Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you requires cabinet agencies to report data on the credentials that they issue to the
• justification that the unavailability is not due to intentional failure to collect that data.
• justification that the unavailability is not due to intentional failure to collect that data.
• We not only report this data, but we also use this data to have an understanding of who works for us,
• able to say that we will reasonably protect this data on an individual personal level.

Summary: The Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee met on January 23, 2026, first taking executive action on several bills. The committee held SB 6035 and SB 5842 for another week, then worked through SB 5973 on initiative and referendum signature gathering rules. Members debated 12 amendments to a proposed substitute and the underlying bill, but none were adopted. The substitute would prohibit pay-per-signature and require 1,000 pre-filing signatures for initiatives; opponents argued it would burden the initiative process, while supporters said it would curb fraud and improve accountability. The committee then advanced SB 5892, SB 6081, SB 5877, SB 5968, and SB 6034, each on a due pass recommendation, with SB 6081 referred to the Transportation Committee and the others sent to Rules or Ways and Means as noted in the motions. During public hearing, the committee heard SB 5888, which would remove Senate confirmation for members of the Washington State Women's Commission. Senator Wellman said the change would align the commission with similar bodies and correct an inconsistency, and commission staff testified in support, saying the appointment process is already thorough and that the governor would retain appointment authority. The committee also heard SB 6123, expanding a public-records exemption for voluntarily supplied demographic information to local government employees; a Pierce County HR director supported the bill, saying it would help build trust while preserving aggregate reporting. The hearing on SB 5853, sponsored by Senator Wilson, drew strong support and no opposition; it would create a statewide emergency notification system for public officials to alert them to targeted threats, with the Secretary of State and Military Department involved in administration. Secretary of State staff said they supported the concept but wanted to work with the sponsor on implementation details, and the sponsor said he was willing to amend the bill to address those concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're still—no, that's our data bill. That's later. That's a data bill.
• <04:28:41.319><c> came</c><04:28:41.520><c> from</c> data came from data came from and<04:28:42.920><
• I work with the claims data, indeed with the hospital price transparency data and the transparency and
• the claims data work with the data the claims data indeed<05:18:19.798><c> with</c><05:18:20.000><c>
• /c> and coverage data two different domains and coverage data two different domains from<05:18:24.958

Summary: The subcommittee first took up several bills and repeatedly chose to retain or table them rather than advance them. House 167, dealing with past wax, was voted ought to pass; House 312 was retained because members said NCAA-related advertising and uniform policy issues were still unresolved; House 434, requiring insurers to provide rental cars for at least seven days, was voted inexpedient to legislate; and House 454, on biodegradable packaging claims, was also voted inexpedient to legislate after members said the proposal lacked a workable enforcement mechanism and would likely be only a symbolic state-by-state measure. House 721, making gold legal tender, was retained, with members saying the bill needed more work and that the issue was less compelling in New Hampshire because the state has no sales tax. The committee then discussed House 310, which was amended to create a study commission on blockchain and related regulatory issues. The amendment expanded the commission’s charge to include legal, regulatory, financial, technological, and environmental considerations, added review of federal developments, included blockchain-based trust and stable token issues, broadened membership, and extended the repeal and report dates by a year. Members said the commission would help New Hampshire develop expertise and a report for future legislation, while also noting that federal action could affect the state’s role. The amendment was adopted 8-1, and the bill itself was then retained. Finally, the subcommittee heard a revised amendment to House 406 on business filings and registered agents. The Secretary of State’s office explained that the amendment, drafted with input from the Business and Industry Association, narrows the bill to address fraudulent or unauthorized entity filings after a written complaint and sworn statement, sets minimum requirements for registered agents, bars use of commercial mail-drop addresses as registered offices, and allows removal or cancellation of fraudulent filings with penalties for false filings. Members asked about which entities must maintain registered offices and how the rules would affect home-based businesses; the sponsor said most New Hampshire business entities must have a registered office, with some exceptions such as domestic nonprofits and trade names. The discussion emphasized concerns about synthetic entities, identity misuse, and the need for a physical in-state registered agent address.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I just wanted to know what the data was. And I wasn't aware that we already had the data.
• So I just wanted to know what the data was. And I wasn't aware that we already had the data.
• And so I just wanted to see exactly what the data was as far as the correlation.
• I don't know how LDH would get this data if it's illegal in Louisiana.
• I don't know how LDH would get this data if it's illegal in Louisiana. So you know what?

