Transcript Highlights:

• have minimum custody status or the lowest security classification based on their sustained good behavior
• naturally, the lowest-cost plans are still out of reach for many Californians without government intervention

Summary: The Assembly convened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file of bills. Early procedural motions included a failed attempt to suspend the rules for AB 1219, followed by consideration of numerous measures on housing, veterans, education, elections, energy, wildfire prevention, public safety, and consumer affordability. Several bills drew bipartisan support and passed overwhelmingly, including AB 878 on safety accommodations for survivors of violence, AB 948 on school district facility maintenance, AB 81 and AB 88 on veterans’ mental health and student aid, AB 640 on school board fiscal training, AB 660 on housing permit timelines, AB 1048 on workers’ compensation billing disputes, AB 1119 on dual credentialing, AB 1172 on inhalable anti-seizure medication access, AB 1227 on wildfire prevention, AB 1285 and AB 696 on lithium-ion battery safety, AB 1417 on offshore wind transparency, AB 1530 on disaster recovery assistance, and AB 353 on affordable home internet. Some measures drew opposition or more divided votes, including AB 704 on sealing certain misdemeanor records, AB 1249 on early voting access, AB 1280 on thermal energy incentives, AB 1448 on offshore oil protections, AB 380 on price gouging, AB 402 on Cal Grant increases, AB 1074 on CalWORKs reunification, and AB 1084 on expedited gender-change and name-change court orders. The Assembly also granted reconsideration on AB 435, a child passenger safety bill, and passed it after debate on the five-step safety-seat standard. The floor debate featured recurring themes of affordability, housing, wildfire preparedness, election access, veterans’ services, and public safety. Supporters of the election bill AB 1249 argued it would simply add a Saturday early-voting option in non-VCA counties, while opponents raised concerns about verification and county staffing. AB 30, authorizing E15 gasoline in California, was presented as an urgency measure to lower fuel costs and passed unanimously on the urgency and the bill. AB 1466 on groundwater disputes was also taken up, with the author arguing it would reduce frivolous litigation and better represent all water users; the vote was 42 ayes and 17 noes. After completing the file, the Assembly recessed for lunch, later returned, and continued with additional file items, with many measures passing on strong bipartisan votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• while using a cell phone, but it did not have the safety policies in place that restricted such behavior
• on my upper and lower back, both knees, and one of my hands, not including the pain management interventions

Bills: SB39, SB2129, SB2141, SB2246, SB2323, SB2439, SB2722, SB 39

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Transcript Highlights:

• The result is a de facto tax on lawful behavior, pricing some citizens out of exercising a lawful right
• existing laws, targeting repeat violent offenders, and improving mental health and community-based interventions
• We have thrown hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars at the Behavioral Health Administration
• We have thrown hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars at the Behavioral Health Administration
• Hundreds of millions of dollars at the Behavioral Health Administration for zero return.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum present, approved the February 27, 2026 journal, and then moved out of order to consider resolutions. Senate Resolution 003, designating March as Arts Education Month in Colorado, was read at length and supported by Senators Snyder and Basley, who emphasized the educational, social, and economic value of arts instruction and noted concerns about unequal access across the state. Senator Coleman and Senator Danielson also spoke in support, highlighting personal experiences with the arts and the importance of preserving arts programs in schools. The resolution passed unanimously, 35-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The chamber then adopted House Joint Resolution 1019, recognizing Caregiving Youth Day. Senator Judah described caregiving youth as children and teens who provide substantial care for family members while balancing school and other responsibilities, citing statewide and national data on the prevalence of youth caregivers and the risks they face. Senator Gonzales also spoke in support, urging the legislature to recognize and support this often invisible work. The resolution passed 35-0, and the current roll call was added as co-sponsors. The Senate next took up third-reading consent calendar House Bill 1035, which enacts the 2025 Colorado Revised Statutes as positive and statutory law; it passed 32-3, with Senators Baisley, Lynda Zamora Wilson, and Long voting no. Senate Bill 53, expanding eligible borrowers for Colorado Housing and Finance Authority mortgages, then passed 29-6 after no-vote requests from Senators Zamora Wilson, Amabile, Sullivan, Hinrichsen, Baisley, and R. Pelton. House Bill 1064, concerning modifications to the youthful offender system, passed 23-12 after several no-vote requests, and Senate Bill 43, concerning regulation of firearm barrel transfers and related criminal penalties, was introduced for final passage with Senator Zamora Wilson delivering extended opposition focused on Second Amendment and fiscal concerns; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• right thing to do, it is more cost-effective to prevent homelessness from happening than to fund interventions
• fund homelessness from happening than to fund homelessness from happening than to fund interventions
• 22.560> get<00:03:22.760> folks<00:03:23.040> back<00:03:23.400> into interventions
• to get folks back into interventions to get folks back into stable<00:03:23.959> housing<00:03

