Transcript Highlights:

• pay the gas tax. pay the gas tax.
• regular drivers pay. regular drivers pay.
• we all pay.
• :42:23.600> me pay me now or pay me pay me now or pay me later.<03:42:25.439> And<03:42
• . pay. pay.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So how much do you pay or do your members pay? It, it depends. It's a class system.
• I'm sorry, I don't have that right in front of me, but we're typically my bigger producers, we're paying
• They're paying $100. So, we're talking about the difference of about $50 per year. Yes. Right. OK.
• It'll cost you for every 30 dozen that you sell, it costs you 4 cents to pay into that fee.
• that special registration fee, which then pays for the program.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:28:55.600> for provided that the state would pay for provided that the state would pay
• As Representative Weyler said, the employees are paying what the state used to pay.
• The, as Representative Weyler said, the employees are paying what the state used to pay.
• Representative Wiler said the employees are paying what the state used to pay.
• more, had to pay more as a result of the state not willing to pay employer contributions, that was an

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee met on October 30 to act on a series of bills that had been considered during the budget process, with many being recommended for inexpedient to legislate because their funding or policy language had already been handled in House Bill 2. Early actions were largely unanimous. House Bill 54, allowing alternate treatment centers to operate for profit, was recommended ought to pass and was approved 25-0, then placed on the consent calendar because it carried no appropriation. House Bill 97, a wastewater and infrastructure appropriation, was recommended inexpedient to legislate because its funding had been replaced in HB 2; Representative Rum opposed the motion and argued the grant funding helps local taxpayers and housing development, but the committee adopted ITL 14-11, with a minority report to follow. House Bill 111, dealing with the right-to-know ombudsman, was also unanimously recommended ITL because the budget had already made related reforms. The committee then took up House Bill 164, and adopted Amendment 225-2979H, which appropriates $150,000 in FY 2027 to the Secretary of State’s Division of Archives and Records Management for a local government records manager position. The amended bill was then recommended ought to pass as amended and approved 25-0. House Bill 197, the Property Tax Relief Act, drew the most extended debate. Supporters said it would restore a state contribution to retirement costs for local employers and provide property tax relief, while opponents argued the earlier change was largely offset by employee contribution increases and other retirement-system adjustments. The committee ultimately adopted ITL 14-11, and a minority report was requested. The committee also acted on House Bill 215, a landfill-related bill. Members explained that most of its language had been included in HB 2 but was removed in conference, so the bill was retained and amended to apply more narrowly to new landfills. Amendment 2025-2970H was adopted unanimously, and the bill was then recommended ought to pass as amended by a 25-0 vote. House Bill 216, which would change retirement eligibility rules for certain workers injured on the job, was recommended inexpedient to legislate after its sponsor said the fiscal impact was too uncertain to support. Finally, House Bill 219 received Amendment 2025-2988H to change its effective date to July 1, 2027, and discussion began on the bill’s broader purpose of returning about $5.7 million annually from RPS funds to ratepayers.

Transcript Highlights:

• When an account is closed, the fee to start service and pay a large deposit can be financially crippling
• You can both come up to the front if you want.
• You can both come up to the front if you want, wherever you want. And you'll each have two minutes.
• The people who pay the highest price are often children, seniors, people with disabilities, low-income
• You know, I think the way that I see this bill is really encouraging a front-loading of community input