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 26 for what was described as the last meeting of the legislative session. H.R. 318 was voluntarily deferred without discussion. The committee first took up H.R. 298, which would have directed the Louisiana Department of Health, with the legislative auditor, to study LDH’s relationships with certain nonprofits, foundations, professional associations, and other nongovernmental entities. The author presented amendments narrowing the definitions, but LDH testified the language was still too broad, would still require substantial review of contracts, memberships, conferences, and related interactions, and would still carry a significant fiscal note. Members raised concerns that hospitals, provider associations, nonprofit care facilities, and other stakeholders could be swept in. The author then voluntarily deferred the resolution, and the committee agreed without objection. The committee then heard Senate Bill 405, which establishes a statewide quality oversight initiative for nursing facilities, directs LDH to work with facilities on care standards and remediation for lower-rated homes, and requires reporting and transparency for families. The bill drew broad support from members and stakeholders, including nursing home and senior advocacy groups, and was reported favorably without objection. House Resolution 290, which asked LDH to study a possible correlation between gender-affirming hormone therapy medications and psychosis or related psychiatric conditions in people 26 and younger, prompted questions about the purpose of the study and concerns that it could affect broader policy debates. The author, a licensed clinical social worker, said the request was intended to examine whether medications were being used too quickly and what effects they might have on adolescent mental health; after discussion, the author voluntarily deferred the resolution, and the committee agreed. Finally, the committee considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 61, urging LDH and commercial insurers to increase reimbursement rates for behavioral health crisis centers operating under a crisis receiving center license. Testimony focused on the Bridge Center for Hope, described as the state’s only Level 3 crisis receiving center, and the need to revisit Medicaid reimbursement for the first 23 hours of crisis care. With no questions or objections, the resolution was adopted. The meeting ended with members thanking the chair and staff, and the committee adjourned for the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the data we hear in news every day.
• That's very clear in the data.
• At DPMO, we will continue to follow the data.
• So getting better data on industry costs would be, I think, an area.
• I will actually add one more thing on the data problem: the 1322 data, and I use this phrase so seldomly

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the impact of the Iran conflict and global oil supply disruption on California fuel markets. Committee members and administration witnesses from the California Energy Commission and the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight described California’s heavy reliance on imported crude and refined products, the state’s shrinking refining base, current inventory levels, and how global supply tightness is affecting gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices. CEC officials said near-term supply looked adequate for roughly the next six weeks, but warned that continued disruption would likely raise prices further and increase competition for imports. DPMO said the conflict is a real supply shock, but also emphasized a separate, longstanding problem of unusually high California retail gasoline prices, especially among major branded stations. Witnesses and members debated the causes of high prices and the state’s longer-term fuel strategy. Professor Severin Borenstein argued that much of the price gap beyond taxes and environmental costs comes from a “mystery gasoline surcharge” downstream of refineries, while also noting that California’s shrinking number of refineries creates market-power and supply-resilience concerns. Western States Petroleum Association CEO Jody Mueller argued that state policies have weakened California’s refining system and made it more vulnerable to global shocks, urging the state to protect remaining refining capacity and improve infrastructure for imports. United Steelworkers Local 675 Vice President Norman Rogers stressed the need for safe, reliable refinery operations and adequate staffing. Several members pressed witnesses on whether California should rely more on imports, how to manage inventories and port/storage capacity, and whether the state needs clearer authority and better data collection to coordinate fuel policy. Discussion also covered branded versus unbranded gasoline pricing, the role of California fuel specifications, and whether a floating gas tax or other policy tools could buffer consumers from global price spikes. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm trying to pull up the data really quickly for you.
• I'm trying to pull up the data really quickly for you.
• I'm trying to pull up the data really quickly for you.
• </c> that you can say there's some data that you can say there's some data besides<00:58:18.240><c> saying
• </c> &gt;&gt; I I don't think you'd see any data &gt;&gt; I I don't think you'd see any data because<

