Transcript Highlights:

• Our subcommittees continue to be the engine of this work. You are our strength and our energy.
• Our subcommittees continue to be the engine of this work. You are our strength and our energy.
• When I talk about the subcommittees being the engine of the commission, that input we have on the subcommittee's
• When I talk about the subcommittee's being the engine of the commission, that input we have on the subcommittee's

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met virtually to review and gather feedback on its annual report covering July 2024 through June 2025. The chair summarized the report’s main themes: five public meetings on employment data, benefit cliffs, developmental services priorities, health care, civil rights, and workforce stability; active work by the Disability Employment, Workforce Support, and new Long-Term Services and Supports/Health Equity subcommittees; and the second annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration with more than 300 participants. Commissioners praised the report and suggested improvements, including shortening it with an appendix, adding charts/graphs, including dates and raw data alongside percentages, and producing a more visual slide deck or presentation version after submission. Commissioners also discussed the need for clearer outcome-focused goals and strategic planning, especially given limited staff capacity. The chair responded that the annual report is a statutory requirement and that a separate strategic planning effort is underway through the executive board. She said the team would continue refining the report, incorporate feedback, and prepare both a text version and a more visual hard-copy version with photos and alternative text. The report was described as due to appointing authorities by October 30, and the commission planned to continue collaborating on presentation materials. Before adjourning, members briefly discussed the 2025 Paul Spooner Generational Leadership Summit, which was described as successful but still in need of funding for future years. The chair also previewed the commission’s first community event on November 4, a hybrid community listening session and resource fair, with about 170 registered participants and roughly 35 in-person organizations. The meeting ended with a motion and second to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• with my colleagues for a moment what it was like to watch the Artemis II launch with scientists and engineers
• The first was at about six seconds to go in the countdown, when the engines fired with a massive roar
• their journey around the moon is a test of their work, their calculations, their experiments, their engineering
• industry leaders on human landing systems and provided expertise in aerodynamics, navigation, systems engineering

Keywords: April 22, 2026 - Special Session 1, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it funds engineering review and design for two projects, one in the seven-county metro and one outstate
• That may save us just a whole bunch of engineering costs up front.
• Having worked for an engineering firm, if you give them $3 million, they'll spend $3 million.
• Having worked for an engineering firm, if you give them $3 million, they'll spend $3 million.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, and committee members for the opportunity to lay out House Bill 5008, the Texas A&M Engineering
• The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, commonly known as TEAS, is a state research agency committed
• The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station has a part of it that is called the National Center for
• Thank you for considering this important initiative. them along with their partners at the Texas Engineering

Bills: HB1654, HB1691, HB2545, HB2652, HB3799, HB4144, HB5008

Keywords: peace officers, firefighters, employment protection, worker's compensation, job security, maximum medical improvement, government employment, firefighter cancer benefits, emergency medical technicians, compensation claims, cancer exposures, firefighting hazards, workforce training, rural development, grant program, job-specific training, Texas Workforce Commission, child care, single-parent, subsidized

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:24:16.960> surface Senate file 50 state engineer surface Senate file 50 state engineer
• There's no duty by the State Engineer, the Board of Control, to approve those applications.
• There's no duty by the State Engineer, the Board of Control, to approve those applications.
• There's no duty by the State Engineer, the Board of Control, to approve those applications.
• There's no duty by the State Engineer, the Board of Control, to approve those applications.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Design and engineering funding could be appropriated upfront to start that process, and then through
• um uh effort um all of and Engineering um uh effort um all of the<00:59:10.760> permitting<00
• The Army Corps of Engineers just over the last year have been working on reconstructing the jetty.
• just over the last year have Engineers just over the last year have been<01:01:31.559> working
• Again, while you can design and engineer and build anything, really, we would be concerned about its

