Transcript Highlights:

• <00:01:24.479> 4133 House File 4133 House File 4133 is<00:01:26.240> before<00:01:26.560
• House File 4133 before the committee. House File 4133 before the committee.
• House File 3 into law.
• time politicians being bought off. time politicians being bought off.
• We are running over time. We are running over time. >> Sounds<01:49:14.719> good.

Bills: HF4133, HF3419

Keywords: homeowner's insurance, peace officer, property damage, just compensation, exclusion policy, corporate powers, entity law, business corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLC, limited liability company, cooperative, partnership, trust, foreign entity, campaign finance, election spending, political spending, ballot measure, ballot initiative

Transcript Highlights:

• so that we can keep our meeting on time. so that we can keep our meeting on time.
• Senate File 4147. Thank you. Senate File 4147. Thank you.
• Senate<00:26:49.680> file<00:26:50.080> 4147 Senate file 4147 Senate file 4147 and<00:26
• <00:44:30.000> Um miracle at a time. Um miracle at a time.
• File 4143, Senator Westlund. File 4143, Senator Westlund.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We maintained the one-time grants to MAP stars in the Minnesota Youth Council, as well as a one-time
• :27.760> to<00:03:27.920> MAP maintained the one-time grants to MAP maintained the one-time
• <00:03:46.959> We 2026 as a one-time appropriation. We 2026 as a one-time appropriation.
• /c><00:15:45.600> financial file timely IRS forms or financial file timely IRS forms or financial
• or the time to go um get their degree. or the time to go um get their degree.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much for your time.
• One community college I know of recently hired a full-time faculty member who had been part-time for
• During that time, I have not accumulated any of that time towards student loan forgiveness.
• During that time, I have not accumulated any of that time towards student loan forgiveness.
• I appreciate your time. Thank you. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its fourth public hearing, opening with remarks about the importance of protecting and expanding access to higher education amid federal disinvestment. The chairs also announced future informational hearings on the impact of federal cuts and on ASAP models. The hearing then focused on several bills, beginning with S. 951/H. 1462, An Act to Support College Students in Recovery, which would require recovery-focused housing on public campuses and expand naloxone access and overdose training. Senator Rausch, medical professionals, students, and advocates testified in support, emphasizing the prevalence of overdose risk among college students, the value of recovery housing, and the need for campus naloxone; committee members asked about implementation details and the existing state pilot program. Deb Schmill and Rep. Tarski gave especially personal testimony in favor of the bill, and the committee discussed broadening the naloxone language to opioid reversal agents. The committee also heard testimony on H. 1461, which would expand MassReconnect scholarships to practical nursing students at vocational and technical schools to help address the long-term care workforce shortage. Rep. Stanley argued that vocational schools graduate more practical nursing students than community colleges and serve many low-income students in areas without nearby community college programs. The committee then took up H. 1433, which would require public higher education institutions to accept IEPs and 504 plans as sufficient documentation for disability accommodations. Advocates from the National Center for Learning Disabilities described the high cost and burden of repeat testing, the lifelong nature of disabilities, and the need for more uniform access across campuses; committee members raised questions about documentation freshness, campus autonomy, and how to preserve the integrity of accommodations. Later, the committee heard S. 919/H. 1454 on modernizing the Community College Endowment Match Program so community colleges could receive state matching funds for current-use donations as well as endowments and capital gifts. Community college foundation leaders said the change would help fund immediate student needs such as food pantries, child care, emergency aid, and equipment. The hearing then moved to faculty-related bills: S. 933 on UMass faculty rights and tenure transparency, S. 930/H. 3948 on contingent faculty rights and career advancement, and S. 940/H. 1429 on an Adjunct Bill of Rights. Testimony from faculty and union representatives focused on low pay, lack of benefits, job insecurity, and the need for clearer pathways to full-time positions and fairer treatment for adjuncts who teach large shares of courses. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and asked clarifying questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• If not, Madam Clerk, on page 1, Governor's message numbers 1 and 2 transmit various reports filed on
• Departmental communication numbers 1 to 314 transmit various reports filed on page 48.
• Judiciary Communication numbers 1 to 27 transmit various reports filed on page 52.
• He said they are bringing it forward now at the right time for an appropriate vote.
• <00:03:42.840> to because it wasn't the right time to because it wasn't the right time to

