Transcript Highlights:

• Much of that occurs in our rural communities, where hemp has long been seen as a promising replacement
• crop for tobacco promising replacement crop for tobacco and<00:52:19.680> a<00:52:19.839>
• workers who provided cooperative utility workers who provided vital<01:48:01.840> support<01:
• Whereas world electric<01:50:56.960> cooperative<01:50:57.600> utility<01:50:58.080>
• workers electric cooperative utility workers electric cooperative utility workers skill,<01:50:59.360

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and replacing stolen carts is already a real cost of doing business for retailers.
• Um<00:37:46.400> and<00:37:46.720> replacing<00:37:47.200> stolen<00:37:47.599><
• Um and replacing stolen carts is already a<00:37:48.800> real<00:37:48.960> cost<00:37
• <01:09:08.640> Uh interference with utility services.
• Uh interference with utility services.

Bills: HB1629, HB1630, HB1631

Keywords: economic development, business, state statutes, Hawaii Revised Statutes, legislation, development strategy, state funding, infrastructure, employment opportunities, legislative intent, state legislation, development initiatives, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with HB 1829 on marine affairs. Most testimony was in strong support, with speakers from state agencies, ocean-tech companies, startups, nonprofits, and community groups backing the creation of an Office of Marine Affairs and a marine affairs coordinator under HTDC. Supporters said the measure would better coordinate ocean policy, strengthen the blue economy, and help Hawaii capture jobs, investment, and innovation in marine-related industries. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HTDC-related measures, including HB 1615 and HB 1613, which also drew broad support from business, technology, and economic development interests. Testifiers said the bills would strengthen Hawaii’s technology and innovation ecosystem, support advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, and help build a more diversified economy with higher-wage jobs. The committee also heard HB 1607 on public procurement and HB 1772 on small business procurement; state procurement staff and several business groups supported efforts to expand opportunities for local firms, while one speaker from the city’s economic revitalization commission argued that a flat 5% preference could help keep more revenue and jobs in-state. On HB 1636 relating to shopping carts, the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Retail Merchants of Hawaii testified in opposition, saying the bill would penalize businesses for carts that are stolen rather than abandoned and would add costs that could especially burden small and local retailers. HB 1810 on charitable solicitation drew support from Goodwill Hawaii and other nonprofits, who said the bill would improve transparency around donation bins and protect donors from misleading for-profit collection practices; the Attorney General’s office asked for a delayed effective date to allow system changes and staffing. HB 1782 on AI and the protection of minors received broad support from state agencies, educators, and advocacy groups, but some business and retail representatives urged narrowing the definition of covered AI services so ordinary customer-service chatbots would not be swept in. Finally, HB 1759 on theft drew opposition from the Public Defender’s Office, which said the bill could create overly harsh penalties and should include defense representation on any task force; the office also noted existing laws already address conspiracy and related conduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is not a single school district in Kentucky, unfortunately, that currently utilizes this law.
• c> law<00:06:42.840> this<00:06:42.960> law<00:06:43.199> not currently utilizes
• this law this law not currently utilizes this law this law not only<00:06:43.840> extends<00:
• ><00:07:10.840> being currently unfortunately not being currently unfortunately not being utilized
• with an image of a terrorist replaced with an image of a terrorist who<00:36:31.560> murdered

