Transcript Highlights:

• to essentially do what was captured in the board's motion, but to reduce future liabilities, help mitigate
• but to um reduce future liabilities, but to um reduce future liabilities, help<00:15:49.600> mitigate
• 50.800> help<00:15:51.199> pay<00:15:51.440> off<00:15:51.600> the help mitigate
• risk, help pay off the help mitigate risk, help pay off the unfunded<00:15:52.480> liability<

Keywords: Finance - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee heard an update from PERS Executive Director Higgins, who reported that the system has about $38 billion in assets, earned roughly 11.7% last fiscal year, and is about 57% funded. He thanked lawmakers for a newly passed $1 billion funding bill and emphasized that funding the existing system remains the top priority. Higgins also noted that the board’s actuarially recommended contribution is about 26% of payroll, while the system is currently receiving about 18.4%, and said PERS will return later in session with a few requested bills. Higgins addressed several policy topics under discussion this session, including return-to-work rules, first responders, and Tier 5. He said return-to-work changes are possible if the law is changed and funding implications are addressed. For first responders, he said any special treatment should be done within PERS rather than by creating a separate system, with the affected group and parameters clearly defined and fully funded. He also said the new Tier 5 hybrid plan is being implemented on track for March 1 and is projected to improve the system’s long-term financial position by reducing future liabilities and helping pay down the unfunded liability. Members then questioned Higgins about the system’s funding policy, the 30-year closed amortization period used in the ADC calculation, and whether that approach should be revisited in light of recent funding actions and changes in assumptions. Higgins said the board reviews the policy annually, that the closed amortization approach was chosen to better pay down the unfunded liability, and that the annual valuation and experience studies already incorporate recent funding changes, Tier 5, and the phased employer-rate increases. He acknowledged that a significant new infusion of funding could justify reviewing the amortization period, but cautioned against changing it too often because it could undermine progress toward paying down the unfunded liability.

Transcript Highlights:

• to require that any capital project above a certain amount have an approved master plan and risk mitigation
• 45.200> risk have an approved master plan and risk have an approved master plan and risk mitigation
• <00:18:46.000> plan<00:18:46.640> before<00:18:46.960> solicitation, mitigation
• plan before solicitation, mitigation plan before solicitation, award,<00:18:48.160> or<00:18:48.400

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 Staff Report on Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System- 00:01:09 Kentucky State Police and Finance and Administration Cabinet Response to Staff Report- 00:48:37 Adjournment-01:34:512, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard a staff report on Kentucky’s statewide emergency responder voice system (SERVS), a multi-phase project intended to improve interoperable radio communications for first responders. Staff said Kentucky State Police did not appear to have violated statutes or regulations, but the project lacked an overall master plan, clear milestones, and consistent documentation, which contributed to delays, spending issues, and deployment problems. The report recommended updating the Kentucky Field Operations Guide to reflect SERVS and noted that the project has been funded in phases since 2018, with appropriations totaling roughly $216 million across 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, while about $109 million had been spent by the end of fiscal year 2025. The report raised concerns about project sequencing and oversight. Staff said most spending was concentrated in special mobile equipment, with Motorola accounting for about two-thirds of all SERVS expenditures and the top four vendors making up 81 percent of spending. They also said a sample of Motorola payments suggested possible late payments, though they could not confirm whether interest was paid. Staff criticized the use of master agreements for a project of this size, the lack of a centralized ledger, and the absence of a documented timeline or risk mitigation plan. They recommended stronger procurement and planning requirements, including possible legislative changes requiring approved master plans for large capital projects and additional funding conditions tied to SERVS master agreements. Land acquisition and deployment progress were identified as major bottlenecks, especially in Eastern Kentucky. Staff said the project began in western Kentucky using existing tower sites, but the remaining work is concentrated in harder-to-acquire areas, with more than 95 percent of new towers still incomplete. They said the Division of Real Properties did not begin formal contract work on acquisition until October 2024, despite earlier coordination, and recommended earlier consultation on future projects. Staff also noted that the Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee had not been active in oversight, and survey results showed limited awareness and involvement among first responders. Committee members agreed that the lack of an initial implementation plan and the continuing need for funding reflected broader planning problems, and they discussed the need for a clearer end-to-end game plan rather than continuing to fund the project without a defined completion path.

