Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, the title is Forest Conservation and Taxation, Chapter 79.
• Foresters, and there are local chapters Foresters, and there are local chapters all<00:20:56.080
• And New Hampshire's<00:20:58.000> chapter<00:20:58.520> about<00:20:58.840> 9<00
• :20:59.160> years<00:20:59.440> ago<00:21:00.400> uh Hampshire's chapter about 9
• years ago uh Hampshire's chapter about 9 years ago uh started<00:21:01.080> to<00:21:01.200><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened with a quorum present and approval of the April 17 minutes. The commission then heard a presentation from attorney Jacob Rhodes of Cleveland, Waters and Bass on the history and legal basis of New Hampshire’s timber tax, explaining that timber was historically treated as part of real property, that a 1913 case confirmed that view, and that a 1949 constitutional amendment created a separate timber yield tax to discourage clear-cutting and support forest conservation. He described the tax as a tax on the yield when timber is severed, not an income tax, and noted that towns are reimbursed through a system based on Department of Revenue Administration market data and local reports of cut. Members and guests asked how “yield” is defined, how the timber tax interacts with current use, and whether carbon sequestration could be treated similarly. Testimony explained that current use generally is not affected by harvesting timber, that towns can tax standing timber under RSA 79:5 but rarely do because it is labor-intensive, and that carbon credits might be valued using a similar market-data approach. Several speakers discussed a prior bill drafted with DRA input that would have treated carbon more like timber, but noted it never fully advanced in the General Court and that the version ultimately discussed by the House differed from the earlier DRA-comfortable draft. The discussion also covered whether carbon sequestration agreements are effectively long-term leases or transfers of timber rights, with Rhodes suggesting that 99-year arrangements could be taxable transfers of real property under DRA rules, though he had not reviewed specific agreements. DRA staff said they do not currently have a timber-like survey mechanism for carbon and would likely need access to proprietary market data or a subscription service to build one. No formal vote was taken beyond approving the minutes; the commission appeared to agree to revisit the carbon/timber valuation issue and the draft bill at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section two creates a new chapter 42C in title 18.
• And then section three amends title 3, chapter 5023, the chapter on the AI advisory council.
• 82, which is the labeling chapter.
• In section two, we amend 18 VSA chapter 491 to include infant formula as a baby food product.
• In section two, we amend 18 VSA chapter In section two, we amend 18 VSA chapter 491 491 491 to<01

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Under Chapter 13D, it does apply to state agencies and, in addition to other local bodies or public bodies
• Um, for the purposes of chapter 471 that term is defined in this manner in one other section.
• So this is uh conforming with the similar language in that chapter.
• um for the management organization. um for the purposes<00:37:36.240> of<00:37:36.400> chapter
• c> that<00:37:38.480> term<00:37:39.200> um<00:37:39.599> is purposes of chapter

Bills: HF4319, HF3295, HF3589, HF3587, HF3588, HF4295, HF3571, HF3895

Keywords: public utilities commission, Lake City, port authority, Red Wing, terms of appointment, local government, elections, open meeting law, transparency, public engagement, social media, government accountability, voter access, polling place, ballot, unexpected needs, election judge, public information, political parties, HF4295

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:38:47.440> 7,<00:38:48.400> title<00:38:48.800> 27, section in chapter 7
• , title 27, section in chapter 7, title 27, Mississippi<00:38:49.760> code<00:38:50.000> of
• And the only way to do that is for us to pass a law allowing them to do Chapter 9.
• <02:16:35.359> And<02:16:35.679> so,<02:16:36.319> um, them to um do chapter
• And so, um, them to um do chapter 9.