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:35:57.280> top<00:35:57.599> leaders, engineers, it could be top leaders, engineers
• Uh, high-level engineers, critical decision makers, leaders.
• Uh, high-level engineers, critical decision makers, leaders.
• Uh, high-level engineers, critical decision makers, leaders.
• Uh, high-level engineers, critical decision makers, leaders.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 2567, a Judiciary package measure concerning temporary restraining orders for threats and harassment tied to a public employee’s official actions. Representatives from the Attorney General’s Office and the Judiciary said they had worked out a compromise to address earlier concerns, including a two-year pilot project, broader coverage for state officers and employees across all branches and counties, a special fund to pay for private counsel in some cases, and authority for Judiciary staff attorneys or Judiciary funds to represent Judiciary personnel. Members asked about coverage for retired judges, funding limits, and whether the measure could be used for workplace disputes; the witnesses said retired judges and per diem judges could be covered if the harassment related to their work, the fund would be limited and subject to available appropriations, and petitions would not be allowed between employees in the same branch. The chair recommended passage with amendments, and the committee adopted the recommendation unanimously. The committee then heard SB 2448, which creates a civil remedy for the unauthorized disclosure of intimate images under the Uniform Civil Remedies for Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act. The bill’s proponent from the Uniform Law Commission explained that a plaintiff would need to show intentional disclosure or threat of disclosure of a private intimate image without consent, and said the privacy question would be fact-specific. Supporters, including the Commission on the Status of Women and Imua Alliance, favored giving survivors civil recourse. Opponents from the Sex Abuse Treatment Center and others warned that the term "private" could invite victim-blaming and broad discovery into a survivor’s past, while still acknowledging the need for some privacy limitation to avoid overbreadth, especially for people who intentionally distribute intimate content online. Committee members questioned whether the definition of "private" should be tightened. The bill’s proponent said the term should remain because it aligns with the related criminal statute and helps keep the measure focused on classic revenge-porn situations, while still allowing Hawaii-specific changes if needed. The committee did not take final action on SB 2448 in the portion provided, but testimony and discussion centered on balancing survivor protections with concerns about discovery and the scope of liability.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our construction area has 65 positions with 52 filled, and our engineering has 20 positions with 16 filled
• David Quintana, Chief Engineer and NMDOT.
• I'm the assistant district engineer for District 4, and I'm here to do the legislative...
• Adam Lumero, the district engineer who could not attend.
• And like I said, Adam Romero is our district engineer.

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The committee heard a District 5 New Mexico Department of Transportation presentation from Rhonda Lopez, who reviewed the district’s FY26 budget, staffing vacancies, and the status of special appropriations from 2020 through 2025. She described numerous completed and ongoing projects across the district, including roadway overlays, bridge work, intersection improvements, ADA upgrades, and maintenance projects, and also summarized STIP, TPF, LGRF, and equipment needs. Members asked about a guardrail issue near U.S. 64 in Hogback, the 5% local match for TPF projects, and the status of the New Mexico 371/U.S. 36 intersection funding agreement with the Navajo Nation; DOT said the match is secured or waived where applicable and that the Navajo agreement is nearly finalized. The committee then heard House Bill 270, which would amend the Public Works Apprentice Training Act to require contributions to apprenticeship and training programs for certain public works contracts, including highway-related work, while creating an exception where no approved apprenticeship program exists for a trade classification. The sponsor said the bill was intended to strengthen workforce development and support apprenticeship training. Contractors and asphalt industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it would raise road project costs and duplicate existing training contributions. A motion to table failed on a tie, and a later motion to pass also failed on a tie, leaving the bill in committee. Next, the committee heard House Bill 322, which would create a transportation trust fund and transportation program fund, dedicate additional revenue sources including a portion of electricity GRT and motor vehicle excise tax, and begin annual distributions for federal matching funds in 2029. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would help address a multi-billion-dollar road funding gap, improve maintenance, and provide a stable source for matching federal dollars. Some members raised concerns about the electricity tax component, its effect on utility bills, and overlap with recently enacted transportation financing measures; others supported the concept but questioned timing and funding priorities. A motion on the bill resulted in a tie and failed, leaving the bill in committee. The meeting concluded with a District 4 NMDOT legislative presentation. The district outlined its geography, budget, staffing vacancy rate, completed special appropriations, active construction and maintenance projects, wildfire-related recovery work, local government funding allocations, and equipment replacement needs. Members asked about school district uses of local funding and the impact of aging equipment and weather on maintenance costs. The presentation ended without any formal action on District 4 items, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And part of that plan is we are endeavoring to become the premier engineering institution in the state
• We our our largest producers of engineers in the state.
• I think one for the Florida engineering students are are nights and we want to continue that.
• And that's what our move towards being our premier engineering institution.
• So, for example, our desire is to be Florida premier engineering institution.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So on balance, on a macro level, the job creation engine is running well in Minnesota.
• and through this grant we provide basic skills<01:21:32.760> training<01:21:33.639> certification
• <01:21:34.440> industry skills training certification industry skills training certification
• industry certification<01:21:36.040> as<01:21:36.199> well<01:21:36.320> as<01:
• 21:36.520> upskilling<01:21:37.280> of certification as well as upskilling of certification