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mandatory deposits and strict payment deadlines: 5% deposit up front, full payment within 30 days.
• It's always an honor to be in front of all of you.
• They should go back to how it was, tradition in front of the courthouse steps.
• And that was it in order to pay for the HOA fees. But once again...
• And that was it in order to pay for the HOA fees.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum and first approved SPB 7014, which terminates the state court system’s mediation and arbitration trust fund; staff noted the fund has no current balance and that filing fees were already redirected in 2011. The bill was reported favorably as a committee bill without objection. The committee then took up CS/SB 48 on alternative judicial procedures for foreclosure sales. Senator Garcia described it as a response to reported abuses in Miami-Dade County, adding longer sale timeframes, stronger notice requirements, rules for alternative sale methods, online auction authorization, and consumer protections for surplus funds. After adopting a technical amendment, members raised concerns about whether the bill was codifying a process they believed should remain with clerks of court and about the new online auction provisions; Senator Garcia ultimately moved to temporarily postpone the bill. Members also approved CS/SB 322, creating a nonjudicial process for sheriffs to remove unauthorized persons from commercial property, and CS/SB 138, which revises DUI-related language from “intoxicating” to “impairing” and allows judicial circuits to create DUI diversion programs. CS/SB 138 drew opposition from some members and testimony from cannabis advocates and defense lawyers who argued the catch-all language was too broad and could sweep in lawful medications or create testing and expungement issues, but it still passed. The committee further reported favorably SB 130 on wrongful incarceration compensation, extending filing deadlines and removing restrictive bars to compensation, and SB 234, which strengthens penalties for violent resistance against law enforcement officers and clarifies that such resistance can lead to life imprisonment if it results in an officer’s death. Both bills received supportive testimony, though SB 234 also drew concerns from defense lawyers about removing language tied to lawful duty and good faith; the sponsor said the bill preserves defenses while focusing on violent resistance. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• things for life and your pay is so high. things for life and your pay is so high.
• questions if those people were in front questions if those people were in front of<01:37:22.320>
• front of the New front of a committee in front of the New Hampshire<02:06:22.719> legislature
• that's not what I'm here to do in front that's not what I'm here to do in front of<02:06:37.599>
• <04:33:52.719> a know, if they're say they're paying a know, if they're say they're paying

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then they'll pay court cost and everything. Okay.
• They pay for your time there.
• They will be paying for their way through the academy.
• They pay for your time there.
• They will be paying for their way through the academy.

Bills: HB461, HB465, HB469, HB473, SB94, SB303, HB461, HB465, HB469, HB473, SB94, SB303

Keywords: fundraising, Alabama Educational Television, state authority, public broadcasting, legislation influence, emergency management, public funds, educational materials, promotional materials, state agency, ambulance services, balance billing, health insurance, emergency transportation, reimbursement rates, water recreation, public access, water bodies, recreational use, water commissions

Transcript Highlights:

• the court to award our attorney's fees to pay us back that $12,000.
• Sorry, I don't have that information in front of me. Yes, I'd appreciate that.
• I mean, do you pay, I'm assuming you pay high attention to the level of development of artificial intelligence
• It's two pages, but it is printed front and back because that's efficient.
• I don't know that I have that number in front of me right now.

Bills: HB512, HB2248, HB2679, HB2832, HB3112, HB3368, HB3490, HB3512, HB3623, HB3666, HB3700, HB3711, HB3770, HB3963

Keywords: grievance procedures, state agency, employee rights, workplace regulations, employment law, employees, employment actions, appeal, state employees, workplace rights, disciplinary actions, employment conditions, employment disputes, job protections, public information, transparency, government accountability, information access, notification requirements, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:10.600> reflecting retirement uh military pay reflecting retirement uh military pay
• <00:20:18.960> that pay that pay that in<00:20:20.640> when<00:20:20.799> we<00:
• <00:36:31.800> as off the website advised me to pay as off the website advised me to pay as
• If not, your vision is not going to be accomplished. pay for it they won't seek it and it pay for it
• <02:12:11.159> attention notices uh closely and paying attention notices uh closely and paying

