Transcript Highlights:

• So the error rate is a key part of HB 693.
• So the error rate is a key part of HB 693.
• So the error rate is a key part of HB693.
• I understand the need to have an error rate less than 6%.
• We actually had an error rate of 0.42% in 2014.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for former member Chester Clem, the Pledge of Allegiance, and quorum confirmation. Members then adopted the special order report for the day and approved a Rules and Ethics Committee report amending House Rule 15.3 to allow fundraising under certain circumstances during extended or special sessions. The chamber then took up several bills. HB 1405 on a statewide project for missing persons with special needs passed unanimously. CS/CS/CS/SB 290, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill, passed 94-10 after debate focused on conservation land surplus procedures and agricultural use of state lands. CS/CS/CS/HB 905, the “Fire Act” on foreign influence, foreign gifts, critical infrastructure, sister city agreements, and related restrictions, passed 80-20 after the House adopted an amendment adding a prohibition on certain surrogacy contracts involving citizens or residents of foreign countries of concern. CS/CS/HB 1197, dealing with information technology procurement and contracting, passed 109-0. HB 1103 on local administration of vessel restrictions passed unanimously. The House also debated CS/CS/CS/HB 399 on land use and development regulations. Supporters said it would limit development fees, standardize compatibility rules, allow manufactured homes in RV parks, and lower voting thresholds for comprehensive plan changes to address housing affordability; opponents argued it would preempt local control, weaken voter-approved urban boundary protections, and risk conservation lands. An amendment to preserve Orange County’s boundary rules failed, while a technical amendment on manufactured homes passed. The bill then passed 71-38. The House also passed several local bills, including measures for the Pace Fire Rescue District, Avalon Beach/Mulat Fire Protection District, East Point Water and Sewer District, Fellsmere Water Control District, and Headwaters Water Control District, with votes ranging from 83-27 to unanimous approval. The transcript also included farewell remarks from Representative Angie Nixon before the House returned to remaining business.

Transcript Highlights:

• This touches a lot on regulatory and rate-paying processes, rate-making processes, but we're finding
• The PSC's rate regulatory authority...
• adjust rates of public utilities.
• We do the market rate study.
• Neutrons in the reaction should be slowed to a controlled rate.

Summary: The committee met to review advanced nuclear energy issues in North Dakota, beginning with approval of the April 21, 2022 minutes. Nucleon presented an overview of the advanced reactor landscape, distinguishing light-water SMRs, advanced Gen 4 reactors, and microreactors. The presentation emphasized that light-water SMRs are the most near-term deployable and use familiar low-enriched uranium fuel, while many Gen 4 designs may require high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALU), which is not yet supported by a mature U.S. supply chain. Nucleon also noted that advanced reactors are being developed primarily for industrial heat applications, while microreactors are niche, higher-cost systems for remote or mission-critical uses. Committee members asked about fuel availability, safety, recycling, and whether large reactors such as AP-1000s were evaluated; the presenter said fuel development is proceeding in parallel but remains a bottleneck, and that siting and grid capacity often make SMRs more practical than gigawatt-scale plants in North Dakota. Representatives from the National Association of State Energy Officials described how other states are supporting advanced nuclear through task forces, roadmaps, regional coordination, grants, tax incentives, workforce and supply-chain efforts, and pilot programs. They highlighted the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative and said states are focusing on multi-state coordination, demand aggregation, regulatory coordination, waste management, workforce readiness, and community engagement. They also discussed affordability tools such as construction work in progress (CWIP), financing incentives, and consumer protections, citing examples from Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, Tennessee, and others. In response to questions, they explained that pilot programs often involve site-readiness and feasibility studies, and that the federal Nuclear Innovation Campus process is moving forward with multiple submissions while broader waste and recycling policy may require congressional action. The Public Service Commission said it would likely have a major role in any North Dakota nuclear project through certificate-of-public-convenience-and-necessity review, siting, and rate regulation, but noted gaps in current law for small reactors, co-located facilities, NRC coordination, and long-term site stewardship. The commissioner said the commission has no authority over a private, self-contained reactor not connected to the grid. The Department of Environmental Quality explained that the state regulates radioactive materials under its agreement-state authority, but NRC retains primacy over fission reactors; DEQ would likely assist with emergency planning and could have a larger role if fusion reactors emerge. The Department of Emergency Services said it would serve as the lead off-site preparedness agency, requiring a dedicated radiological emergency preparedness program, training, drills, public outreach, and likely additional funding and staffing, with industry expected to bear much of the cost. The Department of Water Resources said North Dakota’s water laws and prior-appropriation system are adequate for nuclear siting, that the Missouri River is the best likely source, and that no statutory or budget changes are currently needed from a water perspective. The committee recessed for lunch after these agency presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, what we know is the United States and New Mexico both have a birth rate lower than our death rate
• And so those rates are going to be different.
• Well, those rates. It could be different in every area.
• The wage rates in Albuquerque may be higher than they are in Cañada, New Mexico.
• We'll set a floor that you can't go below a certain rate.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The RAC has an over 90% success rate. How many systems can say that?
• Community custody in Bernalillo County has an over 90% success rate.
• Our recidivism rate as of FY 13 for those kids who had...
• . is over 9.5 times the rate of Canada.
• The U.S. has the second highest child and teen firearm death rate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cap is based upon the contribution rate which is still set at eight and a quarter.
• So if you do something separate from that, you're not impacting that contribution rate. Okay.
• Or the state could increase its contribution rate as well.
• The state could increase its contribution rate. That's the 8.25 to 8.4 percent that.
• There's other states that have higher rates of certification.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:55.760> and<00:29:56.080> uh earlier at a discounted rate and uh earlier at
• a discounted rate and uh encourage<00:29:57.440> um<00:29:57.600> folks<00:29:58.120>
• <00:33:50.279> while self-sufficiency um in our rates while self-sufficiency um in our rates
• Another important piece we don't talk enough about is we've reduced our reincarceration rate.
• <00:39:40.240> which<00:39:40.359> is incarceration rate which is incarceration rate

