Transcript Highlights:

• this is the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, which was signed
• his Gold Legacy Life membership in VFW Post 2667, Noonan, Georgia.
• Acknowledged. by the contract that we signed.
• And even though I deployed twice, I only earned 60% of my post-911 GI Bill benefits.
• I'm a proud member of VFW Post 9785. Eagle River, Alaska.

Keywords: veteran services, Secretary Collins, healthcare provisions, contract cancellations, transparency, accountability, committee meeting, legislation

Summary: During this committee meeting, various bills were discussed with a specific focus on veteran services and healthcare provisions. Notably, the cancellation of critical contracts under Secretary Collins sparked significant debate, with representatives emphasizing the adverse impact on veteran care. The meeting featured testimonies from veterans and stakeholders who expressed their concerns regarding the potential fallout of these cancellations, demonstrating the urgency of transparency and accountability in management decisions. Discussions also delved into various legislative proposals aimed at improving services for veterans amidst these challenges.

Transcript Highlights:

• THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. IS THERE ANY DEBATE ON THE AMENDMENT?
• THAT WAS EVERYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. JAY RALSTON IS WAIVING IN SUPPORT.
• A LADIES CHILD WAS TAKEN, AND POSTED ON THE INTERNET.
• YOU WILL SEE THE SIGNS WITHIN 10 FEET THAT POPPED UP A FRONT TO 2018.
• BUT IF YOU COME DOWN TO SOUTH FLORIDA WE DON'T HAVE SIGNS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• required that storage facility owners conducting lien sales for abandoned or unpaid storage units must post
• that we launched a couple of years ago that all of the, the newspapers in Texas participate in and post
• Uh, we post on a regular basis on all the social media platforms.
• Every 39 seconds, a post about body image or mental health issues was shown.
• They can also post those videos. They, you know, they can do all of that.

Bills: HB 186

Keywords: public funds, lobbying activities, political subdivisions, government expenditure, transparency, local government, political subdivision, county, city, municipality, special district, taxpayer-funded lobbying, lobbying restriction, registered lobbyist, government association, county association dues, Texas Legislature, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, Chapter 556

Transcript Highlights:

• The public may participate virtually by registering via the meeting link that is posted on the General
• That is posted on the General Assembly's website.
• Members of the public are also welcome to attend the meeting in person and should sign the sign-in document
• Veterinarians are often the first and sometimes only professionals in a position to recognize signs of
• This legislation ensures that when those warning signs are identified, they are reported.

Summary: The Senate Legislative Oversight Committee met in hybrid format and took up HB 415/HS1, which would require veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities. The chair described the bill as addressing a gap in Delaware law and noted that veterinarians are often the first professionals able to identify signs of cruelty. Supporters emphasized the connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, and said the measure would help detect and address abuse earlier. Public testimony was uniformly supportive. A representative from the Delaware Veterinary Medical Association thanked the sponsor and said the bill had been amended with input from the association. A representative of the state council said the council did not take a formal position but was significantly interested because of the bill’s link to agriculture and animal welfare. Online witnesses from Animals for Animals Action Fund and Faithful Friends Animal Society also supported the bill, citing the need for mandatory reporting, existing immunity protections for good-faith reports, and studies showing veterinarians frequently encounter abuse. No committee vote was taken during the meeting. After public comment concluded, the chair adjourned the meeting, noting that HB 415 was the only item on the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had to sign for that audit. I had to sign for that audit.
• Cash receipts were not always properly posted.
• You would post—that is inaccurate reporting. You would post the expenditure for the penalty.
• So the interest you can post it at the end of each CD when it matures or when they post it.
• If they post it quarterly, that's fine, but when they do post it to the CD, it needs to be receipted.

