Transcript Highlights:

• And if I could just respond, this bill does not apply to residential owner-occupied properties.
• And if I could just respond, this bill does not apply to residential owner-occupied properties.
• The Public Prompt Pay Act: we represent and build residential homes for your constituents.
• And people talk amongst themselves in the home building, residential construction.
• That, ladies and gentlemen, is not your residential home building company.

Committee: House Joint Committee on Rural Economic Development

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and voted several bills do pass. House Bill 2409 was approved 14-0, House Bill 2654 was approved 15-0, and House Bill 2747 was approved after adoption of a House committee amendment and substitute, also by a 14-0 vote. The committee then moved into public hearing on House Bill 1915, which would regulate payment practices in private construction contracts. Representative David Castile, the sponsor, said the bill was intended to ensure timely payment to contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, limit abusive contract clauses, and require written notice before withholding payment. He emphasized that it was aimed at larger private projects and not owner-occupied residential work. Testimony on HB 1915 was mixed. Supporters, including electrical, mechanical, and subcontractor associations, said delayed payment is common, especially for smaller firms, and argued the bill would improve cash flow and reduce the need for liens. Opponents, including general contractors and home builders, said the bill as filed was too restrictive, especially the seven-day downstream payment deadline and the limits on withholding and termination rights, and warned it could increase costs and burden small builders. Several witnesses said they were working with the sponsor on a committee substitute to more closely mirror Missouri’s public prompt pay law and to clarify the residential exemption. The committee then heard House Bill 2151, which would raise income eligibility limits for the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant from $40,000 to $50,000 for single filers and from $80,000 to $100,000 for joint filers. Representative Travis Wilson said the change was meant to reflect inflation and expand access for adults changing careers, apprentices, and other eligible students. Supporters from community colleges, chambers of commerce, and workforce groups said the program is working well, is budgeted, and helps fill workforce needs; one witness cited strong completion and retention rates among recipients. No opposition was presented, and the hearing concluded with adjournment of the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also provides that for all records subject to redaction under the act, the residential address in
• It removes requirements for campaigns and campaign treasurers to redact residential addresses from their
• ... ...campaign treasurers to redact residential addresses from their reports, contribution expenditures
• The residential address in a record as identified by a person covered under the bill remains exempt from
• It removes requirements for campaigns and campaign treasurers to redact residential addresses from their

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills. HB 2356 would let a homicide victim’s next of kin seek a court injunction to block examination of law enforcement records in homicide cases; staff explained current Public Records Act rules, the sponsor said the bill was intended to protect families and children after especially graphic cases, and open-government testimony opposed the measure as an unnecessary secrecy expansion. HB 2460 and HJR 4212 would change vacancy-filling rules for partisan offices so an appointee must be from the same party only if the former officeholder had declared a party preference; the sponsor said this would address vacancies involving no-party-preference officials and avoid delays or litigation. HB 2631 would create a pilot to extend the governor’s customer-experience initiative to the Secretary of State, Fish and Wildlife, and the Insurance Commissioner, with deadlines for liaisons, metrics, reports, and service-improvement plans; the sponsor and supporters emphasized better service and accessibility, while agency representatives raised concerns about cost, autonomy, and whether participation should be optional. HB 2574 would streamline procedures when a candidate dies before or after ballots are printed, allowing removal from ballots or noncounting of votes based on a death certificate; the sponsor said it would avoid unnecessary recounts and costs. HB 2572 would require county-tribal election meetings and create an electronic ballot return portal for certain voters, including tribal voters on reservations, military and overseas voters, and voters with disabilities; county auditors and election officials supported the tribal outreach and access goals but stressed the need for security testing and careful implementation of the portal. In executive session, the committee considered five bills and adopted amendments on two of them. For HB 2333, which addresses protections against political violence for elected officials, candidates, election officials, and criminal justice participants, the committee adopted amendment Omley 307 to allow P.O. boxes or ACP addresses in campaign-related filings and contributions, then advanced the substitute bill on a 4-3 vote. HB 2462, concerning authority to counter unpiloted aircraft systems, was advanced 5-2. HB 2419, which expands the address confidentiality program to certain administrative law judges and Office of Administrative Hearings employees, was amended to include the chief administrative law judge and then advanced 5-2. HB 2176, exempting collaborative drug therapy agreement information from the Public Records Act, advanced 4-3 after debate over privacy versus transparency. HB 2491, exempting personal information submitted to Washington Technology Solutions for digital experience platform services, also advanced 5-2. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> OCA only represents the residential OCA only represents the residential rapair<00:45:29.720><c>
• </c> as the state's advocate for residential as the state's advocate for residential rate<01:07:35.359
• by 100% residential units.
• </c> even though the use is 100% residential even though the use is 100% residential by<05:53:44.360>
• </c> it would be build at the residential it would be build at the residential rate<06:18:24.200><c>