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• paying paying off<00:13:11.720> um<00:13:12.440> the<00:13:12.560> other<00:13:
• I tell my students every day, I am the teacher in front of you right now that graduated from Washburn
• Paying for school was difficult, but it was one of those things where it was an investment, so here I
• Paying for school was difficult, but it was one of those things where it was an investment, so here I
• of a group of legislators where front of a group of legislators where many<00:38:07.240> of<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee did not get to the planned testimony on attendance and excessive unexcused absences, but instead heard from Minnesota’s Superintendent of the Year and Teacher of the Year. The chair opened by noting the committee was short on time, introduced the idea of hearing from the two award recipients, and briefly referenced a question he likes to ask students about what book every high school student should read. Superintendent Putnam of St. Cloud Area Schools then testified about the superintendent-of-the-year selection process, his district’s work, and the community context in St. Cloud. Putnam described the award as a community honor and said his leadership is guided by authenticity, transparency, and hope. He highlighted district efforts to improve attendance and enrollment, expand community engagement, create family advocate and inclusive decision-making structures, and support students through partnerships and wraparound services. He also discussed district demographics and needs, including food insecurity, IEPs, multilingual services, and homelessness, and noted initiatives such as preschool partnerships, an ambulance bay, school safety improvements, and two full-service community schools funded in part by a federal grant. In response to member questions, he said PSO enrollment had not been a major issue in St. Cloud, explained that student jobs and responsibilities help improve attendance and engagement, and urged lawmakers to be curious and avoid assumptions about public schools. The committee then heard from Tracy Bird, Minnesota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and a ninth-grade English teacher at Minneapolis Washburn. Bird shared his personal path into teaching, including earlier school struggles, work in finance, and encouragement from a principal who saw his potential. He described the nomination and selection process for Teacher of the Year and said his classroom is shaped by student energy, high expectations, and the realities of a diverse school community with both high mobility and affluent students. He emphasized that students are more engaged when they feel part of something larger than themselves and said his district’s work includes giving students meaningful jobs and responsibilities. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Investment into the fair, which the legislature has so graciously done, is really paying off.
• I don't have that in front of me, but I could get you those pricing. All right.
• So we basically, as an agency, have to front those expenses that year.
• So it can be a million dollars or more that we basically have to front that expense.
• Means that next year we'll be in a position of not being able to front those expenses.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bring your point of order down front. The point of order is withdrawn.
• The member at the front, Mike, may answer the questions.
• Please bring your point of order down front. Mr. Speaker, for what purpose?
• Well, my understanding and I don't have the language directly in front of me.
• bid a contract with your HOAs to pay them to patrol your neighborhood more often.

Bills: HB25, HB48, HB149, HB254, HB26, HB192, HCR3, HCR4, HCR5, HCR6, HCR8, HCR14, HCR16, HR1, HR2, HR3, HR4, HR6, HR7, HR8, HR9, HR12, HR11, HR13, HR14, HR15, HR16, HR20, HR22, HR23, HR24, HR25, HR26, HR27, HR28, HR29, HR30, HR31, HR32, HR33, HR45, HR48, HR49, HR51, HR52, HR55, HR56, HR57, HR59, HR60, HR61, HR62, HR63, HR64, HR65, HR66, HR70, HR71, HR72, HR74, HCR2, HCR7, HR10, HR21, HR35, HR36, HR37, HR38, HR39, HR40, HR42, HR43, HR44, HR46, HR47, HR50, HR53, HR54, HR67, HR69, HR75, HCR 5, HCR 6, HCR 8, HCR 14, HCR 16, HR 1, HR 3, HR 4, HR 6, HR 7, HR 8, HR 9, HR 12, HR 11, HR 13, HR 14, HR 15, HR 16, HR 20, HR 22, HR 23, HR 24, HR 25, HR 26, HR 27, HR 28, HR 29, HR 30, HR 31, HR 32, HR 33, HR 45, HR 48, HR 49, HR 51, HR 52, HR 55, HR 56, HR 57, HR 59, HR 60, HR 61, HR 62, HR 63, HR 64, HR 65, HR 66, HR 70, HR 71, HR 72, HR 74, HCR 7, HR 10, HR 21, HR 35, HR 36, HR 37, HR 38, HR 39, HR 40, HR 42, HR 43, HR 44, HR 46, HR 47, HR 50, HR 53, HR 54, HR 67, HR 69, HB 25, HB 48, HB 149, HB 254, HB 26, HB 192

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert

Transcript Highlights:

• And then run up front and turn over the gavel to Representative Olson.
• So I, Chair Weston, really did want to bring this up in front of the committee.
• But then CCAP can go to pay for others who would need it, and there's no incentive for keeping a wage
• Nobody should sit in front of the public and shed tears in vain. That's why I have this amendment.
• The document that we all have in front of us is a signed fiscal agreement.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras

Transcript Highlights:

• then you also have the farmers and ranchers that are getting headwinds at them on many different fronts
• could you talk about how participating in programs like SNAP or Medicaid, this is going to be right in front
• much has happened in the food industry where, in order to make a lot of profit, the enterprise has to pay
• Federal funding that supports these meals must cover the cost of purchasing food, paying for labor and
• They do pay the price, and knee problems, hip problems, et cetera.

