Transcript Highlights:

• students graduating coming out of school students graduating coming out of school or<00:41:54.800
• ,<02:40:07.439> a<02:40:07.680> real<02:40:07.920> a radon test to test our
• homes, a real a radon test to test our homes, a real a real<02:40:08.399> concern<02:40:08.640
• you'd diminish the capability of schools you'd diminish the capability of schools to<03:04:39.840
• certain water fees and testing. certain water fees and testing.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s a combination of elimination of the STAAR test and the Texas A through F, excuse me, eliminating
• the STAAR test and replacing it with three tests: the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and
• end of the year testing, and also strengthens Texas A through F school accountability system.
• the STAAR test and replacing it with three tests: the beginning of the year, middle of the year, and
• end of the year testing, and also strengthens Texas A through F school accountability system.

Bills: SB2, SB3, SB5, SB9, SB10, SB14, SB16, SB34, SB18

Keywords: flooding, public safety, outdoor warning sirens, disaster preparedness, emergency response, flood warning, outdoor sirens, local government, safety measures, flood management, emergency preparedness, municipal safety, disaster response, disaster relief, emergency funding, Meteorological forecasting, local government assistance, training facilities, hemp regulation, consumable products

Summary: The Senate Committee on Finance met in the second special session and considered a series of bills, mostly related to flood response, water infrastructure, taxation, school accountability, property fraud, and legislative procedure. Senator Zaffirini presented SB 18 on TCEQ permit exemptions for certain erosion, floodwater, and sediment control dams or reservoirs; Senator Perry presented SB 2 on flood relief preparedness, SB 14 on credit impact fees and water supply/conservation incentives, and SB 5 on Hill Country relief funding; Senator Bettencourt presented SB 3 on early warning flood sirens, SB 9 on replacing STAAR with three annual tests and strengthening A-F accountability, and SB 10 on lowering the rollback tax rate from 3.5% to 2.5%; Senator West presented SB 16 on property transaction ID requirements and new real property theft/fraud offenses; and Chair Huffman laid out SB 34, which changes legislative witness immunity rules from transactional immunity to testimonial immunity consistent with federal law. The committee also heard brief explanations that several bills were the same as versions previously passed by the Senate or committee, and there was limited public testimony, with no witnesses on most bills and only position cards on SB 16. Senator West raised a concern on SB 10 about a possible carve-out for police pay raises, but Senator Bettencourt said no change would be made at that time. For SB 34, Chair Huffman explained the bill would still allow compelled testimony before the legislature but would no longer provide blanket immunity, while preserving the right to counsel. The committee voted favorably on all bills considered. SB 18, SB 2, SB 14, SB 3, SB 16, SB 5, and SB 34 were reported out unanimously or near-unanimously, while SB 9 passed 10-1 and SB 10 passed 8-3. At the end of the meeting, Senator West requested to be shown voting nay on SB 9, and the chair granted unanimous consent. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• It paid for things like community and school testing, vaccine preparedness, and local and state public
• . schools. schools.
• <00:15:43.680> testing,<00:15:44.240> vaccine community and school testing, vaccine
• community and school testing, vaccine preparedness,<00:15:45.600> and<00:15:45.839> local<
• <00:16:01.839> and flexible pots for COVID testing and flexible pots for COVID testing and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and schools.
• and schools.
• are expand what schools and how schools are expand what schools and how schools are guiding<00:11
• <00:12:00.959> they schools and asking schools how they schools and asking schools how they
• Um I know schools, but um all schools.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate bill establishing residency requirements for the offices of mayor, city councilor, and school
• The House bill relative to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools, House No. 4059.
• An act relative to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools, House No. 4059.
• An act authorizing the town of North Attleboro to establish a means-tested senior citizens' property
• An act authorizing the town of North Attleboro to establish a means-tested senior citizens' property

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House first took up a series of bills reported by the Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling, including measures on Brockton residency requirements for local offices, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, non-competition agreements, election administration in Salem, school nutrition, local election procedures in Longmeadow, Charlemont, Conway, and Concord, a senior property tax exemption for North Attleboro, Holyoke City Council special meetings, renter consumer rights, alcohol licensing in Southbridge and Raynham, and the Reading Home Rule Charter. The House suspended Rule 7A, ordered the bills to a third reading, and then advanced them accordingly. The chamber then considered several engrossed bills for final action. House No. 4763, validating the results of Bourne’s May 20, 2025 annual election, was passed and, after a separate constitutional vote, its emergency preamble was adopted. The House also passed to be enacted bills concerning the Cuttyhunk Fire District, Otis Fire District funding for the Historical Society of Endicott and Cuttyhunk, and the Salem licensing board. Additional third-reading actions included House No. 4321, allowing the Dalton Fire District to continue employing interim fire chief Christopher Francis Chahat, which was ordered to a third reading, and House Nos. 4267 and 4582, directing the Boston Police and Fire Departments respectively to waive maximum age requirements for named individuals, both of which were passed to be engrossed. The House then adopted an order to meet the following Wednesday at 11 a.m., and adjourned to that time in formal session, with a Democratic caucus announced for noon.

Transcript Highlights:

• to a real producer solution, we are all about on-farm testing.
• So you need a great diversity when you're testing.
• You know, we're not intending to have our own test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.
• You know, we're not intending to have our own test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.
• Test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.

