Transcript Highlights:

• We'll be able to see every aspect of the framework and the Comptroller develops.
• We'll be able to see every aspect of the framework the Comptroller develops through rulemaking.
• Every single student in Texas deserves to have that exact same opportunity that I had.
• Then the development of separate but equal, Plessy v.
• I think that... ...development centers becoming participants in this program.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Members from both parties emphasized education as a major issue, while several Republicans framed the committee’s work around school choice and parent empowerment. Senator West and other Democrats stressed protecting public schools, listening to Texans, and considering the effects of vouchers or education savings accounts on school districts and communities. Chairman Creighton laid out Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, describing it as a universal education savings account program modeled on similar programs in other states. He said the bill would provide about $200 million for a universal eligibility pool and additional funding for students with disabilities and lower-income families, with priority weighting for former public school students. He also highlighted anti-fraud measures, vendor pre-approval, criminal background checks, cybersecurity protections, annual testing requirements for participating students, and the use of the Comptroller rather than TEA to administer the program. Creighton repeatedly said the bill is not a voucher and argued it would not take money from public schools, which he said would receive separate historic funding increases. Members questioned Creighton about the 500% of federal poverty line definition, the adequacy of the $10,000 ESA amount, whether the program would favor students already in private school, how microschools and homeschool pods would fit, and whether the bill protects religious liberty and private-school autonomy. Democrats raised concerns about disability protections, 504 students, foster children, public-school funding, open records, and the historical context of vouchers. Republicans generally supported the bill as a way to expand options for parents and students, while also asking about administration, fraud prevention, and data security. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, with EdChoice President Robert Inlow presenting in support of SB 2 and citing the growth and reported success of school choice programs nationwide.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thus, with this bill, the entirety of the cumulative revenue excess may be used in the development of
• Thus, with this bill, the entirety of the cumulative revenue excess may be used in the development of
• Someone, same exact thing.
• The bill is basically the exact bill that we passed off the floor a couple of weeks ago.
• The bill is basically the exact bill that we passed off the floor a couple of weeks ago.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and included several member introductions recognizing guests, interns, firefighters, and a doctor of the day. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and began taking up a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate measures before final passage. The first major bill, health care patient protection, required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, a pediatric emergency care coordinator, and readiness assessments; it passed 36-0. A public records bill protecting victim identities and temporarily exempting the name of a law enforcement officer who is a victim also passed after questions about access for victims of police misconduct, with a 33-4 vote. The Senate next approved a local government cybersecurity bill creating a state-administered program through Florida Digital Service to help counties and cities strengthen cyber defenses, with priority for rural and fiscally constrained governments; after amendments, it passed 37-0. A clerks of court bill allowing clerks to retain all revenue above projections and, through a House amendment, revising legal notice and traffic citation distribution provisions, passed 38-0 despite debate over impacts on municipalities and law enforcement. The chamber also passed a trademark modernization bill and a septic system permit bill intended to reduce delays for builders; the septic bill was amended to align the House and Senate versions and passed 38-0. The longest and most contested item was the elections bill, which updated citizenship verification procedures using REAL ID and state databases, changed candidate qualification rules, and altered election administration provisions. Numerous amendments were offered and rejected, including proposals to exempt certain seniors, preserve student and retirement-center IDs, allow attestations in place of documentary proof of citizenship, and require human review over automated systems. One amendment to delay implementation until July 1, 2027, was also debated. The transcript ends while debate is still underway on the elections measure, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:32.920> and<00:03:33.120> privately developed and privately developed and privately
• do six developments.
• <00:10:42.440> process quickly as the development process quickly as the development process
• Frederick I don't have the exact Frederick I don't have the exact breakdown<00:35:33.599> in<
• That means that the housing itself can be developed by private developers.

Bills: HF2148, HF2693, HF2542, HF1141, HF1770, HF1489, HF1709, HF244, HF1266, HF807, HF2619, HF1340

Keywords: affordable housing, local control, revolving loan fund, community partnerships, Minnesota housing policy, housing, locally controlled housing, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, housing infrastructure bonds, state bonds, bonding bill, supportive housing, permanent supportive housing, homelessness, veterans housing, senior housing, manufactured home parks, community land trust, single-family housing, multifamily housing

Transcript Highlights:

• And all for the board's consideration and the development of a system-wide policy on this very topic.
• can see that development and implementation in the very near future.
• I know some legislators have been sort of exploring this area, developing kind of similar models.
• Some legislators have been sort of exploring this area, developing kind of similar models.
• Everybody punches their number in, here comes the exact number you give us.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• which is additionally policy development um<02:20:23.439> that's<02:20:23.840> required
• a recovery plan districts in developing a recovery plan and<02:22:35.920> and<02:22:36.479>
• That closes the exact session on 580 and that will close what we're doing today.
• That closes the exact >> Yep. Thank you.
• That closes the exact session<02:26:53.760> on<02:26:54.000> 580 session on 580 session

