Transcript Highlights:

• talk about affordable housing in Minnesota, and the Minnesota Housing just put out their annual workforce
• The enactment in statute reads, "The purpose of the program is to increase the supply of workforce and
• And these neighboring states, we have substantially similar workforce.
• <00:04:01.519> We<00:04:01.760> have substantially similar workforce.
• We have substantially similar workforce.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The discussion focused on Minnesota’s affordable housing and workforce homeownership development program, which aims to increase the supply of owner-occupied single-family and multifamily housing. The senator said his connection to the issue comes from his background as a real estate agent and his role as the Republican lead on the Senate housing committee, and he framed the goal as making homeownership more affordable across the state. Asked about the annual report, he said it showed some progress, including 123 homes built through the program, but argued that the number was far too small to address Minnesota’s broader housing shortage or rising costs. He said housing prices are climbing for both renters and buyers, and that government funding alone cannot solve the problem. The senator attributed much of the affordability problem to government regulation, including permitting delays and building code requirements, which he said make homes in Minnesota $50,000 to $150,000 more expensive than comparable homes in neighboring states. He said the state should roll back regulatory barriers so the free market can increase supply and lower prices, and he emphasized that homeownership is important for family stability, education, work, and preserving the American dream. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• students and families complete degrees that are meaningful to them, aligned with New Hampshire’s workforce
• need and because Hampshire's Workforce need and because New<00:18:07.960> Hampshire<00:18:08.440
• There’s probably a range of opportunities, whether it’s skills-based workforce training, some of our
• and what's lacking in the people that are coming into the workforce now that need to be strengthened
• what can we do and what can we Workforce what can we do and what can we provide<01:12:17.320> and

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Public Higher Education Study Committee held an organizational meeting and received an update from the university and community college systems on implementation of recommendations from the governor’s higher education task force. The systems said the task force report contained about 40 recommendations, and they have focused first on operational items while continuing to work on larger policy issues, including better alignment of public higher education with workforce and economic development needs. The committee also discussed reporting requirements under the amended law and whether quarterly reports are required or whether annual updates are sufficient unless the committee requests more. A major topic was expanding Early College and dual-enrollment opportunities. The chancellors reported strong growth in Early College participation, significant student and family savings, and state scholarship support that they described as producing a strong return on investment. They said the goal is to build clearer pathways so students can earn college credit, reduce debt, and stay in New Hampshire for postsecondary education. They also noted ongoing work to simplify admissions and transfer processes, including about 100 transfer pathways between the systems, direct-admit efforts for community college and university students, and continued development of transfer equivalency tools. Members pressed the systems and the Department of Education on direct outreach to high school students, especially juniors, so students would know they are eligible for direct admission and other opportunities. The main obstacle discussed was access to student contact information, with officials saying the issue may involve contract limits with the College Board and possibly statutory constraints on sharing data. Department of Education staff said they are meeting with the systems and vendors to determine what changes are needed. Committee members urged faster action so students and families can receive letters or other notices about in-state options, affordability programs such as Granite Guarantee, and pathways to community college and university enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• workforce housing but I'll pass on that. workforce housing but I'll pass on that.
• My last question is on workforce My last question is on workforce housing.<01:34:47.920> So
• um, program to address workforce um, program to address workforce stability.<01:49:07.360> And
• we try and address the workforce we try and address the workforce >> I<02:02:25.840> think
• continues to be a huge workforce continues to be a huge workforce shortage<02:40:25.120> crisis

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also were able to put $2 million into workforce home ownership, $2 million into the Greater Minnesota
• <00:01:56.159> $2<00:01:56.399> million<00:01:56.880> into<00:01:57.119> workforce
• <00:01:57.680> home put $2 million into workforce home put $2 million into workforce home
• <00:27:06.559> home infrastructure bonds, workforce home infrastructure bonds, workforce home
• <00:30:17.360> housing, bronze, through workforce housing, bronze, through workforce housing