Transcript Highlights:

• So injuries are part of sports and, you know, they do need to know to mitigate them.
• do need to of sports and you know they do need to know<02:23:35.680> to<02:23:35.840> mitigate
• But<02:23:36.560> I<02:23:36.720> don't<02:23:36.880> think know to mitigate
• But I don't think know to mitigate them.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first recessed for a subcommittee meeting on HB 313, which concerned an open-meetings-related issue. In the subcommittee, members discussed concerns that the bill might be unnecessary because current law already allows a person to request an open meeting in advance; the subcommittee then voted ITL on HB 313 by voice vote and closed its work session. The full Judiciary Committee then reconvened and took up CACR 6, the proposed constitutional amendment on a “right to compute,” with members debating whether the language was too broad and could create unintended consequences. Supporters framed it as a forward-looking protection for computation resources and strong encryption, while opponents said it was too open-ended and better addressed by future legislation. The committee voted ITL on CACR 6 by a 17-0 roll call. The committee next turned to HB 232, as amended, concerning the rights of conscience for medical professionals. The amendment narrowed the bill to abortion-related objections, removed sterilization and artificial contraception, aligned the abortion definition with existing state law, and reduced damages from treble damages to actual damages. Supporters said the bill would protect conscience rights, give physicians and patients more choice, and could help attract providers to New Hampshire. Opponents argued it was overly broad, unclear in key definitions, and could interfere with employers’ ability to assign staff, especially in rural health settings. Members also raised concerns about the bill’s scope and enforcement, including the broad definition of “participate,” the lack of clarity around exceptions for providers whose services include abortion as a “major part,” emergency determinations, and the inclusion of nursing homes in the definition of health care institution. Some members argued the bill singled out abortion while other controversial medical procedures were not treated similarly, and others criticized the minimum-damages provision as potentially punitive and designed to deter participation. The discussion continued without a final vote shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• establishing and communicating internal control to staff, retaining institutional knowledge, and mitigating
• retaining institutional<00:28:56.880> knowledge<00:28:57.279> and<00:28:57.520> mitigating
• institutional knowledge and mitigating institutional knowledge and mitigating the<00:28:58.159><

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:03 Summary of Staff Report on the Firefighter Commission Minimum Training Standards and Administrative Spending- 00:01:00 Staff Update on Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel 00:16:00 Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel Representatives Available for Questions-00:39:34 Kentucky State Police & Finance Cabinet Status Update on Kentucky Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System-00:52:35 Adjournment-01:46:24, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from December 19 and June 12, then received a staff report on the Kentucky Fire Commission’s minimum training standards and administrative spending. Staff explained that the commission’s current minimum training hours are 115 for volunteer firefighters and 300 for paid firefighters, down from 150 and 400 before January 1, 2023, after the commission removed elective classes not directly tied to NFPA standards. The report found the commission’s certification testing aligns fully with NFPA standards, but recommended that the commission formally promulgate regulations establishing the reduced training hours. On finances, staff said the commission complied with the first statutory cap on administrative reimbursements to KCTCS, but could not verify compliance with a second, more specific cap because the finance system does not break out program-level costs and the statute is vague. Staff recommended the commission work with KCTCS to fix that issue and suggested the General Assembly may wish to clarify the statute. After questions about reimbursement levels and investment income, the committee voted to accept the report. The committee then heard an update on the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel. Staff reported that the panel has implemented two of three prior recommendations: it revised its agency notification letter to clearly state the 90-day response deadline and added response prompts and checkboxes to improve completeness. The third recommendation, to adopt formal written procedures, remains in progress; staff said the panel plans to develop those procedures alongside its new case management system. The panel is meeting its statutory membership and meeting requirements, but agency responses to its recommendations have been inconsistent: 48% were timely and appropriate in 2022, 36% in 2023, and 82% in 2024, though only three of nine timely 2024 responses were fully complete. Staff also described the new case management system project, funded with $200,000 in one-time money, and recommended the panel consult budget staff about use of those funds beyond fiscal year 2025. They reissued the recommendation that the panel develop written procedures for case review, findings, recommendations, and annual reports. Committee members raised concerns about the lack of penalties for noncompliance, the volume and length of panel meetings, and technology barriers to reviewing cases, and one member said the panel’s findings should inform future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• do the priorities on this one yet because there is a plan with some changes in there that would mitigate
• ><01:21:07.600> would changes in there that would would changes in there that would would mitigate
• <01:21:09.199> I<01:21:09.440> believe mitigate some of the costs.
• I believe mitigate some of the costs.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those people that you sell to, our customers, are well aware of those mitigating circumstances.
• 01:33:30.159> those<01:33:30.480> yeah<01:33:30.719> those<01:33:30.880> mitigating
• um those yeah those mitigating um those yeah those mitigating circumstances.<01:33:32.400> So