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and time again.
• instances time and time and time again. instances time and time and time again.
• It's been around for a long time, very long time.
• time.
• So, I appreciate this time. community. So, I appreciate this time.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 4240, an elections administration bill, was introduced as a package of updates to absentee voting, statewide voter registration system use, early voting procedures, recordkeeping, removal of outdated statutory language, and reimbursement for municipalities and counties that administer certain special elections. The author, Rep. Freiberg, described the bill as a modernization and efficiency measure that would clarify procedures while maintaining election security. Several amendments were adopted. The A4 amendment, offered by Rep. Freiberg, was described as aligning language with the Senate and passed without objection. The A6 amendment, offered by Rep. Cosnik, would give school districts more direction on polling locations for special elections in multi-county districts; Rep. Lee raised concerns that it could affect many districts statewide and questioned whether it applied to early voting, while Rep. Cosnik said it was narrowly tailored and intended to prevent disenfranchisement. Rep. Freiberg and Rep. Lee both said they would support it as a voter-access measure despite possible costs, and it was adopted. The A5 amendment, offered by Rep. Schultz, would require the Secretary of State to provide voter information to the U.S. Department of Justice upon request for civil-rights and federal voting-law enforcement; it was debated at length, with supporters framing it as election integrity and opponents arguing it would jeopardize voter privacy and could be used by the Trump administration to pressure Minnesota. The amendment was adopted after a roll call request. The debate on A5 was especially contentious, with Republicans arguing the state should cooperate with federal efforts to clean voter rolls and Democrats arguing the DOJ had overreached, mishandled civil-rights investigations, and sought voter data without a lawful need. Members on both sides cited voter fraud, privacy, and federal-state election authority, and several speakers referenced recent DOJ actions and court disputes. The transcript ends during further discussion of the federal role in elections, with no final disposition on the underlying bill shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So someone took the time then to go through 186 paper files statewide to make sure one of the statutes
• So someone took the time then to go through 186 paper files statewide to make sure one of the statutes
• So someone took the time then to go through 186 paper files statewide to make sure one of the statutes
• So someone took the time then to go through 186 paper files statewide to make sure one of the statutes
• And for the first time, now in my seventh year as a judge, there were only two files.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee on the Children and Family Law Committee met organizationally to continue work on family court issues, building on a prior special committee’s report and taking a collaborative approach with the Judiciary. The chair said the group would focus on solutions rather than rehashing public complaints, and identified three main topics for early study: specialization and training of family court judges, the extent to which judges should be bound by the rules of evidence, and whether mediation in family cases should be mandatory or voluntary and what qualifications mediators should have. A fourth concern was also raised about overlap between superior court domestic violence cases and family court custody/support matters, and whether one judge should hear both. Members discussed whether to divide into smaller subcommittees, but the prevailing view was to work as a committee of the whole at first. Most members agreed that additional public testimony was unlikely to add much, though recent concerns could still be emailed to the committee. The committee then heard from Attorney Erin Krian, general counsel for the judicial branch, and Judge Michael Mace. Krian said the judicial branch could provide additional witnesses on mediation and judicial training, including Judge Kissinger, and noted the branch was preparing materials on how other states handle the issues. Mace described the history of the Family Division and said he had reviewed older reports going back to the 1990s. He also outlined current judicial branch efforts, including expanded shadowing for new judges, monthly family-law trainings, and a year-long focus on family law topics. He reported that court rules had been updated to clarify notice requirements for minor guardianship changes, and that the branch had received positive feedback on the family access motion, which provides a statutory timeline and listed remedies for parenting-time disputes. Members also discussed prior committee work on rules of evidence and family court procedures. One member recalled recommending quiet review of any judges who appeared to apply evidence rules inconsistently, and Krian said the administrative judge can review complaints even if they come from a single person. The committee also received a status update on prior initiatives, including a federal grant for guardian ad litem services for indigent litigants in four locations, testing of redesigned court forms, and continued training improvements. The chair scheduled the next subcommittee meeting for April 1 and the full Children and Family Law Committee for April 8, with further documents from committee research and NCSL to be circulated.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know we talked about timing and giving grandfathering time and giving everyone time to get ready.
• I know we talked about timing and giving grandfathering time and giving everyone time to get ready.
• I know we talked about timing and giving grandfathering time and giving everyone time to get ready.
• I know we talked about timing and giving grandfathering time and giving everyone time to get ready.
