. The hearing was then closed without further witnesses. The committee next moved to executive session on House Bill 480, which establishes a procedure for restoring competency and creates a pilot forensic liaison position in Merrimack or Strafford County to assist with that process. After discussion about prior concerns, including an email from the Disabilities Rights Center and whether enough members were present, the committee voted to adopt Amendment 2025-61H and then voted ought to pass as amended. The amendment passed unanimously, and the bill passed on a 10-1 roll call, with Representative Andrew voting no. The chair noted the bill would not go on consent and that no minority report was planned. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 666-FN, which would add restitution for violations of library-use confidentiality and expressly include library cards and membership status among confidential records. The sponsor said the bill was intended to strengthen privacy protections after a local dispute and to provide a remedy and deterrent for improper disclosure. Committee questions focused on whether the restitution penalty would apply to accidental disclosures, how the bill interacts with existing exceptions such as court orders or investigations, and whether the language was consistent with current confidentiality law. The hearing remained open at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first of these I'll talk about is the Urban Data Center's tax preference.
• To qualify, data centers must be located in counties with populations over 800,000.
• That preference is applicable to data centers located in rural counties.
• To qualify, data centers must be located in counties with populations over 800,000.
• That preference is applicable to data centers located in rural counties.

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 7, 2025, with quorum present. The commission approved the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes and then received its annual open government refresher from the Attorney General’s office, which reviewed key requirements under the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including record retention, response deadlines, exemptions, and meeting notice rules. Staff then provided a 2025 legislative session update, noting that the legislature passed 23 tax-preference-related bills, with several signed by the governor and others pending. Highlights included bills that extended or repealed certain preferences, added reporting requirements for newspaper and digital content exemptions, authorized JLARC to adjust its work plan when data is unavailable, and created a new exemption for zero-emission buses. The commission approved updates to the 2026 tax preference review schedule, which includes eight preferences in seven reviews, and approved unchanged testimony questions for 2025. The commission also received the 2025 expedited preference review report covering 52 tax preferences, presented as an interactive table drawing on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies. Staff then outlined the process for developing the next 10-year review schedule for 2027-2036, including surveying the legislature, incorporating new and repealed preferences, and considering a possible rolling 10-year schedule. No public comment was registered. The meeting ended with acknowledgments of Ron Buing’s long service on the commission and an announcement that the next meeting would be held August 6, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• Exemption for the replacement of equipment for data centers. There are no amendments.
• We're going to need more and more data centers. We've got this AI, and it's an explosion.
• And more data centers. We've got this AI, and it's an explosion, and we need these data centers.
• A number of companies were looking at Washington to potentially locate a data center.
• So for the immediate danger to the data centers and the large, immediate danger to the data centers and

Summary: House Finance met on Saturday, March 7, and reviewed several tax-related Senate bills before taking executive action. SB 6129 concerned cigarette, tobacco, and vapor product taxes; staff described a striker that would lower the new cigarette tax rate, keep separate tax structures for other tobacco and vapor products, direct portions of OTP revenue to the Andy Hill account and foundational public health services, and provide penalty relief and collection stays for certain retailers. SB 6228 would repeal a preferential B&O rate for warehousing/reselling prescription drugs and create a preferential rate for critical access pharmacies; Amendment 174, lowering that rate from 0.25% to 0.138%, was adopted after testimony that the original rate was not enough to support pharmacies serving isolated communities. SB 6231 would remove a tax exemption for replacement equipment at data centers and had no amendments, with members discussing the bill’s impact on budget balancing and economic development, especially for data centers and related construction jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• He then said that, on the Proposition 36 data that is still coming in, they heard that different data
• and whether that data would increase as more information comes in.
• universally agreed upon or California-specific data, the data that we do have comes from the 2015 study
• Today we live in a data world where we share data.
• Today we live in a data world where we share data.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that includes financial data as well as case data.
• So that includes financial data as well as case data.
• So that includes financial data as well as case data.
• So that includes financial data as well as case data.
• as that includes financial data as well as case<00:41:43.440><c> data.