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Starting with transportation, a vast majority of these funds, $793 million to be exact, will go toward
• Outside of the MBTA, this bill calls for the spending of $25 million to further support the workforce development
• Outside of the MBTA, this bill calls for the spending of $25 million to further support the workforce development
• provided that not less than $300,000 shall be expended for mitigation costs associated with the development

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted two ceremonial resolutions: one commemorating the dedication of the Woburn Battle Road Memorial as part of the Massachusetts 250th celebration, and another recognizing May 1-7 as Elks National Youth Week. The chamber then took up House Bill 4005, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill using FY24 Fair Share surtax surplus funds, and ordered it to a third reading before later considering it for passage to be engrossed. During debate on the bill, the House heard a lengthy presentation in support of the proposal, which would direct about $828 million to transportation and $353 million to education. The transportation spending was described as primarily supporting the MBTA, including workforce and safety funding, reserve replenishment, station and infrastructure improvements, reduced fares, and reimbursement for tunnel closure costs, along with smaller amounts for regional transit authorities and unpaved roads. The education side included additional special education circuit breaker funding, vocational school capital, early education workforce supports, early literacy, universal school meals, higher education endowment matches, Green School Works, and ESOL waitlist reduction, with the Inspector General directed to review circuit breaker cost controls. Members then debated several amendments. One amendment related to a school athletics policy was modified by a further amendment calling for DESE analysis before implementation; both the further amendment and the underlying amendment as amended were adopted. A transportation amendment to shift $50 million from MBTA funding to Chapter 90 municipal roads was supported by members emphasizing rural road needs but was rejected on a roll call, 25-120. Another transportation amendment adding at least $300,000 for Route 93 mitigation costs in Medford was adopted, 133-20. The bill itself then passed to be engrossed on a roll call, 140-14. The House also observed moments of silence for former First Lady Kitty Dukakis and for victims of the Santo Domingo nightclub collapse, and later adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. before adjourning in memory of former Representative Philip W. Johnston.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't have the exact number of how many cancellations have gone to debt recovery.
• the Louisiana Municipal Association, a representative from the Department of Transportation and Development
• So it's basically urging and requesting the Department of Transportation and Development to institute
• The Department of Transportation and Development to institute the DRIVE initiative for looking at the

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works met with five members present and approved the May 14, 2026 minutes. The committee first considered HCR 32, which urges the Port of New Orleans to secure backup motors for the aging St. Claude Avenue Bridge; members discussed the bridge’s importance, the relatively low cost of the motor, and the traffic and emergency-response impacts of repeated breakdowns. HCR 32 was reported favorably. HCR 68, a request to Congress for funding to remove unusable bridges along Highway 90 as part of reconnecting the corridor toward New Orleans East, was also reported favorably after brief discussion about federal representatives and coordination with DOTD. House Bill 582 was deferred without objection. The committee then took up HB 762, which clarifies that the Office of Motor Vehicles may, rather than must, refer certain delinquent reinstatement-fee debts to the Office of Debt Recovery or other collection channels. Testimony from OMV and the bill author emphasized that the measure was intended to clean up prior language and preserve OMV discretion, while senators raised concerns about political influence, collection practices, and the impact of fees and debt on drivers. HB 762 was reported favorably. HB 730, concerning automatic dependent surveillance broadcast devices on aircraft, was amended to limit its application to aircraft over 2,500 pounds and to prohibit the use of the imposed fees on smaller aircraft. Supporters said the bill restores the original safety purpose of the devices and prevents their use for fee collection; the committee reported the bill favorably as amended. The committee also reported favorably on HCR 53, which creates a study committee on oversized vehicle permits and their parish-level impacts, and HCR 60, which urges DOTD to pursue the DRIVE initiative to study and improve safety on the I-12 corridor. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• districts or charter schools, and New Mexico-based adult basic education providers or workforce development
• I don't have the exact information of what it would contain.
• training so they could get to the workforce because at the end of the day, this is a workforce development
• Language for the spaceport, and it was heard in House Commerce and Economic Development, and it resulted

Transcript Highlights:

• People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiac disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes
• I don't have an exact number for you, but I would certainly want that to be part of the evaluation of
• I don't have an exact number for you, but I'm I would certainly want that to be part of the evaluation

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 78 deals with the board appointments for the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority.
• And so the change to this... development district, except for the new planning seat.
• This is the same exact legislation that you've enacted in the past for the City of Monroe, for DeRidder
• , there's a lot of developers in our parish, is that they utilize this.
• I'm intimately familiar with the recording of plats and the development of subdivisions in a parish.