Summary: The committee met in Fargo and approved the minutes from the March 31 meeting before hearing a series of informational presentations focused on North Dakota agriculture, water, and research. NDSU President David Cook opened with remarks about NDSU’s land-grant mission, emphasizing statewide service through research, teaching, and extension, and highlighting examples such as the Lilac Agriculture startup and the university’s role in applying research to real-world problems. He said he intends to spend time listening across the state to better understand local needs. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study projected significant potential for expanded irrigation acreage, especially in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau, and estimated major economic gains from irrigation, including higher farm returns and support for value-added agriculture. Members discussed water permits, surface water versus aquifers, infrastructure, drought resilience, and the role of legal drains in improving productivity and generating economic activity. The presenters also noted that the full report is available online. Dr. Greg Lardy followed with NDSU’s required interim report, outlining the university’s agricultural research and extension system, including the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, seven research-extension centers, and the economic importance of agriculture to the state. He highlighted recent research impacts such as new crop varieties, potato breeding successes, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, weather-network tools, and 4-H programming. He also described NDSU’s budget priorities: restoring the governor’s proposed 10% cuts, additional operating support, and deferred maintenance funding. Committee members asked about the new agricultural field lab, storage sheds, and NDSU’s partnership with Grand Farm. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor presenting water-related research, including data center cooling, water reuse, smart irrigation, and a feasibility study on co-locating data centers with greenhouse and aquaculture production. Members asked about water use, ownership, and whether the concepts were operational or still speculative. Finally, North Dakota AgTech presented its NSF-funded innovation engine work, describing startup commercialization, on-farm trials, workforce development, and partnerships with NDSU, UND, tribal colleges, and other land-grant institutions. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The testing is paid for by the department, and the results of the tests must be confirmed by a lab to
• year to the 2028-29 school year.
• year to the 2027-28 school year.
• year to the 2028-29 school year.
• year to the 2728 school year.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills on third reading, with several title amendments and a few effective-date motions adopted. Early in the session, members passed HB 4452 removing acreage limits on land owned by church or religious trustees, HB 4577 creating reciprocal driver’s license recognition agreements with Ireland and Japan, HB 4588 authorizing West Virginia participation in a federal tax credit scholarship program, and HB 4592 requiring higher education institutions to create coordinated campus safety maps. HB 4602 was amended to align with a prior Senate child welfare pilot program, and members discussed its projected cost and implementation timeline before passing it. HB 4603 created a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition process in abuse and neglect cases, and HB 4606 narrowed bail rules by requiring consideration of residency and community ties while prohibiting personal recognizance bonds for violent felony offenses after an adopted amendment. The Senate also passed HB 4710 changing the party-registration deadline for candidates from 60 to 180 days before an election, with debate over its impact on independents, and made it effective January 1, 2027. HB 4712, known as Bailey’s Law, increased penalties for DUI causing death and related conduct, with emotional testimony from members about the victim and similar tragedies. HB 4765 established a pay raise for teachers, school personnel, and state police and added a market-pay enhancement system based on county cost-of-living differences; an amendment to the amendment capped county differentials and guaranteed at least a 1% increase in every county. HB 4865 created an optional program for high school and homeschool students to serve as election official trainees, and HB 4869 established narrow guaranteed-issue rights for Medicare supplement policies. Later bills included HB 4995, which strengthened video/audio recording rules in special education classrooms and was passed, then reconsidered and passed again; HB 4996 creating a new crime for making threats of violence against schools or children; HB 5048 guaranteeing virtual instruction for foster children in temporary placement; HB 5065 adding recordkeeping and geolocation requirements for hotel marketplace facilitators to ensure proper hotel tax remittance; and HB 5074 reallocating medical cannabis fund revenues to child protection, homeless services, research, law enforcement, and other purposes. The Senate also passed HB 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, which increased penalties for domestic violence offenses and adjusted bail provisions, after amending it to conform with the earlier bail bill. Additional measures passed included HB 5166 requiring notice before political committees are fined for filing violations and allowing limited extensions, HB 5168 directing $12 million in lottery funds to EMS first responders and county EMS support, HB 5182 authorizing certain state treasurer security personnel to carry concealed firearms, HB 5212 streamlining higher-education financial aid rules, HB 5214 allowing court-ordered drug testing of parents before reunification in abuse and neglect cases, HB 5353 regulating virtual currency kiosks with licensing, disclosures, and transaction limits, and HB 5366 exempting J-LAP records from FOIA to protect confidentiality for lawyers and judges seeking assistance. Most bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 5074 and HB 5353 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we also have our new, brand-new school board, Sam Rosemark, here with us as well from our school
• Um, which then harms our schools. no. Um, which then harms our schools.
• > our<00:13:32.959> school school districts, for our school school districts, for our school
• schools from across Minnesota. schools from across Minnesota.
• drastic between other school districts. drastic between other school districts.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair. timing taken tests taken that they timing taken tests taken that they wanted<00:06:40.840>
• <00:08:05.960> within to go and take their their test within to go and take their their test
• After two fails, the third test, the customer has to pay $10 before they can take the test.
• there a charge for driver tests there a charge for driver tests today<00:20:41.280> director<
• they take the third and subsequent test they take the third and subsequent test um<00:20:53.720>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not in school.
• that teacher was getting that funding at school A, but now they're at school B, and that school is getting
• In schools participating, I guess the question is how many schools are participating, or school districts
• And if that student also applies to another school, a traditional school or charter school, it's going
• district and school level.

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:44:49.119> districts of the school districts of the school districts um<00:44:51.920><
• um school districts have MTSS systems. um school districts have MTSS systems.
• tested proficient? tested proficient?
• So, our school district's staff.
• And I can tell you, school better.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school with in my senior high School, which is in school where individuals
• Yes, it school has had?
• We're going to test that.
• We're going to test that.