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers, we all really, really rely on the
• ,<00:45:35.160> structural um design engineers, structural um design engineers, structural
• engineers,<00:45:35.960> mechanical,<00:45:36.840> electrical engineers, mechanical, electrical
• engineers, mechanical, electrical engineers,<00:45:38.360> civil<00:45:38.760> engineers,<
• /c><00:45:39.920> um engineers, civil engineers, um engineers, civil engineers, um we<00:45:41.760

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, with most measures drawing either support or comments rather than opposition. HB 2395, relating to taking marine deposits for research, education, management, or propagation, received support from the University of Hawaii and DLNR. HB 2585, relating to agricultural tourism, drew broad support for its intent to keep agritourism secondary to farming, but agencies and farm groups raised concerns about enforcement, county authority, and the rebuttable presumption language. Testifiers included OPSD, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Hawaii Farm Bureau, a small farm operator, and others, with some urging clearer definitions, simpler registration, and protections for bona fide farms and hosted farm stays. HB 1728, on rainwater catchment systems, was supported in principle by DLNR, which cited drought conditions and said it deferred to counties and the Department of Health on safety and regulation. HB 1881, which would prohibit passenger ropeways on mountain lands, drew strong support from community testifiers who said it would help prevent development disguised as agritourism and protect forests and country lands. HB 1990, establishing penalties and possible foreclosure for unresolved zoning violations, received comments from the Attorney General recommending removal of AG references and more county-centered enforcement, while the Hawaii Association of Realtors warned the 30-day timeline could create problems for absent or unaware homeowners. The committee also heard HB 1712, which would expand and make permanent certain seats on the State Building Code Council. The Plumbers and Fitters union supported the bill, but BIA Hawaii requested amendments to add “licensed contractor” language, and architects and other professionals opposed the measure, arguing that increasing the council from 12 to 15 voting members would make it less efficient and harder to reach quorum. Finally, HB 2151, relating to hempcrete, was supported by a Kauai workforce development advocate and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, who said hempcrete could support agriculture, manufacturing, and affordable housing while reducing carbon and reliance on imported materials. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, and we welcome to the committee Associate Director of Engineering and Facilities Jeff Mah.
• I'm a hydraulic engineer. I'm also the associate director of engineering and facilities at the St.
• The conditions in the Mississippi River were just too dangerous for our engineering teams to get out
• Through the efforts of our historian, John Anenson, and good collaboration with the Corps of Engineers
• and Excel and and the core of engineers and Excel and hanen<00:59:42.720> County<00:59:43.480

Bills: HF1837, HF361, HF2725, HF2566, HF2744, HF1685, HF501, HF1889, HF1389

Keywords: state policy, employment, health insurance, fossil designation, public funds, community resources, Capitol Mall, grantmaking, community vitality, livability, funding, healthy aging, aging policy, older adults, seniors, elderly, gerontology, long-term care, assisted living, nursing homes

Transcript Highlights:

• > their typically from their contractor or their typically from their contractor or their engineer
• 35:18.880> a<00:35:19.280> money<00:35:19.600> suck<00:35:20.120> and engineer
• having it be a money suck and engineer having it be a money suck and then<00:35:20.680> moving
• is to system, typically their first step is to engage<00:35:48.840> an<00:35:49.000> engineering
• firm or one of our engage an engineering firm or one of our mechanical<00:35:51.440> contractors<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:05:25.200> Um<01:05:25.520> the engineering division.
• Um the engineering division.
• > state engineering support across state engineering support across state government.<01:05:48.960
• First, you know, there's emphasis on the use of AI, particularly in the software engineering process,
• <01:15:56.400> to If it takes fewer software engineers to If it takes fewer software engineers