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, we'll be moving on to SB 503 SD1, relating to workforce development.
• <00:28:18.640> if<00:28:18.880> the workforce development council. if the workforce
• Workforce Development Council, right? Workforce Development Council, right?
• development council, then, the workforce development council, then, you<00:29:21.360> know,<00
• Next, we have SB 1503 SD1 relating to workforce development.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The workforce is aging as we move forward. These are specialized jobs.
• Workforce is not the focus this session.
• The second pager we supplied you with is a review of this new workforce report findings.
• And a big, big, big challenge we face. workforce.
• Workforce shortages are another major concern and we've heard about that today.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• workforce, and the most direct link to that is really a strong higher ed system. within the state true
• We are also looking at how we streamline the pipeline to the workforce.
• This is not a statement about workforce, no doubt, but the gaps are there coming out of P-12.
• <00:22:58.120> initi second thing created a Workforce initi second thing created a Workforce
• It doesn't have to be a four-year degree; it could be a workforce certification.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: Aaron Thompson, president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, and Travis Pal briefed the committee on Kentucky higher education performance, affordability, workforce alignment, and budget needs. Thompson said the state has made progress toward its 60x30 attainment goal, reporting 56.2% of adults with a credential of value and a 6.4% one-year increase in credentials. He highlighted gains in completion, enrollment recovery after COVID, lower student borrowing and debt, and faster degree completion, saying Kentucky is now back to an average of 4.1 years for four-year degrees. He also emphasized that postsecondary education has a strong return on investment for both students and the state. A major theme was student success and access. Thompson described efforts to reduce barriers through test-optional admissions, the elimination of zero-credit developmental education, expanded wraparound supports, and Bridge programming for students not fully prepared for college. He also promoted Futurity, a student-facing information website, and said CPE wants modest ongoing funding to maintain it. He argued that higher education must work in a P-20 system with K-12, and that the state should better communicate the value of certificates, trade programs, and other credentials, especially for adult learners and men, who he said are underrepresented in college-going. The presentation also focused on performance funding, capital needs, and workforce initiatives. Thompson and Pal said performance funding has pushed institutions toward more need-based aid and lower costs for low-income students, but they want more base funding, more performance funding dollars, and relief from about $38 million in mandated tuition waivers. They also said asset preservation and deferred maintenance remain major needs, estimating roughly $7 billion in campus need overall. On workforce, they cited healthcare pipeline work supported by state funding and private partners, and said HB 200 continues that effort into aviation, aerospace, and defense. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the presentation, which ended with members indicating interest in further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:53:49.040> age and we know that um our workforce age and we know that um our workforce
• executive director of the Workforce executive director of the Workforce Development<04:15:52.960
• consolidation of federal workforce consolidation of federal workforce programs<04:38:16.719>
• probably referring to the workforce probably referring to the workforce program.<04:38:51.760>
• rest of them six of them workforce rest of them six of them workforce development<04:41:42.560><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• also<00:11:15.200> uh<00:11:15.360> feel<00:11:15.720> that I feel that workforce
• protections and against elimination and or reduction in workforce in this industry, in this area, is
• or the utilities workforce have either been reduced or jeopardized as a result of some of the follow-up
• Workforce or the utilities Workforce Workforce or the utilities Workforce have<00:12:19.120>
• has been severely uh um Workforce has been severely uh reduced<00:13:05.440> okay<00:13:05.959

