Transcript Highlights:

• President, members, thank you all for those that attended today's ethics training that was held this
• Uh, also want to announce tomorrow we will be having our workplace harassment training, which will be
• So, just want to make sure all members are aware of the training that'll be taking place tomorrow.
• President. >> Members, please take note. training which will be taking place at training which will be
• that'll be taking place the training that'll be taking place tomorrow.<00:09:15.920> Thank<00

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then completed the roll call and confirmed a quorum. The journal from Tuesday, January 6, 2026, was approved without objection. No committee reports or floor amendments were presented. Members introduced a series of new measures, including bills on parentage fraud, a state dog breed designation, pharmacist reimbursement, fishing in privately owned lakes and ponds, public library district boards, ad valorem tax rates, energy planning, Kentucky Fire Commission appropriations and an emergency clause, agritourism, school transportation and an emergency clause, end-of-line-of-duty death benefits, mandatory re-entry supervision, battery stewardship, and a joint resolution declaring Kentucky a “food is medicine” state. Several memorial resolutions were also introduced honoring Leonard Len Marian Spalding Jr., Dixie P. Hibbs, and Brian J. Hat. During announcements, senators noted evening receptions at Government Strategies and Top Shelf, and reminded members about workplace harassment training the next day followed by a bipartisan lunch. Co-sponsorship requests were approved without objection for Senate Resolution 7 and Senate Bills 21, 17, and 22. The Senate then adjourned without objection until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2026, after a final announcement about the Governor’s State of the Commonwealth address.

Transcript Highlights:

• Training. Train the teacher? Mm-hmm. And does that seem to help?
• and training.
• You were talking about being trained on classroom management.
• As it relates to the virtual training for the...
• It's not used. the training of teachers.

Bills: HB6, HB27, HB 123, HB210, HB213, HB222, HB610, HB 1085, HB1481, HB6, HB27, HB123, HB210, HB213, HB222

Keywords: mental health, telehealth, public schools, discipline management, behavioral interventions, financial literacy, high school education, curriculum requirements, economics, personal finance, HB 123, kindergarten readiness, early literacy, early numeracy, reading screening, math screening, foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, dyslexia screening, reading intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• advisers for clarity project I'm trained advisers for clarity project I'm trained in<00:56:27.119
• trained trained facilitator<00:56:42.160> I've<00:56:42.480> developed<00:56:43.039>
• gu to be some of this work to train gu to be some of this work to train people<01:37:08.600>
• to training not only training<01:38:03.080> the<01:38:03.239> therapists<01:38:03.760>
• training within a couple of days.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't know, I feel like the train has left the station, and it wasn't a regular train.
• This was like a bullet train.
• Anybody who has done this type of training has had a child disclose to them, come up after the training
• He is trained to be an emotional support dog.
• He is trained to be an emotional support dog.

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• In training, we recommended comprehensive and consistent training for all staff.
• resolved yes so we improve the training resolved yes so we improve the training and<00:27:11.480
• training sergeants to a facility on every shift to provide training that the ACOs need.
• training sergeants to a facility on every shift to provide training that the ACOs need.
• him take his secret sauce and training him take his secret sauce and training and<00:59:29.880><

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and incorporate it into existing sexual harassment training.
• He now wants to write the hate speech training.
• We also have workplace violence training.
• workplace violence training.
• Hate speech and anti-hate speech training, yes.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• these trainings. these trainings.
• I didn't need training. I lived with training every day.
• :18:12.760> training<00:18:13.240> every training.
• I lived with training every training. I lived with training every day. day. day.
• But if they're trained or educated, But if they're trained or educated, trained<00:20:22.960> is

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• not open to every training provider. not open to every training provider.
• > list<00:08:33.279> doesn't eligible training provider list doesn't eligible training
• uh financial aid, but also the trains uh financial aid, but also the trains program,<00:26:48.240
• so this matters because letters training so this matters because letters training is<01:36:59.119
• students taught by letters trained students taught by letters trained teachers<01:39:01.679>

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 0:00:00 Workforce Pell Grant Update – 0:03:30 Extension Office Update – 0:33:25 Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies – 1:07:08 Early Literacy Outcomes – 1:32:20 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 1:58:30 Adjournment 2:13:13, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would also add, I don't know if you know this, our spots in interventional cardiology training are
• With the right training, they can live the lives that we all dream of living as we age.
• Students, residents, or fellows in training.
• This lag in forensic pathology training, the forensic pathology training pipeline, is what we are hoping
• The hyperbaric manufacturers can train people in it.