Bills: HB0032

Committee: Senate Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I’d like to see what that’s looking like right now and as you progress with that data.
• I think we need to pull some data to come back to you with an informed recommendation.
• We need to pull some data.
• The remainder of the data on this slide is from the U.S.
• You will be receiving lots of data beginning tomorrow.

Summary: The committee met to receive an update from Department of Education officials Jacob Oliva and Stacey Smith on early childhood education, especially the state-funded Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. They said Arkansas recently received a federal Preschool Development Grant and described ABC as a large state-funded program serving about 23,800 slots at roughly $114 million annually, with most providers being school districts. They reported that about 1,000 funded seats are currently unfilled despite a waiting list of more than 2,000 families, and said the department is notifying providers that slots must be filled or funding will be reduced. Members asked about school choice, income eligibility, summer programming, curriculum flexibility, transportation, and whether slots could be moved to areas with greater need. Officials said the program is being reviewed for possible modernization, including slot allocation, income thresholds, and per-student rates, and the committee agreed to form an early childhood subcommittee for further study. The committee then moved into the adequacy study presentations. Taylor Lloyd of the Bureau of Legislative Research reviewed the constitutional and legal framework for Arkansas school funding, focusing on the state’s duty to provide a general, suitable, and efficient public school system under Article 14, Section 1, and on the Dupree and Lake View cases. She explained that adequacy is a policy question for the General Assembly, while the courts determine constitutional compliance, and that equity concerns how resources are distributed while adequacy concerns whether the system provides enough resources. She also described the matrix as a funding tool, not a spending mandate, and noted that categorical funds are separate from the matrix. Members asked about how the framework relates to Education Freedom Accounts, homeschool/private school funding, stakeholder input, average daily membership versus attendance, and whether school board members should be surveyed in future studies. Elizabeth Bynum then gave the historical framework for adequacy, walking through legislative responses from Dupree through Lake View and the post-2007 adequacy process. She reviewed major funding changes such as the creation of equalization funding, student growth and declining enrollment funding, the 2004 Continuing Adequacy Evaluation Act, the financial reporting requirements, and later changes to the matrix and categorical funding. She noted that the current adequacy process relies on committee study, agency assistance, stakeholder testimony, surveys of educators, and occasional outside consultants. Members asked follow-up questions about how much funding districts can spend at their discretion, whether school board members should be included in surveys, and the historical shift from average daily attendance to average daily membership. No votes were taken on the adequacy presentations, but the committee indicated it would continue the study process and consider additional recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Basically, this bill adds a definition of health data to the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act.
• The consequence of classifying it as sensitive data is that that data cannot be sold or, in this case
• data.
• , which will include health data.
• is that considered health data?

Bills: SF1750 , HF2700 , HF1606 , HF3356 , HF3946 , HF3970 , HF3658 , HF3875 , HF2627 , SF856 , HF1268 , HF1338

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• The Data Practices Office is a statewide resource on Minnesota's Open Meeting Law and the Data Practices
• </c><00:17:27.120><c> practices</c> opportunities next the data practices opportunities next the data
• Bad actors will exploit a vulnerability, maybe encrypt data, and then return that data potentially in
• They have federal data; they have much higher standards of protection of our consumer data and everything
• </c><01:25:19.840><c> as</c> employes that that give us the data as employes that that give us the data

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Sherry, we've had a lot of trouble getting data centers located in the state.
• I think we have lessons learned in the data center world on information.
• Cooper Land gave me all of his data in the 2000s.
• Cooper Land gave me all of his data in the 2000s.
• Cooper Land gave me all of his data in the 2000s.