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee held its first hearing of the 2025 session and reviewed several measures. SB 102 would restrict third-party restaurant reservation services from listing or selling reservations without a written agreement from the restaurant; the Attorney General recommended amendments to strengthen the bill against First Amendment and Contracts Clause challenges, and the Hawaii Restaurant Association strongly supported it, saying restaurants should control who represents them. The committee also heard SB 137 on electric utility mergers and acquisitions, with support from Ulupono Initiative and IBW Local 1260. Supporters said the bill would preserve state policy protections, including renewable energy and rate-making goals, and protect workers; IBW also suggested amendments, including a severability clause. The committee discussed a possible alternative approach from the PUC involving solicitation of bids from non-investor-owned utilities, and Ulupono said it would consider that idea but was concerned about preserving time for co-op formation. Members then heard SB 142, which would require insurers paying claims by check to send them by certified mail with restricted delivery and return receipt. The Insurance Division stood on its written testimony, while the Hawaiian Insurers Council, State Farm, NAMIC, and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association opposed the bill. A senator questioned whether the measure was too prescriptive and could create problems for claimants displaced by disasters; the response was that insurers and claimants usually remain in contact and that other payment methods may already be available depending on the carrier. SB 157 would ban algorithmic price setting in Hawaii’s rental market and require a public education program; the committee noted written testimony in support and comment, but no oral testimony was taken before moving on. SB 158 would create a state-owned bank implementation board within DCCA; DCCA’s financial institutions division, the Budget and Finance Department, and the Legislative Reference Bureau submitted comments, while the Hawaii Bankers Association opposed and the Hawaii Credit Union League commented. The committee also heard SB 318, which would require DCCA to adopt privacy rules for direct-to-consumer genetic testing and specify whether genetic information may be used for investigative genetic genealogy. The Office of Consumer Protection and Andrew Crossland opposed the bill, saying federal law and existing state protections already cover much of the area and that rulemaking would be a better way to address it; members raised concerns about federal changes and the need for state protections, but OCP said the bill was not the best approach. SB 332 would prohibit bundling foreclosed homes at public sale and delay finality of sales; L. Strong and written testimony supported it, citing Lahaina’s post-fire foreclosure risks and warning of investors profiting from the disaster. The final measure, SB 525, would require written notice and consent before mortuaries, cemeteries, or pre-need funeral authorities sell or recycle precious metals recovered after cremation. DCCA’s consumer protection and licensing divisions offered comments, while the Hawaii Funeral and Cemetery Association opposed the bill, saying it was surprised by the measure and was unaware of current consumer problems in the industry.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a part of the workforce that we will be discussing today.
• And if we lose this workforce, the effects will be devastating.
• If you're entering the home caregiver workforce and then you leave the home caregiver workforce, that
• doesn't go into the net workforce growth rate, which is...
• And then you leave the home caregiver workforce, that doesn't go into the net workforce growth rate,

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we have an aging population now and also we have a retention problem in our workforce, and
• This is why having this discussion in the Workforce and Labor Committee is so important to us.
• which is predominantly women Workforce which is predominantly women who<01:12:49.800> have<01
• and so I just right in in our Workforce and so I just want<01:13:05.159> to<01:13:05.639>
• a 2022 snapshot pointed out Workforce a 2022 snapshot pointed out the<01:50:48.320> school<01

Bills: HF6, HF52, HF53

Keywords: education, literacy, science of reading, school performance, funding flexibility, innovation zones, equity and inclusion, HF52, New Germany, wastewater treatment, wastewater facility, sewer infrastructure, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, Public Facilities Authority, municipal infrastructure, water quality, sanitation, sewage treatment

Transcript Highlights:

• So, our broad training does allow PAs to adapt quickly to workforce needs and definitely practice in
• <00:14:26.320> needs<00:14:26.800> um<00:14:26.959> and quickly to workforce
• needs um and quickly to workforce needs um and definitely<00:14:27.600> practice<00:14:27.920
• When PAs are empowered to practice to the full extent of their education, they help reduce workforce
• PAs are part of the workforce today, but I think optimizing state policy and understanding the role of

Bills: HB31, HB31

Keywords: absentee voting, disabled, blind, voter assistance, voting rights, SNAP, public assistance, nutritional standards, waiver, food regulation, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Effective allocation, workforce development, supply chain, research and development, or other areas.
• I also want to thank Senator Zaffirini. picked up and passed one of the workforce issues that we had
• I also want to thank Senator Zaffirini for picking up and passing one of the workforce issues that we
• My final question is, do we have the workforce needed for this investment?
• Yes, we would, kind of consistent with our mission, have workforce development.

