Transcript Highlights:

• It absolutely is and if you look at the engineering degrees that Texas A&M offers and you Look at the
• taken an interest in this project and when you look at the Coastal Bend area It's not just the engineering
• degrees of the mechanical engineering, the electrical engineering, the chemical engineering. which is
• It's also engineering technology. because that's what like the the the largest auto dealer in the states
• Corps of Engineers to not compromise navigation safety or two-way traffic vessel movement. when implementing

Bills: SCR37, SB60, SB226, SB231, SB264, SB387, SB570, SB596, SB651, SB769, SB855, SB863, SB991, SB1079, SB1085, SB1151, SB1191, SB1214, SB1243, SB1247, SB1314, SB1364, SB1372, SB1401, SB1409, SB1504, SB1522, SB1625, SB1662, SB1663, SB1728, SB1759, SB1762, SB1804, SB1818, SB1838, SB1839, SB1851, SB1855, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1877, SB1879, SB1901, SB1919, SB1921, SB1923, SB1936, SB1937, SB1968, SB1977, SB2034, SB2053, SB2066, SB2077, SB2124, SB2143, SB2166, SB2180, SB2204, SB2231, SB2237, SB2243, SB2321, SB2569, SJR39, SJR68, SCR29, SCR42, SB22, SB30, SB33, SB37, SB75, SB217, SB240, SB331, SB393, SB505, SB530, SB546, SB552, SB584, SB586, SB618, SB626, SB636, SB732, SB762, SB769, SB825, SB844, SB870, SB884, SB926, SB964, SB1080, SB1099, SB1150, SB1177, SB1184, SB1261, SB1262, SB1314, SB1325, SB1364, SB1398, SB1455, SB1506, SB1524, SB1577, SB1596, SB1620, SB1624, SB1642, SB1643, SB1646, SB1667, SB1727, SB1760, SB1789, SB1791, SB1804, SB1806, SB1851, SB1868, SB1870, SB1901, SB1923, SB1927, SB1951, SB1960, SB1962, SB2010, SB2023, SB2024, SB2037, SB2051, SB2052, SB2056, SB2066, SB2122, SB2129, SB2180, SB2183, SB2185, SB2207, SB2226, SB2252, SB2323, SB2361, SB2368, SB2405, SB2420, SB2425, SB2569, SB2717, SB2949, SB1, SJR36, SJR50, SJR39, SJR63, SJR68, SCR12, SCR39, SCR38, SCR37, SCR42, SCR29, SB1596, SB33, SB505, SB37, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB1073, SB810, SB1539, SB1505, SB583, SB957, SB1502, SB507, SB1026, SB1349, SB1433, SB1434, SB264, SB1364, SB1376, SB1585, SB1772, SB2016, SB1163, SB619, SB1122, SB1877, SB732, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB964, SB287, SB2143