Transcript Highlights:

• But again, you're creating a structure under the state law, so in terms of our Securities, yes, our Securities
• Than another security that would be regulated on the state basis and the national basis by the Securities
• The Treasury has never lost or defaulted on Treasury securities, and we bought our first Treasury security
• The Treasury has never lost or defaulted on Treasury securities, and we bought our first Treasury security
• <01:24:39.880> custody custody and and provide secure custody custody and and provide secure

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Commerce Committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 310, sponsored by Representative Keith Ammon, which would create a study commission to develop a legal framework for stable tokens and tokenized real-world assets. Ammon described stable tokens as blockchain-based digital tokens backed by U.S. dollars or treasuries, and tokenized real-world assets as representations of ownership in items such as gold, real estate, or artwork. He said the bill is intended to help New Hampshire get ahead of emerging financial markets while waiting to see how federal legislation develops. Committee members asked about the purpose of the bill, the difference between this proposal and Bitcoin, whether state regulation could be preempted by federal law, and whether the commission could be balanced and avoid becoming a vehicle for fraud or money laundering. Ammon said the proposal is blockchain-agnostic, could apply to multiple networks, and is meant to regulate asset-backed tokens rather than create a state-issued coin. He emphasized that the state would not be guaranteeing the underlying assets, but would set rules requiring audits, proof of reserves, and honest representation of backing, with the Secretary of State’s securities office involved in oversight. Several members raised concerns about the risks of stablecoins, including money laundering, tax evasion, and possible harm to the dollar or confusion about whether the state was endorsing a new currency. Ammon responded that the bill would not undermine the dollar and argued that tokenization could actually expand demand for U.S. currency by making it easier to use globally. He also said the state would not be in the business of weighing assets or directly valuing them, only ensuring a valid audit trail and one-to-one backing. The discussion ended with general agreement that the subject is complex and that a commission could help develop future legislation, but no vote or final action was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We secured substantial funding from the Commonwealth and the Town of Ayer.
• I was able to secure a shelter in Lynn.
• But I'm saying the numbers: $2,000, me going to give only the security.
• And then I'm going to get a secure medical, $200, $12 dollars of medicine.
• We need a secure place to live.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on a broad slate of landlord-tenant and home rule bills, with most testimony focused on rent stabilization, tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA), tenant fees, access to counsel, algorithmic rent fixing, and tenant protections in subsidized housing. Chairs Cyr and Haggerty outlined the hearing procedures and noted that written testimony could also be submitted. Several members and invited speakers emphasized that the committee was hearing from both local officials and residents affected by housing instability, especially in Somerville and other communities facing high rents and displacement. Supporters of rent stabilization and local-option rent control argued that Massachusetts needs tools to prevent displacement while new housing is built. Senator Eldridge, Senator Jalen, Somerville officials, tenant organizers, and residents described steep rent increases, no-fault evictions, and the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing. Somerville’s home rule petition was described as allowing annual increases tied to CPI plus 2%, capped at 5%, with exemptions for owner-occupied two- and three-family homes and a 15-year exemption for new construction. TOPA supporters said it would let tenants or their designees buy buildings before speculative buyers, preserving affordable housing stock; opponents, including small landlords and property managers, argued rent control would reduce supply, discourage investment, and that TOPA could delay sales and harm properties. The committee also heard testimony on bills to curb junk fees and regulate tenant charges, including limits on late fees, lease renewal fees, payment portal fees, attorney’s fees, and other add-on charges. Advocates said these fees can add hundreds of dollars a month and disproportionately harm low-income renters and renters of color. Another major topic was algorithmic rent fixing: Senator Moore and Representative Sabadoza said landlords should not use software such as RealPage to coordinate pricing, citing federal antitrust actions and arguing that competition is essential to lowering rents. Additional testimony supported a statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, with legal services providers saying representation dramatically improves outcomes and can save the state money, and a bill to create an office of tenant protections to better enforce sanitary code violations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we wouldn't lease out certain lands or put that out for bidding, you know, without a plan in mind
• certain lands or Okay. put that<01:11:55.400> out<01:11:55.520> for<01:11:55.640> bidding
• you<01:11:56.440> know<01:11:56.600> without<01:11:56.880> a that out for bidding
• you know without a that out for bidding you know without a plan<01:11:57.200> in<01:11:57.280