Bills: HR217, HB66, HB204, HB208, HB326, HB472, HB483, HB484, HB793, HB1051, HB1080, HB1087, HB1111, HB1215, SB78, SB148

Keywords: rent stabilization, affordable housing, cost burdened, Louisiana housing, housing policy, emergency rental protections, Alexandria, municipal ordinances, administrative adjudication, code enforcement, housing violations, building codes, zoning, nuisance ordinances, vegetation ordinances, sewerage, drainage, licensing, permits, local government

Summary: The committee met on April 29 and heard a series of local bills affecting municipal and parish governance, blight enforcement, planning boards, and other local issues. Early actions included adopting a three-minute rule due to the late hour and deferring several bills that were not to be heard that day. House Bill 483 was voluntarily deferred, while House Bill 484 on the New Orleans Regional Business Park was amended and reported favorably. House Bill 78 on the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority was amended to correct a district reference and then reported favorably. House Bill 66, expanding Alexandria’s administrative adjudication authority for ordinance violations, was supported by the city and reported favorably. House Bill 326, requiring the Tickfaw police chief to reside in the village, was also reported favorably. The committee then took up several Shreveport blight-related bills. House Bill 1051, dealing with demolition of dilapidated residential property, was amended to allow the city to rely on reports from code enforcement, fire, police, or other public safety officials, and was reported favorably. House Bill 1080, a similar measure for condemned commercial property, was also reported favorably, with the sponsor noting he would consult the city attorney before floor debate. Senate Bill 148, allowing Lake Charles to pay a modest per diem to planning commission members by local ordinance, was reported favorably. House Bill 208, which would let St. Helena Parish voters decide whether to impose term limits on parish governing authority members, drew opposition from the police jury and failed on a recorded vote, 3-10. The committee also considered House Bill 1215 on the disposition of historical statues and monuments, adopting an amendment to prevent transferred monuments from being placed back in the parish where they were removed, and then reporting the bill favorably as amended. House Bill 793, a contested bill addressing subdivision plats filed without parish approval and the running of prescription, generated extensive testimony from the author, parish officials, the McCormicks, and a former appellate judge; the committee ultimately reported it favorably, with the author saying he would keep working on the language and send it to the Law Institute. Finally, House Bill 472, authorizing local rent stabilization measures during declared emergencies, was amended to limit any local ordinance to the duration of a governor-declared emergency, tie increases to CPI, and cap the measure at 365 days; the bill remained under discussion with questions about its relationship to existing price-gouging laws and whether the committee should wait for a broader study.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not even looking for a job on the exact same level that they... job on the exact same level that
• have done in my little small community, seeing the needs of the people in that community, is I'm developing
• We have changed the Department of Labor to Workforce Development, whatever Greg Reed is handling now,
• They will work with the examiner of Public Accounts to develop their own reporting system and will report
• it’s section 415 A-5A that spells out that she would come in and work with the Port Authority to develop

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• I can't remember the exact phrase.
• I can't remember the exact decency.
• developing these guidelines do that. developing these guidelines do that.
• not exact but the language in the bill not exact but the language in the bill in<02:44:14.640> the

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're responsible for developing a person's support plan and ensuring that their services meet their
• counties, tribes, and tribes to develop counties, tribes, and tribes to develop long-term<00:12:
• :13:17.120> person's responsible for developing a person's responsible for developing a person's
• <00:58:11.240> a appreciate the proposal to develop a appreciate the proposal to develop a
• the exact same thing that I had. the exact same thing that I had.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:53.080> they role from in my development they role from in my development they provided
• Children are still developing the tools to cope with their emotions.
• We are here to develop human beings, and uh, there's a lot of challenges.
• We are here to develop human beings, and uh, there's a lot of challenges.
• We are here to develop human beings, and uh, there's a lot of challenges.