, SB261, SB1247, SB1882, SB618, SB393, SB2243, SB2226, SB1919, SB1791, SB22, SB651, SB1080, SB826, SB1079, SB1243, SB1504, SB1851, SB1879, SB2237, SB1257, SB2034, SB1522, SB1151, SB596, SB1191, SB226, SB570, SB870, SB991, SB60, SB1401, SB1728, SB586, SB529, SB217, SB209, SB1923, SB1839, SB387, SB1874, SB1872, SB1873, SB1921, SB1883, SB1620, SB1838, SB2024, SB2429, SB1999, SB511, SB2309, SB2166, SB510, SB2420, SB1860, SB1314, SB1398, SB855, SB2425, SB2037, SB1759, SB1924, SB1818, SB1762, SB1968, SB1977, SB2077, SB2321, SB1662, SB1663, SB2124, SB2204, SB1855, SB863, SB2252, SB1962, SB2253, SB825, SB1577, SB1184, SB2018, SB2206, SB1901, SB2368, SB1963, SB1960, SB1643, SB1625, SB1299, SB841, SB668, SB584, SB231, SB1085, SB2431, SB2231, SB1490, SB530, SB1261, SB552, SB1099, SB1646, SB2180, SB1804, SB1937, SB1936, SB2569, SB1372, SB1506, SB1806, SB1868, SB2361, SB2314, SB769, SB1409, SB2122, SB434, SB1214, SB1951, SB2183, SB2046, SB1667, SB1870, SB1727, SB2405, SB2127, SB1975, SB1760, SB1734, SB1335, SB2066, SB2129, SB2246, SB2439, SB1624, SB1244, SB1468, SB2717, SB1612, SB1262, SB604, SB2395, SB2185, SB1832, SB1745, SB1746, SB2207, SB2023, SB1784, SB1524, SB626, SB528, SB437, SB269, SB1137, SB968, SB636, SB747, SB1325, SB1789, SB1455, SB2056, SB75, SB1940, SB2052, SB1927, SB2010, SB1579, SB2068, SB3034, SB844, SB1920, SB1177, SB1558, SB1236, SB1044, SB926, SB884, SB463, SB331, SB227, SB240, SB517, SB1200, SB1410, SB1626, SB1845, SB1863, SB2216, SB2681, SB1717, SB2053, SB546, SB2141, SB2949, SB2323, SB2200, SB2332, SB2199, SB1642, SB1150, SB1757, SB2050, SB1138, SB2051, SB2626, SB2458, SB1864, SB30, SB2201, SB1862, SB1583, SB1055, SB2660, SB1898, SB2662, SB2161, SB2964, SB2881, SB1065, SB801, SB2743, SB2533, SB1413, HJR4, SB2073, SB3014, SB3013, SB2774, SB2702, SB2629, SB2443, SB2349, SB2167, SB2145, SB2121, SB758, SB648, SB647, SB512, SB438, SB1721, SB2268, SB1495, SB2705, SB2366, SB1422, SB1369, SB1013, SB682, SB2692, SB2570, SB2797, SB2111, SB1896, SB1164, SB1020, SB663, SB2371, SB1152, SB2196, SB2383, SB2581, SB2798, SB330, SB646, SB843, SB1998, SB1418, SB2788, SB1169, SB2873, SB1754, SB1534, SB1718, SB2779, SB2004, SB1143, SB1756, SB912, SB2119, SB2032, SB527, SB1580, SB1952, SB2601