Bills: HF2233 , HF1524 , HF1893 , HF1396 , HF2456 , HF2959 , HF2300 , HF2412 , HF3022 , HF2825 , HF1862 , HF1373 , HF1039 , HF3070

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> financial data financial data um um um that<00:25:07.920><c> uh</c><00:25:08.240><c> is</c><00:25
• </c><00:42:30.800><c> Um</c> deployed data scientists to DHS. Um deployed data scientists to DHS.
• and data analytics, and that really needs to be an enterprise-wide effort in data sharing and data analytics
• when some of these situations involving investigative data had not public data.
• when some of these situations involving investigative data had not public data.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• and the impact of that data center on that local community.
• It's real data from real wells.
• The subsurface is characterized from decades of production data.
• I think the talk of the town has been a lot about data centers.
• ...gone on recently about data centers in Oliver County.

Summary: The Energy Development and Transmission Committee met in interim session and approved the November 6 minutes. Chair Novak outlined the committee’s study agenda, including large energy users such as data centers, geothermal, landowner relations, wind and solar, and other energy topics across the state. The meeting was framed as informational only, with no bills or formal legislative action taken beyond the minutes approval. Testimony focused first on landowner relations. Oliver County Commissioner Dave Berger described the county’s energy history and local support for coal and related development. North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue emphasized proactive, face-to-face communication with landowners, respect for property rights, and the need for developers to be transparent about tradeoffs; he also discussed insurance and liability concerns tied to easements. Committee members asked about eminent domain, local versus state authority, and how communities can better understand the revenue and infrastructure implications of energy development. Department of Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Tom Bodine then described the department’s ombudsman programs for pipeline restoration and reclamation, wind restoration, and royalty oversight. He said the programs provide confidential, third-party assistance on reclamation and royalty disputes, but do not provide legal advice. Senators raised concerns about post-production deductions in royalty leases and whether the ombudsman can explain them; Bodine said the program can clarify statements and deductions but cannot resolve legal disputes. He also said the department has not received requests related to fiber lines. Representatives from Grid United and One Oak described their project development and landowner engagement practices. Grid United’s Brent Johnson discussed the North Plains Connector transmission project, its route selection process, voluntary acquisition approach, and efforts to avoid eminent domain by working closely with regulators, counties, townships, and landowners. One Oak’s Danette Welsh and Tom Giltner described the company’s midstream operations, extensive North Dakota footprint, and emphasis on direct landowner communication, consistent local regulation, careful construction practices, and post-construction reclamation. Members asked about setbacks, zoning consistency, invasive species prevention, outside advocacy groups, and eminent domain use; One Oak said it has not used eminent domain on its North Dakota projects, largely because most gathering lines are negotiated easements.

Transcript Highlights:

• This has to do with when a subject of government data questions the accuracy of data that a government
• This has to do with when a subject of government data questions the accuracy of data that a government
• This has to do with when a subject of government data questions the accuracy of data that a government
• This has to do with when a subject of government data questions the accuracy of data that a government
• This has to do with when a subject of government data questions the accuracy of data that a government

Transcript Highlights:

• These are largely covered, but not exclusively, in Chapter 13 of the Minnesota Data Practices Act.
• currently only one through private data currently only one through four<00:08:04.319><c> are</c><00:
• You had suggested that we had some issues around private data. Can you elaborate on that? Mr.
• Will the spill be traveling to Judiciary if we're talking about data and data privacy as well?
• </c> Judiciary if we're talking about data Judiciary if we're talking about data and<00:15:15.880><c>

Summary: House File 23, authored by Representative Robbins, was heard on a motion to advance it to the next committee. The bill, as amended by the A1 author’s amendment, would clarify the statutory definition of abuse, fraud, and waste and expand whistleblower protections for state employees who report those issues to legislators, the legislative auditor, or constitutional officers. Robbins said the measure is intended to protect state workers and align whistleblower language with existing Inspector General definitions; he also cited recent fraud investigations as the backdrop for the bill and noted a Senate companion, SF 475, with bipartisan support. Devon Bruce of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees testified in support of the bill’s protective intent but raised concerns that it only covers classified state employees, creating uneven treatment between classified and unclassified workers and between state and local public employees. Bruce also warned that the bill does not fully address data practices issues, including the handling of nonpublic, private, or proprietary information, and suggested broader privacy protections for whistleblowers’ identities. In response to questions, Robbins said the bill was not meant to change data practices law and that those issues should be addressed separately. Members debated whether the bill was ready for further consideration and whether it should also go to the fraud oversight committee or Judiciary. Motions to lay the bill over and to re-refer it to the fraud prevention and state oversight committee both failed. After a roll call vote, the committee approved the bill 7-6 and sent House File 23 to Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development.