Bills: HF56, HF780

Keywords: HF56, Minnesota bonding bill, capital investment, state bonds, bond proceeds fund, Hutchinson Area Transportation Services, Hutchinson, McLeod County, transportation facility, vehicle storage, equipment storage, fueling facility, temperate storage, local infrastructure, public works, general obligation bonds, education finance, school funding, state aid, appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows a mortgage or deed of trust to serve as a fixture filing. without requiring an exact ID name
• It just takes the existing debt development framework in California law, and basically where it says

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:27.920> Division Workforce Development Division Workforce Development Division uh<00
• Workforce Development Workforce Development divisions<00:18:58.559> and<00:18:58.840>
• Development Development Council<00:41:02.880> for<00:41:03.880> uh<00:41:04.000> fiscal
• Oh, yeah, physical development, because that's also important.
• Physical development, because that's also important.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance held an informational briefing with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on its budget, staffing, and operations. The director reviewed department leadership and reported on recruitment and retention efforts, including a 14% vacancy rate, a 10.5% workforce increase from filling 189 positions, and the Hela Imua internship program, which has placed 516 interns since inception and led to 62 permanent hires. The department also described modernization efforts, including the UI Huakai project and the Disability Compensation Division’s electronic case management system, and said the unemployment compensation trust fund exceeded $71.5 million, triggering Schedule C for calendar year 2025. The department’s main budget requests included $2.9 million for fiscal year 2026 to support maintenance and operations of the electronic case management system, plus restoration of two enforcement specialist positions. Officials said those positions are needed to address a decline in investigators from 11 to six since 2009, improve compliance, and handle Hawaii Compliance Express certificate work. Additional requests included two human resources specialists to address recruitment backlogs, two labor enforcement specialists to reduce a backlog of Chapter 104 prevailing wage and wage cases, and two positions for the Office of Community Services to expand immigrant services and access centers. The department also discussed federal funding for unemployment insurance and workforce programs, including National Dislocated Worker Grants and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds, and said some funding is received in increments and may require extensions. Members asked about Kauai inspection coverage, federal funding uncertainty, the size of the special unemployment insurance fund, and whether the department could ramp up staffing during a future crisis. Officials said Kauai is currently served by inspectors from Honolulu and there are no plans to open a permanent island position because of staffing constraints. They said the department is meeting federal guidelines and is not in jeopardy, and that the special unemployment insurance fund has about $10 million, with current UI operations funded at a little over $15 million, meaning the fund may need to cover roughly $5 million if federal support declines. The director said the department would use the special fund to supplement shortfalls, but noted that federal funding cuts and the loss of ARPA support have already affected operations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it was the exact same talking points, and I don't mean to be critical of you.
• I'm just—it was pretty much the exact same talking points last year: that we're seeing a lot of growth
• So we were kind of spending that time developing and designing the program.
• So to develop the Innovation Partnership Fund, we really focused quite a bit in 2025, holding extensive
• That's in our application that, again, was developed with our commissioners and our community members

Summary: The hearing focused first on behavioral health, especially serious mental illness and anosognosia, a condition described by witnesses as a neurological symptom that prevents people from recognizing they are ill. The chair framed the issue around families cycling through emergency rooms, jails, conservatorships, and short-term stabilization without lasting treatment, and warned that federal changes under H.R. 1 could reduce Medi-Cal funding and worsen access. Dawn Marie Anderson gave a personal account of her son’s long history of psychosis, homelessness, arrests, repeated jail and state hospital stays, and eventual stability when he received sustained medication and coordinated support. She argued that the system often treats the problem as criminal rather than medical and that voluntary programs and short-term services are not enough for people who lack insight into their illness. Other panelists, including representatives from the California Behavioral Health Association, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, agreed that anosognosia is not denial or noncompliance and said the system needs long-term, coordinated care, including assertive community treatment, mobile crisis, supportive housing, medication support, and stronger handoffs between county and managed care systems. They said CalAIM and other reforms have improved some coordination, but significant gaps remain, especially for people with serious mental illness, for those in jail or locked settings, and for people with private insurance, which witnesses said often offers little meaningful coverage for early psychosis or intensive behavioral health services. Several witnesses urged the Legislature to protect Medi-Cal, shore up county safety-net services, and invest in training and family engagement. The committee then turned to the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, with a focus on the virtual services platforms BrightLife Kids and Soluna and the CYBHI fee schedule. DHCS reported strong growth in app registrations, coaching sessions, referrals, and positive user outcomes, saying the platforms provide free, culturally responsive, early-intervention support statewide and help connect users to higher levels of care when needed. On the fee schedule, DHCS said more than 500 LEAs, colleges, universities, and school-linked providers are participating, 181 LEAs have submitted claims, and $9.6 million has been reimbursed to date, with 41,556 students represented in claims. The chair and several members criticized the pace of implementation and the amount of money spent relative to reimbursement levels, saying the Legislature had requested data earlier and that the return on investment still appeared low. DHCS responded that many claims are still being submitted, that 70% of denials are correctable, that $400 million in capacity grants has been distributed locally, and that reimbursement is increasing rapidly as more districts come online. Public comment included a rural county behavioral health director who said private insurance denials leave counties with significant uncompensated work, especially for unlicensed staff providing case management and mobile crisis services.

