Transcript Highlights:

• he's not a faculty member, but anyways, the student member or the board holds legal, financial, and fiduciary
• I'm a little concerned about the fiduciary responsibility there.
• Um, and now that we're getting somebody on there that... ...fiduciary responsibility, and I've seen what
• he's done on the budget, I'm just not really sure that he knows that he could fulfill the fiduciary

Transcript Highlights:

• And we also look at it from a fiduciary duty standpoint where all these fundraisers have a fiduciary
• duty to A fiduciary duty standpoint where all these fundraisers have a fiduciary duty to ensure that

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 143 should pass, an act relating to fiduciary bonds.
• <00:06:45.039><c> act</c><00:06:45.280><c> relating</c><00:06:45.600><c> to</c><00:06:45.840><c> fiduciary
• </c> an act relating to fiduciary bonds. an act relating to fiduciary bonds.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the pledge, recorded 96 members present, excused absences, and approved the journal from January 27, 2026. The Senate clerk announced passage of Senate Bills 17 and 181 and requested concurrence. Committee reports advanced a number of bills on health insurance, judiciary, local government, and transportation topics, including measures on pharmacist reimbursements, hearing aid coverage, feeding and eating disorders, grooming a minor, local government liability, water fluoridation, cigar bars, chickens on residential property, highway pavement markings, motor vehicle titles, and pedestrian issues; all favorable reports were treated as first readings and placed on the calendar. The House then took up and passed House Bill 320 on human trafficking, with the sponsor explaining it would equalize penalties for promoting human trafficking with those for trafficking itself and increase the penalty when the victim is under 18. A member asked whether the bill included additional funding for cyber enforcement; the sponsor replied it was not an appropriation and would not require new funding, though prior budgets had increased support for anti-trafficking efforts. The House adopted a title amendment changing the bill’s title to combating human trafficking. The chamber also passed House Bill 366, which clarifies that materials portraying a sexual performance by a minor include computer-generated images and requires 85% service of the sentence before probation or parole; the sponsor said it was supported by law enforcement and prosecutors. House Bill 389 on reading and writing in schools also passed as amended by House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said it would require annual updates to the state dyslexia toolkit, expand professional development and coaching, require local school boards to develop processes for universal screening and diagnostic tools, and add dyslexia instruction to teacher preparation programs; the substitute added conformity with IDEA and revised the instructional language. Members spoke in support of early dyslexia detection and one member noted the bill updated prior legislation associated with former Rep. Bam Carney. House Bill 56, an omnibus Department of Agriculture bill, then passed; it addressed amusement ride inspections, grain warehousing penalties, egg handler licensing renewal timing, exemptions for small producers, and repealed obsolete tobacco and egg marketing board provisions. All three bills passed by roll call with 95 or 94 votes in favor and none opposed, and clinchers were applied. During announcements, members noted upcoming committee meetings and events, including a suits-and-sneakers day and cancer-related breakfast, caucus meetings, and committee meetings. New bills and resolutions were introduced, including measures on local occupational license fees, early learning and child care, tuition waivers, an adult workforce diploma pilot, motor vehicle usage tax, contract procurement, Fish and Wildlife Resources, adoption, veterans’ benefits, Cabinet for Health and Family Services operations, organ donation safety, hate crimes, prescription drugs, and resolutions on the Kentucky-Japan partnership and veterans’ benefits accreditation. The clerk also reported a petition of impeachment filed against Judge Julie Goodman. The House then referred a group of bills to committees, reported floor amendments for House Bills 321 and 416, and adjourned until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fiduciary duty to a party in a civil action. All right. Are we on subsection two? Oh, here we go.
• And so if we're now saying that that litigation funder has a fiduciary duty to the party in the civil
• I don't think we say the bank is a fiduciary when they're doing a car loan from my car.
• I don't think we say that a student loan lender is a fiduciary who has some obligation to the student
• I don't think we say the bank is a fiduciary when they're doing a car loan from my car.

