Transcript Highlights:

• I<01:19:33.280> pick<01:19:33.560> the long as I pick the long as I pick the candidates
• 35.840> if<01:19:35.960> you're<01:19:36.159> forced<01:19:36.560> to candidates
• because if you're forced to candidates because if you're forced to choose choose choose between<01:19
• get information on their school district elections and was struggling to try to find out who the candidates
• were 10 days after the filing period had ended for that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing opened on House Bill 192, which concerns the Joint Committee on Employee Classification process for state employee positions. Representative Peter Schmidt explained that the bill is a procedural step to send already-reviewed classifications to Korn Ferry and then into statute and the budget. Department of Corrections staff and Commissioner Helen Hanks testified that one Deputy Director of Medical Services position had been omitted from the bill by mistake even though it had already gone through the JCEC process, and they asked for an amendment to add it. Hanks clarified that the position is an existing classified job being converted to unclassified status, not a new position. The committee discussed how the amendment would work and the quorum requirements for the JCEC, then closed the hearing on HB 192 after no further testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 435, sponsored by Representative Don McFarland, which would clarify professional engineering licensure law. McFarland said the bill is intended to make clear that work in IT security, electronics, digital systems, computing, and software is not the practice of engineering requiring a professional engineer license, while preserving licensure requirements for fields such as civil, structural, and building-related engineering. He said he had consulted with the American Council of Engineering Companies and that the bill is meant to remove ambiguity and legal risk, not deregulate engineering. Several members with engineering backgrounds spoke in support, describing the distinction between licensed PE work and other technical fields, and one member noted that software development and regulated software work typically do not require a PE license. The committee voted ought to pass on HB 435 by a roll call of 16-0 and placed it on consent. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 210, which would create a commission to study the New Hampshire state flag. Representative Tom Corman argued that the current flag is a generic “state seal on a blue bedsheet” and does not meet common vexillological design principles such as simplicity, meaningful symbolism, limited colors, and distinctiveness. He said the proposed commission would include legislative members plus representatives of the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New England Vexillological Association, and would review the flag’s history and recommend whether to redesign it and how to do so. He also indicated he intended to add language to avoid costs, but the bill discussion was not completed in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, there's already, in statute laws, that prohibit contributions to candidates from foreign nationals
• So we know that schools have to file it by September 1, but there's no date requiring when the commissioner
• So we know that schools have to file<00:51:05.280> it<00:51:05.440> by<00:51:05.599>
• 51:06.000> 1,<00:51:06.240> but<00:51:06.480> there's<00:51:06.720> no file
• it by September 1, but there's no file it by September 1, but there's no date<00:51:07.760> requiring

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're unable to file our claim.
• That 2% difference amounted to about 6,000 less paper filings per month. >> Okay. 48,000 paper filings
• filing mandates for larger taxpayers. filing mandates for larger taxpayers.
• That 2% uh electronic filing to 91%.
• paper filings per month. paper filings per month.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are at the Platinum level of transparency through Candid, which is formerly known as GuideStar, and
• We are at the Platinum level of transparency through Candid, which is formerly known as GuideStar, and
• Yeah, just a question for you, um, relating to House File 10.
• You said, I will demand that it, meaning House File 10, comes back here, Higher Education Committee,
• And you did say that you would bring House File 10 back to this committee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Did you want to go and file? Senator, thank you so much for your patience.
• Did you want to go in file order?
• Please send your file here. I want to get out of here. I know we all do.
• Do you want to go in file order? Sure. Okay, so then, are you testifying on 938? Okay, great.
• Do you want to go in file order? Sure. Okay, so then, are you testifying on 938? Okay, great.