Bills: SB1001, SB1011, SB1016, SB1052, SB1072, SB1100, SB1112, SB1113, SB1116, SB1118, SB1120, SB1121, SB1122, SB1123, SB1124, SB1125

Keywords: appropriation, economic security, blind individuals, older adults, state funding, medical examiners, sudden infant death, autopsy protocols, forensic pathology, public health, religious exemption, employment practices, COVID-19 vaccination, accommodation, discrimination, assisted living, health care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physician orders, informed consent

Transcript Highlights:

• MODULAR TEACHERS, REENTRY TRAINING GRANTS, VIRTUAL EDUCATION.
• SO IF WE DO TRAINING IN EDUCATION AND CAREER AND TECHNICAL TRAINING, IF WE DO THAT RIGHT EVERYBODY WINS
• WE ARE TAPPING IN WITH DIRECTOR McGRADY ON VIRTUAL TRAINING.
• WE HAVE TO THOUSAND LAPTOPS INJECTED FOR TRAINING AND IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING PROVIDED ON INMATES
• I MENTIONED VIRTUAL TRAINING.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so a lot of that intentionality is done through the on-the-job training.
• And all that training is done under a supervised mentor, or whatever.
• All the training and learning is done with that training mentor for that apprentice.
• Then that organization will tether their training to an employer.
• That organization will tether their training to an employer.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held its quarterly virtual/in-person meeting and approved the December minutes. The chair announced plans for the next “Meeting the Moment” community forum in Lowell on March 27, in partnership with MassAbility, focused on digital accessibility, education-to-employment transition, workforce supports, long-term services and supports, and health equity, along with a resource fair. The commission also began planning for its October National Disability Employment Awareness Month event and sought volunteers for a small planning group. The meeting featured an update from the Attorney General’s office on federal litigation affecting Massachusetts, including challenges to federal actions on higher education diversity data collection and DEI-related funding conditions, immigration/TPS for Haitians, NIH research grant disruptions, and the nonrenewal of mental health services grants for schools. The presenter said the state has helped protect more than $3 billion in federal funding and noted ongoing or pending appeals in several cases. Commissioners asked about possible impacts on disability-related DEI work and Medicaid; the AG’s office said guidance on DEIA/employment initiatives is available and that the state is closely monitoring federal Medicaid communications and coordinating with the governor’s office. Undersecretary of Labor Josh Cutler and apprenticeship liaison Amara Riemann presented on registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, emphasizing paid, employer-driven pathways with classroom instruction and wage progression. They highlighted growth in nontraditional fields such as human services, IT, early education, biotech, and banking, and described Bridgewater State University’s Excel program for neurodivergent people and people with disabilities as a model that can lead from pre-apprenticeship to apprenticeship. Commissioners discussed expanding similar models through community colleges and disability-focused workforce pipelines. Subcommittee reports covered disability employment, long-term services and supports, and health equity. The employment subcommittee heard from CED on state disability employment initiatives and planned future presentations from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment and Veterans Affairs. The long-term services and supports subcommittee discussed MassHealth budget pressures, anticipated federal Medicaid changes, the personal care attendant working group, and an upcoming discussion on crisis standards of care. In commissioner announcements, members highlighted recent honors for several commissioners, updates on municipal digital accessibility grants, a June Medicaid summit, and other commission activities. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• that we get or so-called training that we get isn't great.
• There are good trainings out there.
• or structures for teachers to take advantage of those, that training.
• Um, requiring training is great. It's a great first step.
• And right now we kind of rely on, did their members get their training or not.

Transcript Highlights:

• at livable wages so their training at livable wages so their training program<00:42:41.960> includes
• certification additional skill training certification additional skill training and<00:42:50.280
• skilled training and employment.
• skilled training and employment.
• I see 35 Career Pathways here and eight training partners.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:29.319> and that without a third party training and that without a third party training
• <01:37:11.440> and given their temperament and training and given their temperament and training
• trained to you need to have you need the trained to you need to have you need the service<02:13:30.639
• just animals that aren't really trained just animals that aren't really trained they<02:17:03.280
• intense training with the owner and the dog.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on a bill arising from the Lee case involving animal seizures and humane society involvement. Members and the commissioner discussed concerns about due process, lack of clear notice to animal owners, the need for owners to understand when they are surrendering ownership, and whether humane agents should have additional training or certification. Several members also questioned the role of the NH SPCA and humane societies, the absence of oversight, and whether there was any financial or policy conflict in their involvement. The commissioner said the Department of Agriculture does not have a direct relationship with humane societies, but does coordinate with police on seizures, and noted that problems tend to arise when agencies do not consult the department first. Testimony and discussion focused on possible fixes to the bill, including clearer written notice of rights, requiring a third-party qualified veterinarian or other neutral evaluator, establishing the condition of animals at the time of seizure for later court proceedings, and possibly using teleconferencing with a veterinarian in limited circumstances. Some members suggested the bill may need a broader study committee, while others said it should be amended now rather than delayed. The chair said the bill would be worked on further and sent to the subcommittee for more detailed review. The committee then opened a hearing on HB 250, which would allow local governing bodies to regulate dog muzzling. Representative Jodi Newell testified that the bill was intended to let municipalities respond to dangerous dogs, citing Keene’s attempt to require muzzling after a serious incident but lack of clear authority under current law. Deborah LeBlanc also testified about a dog attack that seriously injured her dog and said a muzzle requirement could have prevented the attack. Committee members asked about the incident, existing dog-control laws, and whether the dog had been leashed; the discussion suggested the bill was meant to clarify local authority over muzzling as a public safety measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Immigrant workers urgently need access to job trainings so that we can develop new skills and pursue
• working on providing job-specific English training in those healthcare fields and then helping them
• working on providing job-specific English training in those healthcare fields.
• English training for nursing.
• It ensures statewide training and technical assistance. ...continuity of service.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and training trainers across the state.
• We do have training components in there.
• We also have some training engagements.
• So they need training.
• They do really good training with their teams. They have the latest data.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on health-related projects and Department of Health and Human Services budget matters. Representatives from CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck and Williston, and Altru in Grand Forks, reported progress on behavioral health expansion projects, including demolition and construction milestones, updated timelines, funding status, staffing plans, and barriers such as an unbudgeted air handler replacement in Williston. Members asked about original completion dates, use of telehealth, recruitment of psychiatrists and other staff, and whether the new beds might reduce the need for patients to travel to Jamestown State Hospital. The projects were described as on track overall, with completion expected in 2027 for the larger builds and earlier openings for some phases in Williston. The committee then heard from HHS leadership on technical line-item transfers and the Salaries and Wages Block Grant. Donna Ockland explained that recent transfers were administrative corrections to place spending in the proper budget lines and did not involve new spending, and she reviewed FTE counts and vacancies across the department. Questions focused on behavioral health staffing changes and the use of consultants in the Rural Health Transformation Program. Pat Rainer outlined the rural health program’s first-year grants and priorities, including workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community wellness initiatives, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, hospital equipment, suicide prevention training, technology, and EMS support. He said North Dakota’s plan was drawing positive national attention, but the department still needed to obligate roughly $199 million by September and was working with CMS on timing and compliance. The committee also received an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller. She said North Dakota had been accepted as a demonstration state, with certification efforts underway in Williston, North Central, Fargo, and Dickinson. Members asked about care coordination, service growth, staffing, and whether certification would expand to all clinics; the department said it was still collecting baseline data and evaluating impacts before making future recommendations. Finally, Rebecca Askins reviewed SNAP payment error rates, explaining that the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89 percent and that the department is working on training, system changes, and quality assurance steps to get below 6 percent. Members pressed on the causes of monthly variability, the performance of the SPACES system, and accountability for ongoing errors, and the department said it expects improvement over the next 6 to 12 months.

Transcript Highlights:

• Youth need quality education, treatment, diversion programs, and opportunities such as job trainings
• We also know that where a doctor trains is where they are most likely to stay.
• I was originally from Texas, but came out here to do my residency and did a rural training track.
• So it is true that folks come back to where they do their training.
• And I also teach our residents in the rural training track.

Bills: SB5, SB6, SB8

Keywords: physician residency, healthcare, rural communities, medical education, appropriation, education, medical school, New Mexico, construction, behavioral health, funding, mental health services, general fund transfer, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I regularly present trainings to law enforcement on human trafficking.
• In addition to training law enforcement, I also train community-based organizations and other state agencies
• When I present trainings, I spend a significant amount of time on my training focusing how the victim
• In addition to training law enforcement, I also train community-based organizations and other state agencies
• We're a dance and fitness training studio that has been. of the stage global here in Pomona.