Transcript Highlights:

• Subdivision 15 is a fiduciary duty.
• Subdivision 15 is a fiduciary duty.
• Subdivision 15 is a fiduciary duty.
• Subdivision 15 is a fiduciary duty.
• Subdivision 15 is a fiduciary duty.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• He also said independent directors of a company's board have a fiduciary responsibility that proxy advisers
• directors of a company's board<00:44:15.640><c> have</c><00:44:15.760><c> a</c><00:44:15.880><c> fiduciary
• </c><00:44:16.559><c> responsibility</c> board have a fiduciary responsibility board have a fiduciary
• We're supposed to be practicing good stewardship here and fiduciary duty, and we need to stay as far
• We're supposed to be practicing good stewardship here and fiduciary duty, and we need to stay as far

Summary: The Senate State and Local Government Committee met and first considered Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Sen. Bledsoe, which would create a risk-based AI governance framework for state government and address AI-generated misinformation in campaigns and elections. The sponsor said the bill came from the AI task force and is intended to promote transparency, accountability, and responsible use of AI while distinguishing between internal and external systems. The committee took a roll call vote and reported the bill out 7-0. The committee then heard Senate Bill 58, sponsored by Sen. Webb, which would allow Kentucky Retirement System benefits to be designated to a Special Needs Trust for a beneficiary. Webb said the bill would help families of special-needs children preserve benefits for supplemental needs such as adaptive equipment, technology, and medical or dental care not covered by government programs. He said retirement systems had provided no-impact letters, and the bill passed 7-0. Members also approved Senate Bill 117, which would let cities adjust incentive payments for training by appointed and elected city officials and remove the statutory minimum from ordinance requirements, and Senate Bill 121, which would authorize county judges to contract with rescue groups to deal with wild horse herds in rural areas. SB 117 passed 10-0 and SB 121 passed 10-0. The committee then took up Senate Bill 71, as amended by a committee substitute, dealing with local library board appointments. Sen. Boswell said the bill was a compromise but that he preferred removing KDLA from the process entirely; library representatives opposed the committee substitute and said they wanted KDLA out of the selection process. Several senators expressed conditional support but said they wanted further changes, and the committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill out after a roll call vote with 10 yeas and 1 pass, with members noting they expected further floor amendments.

Bills: SB1365 , SB2139 , SB1595 , SB1303 , SB2180 , SB2072 , SB1772 , SB1209 , SB137 , SB1944 , SB372 , SB1636 , SB1256 , SB1827 , SB2104 , SB1226 , SB1876 , SB1966 , SB80 , SB1148 , SB1147 , SB1149 , SB1161 , SB1162 , SB1164 , SB1159 , SB1165 , SB1174 , SB1156 , SB1158 , SB1163 , SB1175 , SB1176 , SB1166 , SB1167 , SB1157 , SB1146 , SB1481 , SB1144 , SB1145 , SCR20

Keywords: SB1365, Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act, procurement exemption, competitive bidding, state purchasing, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, tourism department, merchandise for resale, gift shops, lodges, golf pro shops, state parks, restaurant contracting, retail outlets, public procurement, purchasing flexibility, Title 74, emergency clause, restrictive covenants, discriminatory covenants

Bills: SJR39 , SJR47 , SB227 , SB1942 , SB1627 , SB625 , SB1716 , SB1303 , SB2180 , SB504 , SB1209 , SB1448 , SB1597 , SB1679 , SB2182 , SB2112 , SB2170 , SB2084 , SB1496 , SB1595 , SB1655 , SB1876 , SB1621 , SB1944 , SB1266 , SB2072 , SB2104 , SB1769 , SB1827

Keywords: property valuation, tax limit, homestead, income threshold, elderly, constitutional amendment, voter ID, elections, Oklahoma, proof of identity, gross production tax, ad valorem tax, property exemption, Oklahoma Tax Commission, oil and gas production, regulatory impact, economic implications, dental insurance, health care, medical necessity

Bills: S0092 , S0110 , S0192 , S0212 , S0260 , S0350 , S0394 , S0422 , S0434 , S0442 , S0484 , S0546 , S0556 , S0684 , S0696 , S0706 , S0748 , S0786 , S0820 , S0824 , S0838 , S0840 , S0848 , S0856 , S0962 , S1000 , S1014 , S1036 , S1050 , S1054 , S1080 , S1118 , S1134 , S1338 , S1480 , S1500 , S1506 , S1622 , S1724

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: employee protections, whistleblower, retaliation, public trust, ethics complaint, Commission on Ethics, Public Employees Relations Commission, public employee, local government attorney, public officer, adverse personnel action, protected disclosure, whistleblower retaliation, state agency, independent contractor, public employment, civil service, reinstatement, back pay, front pay