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an appendix to the International Residential Code.
• I think it's successfully stuck with the intent of the residential code to be prescriptive in terms of
• We have separate hearings on August 4 and 6 just for the residential and commercial energy codes, and
• The ILA must address a balance of commercial, industrial, and residential properties so that there's
• That five-year window of no residential zoning changes.

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the committee, House Bill 2212 addresses microfiber filtration by commercial, industrial, and residential
• House Bill 2212 would require microfiber filtration by commercial, industrial, and residential washing
• Let's tackle that first and then only move to residential when there is a market for residential machines
• But we're not proposing to add this for residential machines until other states have adopted it.
• other states have adopted it and that there's a market for the residential machines that is broader

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several waste and recycling bills. House Bill 2212 would require microfiber filters on commercial and industrial washing machines, with Ecology authorized to consider residential machine rules later if cost thresholds are met. Supporters, including the sponsor, students, environmental advocates, and scientists, said washing machines are a major source of microplastics and that filtration is a practical way to reduce pollution before it reaches waterways and human bodies. Opponents, including appliance manufacturers, laundromat operators, business groups, and Ecology staff, raised concerns about technical feasibility, worker safety, cost, and the lack of third-party certification for commercial systems. Ecology said the science is emerging and the proposal would create new agency work and costs. No vote was taken. House Bill 2233 would tighten the state’s carry-out bag laws by banning reusable film plastic bags, raising the paper bag pass-through charge to 20 cents, and extending certain requirements to manufacturers, distributors, and third-party sales platforms, while preserving protections for food assistance cardholders. Supporters argued the current thicker-bag approach has not reduced plastic waste, that plastic bags contribute to litter and microplastics, and that a stronger ban would better protect waterways and wildlife. Opponents from grocery, retail, hospitality, paper, and business groups argued the bill would raise consumer costs, create checkout and food-safety problems, and add operational complexity; some also said the state should wait to see the effects of the recent fee increase. Several local government and environmental witnesses supported the bill. No final action was taken. House Bill 1420 would establish an extended producer responsibility program for textiles and apparel, requiring producers to form a producer responsibility organization to manage collection, reuse, repair, recycling, and related infrastructure. The sponsor described the bill as a response to textile waste, overconsumption, and landfill impacts, and said the proposal had been refined through extensive stakeholder work. Supporters from environmental groups, local governments, Ecology, counties, Goodwill, and circular-economy organizations said textiles are a growing waste stream and that producer responsibility could improve collection, reduce dumping, and support repair and reuse. Opponents from business, retail, hospitality, apparel, and medical-device groups raised concerns about complexity, consumer and compliance costs, governance, supply-chain reporting, and possible unintended coverage of uniforms or medical products. The hearing also included a State Board of Health health impact review noting likely increased awareness and collection but limited evidence on large-scale reuse and recycling outcomes. No vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• a shared-use pathway with children who are trying just to navigate from their home to the swimming pool
• a shared-use pathway with children who are trying just to navigate from their home to the swimming pool

Committee: House Transportation and Defense

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• up at this past race that we had there in my district that we have two every year, and it's a big pool
• came up in this past race that we had there in my district that we have two every year and it's a big pool