• It's just the timing of it. this. It's just the timing of it.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed several Fish and Wildlife regulations. Staff explained amendments to 301 KAR 2:176, 4:112, and 6:030, including updating wildlife control tag language, creating an impoundment agent program for seized wildlife, and clarifying boating safety rules. A member raised a concern about boat wakes near docks, and staff said the commission had recently voted on related changes that were not yet included because the regulation had been filed earlier; those changes would have to come back later. The committee approved the staff amendments without objection. The Board of Veterinary Examiners then presented 201 KAR 16:767, which would require veterinary managers to be physically present during business hours and limit them to five registered facilities. Board representatives said they had tried to meet with affected parties before the hearing but had not reached agreement. A representative for Kentucky Pet IQ argued the rule was written for full-service hospitals and would be impractical for short, limited-service clinics that only provide vaccinations, preventive care, and parasite testing. Members expressed concern about the rule’s impact on veterinary access in underserved areas, and the committee voted to defer the regulation until the next month so the parties could continue negotiating. The committee next considered Transportation Cabinet 601 KAR 9:120, the online insurance verification system, in both ordinary and emergency form. The chair said staff had identified conflicts with a bill passed the prior year and moved to find the regulations deficient. The motion passed on a roll call vote, with six ayes and two pass votes. The committee then found ordinary ABC regulations 804 KAR 12:020 and 12:030 deficient as well, again by six ayes and two pass votes, after noting that the emergency versions had already been found deficient the previous month. Finally, the committee reviewed Cabinet for Health and Family Services 902 KAR 55:110, which would require veterinarians to report dispensed controlled substances to KASPER while exempting administered medications. OIG staff said the rule was meant to align regulation with statute, which includes veterinarians as prescribers, and emphasized that the reporting duty applies to prescriptions, not administration to animals. Some members supported the change as a needed anti-diversion measure, while others worried about implementation burdens and timing. After discussion, the committee found the regulation deficient by a 6-2 vote. The meeting then moved into full review of 922 KAR 1:565, a Department for Community Based Services rule implementing kinship care provisions from Senate Bill 151; staff said it was needed for implementation once funding is available, but a member criticized the two-year delay and the inclusion of language conditioning implementation on funding. A public witness from the Kinship Families Coalition argued the rule should not shift the 120-day application window in a way that could affect federal funding eligibility and urged the committee to reject the regulation as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's start at the top of the agenda with file number 7, AB 672, File number 7, AB 672.
• The next bill in file order is AB 339, Ortega. The next bill in file order is AB 339 Ortega.
• , non-paid time, medical leave time, that's all calculated for, so that that paycheck is ready for employees
• One is on payroll, the other is on time leave.
• , like your time, your vacation, your sick time, you know.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement met for its first hearing of the session, adopted committee rules, and heard several labor-related bills. The chair reviewed hearing procedures, including limits on testimony and expectations for orderly conduct. Members then took up measures affecting public employee bargaining, contracting, confidentiality, school employee benefits, pay stub information, and state correctional health staffing. AB 672 would require public employers to notify PERB when filing court actions involving statutes PERB administers and allow PERB to intervene; it drew support from SEIU, AFSCME, school employees, labor groups, and no opposition, and was passed out of committee. AB 283 would move IHSS bargaining from the county to the state level; providers and recipients testified about low wages, long delays in bargaining, and care access concerns, while counties and public authorities raised cost, scope, and implementation issues. The bill passed 7-0 after members discussed family care worker concerns and the author said he would continue working on the issue. AB 339 would require local governments to give unions 120 days’ notice before contracting out bargaining-unit work. Labor supporters said the bill would make existing meet-and-confer rights meaningful and protect jobs, while counties, cities, special districts, chambers of commerce, and staffing groups argued it would burden local agencies and interfere with existing MMBA procedures. The committee also heard AB 340, which would make communications between employees and union representatives confidential for PERB purposes; supporters said it codified existing case law, while school administrators, special districts, counties, and business groups warned it could hinder investigations. AB 378 would extend the classified school employees summer assistance program to JPA employees, and AB 374 would require more detailed pay stubs for classified school employees; both had labor support and some education-sector opposition over implementation and cost concerns, and both advanced. AB 393 would require cost analyses before contracting out physician work at CDCR and the Department of State Hospitals; supporters argued the state was overpaying contractors amid high vacancy rates, and the bill also advanced. At the end of the hearing, the committee recorded final votes showing AB 283, AB 340, AB 374, AB 378, AB 393, and AB 672 all passing out of committee, while AB 339 remained on hold with a 4-0 vote and some members not voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• File 99? Anyone online, Libby? File 99? Anyone online, Libby?
• Senate File 54. Senate File 54. Senator Rafus.
• So they meet four times.
• So they meet four times.
• can get a little heated at times. can get a little heated at times.

