Video & Transcript Research : 'processing'

Page 113 of 500
MN
Transcript Highlights:
  • no court process related to the new charge.
  • 36.040> court<00:12:36.560> process<00:12:37.040> related there's no court process
  • Upholding Senate ethical standards is its own process.
  • Upholding Senate ethical standards is its own process.
  • "No, I think, you know, that's going to work through our Senate process.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

January 14, 2025 - 09:00 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • budgeting process.
  • budgeting process.
  • Is it a process issue? Is it a funding issue?
  • I would expect a good change management process to be able to process some change, and having a good
  • So it's a very brittle process we have in place.
Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting to examine Florida’s information technology governance, budgeting, cybersecurity, data management, and telecommunications operations. Chair Schneider and other members framed the panel as a new joint policy-and-budget forum focused on reducing jargon, improving accountability, and asking whether technology investments are feasible, aligned with state goals, cost-controlled, and secure. State Affairs Chairman Will Robinson and members emphasized that the committee should avoid buying “shiny new objects” without clear business cases and should focus on long-term value, cybersecurity, and operational efficiency. Florida Digital Service and Department of Management Services leaders provided an overview of the state IT enterprise. Secretary Pedro Allende described DMS as the state’s business, workforce, and technology service provider, while State CIO Warren Spanholz outlined Florida Digital Service’s four core areas: cybersecurity, project success, data interoperability, and enterprise architecture. Chief Data Officer Ed Ryan said the state data catalog is about 400,000 elements and roughly half of agencies are participating, and he described efforts to identify authoritative data sources and improve interoperability. Chief Information Security Officer Jeremy Rogers discussed the state cybersecurity operations center, enterprise risk management, incident response exercises, and a recurring $35 million cybersecurity resiliency budget. Chief Technology Officer Leo Schoonover described oversight of major IT projects over $10 million, updated project management standards, and a shift toward smaller phased implementations and more flexible methodologies to reduce delays and overruns. Other presenters covered telecommunications, data center operations, and cybersecurity workforce development. Director Denise Atkins said the Division of Telecommunications manages Suncom and MyFloridaNet, with nearly $336.9 million appropriated for fiscal year 2024-25, and is procuring the next network contract while emphasizing security controls and vendor flexibility. Tim Brown said the Northwest Regional Data Center operates on a chargeback basis, serves state and local customers, and returned surpluses to customers in recent years. Cyber Florida Director Ernie Ferraroso described training, workforce pipelines, K-12 outreach, a cyber range, and research programs aimed at building Florida’s cyber workforce and improving public-sector readiness. Members asked about budget setting, project delays, change orders, cybersecurity reporting, data catalog participation, interoperability, and expanding cybersecurity operations centers. Officials said chargeback rates are based on actual direct and indirect costs, project delays often stem from unclear scope and insufficient upfront planning, and cybersecurity success is measured by mean time to detect, respond, and recover. They also said the state is moving toward more modular project delivery, broader agency participation in shared cybersecurity services, and expanded CSOC locations within existing staff and budget where feasible.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • case<00:30:31.760> reviews, document processes like case reviews, document processes like
  • So the process that we're using to acquire tower property right now is not the process that we used before
  • The process that we're using to acquire tower property right now is not the process that we used before
  • c> as<01:38:10.239> Brandon those are in process as Brandon those are in process as Brandon
  • So, I have to to expedite the process.
Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from December 19 and June 12, then received a staff report on the Kentucky Fire Commission’s minimum training standards and administrative spending. Staff explained that the commission’s current minimum training hours are 115 for volunteer firefighters and 300 for paid firefighters, down from 150 and 400 before January 1, 2023, after the commission removed elective classes not directly tied to NFPA standards. The report found the commission’s certification testing aligns fully with NFPA standards, but recommended that the commission formally promulgate regulations establishing the reduced training hours. On finances, staff said the commission complied with the first statutory cap on administrative reimbursements to KCTCS, but could not verify compliance with a second, more specific cap because the finance system does not break out program-level costs and the statute is vague. Staff recommended the commission work with KCTCS to fix that issue and suggested the General Assembly may wish to clarify the statute. After questions about reimbursement levels and investment income, the committee voted to accept the report. The committee then heard an update on the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel. Staff reported that the panel has implemented two of three prior recommendations: it revised its agency notification letter to clearly state the 90-day response deadline and added response prompts and checkboxes to improve completeness. The third recommendation, to adopt formal written procedures, remains in progress; staff said the panel plans to develop those procedures alongside its new case management system. The panel is meeting its statutory membership and meeting requirements, but agency responses to its recommendations have been inconsistent: 48% were timely and appropriate in 2022, 36% in 2023, and 82% in 2024, though only three of nine timely 2024 responses were fully complete. Staff also described the new case management system project, funded with $200,000 in one-time money, and recommended the panel consult budget staff about use of those funds beyond fiscal year 2025. They reissued the recommendation that the panel develop written procedures for case review, findings, recommendations, and annual reports. Committee members raised concerns about the lack of penalties for noncompliance, the volume and length of panel meetings, and technology barriers to reviewing cases, and one member said the panel’s findings should inform future legislation.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Finance (05/29/2025)