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• office of the Secretary of State when such findings are made, and allowing time for review or intervention
• 48.400> or are made and allowing time for review or are made and allowing time for review or intervention
• before<00:36:49.520> the<00:36:49.640> disclosure<00:36:50.359> takes intervention
• before the disclosure takes intervention before the disclosure takes effect. effect. effect.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of our personnel on the Capitol grounds have gone through crisis intervention training to ensure
• Capitol grounds have gone through the Capitol grounds have gone through crisis<00:03:34.879> intervention
• <00:03:35.440> training<00:03:36.239> to<00:03:36.480> ensure crisis intervention
• training to ensure crisis intervention training to ensure they<00:03:36.959> can<00:03:37.200

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also regulates medical interventions that improve the health of over 100 million companion animals
• current and future workloads will negatively impact continued investment in next-generation medical interventions
• effective and continue be able to continue to evaluate safety and efficacy of next-generation medical interventions
• not making anything on the market, they are on the edge of discovery of next generation medical interventions

Transcript Highlights:

• programs, employ and develop literacy coaches and specialists, and develop... ...and implement interventions
• significant impacts on students through school literacy programs, educator training, and student interventions
• It also was providing intervention support.
• It enables interventions that prevent potential problems and ultimately helps us get our students reading

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So at the state level, absent federal intervention, what can we do to protect our farmers, our consumers
• 07:45.199> absent<00:07:45.599> of<00:07:45.840> federal<00:07:46.160> intervention
• , know, absent of federal intervention, know, absent of federal intervention, what<00:07:46.960><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From early intervention services for young children in schools to reducing reliance on opioids and ER
• :44.040> for From early intervention services for From early intervention services for young<00
• <01:52:43.200> that<01:52:43.360> reduces health intervention that reduces health intervention
• This bill also invests in youth prevention and early intervention.
• This bill also invests in youth prevention and early intervention.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House began with routine business, including referral of Senate Bill 211 on motor vehicle inspections to the Transportation Committee and Senate Bill 298 creating the Vermont Voting Rights Act to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. The chamber also referred House bills reported by Ways and Means to Appropriations, including H. 211 on data brokers and personal information and H. 931 on miscellaneous education law changes. JRH9, a joint resolution urging the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to reconsider its opposition to rapid prompting method communication instruction for students with apraxia of speech or autism, was read and referred to Human Services. Several announcements followed, including a welcome to members of the Vermont chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, a reminder about an education reform meeting, and a correction regarding a prior reference to S. 138 of 2023 and the working group on student protections from harassment and discrimination in schools. The House also recognized guests in the gallery, including Donnie Kanovsky, who was described as a proponent of JRH9. The Speaker announced that H. 606 on firearms procedures, H. 642 on youthful offender proceedings, and later H. 585 would be bumped to later in the calendar. The House then took up H. 537, the right to grow vegetable gardens. The committee explained the bill would protect vegetable gardening in common interest communities and rental housing, while allowing reasonable restrictions and landlord or association oversight; witnesses included a South Burlington resident, HOA and landlord representatives, and legislative counsel. The committee reported an 8-0-0 vote, the House adopted the committee amendment, and ordered third reading. The chamber then passed H. 171 on Attorney General investigations into a law enforcement