Transcript Highlights:

• Undergraduate students are, for the most part, full-time students, except the College of Professional
• most part is are for the most part is are full-time<00:11:13.240> students<00:11:14.240> except
• <00:11:15.000> uh<00:11:15.160> the<00:11:15.320> College full-time students except
• for out-of-state for UNH, Plymouth, and Keene have been pretty much comparable with their peers, except
• um Connecticut has been peers except um Connecticut has been having<00:21:04.480> some<00:21:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee received an orientation from University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Katherine Preventure and Senior Director of Government Relations Lauren Banker on the system’s enrollment, finances, workforce role, and academic programs. They described the system as consisting of UNH, Keene State, and Plymouth State, with about 23,000 students, $928 million in FY24 operating expenses, a $3.7 billion economic impact, and UNH’s R1 research status. They emphasized the system’s role in graduating students into the New Hampshire workforce, its statewide Cooperative Extension and regional campus presence, and its alignment of degree offerings with top occupations identified by New Hampshire Employment Security. The presentation also highlighted partnerships with businesses, internships, and collaboration with the community college system, including 100 transfer pathways and a direct-admit program. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on tuition, state support, and student costs. The chancellor said the state invested $95 million in FY25, with about $81 million used to reduce resident tuition and about $14 million for statutory programs such as Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station. She said the state subsidy is about $7,300 per New Hampshire student, and that resident net tuition averages about $7,000, while nonresident net tuition averages about $16,600. She provided published tuition figures for UNH, Plymouth State, and Keene State, and explained that resident tuition has been held flat for five years while financial aid has increased, reducing average net tuition and fees for New Hampshire students from about $10,500 in 2020 to $9,800. Members asked for clarification on how residency and workforce-retention percentages were calculated, and the chancellor said she would follow up. Members also asked about comparisons with peer institutions, housing and meal costs, research funding, and the reasons for declining enrollment and staffing reductions. The chancellor said peer comparisons were based on flagship universities for UNH and smaller regional publics for Plymouth and Keene, and noted that out-of-state tuition has risen about 2.5% annually. She said housing for a UNH double room is $8,536 and a meal plan is $5,100, and offered to provide a consolidated cost document. On research, she said the system’s direct research spending includes federal funding and that indirect costs were about $34 million last year, with a follow-up promised on the federal/state and direct/indirect split. She attributed enrollment declines largely to demographics and said the system is responding by reducing costs, selling buildings, exiting leases, moving the system office to NHTI, and implementing Workday. She also noted that Plymouth received approval for five three-year bachelor’s degree programs and that members praised the shorter, workforce-focused pathways, especially for manufacturing and other in-demand fields.

Transcript Highlights:

• nothing else with school except nothing else with school except broughtback<01:26:06.239> books
• We do not require technology usage in the classroom except for state testing or for diagnostic testing
• technology usage in the classroom except technology usage in the classroom except for<01:46:50.480
• Seeing none, so we've taken care of everything except KR 3410.
• everything except KR 3410. everything except KR 3410.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The IRS is no exception.
• This bill also includes certain exceptions for circumstances where the information is determined to be
• This bill also includes certain exceptions for circumstances where the information is determined to be
• <04:48:51.600> to<04:48:51.840> allow make an emergency exception to allow make an
• <07:15:28.638> for without intervening motion except for without intervening motion except

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, April 27, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:27:15.600> trails<00:27:15.919> in<00:27:16.080> Windsor<00:27:16.799> except
• <00:27:17.120> for state ORV trails in Windsor except for state ORV trails in Windsor except
• Um, there's a couple exceptions that are in the over 8,000 pound category, and those we thought it made
• <01:27:50.239> that<01:27:50.480> are Um, there's a couple exceptions that are Um,
• there was one new slide 23 except there was one new project<02:05:32.080> added<02:05:32.800>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :18:56.480> bill at a hearing has been against a bill at a hearing has been against a bill except
• 18:57.880> and<00:18:58.040> yet<00:18:58.240> the<00:18:58.320> bill except
• for the sponsors and yet the bill except for the sponsors and yet the bill passes<00:18:59.480> and
• when withdrawing from a needed except when withdrawing from a public<01:20:35.760> school<01:
• <02:28:08.680> for limited exception for limited exception for the the the a<02:28:10.840>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this amendment is exactly the language that was in Senate File 107, with the exception that I changed
• Exactly the language that was in Senate File 107, with the exception I changed on lines 1.9 and 1.10.
• I'm just a little bit concerned when we are writing in permanent exceptions that don't just follow through
• , but I do have to write in an exception, but I do have some<01:31:16.080> concerns<01:31:16.719
• um that don't just permanent exceptions um that don't just follow<01:32:23.679> through<01:32

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there is an exception, and uh, as you can see in the bill, I believe it's on page two at the top
• What it recognizes is the exception that if a student does not want information to be shared to a parent
• subdivision 8 that there's an exception subdivision 8 that there's an exception in<00:51:53.119>
• my entire intent is when it's a violent crime, it doesn't have anything to do with anything else except
• for that some child anything else except for that some child was<02:00:48.639> was<02:00:49.040