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on February 21 and first approved the January 30 minutes and the consent calendar, with item 2540 removed by the Department of Education and item 25057 set aside for discussion. The committee then took up FIS 25057, a Department of Transportation request tied to a federal grant for building information modeling and related data standardization across DOT systems. Transportation officials explained that the $2.405 million consultant-heavy request would connect surveying, design, construction, and asset management systems, improve efficiency and long-term asset tracking, and help the department catch up with other states. Several senators questioned the lack of immediate, quantifiable budget savings and the reliance on consultants, but the item was ultimately adopted. The committee next approved FIS 25054 for the Department of Health and Human Services after questioning a $16 million shortfall in the Children’s Health Insurance Program. DHHS explained the variance as a budgeting and accounting issue tied to separating CHIP from Medicaid managed care, pandemic-era continuous enrollment, and the new federal requirement for 12 months of continuous coverage for children. Members also approved a Cannon Mountain fee item, where park officials described a proposed price freeze for early-bird passes, a new in-season tier, and modest increases in off-season pricing, while noting operating cost pressures, strong snow conditions, and favorable customer value ratings. That item was adopted unanimously. The committee also approved the Department of Corrections item after discussion of staffing, retirement eligibility, overtime, and recidivism. Commissioner Helen Hanks said retirement-eligible staff had declined slightly, recruitment was improving, overtime hours were down, one housing floor had been closed because of lower population, and the department had reduced reincarceration by 8% over seven years, which she said produced substantial savings. The item was adopted. During informational items, the committee heard a Legislative Budget Assistant performance audit of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights. The audit found the commission inefficient and ineffective in processing complaints, with average case closure taking 840 days, significant backlogs dating back decades, expired administrative rules, weak management controls, disorganized and outdated procedures, unreliable data, and unresolved prior audit findings. The audit included 25 recommendations, two of which may require legislative action. Commission staff said they appreciated the recommendations and expected the additional resources from the prior budget cycle to help address the backlog and improve transparency and efficiency.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I don't know how taxpayer rates will go up due to this bill currently.
• We have rate classes for all different sorts of customer classes.
• This is happening at a much faster rate than previously predicted. The time frame is much shorter.
• This is happening at a much faster rate than previously predicted. The time frame is much shorter.
• That would say that the PSC will lift that stay on a large rate interconnection until July 1st.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached. Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.