officer’s use of a firearm and H. 519 allowing Randolph police officers to enroll in Group C of the state retirement system. The House also passed H. 536 on toxic heavy metals in baby food products after extended debate over whether infant formula should be included. Supporters said the bill would help parents make informed choices and noted the amendment was intended to align with federal action; opponents argued formula-specific federal work was still underway and urged waiting. The chamber then passed H. 550 on gender equity in correctional facilities, H. 733 on franchise agreements, H. 775 on housing production tools, H. 887 on crime victim status under the Fair Employment Practices Act, H. 917 on military affairs, and H. 921 on alcoholic beverages. Action on H. 930 addressing chronic absenteeism was postponed one legislative day, and H. 942 on miscellaneous agricultural subjects began second reading with the committee outlining sections on water quality training, non-sewage waste management, and unit pricing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we started to utilize a program called ASIST training, which is Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
• So we began to leverage this Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, which is a two-day training
• but we make ourselves Intervention but we make ourselves available<01:13:15.199> to<01:13:15.400
• Through access to funding, H is going to be able to train more of their network in suicide intervention
• intervention skills and partner<01:19:44.520> with<01:19:44.679> mental<01:19:44.960><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So that leads us to suggested interventions of how to address this type of challenge moving forward,
• of how to address this interventions of how to address this type<00:19:11.200> of<00:19:11.720
• I am curious about item six on the suggested intervention.
• I am curious about item six on the suggested intervention.
• I am curious about item six on the suggested intervention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the fiscal note process, prompted by concerns raised in a prior hearing about the fiscal note for the Paid Family and Medical Leave law. Chair Marty, Senator Pratt, and Senator Wiklund said the goal was not to revisit the bill itself but to strengthen understanding of fiscal note standards, the role of the Legislative Budget Office (LBO), and communication with agencies. They emphasized bipartisan concern that fiscal notes must be respected and that the process should be clearer going forward. Christian Larison of the LBO explained that the 2024 fiscal note issues stemmed from three main problems: choosing the proper baseline for a program that had not yet started, interpreting the seven-day qualifying event/waiting period, and determining whether DEED could adjust the first-year premium rate. He said the LBO, DEED, MMB, and House fiscal staff ultimately used the October 2023 actuarial analysis as the baseline because it was the most recent and likely most accurate estimate, but that choice meant the fiscal note did not show the difference from the 2023 enacted budget. He also described how DEED later interpreted the seven-day provision as a waiting period and how the premium-rate assumptions affected the fiscal impact. Larison outlined possible responses, including more assertive early communication from the LBO, providing more detailed analysis in unusual cases, and possibly creating a working group through the LBO Oversight Commission to consider new standards for substantial assumption changes, complex new programs, and third-party actuarial work. He also noted the LBO has authority to issue unapproved fiscal notes if standards are not met, though it has not used that authority. In questions, Senator Murphy asked about protecting the credibility of fiscal notes, and Larison said maintaining independence, objectivity, and consistent standards is central to the LBO’s role. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• the public’s money on education this year, I really think we have to look at can we fund more intervention
• , spend more on math intervention, because the research with Common Core math is pretty abysmal.
• spend problem in math intervention spend problem in math because<01:28:43.239> the<01:28:43.440
• My argument would be we have to fund intervention specialists on the front end, and then we’ll be doing
• Specialists on the front intervention Specialists on the front end<01:29:35.960> and<01:29:36.080