Bills: SB222

Keywords: whole milk, school lunch, school meals, National School Lunch Program, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Child Nutrition Act, USDA, nutrition standards, dairy, nonfat milk, low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, nondairy beverages, plant-based milk, milk substitution, parental consent, legal guardian, food allergies, allergic reaction

Summary: This meeting of the committee focused primarily on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, S222, which aims to permit schools to offer a fuller range of milk options, including whole, reduced, and low-fat varieties, that have garnered bipartisan support. Chairman Bozeman opened the session by highlighting concerns over children's nutrition and the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the significance of nutritious school meals in addressing these issues. Experts from various organizations were invited to discuss the implications of this bill as well as the current challenges facing school meal programs, including budget constraints and food supply issues. The meeting included passionate testimonies about the direct impacts of current dietary guidelines and federal funding reductions affecting schools' abilities to provide healthy meal options.

Transcript Highlights:

• internal controls. not always pay vendors or frequently not always pay vendors or frequently paid<00
• Just you don't pay any um people.
• Um, ultimately you end up having to pay Um, ultimately you end up having to pay it,<00:42:18.079
• Um what's in front of them.
• received a retroactive pay adjustment. received a retroactive pay adjustment.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from the legislative auditor on a performance audit of the governor’s office and lieutenant governor’s office covering July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. The audit reviewed receipts, inventory, payroll, and non-payroll expenditures and found 12 findings, concluding the office generally did not comply with the criteria tested because of internal control deficiencies. The auditor said four of five prior findings that remained relevant were not fully resolved, and that the problems were widespread across financial operations, creating opportunities for waste and fraud, though no evidence of wrongdoing or misuse of funds was found. The main findings involved weak segregation of duties, late vendor payments, inaccurate reimbursements and vendor payments, missing documentation, and poor receipt management. Auditors said one employee handled purchasing, receiving, payment processing, and inventory functions without adequate oversight; vendors were often paid late, resulting in more than $1,000 in late/reactivation fees; reimbursements and some state airplane payments contained errors; and many vendor payments, reimbursements, and purchasing card transactions lacked required support. The office also failed to collect about $12,000 for events at the governor’s residence, did not fully process several deposits, and lacked documentation for some billed or deposited amounts. Members reacted strongly to the repeated control failures and the lack of documentation, with several saying the issues were pervasive and concerning even if the dollar amounts were not large. Questions focused on whether the problems reflected different treatment of vendors versus employee expenses, whether restitution was being sought, and whether legislation was needed. The auditor responded that the state already has the necessary policies and procedures, and that the issue is implementation and oversight by the governor’s office, not new legislation. The auditor also said the governor’s office had been receptive and had begun taking steps to address the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• My husband was at the front of the church. He found our seven-year-old. The relief was brief.
• The solution to the challenge in front of us, however, goes deeper than guns.
• What does $1 million a year really pay for?
• It pays for independence so our findings are not driven by...
• Draheim, I don't have the number in front of me now.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is the reduction in time to process pay estimates and pay invoices every month. ...some of
• The first is the reduction in time to process pay estimates and pay invoices every month.
• And so the first of those is, you know, how long does it typically take us to pay and approve monthly
• I don't know if someone can pay closer attention to that, but I guess we're asking.
• At some point, the public is going to have to pay more money for our roads and bridges.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or formal actions. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black outlined the department’s transformation efforts, emphasizing faster project delivery, improved transparency, and use of technology. They reported major reductions in contractor payment processing time, from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, and change-order approvals from about 40–45 days to around five days. They also described new tools such as inspection tablets, a project delivery dashboard, e-ticketing, a customer service portal, and a pilot using sensor technology on department vehicles to identify potholes and damaged assets. The department said it is reorganizing district staffing, replacing the old area engineer model with district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, without increasing total staff. Members focused heavily on local maintenance