Transcript Highlights:

• , the water treatment, the land availability, the industrial parks and other things are.
• , the water treatment, the land availability, the industrial parks and other things are.
• , the water treatment, the land availability, the industrial parks and other things are.
• National standards for electric vehicle station testing.
• It's to actually test the fueling stations, if you will, as they are coming into place.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:01:00 Approval of Minutes 00:02:31 Kentucky Farm Bureau 00:02:42 Kentucky Department of Agriculture 00:28:18 Kentucky Cattlemen's Association 01:48:13, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard first from Kentucky Farm Bureau leaders, who outlined the organization’s current priorities and recent work on farmland transition. Eddie Melton said Farm Bureau is working through 983 county and advisory committee resolutions and highlighted support for the updated selling farmer tax credit, now law through House Bill 775, as well as Senate Bill 28’s agriculture economic development provisions. He said Farm Bureau’s likely priorities include maintaining the 50% share of the tobacco settlement fund for agriculture, protecting funding for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, preserving sales tax exemptions on farm inputs, keeping property taxes controlled, and exploring additional tools to keep farmland in active farmers’ hands, including possible loan or inheritance-tax changes. He also raised concerns about eminent domain transparency, nuisance deer permits, and access to agricultural inputs and crop protection products. Alita Bots described the farmland transition initiative in more detail, saying the revised state tax credit is generating strong interest and that a new federal tax provision now allows eligible land sales to actively engaged farmers to spread capital gains taxes over time. She said the initiative has reached 22 counties and more than 1,300 people this year through outreach and meetings, and that Farm Bureau is pairing policy work with resources to help farm families plan transitions and prepare wills and other estate documents. Drew Graham added that the effort is also meant to bridge the rural-urban divide and support rural communities, and Farm Bureau invited members to its annual meeting in early December. Members asked about rising insurance costs and deer damage. Farm Bureau representatives said severe convective storms, inflation, and higher repair and material costs have driven insurance rate increases, citing five major storm events since 2021 and a recent Owensboro hailstorm that caused about $350 million in losses; they said the company is moving toward percentage deductibles to help moderate increases. On deer, they said crop-loss totals are hard to quantify but acknowledged the problem and discussed possible coordination with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Hunters for the Hungry. Commissioner Jonathan Shell then began the Department of Agriculture presentation, reporting gains from the department’s school agriculture outreach program, including a 23% increase in county participation between March and September and improved teacher-reported student learning, before continuing into the department’s legislative priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• tiers for water use.
• Decoupling changed the water utility business model from selling water to conserving water.
• Decoupling changed the water utility business model from selling water to conserving water, and it allowed
• water utilities.
• So water utilities are not incentivized to over-forecast water sales.

Summary: The committee heard several energy and water affordability bills, with extensive testimony on SB 254 by Senator Becker, SB 541 by Senator Becker, SB 453 by Senator Stern, SB 292 by Senator Caballero, and SB 473 by Senator Padilla. SB 254 was presented as a broad utility affordability package addressing short-term climate credits, a Power Fund, tighter scrutiny of rate increases and utility profits, wildfire spending, securitization of future utility costs, and streamlining. Supporters, including TURN and several environmental and public power groups, said it could lower bills and reduce long-term costs; opponents from investor-owned utilities, labor, business, and local government raised concerns about market impacts, insufficient analysis, and the breadth of the bill. The committee approved SB 254 on a 6-3 vote and placed it on call. SB 541 focused on load flexibility and using existing grid capacity more efficiently. Senator Becker described it as a transparency and planning measure to identify cost-effective load shifting and reduce peak demand, while supporters said it could improve resiliency and save money. Several CCAs and utilities opposed the bill in print or unless amended, arguing that some language implied a mandate and that the concept needed more cost-effectiveness analysis; the author said amendments would remove language dividing the state goal among retail suppliers and clarify that the bill is not a procurement mandate. The committee passed SB 541 as amended to Appropriations on a 9-1 vote and left it on call. SB 453 by Senator Stern would return unspent ratepayer-funded microgrid program dollars and was described as a way to keep the lights on and redirect unused funds. It drew support from local government and environmental groups, with PG&E expressing concern about how the bill would affect its ability to spend awarded funds. The committee passed SB 453 as amended to Appropriations on a 12-0 vote. SB 292 by Senator Caballero would require more granular outage and reliability reporting, including census-tract-level data, to better inform resilience planning after PSPS events; utilities opposed unless amended, citing duplicative reporting and regulatory overlap, but the bill passed 12-0 to Appropriations. SB 473 by Senator Padilla would require or expand water utility decoupling to promote conservation and affordability. Supporters, including water utilities, labor, business, and local government groups, argued decoupling stabilizes revenue, supports conservation, and can keep rates lower for low-use customers. The Public Advocates Office opposed, saying prior pilot data showed no conservation benefit and about $1 billion in added costs, and that the CPUC had already rejected similar requests. Committee members questioned the conservation and capital-investment effects of the different rate structures; the author and supporters argued decoupling helps utilities fund infrastructure while allowing lower fixed charges for low-use customers. The transcript ends during that discussion, before a final vote on SB 473 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were able to get DNA testing, and that client went 35 years before getting relief.
• It took a year for the state forensic lab to test it.
• Pearl Murphy, Waters, and Rosenwald.
• <01:11:58.360> and Murphy Waters and Murphy Waters and Rosenwald<01:12:00.719> a<01
• <01:12:55.520> was their cases or new forensic testing was their cases or new forensic testing

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Water access. Senate Bill 1162 by Senator Leak. Water access facilities.
• It went into the water. Then I got married. It went into the water.
• , but it was well water.
• In the Tuscany region, which had incredible water, but it was well water.
• byproducts that... ...tap water.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard a presentation on its 2025-2026 budget recommendations and adopted the proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The chair highlighted major funding items including more than $1.2 billion for water quality and Everglades work, citrus recovery, food bank and pantry grants, wastewater and drinking water loans, beach restoration, flood and sea level rise projects, rural land protection, disaster loans, state facilities repairs, SLERS, accounting system replacement, and continued funding for My Safe Florida Home. Staff were authorized to make technical adjustments, and members were told final proviso project lists would be printed later in the week. The committee then considered several bills and reported them favorably, including SB 796 on DEP general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems to help local governments address failing septic-related water quality problems; SB 1162 expanding boating improvement and water access facilities programs; SB 466 implementing the Florida Museum of Black History task force’s selection of West Augustine as the museum site; SB 178 creating a FAMU agronomic study on viable crops for land taken out of production; CS/SB 678 allowing pawnbroker transaction forms to be printed or digital; and CS/SB 736 updating the Brownfields program, with a technical amendment adopted. Testimony on these bills was generally supportive, with speakers from affected industries, local governments, and advocacy groups. The committee also took up CS/CS/SB 700, the comprehensive Florida Farm Bill, which included technical agency changes and major policy provisions such as restrictions on additives to public water supplies, labeling requirements for meat, milk, poultry, and eggs, drone-related protections for farmland, disaster recovery loan updates, an honest services registry for charities, FFA scholarship and school infrastructure provisions, and a mechanism for state purchase of former solar-converted agricultural land. The water-additive provisions drew extensive debate and testimony from supporters and opponents, including dental professionals, public health advocates, and groups arguing for medical freedom and local control. Despite the controversy and a no vote from Senator Arrington, the bill was reported favorably. Finally, SB 1226 creating a regulatory framework for pet insurance was also reported favorably, and the committee adjourned after members recorded additional votes on several bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• such as quarries and rock crushers in the course of constructing the state's vital transportation and water
• our large APO operators operate throughout the nation and worldwide where these measures that we're testing
• This includes the stormwater or the water in the pit, the air monitoring in particular, which could be
• As regards the monitoring, I appreciate that on the water side, the substitute has put some specifics

Bills: SB2037, SB1757, SB1758, SB1759, HB29

Keywords: rock crushing, permits, air quality, environmental monitoring, aggregate production, seismicity, public meeting, land use, SB 1758, cement kiln, portland cement, aggregate production operation, aggregate quarry, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, chip fabrication, semiconductor plant, vibration, seismic disturbance, liability limitation, TCEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• If tests were needed to ...get into a preparation program, but you couldn't go into a testing center;
• the test was postponed.
• So testing was in a suspended space for that year for teachers.
• I'm pretty sure that the testing issues, the basic skills test, the subject matter test, the RECA.
• So these testing barriers have been barriers. These testing requirements have been barriers.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, that's my<01:30:10.000> test.
• I I'm all for I'm going to make my test.
• That just came up, and I felt like it muddied the water for me. I was looking.
• It would have test as covered by this.
• charter schools which muddies the water charter schools which muddies the water because<01:48:14.639

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Was hindered by a fence that was installed at a low water crossing.
• Water and biological, uh, issues that may be occurring.
• Any authority that would go to grant that level of Restructuring of that water, it would still be in
• The water in that lake is obviously owned by the state of Texas, as is all surface water, but the land
• We, we do water quality tests and we can't even get on it. It's, uh, it's 50 ft above Deadpool. OK.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Waters. Good morning. Senator Waters. Good morning.
• I'm Senator David Waters, you all.
• :04:32.878> strips, fentanyl test strip test strips, fentanyl test strip test strips, xylazine
• > then<05:21:35.840> alcohol have sterile water and then alcohol have sterile water and
• The drug testing kits provide fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips, and sterile water that you

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an advocate for competency-based testing.
• Um, I think sanitation and a law test.
• um competency based testing. um competency based testing.
• , as testing, as testing, if<00:53:49.520> they<00:53:49.760> have<00:53:50.000>
• like they can test and pass. Why not? like they can test and pass. Why not?

Keywords: Public Health - Room 216, 27 January, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 3, a Medicaid and certificate-of-need measure described as a revised version of a bill vetoed by the governor the previous year. The bill would remove a prohibition on a psychiatric residential treatment facility in one county from Medicaid participation, add 20 beds for a Madison County facility, allow crossover status for a Harrison County hospital, require MC to obtain a certificate of need for facilities outside the original Jackson campus area, increase capital expenditure limits, and remove the provision the governor had objected to. Members discussed whether the bill was really a study item or a substantive new requirement, especially a provision tied to acute adult psychiatric units treating uninsured patients or paying a fee. The chair explained the policy concern as preventing “cherry-picking” of insured patients and shifting more uncompensated care to public facilities. The committee voted that the title was sufficient and the ayes appeared to have it, then voted to rise and report. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2453, a clarifying bill on window tinting/glazing exemptions. The sponsor explained that current law requires a physician’s affidavit for an exception, and the bill would clarify that licensed optometrists, along with physicians, may sign the affidavit for people whose eyes are sensitive to light. After brief questions, the committee again voted that the title was sufficient and the ayes appeared to have it. The chair said the two bills were being moved quickly to the docket room for processing and that the committee would reconvene immediately afterward. The final portion of the meeting was a hearing on Senate Bill 2566 involving the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. The chair explained that the hearing was prompted by complaints from last session about inspectors being overly aggressive, fines for technical violations, and delays or problems with licensing. Board representatives said the newly appointed board had met for the first time, elected officers, and intended to focus on workforce development, easing burdens on the industry, and protecting public health and safety. They said the board had already restored prior passing scores for exams, adjusted work-permit timing to help students, reviewed contracts and staffing, and planned further meetings. Members and the chair discussed possible legislative changes, including mobile barber establishments, reducing fines, and extending license terms from two years to three years, with the chair asking the board to work with Senator Johnson on amendments before the deadline.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, You know, infrastructure like water sewer in particular water because I mean we, we have the problems
• With kind of selling homes and there's not enough water or low pressure water and uh I'm really concerned
• CCN, that's our, our water, um, yes, that's where we have to provide water and sewer.
• We, we sell water. We have a water system.
• It's not cheap water.

Transcript Highlights:

• nationally and tested? nationally and tested? >> Um,<00:48:47.200> no.
• They test on their own, but they wouldn't test on ours.
• standard test that you guys take? standard test that you guys take?
• They have to take a test.
• They have to take a test. endorsement. They have to take a test.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and consent calendar, then took up several rule items. For Department of Safety rule 2611, DMV leadership explained the rule had been under development since January but needed to be updated to reflect a new statutory change and to align the rule with RSA 266. Members discussed narrowing the rule to road-safety items rather than automobile inspection provisions, and the department said it would issue a new public notice and hold another hearing. The committee voted to grant a waiver and postpone the item until the October 15, 2026 meeting. The Board of Active Puncture Licensing item 26-47 was postponed one month at the agency’s request so it could incorporate OS feedback, with no waiver needed. The Insurance Department’s claim settlement rule 25-234 and related item 26-78 drew more extensive discussion over waiver language. Committee members objected that the proposed language gave the commissioner broad discretion to set waiver periods without clear criteria, while agency counsel argued the rule already contained standards and that the language allowed temporary waivers. After discussion about consistency, permanency, and the need for clearer documentation, the committee voted to postpone 25-234 with a waiver and to postpone 26-78. Finally, the committee considered Health and Human Services rule 2690, which sets SNAP certification periods for a pilot demonstration authorized by SB 499. Staff explained that federal changes now require the age threshold for the 36-month certification period to be 65 instead of 60, and that the agency had been directed to make the change by August 12. Agency staff said the rule needed to be updated to match federal direction, and members generally agreed. The committee discussed whether the federal citation was sufficient and whether the rule should reference the law change directly, but no final objection was raised in the portion shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 120 would require that insurance cover biomarker testing when the test is supported by medical and
• for cancer patients biomarker testing for cancer patients biomarker testing also<02:17:52.240>
• /c><02:18:28.359> is<02:18:28.479> supported testing quote when the test is supported testing
• testing is State Medicaid plan biomarker testing is a<02:18:36.080> tool<02:18:36.359> we<
• for universal biomarker testing.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, >> Waters. >> Waters. >> Waters.
• Senator Waters, any questions.
• Senator Waters, any questions.
• But the peak it to Senator Waters.
• >> Senator<02:03:23.840> Waters. >> Senator Waters. >> Senator Waters.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you fail this test, you die.
• In high school, I always carried pretzels and a lot of extra water to parties, practicing my own version
• Who in Massachusetts will be making the decision on what we test here and what we don’t?”
• Who in Massachusetts will be making the decision on what we test here and what we don't?
• We spent three years with a GI specialist at MGH and underwent countless invasive tests with no clear

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery opened its first public hearing of the 2025–26 session with remarks from the Senate and House chairs outlining the committee’s priorities. They noted recent work on addiction and recovery legislation, the ongoing youth behavioral health crisis, and that members might need to leave periodically for floor votes. The chairs explained hearing procedures, including three-minute testimony limits, written testimony deadlines, and reporting deadlines for Senate and House bills. The hearing then focused on several bills related to youth mental health, overdose prevention, and psychedelic treatment research. A major portion of the hearing centered on bills to improve youth crisis response and overdose prevention. Testimony strongly supported bills to print the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards, with speakers from mental health organizations, crisis centers, and individuals sharing personal stories of depression, suicide attempts, and the importance of making 988 as familiar as 911. Another set of bills would require schools to stock naloxone and provide overdose prevention education. Physicians, harm reduction advocates, students, and grieving family members testified that school-based Narcan access and education could save lives, reduce stigma, and help students recognize overdoses and understand Good Samaritan protections. Senator O’Connor and Tamika Perry also testified for a bill to strengthen substance use prevention education and reduce overdose abandonment, emphasizing the need to teach students about overdose risks and the legal protections for calling 911. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to authorize a pilot program for psychedelic treatment in licensed facilities. Senator Friedman and several medical and behavioral health professionals argued the proposal was a narrow, research-based approach distinct from the broader ballot question rejected in 2024. They said the bill would allow only a small number of supervised clinics to use psychedelics for conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders, with data reporting and Department of Public Health oversight. Supporters described it as a cautious way to study promising treatments while avoiding unsupervised or commercialized use. Finally, the committee heard support for a bill to create a special commission and five-year strategic plan for children’s behavioral health services, with testimony that the current system is fragmented, difficult for families to navigate, and strained by workforce and funding challenges. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• worse, the town has a failing water worse, the town has a failing water system<03:56:29.040>
• The town has no water month or two.
• there is critical water infrastructure. there is critical water infrastructure.
• <04:56:58.160> down in front of the voters and water down in front of the voters and water
• >> Test<05:18:36.638> test. >> Test test. >> Test test.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, when it was chronic pain testing, I guess, for an example, there could be testing done to make
• Do we have any way to know how much these diagnostic tests are saving by diagnosing earlier?
• to $1,800. ...chronic pain medication and testing to $1,800.
• Children do not have a testing limit, so it would be applicable to adults. Okay.
• I think we have testing up to $500 for the adults.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:07.800> data<00:16:08.120> shows test in testing shows the data shows test in
• KSA testing has to be done the last 14 days of school.
• KSA testing has to be done the last 14 days of school.
• That benchmark is a very specific test, and it tells you the skills that those kids are lacking.
• If I got 46 on a test, that's not really good.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several education bills and first received a presentation from Paige Cash of Kentucky FFA/Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education. She described the reach of CTE in Kentucky, saying more than 143,000 secondary students are enrolled in CTE courses, and highlighted work-based learning, dual credit, industry certifications, and student organizations such as FFA, DECA, FCCLA, HOSA, TSA, and SkillsUSA. She said CTE funding has helped update lab equipment, support teacher training, fund field trips, and expand participation in career and technical student organizations. Representative Wilson presented House Bill 132, which would address home hospital instruction reimbursement in cases involving short stays, particularly mental health placements that are often under five days. He said schools continue providing instruction even when they are no longer reimbursed under current rules. The committee advanced the bill unanimously after a motion and second, with the measure passing with an expression of opinion that it should pass. The committee then heard House Bill 272 on dyslexia, sponsored by Representative Heavrin. The bill would require KDE to annually update the dyslexia toolkit, require local boards to adopt policies for identifying and assisting K-3 students with dyslexia, require KDE to report district implementation data to LRC, and require teacher preparation programs to include dyslexia instruction. Members discussed whether the bill would require teacher diagnoses, how it would interact with existing IEP/504 and RTI processes, and concerns about added reporting and district burden. Supporters said many students are falling through the cracks and that earlier identification is needed; Representative Willner noted a shortage of school psychologists. The committee passed HB 272 with a motion and second, though several members voted pass and explained concerns about reporting burdens, red tape, and district costs. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 193, a dual credit cleanup bill presented by Joe Carol Ellis of KHEAA. She said the bill would consolidate the statutes governing general education dual credit and CTE/work-ready dual credit scholarships to match current funding practice and reduce confusion for K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions. The presentation was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then in the State Police, with the driver's testing locations, when you all expanded the number of
• <00:34:28.800> So, the driver's testing locations. So, the driver's testing locations.
• and the drinking water revolving loan funds.
• <00:42:16.079> And improve our water infrastructure.
• And improve our water infrastructure.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:11 Executive Budget 00:00:50, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear a presentation from Dr. Hicks on the governor’s recommended budget for the next biennium. He reviewed the revenue outlook, noting modest general fund growth, a large rainy day fund balance, and the impact of recent income tax reductions. He said the budget was built around recurring reductions, lower debt service and retirement contribution rates, and the use of excess restricted funds, while protecting K-12 education, Medicaid, postsecondary education, public safety, and pension obligations. Dr. Hicks outlined several major spending and reserve proposals, including $350 million from the Department of Insurance’s excess restricted funds to support Medicaid in the first year, $150 million for the affordable housing trust fund, $125 million for rural hospitals, $100 million to offset lost federal ACA premium tax credits, $75 million for utility assistance, and $50 million for food assistance. In education, the proposal included a phased pre-K for all plan funded by sports wagering tax revenue, a 3% annual salary increase for full-time school personnel, continued full funding of teacher pensions, a 2.5% annual increase in SEEK base funding, and additional support for career and technical education and school facilities. He also discussed Medicaid cost pressures, including higher managed care, pharmacy, behavioral health, and nursing facility costs, and explained the expected effects of federal HR1 changes on Kentucky’s Medicaid program. Those changes include work and community engagement requirements and more frequent eligibility redeterminations for expansion members, which the administration estimated would reduce enrollment by about 4,300 in the first year and 28,000 in the second year. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting, which was limited to the budget presentation and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Training tested his endurance, his knowledge, and his ability to act under pressure, but it also showed
• Training tested his endurance, his knowledge, and his ability to act under pressure, but it also showed
• my endurance and my easy training tested my endurance and my knowledge<00:52:23.400> and<00:52
• me but every time I help that test me but every time I help someone<00:52:34.799> every<00:52
• sken un like ask is if you're water sken un like Travers<01:22:56.360> and<01:22:57.239> um

Keywords: 1183, house