Transcript Highlights:

• We embarked on an 18-month research project to develop a proposal to transform Minnesota's pre-trial
• :04:22.720> research<00:04:23.280> project<00:04:24.000> to<00:04:24.320> develop
• <00:04:24.639> a 18-month research project to develop a 18-month research project to develop
• same thought last having that exact same thought last night<00:31:20.559> as<00:31:20.880>
• And so we're hoping that this more developed system is something that helps identify those issues so

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:48.000> a<00:15:48.160> serious over 60% of staff developed a serious over 60%
• He was a Vietnam veteran who developed multiple sclerosis while he was incarcerated.
• <00:21:37.120> sclerosis veteran who developed multiple sclerosis veteran who developed multiple
• I can’t remember exactly. >> Okay, maybe not exact, but it made it... attempt where the bill had made
• >> Okay,<00:33:10.960> maybe<00:33:11.200> not<00:33:11.440> exact,<00:33:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on best practices for medical or compassionate release programs used by correctional systems nationwide and how Hawaii’s current approach compares. Kristen Johnson of the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission introduced Molly Crane of Families for Justice Reform, noting that the commission, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Hawaii Paroling Authority have all been involved in developing proposed legislation, though the bill itself was written by community advocate Bob Merse. Crane described FAM’s work on justice reform and said the group has studied compassionate release programs across the country, including federal reforms, to help Hawaii align with best practices. Crane argued that compassionate release is intended for people who are too ill or cognitively impaired to pose a public-safety risk and who are often the most expensive and resource-intensive people to incarcerate. She said Hawaii is the only state without a compassionate release statute and currently relies on an agency policy, which she described as complex and slow. She cited examples of severe medical cases in custody, including people with advanced dementia, multiple sclerosis, kidney failure, and hospice needs, and said the burden on correctional medical staff, overtime, off-site transport, and specialized care can consume a disproportionate share of staff time and state resources. She also said the recidivism rate for this population is under 1 percent, citing Vera Institute research. Members asked about the source of the recidivism figure, how a statute would streamline the process, and why the issue had not advanced in the past. Crane said the proposed bill would reduce layers in the process by moving cases from the medical director to the director and then to the Hawaii Paroling Authority, with a target timeline of about 30 business days from petition to hearing. Johnson said prior efforts failed in part because the agencies most affected were not included early in drafting and revision, and she said one attempt was vetoed, another was removed in conference committee, and another passed one chamber but did not advance. Johnson also explained that incarcerated people’s medical care is paid entirely by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with no private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare coverage while incarcerated, making severe cases a direct burden on state funds. No votes or formal actions were taken because the briefing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• No records exist of the formal ablation of the treaty exact, exact, uh, in 59 equal footing.
• The treaty exact, exact, uh, in 59 equal footing.
• same exam get the same exact same exam get the same exact certificate<01:50:38.800> same<
• 01:50:39.080> exact<01:50:39.400> there's<01:50:39.560> no certificate same exact
• <01:52:48.520> test program that takes the same exact test program that takes the same exact

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Health and Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard two midwifery bills, with testimony focused primarily on HB 1194. Committee chairs opened the hearing with rules for Zoom testimony and noted the bills relate to midwives. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said it supported the intent of HB 1194 and offered comments. Supporters of the bill, including the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, argued that midwifery should remain subject to mandatory licensure to protect consumer safety, citing the state’s regulatory licensing standards and a 2025 state auditor sunset analysis. They said the bill would strengthen educational standards and public protection, and some offered clarifying amendments. Opponents argued HB 1194 would restrict access to care and fail to protect traditional, cultural, and community-based birth practices. Testifiers from the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force, the Hawaii Home Birth Collective, the Libertarian Party of Hawaii, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Pacific Birth Collective, and Papa Ola Lōkahi said the bill would limit licensure pathways, reduce access in rural and underserved areas, and burden Native Hawaiian and traditional practitioners. Several speakers said the measure could worsen Hawaii’s maternal health shortages, especially on Maui, and urged lawmakers to defer HB 1194 or instead advance HB 1328, which they said better protects practitioner access and cultural practices. The Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives said it opposed HB 1194 because it did not align with national or state standards for certified midwives and could create conflicts with Medicaid reimbursement and prescriptive authority. The ACLU also opposed the measure, emphasizing reproductive rights, privacy, and the need to preserve apprenticeship pathways to licensure. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.