Summary: The Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety held an informational hearing in Pomona on sex work-related crimes and efforts to combat human trafficking. The chair and Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez framed the issue as a major public safety and victim-protection concern, referencing the repeal of the loitering law in SB 357 and the recent enactment of AB 379, which targets buyers of sex rather than sex workers. The hearing was organized into three panels: data and research, policing and anti-trafficking efforts, and courtroom/prosecution impacts. In the first panel, the California Department of Justice presented arrest and conviction data for the repealed loitering statute, noting overall declines from 2019 to 2022 but also explaining that the data did not distinguish clearly between people selling sex, people loitering to sell, and people purchasing sex. USC law professor Hannah Gary summarized a 2021 report finding that law enforcement stings and raids often lack transparency, disproportionately harm Black women, minors, LGBTQ+ people, and undocumented migrants, and rarely achieve the stated goals of protecting victims, prosecuting traffickers, or preventing trafficking. The ACLU of Southern California argued that criminalization of sex work is discriminatory and historically used to police women and people of color, and that laws aimed at buyers still harm sex workers and can increase immigration consequences. Committee members asked about data collection, racial disparities, and whether the new law could worsen profiling; the panelists urged public health approaches, better data, and more survivor services. The second panel featured the California DOJ human trafficking coordinator, Pomona Police Chief Mike Ellis, and survivor advocate Jess Torres of Rising Worldwide. DOJ described its regional trafficking teams, task forces, victim services, and prosecutions, emphasizing a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach. Chief Ellis said SB 357 limited police intervention and contributed to visible open-air prostitution near schools and other sensitive locations, citing complaints from residents and a reported drop in juvenile rescues in Pomona after the law changed; he supported AB 63-style enforcement with safeguards and service referrals. Torres, speaking as a survivor, argued that anti-trafficking policy must be survivor-led, that many youth in the sex trade are boys or LGBTQ youth, and that criminalization and street enforcement often worsen harm and displacement rather than solving the underlying problems. In the final panel, a Riverside County deputy district attorney said AB 63 could help law enforcement make earlier contact with potential victims and identify traffickers, while stressing the need for training, documentation, and oversight. A Los Angeles County public defender argued that prosecuting trafficked people reinforces traffickers’ control, creates lifelong barriers, and retraumatizes survivors, and pointed to diversion programs as a better model. The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking began its testimony by describing its survivor services and crisis response work. The hearing ended without any vote or formal action, but with committee members and witnesses continuing to debate the balance between enforcement, data collection, and survivor-centered services.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also, because of the geographic location of the training flights, the sorties that go overseas, we
• We also do what's called Innovative Readiness Training, and what that means is a soldier or Airman does
• We also do what's called Innovative Readiness Training, and what that means is a soldier or Airman does
• <01:07:31.200> or<01:07:31.520> or<01:07:32.440> uh probably better trained
• Thank you, and it's at the Cross Training Center in Pembroke. Very well-run meeting. Oh, thank you.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My background is that I'm trained as a public health social worker.
• Once folks graduate with nurse training or with behavioral health provider training, the salaries offered
• Increased opportunities for certifications and specialized training.
• Training are things that really the state should focus on and invest in because we have identified that
• as a retention strategy that a lot of nurses, if they are able to access advanced training programs

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities subcommittee on workforce supports met with Chair Andrew Lerault presiding. Members completed roll call, approved the August 2025 minutes, and then heard a presentation from Amy Doyle, director of the Behavioral Health Workforce Center at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Doyle described the center’s launch in September 2024 and its legislative mandate to study behavioral health payment rates, workforce needs, and licensure/certification barriers, with an emphasis on recruitment, retention, capacity building, diversity/equity, and sustainability. She also shared data on unmet behavioral health needs, ED boarding, workforce shortages, aging and turnover in nursing and direct care, and the need to improve data collection on non-licensed workers and populations such as people with developmental disabilities and autism. Committee members asked questions about what provider types were included in the workforce data and whether DDS-related residential and direct support roles were captured. Doyle said the center is still working to define and measure the full behavioral health workforce, including non-licensed roles, and welcomed follow-up on missing data sources. Members suggested additional sources such as CHIA and the Association of Developmental Disability Providers’ workforce survey. Doyle noted that the center is working with CHIA and that new licensure renewal surveys for behavioral health and allied mental health professionals will begin in 2025, which should improve future workforce data. The discussion also touched on the Health Policy Commission’s broader workforce findings, including nurse attrition, burnout, low wages, and the importance of career ladders and advanced training. Doyle said the center’s first policy recommendations will come from its rate study, expected in the next one to two months, and will likely focus on capacity building and sustainability. After the presentation, members thanked Doyle and discussed subcommittee leadership. Chair Lerault announced he was stepping down, and Chris White volunteered to serve as co-chair; the committee agreed to move forward with that arrangement and to revisit FY26 goals once new leadership is in place. The meeting then adjourned by motion and second.