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long calendar of bills spanning health care, education, tax, elections, firearms, and public safety. HB 283, as amended, would require diabetes-related supplies and monitoring equipment to be covered for people with diabetes. SB 1126 would require schools to provide records and information to Department of Child Safety caseworkers and allow school employees to speak with DCS investigators; it was on consent, though some members said they wanted to study it further. SB 1210 would require certain out-of-state private postsecondary institutions to register with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education to protect students, especially those taking online courses. SCR 1006, which would create causes of action related to restroom, changing facility, and pronoun policies in schools, drew strong opposition and was requested to be pulled from consent. Several tax and property bills were discussed. HB 2308 would prohibit dental insurers from owning dental practices, and members noted the committee and Senate had not supported it. SB 1294 would clarify county assessors’ authority to prorate destroyed property for property tax purposes; members said they were still researching whether the bill was necessary. SB 1430, the Tax Corrections Act of 2026, would make technical tax changes and remove redundant language, but members said they wanted Department of Revenue-requested corrections restored. SB 1049 would cap spousal maintenance at four years and change the factors used in setting support; it was pulled from consent. SB 1053 would reduce concealed weapons permit fees for Arizona residents, and members raised concerns about state fee impacts and asked to pull it. The caucus also considered several election and public safety measures. SB 1006 would allow campaign committees to aggregate donations under $200 instead of $100, but members questioned the higher threshold and pulled it. SB 1029 would address committee termination after a candidate’s death. SB 1038 would make cast vote records public, and SB 1057 would add fraud countermeasures for paper ballots; both were noted as vetoed in the prior year. SB 1237 would require the Secretary of State to consult county recorders and legislative election leaders before issuing the elections procedures manual. Other measures included SB 1058, which would restrict government recordkeeping on firearms and merchant category codes and was pulled after members cited a prior veto, SB 1093 on riot, conspiracy, and racketeering definitions, SB 1160 limiting drone operations near ticketed entertainment events with public safety arguments offered in support, and SB 1211 expanding lifetime injunction eligibility for aggravated harassment involving domestic violence. The caucus ended by moving into closed session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not have a huge pool in the state of Idaho to choose from for educators, so we do have to fly those
• We do not have a huge pool in the state of Idaho to choose from for educators, so we do have to fly those

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from Tuesday, February 24, 2026, by motion and voice vote, with no opposition. Members then heard an annual update from the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission and the Idaho Wine Commission on the state’s wine industry. Presenters described the history and growth of Idaho wine, noting the first grapes planted in Lewiston in 1864, the industry’s decline during prohibition, and its revival beginning in the 1970s. They said Idaho now has about 1,300 to 1,400 acres of wine grapes, 65-plus wineries and cideries, and three federally designated AVAs. The commissions emphasized marketing, education, and grant-funded outreach, including seminars, social media promotion, and a recent grant for an Idaho-made wine campaign. They also highlighted industry growth in economic impact and jobs, and said many wineries are women-owned. Key challenges discussed were land-use restrictions, water supply, and labor. Roger Batt said some county zoning rules, especially in Ada County, make it difficult to plant, expand, or establish wineries without neighborhood approval, and he suggested legislation may be drafted for a future session. James Netteran explained that wine grapes are a high-value but labor-intensive crop, requiring significant hand work and upfront investment, while also using relatively little water. He also described agritourism and farm diversification as important parts of the industry’s business model. Members asked questions about industry growth, women-owned wineries, and tasting room traffic. Netteran explained that economic growth has outpaced tonnage because the industry has shifted from one dominant producer to many smaller family operations, and he said weekend visitation at his winery can range from about 100 to 500 people. The meeting concluded with thanks and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pretty self-explanatory: it would create a quality pool, much similar to the ones we have for different
• So this would be to create a quality pool specifically for Medicaid managed care plans.