Transcript Highlights:

• > cannabis<00:07:13.199> encourages higher tax rate on cannabis encourages higher tax rate
• <00:07:27.919> only A higher tax rate only encourages the black market.
• and now he's seen his opportunity rate and now he's seen his opportunity to<00:08:11.360> levy
• A lower tax rate puts us in a much better position.
• A lower tax rate puts us impacts of it.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:28.760> or taxpayer through increased rates or taxpayer through increased rates or
• But rate increases alone cannot meet the scale of the infrastructure challenge that we face.
• But rate increases alone cannot meet the scale of the infrastructure challenge that we face.
• What should we set this rate at? What kind of return is there going to be?
• What should we set this rate at? What kind of return is there going to be?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of the utility rate side.
• Why are we wanting to expand that to the PRC being able to consider this in the rate? Mr.
• So everyone's utility rates could go up. We're asking for a rate increase.
• I mean, that's what this allows them to ask for a rate increase. That needs to be explained to me.
• Chair, Representative Montoya, it doesn't ask for a rate increase. It doesn't do that.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are requesting rate and trust fund authority from the Legal Affairs Revolving Trust Fund.
• We are asking for some additional rate and salary dollars so that we can reduce rate and salary dollars
• We did not have the opportunity to negotiate what those fees and those rates were.
• So at a time where we're having to make tough decisions on budget cuts. ...fees and those rates were.
• So that drives that vacancy, that overtime rate, up.

Summary: The committee met to hear fiscal year 2026-2027 legislative budget requests from several justice-related agencies. The Florida Commission on Offender Review requested funding for investigator and revocation staff salary increases to address turnover, plus nonrecurring funds for Wi-Fi, seven vehicles, technology support, and commissioner salary adjustments. The State Courts Administrator presented a broad judicial branch request focused on trial court case-management technology, additional case managers, trust fund authority for child support hearing officers, courthouse furnishings, district court flexibility in staffing, a future courthouse for the Sixth District Court of Appeal, Supreme Court elevator replacement, POM accounting implementation support, judicial security liaison positions tied to the Florida Fusion Center, expanded senior management service authority, and judicial salary adjustments. The Office of the Attorney General outlined pay and operating requests for consumer protection, citizen services, ethics, crime compensation, victim services, vehicle replacement, IT and cybersecurity, lease and operating costs, and PALM-related expenses, while several senators questioned the office about outside counsel contracts, contingency-fee arrangements, transparency, and the use of private law firms. The Department of Corrections made the largest presentation, describing severe staffing shortages, high turnover, rising inmate populations, increased assaults, and heavy overtime use. Secretary Ricky Dixon said the agency’s request was driven by constitutional and public safety needs and included funding for operations, security equipment, inflationary costs, vehicle replacement, offender information system modernization, technology restoration, inmate health services, drug and food cost increases, staffing pilots, maintenance, security infrastructure, Florida PALM, recruitment and retention, and $56 million for new correctional housing units. Members asked about inmate labor, prison safety, overtime, vehicle breakdowns, and whether more National Guard support was needed; Dixon said the agency needed more staffing and pay competitiveness rather than a long-term military presence. A correctional officers’ union representative also urged support for pay raises, citing low pay and staffing concerns. No votes were taken on the budget requests. The chair allowed extended questioning, especially for the Department of Corrections, but noted time constraints and asked agencies to return in a later committee meeting, including FDLE, which was deferred because of a House site visit.

Transcript Highlights:

• state grant making and contracting with nonprofits, things like advance pay, sustainable indirect cost rates
• grant making and contracting with nonprofits, things like advanced pay, sustainable indirect cost rates
• partners to practice the OMB uniform guidance issued in 2024 that raised the guaranteed de minimis rate
• One out of 10 organizations in our survey received 0 to 5 percent indirect rates on their government
• Indirect rates on their government contracts. Forty-nine percent received between 6 to 10 percent.