Keywords: SCR 37, Senate Concurrent Resolution, Panama Canal, Texas ports, port infrastructure, maritime trade, shipping lanes, supply chain resilience, global commerce, exports, LNG, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, refined petroleum, agriculture, manufacturing, economic development, trade policy, foreign policy, diplomatic engagement

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the assistant chief engineer for the Dam Bureau at Environmental Services.
• conversation with you last week about Ossipee Lake Dam. >> That was probably Corey Clark, the chief engineer
• conversation with you last week about Ossipee Lake Dam. >> That was probably Corey Clark, the chief engineer
• conversation with you last week about Ossipee Lake Dam. >> That was probably Corey Clark, the chief engineer
• were to be approved today, when would these three... >> That was probably Corey Clark, the chief engineer

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Long Range Capital Planning and Utilization Committee first approved the March 16, 2026 minutes, then took up several Department of Transportation property actions. The committee approved a Greenland access point sale for a cell tower site to Wakefield Investments for $132,800 plus a $1,100 administrative fee, and approved disposal of two Epsom parcels to the town at no cost, with the town assuming demolition of the former depot and the committee waiving the fee. It also approved a Milton access point sale to Jeremy West Champney and Cameron McDermott for $90,000 plus the fee, with conditions requiring permits and other approvals. During the DOT items, members asked about appraisals, access restrictions, and where the administrative fee goes; staff said the fee generally offsets agency administrative costs and may go to a dedicated fund or the general fund depending on the project. The committee then considered three Department of Environmental Services requests for utility easements to bring power to dams so gates can be operated more efficiently and potentially remotely. It approved an easement with New Hampshire Electric Co-op for Pine River Dam in Wakefield, an easement with New Hampshire Electric Co-op for Sunset Lake Dam in Alton, and an easement with Eversource for Suncook Lake Dam in Barnstead. Members discussed whether to waive the $1,100 administrative fee on these items, with some questioning the fee’s purpose and where it is deposited. The committee ultimately approved the DES items as requested, including the fee waivers, while asking staff to research the fee’s history, sufficiency, and use for a future report. Finally, the committee received informational items from the New Hampshire Council on Resources and Development. Members briefly discussed a property at Bloody Point in Newington and the related Sullivan Bridge demolition, and DOT staff said the property had been tabled previously and is now being worked on with Fish and Game for a possible transfer of management and future water access use. No votes were taken on the informational items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those professionals are engineers, architects, land surveyors, and landscape architects.
• conversation this morning, too, because you, as a licensed professional, I believe you're a licensed engineer
• A licensed professional, I believe you're a licensed engineer.
• So I don't have an engineering license. I have a legal license. Okay.
• But you understand the licensing rules of an engineer and an architect and a land surveyor, and you understand

Summary: The House opened with prayer, approved the previous day’s journal unanimously, and then adopted a motion suspending House Rule 98 to allow members to wear hats on the floor. Members also introduced several special guests, including the Eugene High School Class 2 basketball champions, family members, scholarship recipients, and other visitors. One member used a lengthy personal privilege speech to criticize a recent U.S. Supreme Court voting-rights decision and warn about threats to democracy and minority voting power. The chamber then took up committee reports and several bills. It approved a motion to go to conference on the property-tax omnibus measure tied to Senate Bills 1066 and 1088. House Bill 3329, repealing expired tax credits, passed 142-0. House Bill 3405, clarifying the SALT deduction and improving tax-credit accounting, also passed 138-0. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2426, a parental-rights bill that also drew criticism over a school financial-ledger requirement and possible burdens on schools and student safety, failed on third reading 70-60. The House next passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1233, a professional-licensing bill involving CPA exam access and other occupational licensing changes, by 129-6 after adopting an amendment removing compact language and rejecting a nursing-home physicals amendment. It then passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1408, which raises the maximum rural interstate speed limit to 75 mph and, through multiple amendments, also carried a mix of transportation-related provisions including vehicle inspections, hands-free enforcement, motorcycle lighting, driver education, and specialty license plates for women’s professional sports; the final vote was 82-53. The Speaker also appointed a conference committee for Senate Bill 1066. The final item mentioned was Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill 863, described as an interscholastic athletic oversight/appeals bill, but the transcript cuts off before its final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And requires motorized bicycles to be certified as complying with certain engineering and safety standards
• requires manufacturers of motorcycles powered by an electric motor to certify they comply with certain engineering
• 37:16.000><c> comply</c><00:37:16.400><c> with</c><00:37:16.520><c> certain</c><00:37:16.800><c> engineering
• </c><00:37:17.280><c> and</c> they comply with certain engineering and they comply with certain engineering

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• refinery, I have been unable to utilize the majority of the Dogwood grant for myself to get my engineering
• Cal/OSHA positions often require a college engineering degree.
• We're already seeing medical researchers, software engineers, and project leads being programmed out
• Amalgamated Transit Union, Unite Here, the Utility Workers Union of America, the Machinists Union, and the Engineers
• if you don't mean this, if it's going to impact being able to use water quality tools by a water engineer