Bills: HB0116, HB0056

Keywords: water rights, beneficial use, industrial production, hydrogen, applications, public welfare, carbon capture, energy standards, public utilities, environmental regulation, state law, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:40.800> that section 342 uh at the same time that section 342 uh at the same time that
• > communications time through multiple communications time through multiple communications from
• and I'm here to testify on Senate File and I'm here to testify on Senate File 224<00:32:47.039><
• Um Sen while Senate file 333 works.
• in for that time period. in for that time period. Uh<01:28:07.280> Mr.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, at the time of registration, as well as at the time of submitting a ballot, every voter
• This hashing process is applied a second time once ERIC accepts the data file, ensuring that the hash
• I've spent time—happen to spend some time in Latin America.
• of the media report to the time.
• So we Appreciate your time.

Transcript Highlights:

• claims notice procedure before filing claims notice procedure before filing suit. suit. suit.
• to file for parents to be forced to file to file for parents to be forced to file lawsuits.<00:26
• >> Sorry, we're out of time. Are there any >> Sorry, we're out of time.
• And if you'll turn to that statute— >> Time limit. >> Well, I uh, I appreciate your time.
• time that we need to to make this right. time that we need to to make this right.

Bills: SF0035, SF0090, SF0072

Keywords: education, cell phones, smart devices, school policy, student conduct, school property, rental fees, youth activities, education policy, Wyoming legislature, teacher licensure, teacher mobility, interstate compact, education compact, licensure reciprocity, reciprocal certification, teacher certification, professional teaching standards board, out-of-state teachers, military spouse

Transcript Highlights:

• The plaintiff filed to silence a critic.
• So the person filing the lawsuit, when they file the lawsuit, they create an immunity, and that's a weird
• quickly or might never have been filed quickly or might never have been filed in<00:31:53.120>
• filing fee associated with that.
• you for your time. you for your time.

Bills: HB0103, HB0070, HB0091

Keywords: First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits, foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, artificial intelligence, social scoring, biometric data, privacy rights, government regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• , child sexual abuse material eight times, child pornography one time.
• I typically don't like to file late-filed amendments.
• So that's what this amendment to the late-filed, this late-filed amendment to the late-filed amendment
• Senator Harrell, in particular, filed an amendment health policy, and we couldn't get there at the time
• take time off.

Bills: S0036, S0620, S0796, S0934, S1080, S1096, S1366, S1536, S1548, S1580, S1588, S1620, S1756, S7034, S7044

Keywords: nursing title, advanced practice registered nurse, advertising, professional standards, disciplinary action, candidate qualifying, federal office, election integrity, regulatory compliance, political candidacy, veterinary medicine, telehealth, veterinary professional associate, animal health, public safety, access to veterinary services, payment bond exemption, Habitat for Humanity, Florida Forever Act, land acquisition