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 19, which would require a daily moment of silence or reflection in Kentucky public schools and clarify that students may use the time as they choose without coercion or religious direction. The sponsor and supporters, including representatives of the Kentucky Jewish Council, argued the bill is nonsectarian, intended to promote calm and focus, and supported by research and prior bipartisan backing. Opponents from the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass said they supported the anti-coercion language but objected to making the moment of silence mandatory rather than permissive, citing concerns about the statute’s interaction with the Lord’s Prayer language already in law. After discussion, the committee voted to pass SB 19 unanimously with favorable expression. The committee then considered SB 83, which revises the KEES scholarship program so homeschool and non-certified school students can receive awards using an ACT-to-GPA conversion and be treated more comparably to public school students. The sponsor described the bill as a recurring measure and walked through how the award amounts would be calculated under the substitute. There was no opposition raised during the hearing, and the committee adopted the substitute and passed SB 83 unanimously with favorable expression. Finally, the committee heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, directing Kentucky public postsecondary institutions to combat anti-Semitism. The resolution would require campuses to adopt policies using the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, notify students of Title VI and state-law complaint rights, recognize Jewish organizations as community resources on the same basis as other religious organizations, take action against student groups supporting designated terrorist organizations, and collect and report campus anti-Semitism data. The presenters and supporters described a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents on campuses after October 7 and said schools have not responded adequately. The committee adopted the substitute and began hearing testimony on the resolution, but the transcript cuts off before any final vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 86 plow trucks needing replacing, which means they will be over 8 years old.
• We have 43%, or 37 pickups, needing replacing. This budget has 20.
• um 43% or 37 pickups need replacing. um 43% or 37 pickups need replacing.
• <01:38:06.880> Uh,<01:38:07.440> with public utilities commission.
• Uh, with public utilities commission.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• utilize um metal detectors buildings utilize um metal detectors which<02:07:32.679> buildings
• I think that you should utilize all of their wonderful services.
• But when you are utilizing the government to lobby for itself, it's illegal.
• And this amendment, does this amendment replace the entire bill? It replaces the entire bill.
• Is this going to mean additional reporting or replace existing reporting?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first dealt with scheduling and housekeeping, including a plan to take a hard break at 2:00 p.m. for an early bill, hold a brief executive session, and then continue with the remaining afternoon bills. The chair also noted the next likely meeting date would be March 12, when the committee expected to take up the remaining bills before crossover deadlines. The main substantive item was House Bill 142, which would recognize the Honor and Remember flag for Gold Star families and related remembrance purposes. Prime sponsor Rep. Michael Moffett described the bill as a bipartisan measure revised to address earlier concerns, arguing that the flag honors fallen service members, can be personalized with names, and complements rather than detracts from the American flag. He said many other states have already adopted it and suggested the committee could amend details such as the number of days and locations for display. He also raised practical issues about flag dimensions and whether the bill should use "shall" or "may" for display requirements. Testimony was divided. Janine Nutter opposed the bill, saying she supports Gold Star families but objected because the flag resembles the Viet Cong flag and because she believes the American flag should remain the sole symbol representing servicemembers. Kevin Grady, representing the State Veterans Advisory Committee under RSA 115:8, also opposed the bill, saying the committee believes the American flag is the only symbol needed, while still praising the work of Honor and Remember in creating personalized flags for families. Committee members asked questions about where the flag would be flown, whether the State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen is already displaying it, and how the bill’s language would interact with cemetery policies and committee discretion. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Contributes to utilization. All of those efforts may make minor improvements.
• We're also going to utilize our university.
• We collaborated with water utilities, farmers, and ranchers.
• This wouldn't be designed to replace that but perhaps to supplement it.
• I'm the Deputy Director of Regulatory Compliance for Las Cruces Utilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I know we cannot replace the lives that are lost.
• We will have funding for helicopter replacements.
• Same for the County and the Public Utility Commission.
• Was that their municipal utility alone, or was that with multiple utilities?
• We utilize a workforce of about 230 operators and staff.

Keywords: flooding, emergency response, communication systems, first responders, disaster management, Texas Water Development Board, regional planning, public safety

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.

Transcript Highlights:

• We cannot replace the lives that are lost.
• Director of the Public Utility Commission.
• Was that their municipal utility alone, or was that multiple utilities?
• Here's an example of an alarm system that they utilize.
• Systems and utilizing multiband radios are essential.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Furthermore, the bill explicitly prevents regulatory stagnation by utilizing structured working groups
• SB 300 replaces a reasonableness-based standard with an absolute duty to prevent and pairs it with an
• or study aids, but a growing number of consumers are utilizing these tools for companionship.
• It utilizes approximately cause language, which also is problematic.
• What we're saying is it severely restricts the utility of the technology.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• by multiple state agencies and utilized by multiple state agencies and even<00:09:45.760> even
• and everyone who want to utilize it. and everyone who want to utilize it. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• The only state agency that I'm aware of that's not utilizing our GIS program is the Personnel Cabinet
• We don't know for sure how we're going to utilize it.
• All applications utilize the SQL database.