Summary: The committee heard several public safety bills and took testimony on each, with members often noting amendments and continuing negotiations. SB 1009 by Senator Becker would require juvenile courts to find that less restrictive alternatives are unsuitable before ordering detention, and would require periodic review of continued detention and consideration of alternatives at disposition. Supporters argued it would reduce unnecessary youth detention and improve transparency; probation, judges, and police groups opposed it as an undue limit on judicial discretion and potentially unsafe in serious cases. The chair said he would recommend an aye with amendments, but the bill was held pending quorum and later remained on call. SB 1130 by Senator Gomez Reyes would update privacy law for wearable recording devices such as smart glasses, requiring consent before recording in places where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy and banning devices or accessories designed to defeat recording indicators. Supporters said the bill addresses secret recording and invasive surveillance; opponents from tech and hospitality groups sought clarification to avoid unintended liability for businesses and exempt workplace communication devices. Members discussed those exemptions, and the chair recommended an aye, but the measure also remained on call. Senator Blake Spear presented SB 99, which would let courts consider military protective orders in domestic violence proceedings and require better communication between civilian law enforcement and military authorities. Supporters from the Department of Defense, local officials, and military representatives said it would close protection gaps for military families; the ACLU opposed it on due process grounds because MPOs are issued without judicial process. The chair and author emphasized that the bill only allows consideration of MPOs and does not require civilian enforcement of them. The bill passed out on a vote, though it remained on call for additional members. The committee also heard SB 937 by Senator Gonzalez, restricting flashbang use for crowd control and banning flashbangs and explosive breaching charges in immigration enforcement, and SB 1022, creating a statewide anti-trafficking task force. SB 937 drew support from civil rights and community groups and opposition from police and sheriffs over the use-of-force standard and limits on tactics; it passed out on a vote but remained on call. SB 1022 was supported by survivor and faith groups and opposed by public defenders and sex worker advocates who raised concerns about racial disparities and enforcement harms; it also passed out on a vote. Later, SB 1395, extending criminal protective orders for certain felony sex offenses against minors up to 20 years, and SB 1230, increasing penalties for repeat illegal dumping, were both heard with mixed testimony and were held on call after committee votes. The committee also adopted a consent calendar and several bills were moved forward with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and even though compensation is a real barrier, because we do recruit from a national pool of candidates
• You know, we have, to be candid, a couple of specialty kinds of recruitment where the positions have

Bills: SB4, SB7, SB9, SB17

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare, medical education, salaries, graduate education, clinician pay, health sciences, education funding, faculty salary, University of New Mexico, healthcare funding, general fund, state budget, New Mexico legislation, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, 996

Transcript Highlights:

• evaluate judges, and it does not restrict the board chairman from recommending other qualified candidates
• EVALUATE JUDGES, AND IT DOES NOT RESTRICT THE BOARD CHAIRMAN FROM RECOMMENDING OTHER QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The third question is, I have been talking to a number of board members and board member candidates in
• And also on education, which we just started, and we're holding community forums for the candidates and

Transcript Highlights:

• Development grant, extending that grant will continue to support TK and state preschool teacher candidates
• complete the required education and activity, which, you may not know, can only be paid for as a candidate

Summary: The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start. Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay. The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• helped us discover is someone who shows initiative as a phlebotomist is automatically thought of as a candidate
• Immediately thought of as a candidate for a certified nurse assistant, for possibly a licensed vocational

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, right now there are three open positions for every single quantum-qualified candidate, and
• Only in the world that our PhD candidates are interning with and working with.

Transcript Highlights:

• File 2023.
• The secretary will read the House file number. House File 3022.
• House will read the house file number. House file<00:09:41.600> number<00:09:41.920> 3022.
• file number 3022. file number 3022.
• language of Senate File 2082.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We estimated when we filed the Affordable Homes Act that it would create or preserve about 65,000 units
• So that number probably needs to be adjusted based on today's realities versus when the bill was filed
• that yeah no I think you're exactly right there's still a lot more work to do we estimated when we filed
• The City of Boston decided to file a lawsuit with Kings County and Washington and other jurisdictions
• The City of Boston decided to file a lawsuit with Kings County and Washington and other jurisdictions