Summary: The committee first took up SB 354, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which creates a framework for large planned communities on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area and a streamlined local review process. Senator McLean presented the bill and a strike-all amendment, and members raised concerns about local control, conservation enforceability, data centers, concurrency, multi-county projects, and whether reserve lands could later be converted. Audubon Florida and 1,000 Friends of Florida opposed the bill, arguing the conservation protections were not permanent enough and that the reserve areas could be changed later; small-county representatives also worried about tax-base impacts. Supporters argued the bill would better manage growth, preserve green space, and provide a more orderly alternative to sprawl. After debate, the committee voted to report the bill favorably. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates for federal, state, county, district, judiciary, school, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship. Amendments added disclosure about whether federal candidates intend to trade stock if elected and adjusted 2026 congressional qualifying procedures in the event of redistricting, including a new qualifying window and petition rules. The bill was reported favorably after brief support from a member of the public and discussion about candidate vetting. The committee also reported favorably CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill with amendments addressing My Safe Florida Home notices, condo pilot eligibility, firefighter hiring, unclaimed property, and related financial-services provisions. Next, the committee approved CS/CS/SB 1620, a school board members’ bill of rights. A substitute amendment narrowed the bill to access to records, fiscal transparency, and nondisclosure agreements, while preserving board members’ rights to timely documents, budget information, and public comment, and setting deadlines for records requests. Superintendents and a school board member testified in support, saying the bill clarifies roles and prevents board members from being frozen out. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material”; one senator supported the terminology change but warned about preserving legal precedent and avoiding appellate issues. The committee then reported favorably SB 1548, an update to the Live Local affordable housing law expanding eligible sites and clarifying setbacks, airport proximity, and fair-housing protections. Finally, the committee took up the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates. The bill allows trained master’s-level VPAs to perform limited veterinary services under a veterinarian’s supervision, and an amendment tightened the standard to immediate supervision on premises. Supporters said the measure would expand access to care, especially in rural areas with vet shortages, while opponents argued it added unnecessary regulation. After testimony from veterinary educators and others, the bill continued with support expressed by committee members, including praise for the direct-supervision amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Supreme Court hearing the oral arguments for the case that we have filed against the Secretary of
• When was the last time you had a meeting with the secretary?
• And then are any scheduled for tomorrow at this point or no, not at this time?
• <00:03:00.920> about the secretary of state's filings about the secretary of state's filings
• <00:04:30.800> a constituent in any District file a constituent in any District file a petition

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: A House Republican spokesperson gave an update on the ongoing Minnesota House standoff, saying Republicans continue to seek formal recognition from the Secretary of State and objecting to what they described as the executive branch blocking duly elected members from being recognized on the House floor. They said the Minnesota Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Thursday in a case filed against the Secretary of State over that issue, and they argued that motions had been placed at the desk for several days and that the Secretary’s court filings mischaracterized the parties’ communications. The spokesperson also said negotiations with Democratic colleagues over starting the session were continuing, describing Democrats as showing increased motivation to reach a deal and attributing that, in part, to public pressure. They said House Republicans have been present and working each day, while criticizing absent Democratic members and noting that more than $200,000 in taxpayer funds has been paid to members who have not shown up. They said another meeting was planned for that evening, with no meeting scheduled yet for the next day. Questions also touched on recall efforts and the status of Representative Brad Tab. The spokesperson said recall petitions are a separate process handled by the state party and, once initiated, cannot be stopped by House leaders. On seating Representative Brad Tab, they said the House retains authority to judge the eligibility of its own membership and that their position had not changed.

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 2354, Norris. I move the adoption of the calendar for the day pursuant to Rule 1.21.
• Next order of business is going to be Senate File 5200. Senate File 5200.
• Would you like to move Senate File 5200? So moved, Mr. Chair.
• So, Senate File 5200 is our annual corrections bill.
• ,<00:09:01.120> since during that period of time, since during that period of time, since

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, it is five times that, and more than six times what the law requires.
• the file and vice versa.
• We do outreach all the time.
• true 60-day period because the clock will start when the petition is filed, but some time will run off
• on the clock before the Appeals Board ever...” “...files, but some time will run off on the clock before