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • How many people currently process these applications now, and how many people process them?
  • And applications are processed timely.
  • the applications that can't be processed the applications that can't be processed because<02:05:
  • We have seen some improvement processed.
  • application is um not being processed application is um not being processed for<02:08:35.840>
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And as you acknowledge, you haven't completed the public process.
  • Before Senate Bill 350, the CCAs are now part of the resource planning process.
  • That process is an ongoing common process that is our ordinary work that we do in assessing all the six
  • That process is an ongoing common process that is our ordinary work that we do in assessing all the six
  • That process is an ongoing common process that is our ordinary work that we do in assessing all the six
Summary: The committee first heard Issue 1 on trailer bill language to redirect funding for emergency demand-response programs. The Department of Finance proposed using about $26.9 million in General Fund originally set aside for the Distributed Energy Backup Assets program to bolster the Demand-Side Grid Support Program for summer 2026, and using about $70 million in CalCHAP interest to support ratepayer-funded demand response in summers 2027 and 2028. The CEC and CPUC said they are working on a transition from DSGS to ELRP or a successor program, while the LAO noted the General Fund money would otherwise revert to savings. Members pressed the administration on whether demand response remains important, whether DSGS has been successful, and whether the state should keep funding it through the CEC rather than shifting to a ratepayer-funded CPUC program. The CEC and CPUC said the programs are not directly comparable, emphasized different cost structures and enrollment metrics, and said a CPUC rulemaking is underway with a proposed decision expected in Q3 2026. No vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then took up Issue 2, a budget proposal tied to SB 254 and the new transmission accelerator. GoBiz and the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank described a five-year, roughly $26 million request to staff and administer the accelerator and manage Proposition 4 and AB 1207 funds for transmission financing. Members asked about state liability, ownership of financed lines, FERC revenue requirements, and whether the program would help underserved regions and offshore wind development. Staff explained that the accelerator would only consider projects already identified through CAISO’s competitive transmission planning process, and that state financing would be a small portion of large projects intended to lower overall costs to ratepayers. The LAO said it had no specific concerns but urged the Legislature to ensure the final language matches its intent. The committee also heard Issue 3 on petroleum market oversight. The CEC and its Division of Petroleum Market Oversight requested additional positions and funding to implement ABX2-1 and continue work on supply stabilization, refinery monitoring, and transportation fuels analysis. Members questioned why the work was funded through the Energy Resources Programs Account, whether existing staff from the paused price-gouging work could be reassigned, and whether the program had produced evidence of price gouging or improved supply conditions. CEC and Finance said the new positions are needed because the workload has expanded, while some existing staff remain on related analysis and reporting duties. The discussion ended without a vote in the transcript.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Land & Resource Management May 15th, 2025

Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:
  • You'd have to go through a permitting process to get access to water.
  • utilized. be used for building inspections during the construction process.
  • SB1450 will help eliminate unnecessary delays in the housing development process.
  • We would also support any potential changes to create a clearer framework for the third-party process
  • Second, it creates a more clear and detailed process.
Bills: SB1708, SB2523, SB1450
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Commerce Committee Meeting - 2025-04-01

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • This legislation modernizes and improves Minnesota's garnishment processes.
  • Because processes changed, the required... process was changed.
  • The Attorney General's office led a process with stakeholders from across the garnishment process, including
  • due process.
  • The notice would describe the complaint and explain the process and the timelines.
Bills: HF2543, HF2566, HF2627
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Apr 1st, 2025

Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • is just not right. ...have to go through a lot of processes is just not right, not when we're talking
  • If there's any way to expedite that process in particular, that would mean a lot.
  • And many of them, as you stated, do not make it to get the application process through.
  • Senate Bill 976 provides clarity and fairness in the process for parents challenging court-appointed
  • A downloadable checklist outlining the screening process, timelines, and contact information.
Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills related to children, families, elder affairs, mental health, disability services, and child care. SB 1050 on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities was amended and reported favorably after discussion of expanding the voluntary IDD managed care pilot statewide, improving transparency on the APD wait list, creating a statewide family care council, addressing transition services for youth leaving foster care, and seeking federal approval for an adult pathways waiver. Testimony from providers and a parent emphasized workforce capacity, county-level identification of clients, Medicaid delays, and the importance of keeping the pilot voluntary; the bill passed with support and some discussion about possible future clarifications on services and Medicaid eligibility. The committee also passed SB 1310, which directs OPPAGA to evaluate student mental health outcomes tied to school mental health assistance funding, and members discussed the need for better data, coordination with managing entities, and avoiding duplication of services. SB 976 on court-appointed social investigators was amended and approved, with the sponsor describing due process protections and fee-shifting provisions for parents challenging court-appointed psychologists. SB 886, creating a crisis care coordination team pilot in Volusia and Polk counties to reduce Baker Act recidivism and improve follow-up care, was reported favorably after the sponsor described its law enforcement and community provider partnerships and an independent evaluation requirement. Later, SB 614 on child care facility and program background screening requirements was amended and passed; the bill requires a public educational webpage explaining Level 2 screening, the clearinghouse, disqualifying offenses, exemptions, and related job listings and timelines. Finally, SB 276 on sheltering or aiding unmarried minors was approved; it increases the offense from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, creates a presumption regarding knowledge of the minor’s age, and adds a defense when the conduct was necessary to protect the minor from danger. All bills considered were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned at the end of the meeting.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Jurisprudence Mar 19th, 2025

Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • This committee and folks involved in this process will know each session the real estate and probate
  • Senate Bill 1403 modernizes several existing processes by leveraging technology.
  • review process order with a termination of arrearages is a judgment or within a judgment.
  • Essentially, this tries to modernize some of the processes that we use in our administrative processes
  • It modernizes some of the processes that we use in our administrative processes, and it allows us to—we
Summary: The committee first adopted its rules, which were distributed in the same form as the prior session’s rules. Members then took up several bills, beginning with SB 711, an HOA/condominium association bill that would extend and conform property-owner protections to condominium associations; the bill’s author and a Community Associations Institute representative testified in support, and the bill was left pending. SB 942 would allow child support and certain prenatal/postnatal medical expenses to be calculated from the date of conception rather than birth; it drew supportive testimony from the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Attorney General’s Child Support Division, and was also left pending after testimony. SB 1448, an estates and probate cleanup bill, would require transfer of original wills by qualified delivery, add notice and electronic-order requirements for statutory probate courts, and make other clarifications; it received supportive testimony from the Texas Real Estate and Probate Institute and was left pending. The committee also heard SB 1403, the Attorney General’s Title IV-D child support modernization bill, which updates notice, review, remote-hearing, and administrative-process provisions and clarifies several enforcement and evidence rules; the AG’s office testified that it would improve efficiency, and the bill remained pending. SB 1404 would allow courts to require an email address in final SAPCR orders when other contact information is nondisclosed and clarify service and judgment requirements; the Attorney General’s office described it as a good-government measure, and it was left pending. SB 1559 would require transfer of protective orders into divorce or custody cases to avoid conflicting orders; family-law practitioners and a family court judge testified that it would resolve longstanding conflicts identified by multiple courts of appeals, and the bill remained pending. Finally, the committee considered SB 746, a guardianship bill that would address conflicts of interest in guardianship proceedings, allow guardian ad litem appointment earlier in the process, and require timely court action on annual guardianship reports and accounts; a committee substitute would remove some provisions and extend a reporting deadline from 20 to 30 days. TREP supported the bill, and one practitioner suggested requiring courts to state reasons when rejecting annual accounts. SB 1536 would require dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain family guardians, with a committee substitute narrowing the scope and reducing the training time from three hours to one; the Alzheimer’s Association supported the measure and the substitute, and the bill was left pending. No bills were voted out of committee during the meeting.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Well, there's at times a lengthy and costly permitting process.
  • I know I'll use example in your hometown, Fort Worth, their permitting process takes Several days and
  • A better process already exists.
  • The MOUs have their own interconnection processes. that are akin to the interconnection processes in
  • SB 1252 standardizes this. process statewide, allowing homeowners to install backup power faster and
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Judiciary Committee Apr 28th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this bill, as the Senator says, seeks to make further improvements to the POLST process in California
  • I think it's a new process and I think that... We've been able to do through CARE Court.
  • Who is it that's requesting this, and what is the process, and is there a stay on the involvement of
  • Nothing's going to happen until they get to the application process.
  • and rebuilding in a community that's been That it takes for the rebuild process, typically.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard several bills, with testimony focused on end-of-life medical orders, CARE Court participation, HOA fee transparency, custody protections for sexual assault survivors, groundwater enforcement, pet policy disclosure in rentals, and restrictions on post-wildfire property solicitation. SB 1088 would modernize POLST and pre-hospital DNR rules by renaming POLST as Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, allowing electronic signatures, clarifying who may sign on a patient’s behalf, recognizing out-of-state forms, and reaffirming that completion is voluntary; it drew support from the Coalition for Compassionate Care and no opposition. SB 1242 would let original family petitioners participate in CARE Court care coordination and information-sharing even without the respondent’s consent, while preserving judicial discretion to limit participation; supporters said it would improve care coordination, and Disability Rights California opposed it as coercive and harmful to respondents who may not want family involvement. The committee discussed the balance between family support and privacy, and SB 1242 passed 7-0 on call. SB 1007 would require more HOA transparency, including clearer budget comparisons and evidence for violations, and would limit regular assessment increases without a homeowner vote, while leaving special and emergency assessments intact. Supporters argued homeowners need more information and protection from steep fee hikes; opponents said the cap could impair associations’ ability to cover rising insurance and maintenance costs. Members raised concerns about flexibility and planning, but the bill passed 6-1 on call. SB 1364, as amended, would lower the burden for survivors of sexual assault to block custody or visitation rights for a perpetrator when a child was conceived through the assault, using a clear-and-convincing standard and aligning the law with federal grant requirements; it passed 8-0 on call after opposition argued the bill could deny children a relationship with a parent. The committee also approved SB 997, which grants the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency lien authority to enforce fees and sustainability rules, with supporters saying it would help avoid litigation and maintain local control; it passed 9-0 on call. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies up front on applications, websites, and ads, and allow application-fee refunds if disclosure was not provided before payment; supporters said it would reduce wasted fees and pet relinquishment, while landlord groups said the ad and disclosure requirements could be impractical for small owners. That bill passed 8-0 on call. Finally, SB 1090 was presented to bar large property owners from making unsolicited purchase offers for five years in wildfire disaster areas, aimed at preventing predatory post-disaster speculation; the author and a supporter described aggressive investor outreach to fire victims, especially in Altadena, as the committee moved on to that bill’s testimony.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Radioactive and Hazardous Materials May 29th, 2025

Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, remediation and restoration are two very complementary but distinct processes.
  • Um, we are in the process of putting together a trustee.
  • We are in the process of looking at the San Juan Generating Station.
  • What, what is the process now? Mr.
  • That process, I, I forget the number of the slide, but you know, I laid out what the nerd process is,
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Floor Session 5/14/25 - Part 2