concerns, including potholes, drainage, culverts, mowing, overgrown ditches, and utility-related delays. Several legislators asked how to get quicker responses on routine maintenance and how to distinguish state responsibility from local jurisdiction. DOTD said it would meet with district administrators to address specific problems and clarify jurisdiction, and that the new customer service portal should help track complaints electronically. Members also asked about contractor accountability, utility relocations, and public communication on long-running projects; DOTD said it is improving internal KPIs, coordinating more closely with district staff and public information officers, and considering broader public updates beyond the website. The department also reviewed highway planning and funding. Officials said the Highway Priority Program is being reworked into a more fiscally constrained, staged process that starts earlier in concept development and gives legislators and constituents more feedback before the annual road show. They said the department is using new IDIQ contracting authority to bring in outside help for bridge maintenance and other work, and that bridge maintenance backlogs remain significant. DOTD reported that LTIF 1.0 and 2.0 together cover 91 projects statewide totaling more than $534 million, with over 40 complete, and that LTIF 3.0 adds 39 projects and about $165 million. Combined with other funding sources, the department said its upcoming construction program will include 385 projects worth about $1.73 billion. Legislators generally praised the department’s progress but raised concerns about lingering local problems and the need for clearer communication. Questions were also asked about a barge strike on the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge, with DOTD saying divers and staff were inspecting the damage and that emergency repairs would likely be needed. After the DOTD update, the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, led by Archie Chesson, gave its own update on its first year, describing a small staff, heavy use of consultant and contractor pools, emergency procurement authority, and rapid delivery of rural bridge and roadway projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• "You should have it in front of you." "Okay, good. Deep passed it out.
• <02:01:35.760> um<02:01:35.920> paying<02:01:36.239> rent<02:01:37.280> to
• going to be paying um paying rent to going to be paying um paying rent to about<02:01:37.840>
• I don't have the notes on that in front of me, but the position is ITL from the Senate, and that's what
• I don't have the notes on that in front I don't have the notes on that in front of<02:03:43.119>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Summary: The committee of conference first met on Senate Bill 221, which concerned annual voter roll verification and the lookback period for checking voter registration lists. The Senate favored looking back to presidential elections to reduce the number of voters removed, while the House argued for annual verification with a one-year lookback because the voter roll database now makes the process easier and because of population mobility and student turnover. Members discussed possible refinements to the 30-day letter process and agreed to recess and return Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. to continue negotiations. The committee then took up Senate Bill 213 and Senate Bill 218, both involving absentee voting and public employee electioneering restrictions. On SB 213, the discussion focused on clarifying identification/documentation requirements for absentee ballot-related applications and on a House amendment to preserve the ability of certain public employees to provide factual information to the public about official matters without violating the bill. On SB 218, the Senate wanted to remove outer envelopes from absentee voting materials, while the House supported keeping the bill but clarifying that only applicable documentation is required. Members raised concerns about voter access, clerks’ procedures, and whether the electioneering language was too broad; both bills were held over and recessed for further work. The committee also considered Senate Bill 287, which dealt with public employee electioneering and a related carve-out for factual responses by appointed public employees. The House and Senate discussed combining amendments, but the House member said the underlying bill was needed to curb partisan electioneering while still allowing factual public information. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 118, which would adjust a personal needs allowance for nursing home residents, address Hampstead Hospital employee bonuses, and create a maintenance fund for the hospital. The Senate objected to a House-added cannabis cultivation provision, saying it was unrelated to the bill and could jeopardize the measure because of the Senate’s and governor’s opposition to cannabis language; the committee recessed to revisit the issue later, with the House noting the base bill’s importance to nursing home residents and Hampstead Hospital.

Transcript Highlights:

• Several members have asked what we have the information in front of us about the response rate.
• Several members have asked what we have the information in front of us about the response rate.
• Just let me clarify there: the plans pay for those out of their own expense.
• The speaker added that many plans do not pay on a fee-for-service basis or fee schedule.
• on certainly pharmacy or something else that pays quicker.