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held a May Revise hearing focused on state administration proposals, with the chair noting no actions would be taken and all items would remain open. The committee heard presentations on a range of budget proposals, including technical adjustments for the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement and the California Workforce Development Board, security and election-related funding for the Secretary of State, modernization and loan-backfill requests for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and multiple Employment Development Department updates covering EDD Next, UI and DI/PFL benefit estimates, workforce funding, and an EMT training reappropriation. Several items drew discussion from the LAO and committee members. The LAO generally supported technical or modernization items such as PERB’s implementation requests, GoServe’s College Corps adjustment, the Secretary of State’s security and HAVA grant items, and the Board of Pharmacy modernization proposal, but raised concerns about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s proposed $10 million General Fund backfill and interest-free loan language. For EDD, the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL benefit adjustment and the unusual structure of the document management system proposal within EDD Next, while EDD said the changes reflected higher participation and benefit levels after SB 951 and ongoing modernization needs. The Department of Industrial Relations drew the most extensive questioning. It proposed funding for legal unit reclassifications, EAMS and Cal/OSHA data modernization, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COYA reappropriation, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board timeline. Members pressed DIR on high vacancy rates, long wage theft and workers’ compensation backlogs, low collection rates for fines, and the need for clearer workload and outcome measures. DIR said the requests were intended to improve efficiency, support audits and corrective action plans, and better address emerging workplace risks, while the LAO said the workload drivers behind delays remain unclear. The hearing also included support for CalHR’s employee assistance program consolidation and CDT’s proposal to expand “Poppy,” a statewide generative AI assistant for state employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Second reading of House files. >> Second reading. House file number 1567. >> Second reading.
• House file number 3379. Introduction of bills.
• reading of House Files 3554 through 3668. >> First reading.
• House Files 3554 through 3668.
• This will allow us to get our work done on time.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• guys taking the time. guys taking the time.
• Um, and I think legislation has been filed several times that I'm aware of.
• That's a lot of time.
• That's a lot of time.
• That's a lot of time.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:04 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:29 Approval of Minutes: 00:01:50 Kentucky Buy American Act: 00:02:08 Earn As You Learn: KY Building Trades Apprenticeship: 00:30:42 Worker Misclassification in the Construction Industry: 01:02:00 Investing in KY’s Future Workforce Through the Good Business Initiative: 01:20:44 Adjournment: 01:28:28, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on October 23, 2025, approved the September minutes, and heard testimony on a proposed “Kentucky by America” procurement preference bill. Representative Patrick Flannery described the concept as giving preference in public construction and public works contracts to iron, steel, aluminum, and other manufactured goods made in the United States, while emphasizing he wanted to avoid excessive taxpayer costs and was open to changes. Chad Connley of the United Steelworkers and Dustin Reinsteller of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO supported the idea, arguing it would strengthen domestic manufacturing, keep tax dollars in the local economy, and support jobs; Connley said the bill would include waivers for items not made domestically and noted Kentucky has opted out of the GPA trade agreement. Mike Buckington of Metals Innovation Initiative, testifying virtually, also supported the concept and said Kentucky’s metals sector has seen significant investment and can supply most construction needs, while stressing supply-chain reliability and national security concerns. Members generally expressed support but raised questions about implementation. Representative Branscum asked who would grant waivers and how contractors would know the rules during bidding; Flannery said he was open to revising the language and process. Representative Gentry supported the concept but said the bill would likely need editing to avoid harming businesses or markets. Senator Nun suggested aligning the bill’s definition of a U.S. good with industry country-of-origin standards to make compliance easier. Representative KC Carney asked for data on the impact of similar laws in other states, and Connley said he could provide numbers later but did not have them on hand. Senator Boswell supported the concept and asked about the cost threshold for waivers; Connley said the federal standard is a 25% cost increase, while the prior Kentucky version used 10%, and that the threshold is a key detail. The committee then shifted to an informational presentation on building trade apprenticeships. Eric Elie of the Kentucky State Pipe Trades Association, Nick Brown of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 502, and retired IBEW training director Steve Willinghurst explained how union apprenticeship programs work. Brown described earn-while-you-learn training, with apprentices placed on jobs by signatory contractors and attending classes two nights a week for five years. He outlined the work of plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVACR technicians, emphasizing that these trades support construction, industrial facilities, distilleries, and other critical infrastructure. No votes or formal actions were taken on the policy topics beyond approval of the prior minutes.