Bills: SB1468, SB1612, SB1789, SB2530, SB2571, SB2717, SB2967

Keywords: utility systems, Texas A&M, regents authority, construction, improvement, construction contracts, trust funds, property rights, mechanics lien, contractors, trustee liability, mechanic's lien, liability, attorney's fees, windstorm insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, insurance regulation, administrative penalties, coastal counties, catastrophe year

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, another major concern that has been identified by the council is workforce concerns.
• of the workforce such as mental<00:15:20.240> health.
• One of the most urgent issues is workforce capacity. They have high caseloads.
• > efforts<02:17:03.120> that workforce um stabilization efforts that workforce um stabilization
• wanted to talk about workforce wanted to talk about workforce stabilization<02:19:45.439> a

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• income documentation to verify eligibility, creating additional administrative burden for both a workforce
• We need a trained and resilient workforce and stable systems to support these public health...
• We need a trained and resilient workforce and stable systems to support these public health emergency
• Officers Association of California, also here in support of the disease intervention specialist workforce
• As you're thinking about federal funds declining, that actually means our workforce is shrinking.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Subcommittee on Health heard an overview of the California Department of Public Health budget and several budget change proposals, including environmental health, healthcare quality, healthy communities, lab sciences, and family health programs. CDPH said its $5.1 billion budget is split between state operations and local assistance, with major estimates showing WIC participation essentially flat but food costs rising due to inflation, and the Genetic Disease Screening Program remaining relatively stable as birth-related caseloads decline slightly. Members and public commenters raised concerns and support around WIC continuity during federal shutdowns, the California Reducing Disparities Project, lead poisoning prevention, school nutrition implementation, prenatal vitamin testing, vector-borne disease work, and the hospital bed capacity registry. Dr. Erica Pond presented the 2026 State of Public Health report, highlighting improvements such as record-low all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality, an all-time high life expectancy, and the first decline in overdose deaths in 14 years. She also noted continuing problems, including rising behavioral health-related deaths among younger adults, persistent racial disparities in maternal and infant outcomes, and major geographic health gaps. She emphasized the importance of prevention, the Behavioral Health Services Act, and public health preparedness for emergencies, fires, and other environmental threats. Members discussed the need to invest upstream in prevention and to address social drivers of health, environmental hazards, and mental health. In a separate update on California’s response to federal public health actions, CDPH described efforts to preserve vaccine confidence and public health coordination through new partnerships such as the West Coast Health Alliance, the Governor’s Public Health Alliance, and the FACT Coalition. CDPH also explained how it is implementing AB 144 by posting and updating immunization and preventive service recommendations based on evidence and consultation with medical organizations, while declining some federal changes it found unsupported. Members asked about measles outbreaks, vaccine uptake, and how quickly the new initiatives might affect outcomes. The committee also reviewed the AIDS Drug Assistance Program estimate, which CDPH said would decrease because of lower caseloads and the expiration of one-time funds. Public commenters urged reinvestment of ADAP rebate funds into HIV prevention, PrEP, testing, disease intervention staff, and related services. The final and most contentious item was public health information technology systems: CDPH said Sapphire and CalReady are funded, but CalConnect, CARE, and the vaccine management system are not proposed for funding while the administration evaluates utilization and costs. Members and local health officials strongly opposed defunding the systems, arguing they are essential for disease investigation, vaccination tracking, outbreak response, and avoiding a return to manual spreadsheets and phone calls. The hearing ended without votes or formal action.