Keywords: MS House Floor - 5 March, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then confirmed a quorum, dispensed with the journal reading, and moved into the calendar. Members also introduced several visitors and groups in the galleries, including AFL-CIO representatives, Volunteer Mississippi, the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy, New England College students on a civil rights tour, and other guests and constituents. The chamber then proceeded through a series of motions to reconsider, table, or advance bills on the calendar. On the appropriations calendar, the House passed several Senate bills after adopting strike-off or amendment language. Senate Bill 2896, described as a potential trooper pay raise measure, was amended and passed 128-0. Senate Bill 2898 increased the MIMA disaster assistance trust fund from $20 million to $40 million and passed 128-0, and Senate Bill 2924 authorized spending from that fund and passed 119-0. Other appropriations measures included Senate Bill 2825 on the healthcare industry zone act, Senate Bill 2832 extending a repealer for the short-line railroad tax credit, Senate Bill 2834 on motor vehicle specialty tags, Senate Bill 2835 allowing banks to use third-party vendors to check liens, and Senate Bill 2846 on conduit bonds; each was explained as largely conforming to House language or adding reverse repealers, and each passed overwhelmingly. The Ways and Means calendar included Senate Bill 2850, which removed a reverse repealer and updated the Advantage Jobs Act to align incentives with prior commitments and future tax changes; it passed 119-0. Senate Bill 2873 expanded administrative forfeiture procedures to products on the cigarette and ends registry and passed 117-1. Senate Bill 2882 clarified that tax assessors cannot require settlement statements for homestead exemptions and passed 118-0. Senate Bill 3111, which would exempt up to 10 cases of wine donated annually to nonprofits from alcohol taxes, drew some concern and passed 97-13 after a reverse repealer was added. Senate Bill 316 added energy storage facilities such as batteries to the definition of alternative energy for local ad valorem tax purposes and passed 114-1. Senate Bill 3124 revised the Pregnancy Resource Act to allow individuals as well as businesses to participate in the tax credit, adjust reporting and in-state requirements, and incorporate House language; the transcript cuts off before the final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• While<00:29:20.399> chapter<00:29:20.960> 239<00:29:21.679> in<00:29:21.919>
• statute<00:29:22.720> grants<00:29:23.039> the While chapter 239 in statute grants
• the While chapter 239 in statute grants the weights<00:29:23.520> and<00:29:23.600> measures
• <00:42:07.920> for<00:42:09.040> uh um motor fuels tax chapter for uh um motor fuels
• tax chapter for uh imposition<00:42:10.079> of<00:42:10.240> that<00:42:10.400> of<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So we separated the entire restaurant delivery license portion of this into Chapter 178 because it is
• So we moved it out of 179:15, moved it into Chapter 178.
• Chapter 178 created its own section, and that's where the license will reside. and wine.
• 178 because it is a license chapter 178 because it is a license type.<03:22:18.000> So<03:22:
• Chapter 178 created its own it into 178.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, pooled risk management programs licensed under this new chapter will be exempt from licensure
• Secondly, pooled risk management programs licensed under this new chapter will be exempt from licensure
• Pooled risk management programs licensed under this new chapter will be exempt from licensure as TPAs
• c> the<00:31:26.640> poolled<00:31:26.960> risk<00:31:27.200> management chapter
• Um the poolled risk management chapter.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee took up the pooled risk management program bill and reviewed a new amendment drafted with input from the Insurance Department and Legislative Services. Department witnesses explained that the proposal would move oversight of pooled risk management programs from the Secretary of State’s office to the Insurance Department, add a licensure requirement, preserve the programs’ non-insurer status, and exempt them from third-party administrator licensure. They also described a series of solvency tools in the draft, including financial reporting, risk-based capital standards, minimum capitalization, investment limits, commissioner examination and enforcement authority, rulemaking authority, merger and affiliate-transaction review, confidentiality protections, and a separability clause. A major theme of the discussion was that pooled risk management programs differ from commercial insurers because the risk remains with the member local governments rather than being backed by a state guarantee fund. Witnesses said the bill is designed to emphasize solvency over return of premium and to give the Insurance Department a regulatory “toolbox” to prevent insolvency, including a proposed $5 million excess or stop-loss coverage benchmark, optional accessible policies, and a requirement that boards vote on dividends or premium returns when capital exceeds 600% of risk-based capital. Members questioned how this approach differed from the original Secretary of State bill and whether assessments on towns would still be possible; the department responded that the new framework would allow more flexible oversight and alternatives to immediate court action. The committee also discussed why the statute should continue to say the programs are not insurers, with the department explaining that this preserves their autonomy and avoids applying unrelated insurance laws and premium taxes. Members asked about the department’s workload and were told the department believed it could absorb the new duties without additional funding. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so just a reminder for the committee: this is a line item appropriation that was in Chapter 41
• So as they're getting settled in, I'll just note for the committee that this is from Chapter 41.
• Yeah, so just a reminder for the committee: this is a line item appropriation that was in Chapter 41
• 41 of 300,000 per year so was in chapter 41 of 300,000 per year so 600,000<01:30:09.600> in<01
• that this is um from chapter that this is um from chapter 41<01:32:33.960> we<01:32:34.159