Summary: The committee began with prayer and approval of the January 8 minutes, then received updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. Staff reported that for the 2022 reports, 19 of 43 entities had had their turnback reinstated, while 24 remained in escrow; for the 2023 reports, 59 of 64 entities had filed, leaving five outstanding. The committee also filed a report on Adona, where staff said the city had made enough progress toward substantial compliance with municipal accounting laws to discontinue withholding turnback, and the committee adopted that recommendation. The bulk of the meeting focused on municipal accounting noncompliance cases. Gum Springs and Denning were presented with extensive repeat findings involving budgets not adopted by ordinance or resolution, missing or incomplete bank reconciliations, inadequate receipts and disbursement records, payroll issues, and improper handling of Act 833 funds or other city money. Both cities’ mayors and recorders-treasurers testified about efforts to correct records, obtain training, and work with the Municipal League; the committee voted to start the 60-day turnback-withholding clock for both and then filed the reports. Fargo was deferred because no city representative was present. Additional reports included Green Forest, Elaine, Strong, Brooklyn, Mineral Springs, Rondo, Waldo, Columbia County, and several private water and sewer entities. Strong drew significant concern over missing garbage-bag revenue, improper fund transfers, and deficit balances; the committee deferred that report to the March meeting. The committee also heard investigative or referred reports on the Faulkner County Fair Association, Brooklyn payroll direct-deposit fraud, and other entities with questionable disbursements or recordkeeping. In several cases, staff recommended filing the reports after responses were received; in others, the committee deferred action when responses were lacking or representatives were absent. The meeting ended with a motion to defer a Cross County Rural Water matter so the entity could appear at the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• But that being said, do they sign up a real contract and disclose, 'Hey, I am charging you a fee, and
• They often prey on the elderly and uses a sign of benefits to put themselves between the consumer and
• By eliminating the ability to assign post-loss benefits, the but... 1st, 27.
• You know, I may not always come to a complete stop at a stop sign.
• You know, I think a good example would be if somebody signs up for the telematics, drives really good

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Insurance held public hearings on House Bill 3328 and House Bill 2324. HB 3328, sponsored by Rep. David Casteel, is a broad homeowners insurance package that would redirect insurance dedicated fund money into a Missouri Stronger Homes Fund, create a disaster mediation program, add consumer notices, update fraud provisions, and regulate public adjusters. The sponsor and Department of Commerce and Insurance said the bill is intended to improve disaster resilience, speed claim resolution, and reduce fraud, while committee members asked about the dedicated fund, mediation benchmarks, and the role of public adjusters and third-party inspectors. Several witnesses supported the bill’s mitigation and fraud provisions, but public adjusters opposed the proposed fee cap language, saying it was based on outlier cases and could reduce consumer recovery; the sponsor and department said that cap language would likely be removed in a committee substitute. Other supporters, including the Missouri Insurance Coalition, NAMIC, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, backed the roof-hardening grants, mediation concept, fraud language, and a ban on assignment of post-loss benefits, though some asked for carve-outs or technical changes for mutual insurers and roofing standards. HB 2324, sponsored by Rep. Wild Bill Lucas, would restrict the collection, sharing, and use of vehicle driving data, which the sponsor said was meant to stop companies like OnStar from selling data to insurers without consent. Committee discussion focused on whether the bill would actually reach vehicle manufacturers or instead would mainly affect insurers’ voluntary telematics discount programs. Insurance industry witnesses testified in opposition, saying the bill as drafted would not address the OnStar issue, could interfere with opt-in safe-driver discount programs, and could create mismatches between premiums and risk if insurers could not adjust rates based on telematics. They also noted existing federal and state regulation of consumer data and said any future version should be narrowed if the sponsor’s goal is to target manufacturers rather than insurers. No votes were taken on either bill, and both hearings were closed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Apologies in advance for anyone who was not able to testify who signed up.
• And on the bill related to law enforcement, 5974, a lot of people have signed up.
• force that's 4.8 times greater than a vehicle traveling the posted speed.
• So one person signed up with concerns about this bill, Maya Morales.
• As for your information, 73 people have signed in to testify. 14,000 people have signed in one direction