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

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:

• from data brokers.
• These are folks that have data about each of us, but not data that comes from a direct relationship with
• them. ...their data from data brokers.
• These are folks that have data about each of us, but not data that comes from a direct relationship with
• from the data broker registry.

Summary: The Senate began with a roll call, a moment of silence for the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The body then moved through gubernatorial appointments, confirming Julia Montgomery as General Counsel for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and reappointing Dr. Cynthia Glover Woods, Dr. Brenda Lewis, and Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez to the State Board of Education, and George Cardona as Chief Trial Counsel for the State Bar. The Senate also heard a guest introduction welcoming Cal Lutheran University students, faculty, and staff to the gallery. The chamber then took up several resolutions, including SR 111 recognizing the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex Phobia, and Transphobia; SCR 129 designating part of Highway 152 as the Rusty Arraes Highway; SCR 169 proclaiming October 2026 as Women's Small Business Month; and SCR 173 designating May 2026 as California Fairgrounds Appreciation Month. All of these resolutions passed, with members speaking in support of Arraes, women-owned businesses, and the public safety and community roles of fairgrounds. The Senate also passed a series of policy bills. These included SB 1154 on best-value procurement for community college public works, SB 1369 on judicial recall safeguards, SB 1106 shortening the data broker deletion timeline under the Delete Act, SB 1417 increasing transparency for mutual water companies, SB 1408 authorizing a future Contra Costa transportation sales tax measure, SB 1172 adding guardrails to local tax sharing agreements, SB 1383 protecting locally adopted labor standards in density bonus projects, SB 1371 barring waste haulers from suspending service during lawful labor disputes, SB 908 streamlining residential window replacement permits, SB 1361 limiting actions taken solely to avoid transit-oriented housing standards, SB 1014 requiring early fee and improvement estimates for housing projects, SB 1272 giving homeowners more time to fix preexisting code violations, SB 1406 targeting the Montana tax loophole, SB 1238 increasing HOA transparency and oversight, and SB 868 creating a plug-in solar framework. Most passed on largely party-line votes, with some Republican members objecting to labor-related or regulatory measures. Later in the day, the Senate approved additional health, education, privacy, and AI measures, including SB 950 on early-onset Alzheimer’s treatment coverage, SB 874 on Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment oversight, SB 1049 on correcting health plan claims, SB 1067 on early math screening, SB 1202 on Medi-Cal outreach amid federal changes, SB 944 on acupuncture coverage, SB 957 on notice for federal subpoenas to social media companies, SB 998 on discrimination prevention coordinators, and SB 1000 on AI content transparency. The final item shown, SB 1056 on protective orders for sexually explicit material involving adult victims, was introduced with the author noting ongoing work on amendments, but the transcript cuts off before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I'm talking about the trends in the data or the data changing over time, we've all had rain events
• That's why data is kind of clinical.
• The idea about the data that I talked about: that, hey, this drain was designed using these data.
• And that data would be data from entities like the USGS, the StreamStats data, NOAA, National Weather
• Service data, those sorts of things, or even FEMA data.

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• , since the data is now outside of the university system.
• So data analytics is something, data for income and verification.
• There is no safety or security on where your data is going.
• , set up in-house AI where we can control the data.
• We can certainly dig into this data a little bit more.

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Summary: The Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and a review of the state’s annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and the Office of Management and Budget reported a clean opinion on the state’s financial statements and described continued growth in net position, strong general fund balance, and significant Legacy Fund investment income. Committee members asked about how the report reflects long-term finances and how North Dakota compares with other states, and OMB noted that the ACFR is based on audited actual results rather than budget forecasts. The committee then heard the North Dakota University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund construction money, insufficient monitoring of service organizations, improper bank reconciliations at several campuses, and investment/cash recording issues at Bismarck State College. University System officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations and greater use of shared services. Members also questioned practices such as campus use of certificates of deposit and whether repeated findings were being adequately addressed. Additional audits were presented for the State Fair Association, State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Securities Department, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Most received clean opinions with no findings; exceptions included a repeat component-unit issue at the State Fair Foundation, a securities personnel-evaluation finding, and a Housing Finance Agency finding involving a late return of escrow surplus. The committee also discussed broader oversight issues, including the need for independent auditing of the Ethics Commission, possible legislative changes to give the State Auditor more subpoena power and independent legal counsel, and future work on data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, and audit capacity. The meeting recessed for lunch after these discussions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Data is readily available.
• Wherever we gather this data to find out.
• Data matters. It's important that we get data.
• We can get that data.
• Hey, I know the data. But you know what else you find? Just like everything else in data, you find.