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 649, which would create a small boat harbor commercial vessel special fund and raise mortgage fees on commercial vessels to fund harbor improvements. DLNR stood on written testimony in support, while the Ocean Tourism Coalition, Activity and Attractions Association of Hawaii, Calypso Charters, and a local commercial operator all opposed the bill, arguing that the fee increase would burden thin-margin businesses without fixing procurement and staffing problems and that the bill’s fee language and fund allocations were too vague. A DLNR witness also noted a prior bill, HB 2477, had sought to broaden the fee base to more ocean operators statewide rather than increase the percentage. No vote was taken on HB 649 during the portion shown. The committee then heard HB 2599 on aquatic protection, which would prioritize ecosystem integrity and use of best available science in managing aquatic resources and set coral reef resilience goals. DLNR supported the measure, and a testifier from the public urged stronger coral goals for Oahu and a broader framework including water quality, herbivore management, fishery management, enforcement, and coral restoration. There was no opposition or vote shown on HB 2599 before the committee recessed to a joint hearing. In the joint Economic Development and Tourism / Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts hearing, members heard HB 2118 on transferring the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission from DAGS to DBED, HB 2474 on authorizing non-binding international cooperative agreements, HB 1863 on creating an honorary ambassador to Canada, HB 1943 on out-of-state DBED offices and export promotion, and HB 2604 on a performing arts ticket surcharge. Testimony was generally supportive for HB 2118, HB 2474, HB 1863, and HB 1943, with questions focused on agency placement, sister-state relationships, and the rationale for overseas offices. HB 2604 drew opposition from the Tax Foundation and others, who argued the surcharge functioned as a tax and would make arts participation more expensive; the chair recommended deferring it. During decision-making, both committees passed HB 2118, HB 2474, HB 1863, and HB 1943 with amendments, including technical changes and revised effective dates. For HB 2474, the amendments were described as clarifying definitions for sister-state and international cooperative agreements, allowing relationships with national governments, and preserving legislative approval and transparency. HB 1943 was amended to require an office in Laoag City, Philippines, rather than a non-existent DBED Philippines office. HB 2604 was deferred. After the joint session, the Water, Land, Culture, and the Arts committee resumed and heard HB 2395 on permits for taking marine deposits and HB 2361 on administrative support for the Kahului Bay Regional Council, both of which drew only DLNR written testimony and no further action in the excerpt. The committee then began HB 1823 on Coastal Zone Management Act exemptions, with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs testifying first, but the transcript cuts off before further testimony or action.

Transcript Highlights:

• would like to speak more specifically on a couple of the things in there about requiring minimum security
• standards for group homes that include security and entry and exit, functional locks, and monitored
• establishing technology policies that limit or monitor the use by residents and can provide appropriate security
• state and the group homes, the RFP process, what are those questions in the RFP to get group homes to bid
• attachment bonds, reducing anxiety and behavior problems, higher sense of belonging, identity, and security

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jeremy Klass from the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management.
• it's not on this slide, that we do help with quite a During flooding, we coordinate with Homeland Security
• Those are a little more long term, just because we have to go through our typical planning, design, bid
• Collaborative efforts to lead securing of funding to lead on the ground implementation.
• dealing with existing homes is essential, and retrofitting them is essential to making sure that we're securing

Transcript Highlights:

• This runs completely counter to the constructive or competitive bidding practices public schools rely
• This runs completely counter to the constructive or competitive bidding practices public schools rely
• ,<01:56:24.280> and<01:56:24.400> facility on other safety, security, and facility
• on other safety, security, and facility improvements<01:56:25.480> that<01:56:25.640> could
• > right,<01:57:52.840> from Um any additional security, right, from Um any additional security

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Adversary Contracting Prohibition Act, and the Secured Drone Purchasing Act all form part of that security
• I share the Legislature's abiding commitment to ensuring our Capitol is safe and secure.
• It's really important because it's about national security. It's about food security.
• It's about national security. It's about food security. It's about family farm security.
• I also want to thank the Nebraska State Patrol for keeping our State Capitol secure.

Bills: LR509, LR510, LR511

Keywords: congratulations, Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame, Deloris Marshall Adamson, recognition, achievement, service, retirement, Nebraska Legislature, public service, legislature, Nebraska, 956, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I bid you all the best as you move forward in your endeavors, and I thank you for your contributions
• So, I bid you all the best as you move forward in your endeavors, and I thank you for your contributions
• charge up to $15 instead of a flat fee of $15, as well as allow Aaliyah to create reasonable industry security
• Aaliyah to create<02:01:05.760> reasonable<02:01:06.560> industry<02:01:07.440> security
• create reasonable industry security create reasonable industry security standards.<02:01:09.360>

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you pay an inflated rate at the bid opening as well, because every contractor that's going to be in

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you know, if somehow we had the names of the folks who were on the jobs, we knew that those jobs were bid