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m wondering if there are similar other statutes or chapters in which the word “similar” is used and
• <01:36:22.960> in are other uh statutes or chapters in are other uh statutes or chapters in
• <01:38:52.280> 147<01:38:53.000> but read all of chapter 147 but read all of chapter
• <04:11:09.760> and<04:11:10.119> how the business tax chapter and how the business
• There might be people that testify after me who know more about this section of the RSA chapter 153,

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The legislation modernizes Chapter 57 of Title 15, which governs how election results are canvassed and
• Title 18, Title 28, Title 29, Title 31 of the Delaware Code, and Chapter 237, Volume 83 of the Laws of
• Representative, and Act to amend Title 16, Title 18, Title 29, Title 31 of the Delaware Code, and Chapter
• Title 18, Title 28, Title 29, Title 31 of the Delaware Code, and Chapter 237, Volume 83 of the Laws
• or in any regulation adopted under this chapter might be construed to do any of the following: that

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you look to section two, this is in the obscenity control chapter.
• So if you look to section two, this is in the obscenity control chapter.
• So getting kind of to the meat of the bill, that is in section 8, and we're now moving into chapter 27.1
• update the language that no longer uses those terms, we would remove that term from the title of the chapter
• that we're using in that chapter, and we're not having to page through 13 different chapters in order

Summary: The committee first approved the December 16 minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their economic and public-system impacts. She explained that ACEs are population-level risk indicators, not individual diagnostic tools, and said higher ACE exposure is associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare and justice involvement, and lower workforce participation. She cautioned that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across the life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based interventions and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, trends in ACEs, and home visiting; she emphasized supportive relationships, protective factors, and the importance of positive childhood experiences. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco, along with a recorded family story from Abby, about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota. Abby described how Healthy Families North Dakota supported her family after a premature birth and NICU stay by providing weekly in-home coaching, developmental screenings, postpartum mental health check-ins, referrals, and parenting support. The presenters explained that home visiting is voluntary, relationship-based, and usually begins prenatally or shortly after birth, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, pregnancy navigators, human service zones, self-referrals, and other community partners. They said North Dakota currently has four main evidence-based models operating through 12 organizations, with Healthy Families available in all 53 counties, though only a fraction of eligible families are served. Funding was described as a patchwork of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E, Medicaid, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and other grants; members discussed whether the Legislature or agencies should expand support and how to improve outreach and sustainability. Finally, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, focusing on AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and chatbot-related risks. The report summarized federal and state law, including North Dakota’s existing computer-generated image provisions, the federal PROTECT Act, the Take It Down Act, and recent federal executive orders on AI policy. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI’s effect on critical thinking and misinformation. The committee then heard from BCI Special Agent Cassidy Halsef, who said AI is already driving a sharp rise in child exploitation cases in North Dakota, including AI-generated explicit images of real minors and school-based incidents involving mass-shared manipulated images. She said investigators are seeing more cyber tips, more difficult forensic work, and lasting harm to victims and families, and urged stronger legal penalties, specialized training, victim services, and prevention education in schools and communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm looking at this chapter and and it's typical that we might not uh license the person or we might
• I'm looking at this chapter and and it's typical that we might not uh license the person or we might
• I'm looking at this chapter and and it's typical that we might not uh license the person or we might
• I'm looking at this chapter and and it's typical that we might not uh license the person or we might
• I'm looking at this chapter and and it's typical that we might not uh license the person or we might

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• license or your state IDs for individuals who are subject to the sex offender registration under Chapter
• So technically that could not have resulted in a Chapter 62 conviction.
• accomplish the officer's duty if the officer was justified in using force under Texas Penal Code Chapter
• Chapter 1702 was created in the 1950s, and it has plugged a lot of holes that many people have stumbled
• And because of Chapter 1702, it has certain requirements, including insurance requirements, that protect

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public safety, criminal justice, and regulatory bills. HB 4995 would create a training and certification program allowing licensed physicians and certain EMS personnel assigned to tactical units to carry firearms during high-risk deployments, with supporters saying it would let tactical medical staff protect themselves while providing immediate care; the bill was left pending. HB 2609 would repeal the failure-to-appear-or-pay/OmniBase license-hold program, with the author and advocates arguing it creates compounding debt and unnecessary barriers to driving, while judges and municipal court representatives said the program is a voluntary, cost-effective tool that improves court appearances and reduces warrants; the bill was also left pending. HB 4879 would create a grant program to help local law enforcement pay for lab testing of suspected hemp/Delta-9 THC substances, and HB 5436 would let licensed auto recyclers buy certain untitled vehicles for scrap or parts to curb illegal sales, VIN cloning, and chop shops; both measures were left pending after brief testimony in support. The committee also heard HB 1777, which would require a discrete designation on driver’s licenses and state IDs for people required to register as sex offenders. The author and supporters argued the marker would help law enforcement and businesses quickly identify potentially dangerous offenders and prevent harm, while opponents called it a stigmatizing “scarlet letter” that would increase harassment, family harm, and reintegration barriers. The bill was left pending. HB 4155 would create a two-year Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force in the Governor’s Office to study family violence homicides, gather stakeholders, and recommend policy changes; the author, HHSC, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and a survivor testified in support, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4514, which would authorize DPS to use facial image verification, with consent and privacy safeguards, to help businesses confirm identities and combat fraud; supporters from the lumber and identity-verification industries said it would reduce theft and fraud, and the bill was left pending. Finally, HB 5139 would clarify that peace officers and jailers are justified in using less lethal force weapons when acting within training and official duties; law enforcement groups supported the measure as a way to encourage use of less lethal tools without fear of prosecution, and testimony was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• also there there are 90 chapters also there there are 90 chapters throughout<02:51:13.680> the
• Chapter 2 is based out of Claremont, New Hampshire, and Chapter 3 is based out of Hinsdale, New Hampshire
• Hinsdale New Hampshire chapter 2 was Hinsdale New Hampshire chapter 2 was ched<02:51:32.359> December
• all the chapters are.
• are<02:52:11.040> you show you where all the chapters are you show you where all the chapters

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill alters the behavioral health rate-setting study required under Chapters 571 and 572 of 2017
• The bill alters the behavioral health rate-setting study required under Chapters 571 and 572 of 2017
• The bill alters the behavioral health rate-setting study required under Chapters 571 and 572 of 2017
• <00:51:30.319> Uh the chapters of 769 and 770 of 2024.
• Uh the chapters of 769 and 770 of 2024.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, established a quorum, and handled several ceremonial and introductory matters before moving into committee reports. The chamber welcomed the doctor of the day, recognized an intern and a guest in the gallery, extended birthday wishes to Senator Chris West, and received remarks from the Romanian Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Andre Moraru, who emphasized Romania’s strategic partnership with the United States, NATO cooperation, investment ties, energy projects, and support for Ukraine. Senators also briefly noted Maryland’s military and diplomatic ties to Romania. The ambassador’s remarks were journalized, and members were given time to meet with him off the floor. The Senate then took up a series of second-reading bills, mostly from the Finance Committee, adopting committee amendments and favorable reports without objection. Among the measures advanced were Senate Bill 39 on behavioral health reimbursement rate methodology and a work group for certified community behavioral health clinics and outpatient mental health centers; Senate Bill 605 directing the Public Service Commission to study broadband and VoIP oversight; Senate Bill 721, Ralph’s Act, providing expedited DDA/Medicaid eligibility for certain recently relocated individuals; and Senate Bill 891 on perinatal mental health screening, coverage, training, and reporting. Each was amended in committee and ordered printed for third reading. The Senate also advanced several House bills, including House Bill 427 extending the task force on responsible use of natural psychedelic substances and adding an HBCU representative; House Bill 480 requiring transportation network companies to maintain written deactivation policies; House Bill 532 requiring overtime pay for firefighters employed by governmental units after 168 hours in a 28-day period; House Bill 816 reducing the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund assessment cap from 3% to 1% and authorizing an affordability program; House Bill 829 requiring human trafficking awareness training for certain for-hire and rideshare drivers; House Bill 862 requiring a two-person crew for certain freight rail operations in shared corridors, contingent on similar action in neighboring states; and House Bill 999 revising Class 9 limited distillery license rules and production limits. Most of these bills were reported favorably, with no objections, and were ordered to third reading or passed for third reading as applicable.