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on February 23, 2026, with a compressed schedule and limited testimony time. Members first heard Second Substitute Senate Bill 5974, which would set eligibility standards for sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals, require background checks for sheriff candidates through the Washington State Patrol, regulate volunteers and youth cadets, and create a vacancy in office if an elected law enforcement official is finally decertified or fails statutory eligibility requirements. Supporters, including Senator Lovick and several advocacy groups, said the bill promotes accountability and professionalism. Opponents, including the sheriffs of Walla Walla and Spokane counties, argued it imposes unfunded mandates, conflicts with voter sovereignty and recall procedures, and could create problems for rural counties and volunteer use. The committee later took executive action and reported the bill out with a do pass as amended recommendation, 6-2 with one excused. In executive session, the committee also acted on Engrossed Senate Bill 5068, which expands law enforcement hiring eligibility to people legally authorized to work in the United States. A striking amendment clarified that agencies are not liable for employment discrimination claims if hiring is impracticable, allowed applicants who cannot yet possess weapons to apply if they can possess them when hired, and made technical changes. Representative Burnett raised concerns about background investigations, foreign-country vetting, oath of office, and firearm issues, but the committee adopted the striker and then reported the bill out as amended on a 6-2 vote with one excused. The committee also considered Substitute Senate Bill 5855, which prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings while interacting with the public except in specified circumstances and creates a civil cause of action. Amendments added an intent section, expanded exceptions for health and safety equipment under OSHA/WISHA, and proposed stronger prosecutorial language, though two amendments were rejected. The bill was then reported out as amended on a 6-2 vote with one excused. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. Engrossed Senate Bill 5890 would expand reckless driving to include driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, and 20 miles per hour over in active construction zones when workers are present; law enforcement, prosecutors, traffic safety officials, and construction industry representatives testified in support. Substitute Senate Bill 5936, a Uniform Law Commission proposal on human trafficking, would allow prosecution of businesses that knowingly engage in or profit from trafficking, strengthen victim confidentiality, and improve U and T visa certification procedures; testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with one witness urging caution about unintended consequences for businesses that report trafficking. Finally, Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6070 would expand missing-person response tools by allowing certain surveillance devices to be used for community caretaking to locate missing endangered persons, create Ebony and Purple Alerts, transfer the missing persons website to the State Patrol, and add a public records exemption. Testimony strongly supported the alert provisions, especially for people with disabilities, while one privacy advocate objected to the surveillance provisions as an overreach.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many attackers display warning signs before an incident.
• Many attackers display warning signs before an incident.
• POST is a regulatory agency established in 1959.
• It's in regards to the new POST training.
• And POST takes that very seriously.

Summary: The committee held a hearing on active and mass shootings in California, focusing on prevention, response, training, communications, and gaps in preparedness across law enforcement, schools, campuses, fire, EMS, and state agencies. Opening remarks emphasized the frequency and impact of gun violence, the need for faster coordinated response, and the importance of learning from recent tragedies such as the Stockton-area mass shooting described by Sheriff Patrick Withrow. The first panel included representatives from police, sheriff, and campus public safety agencies, who discussed incident command, interoperable communications, next-generation 911, threat assessment, emergency notification systems, and the value of joint drills and cross-agency planning. Witnesses also highlighted differences in training and authority across jurisdictions, especially for private university public safety departments versus public campus police. Campus representatives said they rely heavily on municipal law enforcement for armed response, while also using run-hide-fight protocols, text alerts, surveillance, and threat assessment teams. Members raised concerns about standardized training, after-action reviews, mental health resources, school resource officers, and whether campus safety plans and drills are sufficiently consistent or workable. Sheriff Withrow argued that early intervention and accountability are being weakened by well-intentioned laws, while other witnesses stressed prevention through relationships, diversion, and coordinated support services. The second panel from Cal OES, the Department of Education, POST, and EMSA described statewide systems and standards. Cal OES outlined its Reduce the Risk initiative, gun violence restraining orders, mutual aid, unified command, after-action reporting, and nonprofit security grants. The Department of Education explained California’s statutory school safety framework, annual safety plans, regulated armed assailant drills, and local flexibility, while acknowledging compliance gaps and the need for more mental health support. POST described the new requirement for 16 hours of standardized active shooter training for recruits and ongoing local training options. EMSA explained its role in medical response and terrorism training standards. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got about 75 folks that have signed up to testify today.
• So to that end, there will be no signs or displays allowed when you come up to testify.
• The 1039 applies to POST, as the other bill applied to OPA, or to the OPA?
• My understanding is they all applied to POST. Excuse me?
• My understanding is that they all applied to the POST Commission.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on a wide range of criminal justice, victim services, and records-sealing bills. Early testimony focused on H.1811, the Clean Slate automated record-sealing bill, with supporters arguing that automatic sealing after existing waiting periods would remove barriers to jobs, housing, and education without changing eligibility rules. Advocates from legal aid, business, and housing organizations said the current petition-based system is underused, burdensome, and costly, while opponents of expanding surveillance-related laws urged the committee to preserve privacy protections. The committee also heard testimony on H.1693, which would immediately seal records in cases ending without conviction and clarify the presumption of innocence, with speakers describing how dismissed cases still create lasting collateral consequences and prevent people from moving forward. No votes were taken during the hearing. Several bills centered on victim safety and domestic violence. Senator Michael Moore testified for S.1201, which would keep child-protective orders in effect even if the parent or guardian who filed them dies, and for S.1204, which would update the wiretap statute. Multiple survivors and advocates supported S.1215 and S.1222, arguing for a narrow wiretap defense for recordings made to document threats or abuse and for making GPS tampering a separate felony offense. Testifiers described situations in which GPS devices were cut off or disabled and said current law leaves victims at risk and gives abusers too much leeway. The committee also heard emotional testimony on H.1685/S.1238, a bill prompted by the suicide of Stavri Yanka in custody, with the sponsor, his mother, and the sheriff describing the need for better information-sharing so suicide-risk information follows a person into custody. Law enforcement and prosecutors supported several due-process and dangerousness-related bills. MassCOP, the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, and the State Police Association backed H.1828/S.1039/S.1235, which would require de novo Superior Court review for POST Commission suspensions over two weeks or decertifications, arguing officers need a meaningful appeal beyond administrative review. The committee also heard support for H.1691, expanding the dangerousness statute to additional offenses; Bristol County District Attorney Quinn said the changes would let prosecutors seek detention in serious cases such as child rape and manslaughter when facts warrant it. In contrast, the Committee for Public Counsel Services opposed expanding dangerousness detention, warning that pretrial detention causes serious harms and disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic defendants. The hearing also included testimony on H.1654/S.1063 to enhance victims’ rights and H.1525, which would rename and expand community corrections into community justice programs, with supporters emphasizing reentry, reduced stigma, and broader service access.

Transcript Highlights:

• of order in our agenda, and I just want to let people know that we have sort of roughly 40 people signed
• in, maybe more than that, maybe 50 people signed in on the vapor tobacco policy, but only three signed
• Only three signed in on the other two bills, so we're just going to go slightly out of order and knock
• I’m a mom who posts my kids on the internet.
• We only have three, two people signed in to testify. Welcome back, Rose Feliciano and Max Martin.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2483, which would create an annual data broker registry at the Department of Licensing beginning in 2027. Staff explained that data brokers would have to register, pay a fee, and disclose information about the types of data collected, security measures, opt-out options, and whether precise geolocation or consumer health data is involved. Prime sponsor Rep. Kloba said the bill is intended to make data collection and resale more visible to consumers and to address harms such as scams, tracking, and surveillance pricing. Testimony was mixed: TechNet, the Association of Washington Business, and the Washington Retail Association opposed the bill as drafted, saying the definition of data broker is too broad and could sweep in businesses that are not true data brokers, while the sponsor and committee members discussed possible clarifying amendments and public-data carve-outs. The committee then heard House Bill 2400, which would regulate monetized social media content featuring children. Staff described provisions requiring vloggers above certain revenue thresholds to register with the Department of Revenue, creating trust accounts for minor children appearing in monetized videos, allowing young adults to request deletion of monetized childhood content, requiring reporting by social media services, and establishing civil penalties and statutory damages. Rep. Reeves said the bill is meant to draw a line between ordinary family posting and monetizing children online, citing concerns about child labor protections and exploitation. TechNet and AWB opposed the bill, arguing that social media platforms should not be made the middleman for trust accounts and that the private right of action and enforcement structure should be revisited; they urged further work during the interim. Finally, the committee took testimony on House Bill 2439, an omnibus tobacco and vapor product bill. Staff said it would create a responsible vendor program, raise license fees and penalties, require retailers to buy from licensed wholesalers or distributors, add certification requirements for vapor manufacturers, study extended producer responsibility for vapor waste, expand lab testing authority, tighten age-verification rules, prohibit certain imitation or entertainment vapor products, remove state preemption so local governments could adopt stricter rules, and redirect portions of tobacco tax revenue to public health accounts. Supporters, including public health groups, King County, the American Heart Association, and pediatricians, backed the youth-prevention, local-control, and funding provisions. Industry and retail witnesses opposed the bill, focusing on the loss of preemption, higher fees, compliance burdens, and the risk of pushing sales to the illicit market; some also argued the bill should rely more on state-level uniform regulation and stronger enforcement rather than new restrictions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is everyone that was signed up to speak. That is everyone that was signed up to speak.
• The lienor is not required to sign that.
• No trespassing signs lined up on the beach.
• Maybe some of the signs.
• Maybe some of the signs.

Summary: The committee first took up CS/SB 1730, a Live Local Act bill on affordable housing. The sponsor described it as a set of technical and policy adjustments to strengthen implementation, including changes to zoning, height, parking, moratoriums, attorney fees, and related land-use rules. An amendment by Senator Claudio was adopted, adding provisions such as a 10-story height limit near single-family neighborhoods, exclusions for certain protected areas, and changes to fee and use definitions. The committee then reported the bill favorably. Members next considered CS/SB 1674 on unrated bonds for Israel bonds, with a clarifying amendment adopted to make clear the bill applied only to Israel bonds. CS/SB 140 on charter schools was also approved after debate over parent-led conversion of public schools, municipal job-engine charter schools, and surplus school property; opponents warned about local control and impacts on teachers and communities, while the sponsor said the bill preserved district authority and created new school-choice and economic-development options. The committee also passed SB 96, a claims bill for Jacob Rogers, and CS/SB 954 on recovery residences, after strike-all amendments that addressed zoning, ADA concerns, bed caps, staffing ratios, and limits on operation in certain multifamily settings. Senators expressed support for expanding treatment housing but also raised neighborhood and staffing concerns. The committee then approved CS/SB 1714 on local housing assistance plans, which would allow SHIP funds for limited lot-rental assistance for mobile-home owners and require local plans to address mobile-home park closures. SB 658 on standardized construction lien release forms was reported favorably despite testimony from contractors and lawyers warning about possible effects on lien rights and the separate House proposal. The committee also reconsidered and then approved CS/SB 482 after a late-filed amendment addressing local government art fees and a key issue over defining “extraordinary circumstances,” with counties and cities saying more work remained. Finally, the committee passed SB 24 and CS/SB 4, both local claims bills, CS/SB 712 on synthetic turf and related construction rules, SB 952 repealing the emergency firearms/ammunition restriction, CS/SB 1164 allowing email notice delivery in landlord-tenant matters with opt-in safeguards, and SB 202 on municipal water and sewer rates, which drew extensive opposition from North Miami Beach and Miami Gardens officials over utility surcharges and revenue impacts. The meeting ended with SB 202 still under heavy questioning and testimony about the fairness and financial consequences of the surcharge structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• And will those be posted anywhere? I haven't seen the commerce posted anywhere.
• Jobs and labor, I understand, is done and about ready to sign their spreadsheet.
• </c><00:15:54.639><c> their</c> I think they have signed their I think they have signed their spreadsheet
• </c> sign their spreadsheet. Jobs in labor. sign their spreadsheet. Jobs in labor.
• uh May 19th um and you together uh post uh May 19th um and you know<00:17:51.840><c> we're</c><00:17

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to move forward in sign-in order.
• AB 2101 addresses these needs by requiring posting, just posting.
• , given their unique location, they can post at their hubs.
• Again, ideally, we would rather the postings be at the disaster sites.
• And we just haven't heard these concerns in the past about posting locations.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• After signing the return counted.
• </c> issue within five business days post issue within five business days post election.<00:08:12.000
• </c><00:13:18.800><c> office</c> or you can also um go to a post office or you can also um go to a post
• They sign they sign off of our office.
• They sign they sign off on<00:18:47.280><c> things</c><00:18:48.000><c> and</c><00:18:48.880><c> it's

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Investigation results to be posted in a conspicuous place in facilities and requires posted results to
• Um, we have several people signed Okay.
• Thinking that this allows things that have not been posted in the past to be posted and to be released
• So, so it's like post that to follow.
• No one else has signed up to speak you.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do not ask race when people are signing up or registering to vote.
• We will be posting materials to our website.
• We will be posting materials to our website.
• This is what happened pre- and post-I-200.
• This is what happened pre and post-I-200.

Summary: The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely. The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Same sign. Okay, that passed. Thank you.
• It stated that if you sign a lease, a legal document that says the companies can take post-production
• post-production deductions.
• post-production deductions.
• And then we also will do a signing bonus.

Keywords: 908, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Anybody signed in to Mr. Russell Small? Say none. Thank you. Anybody signed in to Mr.
• Who's signed in to speak? Russell Smolvin, thank you.
• All right, who signed up? Who signed up? Jeff Gray? Good afternoon, Madam Chairman and members.
• Anybody signed in on this one? Thank you. I see no questions. Anybody signed in on this one?
• 2932 groundwater transportation fee website and post.

Bills: HB2026, HB2027, HB2028, HB2031, HB2078, HB2094, HB2095, HB2101, HB2102, HB2103, HB2260, HB2278, HB2827, HB2932, HB2933, HB2934, HB2986, HCM2009, HCR2038

Keywords: assured water supply, groundwater, commingling, commingled water, water supply, Arizona Department of Water Resources, ADWR, active management area, AMA, subdivision plat, development approval, water rights, municipal provider, private water company, certificate of assured water supply, written commitment of water service, groundwater savings credits, gray water reuse, replenishment district, Central Arizona Project

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:00.480><c> into</c> passing Congress and being signed into passing Congress and being signed
• </c> and culminated in a settlement signed and culminated in a settlement signed earlier<04:29:23.359
• </c> post office in Avon, New York after him. post office in Avon, New York after him.
• Larson Post Office Building.
• Lopez Post Office Building.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There were two other people who signed in but did not wish to speak in support, and the online sign-up
• </c><00:52:18.400><c> in</c> were uh two other people who signed in were uh two other people who signed
• </c> the online sign the online sign up.<00:52:28.000><c> Get</c><00:52:28.240><c> the</c><00:52:28.400
• I just signed in. I wasn't speaking. I just signed in. Okay. You didn't check the box. Yes or no?
• All those post say nay. The say I. I. All those post say nay.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all