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee took up two bills and then continued oversight discussions with APD and AHCA. CS/HB 27, the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, was presented as a way to let Florida social workers practice in other compact states and vice versa; AARP, the Florida Chamber, and NASW Florida supported it, and the bill passed favorably. HB 1127, a child welfare bill, would create a treatment foster care pilot for children with high behavioral needs, improve DCF data collection on commercially sexually exploited children, and expand recruitment for protective investigators and case managers; the bill also passed favorably after brief supportive testimony. The committee then questioned APD at length about the iBudget waiver waitlist, enrollment pace, spending projections, and provider capacity. APD said it had sent more than 1,100 interest letters in categories 3, 4, and 5, enrolled 1,124 people so far this year, and expects to spend about 96.4% of its waiver appropriation, leaving roughly $82 million unspent. Members pressed APD on why prior discussions suggested more reserve was needed, how long the SANS process takes, whether category 6 could be expanded, and whether the agency has enough waiver support coordinators and direct support providers. APD said it has about 1,061 waiver support coordinators statewide, adequate capacity for current enrollees, but would need further analysis if the legislature directed a much larger enrollment increase. Members also asked about outreach, annual maintenance of the waitlist, portability for military families, and whether communication efforts should be privatized. Finally, AHCA walked the committee through the 2023 Achieved Savings Rebate (ASR) report for Aetna and explained how the report is used for financial monitoring, rebate calculations, and transparency. AHCA said the ASR is separate from the medical loss ratio (MLR) calculation, though both are reviewed, and that Florida uses the ASR mechanism rather than an MLR remittance requirement to recover funds from plans. Members asked about related-party disclosures, CVS/Caremark relationships, expanded benefits, encounter data, network adequacy penalties, denials and appeals reporting, interest earned on capitation payments, and whether rate increases were reaching providers. AHCA and the outside auditors said they review the plans’ reported data, reconcile it to underlying records, and can assess liquidated damages for network adequacy violations; several members requested follow-up data on rebates, interest, provider capacity, and related-party reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• homeowners and home buyers and pay homeowners and home buyers and pay dividends<00:16:35.160>
• have it in the compartment in the front have it in the compartment in the front um<00:47:06.319>
• <03:42:27.560> of the information I have here in front of the information I have here in front
• of them has a dam Authority which pays of them has a dam Authority which pays uh<03:55:35.479>
• <04:07:34.840> flood of that Levy not to have to pay flood of that Levy not to have to pay

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed scheduling and notice for upcoming executive sessions on a larger slate of bills, including plans to take up eight bills in the morning and possibly the last three bills in the afternoon, with caucus time provided if needed. The chair emphasized advance notice, publication, and flexibility if more bills are added later. The hearing then opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and proceeded to HB 568, a bill allowing local planning boards to request water supply studies for subdivisions to ensure water adequacy as housing density increases. Representative Kat McGee, the prime sponsor, said HB 568 was developed after constituent concerns about private wells being affected by nearby development. She described the bill as narrowly tailored, non-mandatory, and intended to preserve local control while clarifying that planning boards may request studies under local regulations. She noted bipartisan support, an exclusion for community water systems and larger groundwater withdrawals regulated elsewhere, and said the bill would help prevent water shortages and related problems for new and existing homes. Questions from members focused on whether the bill should specify that it applies to subdivisions of four or more lots, since that language had been in an earlier version. Testimony on HB 568 was mixed. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors opposed the bill, arguing it lacked a definition of “water supply study,” could lead to expensive hydrology studies, and might raise housing costs; he suggested more work with DES or a study committee. DES administrator Brandon Kernin said the department had worked from a 2010 groundwater commission report, that such problems arise only intermittently in certain areas, and that the bill would make explicit local authority to adopt such ordinances. He also said DES data and homeowner surveys can help identify problem areas and that more robust wells could be considered in the long term. The committee noted 10 online submissions in favor and 3 opposed, plus blue-sheet testimony of 2 in favor and 1 neutral, and then closed the hearing on HB 568. The committee immediately opened HB 582, a bill on safety requirements for operation of personal watercraft. Representative Darby, the sponsor, said the bill responds to the speed and maneuverability of modern personal watercraft, which he described as more like motorcycles on water than traditional boats, and cited a fatal accident on Lake Monomonac as an example of the risks. He said the bill is not intended to restrict ordinary recreation or wake surfing, but to update safety standards for a newer class of larger, quieter three-person PWCs. The hearing began with Darby’s presentation, and no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.