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, reference page 42, one new WQD groundwater engineer, 1. Mr.
• 03:39.679> services engineering and technical services engineering and technical services contracts
• <02:09:01.920> The engineers office. It has 12 units. The engineers office.
• Appears on page 30, Unit 301, Surface Water and Engineering Division.
• >> Agency 037 state engineer is closed. >> Agency 037 state engineer is closed.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first would be a historic steam<01:04:33.119> engine.
• This would be a steam engine.
• And we really hope that we can get that steam engine out to Delano because that is the reason why the
• <01:08:35.440> out that uh we can get that steam engine out that uh we can get that steam
• needed, and that's how a lot of engines needed, and that's how a lot of the<01:08:49.679> small

Bills: HF2411, HF2471, HF1440, HF1393, HF1631, HF1259, HF280, HF1281, HF1459

Keywords: cultural heritage, funding, White Earth Nation, tribal community, construction, Delano, sesquicentennial, community events, fall of Saigon, Saigon anniversary, Vietnam War commemoration, Vietnamese Minnesotans, Cambodian Minnesotans, Lao Minnesotans, Southeast Asian refugees, Asian American heritage, cultural heritage fund, Minnesota Humanities Center, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, equity funding

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of money, a lot of engineering, a lot of concrete, as you can see.
• It's the Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers
• It's the Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers
• It's the Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Geological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers
• It's trying to put a collar in that thing. engineer USGS yeah all the feds I know engineer USGS yeah

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Legacy Finance Committee held its first meeting of the session, with members and staff introducing themselves and the chair emphasizing the committee’s role in overseeing Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment funds. The committee then received an overview of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund from Mary Davis. She explained that the fund receives 19.75% of the 1% sales tax, is constitutionally limited to arts education, arts access, and preserving Minnesota history and cultural heritage, and is not a guaranteed base for prior recipients. She reviewed major recipients and statutory requirements, including the Minnesota State Arts Board’s 47% share, funding for the Historical Society, libraries, humanities and cultural organizations, public media, and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. She also noted the 5% reserve requirement, reporting obligations, and a 2023 legislative directive to improve access through free or reduced admission and outreach to households regardless of income. The committee next heard from Janelle Taylor on the natural resources funds, focusing on the Clean Water Fund and Parks and Trails Fund. She said the Clean Water Fund receives 33% of Legacy revenues and must be used to protect, enhance, and restore water quality and protect groundwater, with at least 5% dedicated to drinking water sources. She described the Clean Water Council’s recommendation process and said most of the money goes to Board of Water and Soil Resources projects, with additional funding for PCA and DNR monitoring. In response to a question about Hastings and PFAS contamination, she said the legislature could appropriate clean water money if the project fits the constitutional criteria and protects drinking water sources. For the Parks and Trails Fund, she explained it receives 14.25% of Legacy revenues and is allocated under the long-standing 40-40-20 split: 40% to state parks and trails, 40% to metropolitan regional parks and trails, and 20% to Greater Minnesota regional parks and trails. House Fiscal Analysis staff then reviewed the reserve requirement and available balances, noting that each Legacy fund must keep a 5% reserve to protect against forecast changes. For the upcoming biennium, they cited approximately $327.229 million available for the Outdoor Heritage Fund, $184.73 million for the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and $133.13 million for the Parks and Trails Fund, with the Clean Water Fund total discussed earlier at about $311 million. Members briefly discussed the importance of the reserve and the zero-base nature of the funds. The committee then moved on to an overview of the Outdoor Heritage Fund and Outdoor Heritage Council from Mark Johnson and Joe Pelco, who explained that the fund was approved by voters in 2008, lasts 25 years, receives about one-third of the 3/8 of 1% sales tax, and is used to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife. They described the council’s statutory role, the small grants program for projects from $5,000 to $500,000, and the annual recommendation process, but no votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a licensed professional engineer in electrical engineering. I have about 20 years' experience.
• I'm just looking to bring my expertise and experience in electrical engineering to help maintain and
• And the fact that you've been an engineer, and I think you said you're licensed in multiple states, so
• And the fact that you've been an engineer, and I think you said your license in multiple states, you
• We saw a professional engineer in here. That's a good thing.