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up a Senate message on HB 179, relative to hazardous waste accident fees. Members reviewed the Senate amendment, which would cap the daily non-payment penalty at no more than $1,000 per day and limit the cumulative penalty to 25% of the cost, with no additional daily penalty if the responsible party is following an agreed payment plan. Members discussed the change from the committee’s earlier version, which had allowed penalties up to 100% of the damages, and agreed the revised language was reasonable. The committee voted to concur with the Senate amendment and indicated the bill could be placed on consent. The committee then recessed SB 302, requiring background checks for solid waste facility owners, because a late request for an additional change had not yet been fully reviewed. It next voted on SB 229, relative to the sale of uninspected bison, red deer, and elk meat. Supporters said the bill would expand retail access to these meats, support New Hampshire farms, and improve food security. Members also noted the Department of Agriculture did not object, that the bill would remove a sunset and keep more workable inspection rules in place, and that the animals involved are largely from closed herds. The committee voted unanimously to pass SB 229 and agreed to place it on consent. Finally, the committee considered SB 50, establishing a committee to study the regulation of private animal boarding facilities. Members described disturbing testimony about missing, injured, or dead dogs and the lack of clear oversight, licensing, or even a reliable list of kennels in the state. They discussed possible study topics including licensing, inspection authority, standards, penalties, and protections for both pet owners and boarding operators, including disclosure of medical conditions. The committee voted unanimously to pass SB 50 and also agreed to place it on consent. After the executive sessions, the committee heard a presentation from the New Hampshire Food Alliance on the state’s first food and agriculture strategic plan, introduced by director Nicole Cardwell, with participation from advisory committee members including Rep. Bixby and Commissioner Sean Jasper.

Transcript Highlights:

• have to have the ability for our locality to have some control over these issues so that we can mitigate
• 57.119> can control over these issues so that we can control over these issues so that we can mitigate
• costs<00:36:58.960> that<00:36:59.200> taxpayers<00:37:00.200> will mitigate
• the costs that taxpayers will mitigate the costs that taxpayers will incur.<00:37:02.079> Okay,

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I urge you to consider adding one-time funding to your budget bill to mitigate the impacts of these layoffs
• one-time funding to your budget<01:55:30.800> bill<01:55:31.040> to<01:55:31.199> mitigate
• /c><01:55:31.599> the<01:55:31.760> impacts<01:55:32.080> of budget bill to mitigate
• the impacts of budget bill to mitigate the impacts of these<01:55:32.560> layoffs<01:55:32.800

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill provides the state a way to mitigate some of the pain that is headed our way. jobs and worked
• state<00:48:20.520> a<00:48:20.720> way<00:48:20.920> to<00:48:21.079> mitigate
• provides the state a way to mitigate provides the state a way to mitigate some<00:48:21.880>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We believe this will greatly help mitigate and address some of these crises before they get to the point
• will greatly programs we believe this will greatly help<00:38:09.280> um<00:38:10.280> mitigate
• > and<00:38:10.839> address<00:38:11.119> some<00:38:11.240> of help um mitigate
• and address some of help um mitigate and address some of these<00:38:11.599> crises<00:38:12.040

Bills: HF2196, HF2586, HF2187, HF2037

Keywords: mental health, emotional disturbance, terminology update, statutory cleanup, conforming amendments, children's mental health, serious mental illness, severe emotional disturbance, case management, residential treatment, outpatient services, crisis services, health plan coverage, antipsychotic drugs, medical assistance, Medicaid, foster care, juvenile court, school discipline, county board

Transcript Highlights:

• The second benefit is the mitigation of learning loss, as well as weather disruptions.
• <00:18:18.080> the change the second benefit is the change the second benefit is the mitigation
• 18:19.720> loss<00:18:20.360> as<00:18:20.520> well<00:18:20.679> as mitigation
• of learning loss as well as mitigation of learning loss as well as weather weather weather disruptions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• four-year period potentially here, so the municipalities would have time to respond and kind of mitigate
• :08.920> of would have time to respond and kind of would have time to respond and kind of mitigate
• 10.159> on<02:07:10.239> the<02:07:10.400> taxpayer<02:07:11.000> over mitigate
• the impact on the taxpayer over mitigate the impact on the taxpayer over that<02:07:11.480> period

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There were mitigations.
• testified um one uh by somebody who testified um there<01:46:05.480> were<01:46:05.679> mitigations
• they<01:46:06.400> put<01:46:06.520> up<01:46:06.639> a there were mitigations
• they put up a there were mitigations they put up a fence<01:46:07.199> to<01:46:07.440> keep

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the benefits is the bidders can identify risks mitigation strategies that will help us with our
• of problems on our projects. the the biders can identify risks the the biders can identify risks mitigation
• 28.920> uh<00:47:29.079> that<00:47:29.200> will<00:47:29.680> help mitigation
• strategies uh that will help mitigation strategies uh that will help us<00:47:30.040> with<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• scope of practice for doctors of optometry, there was a measurable decrease in visual impairment and mitigated
• visual was a measurable decrease in visual impairment<00:37:57.119> and<00:37:57.480> mitigated
• <00:37:57.920> racial<00:37:58.200> and impairment and mitigated racial and impairment
• and mitigated racial and ethnic<00:37:58.720> disparity<00:37:59.119> in<00:37:59.480>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• grant experience, or that lack thereof, you know, we have the requirement to put into place risk mitigation
• 00:41:39.480> into<00:41:39.839> place<00:41:40.119> risk<00:41:40.400> mitigation
• to put into place risk mitigation to put into place risk mitigation efforts<00:41:42.000> and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• offices of Freight Rail and Passenger Rail, and these are really to address rising cost pressures and mitigate
• 03.599> and to address uh rising cost pressures and to address uh rising cost pressures and mitigate
• c> impacts<00:51:04.920> to<00:51:05.119> current<00:51:05.480> service mitigate
• impacts to current service mitigate impacts to current service levels<00:51:06.680> so<00:51:

Bills: HF5

Keywords: tax modification, transportation funding, electric vehicle tax, Social Security subtraction, retail delivery fee, motor vehicle registration, state budget, transportation policy, 1183, house

Summary: The committee began with member and staff introductions, then heard an overview of the governor’s transportation budget recommendations from fiscal staff Andy Lee. He explained that the spreadsheet showed only proposed changes, not base spending, and highlighted General Fund and trunk highway adjustments for MnDOT and the Department of Public Safety, including operating changes, extensions of prior appropriations, increased state road construction and Blatnik Bridge authority tied to anticipated federal funds, State Patrol hiring and a metro headquarters item, aeronautics changes, and revenue adjustments in the Driver and Vehicle Services special revenue account. The main testimony came from Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle, who outlined three budget-related items: advancing funds to MnDOT to help coordinate a highway reconstruction with a transitway project, making Metro Mobility riders eligible for free fixed-route transit, and reducing the Metro Transit general fund appropriation by $32.454 million annually. He said the advance would speed delivery and reduce disruption, the free-fare pilot had been successful and could save money if even a small share of Metro Mobility trips shifted to fixed-route service, and the general fund reduction was manageable in the near term because of new revenue streams but could constrain future expansion and capital maintenance. Members questioned the long-term effects of the proposed reduction, possible impacts on safety, service expansion, and capital maintenance, and whether federal funding uncertainty could affect operations and bus procurement. Zelle said the cuts would not affect immediate operations but could limit future BRT, microtransit, and transitway expansion, while also noting that capital maintenance needs include platform rebuilds, track work, rolling stock, and station repairs. He also said the 2023 funding package had accelerated projects and that the council was opening three transit lines this year. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• not on our kids, right, and our educators or our families, though we all have a role to play in mitigating
• right<00:40:56.040> in all have a role to play right in all have a role to play right in mitigating
• :56.800> impact<00:40:57.079> of<00:40:57.480> of<00:40:57.599> the mitigating
• the impact of of the mitigating the impact of of the decisions<00:40:58.079> that<00:40:58.240