Committee: Senate Health

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The committee considered a series of health-related bills, many of which were described as repeat measures previously passed by the Senate. Topics included expanding telehealth coverage, increasing Department of Health oversight of correctional health services, improving transparency for managed long-term care plans, requiring written consent for psychotropic medications in nursing homes and adult care facilities, extending Medicaid inpatient coverage for childbirth, expanding abortion travel funding eligibility for active-duty military families, simplifying Medicaid enrollment and recertification, adding certified recovery peer advocates to standard coverage, strengthening protections against sexual misconduct by medical providers, covering medically tailored meals and nutrition therapy, regulating retail clinics, requiring nurse representation on hospital governing boards, creating a blood clot and pulmonary embolism work group, testing potable water in parks, setting PFAS drinking water standards, improving lead service line identification, creating a quality incentive program for Medicaid managed care, expanding concussion information requirements to additional youth sports, setting a residency requirement for funeral director licensure, and changing Medicaid Inspector General audit practices. Most bills were briefly explained by sponsors or the chair, with limited debate. Several members asked clarifying questions on specific provisions, including the frequency of park water testing, how concussion information would be distributed, and details of the nurse representation requirement. The chair also noted pulling one correctional health bill from the agenda in favor of a more comprehensive measure, and one bill on correctional health was formally removed from consideration. The committee voted on each remaining bill, generally with unanimous or near-unanimous support. Most measures were reported to either first reading or finance, while the bill on psychotropic medications was sent to aging. The correctional health bill that remained on the agenda was approved despite one opposition, and the bill on funeral director licensure was also advanced with one abstention. The meeting concluded after all listed bills were acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, removing that, I think, would add an additional pool of potential... board members.
• independent insurance agent to serve on the TWIA board. in case there's ever an overlap or a shortage of pool

Bills: SB1468 , SB1612 , SB1789 , SB2530 , SB2571 , SB2717 , SB2967

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: utility systems, Texas A&M, regents authority, construction, improvement, construction contracts, trust funds, property rights, mechanics lien, contractors, trustee liability, mechanic's lien, liability, attorney's fees, windstorm insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, insurance regulation, administrative penalties, coastal counties, catastrophe year

Transcript Highlights:

• received from the Secretary of State, and I am asking to file legislation concerning the risk management pools
• received from the Secretary of State, and I am asking to file legislation concerning the risk management pools

Committee: Senate Rules and Enrolled Bills

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So our initiative will evaluate all of our. residential child care and daycare child care center minimum
• Our residential child care rules we have approximately 1,495 of those rules for our residential providers
• And during that time, we looked at our residential minimum standards and out of those rules, we made
• So that is a very large number. of compliance regulations for our residential child care providers.
• Those children in actual foster homes versus just in residential facilities.

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill has to do with foster care licensing, crisis residential center staffing ratios, and child
• B1 renames the Yakima Valley School to the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center.
• B1 renames the Yakima Valley School to the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center.
• B1 renames the Yakima Valley School, the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center.
• One renames the Yakima Valley School, the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center.

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee met on February 25 and received staff briefings on three bills. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2253, the DCYF licensing bill, was described as affecting foster care licensing, crisis residential center staffing ratios, and child care licensing. Staff reviewed multiple proposed amendments, including changes related to immediate threats to children’s safety, substance use, subsidy fraud, reporting channels, and DUI-related ineligibility, as well as a Wilson striking amendment that would remove many of those floor changes. After caucus, the chair announced she would pull ESHB 2253 from executive action for further work over the interim, and no vote was taken on the bill. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2319, which renames certain residential habilitation centers, had one amendment to rename Yakima Valley School as the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center. The committee adopted the amendment despite opposition from Senators Warnick and Christian, who said constituents in Yakima did not support the change. The bill then received a do-pass recommendation and was sent to Rules, with Senators Warnick and Christian voting no. House Bill 2464, concerning incident reporting by private detention facilities to the Department of Health and local law enforcement, was also considered. Senator Christian offered six amendments, including a JLARC study, public posting and legislative sharing of reports, expanded reporting requirements, food-safety consistency, and reimbursement for compliance costs; all six amendments failed. The committee then approved the bill on a do-pass recommendation and sent it to Rules, with Senator Christian opposing and Senator Orwall supporting the measure as a human-rights and safety bill. The chair closed the meeting after noting the committee had reached the policy cutoff and thanking staff for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Paula Stone, talk about the emergency rule on hospital-based residential treatment.
• But this rule is for adolescent residential substance use disorder treatment services in a hospital setting
• have not had a specific provider type for substance use disorder services for adolescents, for residential
• for psychiatric services, mental health services, and in psychiatric hospitals or in psychiatric residential
• A specific provider type for substance use disorder services for adolescents, for residential services