Summary: The House debated a series of amendments to a major income tax bill, with repeated arguments over tax fairness, affordability, administrative feasibility, and the role of the Department of Revenue. Early motions to reconsider a failed child care amendment were rejected, and Amendment 2561, which would have restricted data sharing with the IRS, was also defeated after debate over privacy, federal relationships, and whether the proposal was administrable. Amendment 2579, which would have required annual reporting on the tax’s effects on filers, businesses, and charitable donations, likewise failed, with supporters emphasizing transparency and opponents arguing DOR was not the right agency and the report was too speculative. Amendment 2598, proposing to use half of new revenue for a broad sales tax cut, was rejected despite arguments that it would reduce regressivity and provide immediate relief; Amendment 2556, expanding sales tax exemptions for diapers and other child-care essentials to include adult diapers and earlier implementation, also failed after debate over scope and timing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in the months that they would normally gather data, they would get the additional data needed to
• </c> data, they would get the additional data data, they would get the additional data needed<00:16:32.320
• I mean, in track of the data below 3.5.
• I don't have<00:33:11.560><c> the</c><00:33:11.680><c> data.</c> have the data. have the data.
• </c> Um just because this is a brand new data Um just because this is a brand new data collection<00:

Summary: The committee took up HB 1563, a special education aid formula bill, after a brief recess. Members reviewed a replace-all amendment that would keep the current reimbursement lag structure but make the bill effective July 1, 2028, with districts beginning to collect the new data in the next biennium. The amendment changes the reimbursement tiers from a dollar-based system to one tied to average per-pupil spending: districts would pay 100% below 2.5 times average per-pupil spending, 85% from 2.5 to 3.5 times, 20% from 3.5 to 10 times, and 10% above 10 times, with the state covering the remainder. Speakers emphasized that the bill is intended as an incremental step to gather better data before any larger expansion of state participation. A major new section would create a risk-based monitoring program for reimbursement claims. Instead of reviewing every claim individually, the department would review at least 20% of districts each year so every district is reviewed at least once every five years, with additional random or targeted reviews based on risk indicators, anomalies, prior findings, or other department criteria. Members discussed whether the audit sample should be district-based or student-based, and whether the bill should more specifically define the type of audit and the meaning of “other” criteria. Department witnesses said the current process already involves confidential information and that the new approach would not worsen privacy concerns; they also said the department would follow federal and state privacy laws and adopt rules to implement the process. Several members supported the bill as a practical first step to improve data collection and eventually expand aid, noting that districts currently do not track lower-cost special education students well. Others raised concerns about the lack of a fiscal note, possible local costs, and whether the new monitoring language gives the department too much discretion. The discussion ended with no vote taken in the excerpt, and members indicated they may need more time to review the final amendment before proceeding.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> already actually been done that the data already actually been done that the data is<00:31:51.720
• Proper management begins with sound science and data.
• We manage that throughout the state, but we do not have annual data.
• I'm checking on data protections for the data of the wolf locations.
• I'm checking on data protections for the data of the wolf locations.

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So this data was super eye-opening for us because as I just mentioned, we know it's happening.
• So based on these patterns in the data, I don't know.
• What the data helped us see was that even when supports exist, they're not...
• But we were able to have some more data-informed practice.
• I don't have exact data to back this up, but I think they're generally thinking of four-year.