Summary: The Insurance Committee first heard House Bill 2250, sponsored by Representative Zimmerman, which would require insurers to cover replacement of all siding on a home when storm damage affects only part of the siding and matching materials are not reasonably available. Zimmerman said the bill is intended to codify Missouri case law and address homeowner complaints after hailstorms, where insurers allegedly paid only for the damaged side and left owners to pay for the rest if matching siding could not be found. Committee members generally expressed sympathy for affected homeowners and discussed possible refinements, including limiting the requirement to street-facing elevations and adding clearer consumer disclosures about coverage. Opposition testimony came from the Missouri Insurance Coalition, which argued the bill could increase premiums and reduce affordability, especially for homeowners choosing lower-cost policies. Coalition witnesses said insurers should repair direct physical damage but raised concerns about extending coverage to cosmetic mismatch issues and noted that consumers can sometimes buy more robust coverage through riders or different policy options. They also said better disclosure and consumer education would help. Representative Castile raised additional ideas about certified payroll and contractor accountability, though those were not part of the bill under discussion. After the HB 2250 hearing closed, the committee established a quorum and moved into executive session on House Bill 3328. The committee adopted a House Committee Substitute that, according to Representative Castile, removed the IBHS certification requirement in favor of a non-biased third-party testing lab and deleted an adjuster cap, while keeping the bill’s broader “stronger home” program intact. The committee then voted the substitute do pass by a 9-0 vote and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• What this bill does is, under current law, if someone wants to bid or participate in the bonds for our

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on April 21, 2026, and took up a series of tax, revenue, and property-tax related measures. SB 318 was amended and reported as amended; it revises the Department of Revenue’s annual tax exemption budget process by removing parish-level reporting from that report, creating a separate business tax benefit report by NAICS code, and requiring parish sales tax collectors to produce a similar local exemption report. SB 128, allowing the Department of Revenue to use an existing vendor for address-change services, was reported favorably. SB 149, concerning the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds and requiring good-faith deposits only from the winning bidder, was amended and reported as amended. SB 180, which lets a surviving spouse of a deceased disabled veteran transfer an expanded homestead exemption one time under certain circumstances, was reported favorably. SB 196, extending the tax appeal period from 60 to 90 days and making conforming changes elsewhere in law, was amended and reported as amended. SCR 11, creating the Anchor Home Task Force to study tax credits to encourage Louisiana college graduates to stay and work in the state, was reported favorably. SB 340, making the permanent homestead exemption form requirement statewide for assessors, was reported favorably. Later in the meeting, the committee heard several bills from Senator Gregory Miller on the state’s ongoing tax sale and ad valorem tax reform package. SB 73 was reported favorably to resolve a conflict between prior legislation and the 2024 constitutional amendment on tax sale timing. SB 238 was reported favorably to clarify which collection procedures apply to older tax sales and to preserve prior notice procedures where already completed. SB 191 was amended to restore the requirement for two advertisements for tax lien auctions instead of one, and then reported favorably as amended. SB 89, a backup measure to require the St. Charles Parish assessor to provide a permanent homestead exemption form, was also reported favorably, with the sponsor noting it was intended to avoid duplication if the statewide bill already enacted the same policy. Testimony was generally supportive across the agenda, with Department of Revenue, Department of Veterans Affairs, local tax, sheriffs, press, and land title representatives appearing in support or for information. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions, mainly about the scope of homestead exemption portability, whether local governments would face new costs, and the effect of the tax appeal deadline change. No roll-call votes were taken; the committee adopted amendments where offered and reported the bills and resolution favorably or as amended by unanimous consent. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• position, I was proud to be involved in moving the state forward. for procurement into submitting bids

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also would have pointed out that I wanted to know if there was a request for proposals on bidding out

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A process which includes the design, bidding, construction, and contracting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We re-bidding this $5 billion since it was kind of, the books have closed.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the SNAP program is most effective... tool to reduce poverty and increase food security.
• particularly thank I thank Chair Kohlkors and Vice Chair Perry for your leadership in continuing to secure
• applies to... providers not to beneficiaries okay so we we do get a quite a few still complaints in the bid

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increase engagement on rulemaking and litigation with federal agencies to ensure reliability, safety, security
• So DOT is going to close the sale with UND in short order because the project is going to bid here this
• spring, and they're going to... ...with UND in short order because the project is going to bid here
• Then the bank would have security to know that it was approved by us.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.

Transcript Highlights:

• This extension ensures survivors have the time needed to secure stable long-term housing.
• <00:20:10.880> a As many of you know, we secured a As many of you know, we secured a one-year
• <00:20:32.280> stable have the time needed to secure stable have the time needed to secure
• To support this transition, the county provided security, fencing, parking ambassadors, enforcement,
• And then for national security it.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Large, that's thoughtfully dedicated to dealing with water security, equity, biodiversity, and benefits
• We would acquire the property, design and permit the project, seek bids, and then oversee and verify

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we have successfully secured a staff member in July with license approvals, we are able to better
• When we have successfully secured a staff member in July with license approvals, we are able to better
• When we have successfully secured a staff member in July with license approvals, we are able to better
• When we have successfully secured a staff member in July with license approvals, we are able to better
• a certain kind of they can't get a a bid a certain kind of a<01:09:00.679> job<01:09:01.000><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all