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The claims process for the joint subcommittee on claims is a process for people to file claims against
  • > the<00:01:15.280> joint claims process uh for the joint claims process uh for the joint
  • <00:01:16.799> for subcommittee on claims is a process for subcommittee on claims is a process
  • So uh what we normal tort process for.
  • <00:27:46.000> so Minnesota's broken permitting process so Minnesota's broken permitting process
Keywords: 1183, house
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Ways and Means May 11th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • There's a process here that we legislate every year. But then once that process...
  • But what we've learned through this process...
  • And so, you know, we have to start this process.
  • So there is a process for that.
  • So there is a process for that.
Summary: The committee met for an informational hearing focused largely on the state capital outlay process and House Bill 2. Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration/Facility Planning and Control described how the office prepares and administers the capital outlay bill, said the bill has grown substantially over five years, and argued that recent changes in culture, staffing, project management, cash-flow analysis, and use of third-party support have more than doubled project expenditures and improved delivery. Members asked about the use and cost of third-party project managers, delegation of smaller projects to agencies, hiring difficulties, and whether the changes represented better interpretation of existing law versus statutory changes. Husser said some statutes were amended, some internal customs were removed, and the office would provide a list of those changes. He also explained that the office is trying to move away from overly rigid practices and toward faster project completion while still following public-bid and oversight rules. A major portion of the discussion centered on the size and structure of the capital outlay bill, especially the gap between Priority 1 cash capacity and the much larger Priority 5 backlog. Husser said the current annual Priority 1 limit is tied to construction inflation and is about $574 million, with additional surplus funds also available, but that the bill contains far more Priority 5 funding than can realistically move in a five-year plan. He and members discussed dormant projects, scope creep, legacy projects that have sat in the bill for years, and the problem of false expectations for non-state entities. Proposed solutions included limiting Priority 5 to five times Priority 1, requiring annual re-endorsement by members, setting district or project caps for non-state projects, requiring time limits and reporting for grant-like non-state projects, placing matches in escrow, requiring design readiness before submission, and consolidating the many existing reporting requirements into one clearer report. Members also discussed bundling multiple projects under one agency project, which the House had begun piloting for LSU, UL Lafayette, Southern, and DOTD, and which Husser said could improve flexibility, reduce overappropriation, and better reflect actual spending. Baker then explained cash-flow management and the commitment process, saying FPC now analyzes projects annually to estimate what can actually be spent in the next fiscal year and uses commitments to allow projects to proceed when future-year funding is expected. He said overappropriations can result from poor cash-flow estimates, delays, dormant projects, or projects coming in under budget, and that the office is already reworking cash-flow assumptions and reappropriating savings where possible. Members also raised concerns about change orders and low bids; staff said project managers review change orders closely, require concurrence on non-state projects, and sometimes reduce scope to keep projects within budget. After FPC’s presentation, the committee heard the beginning of Louisiana Economic Development’s capital outlay discussion, where LED explained that its projects generally fall into three categories, including the Economic Development Awards Program and Site Readiness Program, both used to support targeted economic development and job creation.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

Senate Chamber Mar 21st, 2025

New Mexico Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • President, they have to go through permitting process.
  • Have a better quality when it comes to the permitting process and the inspection process.
  • President, so that'll be the application process.
  • Um Of that actual body of of this process.
  • I mean, there's processes and maybe that's the problem here.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

EIG-GVO, GVO DEFER Public Hearings 01-30-2025

Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • preclude this hastened pering process preclude this hastened pering process from<00:21:22.720>
  • We are in process.
  • or to be be executed are you in process or to be in<00:29:55.240> process<00:29:55.640> we
  • <00:29:56.880> had<00:29:57.080> some in process we are in process we had some in process
  • Yes, Senator, just to clarify, it's really a two-step process.
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The joint hearing began with SB 133 on energy, which drew opposition testimony from James Abraham, who said the bill was unnecessary because the Public Utilities Commission had already opened a proceeding to investigate wheeling, including intergovernmental wheeling, and should be allowed to finish its collaborative process. The committees then moved to SB 161 on county permitting and inspection, where several agencies submitted written comments or opposition, while the Grassroots Institute and HCDA-related testimony supported the measure. Members raised concerns about accountability and whether state agencies would report back on projects approved under any permitting exemption, and witnesses suggested annual reporting or amendment language to address that issue. The hearing then turned to SB 232 and SB 588, both related to renewable energy permitting. Testimony on SB 232 was largely supportive, but Rocky Mold of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association said SB 232 was an older version of a bill and that SB 588 was the preferred, updated measure. Members discussed whether the bill should be limited to residential or behind-the-meter customer-sited systems rather than utility-scale projects, and Mold clarified that the proposal was intended for customer-sited systems, not utility-scale facilities. For SB 588, the Department of Land and Natural Resources warned that state or county laws inconsistent with the National Flood Insurance Program could jeopardize flood insurance eligibility and related federal assistance, while Mold argued the bill’s FEMA floodway exemption was needed to avoid blocking solar installations on existing structures. The chair expressed concern about risking federal funding and questioned whether the exemption could be narrowed without defeating the bill’s purpose. SB 412, also on renewable energy, received supportive testimony from the State Energy Office and others. Members questioned whether a single coordinating entity should compile agency assessments, and Mark Glick said the Energy Office could take on that role if given the duty and sufficient staff. The committee then discussed SB 635 on energy efficiency, which would require state agencies to use energy-efficient lighting. Mark Glick testified that much of the work was already underway through benchmarking and related contracts, and a DAGS representative said the state was already assessing 590 buildings over 10,000 square feet, with results expected around 2027. Members suggested amending the bill to require annual status reports so the committees could track progress and avoid duplication. No votes were taken during the hearing.
NE