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 21 with a quorum present for the first meeting of the 2025 biennium. The co-chairs described the temporary power-sharing arrangement in the tied Senate, introduced committee staff and pages, and had members briefly introduce themselves and share what subject they would teach. After the introductions, the committee moved to a presentation from State Demographer Susan Brower. Brower reviewed Minnesota’s school-age population trends and projections, noting that the state had just under 1 million children ages 5 to 17 in 2023 and that, for the first time, the older adult population exceeded the school-age population. She said the school-age population is concentrated in the Twin Cities metro and other regional centers, and projected an overall decline of about 5% over the next 15 to 20 years, driven mainly by declining birth rates and long-running net outmigration of young adults. She also explained that growth is expected in some areas, especially along the I-94 corridor north of the metro, while northern regions are projected to see the largest declines. She clarified for members that her figures measure resident children, not school enrollment, and that boundary changes are not reflected in the district-level data. The presentation also covered demographic change among students. Brower said about 35% of Minnesota children ages 5 to 17 are children of color, with growing multiracial populations and increasing linguistic diversity. She reported that about 20% of school-age children have at least one foreign-born parent, and about 18% of enrolled students speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish, Somali, and Hmong the largest home languages. She also discussed child poverty, saying Minnesota’s rate is just under 10%, below the national rate of about 15%, and that poverty is concentrated in Minneapolis-St. Paul, some first-ring suburbs, and parts of northern Minnesota, including districts with larger Native populations. Members asked questions about whether the projections accounted for migration and whether open enrollment affected the figures; Brower said the data reflect where children live, not where they attend school, and that the projections are based on recent migration and birth patterns, with future changes more likely to come from international immigration than from domestic migration.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:51.519> selection<00:03:51.920> and the reading intervention selection and the
• reading intervention selection and implementation<00:03:53.120> as<00:03:53.360> well<
• Um, so we are currently going through the process of reviewing intervention materials that will be done
• <00:27:14.480> being know that there's interventions being know that there's interventions
• , uh, interventionists are intervention, uh, interventionists are already<00:27:22.000> doing.

Bills: HF2430, HF2433

Keywords: education finance, teacher training, Read Act, state aid, school funding, education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2516 is an essential intervention into one of our most critical energy supply...
• AB 2516 is an essential intervention into one of our most critical energy supply chains: electric grid
• Modeling on AB 2516 shows that through the interventions proposed in the bill, approximately 5,000 direct
• identify which grid components are causing delays and then determine the appropriate form of state intervention
• Options would include upstream supply chain intervention, technical assistance, regulatory coordination

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• within the state department can assist school districts in implementing reading assessments and intervention
• 49.440> and in implementing reading assessments and in implementing reading assessments and intervention
• c> program<01:14:50.560> and<01:14:50.800> language<01:14:51.120> and intervention
• program and language and intervention program and language and literacy<01:14:51.600> programs.
• Uh, they're still going to assist school districts to implement those reading assessments and interventions

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Looking at early intervention, early intervention is part of the fiscal distress statute.
• DESE identifies districts that are in early intervention.
• Districts are able to move in and out of early intervention at any time, and currently there are four
• districts in early intervention.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee received a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Arkansas academic standards, accountability, and achievement as part of the adequacy study. Staff reviewed how state curriculum and standards have evolved from the 1997 Public Education Act, the 2003 Quality Education Act, and the 2017 Educational Support and Accountability Act, including required course offerings, graduation requirements, career and technical education pathways, and recent additions such as success-ready pathways, Arkansas history, firearm safety, and fetal growth and development instruction. Members asked for a comparative chart showing how the laws and requirements changed over time, and staff agreed to provide one. The presentation then turned to the federal ESSA plan and Arkansas’s state accountability system. Staff explained the state’s long-term goals for 2030, including 80% proficiency in ELA and math, 52% of English learners on track to English proficiency, and 94%/97% four- and five-year graduation rates. They reviewed 2025 assessment results showing proficiency rates generally in the 30s, with English learners and students with disabilities performing lowest and white students highest. They also discussed school support and improvement categories, equitable access to educators, and report card/public reporting requirements, noting that some ESSA-related measures such as the school index, equity labs, and certain 2024 report card data were not currently available or not being calculated. Members questioned whether those ESSA commitments were being met and asked staff to follow up with DESE, including whether the legislature can revise the ESSA plan. The committee also reviewed the Arkansas Accountability Act and related assessment data. Staff described the Atlas assessment system, alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, ELPA 21 for English learners, ACT results, and NAEP comparisons. They reported that no student group met the 80% proficiency goal in 2025, Arkansas’s ACT composite score declined slightly over time, and Arkansas generally trailed national and SREB averages on NAEP. Members asked for additional data, including historical highs and lows, the number of assessments students take by grade, dropout data, and comparisons with other states. The meeting ended with agreement to invite the Department of Education to a future meeting to answer questions about missing data, equity labs, report cards, and ESSA compliance.