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Permit Commission on Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes before hearing a presentation from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE). Presenters from UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion, the Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, Northeast, and Lawrence Public Schools described LPTE as a five-year grant focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence through community partnerships, work groups, and family engagement. A major focus was a family survey designed to better understand barriers to transition planning and IEP participation. Presenters said the survey response rate increased sharply after Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute it, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Survey findings showed common barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, transportation, and limited understanding of IEPs and transition planning. The data also suggested that many families expect college or employment outcomes for their children, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, indicating a communication gap rather than a lack of services. Lawrence school staff explained that the district has a five-person transition team, bilingual resources, workshops, and a developing online transition hub, and that they are using the survey results to improve visibility and access to existing supports. Committee members discussed the need to start transition planning earlier, expand real-world work experiences, improve outreach to Latino families, and better connect students with college, trade, and employment pathways. Several members suggested partnerships with summer youth employment, volunteer programs, and college or alumni panels. The presenters said the grant ends in September, but the resource hub will continue through the Arc and they are exploring ways to sustain the consortium model. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, an update that committee members would meet with Seed on Massachusetts as a model employer, and notice that the next meeting would feature the Office of Veteran Affairs before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was some concern in this committee related to water usage and electricity usage by data centers
• The new items three and four on page three talk about having a data center that has to receive electricity
• We do identify that if we are trying to attract data centers to the state of Idaho, we want them to meet
• first put in place, the conversation, to my recollection, it had taken about three years for that data
• We understand that data centers are going to happen.

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• And the data reflect this.
• </c> longitudinal data for permanent longitudinal data for permanent long-term<01:40:28.159><c> health
• So I understand the goal is to get data, evaluate data, and see, you know, trending and points that we
• c> see</c> is to get data, evaluate data and see is to get data, evaluate data and see you<01:45:05.199
• </c> you wouldn't have access to the data you wouldn't have access to the data that<01:45:50.880><c>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So we pulled the data regarding special education from the DOE25, and Zach looked at the data from the
• ><c> by</c> get all of those data points by get all of those data points by district.<01:08:21.520><c
• Let's get the data, and that's the hard part. If we can get data to back us up, then we're good.
• Let's get the data, and that's the hard part. If we can get data to back us up, then we're good.
• , data, data.

Summary: The commission to study the cost of special education met, confirmed a quorum, introduced members and guests, and approved the minutes from the October 29 meeting. Members noted the commission’s mandate under Senate Bill 57 and emphasized the need to focus on recommendations and findings by July 1, 2026. The chair also distributed additional handouts, including materials related to the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program and administrative rules tied to differentiated aid and disability determinations. The main discussion centered on how students qualify for differentiated aid under the EFA program. Matt Sutherton of the Children’s Scholarship Fund explained that the organization, which contracts with the state to administer EFAs, accepts either school-district/IEP documentation or a medical certification of disability (MCD) from a licensed medical professional. Members questioned how this process relates to the state’s special education rules and whether the school-district examiner standards in ED 107/1107.04 apply to EFAs. Sutherton said the MCD form, created with the department, requires the medical professional to sign that they are qualified to make the determination and to identify the disability. Several members expressed concern that the EFA process is less rigorous than the school-district IEP process and may be inflating disability counts. One member argued that the administrative rules cited are primarily for school districts, not EFAs, and said the Department of Education may not know how many of the roughly 890 EFA students receiving differentiated aid came through school-district documentation versus the MCD pathway. Another member said the EFA system appears more generous than the school system and raised concerns about oversight, auditing, and whether the program’s data are accurate. Sutherton said the organization reviews signed documentation, credentials, and diagnosis information, and may request additional records to help adjudicate expenses. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> um without a standard system of data um without a standard system of data collection<01:15:31.239
• </c><01:21:01.840><c> with</c> have direct access to this data with have direct access to this data with
• </c> be broader public access to the data be broader public access to the data chair<01:21:39.560><c>
• We're no longer going to be collecting age of arrest data or primary language data.
• We want to be doing things based on data and doing things correctly.

Bills: HF1082 , HF1042 , HF1295 , HF1686 , HF1998 , HF1775 , HF1163

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy