Transcript Highlights:

• Andy Nez, who helped champion our early childhood project.
• We were willing to pay them and have them come in and learn and help us.
• We've been learning a lot in the last six months.
• And as Chairwoman, I had one term in, and I'm still learning about the old news.
• I stepped out early to take a phone call, but I don't know if I missed it.

Transcript Highlights:

• styles from a child who diverse learning styles from a child who learned<00:14:27.600> to<00:
• about sexuality too early.
• <01:21:09.040> uh learning about sexuality too early uh learning about sexuality too early
• Um, I have heard people characterize that as learning about sexuality because you are learning about
• <01:26:41.239> um different ages and we grow we learn um different ages and we grow we learn

Bills: HF22, HF45

Keywords: parent's bill of rights, parental rights, minor consent, minors, parents, guardians, education rights, school records, home schooling, charter school, private school, health care consent, medical privacy, patient records, exam room access, biometric data, DNA samples, blood samples, mental health, physical health

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:08:49.279> status, that, virtual learning status, that, virtual learning status, but but
• This is the if a student finishes the learning early, we get to give them credit for that Representative
• <01:27:49.120> So having a student there learning. So having a student there learning.
• And you think back to the early 80s, we had over 100,000 kids in K-12 education.
• And you think back to the early 80s, we had over 100,000 kids in K-12 education.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c> five<01:31:16.240> CDC-funded week we learned of five CDC-funded week we learned of five
• another language early in life.
• <01:50:27.720> learner all funding such as early learner all funding such as early learner
• We know children cannot learn when they do not feel safe.
• We know children cannot learn when they do not feel safe.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To distance learning.
• And for these distance learning, we have...
• They don't want to do peer learning.
• in the early stages.
• I would love to learn.

Bills: SB23, SB73, SB210, SB234, SB243, SB244, SM16

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• Files all types of learning material, and the kid could learn that stuff in the evening at home.
• The PBS Learning Media has over 100,000 different modules: science, reading, math.
• Early on, the Treasurer's Association decided to do an accreditation program.
• One thing I have learned being at the CIB is that these industries like to see changes that might be
• I've been here since early 2025. This is my first meeting with the Administrative Rules Committee.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate each one of the members of this committee for taking the time to learn about this issue,
• They're taking a look to learn about the New World Screw Worm.
• So they're learning about it and getting to know about it.
• I hope if there's any lesson that we learned, that I certainly learned from going down to mind visiting
• I think anyone that needs to learn about the screw worm wants to see some real pictures of it.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A little early? I don't care. I want to be playing. Please call the roll. Representative Gillette.
• He's here early. You're a day early, Way. I know you're excited about it. Representative Keshel?
• Glad you got up so early. Okay, so we only are having three, correct?
• Not the typical child care, but the learning piece of the child care.
• I became a teacher, I have been an early childhood educator teacher for 15 years.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And when we—you missed my little rant this morning about lessons learned.
• We always talk about lessons learned, but do we really learn our lessons?
• So some learning in the moment had to happen.
• What we've learned And what we must do: here are three reasons of what we have learned.
• Mining began in the early 1970s.

Transcript Highlights:

• I myself, growing up, calling it Chinese New Year and it wasn't until recently that we've all learned
• And he said this with no evidence, in the first hours when families are just learning about lost loved
• And we talk about—and you're right, you know, we talk about social media early and who's going to be
• The message we wanted to send to our youth who are afraid to go to school and learn.
• So I would encourage folks to do more learning about this.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it's still very early. I mean, yet. So, it's still very early.
• This significant subsidy helps to keep families in the workforce and ensures early learning experiences
• This significant subsidy helps to keep families in the workforce and ensures early learning experiences
• This significant subsidy helps to keep families in the workforce and ensures early learning experiences
• This significant subsidy helps to keep families in the workforce and ensures early learning experiences

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to discuss the issue of school start times in New Hampshire, and they were quite concerned by how early
• was to make sure that students have a full and healthy day in their classroom just so that they can learn
• :35:10.000> can their classroom just so that they can their classroom just so that they can learn
• uh starting your day where you learn uh starting your day where you aren't<00:35:14.960> fully
• If it got out too early, I would also run into some problems.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• districts from utilizing the three-cueing system, and requires by June 30th all interdisciplinary early
• childhood through grade five educators to have completed a science of reading professional learning
• childhood through grade five educators to have completed a science of reading professional learning
• However, as students progress through their educational learning, get into first grade, second grade,
• ,<01:57:33.480> their them, who focus on their learning, their them, who focus on their learning

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had a late night last night and we have an early morning this morning, so bear with us, we're gonna
• We had a late night last night and we have an early morning this morning, so bear with us, we're gonna
• think, is an important part of that by requiring training, demonstrating proficiency, classroom learning
• could any kind of content to meet the hour requirements, but it's an unnecessary burden to go in, learn
• We really appreciate your late night and your early morning. This is Senate Bill 375.

Transcript Highlights:

• We fail to learn from our mistakes along the way.
• I went to school to learn the intricacies of how to treat patients in emergent settings.
• The skill of critical thinking learned in books gets lost.
• I appreciated what you said early in the morning about this process and democracy at work.
• I learned a lot about moments like this in history.

Bills: HB45, HB45, HB755, HB 1232, HB1555, HB2460, HB2702, HB2973, HB3120, HB3225, HB3314, HB3356, HB3371, HB3634, HB3638, HB4247, HB4283, HB4290, HB4302, HB4503, HB4511, HB4565, HB4581, HB4627, HB4632, HB4660, HB4668, HB4960, HB5042

Keywords: flooding, disaster response, emergency preparedness, state guidance, public safety, housing, affordable housing, rent control, landlord-tenant laws, housing rights, lobbying, public entities, expenditures, government code, transparency, Texas Ethics Commission, government regulation, lobbying restrictions, government accountability, taxpayer money

Transcript Highlights:

• I did go early and fast into announcements. So, we'll give everybody a break today.
• use on these animals to detect early use on these animals to detect early detection<01:31:53.360
• Apologies.<01:37:13.199> It's<01:37:13.520> still<01:37:13.760> early.
• It's still early. Still Apologies. It's still early.
• c><01:37:16.480> is early.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal from February 13, 2026, and heard several announcements and introductions, including recognition of student guests and notices about upcoming committee meetings. Members also shared informal remarks tied to Lunar New Year celebrations, a water policy breakfast, and other caucus or committee updates. The chamber then took up special orders for several bills, including House Bill 1013 and House Bill 1064. House Bill 1013, concerning ratio utility billing systems used by landlords to allocate utility charges to tenants, was presented as a technical cleanup to last year’s House Bill 1090. Supporters said it was intended to clarify that such billing practices remain allowable and to align the statute with legislative intent. Amendment L002, offered to state that the bill created no private right of action and to limit litigation, was debated at length but defeated. Opponents argued it would restrict existing rights under consumer protection law, while supporters said it would reduce unnecessary lawsuits. The bill then passed the committee. House Bill 1064, concerning modifications to the youthful offender system, was also heard. Supporters said the bill codifies existing Department of Corrections practices, updates language to promote effective communication, and reflects evidence-informed, trauma-informed rehabilitation aimed at reducing recidivism. Amendment L003, which adjusted language to be more inclusive of the YOS community, was adopted. Several members opposed the bill, arguing it codified practices already in place, lacked clarity on evaluators and costs, and did not sufficiently account for victims’ perspectives. Despite that opposition, the committee report was adopted and the bill advanced with the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're going to fail, you need to do it early and realize you need to move on to a new concept, a
• going to fail, you need to do it early going to fail, you need to do it early and<01:16:35.360><
• Um and we just learned Medicaid benefit.
• Um and we just learned in<01:40:54.320> April<01:40:54.880> on<01:40:55.119> April
• And once we learned about the services.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Government Contract Committee met with a quorum, observed a moment of silence for Representative McCool after the death of his sister, and approved the April 14 minutes. The committee then reviewed a large agenda of contracts and amendments, beginning with a deferred Office of the Controller procurement involving broker services. Members questioned why a contract that had previously been handled for about $300,000 annually was now priced at about $1 million, and why the procurement was limited to one year. Office of the Controller staff said the prior vendor had held the work for more than 20 years, the work had previously been treated as not practical to bid, and the new RFP was intended to increase competition. They said the technical evaluation was scored before cost was considered, that past performance was not scored because it was seen as unreliable, and that AON received the highest technical score despite not being the lowest bidder. After discussion, the committee voted to take no action and let the contract proceed to the Finance Cabinet, with members noting continuing concerns about the pricing and process. The committee next considered a DCBS memorandum of agreement amendment for language services. DCBS representatives said the additional funding did not come from a new cut elsewhere, but from reduced spending on interpreter services because commonly used forms had been translated into other languages, freeing up funds for the contract. The committee approved the item unanimously. The final major item discussed was an initial contract for the Board of Hairdressers and Cosmetologists for legal services. Board staff said the board had been without a permanent general counsel since March 2024 and had relied on special and conflict counsel because of unusually heavy litigation, including 11 active cases, plus broader disciplinary and licensing changes tied to recent legislation and an oversight report. They said the contract was a not-to-exceed amount funded entirely by agency fees and that the board was currently running a surplus. Senator Thomas urged support, citing prior legislation and oversight findings about problems at the board and saying the contract was needed to help the board address ongoing litigation and corrective work. The committee approved the contract and then approved the remaining agenda items without objection, sending them forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair said she had stopped him early and thought the implementation discussion would help clarify
• So that comfort early on. So that comfort early on will make everything better. So thank you.
• What am I going to learn there to help me do my job?” It’s a pilot project.
• What am I going to learn there to help me do my job?”
• So we are early in that process, but we are doing mandatory employment and training.

Summary: The meeting focused on Arkansas’s proposed workforce system overhaul, including a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan and a package of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate workforce governance, reduce administrative costs, and redirect more funding to training and supportive services. Commerce officials said the plan would replace the current structure of 10 local workforce boards and more than 200 board members with a single statewide board and one administrative entity, while keeping local offices open and using regional business councils to preserve employer and local input. They said the state has already reduced Commerce headcount and operating costs, and that the changes would improve coordination with higher education, adult education, vocational rehabilitation, DHS, and Arkansas Industry Connect. Much of the discussion centered on the waiver package, especially the proposal to make the state board function as the local board, allow more flexible movement of funds across regions, eliminate the WIOA “last dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, create affiliate sites instead of requiring every area to maintain a comprehensive center, and relax the 14 youth program element requirement. Officials said the State Board of Workforce Development approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, and that implementation would begin only after federal approval and a closeout process, likely taking up to a year. They also described plans to streamline referrals and data sharing, expand mobile and virtual services, and use a more centralized model to improve customer service and employer engagement. Members raised repeated concerns about rural representation, local control, board composition, and whether jobs and relationships would be lost if local boards were eliminated. Commerce officials responded that local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired by the state, and regional business councils would help ensure local employer voice. Several members also questioned how the funding was being used, citing audit findings that only about $1.8 million to $1.9 million of roughly $14 million to $15 million in federal workforce funds had gone to training and supportive services. Officials said the reorganization could increase annual training spending to roughly $6 million to $7 million by reducing overhead, one-stop operator contracts, and board administration. The committee also discussed how the changes might support workforce training facilities, apprenticeships, child care and transportation assistance, and employer-driven training in fields such as manufacturing, health care, technology, and welding. The Division of Higher Education also briefed members on Workforce Pell. Officials explained that the new federal program would extend Pell eligibility to short-term programs, but only within narrow limits, such as 150 to 599 clock hours and 8 to 15 weeks of instruction, with additional completion and employment benchmarks. They said Arkansas is working with colleges and universities to identify programs that fit the criteria and that the governor has designated the Division of Higher Education to lead implementation. No votes were taken by the committee during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I learned more about birth centers, how they open, and why they're closing, I learned that the number
• I also learned that insurance reimbursement is so low, in particular the facility fees, that many birth
• And then I started researching and learning just how alarming and true these words were, specifically
• This empowered me to continue having more conversations, and I learned that although I was cared for
• And this is a fun fact: during my second pregnancy, I learned that the hospital I was planned to give

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing with testimony on several health care bills, with most of the discussion focused on primary care access, community health center reimbursement, midwifery and birth centers, telehealth, hospital-at-home, direct primary care, and trans-inclusive health care access. Chair Feeney and Chair Murphy opened by noting the large number of signups and asking testifiers to keep remarks brief because of time constraints. Legislators and witnesses repeatedly emphasized that Massachusetts’ primary care system is under strain and that federal policy changes and reimbursement gaps are worsening financial pressure on providers. On community health centers, Representative Blay, Senator Lovely, Michael Curry, Bethany Keeley, Jag Deep Trevetti, Sean Cahill, and Christina Severin all supported H. 1096/S. 711, which would require commercial insurers to pay federally qualified health centers at least the MassHealth prospective payment system rate. They argued that commercial plans currently reimburse health centers below Medicaid rates, threatening sustainability, staffing, and access, especially as federal cuts and coverage losses could increase uncompensated care. Testifiers said the bill would stabilize health centers, protect primary care access, and not cost the state money. A second major topic was H. 1117/S. 784 on sustaining birth centers and the midwifery workforce. Senator Lovely, Senator Miranda, Emily Anesta, Rebecca Orden, Catherine Rushworth, Nishira Burrill, Joel Sutherland, Rachel Blessington, Joelle Ward, and others described the 2024 maternal health omnibus as an important first step, but said birth centers and midwives still face low reimbursement, workforce shortages, and financial instability. They urged reimbursement parity, a workforce development fund, and support for freestanding birth centers, citing improved outcomes, lower C-section rates, better patient experience, and racial equity in maternal health. Several speakers shared personal birth stories and said the bill would help preserve and expand birth options in communities like Roxbury, Worcester, and the North Shore. The committee also heard support for H. 1343 on direct primary care from Dr. Garofalo, Dr. Altman, Dr. Nair, Stephanie Cameron, Dr. Haley Moke-Blessed, and others, who said current insurance rules force patients to use a separate in-network primary care doctor for referrals and sometimes prevent physicians from dispensing medications. They argued the bill would reduce delays, administrative burden, and costs while improving continuity of care. In addition, Dr. Miklides and Sue Stempeck supported H. 1141 on hospital-at-home parity, saying the model has strong outcomes and should be reimbursed at the same rate as brick-and-mortar hospital care. Heather Myers and Katrina Cook testified on telehealth and digital health equity, urging broader coverage for asynchronous care, remote monitoring, interpreter services, and digital literacy supports. SEIU Local 509 supported H. 1188/S. 681 on trans-inclusive health care access, saying it would remove arbitrary insurance barriers to gender-affirming care. No votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So internships, they are another way for students to consolidate their learning, their classroom learning
• You're able to see everything that you're learning in the classroom and actually experience it.
• Everything that you're learning in the classroom and actually experience it.
• But it wasn't like very early.
• of electives and helping students graduate early.

Summary: The committee met at Dakota College at Bottineau, approved the January 15, 2026 minutes, and heard an extensive campus update from Dean Corey Gorder and other DCB leaders. Gorder described the college’s affiliation with Minot State and its growing use of shared services, including business office functions, HR, institutional research, Title IX, printing, financial aid support through UND, and payroll support through NDSU. He said the arrangement lets DCB focus on its core mission while relying on system partners for specialized administrative work, and noted that accreditation concerns were not believed to limit those shared-service arrangements. He also highlighted DCB’s mission, enrollment growth, dual-credit reach across rural schools, and the college’s emphasis on nursing, dental, paramedic, farm management, and other workforce-oriented programs. Committee members asked detailed questions about dual credit, program delivery, and whether DCB’s partnerships were exclusive. Gorder said the relationships are generally collaborative rather than exclusive, that schools can choose other providers, and that many partnerships began through personal outreach and ongoing relationships with rural schools. Lisa Johnson of the university system added that transfer complaints are rare and that dual credit generally transfers well within North Dakota, though highly selective out-of-state institutions may treat credits differently. Members also asked about stipends for high school instructors, the share of K-12 versus DCB instructors, and the capacity limits in dental hygiene and other programs. Gorder said dental hygiene is capped by space and staffing, that there were more applicants than seats, and that expansion is being considered; he also said he would provide follow-up information on the paramedic program and instructor breakdowns. Gorder closed by identifying long-term challenges, including aging residence halls, recruiting faculty and staff, and the need to review low-enrollment programs. He said DCB should consider expanding into more high-demand trades such as welding, HVAC, and electrical work, and should streamline dual credit and strengthen its Minot programming. The committee then heard from the North Dakota Student Association, whose leaders outlined student priorities from the last session and the interim. Their main concerns included campus housing quality and affordability, food insecurity and food pantries, mental and physical health resources, student-led research funding, academic and career readiness, internships, and campus collaboration. They also discussed dual credit, saying it is valuable but uneven across the state, and raised questions about how to better retain students in North Dakota through the system. Members asked follow-up questions about housing, transferability of dual credit, and whether incentives could be used to encourage students to stay in-state for higher education.