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard an emergency rule from the Department of Human Services on hospital-based residential treatment for adolescents with substance use disorder. Paula Stone explained that the rule would allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in a general hospital unit for ages 12 and up, with Unity Hospital in CERC expected to open the first such unit. Members asked about length of stay, cost, and capacity; Stone said stays would be determined by ASAM criteria with no fixed cap, the proposed Medicaid rate is $850 per day pending CMS approval, and the unit would have 24 beds split between boys and girls with on-site schooling. The committee then considered a rule on electronic visit verification for in-home personal care, attendant care, respite care, and home health services. Elizabeth Pittman said the update is intended to keep the state compliant with federal EVV requirements under the 21st Century Cures Act, improve auditing and corrective action plans for providers with too many manual claims, and remove the W-9 submission requirement in favor of IRS verification. Members confirmed that federal law requires an EVV system, and Pittman noted Arkansas uses an open system that allows providers to use the state option or their own vendor. No objections were raised to the EVV rule, which was reported as reviewed. The meeting then concluded with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the difficulty maintaining public services like a three-shift police station, a jail, a swimming pool
• , the difficulty maintaining public services like a three-shift police station, a jail, a swimming pool
• So thank you to him for his efforts, and I am... ...swimming pool.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5831 , SB6244 , SB6044 , SB5109 , SB5877 , SB6258

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, offered the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, approved the prior day’s minutes, and then recessed briefly for caucus. The chamber received several Senate messages, including concurrence on amendments and the signing of Engrossed Senate Bill 5068, before moving into third reading and final passage of multiple bills. Most of the floor debate centered on concurrence with Senate amendments and the policy effects of those changes. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1170 passed 55-38 and was described as reorganizing and clarifying how Climate Commitment Act auction revenues are distributed among state accounts; supporters said it would create a clearer budget process, while opponents objected to shifting funds away from transportation and capital uses and reducing tax relief. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251 passed 54-40 after debate over Climate Commitment Act account structure and operating-account allocations. Engrossed House Bill 2445 passed 66-29 on probate-related changes, with supporters citing clarifications and opponents saying it did not go far enough to limit outside involvement in probate matters. The House also passed Substitute House Bill 2334 80-15, with little debate after Senate “perfecting” changes. Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1960 passed 86-9; supporters said it would replace an inconsistent property tax on wind, solar, and battery storage facilities with a stable excise tax to benefit rural communities, counties, and labor, while opponents focused on tax impacts and local burdens. Additional bills passed included Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1500 on HOA resale certificates (61-34), Second Substitute House Bill 1909 creating a Court Unification Task Force (57-38), Engrossed House Bill 2156 expanding Attorney General investigative authority over economic and financial crimes (54-41 on reconsideration), Substitute House Bill 2539 on inmate funds and related deductions (57-38), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2548 on health care facility mergers and market oversight (55-41), Engrossed House Bill 2588 on local control for the Lummi ferry system (56-40), and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2320 on gun violence prevention and 3D-printed firearms (58-38). The House also agreed not to concur in Senate amendments to Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408 and retransmitted it to the Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• years: adaptive management in Lake Pend Oreille and thinking about how they can maintain the summer pool
• IWRI just completed an economic study that's available demonstrating the impact of these changes in pool
• case is to look into what the conditions have been in the past that have enabled them to have high pool