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

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

Transcript Highlights:

• exemption for building materials required to construct a water treatment plant and the associated utility
• Section 5 addresses the deposit of revenues of sales of motor vehicle replacement parts.
• The impact of this program is immense as costs for basic needs like utilities, rent, and groceries rise
• Thank you again for this opportunity. housing, utilities, food, health care, housing, utilities, food
• can keep up with their utility bills. can keep up with their utility bills.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It replaces these these experienced electric contractors with with staff.
• civil engineering, laying out functionality of civil engineering, laying out roadways, designing utilities
• Next is Lucas Parsons representing National Utility Contractors Association of Florida.
• Only welcome LUCAS. >> Morning, Madam Chair Committee members, Lucas Parsons on behalf of National Utility
• the couple things and this is, I think, really important subject matter, experts keep coming up, replacing

Transcript Highlights:

• This emphasizes our need to support agriculture, to focus on import replacement.
• We’d like to amend the bill to utilize the testimony, but you also mentioned that admin rules is not
• I just want to highlight that the $5 million is already in existence and was utilized, so this would
• So subsection F: delete 'approved' and replace with 'licensed.'
• <02:22:16.960> with delete approved and replace with delete approved and replace with licensed

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• house bill number 234 by representative re speaker this amendment re speaker this amendment would replace
• lines would replace lines would replace lines 33 through 34 on page two which says provides accurate
• line level also the amendment replaces line level also the amendment replaces line 44 on page two it
• their phones wrong to be able to utilize their phones wrong to be able to utilize their phones so uh
• for educational it's being utilized for educational it's being utilized for educational purposes or

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 473, Senator Hedlund, Public Utilities for Hire Drivers and Transportation Network Operators
• public Senate Bill 473, Senator Hedlund, public Senate Bill 473, Senator Hedlund, public utilities
• for hire drivers and utilities for hire drivers and transportation<00:39:12.960> network<00:39
• Excuse me, the amendment having been withdrawn, appears the Senator has a replacement amendment.
• a replacement amendment. All right. a replacement amendment. All right.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation from Pastor Delman Coates, and received several guest introductions, including the doctor of the day, student visitors, homeschool advocates, community leaders, and the Braver Angels group. The chamber also journalized remarks welcoming Dr. Coates and recognized a prayer breakfast, with members offering brief thanks and acknowledgments before moving to legislative business. The Senate handled several messages and nominations, including withdrawal of an appointment, Johns Hopkins Police Accountability Board nominations, and Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners nominations, all referred to Executive Nominations. The chamber also received House Bill 156 and an Executive Nominations Committee report recommending confirmation of a slate of appointments, which was special ordered for later consideration. A motion to return Senate Bill 463 to second reader and special order it for Tuesday was adopted without objection, and Senate Bill 473 was also special ordered for Tuesday. On third reading, the Senate passed a large number of bills, including measures on ignition interlock participation, school construction, port hearing notice, veteran status notation for educators, correctional officer scholarships, benefits exploitation, veterans trust fund applications, presidential electors, advance enrollment for children of active service members, retired law enforcement handgun permits, high-risk pregnancy discharge communication, charitable organization audit thresholds, child care criminal history checks, water pollution discharge permits, blockchain task force creation, franchise registration reform, licensing portability for foreign service members and spouses, Medicaid collaborative care cost-sharing, gift card fraud, school for the deaf board membership, vehicle dealer hearings, massage therapy advertising, protective body armor reporting, lithium-ion battery safety, pharmacy prescriber agreements for opioid use disorder treatment, human relevant research fund contributions, state and higher education email requirements, and auto insurance producer commissions. Most passed unanimously or by wide margins; Senate Bill 348 and Senate Bill 585 passed with 30 and 32 votes in favor, respectively. Senate Bill 140, concerning benefits exploitation, drew extended debate over constitutionality and pending litigation, with one senator citing an Attorney General opinion and another citing a Supreme Court case on neutral principles in church property disputes; the bill ultimately passed with 40 votes. Members later changed several votes on the floor, including on Senate Bills 172, 376, 428, and 48. The session ended while the clerk was beginning to read Senate Bill 629, with the remaining calendar not completed in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• On AAMVA's website, they state, quote, there is a real possibility that biometric data may one day replace
• <00:13:14.760> or<00:13:14.920> supplement May one day replace or supplement May one
• day replace or supplement existing<00:13:16.160> identification<00:13:17.160> end<00:13
• raised a concern that the earlier fiscal note seemed off because it appeared to be talking about utilization
• <00:19:03.080> uh other folks are able to utilize uh other folks are able to utilize uh digital

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Item one is some historical information on utility costs.
• Item one is some historical information on utility costs.
• We're replacing that now.
• For me, I just want to question: when will the roof replacement be finished?
• customers. of Winter Storm Uri on gas utility customers.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee began with Article I budget items for the Secretary of State. LBB staff outlined recommendations that would reduce the agency’s appropriation by about $40.3 million, including changes to HAVA funding, removal of one-time business system replacement money, and a rider directing the agency to use Fund 5095 first. Secretary Jane Nelson and staff then defended several exceptional items, especially additional staffing for elections and business filings, a new website, digitization of records, cybersecurity tools, and renovation of the James Earl Rudder Building. Members focused heavily on election administration, cross-checking voter rolls, Harris County complaints, call-center response times, and whether online voter registration should be expanded. No votes were taken; the discussion was informational and budget-focused. The committee then heard the Office of the Governor and trustee programs. LBB presented a recommended $2.4 million decrease for the governor’s office proper and a much larger decrease in trustee programs driven by one-time funding and unexpended balances, while still preserving major border security funding and victim assistance funding. Governor’s staff emphasized Texas’ economic growth, the importance of border security, and efforts to seek federal reimbursement for the roughly $11 billion Texas has spent on border operations. Members discussed whether shifting National Guard deployment to federal control could reduce state costs, and they also reviewed the music incubator program, the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and the semiconductor innovation consortium. Staff highlighted a $5 million late-added request for grants to protect nonprofits from violence and terrorism. Again, the exchange was largely explanatory, with no formal action. Finally, the committee took up the Texas Facilities Commission and lease payments for revenue bonds. LBB recommended major reductions overall, including removal of border wall construction funding and capital complex bond funding, but added money for higher utility costs, renovation of the Rudder Building, and additional facilities staff. George Purcell also noted stable maintenance-and-renewal funding and new riders related to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission building, tenant communications, and space utilization. For lease payments, LBB recommended a smaller appropriation tied to revenue-bond costs allocated across agencies. The discussion was informational, with members asking about the Rudder Building renovation, border wall progress, and capital complex construction timelines; no votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Utilizing GROW funds, institutions strengthened existing workforce programs and initiated multiple new
• , and equipment renewal and replacement.
• And that is really must be on the pathway to replace it. And we are Greg.
• Woods when you are replacing when you are placing your graduate Edwards.
• And we partnered with Sandia National Laboratory and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And fund source replacement requests replace the loss of federal or restricted funds.
• And fund source replacement requests replace the loss of federal or restricted funds.
• Or, as you replace things, you want to keep it updated.
• You shouldn't have to replace it.
• You shouldn't have to replace it.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Budget Process 00:02:28 Allotment Process 00:10:30 School Facilities Construction Commission 00:29:10 Role of KDE in School Facilities Funding 00:47:00 Kentucky School Boards Association 01:13:25 Elementary and Secondary School Construction 01:20:40 Perkins V Funding 01:35:32, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Agencies then in turn have to kind of anticipate their future utilization.
• That has your hardware replacement costs so that when that machine ages out, the next machine just gets
• That has your hardware replacement costs so that when that machine ages out, the next machine just gets
• And so what that forces DOCR to do is obviously utilize all of their facilities and then contract with
• And so what that forces DOCR to do is obviously utilize all of their facilities and then contract with

Keywords: 908, all