Transcript Highlights:

• and affordable home annual workforce and affordable home ownership<00:21:10.159> development<
• The enactment in statute reads, "The purpose of the program is to increase the supply of workforce and
• And these neighboring states, we have substantially similar workforce.
• <00:24:59.760> We<00:24:59.919> have substantially similar workforce.
• We have substantially similar workforce.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The program opened the 2026 Senate session with tributes to Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and others lost or injured during the interim, including Senator John Hoffman, who returned to the floor after surviving an attack. Senators repeatedly framed the session around courage, grief, civil discourse, and a commitment to govern despite heightened fear and political violence. The Capitol itself has changed in response, with locked doors, new security systems, more law enforcement presence, and new visitor guidelines. A major segment focused on Capitol security. Senator Bonnie Westlin said the Axtell report, commissioned by the Department of Public Safety, was the basis for new screening measures and identified weapon screening as the top priority. She said the goal is to create a safer perimeter for members, staff, and the thousands of annual visitors, while keeping access workable through single entry points and Evolv screening machines. She also discussed Senate restrictions on guns in the gallery, possible future legislation to ban guns on the Capitol complex, encrypted badges, internal access controls, and behavioral threat assessments. She noted some recommendations will require funding, with the Department of Administration seeking about $41 million. The program also highlighted the Senate fiscal review, described as a nonpartisan summary of the enacted budget that is being moved toward a more interactive web format. Another segment featured Senator Eric Lucero on affordable housing and home ownership. He said the Minnesota Housing workforce and affordable home ownership program is intended to increase owner-occupied housing supply, but argued that 123 homes built statewide is not enough to address the shortage. Lucero blamed regulation and permitting delays for higher costs, said Minnesota homes can cost $50,000 to $150,000 more than comparable homes in neighboring states, and said he will continue pushing for regulatory rollbacks to make home ownership more attainable.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know there's a workforce shortage in the state.
• We know there's a workforce shortage in the country, specifically in behavioral health.
• matter expertise, and then also to help support the collaboration between higher education, the workforce
• And what ECHO does is we provide technical assistance, workforce training, coordination, and collaboration
• Workforce capacity for peers and providing digital platform for data and resources.

Bills: HB1

Keywords: feed bill, legislative appropriations, legislative branch, New Mexico Legislature, general fund, legislative council service, legislative finance committee, legislative education study committee, house chief clerk, senate chief clerk, per diem, mileage, session expenses, interim committees, district staff, capitol complex, capital outlay data system, legislative processing system, redistricting, census redistricting

Transcript Highlights:

• The Center for Nursing and Workforce Studies, of course, projects severe nursing workforce shortages.
• University, WT is uniquely situated much like all of the states. regional universities to meet the workforce
• Regional universities are unable to grow enrollment to meet the ever-growing work workforce demands needed
• We talk about workforce a lot and workforce readiness, and we...
• education or workforce readiness.

Bills: HB3032, HB3434, HB3574, HB5339, HB5646

Keywords: nursing education, clinical sites, health facilities, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, legislative study, healthcare training, tuition, financial assistance, higher education, public institutions, student support, nonresident students, Texas Education Code, resident tuition, scholarships, regenerative agriculture, grants, sustainable farming, soil health, bioremediation

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to talk about how we deliver projects and the importance of our workforce, and then $1 million
• We have to have people to build our projects, and so we have to The workforce.
• But we've track but also retain the workforce to deliver our work program.
• We have actually gone out to 10 years to see what's on the horizon and projected how much our workforce
• Many people will be going home, and boy, we've got to prepare for this workforce.