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with testimony largely focused on worker protections, AI, workplace safety, and employment access. AB 1697 would delay implementation of AB 692 on employer debt traps by one year to allow more time to address collective bargaining concerns; it drew support from the NFL and no opposition. AB 2495 would expand prohibitions on immigration-related threats used by employers to intimidate workers, with strong support from immigrant-rights, labor, and legal aid groups describing coercion and fear among undocumented and new-arrival workers; it advanced on a divided roll with some members voting no or not voting. AB 2511 would require DIR to study pay disparities between behavioral health and medical-surgical providers, with supporters arguing low reimbursement drives provider shortages and opponents warning of duplicative reporting, proprietary-data concerns, and added administrative burden; it was moved forward to the Health Committee. AB 2157 would make permanent the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund Pilot Program, with displaced refinery workers and labor/environmental groups supporting the bill as a needed transition tool; it passed to Appropriations. AB 2530 would require 60-day notice for public-employer layoffs, relocations, and closures, narrowed by amendment to public agencies; supporters said public workers deserve the same notice protections as private-sector workers, while some opposition sought clarification, and the bill passed to Judiciary. The committee also heard AB 2488, which would direct DIR and UC to study Cal/OSHA inspector vacancies and recruitment pathways. Supporters, including a laid-off refinery worker and WorkSafe, said chronic understaffing has weakened enforcement and that experienced workers could fill the gap; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2545 would create an EDD study of AI-related workforce displacement and safety-net impacts, with labor and tech-policy supporters warning of large-scale job loss and the need for data to plan for unemployment and other public programs; business groups opposed the reporting and task-force structure but acknowledged the issue, and the bill passed to Privacy and Consumer Protection. AB 2027 would restrict employers and vendors from using worker data to train or deploy AI systems that replace workers, while limiting collection to what is necessary for employment administration; supporters framed it as a privacy and anti-displacement measure, and opponents argued the definitions were too broad and could hinder useful workplace technologies. The bill advanced to Privacy and Consumer Protection. Later, AB 2095, the Fair Chance Act bill, was presented to clarify and strengthen rules limiting conviction-history screening in hiring, including written explanations and protections for applicants seeking promotions or new roles with current employers. Supporters described ongoing discrimination against people with records and the need for a real second chance, while opponents said the bill was too broad, added burdens, and could conflict with existing statewide rules. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on AB 2095, but the discussion centered on balancing reentry opportunities with employer concerns about individualized assessments and safety-based hiring decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lo and behold, the EPA and the Corps of Engineers showed up.
• Lo and behold, the EPA and the Corps of Engineers showed up and told them to cease and desist, saying
• This is continuing in Idaho, even though the Supreme Court said the EPA and the Corps of Engineers are
• The EPA and Corps of Engineers are not following the Clean Water Act.
• So this is just a memorial to the EPA, Corps of Engineers, the White House, Interior, and everybody we