Transcript Highlights:

• results highlight the combination of focused instructional support, coaching, and data-driven intervention
• our state assessments, we use data not to label students, but to guide instruction and tailor interventions
• We get wrapped up in the interventions of it, oftentimes, but that doesn't fix Tier 1.
• understand Tier 1 instruction without having to have that increased focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention
• In many of my experiences, we try to fix a layer one or tier one issue with our intervention with tier

Transcript Highlights:

• abuse, we really want to reserve our child protective services for those more serious types of interventions
• c><00:11:03.320> types<00:11:03.680> of<00:11:04.399> um<00:11:04.800> interventions
• <00:11:05.600> so serious um types of um interventions so serious um types of um interventions
• And if they do not want our services or interventions, they can decline.

Keywords: Meeting Concurrently w/ (H) Families & Children, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear the 2025 Social Services Block Grant preliminary plan from the Department for Community Based Services. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and Executive Adviser Mary Carpenter described DCBS’s mission and explained that the federal block grant, about $21 million annually, supports Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Home Safety Services, Juvenile Services, Residential Treatment Services, and staff training. They said most of the funding goes to staff and training, and that the department uses surveys, focus groups, program monitoring, funding availability, and historical data to set annual goals. They also noted that Kentucky uses the grant to fund direct services and that eligibility is generally limited to Kentucky residents or runaway juveniles based on need and available resources. Much of the discussion focused on child welfare data and the distinction between poverty and neglect. DCBS officials said Adult Protective Services investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, and that self-neglect cases have trended down in recent years, which they attributed in part to access to federal resources. For Child Protective Services, they reviewed intake and investigation numbers, noting that many calls screen out before meeting statutory criteria, while about 48,000 cases were assessed or investigated and about 8,000 were substantiated. Members raised concerns about how poverty can be mistaken for neglect, especially in rural areas, and DCBS said it has been working with the legislature, staff, and community partners to better define the difference and connect families to community supports when cases do not meet abuse or neglect criteria. Members also asked about the risk to federal funding and the impact on juvenile services. DCBS said it had not received notice that the $21 million block grant would be cut, but it is monitoring federal developments closely and would need to return to the General Assembly for a budget request if funding were lost. The department said about 30% of the federal share goes to juvenile services. Questions also covered the transition in staff training from Eastern Kentucky University to a broader statewide model, and the agency said it is expanding training opportunities and modernizing delivery. Officials discussed the MST pilot for youth, saying it is a successful evidence-based practice operating in three regions—Jefferson, Northern Bluegrass, and Central Kentucky—with positive outcomes and possible expansion. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of our programs, like Title I, talk about delivering specific interventions to those students that
• intervention they're receiving has some sort of scientific study that's been done to back it up.
• <00:11:46.519> to delivering specific interventions to delivering specific interventions to
• is evidence-based intervention that is evidence-based because<00:11:56.200> you<00:11:56.320>
• they're receiving has some intervention they're receiving has some sort<00:12:00.360> of<00:12

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. Department of Education testimony said the bill’s definition would conflict with the federal definition and be unusually restrictive, potentially affecting curriculum, educator training, and many existing state requirements. The department said it could force a broad overhaul of school programs and create a need for at least one new state position, with local districts likely facing significant unbudgeted costs. Members raised concerns about impacts on federal pass-through funding, curriculum materials, and whether the bill was workable at all. Several members said the proposal would be too costly and difficult to implement, especially during a tight budget cycle. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. Members who supported retention said they wanted to set the bill aside because of the scale of the concerns, while also stating they did not support the bill as written. The committee then opened HB 133, dealing with DMV follow-up on residency and licensing issues tied to voting and other interactions. Department of Safety/DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology update plus a full-time position to handle manual correspondence and review of possible matches, and that postage was not included in the fiscal note. They said the bill’s 60-day residency trigger is vague, that the DMV would be acting outside its normal role by investigating status after the fact, and that the measure could create privacy and operational problems. Members questioned whether the bill would effectively force people to buy a driver’s license to vote, whether non-driver and voter ID options would avoid that concern, and whether the Secretary of State rather than DMV would be the more appropriate agency to handle any follow-up.