Transcript Highlights:

• a cannabis event organizer license are a 21 plus event, a no alcohol event, a no tobacco event in chapter
• a cannabis event organizer license are a 21 plus event, a no alcohol event, a no tobacco event in chapter
• a cannabis event organizer license are a 21 plus event, a no alcohol event, a no tobacco event in chapter
• 342 right now there's lots of chapter 342 right now there's lots of restrictions<00:31:42.720> on
• 342 uh the labeling and and chapter 342 uh the labeling requirements<00:42:17.240> don't<00:42

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Cornerstone already made the recommendation to use chapter 3, 132 as the definition of abortion.
• We would also suggest including ectopic pregnancies, just as a public health thing, because that chapter
• <02:29:59.680> 3 chapter 3 chapter 3 329<02:30:01.720> ideally<02:30:02.160> inserting
• 3 132 as recommendation to use chapter 3 132 as the<02:31:00.840> definition<02:31:01.200>
• <02:31:08.359> currently thing um that that chapter currently thing um that that chapter currently

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I also look at chapter 287, video lottery terminals, which has similar language but different
• It certainly applies to historic horse racing, but it doesn't reflect the terms of Chapter 287, VLTs.
• 287 VLTS. reflect the terms of chapter 287 VLTS.
• I think the chapter of the upper chapter is called the State Art Fund, and the actual name of the fund
• of law that created the grant chapter of law that created the grant this<02:15:11.440> this<02

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• New Hampshire chapter 354 prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
• New Hampshire chapter 354 prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
• New Hampshire chapter 354 prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
• New Hampshire chapter 354 prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
• New Hampshire chapter 354 prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 141, which would create a narrow exception to New Hampshire’s three-year deadline for motions for a new trial when a petitioner has newly discovered evidence, new forensic testing, or new scientific understanding. The prime sponsor’s representative and advocates from the Innocence Project and New England Innocence Project argued the bill is needed to help wrongfully convicted people access the courts, noting that exonerations often take many years and that outdated forensic science has contributed to wrongful convictions. The chair also said he had drafted a proposed amendment for committee review, but it had not yet been formally submitted. Witnesses supporting the bill emphasized that the measure would not guarantee relief, only allow a petition to be filed and reviewed under existing standards. They discussed examples such as arson science, explaining that some convictions were based on forensic methods later shown to be unreliable. Committee members asked about the scope of habeas corpus, whether the bill would create a new cause of action, and whether additional screening or pleading requirements should be added. The supporters said they would be open to requiring a petitioner to plead innocence, but opposed adding more burdensome preliminary procedures or counsel requirements at the filing stage. Thomas Farardi, from the Attorney General’s Office, testified in opposition or with caution, saying the bill was a “solution looking for a problem” because existing habeas corpus and coram nobis procedures already provide avenues for relief, and prosecutors can act when credible new evidence arises. He argued the current draft could invite additional litigation and create a new cause of action, and said he favored more screening before cases proceed. The discussion also touched on whether the statute applies in criminal cases, the current three-year limitation in RSA 526:4, and questions about posthumous petitions and petitions by deported individuals. No vote or executive action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• there is a continuous backlog of chapter there is a continuous backlog of chapter 104<01:31:13.159
• prevailing wage of chapter 104 prevailing wage cases<01:31:41.040> uh<01:31:41.199> the
• We’ve had a continuous backlog on this chapter 104. about 76 uh you know about 76 uh you know backlog
• <01:41:21.880> uh<01:41:22.880> these<01:41:23.480> chapter<01:41:23.800> 104
• backlog uh these chapter 104 backlog uh these chapter 104 cases<01:41:26.040> and<01:41:26.520

Keywords: 912, senate, all