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The House convened, approved the journal, received messages from the Senate, and processed several committee reports and bill referrals. Among the measures introduced or advanced were bills on health care, elections, school recess, controlled substances, animal protection, and working animals, along with concurrent resolutions on energy sovereignty and used nuclear fuel reprocessing. The House also moved a number of bills to second or third reading calendars and referred others to committees for printing or further consideration. On the floor, members debated and voted on several measures. House Joint Resolution 9, proposing a constitutional amendment on parental rights and education, was moved to the top of the calendar but failed to reach the two-thirds threshold, receiving 44 ayes and 25 nays. The House then passed House Bill 585 on faster mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections; House Bill 736 on ballot rotation in elections; House Bill 626 on mandatory county impact fees for courthouses and jails; House Bill 749 on annexation-related septic and property issues; House Bill 650 on federalism and state-federal constitutional boundaries; House Bill 788 creating a pilot incentive for medical preceptorships; House Bill 738 allowing LLCs to use a commercial registered agent address; House Bill 685 adding a sentencing enhancement for crimes committed while masked; House Bill 696 updating prison guard-inmate sexual contact language; House Bill 686 creating a narrow small-town nepotism exception; House Bill 670 clarifying fire district opt-outs from urban renewal districts; House Bill 734 revising wind and geothermal tax distributions; House Bill 570 increasing penalties for reckless driving in school and construction zones; and House Bill 561 restricting government display of certain flags while preserving specified exceptions. Later, the House returned to committee reports and introduced additional bills, including budget and tax measures. It then passed House Bill 692 on foster care court proceedings and access, House Bill 575 centralizing civil asset forfeiture reporting with the state controller, House Bill 562 extending the notice period for insurance nonrenewals, House Bill 810 setting residency requirements for legislative candidates with exemptions for military and religious service, and House Bill 593 removing obsolete code related to hazardous waste and Big Payette Lake water quality provisions. Most of these measures passed by recorded vote after brief debate, with several members making Rule 80 conflict declarations where they had related business or professional interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you didn't know, Dale Taylor is an engineer. And he went to Calhoun.
• And according to him, it is the best engineering school in the United States.
• the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering
• . ...of Technology in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering.
• An engineer and electrician by trade, Freeman became the man at General Electric.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the previous day’s journal by a 132-0 vote. Members then used personal privilege remarks to recognize Black History Month, honor several Black colleagues and public servants, observe a moment of silence for the late Dr. Steven Leon, and deliver a lengthy tribute to the late Freeman Bosley Sr. The chamber also welcomed numerous guests and school groups, including congressional and local officials, mental health advocates, FFA students, championship volleyball players, elementary and junior high students, and other district visitors. The House then took up several bills on third reading. The most contentious debate was over House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1663, 1607, and 1973, which removed a sunset from Missouri’s restrictions on transgender athletes in school sports. Supporters framed it as protecting fairness and women’s sports; opponents argued it targeted a very small number of students, was discriminatory, and distracted from more pressing issues. After extended debate, the measure passed 98-37. The House also passed House Bill 2682, a school-related First Amendment bill, after debate over whether it would protect hateful student speech; it passed 99-47. Lawmakers next passed House Bill 2274, the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, to make it easier for teachers to transfer credentials across states, especially for military families, by a vote of 133-13. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1883, dealing with sales tax on durable medical goods and certain auction items, passed 98-36 after criticism that it was too broad and would benefit high-end auction sales. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2085, a tobacco preemption bill that also allows localities to enforce a tobacco age of 21, passed 93-43 amid debate over local control and youth tobacco access. House Bill 2145, allowing businesses on two-lane highways to place signs across the road, passed overwhelmingly 142-2. Finally, the House passed House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution 169, which would limit state and local spending growth to prior-year levels plus inflation and population growth, with emergency exceptions. Supporters called it a way to restrain government spending and align with the Hancock Amendment; opponents raised concerns about how it could interact with future tax policy, including the proposed income tax elimination plan. The resolution was discussed at length but ultimately advanced by vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the very first... thing we did is come up with a work plan, hired a contractor, Jacobs Engineering
• So, they completed the gap analysis for us in June, Jacobs Engineering. shows a couple of the monitoring
• fire department and responding to different things, brownfields investigations, and the Corps of Engineers
• We've coordinated with the state engineers, you know, because of potential water impacts, we've coordinated
• You know, there's some of the money going to engineering firms to help do the sampling and things like

Transcript Highlights:

• That darn check engine light goes on and I might walk away with an $800 bill and the car run just the
• That darn check engine light goes on and I might walk away with an $800 bill and the car run just the
• That darn check engine light goes on and I might walk away with an $800 bill and the car runs just the
• That darn check engine light goes on and I might walk away with an $800 bill and the car runs just the
• That darn check engine light goes on and I might walk away with an $800 bill and the car runs just the

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Capillary, a senior engineer who will be speaking in support of AB 773. Go ahead.
• Joining with me is John Kapler, our Senior Public Works Engineer, whose specialty is water quality.
• Geothermal development offers not only a path to job. job creation in engineering, construction, and
• These products are often filled with harmful additives and specifically engineered to interfere with
• These industrially engineered foods are not. simply delicious.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You hold a bachelor's of science in system engineering.
• Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from
• communities, so there's more input by the industry and to those specific departments, say if it's your engineering
• Swanson, I'm a grandparent, a retired professional engineer and business executive. and a 30-year volunteer

Keywords: Texas Water Fund, water management, infrastructure funding, local governments, workforce development, community colleges, educational programs, sustainability