Transcript Highlights:

• > the data to determine the data to determine &gt;&gt; how<00:58:01.839><c> much</c><00:58:02.000><c>
• </c> &gt;&gt; Um, and we don't seem to have the data &gt;&gt; Um, and we don't seem to have the data
• I don't need data to there's an issue. I don't need data to prove<01:23:44.800><c> it.
• Um, we don't have any data on that.
• </c> this upcoming fall data. this upcoming fall data.

Bills: SB2024 , SB896 , SB2613 , SB494 , SB2391 , SB2125 , SB2614 , SB2615 , SB3262 , SB3325 , SB3118

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• It's up-to-date data.
• your</c> always up to date. your your data, your always up to date. your your data, your tools,<00:09
• It's up-to-date data. All standardized. It's up-to-date data.
• </c> the US territories have to put in data the US territories have to put in data into<00:10:23.839>
• And I've have to collect the data.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then approved an agency amendment to a health and family services regulation. The amendment reversed a prior change so that neonatal ICU beds would remain subject to regular review rather than nonsubstantive review. The remaining administrative regulations were then reviewed without objection. The main presentation was from State Auditor Allison Ball on a report finding $836 million in concurrent Medicaid capitation payments from 2019 through 2022, involving individuals enrolled in Kentucky and at least one other state. Ball said Kentucky relied on the PARIS system, which has limitations because it is updated quarterly and depends on voluntary state participation, while a better federal data source, T-MSIS, was not fully available to the state. She said the audit found weak internal controls, siloed processes, outdated guidance, and a low-priority attitude toward residency checks, all of which contributed to missed alerts and improper payments. She also said the report identified additional problems, including payments made after beneficiaries died and cases involving multiple states paying for the same person. Ball recommended better access to federal data, stronger MCO contract provisions, and more active oversight by the Department for Medicaid Services and managed care organizations. She said the contracts reviewed did not provide a clear way to recoup the improper payments, though she and her counsel suggested possible equitable legal theories might be explored. Members expressed concern about the scale of the waste and the lack of contract enforcement, and asked whether any money could be recovered. Ball said the audit did not identify a clear contractual path to recoup the funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know if Kim Prunzel has anything additional on the data that you asked for.
• And just in terms of data, we do expect for you guys to have more shortly.
• So you will have more data shortly.
• We also appreciate the committee's conversation around data and reporting.
• We also appreciate the committee's conversation around data and reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• You need people who are going to do data.
• I think we can certainly gather that data.
• I think we can certainly gather that data.
• But we will definitely have data on that.
• And we do gather these data, about... ...centers, and we do gather these data, but I see macro-level

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology met on August 19, 2025 to examine the effects of federal grant cuts, tariff uncertainty, and related policy changes on California’s biotech, medtech, and academic research ecosystem. The chair and panelists emphasized California’s outsized role in the industry, describing major clusters in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, and explaining how research, startup formation, manufacturing, and clinical trials are interconnected across the state. Speakers from Biocom California, California Life Sciences, Farma, UC, Stanford, CSU Biotech, and UCLA all argued that NIH and NSF funding are foundational to discovery, workforce training, and commercialization, and that disruptions are already chilling venture capital, startup formation, and hiring. Witnesses described several concrete impacts: suspended or terminated grants, reduced doctoral admissions, fewer training opportunities, canceled retreats and internships, and anxiety among graduate students and early-career researchers. UC reported hundreds of millions of dollars in suspended or terminated NIH and NSF funding, while Stanford said more than a thousand training and career-development grants nationwide have been frozen or ended, affecting multiple trainees per grant. CSU Biotech said 133 federal grants had been terminated, scaled back, or canceled, totaling about $140 million, including nearly $30 million from NIH and NSF. Industry representatives also warned that proposed antitrust limits on mergers and acquisitions could undermine the standard biotech exit path and further deter investment. Committee members asked about the duration of the disruption, the possibility of state action to offset federal losses, and whether California could better support workforce development, manufacturing, and R&D tax credits. Panelists urged the Legislature to preserve and expand state support for STEM education, internships, apprenticeship pathways, manufacturing incentives, and the R&D tax credit, and to consider infrastructure and housing as part of competitiveness. They also noted that tariffs are already raising costs for medtech components and building materials, and that China is increasingly competing for R&D, talent, and licensing deals. No formal votes or bill actions were taken at the hearing; the meeting was informational and focused on testimony and discussion.