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, gentlemen, this is making sure that the regents themselves have a clear fiduciary duty to...
• So if I understand correctly, right now our regents don't have a fiduciary responsibility whatsoever.
• Be reviewing this and have a responsibility, a fiduciary responsibility, to be reporting it to us on
• Board of Regents, those Regents have the fiduciary duty to their institution.
• Speaker, gentlemen, adding clear responsibilities to the Board of Regents—the fiduciary responsibility

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the points that Senator Rosenwald brought up is classification of PBMs as a fiduciary.
• Uh, we're going to be seeing fiduciary.
• </c><01:35:46.800><c> and</c><01:35:47.679><c> you</c><01:35:47.840><c> know</c> our PBM's fiduciaries
• and you know our PBM's fiduciaries and you know although<01:35:48.320><c> it's</c><01:35:48.719><c>
• , we clarified that PBMs are fiduciaries in reference to statute in this agreement.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Referred to the Subcommittee on Family and Fiduciary Relationships.
• reunification therapy in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship for the Subcommittee on Family and Fiduciary

Summary: The House met briefly to read a large number of first-reading bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions and refer them to the appropriate committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including public health, education, criminal justice, taxation, transportation, water and natural resources, elections, housing, veterans issues, local government, and constitutional amendments. Several bills focused on school policy, health care regulation, property tax and sales tax changes, criminal penalties, and local or state agency authority. Among the notable items were proposals on name and sex changes on birth records, college admissions inquiries into criminal history, foster care contractor liability, school nutrition and assessment policy, election procedures, homestead and franchise tax exemptions, public retirement system reporting, and numerous transportation and infrastructure measures. The House also received resolutions designating local honors and observances, including Brownsville as the bicycling capital of the Rio Grande Valley, Port Aransas as the fishing capital of Texas, and Selena Quintanilla Perez Day. Some measures proposed constitutional amendments on legislative procedure, homestead taxation, and election-law enforcement authority. No debate or testimony occurred in this segment; the action was limited to first reading and referral. The session also referred several resolutions to the Local and Consent Calendars. At the end of the proceedings, the House adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• I disagree with you in the sense that it is a fiduciary duty of the state, not just the department and
• There's not a conflict in the sense that this obligation and fiduciary responsibility to the state, the
• duty of the state not it is a fiduciary duty of the state not just<00:32:03.919><c> the</c><00:32:04.159
• </c> sense that this obligation and fiduciary sense that this obligation and fiduciary responsib<00:32
• And the myriad ways of getting funding from the state will help the state to fulfill its fiduciary duties

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 834, which would change restrictions on transfers of real property under chapter 201H, HRS, and was discussed in the context of Hawaiian homelands and HHFDC-funded projects. Supporters, including HHFDC, DHHL, and individual testifiers, said the bill would clarify that Hawaiian homelands should not be subject to the 201H buyback and appreciation restrictions, while preserving affordability requirements tied to federal mortgage and tax credit programs. HHFDC explained that the main concern was the buyback/share-appreciation provisions, especially for DHHL projects using LIHTC or similar financing, and said aligning the statute with DHHL’s program goals would not be a problem. Members questioned whether removing the restrictions could weaken affordability protections, and whether the state could still prioritize beneficiaries and workforce housing, but no vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up SB 759, which would add the DHHL chairperson or designee to the HHFDC board of directors and adjust quorum requirements. DHHL and several supporters argued the measure would give Hawaiian Homes a seat at the table, improve access to HHFDC funding sources such as tax credits, private activity bonds, and revolving funds, and help leverage limited resources to reduce the Hawaiian Homes waitlist. One testifier supported the bill but urged safeguards to prevent favoritism or abuse of power, and another raised concerns about whether a DHHL representative would need to recuse from voting on projects involving DHHL. HHFDC testified that DHHL projects still must compete under the same criteria and set-asides as other applicants, and that the board already includes multiple public and executive representatives. Members pressed on whether DHHL could achieve the same informational goals without a voting seat, and whether the added board role would create leverage or conflicts. The DHHL witness said a nonvoting role could provide information, but a voting seat would be more useful for decision-making and advocacy. The discussion also covered DHHL’s use of LIHTC, rent-to-own models, transitional housing, and other layered financing, as well as the broader need to coordinate state housing resources. The transcript ends during continued questioning, with no final committee action or vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• PETITION SPONSORS ON THE PETITION CIRCULATORS OUT A STATUTORY FIDUCIARY DUTY TO THE VOTERS WITH WHICH
• OVERALL THIS IS BEING PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE OF THE FIDUCIARY DUTY THAT THE SPONSOR OWES TO THE VOTERS

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, yeah, Representative Crane, the third-party aisle says they have a fiduciary duty to the state
• you're here, my understanding is that in Idaho the statute of limitations for claims for breach of fiduciary
• So our limitation on suing these third-party brokers is driven by the statute of limitations for fiduciary
• So I'm just reading that the third-party broker has a fiduciary duty to the office for the analysis being

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• in that capacity as a region head and as caring for client money, as I did for so many years, the fiduciary
• We are basically trust fiduciaries managing those assets on behalf of New Mexicans without... with world-leading
• We are basically trust fiduciaries managing those assets on behalf of New Mexicans without Fiduciaries

Bills: SM20 , SM9 , SJR6 , HB124 , SM20 , SM9 , SJR6 , HB124

Committees: Senate Senate Rules , Senate House Rules & Order Of Business

Keywords: youth violence, violence prevention, violence intervention, community violence intervention, credible messengers, peer support, restorative justice, violence interrupters, juvenile justice, at-risk youth, high-risk youth, public safety, Department of Health, New Mexico, statewide summit, data collection, reporting, interagency coordination, community-based organizations, law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• in that capacity as a region head and as caring for client money, as I did for so many years, the fiduciary
• We are basically trust fiduciaries managing those assets on behalf of New Mexicans without... utilities
• We are basically trust fiduciaries managing those assets on behalf of New Mexicans without Fiduciaries

Bills: SM20 , SM9 , SJR6 , HB124

Committee: Senate House Rules & Order Of Business

Summary: The committee first considered the appointment of Mary Patricia Roman to the State Investment Council. Senator Campos presented her as highly qualified, citing more than 34 years in global investing, leadership at J.P. Morgan, and prior service on the SIC investment committee. Roman described her experience with asset allocation, fiduciary responsibility, and the SIC’s vetting process. Senators asked about the council’s role in pension investments, staffing levels, and whether personal values could influence decisions. Roman said the SIC process is robust, heavily staff-driven, and insulated from individual value judgments. The committee reported broad support and voted 8-0 to advance her nomination to the full Senate. The committee then heard the reappointment of John F. Bingaman to the SIC. Senator Worth praised his leadership as SIC chair and his background in private equity, public service, and economics. Bingaman emphasized the growth of New Mexico’s sovereign wealth funds to more than $70 billion, the importance of staffing and asset allocation, and the SIC’s role as a fiduciary for New Mexicans. Senators asked about protecting the funds in a weaker market and about the Blackstone/PNM matter; Bingaman declined to comment on the memorial because he had not read it. The committee voted 9-0 to send his reappointment to the full Senate. The committee next took up Senate Memorial 20, calling for a statewide youth violence summit. Senator Lopez and an expert from the Council of State Governments said New Mexico lacks a cohesive statewide infrastructure for youth violence prevention and intervention, limited data collection, and enough evidence-based services. Supporters from the ACLU, behavioral health organizations, youth-serving nonprofits, and youth advocates backed the memorial as a way to center lived experience, community engagement, and research-based solutions. Some members raised concerns that victims’ families were not explicitly included in the planning group, but the memorial passed on a 6-3 vote. Finally, the committee debated Senate Memorial 9, which asked the Legislative Finance Committee to study whether New Mexico should invest in equity stakes in PNM and New Mexico Gas Company and requested that the PRC pause consideration of the private-equity acquisitions while the study was completed. Supporters argued the state should examine whether utility ownership value could remain in New Mexico, protect ratepayers, and diversify revenue, while opponents from PNM, Blackstone’s representatives, chambers of commerce, and utility advocates said the proposal would duplicate the PRC’s review, create uncertainty, and risk higher rates and delayed investment. The committee adopted an amendment removing references to the PRC, but the memorial then failed on a 4-4 tie after a motion for due pass as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• for our employees, then we are missing the boat as a state government because that's the minimal fiduciary
• government because that's the as a state government because that's the minimal<00:13:56.160><c> fiduciary
• </c><00:13:56.800><c> responsibility</c> minimal fiduciary responsibility minimal fiduciary responsibility

Summary: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee Chair Kristen Robbins opened by criticizing the governor’s fraud package as too focused on new spending and staffing, and not enough on culture change, accountability, eligibility rules, and an enterprise-wide IT/data strategy. She said the committee had heard a good overview from multiple commissioners, but she remained concerned that piecemeal technology investments and added staff would not address the root causes of fraud. Robbins also said she would introduce a bill based on issues raised in committee, including requiring grants management staff to complete Office of Grants Management training and certification. A major action announced was the launch of a new whistleblower portal at mnfraud.com, which legislators said will let people submit basic fraud allegations, after which staff will follow up and forward matters to the Office of the Legislative Auditor, BCA, law enforcement, or the attorney general as appropriate. Members noted that the Office of the Legislative Auditor already has a separate reporting portal, and there was a question about why the new site does not allow anonymous reporting; Robbins said contact information is needed so staff can follow up. She also said the portal is intended to centralize and triage reports from agency workers, service recipients, and providers. Republican members said the governor’s proposal still misses key pieces. Vice Chair Anderson argued the package mostly adds staff to agencies that failed to catch or act on fraud, and said Minnesota needs a statewide independent inspector general with authority outside agencies and a stronger whistleblower system. Representative Marion Rarick said the proposed criminal penalty increases are too small compared with federal penalties and criticized the package for adding only one forensic auditor at the BCA while DHS receives many more positions. She also argued that agency managers should face sanctions when fraud occurs under their watch and said the state needs a culture where employees can be rewarded for good work but also held accountable for failures. Members discussed several other ideas, including creating new crimes for kickbacks and theft of public funds, requiring fraud fiscal notes, improving data sharing and eligibility verification, and using better IT so systems can talk to each other. There was also discussion of whether government services should rely less on nonprofits and private contractors; one member said fraud often follows a particular business model rather than the sector itself, while another suggested capping salaries of top nonprofit executives receiving government funds. The committee also noted that the governor’s fraud package is being presented as a package but will likely move as separate provisions through different omnibus bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• consistent with... ...the 1889 Enabling Act, and DNR manages these state trust lands consistent with fiduciary
• up to the 2000s and... 1889 Enabling Act, and DNR manages these state trust lands consistent with fiduciary

Bills: SB5930 , SB6075 , SB6216 , SB6233

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: irrigation districts, director contracts, beneficial interests, transparency, governance, mitigation, habitat conservation, property rights, landowner compensation, fairness in mitigation, critical habitat, species preservation, riparian protection, salmon recovery, watershed planning, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Ecology, habitat conservation account, conservation easement, noxious weed control

Transcript Highlights:

• lands consistent with The 1889 Enabling Act, and DNR manages these state trust lands consistent with fiduciary
• up to the 2000s and, 1889 Enabling Act, and DNR manages these state trust lands consistent with fiduciary

Summary: The Washington State Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on several bills. Senate Bill 5930 would create a new conflict-of-interest exception allowing spouses of irrigation district directors to be employed by the district if they were already employed before the director’s election, with disclosure and recusal requirements. The sponsor and a representative of the Washington State Water Resources Association said the bill would help rural irrigation districts recruit and retain workers while keeping safeguards in place. Written testimony was reported as 58 pro and 1 con, and the public hearing was closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6075, which would expand use of the Habitat Conservation Account to help landowners when mitigation requirements from Ecology or Fish and Wildlife are unusually costly or reduce the financial benefit of property by more than half. The sponsor said the bill is intended to provide relief to landowners facing expensive mitigation obligations. No one testified in person, though 296 people signed in pro and 2 con, and the hearing was closed. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 6216, a DNR efficiency bill that would modernize timber and land sale notice requirements by moving publication to the agency website, eliminating pamphlet and certain physical posting requirements, and allowing more flexible methods for smaller sales. DNR and forest industry representatives supported the bill as a cost-saving and efficiency measure, and testimony noted that state trust land sales generate significant revenue for public services. Written testimony was reported as 60 pro and 1 con, and the hearing was closed. Finally, after waiving the five-day notice rule, the committee heard Senate Bill 6233, which would increase criminal wildlife penalty assessments for trafficking in covered animal species and direct half of the penalty revenue to the University of Washington’s Center for Environmental Forensic Science. Committee members asked about the scope of “trade,” the treatment of legally harvested animals, and the center’s role. The center’s director testified that the funding would support wildlife forensic research used to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. Written testimony was reported as 6 pro and 62 con, and the committee concluded its business for the day.