Summary: The meeting focused on several crucial issues, including the Texas Water Fund and its implications for development in the state. Various members highlighted the critical need for effective management of water resources, discussing the role of the Water Development Board and their strategies for outreach to local governments. The committee engaged in a thorough examination of funding projects and the sustainable financing necessary for communities facing challenges in meeting their infrastructure needs. Additionally, there was notable discussion regarding promoting workforce development and the alignment of educational programs with the demands of the job market as indicated by recent trends in community colleges.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> School of engineering, school of architecture, not a department of engineering.
• engineering, school of architect. architect. architect.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Well, they got engineering. &gt;&gt; Well, they got engineering.
• &gt;&gt; Have<03:02:01.200><c> engineering.
• We have this school that we've not told them they have to have a school of engineering.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a lot of 3D printing that I have learned is actually done in the engineering space.
• There are a lot of engineers and companies I've talked to that are really concerned about this bill and

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a lot of 3D printing that I have learned is actually done in the engineering space.
• There are a lot of engineers and companies I’ve talked to that are really concerned about this bill and

Summary: The Senate considered a consent calendar package and a regular calendar package, both described as bipartisan and unanimously supported, and both motions to advance them passed by voice vote. The body then moved a series of House bills from the white sheet to the floor calendar, with no recorded roll-call votes and generally little or no opposition. Topics included ghost guns and 3D-printed firearms (HB 2320), updating terminology from “alien” to “non-citizen” (HB 2632), inmate indigency thresholds (SHB 2539), incident reporting by private detention facilities (HB 2464), electronic notarization (SHB 2158), theater alcohol licensing and safeguards for minors (ESHB 2476), behavioral health coordination and training for schools and educational service districts (E3SHB 1634), non-compete law fixes (ESHB 1155), manufactured home rent increase notices (SHB 2452), false identification as a peace officer (ESHB 2165), permit timelines for certain special purpose districts (E2SHB 2418), life insurance lapse notifications to third parties (SHB 2428), agricultural regulatory stress and a task force study (HB 2619), ambulance staffing by registered nurses in certain transports (ESHB 2110), special education report timelines and meeting notice for parents (ESHB 2557), and siting standards for step housing, including permanent supportive, transitional, and indoor emergency housing (ESHB 2266).

Transcript Highlights:

• AT FDOT WE HAVE MULTIPLE FACILITIES FOR VARIOUS ENGINEERING DESIGNS AND MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES THROUGHOUT
• THIS FACILITY HAS DEDICATED CHEMISTS AND SPECIALTY ENGINEERS WE'VE REMAINED A NATIONAL LEADER IN MATERIALS

Transcript Highlights:

• Stratospheric aerosol injection is a solar radiation management geoengineering or climate engineering
• And in 2022, the White House announced a new research initiative exploring solar engineering, which involves

Bills: HB248, HB311

Keywords: weather modification, atmospheric pollution, chemical dispersion, environmental law, public health, improvement districts, assessment collection, property taxes, local governance, foreclosure procedures, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE ONES WHO ENGINEER, DESIGN, TEST AND MANUFACTURE THESE VEHICLES ARE THE ONES
• WHEN THE PEOPLE THAT DESIGN ENGINEER AND MANUFACTURE THESE VEHICLES SAY THIS IS NOT A PROPER USE, YOU

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, that is the kind of the engine of our office.
• I'm a civil engineer. Not my general character either, but it's my license.
• So we have several engineers running in different directions.
• So we have several engineers running in different directions across the state.
• It's not just engineers. It's public utility engineers. I think you get the point.