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from Monday, February 16, 2026, and then heard a presentation from the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The dean highlighted the college’s land-grant mission, student placement rates, research and extension work, and major facilities projects including the new Meat Science and Innovation Center, the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE), and the deep soil ecotron. Members asked about genetics research at CAFE, herd acquisition timing, the status of a proposed Jerome-related center, and how endowed positions are handled. The dean also explained how the college is responding to budget cuts by delaying hires and reducing some temporary support. The committee then heard from Dr. Kendra Kaiser of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, who described the institute’s statewide water research priorities and its use of advisory committees, public submissions, and data tools to guide projects. She discussed work on snowpack visualization, flood mapping, managed aquifer recharge water quality, harmful algal blooms, monitoring gaps, canal seepage, Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer modeling, and other water supply and quality issues. Members asked for the project selection materials, clarification on snow-water content and water budget modeling, and more detail on the value of independent review and data access. Dr. Kaiser said the institute is building interactive public data tools and expects initial water quality trend results later in the year. The committee then considered House Bill 630, which would move the airborne shooting of coyotes, wolves, and other predatory animals from rule into statute. Representative Schurz said the bill codifies an existing program to help producers address predation. The committee voted to send HB 630 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. It also heard House Bill 631, which would move agricultural certificates of free sale into statute, and voted to send that bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation as well. At the end of the meeting, the committee recognized its page, Kaylyn, for her service. She spoke briefly about learning how to advocate for agriculture and the importance of family farm operations. The committee presented her with a Capitol-flown flag, a governor-signed certificate, and a necklace before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• years: adaptive management in Lake Pend Oreille and thinking about how they can maintain the summer pool
• IWRI just completed an economic study that's available, demonstrating the impact of these changes in pool
• case is to look into what the conditions have been in the past that have enabled them to have high pool

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, you've got the pools. I think they expect all of the pools.
• So they do have hot tubs and different pools, but Mr.

Bills: SB23 , SB221 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, misappropriation, petroleum products, oil and gas equipment, racketeering, criminal penalties, New Mexico, public safety, health regulations, community welfare, peace promotion, legislative reforms, election integrity, voter coercion, emergency procedures, polling place security

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, you've got the pools.
• I think they inspect all of the pools, so they do have hot tubs and different pools, but, Mr.

Bills: HB294 , SB40 , SB43 , SB35

Committee: Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: cannabis, cannabis packaging, cannabis labeling, cannabis regulation, Cannabis Control Division, adulterated cannabis, artificial color additive, food dye, youth appeal, minor appeal, child-resistant packaging, black-and-white packaging, edibles, product labeling, consumer protection, marijuana, hemp, dispensary, licensed cannabis business, cannabis manufacturer

Summary: The committee first briefly discussed House Bill 95, which would create an additional judgeship in the Second Judicial District. Members noted it was being aligned with the Senate version so the House and Senate bills would match. An amendment was adopted to also include the new First Judicial District judgeship that had been added earlier in the session, and the bill then received a do pass recommendation as amended. The committee then heard Senate Bill 23, which would require school districts and charter schools to adopt and implement policies banning wireless communication devices during the school day, with exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, and health care needs. The sponsors and Public Education Department officials said the bill was intended to reduce classroom distractions, improve student focus and mental health, and support teachers, and the Office of Broadband explained that $1 million from an existing education technology fund would help schools implement storage solutions such as lockers or pouches. Supporters included representatives from New Mexico Kids Can, Albuquerque Public Schools, and the Higher Education Department; there was no opposition testimony. Committee members raised concerns about the bill’s definition of “school day,” the three-year phase-in, local control, and whether the funding and storage requirements were necessary. After debate, the committee adopted a motion to strike Section 4, which contained the phase-in schedule, and then voted to report the bill do pass as amended. Members also discussed whether the bill should be more direct and immediate, but sponsors said the phased approach and funding were intended to improve chances of passage and implementation. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 246, which would add licensure and inspection requirements for massage therapy establishments to address safety, sanitation, and concerns about illegal activity such as prostitution and human trafficking. The sponsor and Regulation and Licensing Department said the bill would close a regulatory gap and allow inspections of establishments, while the massage therapy industry supported the rulemaking being left to the board. Members questioned the breadth of the bill, including inspection timing, the impact on legitimate businesses, and language that could unintentionally bar people from licensure for past conduct. The committee worked through amendments to narrow those provisions, including adding “for compensation” and limiting certain denial language to conduct after the bill’s effective date, and the sponsor accepted those changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• it posted for 30 days, um, with the expectation and the hope of, like other agencies, um, having a pool
• contract and also a reposting of this request for qualification so that we continue to try to seek a pool
• go too much higher, you're going to end up with kind of a, um, a dark lobbying, uh, non-registrant pool