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly select committee hearing focused on the challenges facing California nonprofits in 2025 and possible state responses. Opening remarks emphasized the sector’s size and importance, the impact of federal funding disruptions and tax policy changes, and the need for stronger public-private partnerships, especially in disaster response and recovery. Witnesses from community foundations, food banks, Cal OES, long-term recovery groups, CalNonprofits, and nonprofit finance organizations described funding uncertainty, delayed reimbursements, reduced indirect cost coverage, staffing strain, and the effects of climate disasters and immigration-related fear on service delivery. Testimony highlighted several policy ideas, including advance payments for state grants and contracts, prompt payment standards, sustainable indirect cost rates, contract flexibility in emergencies, streamlined registration and reporting, and a possible new Office of Nonprofit Empowerment to serve as a central point of contact and coordination within state government. Speakers also described how nonprofits and VOAD networks support wildfire response and long-term recovery, but noted that recovery groups often lack stable operating funding even when they are recognized as best practice. A food bank leader described federal food aid cuts and disruptions to deliveries, while other witnesses stressed that nonprofits are increasingly forced to use reserves, loans, or service reductions to manage cash flow gaps. Committee members generally expressed support for the sector and asked how the state could better partner with nonprofits during both disasters and budget crises. Several members raised the possibility of incremental steps if full legislative changes are not immediately feasible, and witnesses suggested pilots, better sharing of best practices, and stronger state leadership on payment timelines. Public commenters echoed the need for better contracting practices, support for community-based organizations, and attention to nonprofit worker compensation and protections. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the hearing, which concluded with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• These fires pose an existential risk to the entire recycling system and a gigantic cost to rate payers
• The repairs are expensive. and they can definitely increase rates to our rate payers.
• There's a lot of things that come into being for water providers. is that some will be absorbed by rate
• payers and that there is a, what's the word, a timeline for how one gets rated. increases, you know,
• As Assemblymember Szilagyi pointed out, two of our AB 617 communities rated metal shredders as a top

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And to be, to be clear, this bill does not limit or cap, uh, any of these utility rates or fees.
• It does not interfere with how municipalities set or manage their rates.
• It helps foster trust in public systems and encourages responsible rate setting through openness and
• information on their websites, and our customers are accustomed to locating these schedules and rate
• Um, I would, I think you also said about, um, posting the actual rates themselves because they can, I

Bills: HB303

Keywords: jail standards, living conditions, Harris County jail, safety, inmate welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• . vacancy rates for years.
• And that leave time is calculated based on their hourly rate? That is correct.
• It is an hourly rate, even if someone is salaried, and that would be the calculus for the rate, Madam
• Higher rates of survival and better outcomes, especially when it's done immediately.
• So, are we monitoring flow rates, dissolved oxygen, minerals? Chemical pollutants?

Transcript Highlights:

• It amends the transient accommodations tax rate and requires a $20 transient accommodations tax rate
• It amends the transient accommodations tax rate and requires a $20 transient accommodations tax rate
• overall increase in room rates, um, that we've seen in the last several years.
• overall increase in room rates, um, that we've seen in the last several years.
• Box um I have concerns that uh the rate Box um I have concerns that uh the rate of<00:34:33.000> $20

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Tourism and Committee on Water and Land heard HB 504, which would raise the transient accommodations tax by imposing a $20 nightly charge on stays booked with points, miles, or other rewards-program benefits, with revenues dedicated to DLNR for natural resource protection, management, and restoration. Supporters said Hawaiʻi faces major environmental funding shortfalls and that visitors should help pay for the lands and waters they enjoy. Testimony in support came from DLNR, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Care for Now Coalition, Hawaiʻi Ocean Legislative Task Force, Hawaiʻi Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Kuaʻulu, Mālama Puka, Resources Legacy Fund, and others, many citing visitor polling showing strong support for an environmental stewardship fee and the need for a dedicated funding source and community grants. Opposition or caution focused mainly on implementation and the tax structure. The Department of Taxation said the surcharge would create administrative difficulties because it would be hard to verify the value of points, miles, and similar bookings, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi said it supported the policy goal but not the funding source, warning that tourists have limited budgets and may choose other destinations. Some members also raised concerns about the $20 rate and administrative complexity, while others said the concept was creative but needed refinement. After discussion, the chair recommended passing HB 504 as HD1 with amendments, including noting DoTax’s concerns and changing the effective date for the surcharge to January 1, 2027. Both committees adopted the recommendation and passed the bill with amendments; one member in Water and Land voted with reservations, and several members were excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's always an anticipated vacancy rate of 3% or 4%; that's natural.
• As you can see, from 2021 to 2024-25, the clerks have had increases in the FRS rates.
• The current collection rate for criminal court costs is very low. It's roughly about 10% to 12%.
• We have a success rate of about 5%. We have a success rate of about 45%.
• This is just a 2.5% recidivism rate.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice heard an update from Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon on staffing, overtime, capital needs, and inmate population growth. Dixon said the prison population has risen by about 8,000 since January 2021 while staffing has not kept pace, forcing the agency to open 53 housing units without funded positions and rely heavily on overtime and National Guard support. He cited a $189 million deficit tied to salaries and overtime, noted that most staff have less than three years of experience, and argued the solution is to fully fund posts for operational housing units. He also reviewed the department’s fixed capital outlay projects, including repairs, new housing construction, and medical modular units intended to reduce outside hospital transports, and gave an update on the VINE victim notification system and its expansion. The committee then heard from Florida clerks of court representatives Jason Welty and Miami-Dade Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who described clerks’ court-related and county duties and said clerk budgets have not kept pace with the broader justice system. They requested reimbursements for injunctions for protection ($3.3 million), Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator cases ($2.5 million), and juror management ($4.8 million), and said future funding for new judges should include the full courtroom system, not judges alone. Fernandez-Barquin also raised concerns about unfunded mandates, rising retirement and health costs, low court-side pay, and the need to revisit filing fees and trust fund allocations. Members asked about collections, payment plans, license suspensions, and whether some fees or trust fund distributions could be redirected; the governor’s budget had already picked up the $2.5 million request for Baker/Marchman/SVP cases. During public testimony, speakers urged broader criminal justice reforms and additional funding priorities. A prosecutor emphasized that adding judges requires funding for prosecutors, public defenders, and clerks as well. Other speakers called for parole or long-term sentencing reform to reduce prison populations and costs, criticized staffing and conditions in prisons, and raised concerns about inexperienced correctional officers, visitation delays, and lack of air conditioning in some facilities. The committee took no substantive votes on the items discussed and adjourned after hearing the presentations and public comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• hundredths of a percent of a rate increase.
• , even if their combined rating is below 100%.
• We're running a 90% success rate.
• We're running a 90% success rate.
• These folks are rated on their ability to process these claims and their success rate.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with most drawing support after amendments or ongoing stakeholder negotiations. SB 29, by Senator Laird, would extend a sunset on the law allowing pain-and-suffering claims to survive a plaintiff’s death; supporters, including a family member describing a medical negligence case, labor groups, consumer advocates, and disability and elder organizations, argued it prevents defendants from running out the clock, while hospitals, medical groups, and business organizations warned of higher costs and added liability. After extensive debate about data collection, settlement reporting, and the impact on health care access, the bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. SB 294, by Senator Reyes and presented by Senator Laird, would require employers to notify a worker’s emergency contact if the worker is arrested or detained and would create a template to inform employees of state and federal labor rights. Labor and worker advocates said the bill would help workers understand and enforce their rights amid weakened federal enforcement; there was no opposition on file, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. SB 697 would modernize water-rights adjudication by allowing the State Water Board to use technology instead of requiring in-person field investigations; with no opposition, it also passed unanimously. The committee also advanced SB 37 on attorney advertising, SB 645 on peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 303 on bias-mitigation trainings in public workplaces, and SB 464 on expanding pay-data reporting for specified state workers. SB 37 drew support from consumer and legal groups but concerns from Walker Advertising about joint advertising; members said negotiations were ongoing, and the bill passed. SB 645 would extend anti-bias jury-selection rules to certain civil rights cases; criminal-defense and defense groups said they were close to agreement, and the bill passed. SB 303 and SB 464 were both amended to narrow scope and moved forward after several opponents shifted to neutral or removed opposition. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills, all sent to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• of 0 to 10, and 82% rated their experience six and above.
• rate or higher.
• 100% of Medicare rate, and I'm here to answer any questions.
• Thank you. rates because when the um manufacturers rates because when the um manufacturers come<00:31
• 100% of Medicare rate, and I'm here to answer any questions.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year's bill had a higher tax rate.
• <00:02:17.879> that<00:02:18.000> we rate 1.25% is the tax rate that we rate 1.25%
• the bill this year to be the tax rates the bill this year to be the tax rates the the the same<00
• We'll talk about that tax rate in executive session.
• The same way we distribute money in terms of slot, we have a 40% tax rate.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all