Summary: The Transportation and Economic Development Budget Subcommittee heard an overview from FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue on the state’s transportation work program, with emphasis on the Moving Florida Forward initiative, major roadway projects, workforce needs, seaports, airports, spaceport infrastructure, and the role of MPOs/TPOs in planning. He said the $4 billion general revenue investment in Moving Florida Forward has been leveraged into a roughly $7 billion-plus program, with 20 projects underway and about 70% of the initiative expected to be under construction by year’s end. He highlighted I-4 as the centerpiece, describing a new procurement approach, phased delivery, and added lanes intended to provide congestion relief during construction. He also discussed a projected 38% growth in transportation workforce needs and proposed a Florida Transportation Academy and a research institute to support training and innovation. Tiffany King of the Florida Airports Council said Florida’s 128 public-use airports have about $5.7 billion in unfunded projects through 2029, and stressed that airport priorities include not only terminals and passenger capacity but also safety, security, gates, and environmental work. Michael Rubin of the Florida Ports Council said Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports now have a $195.9 billion economic impact, support about 1.2 million jobs, and generate $7.4 billion in state and local taxes; he noted that ports still have about $4 billion in project needs, including dredging and intermodal connections. Jeff Sheffield of the North Florida TPO described the value of regional, community-based planning and said his four-county TPO has helped align local priorities with FDOT funding. Members asked about whether the state is planning for advanced air mobility and “flying cars,” whether Moving Florida Forward bypassed MPOs, how long major projects take, cost escalation, regionalization of MPOs, port governance, airport governance, and the contractor qualification system. FDOT and the witnesses said the state is working on policy and planning for advanced air mobility, that Moving Florida Forward did not bypass MPOs because the projects were already locally prioritized, and that the main delay is funding rather than the planning process. They said long-range plans are updated regularly and can be amended when priorities change, and that regional MPO structures can improve coordination. The committee took no formal vote; the meeting concluded after questions and comments, including discussion of workforce training opportunities for incarcerated individuals and a motion to adjourn by the ranking member.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're focused on policy, research, thought leadership, and workforce development.
• We want to diversify and build the perinatal workforce.
• We want to diversify and build the perinatal workforce.
• We also want to be innovative in our clinical and our and build the perinatal workforce.
• We have a consortium of schools that are going to work on diversifying our perinatal workforce.

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met to discuss maternal and infant health, beginning with a presentation from New Jersey’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MiHA). Pamela Taylor described New Jersey’s statewide effort to reduce maternal mortality and racial disparities through the Nurture New Jersey campaign, a strategic plan with more than 80 recommendations, universal home visiting, Medicaid-covered doula care, hospital report cards, limits on non-medically indicated early elective C-sections, and a new maternal and infant health innovation center. Senators asked about doula certification, funding, home visiting, and how New Jersey coordinates across agencies; Taylor said the authority uses quarterly stakeholder meetings, annual summits, and a tracker for recommendations, and that community input helped shape its programs. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer then outlined Florida Medicaid’s maternal coverage and managed care structure. He reviewed eligibility and services for pregnant women, labor and delivery, postpartum coverage, newborn coverage, and family planning, noting 12 months of postpartum coverage, expanded benefits in managed care plans, and new contracts launching February 1 with more maternal-health-focused benefits, quality measures, and a new quality withhold incentive structure. Senators questioned doula certification and duplication with Healthy Start, provider access and network adequacy, kick payments, quality reporting, and whether Florida should consider broader eligibility standards; Meyer said many details are still plan-driven, that quality metrics are public, and that the agency is working on maternal-health work groups and incentives. Department of Health Division Director Shea Holloway followed with an overview of Florida’s maternal and child health programs and data. She cited Florida CHARTS data showing pregnancy-related deaths, severe maternal morbidity, and infant mortality trends, and described the Title V block grant, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the electronic prenatal risk screen, Healthy Babies, BH Impact for perinatal mental health, Healthy Start, WIC, family planning, telehealth maternity care, and the Pregnancy Care Network. Senators asked about delays in mortality review reporting, preterm birth, substance use disorder in pregnancy, WIC participation, cesarean rates, and the impact of the abortion ban; Holloway said the department is continuing to monitor outcomes, expand screening and telehealth, and use data and hospital partnerships to improve care. The committee then adjourned without further business.