Nebraska 2025-2026 Regular Session

Legislative Afternoon Session Apr 7th, 2026

Nebraska Unicameral Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Following the process, Funds to fund the initial assessment process.
  • It's a grant funding process within the department, yes.
  • It does not require additional due process hearings.
  • It has been a very difficult process.
  • This is fundamentally an overly bureaucratic process.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Apr 3rd, 2025

Alabama House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • and that they have ownership and process and that they have ownership and process and that they have
  • was you know so th this this process was you know so th this this process was done really by softare
  • because terms of the whole process because terms of the whole process because that's only that's the
  • communication in this budgeting process communication in this budgeting process going forward if if
  • okay so we we'll uh working the process okay so we we'll uh working the process okay so we we'll uh
Bills: HB 9, HB 22, HB 908, HB 1392
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee 3/6/25

Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:43:05.680> um point it's just a veto on the process um point it's just a veto on the process
  • Like, that is how the process works. And so I would hope, Mr.
  • Like, that is how the process works. And so I would hope, Mr.
  • Like, that is how the process works. And so I would hope, Mr.
  • Like, that is how the process works. And so I would hope, Mr.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Human Services Committee May 27th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • How are we working at having the process? Are we working at having the processing time get better?
  • We just want to keep the process moving.
  • And they're mixed with both process and outcome measures.
  • They were still in the process.
  • So when someone is denied, they have a 30-day appeal process.
Summary: The committee first heard an update on North Dakota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and Continuum of Care funding. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported that homelessness remains driven by tight housing markets, low incomes, rising rents, and barriers to rental assistance, public benefits, and disability determinations. She said the state’s one-time North Dakota Homeless Grant is serving all regions but reaches far fewer households than the former Rent Help program, and that aging homelessness, shelter staffing shortages, and limited affordable units are growing concerns. Members discussed the need for more housing supply, better coordination with Health and Human Services, landlord engagement, reentry housing, and possible continued one-time funding for the $10 million Homeless Grant and $25 million Housing Incentive Fund. Henderson also warned that federal Continuum of Care funding is uncertain, with HUD expected to issue a new notice June 1 and possible shifts away from permanent supportive housing toward transitional housing and other models. The committee then took testimony on accessibility of government services for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing. Paul Olson of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind described the school’s services for infants, children, and adults, including screenings, mobility training, assistive technology, and outreach across the state. He said the agency works closely with Vocational Rehabilitation and is also involved in improving website and document accessibility, especially for PDF materials. Public testimony highlighted barriers such as inaccessible CAPTCHA systems, online forms, driver’s license requirements on job applications, and limited transportation in rural areas. A deaf resident urged broader use of video remote interpreting and video relay services, along with training so people know how to use them effectively. Finally, Kay Larson presented the final report on the child care provider licensing study. The report recommended streamlining North Dakota’s child care licensing structure into three provider types plus a preschool designation, while preserving health and safety standards and maintaining eligibility for child care assistance. The committee discussed simplifying training and qualification rules, revising ratio and group-size requirements, and adjusting age bands for infants and toddlers. The report also noted that some changes would require statutory amendments and later administrative rule changes, with a transition period likely extending through 2029. No formal votes were taken in the transcript, but the committee accepted the updates and scheduled follow-up presentations for a later meeting.