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing opened its second hearing of the session with remarks from Chairs Haggerty and Cyr emphasizing that the hearing was a broad look at Massachusetts’ housing crisis rather than a single bill. They highlighted topics including zoning, permitting, rental assistance, public housing, homelessness prevention, and housing production. The first witness, Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Augustus, reviewed implementation of the Affordable Homes Act and the state’s new housing plan, citing a 1.6% vacancy rate, a projected need for 222,000 new homes over 10 years, and ongoing efforts such as ADUs by right, fair housing enforcement, eviction record sealing, seasonal communities planning, and new funding for affordable housing, public housing, and the Momentum Fund. He also discussed infrastructure support for municipalities, technical assistance for ADUs, and concerns about possible federal funding cuts. Committee members questioned the secretary about ADU financing and technical assistance, the likely unit yield from the Affordable Homes Act, infrastructure barriers in suburban and rural communities, public housing waitlist management, supportive housing, and federal budget risks. MassNAHRO then testified that public housing authorities are facing rising operating and capital costs, a statewide waitlist nearing 300,000, and uncertainty over federal Section 8 and HUD funding. Witnesses described recent state support for operating subsidies, capital improvements, vacancy turnover teams, and resident service coordinators, while warning that proposed federal cuts could sharply affect voucher issuance and agency operations. CDAC’s executive director Roger Herzog described the agency’s role as a quasi-public source of early-stage financing and technical assistance for nonprofit housing developers, noting its loan capital, supportive housing bond programs, home modification loans, and preservation work under Chapter 40T. He said CDAC has helped produce or preserve more than 55,000 units and stressed the importance of patient capital and preservation tools. CHAPA CEO Rachel Heller urged the committee to focus on production, preservation, planning, and political will, supporting goals for affordability, supportive housing, and homeownership, and endorsing policy changes such as YIGBY, clearer site plan review rules, stronger fair housing funding, and more support for vouchers and public housing. MassHousing then outlined its financing role, including mortgage lending, down payment assistance, the Community Climate Bank, and the Momentum Fund, while noting that permitting delays, capital gaps, and possible federal changes could affect production. Members also asked about transparency, prevailing wage compliance, and a recent internal restructuring related to diversity and business engagement.

Transcript Highlights:

• every department in the state and file every department in the state and file 91<01:00:58.799>
• ,<01:03:51.200> charges such as no charge was filed, charges such as no charge was filed,
• Where's the one that was in your file to start? ...the one that was in your file to start?
• Um it's Oh, I had it in my file. Um it's Oh, I had it in my file.
• there's no need to file that form 990. there's no need to file that form 990.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FamilyCare and SNAP beneficiaries out of these programs due to paperwork overload, administrative filing
• Hoffman, you said it was not pre-filed? Is that your question? No product. Okay.
• That word is thrown around from every school board candidate all the way up to the governor.
• Every candidate talks about transparency. There was nothing transparent about this allocation.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill that Representative Phillips and I have filed, again, this term, and is before the committee
• One question from me is: Is this the version filed, the version that passed the Senate last session?
• First of all, I believe this bill was filed almost 20 years ago.
• We have filed detailed comments.
• We have filed written comments opposing the bill, but we think this bill is actually quite good.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a heavily attended hybrid hearing focused primarily on plastics reduction bills, along with a few local and related waste-management measures. Chair Rauch and Chair Barber outlined strict testimony rules because of the large number of speakers. Before the plastics docket, the committee heard support for a local Sharon sewer-extension bill for a Sunrise Senior Living project, and the bill’s proponents said the project would help address senior housing needs and would still require MWRA and local approvals. The chairs also noted a separate local matter involving Sharon and the MWRA. A major portion of the hearing centered on the Plastics Reduction Act and related bills addressing single-use plastics, including plastic bags, polystyrene, black plastic, plastic beverage bottles, non-flushable wipes, skip-the-stuff provisions, and truth-in-labeling. Sponsors and supporters said the bills would reduce litter, microplastics, greenhouse gas emissions, and municipal waste costs, while creating statewide consistency and supporting environmental justice communities. Several speakers cited local bans already adopted by many Massachusetts cities and towns, and many urged the committee to advance comprehensive statewide action. The committee also heard testimony on a boat wrap recycling bill, a mattress recycling bill, and a bill to prohibit hotels from providing small plastic toiletries. Municipal officials and waste professionals supported extended producer responsibility for paint and labeling for non-flushable wipes, saying these measures would shift costs away from cities and towns and reduce strain on wastewater systems. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, Mayor Ruth Ann Fuller of Newton, and a Franklin County waste official all backed paint EPR and wipes labeling. Fire Chief Brian Nardelli testified for the Fire Chiefs Association in support of lithium-ion battery legislation, citing fire safety and disposal concerns. Other speakers, including environmental groups, local activists, and business representatives, supported bag and polystyrene bans, though the Retailers Association of Massachusetts urged any bag policy to be truly statewide and said any bag fee should be retained by retailers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, I mean, you have around, what, 10,000 bills filed? I used to work at the legislature.
• All we have is your bill that was filed.
• Who asked you to file this bill? Nobody. Nobody. Thank you. I think that was a compliment.
• , which they can now file twice a year.
• Committee members, and thank you, Chairman Metcalf, for filing this bill.