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:

• of breaking through that impasse and freeing up not only housing production but, um, the economic engine
• of breaking through that impasse and freeing up not only housing production but, um, the economic engine
• /c> housing production but um the the housing production but um the the economic<00:37:52.480><c> engine
• </c> economic engine of the state. economic engine of the state.
• So, if you all as policymakers hope to continue to feed this tourism engine in the Commonwealth, as it's

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:05 Roll Call 00:00:12 Discussion of Legislative Measures 00:03:12 Discussion of Housing and Land Use 00:21:58 Discussion of Short Term Rental Policies 01:03:17 Adjournment 01:15:38, 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from its June 4, 2025 meeting and then heard a series of presentations focused largely on housing and land-use policy. Senator Robbie Mills and Representative Josh Bray discussed two 2025 housing measures: Senate Bill 50, which would create residential infrastructure development districts to help local governments finance infrastructure for new housing developments through special assessments and local debt, and House Bill 7, which would let local governments identify development areas and rebate new property tax revenue to developers as an incentive for housing growth. They said Kentucky faces a statewide housing shortage of roughly 210,000 units, projected to grow if building patterns do not change, and argued that regulatory relief and financing tools are needed to increase supply. Representative Rebecca Rymer presented House Bill 371, which would require local permitting when an industry’s residual waste landfill is located in a different county from the industry itself. She said current law lets such landfills bypass local review, leaving host counties with no say despite road impacts and other local burdens. She said the bill would preserve the existing exemption when the landfill and industry are co-located, and noted support from KLC and KO. Representative Steve Doan also described House Bill 806, a statewide backyard chicken bill that would allow domesticated hens, prohibit roosters, set a minimum of six hens that local governments could not go below, and preserve local authority over setbacks, sanitation, maintenance standards, and egg sales. He said it would override outright local bans but not HOA restrictions, and cited a current Northern Kentucky dispute and ADA litigation as reasons for the proposal. The committee then heard a broader discussion on housing and land use from Charlie Gardner of the Mercatus Center and Nolan Gray of California YIMBY and the Bluegrass Institute. They outlined categories of land-use regulation, described the recent growth of state-level housing reforms nationwide, and cited examples such as ADU legalization, smaller lot sizes, reduced parking minimums, streamlined permitting, and single-stair or other building-code reforms. They argued that housing shortages are a statewide concern, that localities often have incentives to block growth, and that state intervention can reduce costs and uncertainty without compromising health and safety. Members asked about the housing shortage estimate, the effect of red tape on safety and local authority, and how state reforms could be phased in; the presenters said reforms often include lead time, can be targeted to larger jurisdictions, and should focus on reducing time and cost while maintaining basic standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we have an engineering program ... uh a um an editorial uh by a former uh a um an editorial uh by
• > engineering</c> Engineering program, uh, engineering department at Eltad.
• We serve as county engineers, saving them tens of thousands of dollars each year.
• So, I don't know how many of you have done business with the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S.
• So I didn't realize the Army Corps of Engineers owns the water and the U.S.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard an update from representatives of the Kentucky County Clerk’s Association on the transition to electronic recording and land records modernization. They reviewed the 2021 task force work, the legislation and budget funding that followed, and the requirements for county clerks to provide online search portals and complete 30-year property record searches, with a 60-year standard expected next summer. Speakers said most counties are still working through scanning and verification, with only a small number fully complete, and emphasized that verification of records is the main bottleneck because it requires staff time and careful matching of indexes to deeds. They also noted limited vendor availability, differences among counties in what records are already digitized, and that the association and land title attorneys are now working more closely on future “continuous improvement” legislation. The clerks also raised related issues, including concerns about deed fraud as more records become searchable online. They said some counties already offer notification services that alert property owners when a document is recorded, which can help owners respond quickly to suspicious filings. They also discussed the filing document storage fee and KDLA digitization grants, saying the funding structure has generally worked but that two grant cycles have been missed. Another topic was whether, once records are fully digitized and searchable, some permanent records should remain publicly accessible or be moved to a safer archive. In response to committee questions, the witnesses said the remaining delays are less about money than staffing shortages and the need for more manpower to complete verification, and they said they would follow up on the balance in the KDLA fund and other details. The committee then received a presentation from an Area Development District representative, who described the districts as regional, nonpartisan service organizations that help cities and counties pool resources, provide technical assistance, and leverage public and private partnerships. He highlighted examples of regional cooperation, including veterans-directed care and other shared programs, and argued that the districts create efficiencies and economies of scale for local governments and the state. No votes or formal actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.