Summary: The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee met on May 20, 2026, with a quorum present and no minutes available for approval. The committee first heard HB 181, which would let the legislative auditor review income tax data to verify eligibility for Medicaid and, at LDH’s request, SNAP. The auditor said the work would be limited to internal data testing under sharing agreements and not disclosed to third parties. After questions about privacy and duplication, the bill was reported favorably to the floor without objection. The committee then took up HB 906 on presidential preference primaries and party nominating petitions. The Secretary of State and bill author said the measure would let major parties decide whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primaries, with 180 days’ notice to the state, and would keep party rules consistent within presidential years so elections can be programmed properly. Several senators raised concerns that the bill would disenfranchise no-party voters and give parties too much control, but supporters said both major parties had approved the approach. The committee voted 4-3 to report the bill favorably. Members also advanced HB 398, which would require the judiciary to use the federal GSA meal per diem rate instead of the current higher state judicial rate; HB 1052, which strengthens confidentiality protections for child abuse investigations handled by child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams; HB 1245, which protects witness criminal history records from unintended public release in clerk of court records; HB 202, which requires state civil service or hiring agencies to notify applicants when a vacancy is filled or they are rejected; HB 540, which requires disclosure of paid digital election advertising; HB 9, designating stuffed shrimp as a Louisiana specialty; HB 1057, extending the validity of absentee-by-mail applications for military voters from one year to two; HB 225, proposing a constitutional amendment to limit governors to two lifetime terms; HB 177, allowing retired court reporters to contract with former public employers; and HB 459, requiring disclosure when campaign materials use AI, with amendments adopted after discussion of First Amendment and campaign finance concerns. The committee also rejected an amendment to HB 1057 that would have expanded Sunday early voting in certain parishes. After the bills, the committee held confirmation hearings for James Kelly and Charles Wilkinson to the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, both of whom described education and workforce development backgrounds and were favorably received.

Transcript Highlights:

• eight police officers in Foster City, closure of a fire station in South San Francisco, one fire engine
• In addition, we staff eight State of California OES fire engines.
• Without our employees, we do not have an economic engine in San Mateo County.
• And so, you know, your economic engine of an agency, probably pumping millions of... ...economic engine
• We're developing the right, you know, doing the right engineering, the right technology, and to make

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding, which county officials said would otherwise leave the county and its cities facing major budget losses. Supervisors and local officials argued the 2004 VLF swap was intended to hold local governments harmless, but the formula no longer works for San Mateo because of its mix of basic-aid school districts and high property values. They said the loss would force deep cuts to homelessness services, rental assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, public safety, wildfire mitigation, and nonprofit partners, with examples including shelter closures, reduced police and fire staffing, and layoffs. The Department of Finance responded that the payments are not statutorily mandated, are discretionary, and are not sustainable in the current fiscal situation, noting the state has still provided more than $300 million since 2012. Members from both parties expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said the issue may need a permanent legislative fix; public commenters from cities, labor, nonprofits, and public safety organizations overwhelmingly supported full restoration. The committee ultimately held the item open and later took vote-only action to move two unrelated items on the agenda. The committee also received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment projects, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not yet an active project, while the Fell Street DMV proposal shifted from an integrated housing-and-DMV concept to a plan to relocate DMV into leased space so the site can proceed as housing. Officials said the leased-space option is significantly cheaper than building a new DMV on-site and would allow the housing project to move forward, though questions remained about timing, costs, and whether the partnership model can work. Members pressed DGS on the broader challenge of converting state buildings to housing, and DGS said adaptive reuse depends heavily on building type, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The committee also briefly discussed Fairview Developmental Center and the Southern California Veterans Cemetery feasibility study, with DGS saying both are progressing. In Government Operations items, the California Education Learning Lab asked for permanent restoration of its $4 million annual funding and a move from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, arguing that the program supports intersegmental innovation in teaching and learning across UC, CSU, and community colleges, including AI-related work. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the planned wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the interagency council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held that item open. The next item, on the California Education Interagency Council, was presented as a staffing request for four ongoing positions, with GovOps saying the council has already been set up administratively and an executive officer has been appointed.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the state traffic engineer and administrator for the Bureau of Traffic at the New Hampshire DOT.
• They're also used as a reference for engineers.
• I'm the state traffic engineer Baronis.
• Uh they're also used as a reference<00:23:52.400> for<00:23:52.559> engineer.
• Uh and also in reference for engineer.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all