Bills: HB45, HB755, HB 1232, HB1555, HB2460, HB2702, HB2973, HB3120, HB3225, HB3314, HB3356, HB3371, HB3634, HB3638, HB4247, HB4283, HB4290, HB4302, HB4503, HB4511, HB4565, HB4581, HB4627, HB4632, HB4660, HB4668, HB4960, HB5042, HB45

Keywords: housing, affordable housing, rent control, landlord-tenant laws, housing rights, lobbying, public entities, expenditures, government code, transparency, Texas Ethics Commission, government regulation, lobbying restrictions, government accountability, taxpayer money, HB 1232, whistleblower, whistleblower protection, public employee, retaliation

Transcript Highlights:

• know, we pass the filing period for November<00:38:46.480> of<00:38:46.640> 2026.
• The LSR is what he said. >> The LSR filed by Senator Innis. >> I got it.
• The LSR is what he said. >> The LSR filed by Senator Innis. >> I got it.
• The LSR is what he said. >> The LSR filed by Senator Innis. >> I got it.
• by rep by Senator >> the the the LSR filed by rep by Senator Inis.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on reviewing and amending draft minutes and then discussing a draft report on SAU consolidation and school administration efficiency. Members first corrected a disputed statement in the minutes about who starts charter schools, and agreed to mark it as disputed. They also noted a donation figure mentioned in the meeting but not reflected in the notes, and then approved the minutes as amended. The committee then reviewed supporting materials, including a Census Bureau education spending table and a 1993 report on eliminating SAUs. The chair argued New Hampshire ranks very high in administrative spending and used that as evidence for reducing administrative costs. Other members pushed back, noting that education costs are largely borne locally and that the committee should stay focused on its charge. Several members also objected to characterizations of SAU boards and to relying heavily on an old report or on the School District Governance Association’s proposal. The draft report itself drew repeated edits. Members objected to language suggesting the testimony from associations was simply that change was not needed, and proposed more neutral wording about concerns over the impacts of changes. There was also disagreement over a proposed model in which a county-level school administrator would be elected; some members said that would be inappropriate and premature, while others argued the committee had not yet fully developed a consolidation model. The discussion ended with a call from some members for more time and for a future joint legislative committee to continue refining any proposal before legislation is introduced.

Transcript Highlights:

• FLORIDA'S NCLEX FIRST TIME PASS RANKING AMONG US CANDIDATES HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY NEAR THE BOTTOM FOR

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to be candid and admit that there lacks understand what it is what to look for the signs the factors

Keywords: 988, house, all