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee heard testimony on Senate File 508, a bill to restrict cell phone use in schools. Senator Mann said the proposal was based on roundtables with school districts across the state and on reports from other states, and argued that cell phones are harming student attention, mental health, classroom culture, and student-teacher relationships. She said K-8 restrictions are broadly supported, while high school policies should be more flexible, and emphasized that districts should control implementation. The bill also includes funding for education efforts around why the restrictions are being adopted and how students can use technology responsibly. Testifiers largely supported the bill or the general goal of limiting cell phone use. Dr. Anna Tyranny, a parent and licensed psychologist, said cell phones and social media can contribute to anxiety, poor concentration, cyberbullying, and inappropriate sharing, and urged a balanced approach that includes digital literacy education. St. Cloud Area Public Schools Superintendent Laori Pam and Tech High School staff member Molly Kenzie described their district’s policies, which keep phones away for the day in elementary and middle school and restrict them during class in high school. They cited U.S. Department of Education guidance, research on mental health and sleep disruption, and the need for age-appropriate, equitable, and consistently communicated policies. St. Cloud reported that its middle school policy, piloted and then expanded districtwide, led to a 50% reduction in cell phone discipline referrals and fewer classroom power struggles. The district said high school violations remain concentrated in certain grades, especially ninth and eleventh, and that it continues to address the issue through PBIS teams. No vote or final committee action on the bill was described in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Indeed, we do have a very serious shortage of court reporters, and this bill helps to mitigate that shortage
• With me here to testify... ...mitigate that shortage.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And, weirdly, the privacy-specific concerns that we have raised have pretty much been mitigated by the
• That we have raised have pretty much been mitigated by the amendments.

Summary: The committee began as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum and heard several privacy- and technology-related measures. The first item was H.R. 117, a resolution urging Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The author and supporters argued the law is outdated and shields platforms from accountability for harms such as harassment, exploitation, scams, and other online abuse. Witnesses, including a survivor parent and a gender justice advocate, described harms to children, women, and LGBTQ people and urged a two-year sunset to force federal reform. Some members supported the resolution as a call for federal action, while one member said he could not support it because the resolution was too general and lacked specificity about the reforms being sought. No vote was taken because the committee lacked a quorum. The committee then heard SB 898, which would require manufacturers of connected consumer products to disclose how long they will support the software and to notify consumers when products approach end of life. The author said consumers deserve transparency about security updates and continued functionality, and supporters from Consumer Reports and PIRG emphasized cybersecurity risks, consumer confusion, and electronic waste from unsupported devices. Opponents, including business and industry groups, raised concerns about enforcement through the unfair competition law, notice burdens, labeling issues, and compliance challenges, especially for products with long support windows or third-party dependencies. One member expressed support, noting the cybersecurity risks of end-of-life devices, but again no vote was taken because there was no quorum. The committee also heard SB 435, which would narrow the CCPA definition of publicly available information to limit how businesses classify data as public. The author and supporters said the bill would close a loophole that allows data brokers and others to monetize personal information without meaningful consent and could help prevent surveillance and misuse of data, including by government agencies. Opponents argued the bill would upset the balance between privacy and the free flow of information, create compliance uncertainty, and retroactively reclassify information that businesses reasonably believed was public. Some members said they supported the goal of stronger privacy protections, while others said the bill was too broad. The committee again could not vote due to the lack of a quorum. Later, the committee heard SB 923, which would expand Californians’ right to delete personal information to cover data obtained from third parties and require online businesses to offer a web form or similar method for deletion requests. Supporters, including the California Privacy Protection Agency and consumer advocates, said the bill would make deletion rights meaningful and better address data broker practices. Opponents sought an opt-out-of-processing alternative and raised operational and legal concerns, but supporters said deletion is not the same as retention or processing limits. Members largely spoke in favor of the bill’s privacy goals, but no action was taken. The committee also heard SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would require human review for certain automated employment decisions and limit predictive analysis in workplace discipline and termination. Labor groups supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or erroneous AI-driven decisions, while business, public employer, and local government groups opposed it as overbroad and burdensome. Members voiced support for human oversight in employment decisions, but the item was not voted on because the committee still lacked a quorum. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1114, the SOGI Data Privacy Act, which would restrict disclosure of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex data to federal agencies absent a court order or legal requirement; the author and witness framed it as a response to federal efforts to obtain sensitive LGBTQ-related data.