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then you can qualify for Granite Advantage, except there are some exceptions to that, for example
• there are some granted Advantage except there are some exceptions<00:31:49.279> to<00:31:49.480
• to that for example dental exceptions to that for example dental coverage<00:31:52.440> um<00
• I think I understand this chart, all except for the far-right column that says a change from 328, right
• MCO with with a few small Exceptions MCO with with a few small Exceptions there<01:00:12.160>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Division III held an informational hearing on Medicaid, Medicare, Choices for Independence, and related financing, while postponing nursing facility financing and the county cap discussion to a later date. DHHS officials Ann Landry, Jonathan Ballard, and Medicaid Director Henry Litman provided an overview of Medicaid’s role, noting it is a federal-state partnership with state-specific eligibility and benefits, and emphasizing that Medicaid is a major funding and programmatic support for other DHHS initiatives. They also distinguished Medicaid from Medicare and explained that Medicaid funding is not the same as grant funding, though some providers may also receive federal grants through other channels. The presentation focused on New Hampshire’s relatively small Medicaid program and why it differs from national averages. Officials said about 184,000 residents are covered, roughly one in seven Granite Staters compared with one in five nationally, and attributed the difference largely to the state’s higher per-capita income and older population. They highlighted that about 65% of Medicaid-enrolled adults in New Hampshire are working, that only 22% of births are covered by Medicaid versus 42% nationally, and that the state’s uninsured rate is lower than the national rate. Members asked about covered services, income limits, federal matching rates, and the names of optional eligibility groups; staff explained that New Hampshire offers the optional groups discussed, with matching rates varying by category, including 90% for Granite Advantage and certain other groups, and 65% for children above the required level. A substantial portion of the hearing covered eligibility rules and recent policy changes. Officials reviewed the history of Medicaid, including HCBS waivers, the CFI program, Katie Beckett, the Olmstead decision, the ACA, and the end of continuous enrollment after the public health emergency. They also discussed the 2023 legislative expansion of postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and child eligibility changes. In response to questions, DHHS said it is tracking utilization and costs for the postpartum expansion and reported that many maternal deaths occur after the prior 60-day coverage period, often involving substance use disorder or suicide; they said the longer coverage is intended to improve access to treatment and prevention. The committee also walked through household-income examples, clarified that Medicaid eligibility is based on household income and categorical rules, and confirmed that Granite Advantage ends at 138% of the federal poverty level unless another categorical basis applies. No votes were taken, and the hearing remained informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there's an exception for Palestinians.
• But there's an exception for Palestinians.
• But there's an exception for Palestinians.
• But there's an exception for Palestinians.
• But there's an exception for Palestinians.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• they get a letter from doe and exception they get a letter from doe and the<01:11:47.719> first
• And I said that's well and good, except that we cannot do the work that the statute is asking us to do
• that we cannot do and I think except that we cannot do and I think it's<01:17:18.159> it's<01
• Just as a note, all of these are General Funds, with the exception of two lines: for DOT and for OPLC
• <04:27:50.279> of are General funds with the exception of are General funds with the exception

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Personnel Appeals Board, which explained that it became an independent state agency after Senate Bill 487 and was presenting its first standalone operating budget. The board described its quasi-judicial role in hearing appeals from classified state employees over disciplinary actions such as warnings, suspensions, and terminations, and said it handles about 25 to 35 cases a year, with some cases lasting longer because of their complexity. Members also outlined the need for a chair and vice chair who are attorneys, the board’s current staffing and space needs, and its plan to move away from reliance on Administrative Services for office support and website functions. The board requested about $353,500 for fiscal year 2026, including startup costs, routine operating expenses, and two new part-time positions: a program director and a paralegal. Members said the budget reflects the new independent status, includes funding for only four board members rather than the authorized five, and is designed to avoid full-time staffing costs and benefits. Legislators asked about the cost per case, the board’s relationship to DAS, whether appeals must go through the board before court, and how often cases are appealed further. The board said appeals must first go through it, that court appeals are infrequent but have increased recently, and that the board’s process is intended to resolve disputes more quickly and less expensively than court litigation. Committee members also asked about the board’s caseload, outcomes, and staffing. The board said that in the prior year there were 22 cases, with four decisions overturned in favor of employees, nine dismissals, and nine settlements, and that many disputes are resolved before reaching the board through a multi-step internal process. A member noted the governor and council had recently approved a new board member and were expected to approve a fifth soon. The discussion ended with questions about the board’s website and records access, which members said would need to be moved from Administrative Services as part of the agency’s transition. The committee then moved to the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities. The executive director explained that the council is 100 percent federally funded under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act and develops a five-year plan to address the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She said the council works with state agencies and advocacy organizations on quality-of-life issues, accessibility, voter rights training, and plain-language or easy-to-read materials, and that 60 percent of its membership must be individuals with disabilities or family members/guardians. She also described the council’s funding structure, including reimbursement to the state for operating costs, and noted that it currently has three full-time and three part-time positions, with no new positions requested but one full-time position being eliminated and replaced after a pandemic-era staffing change did not work out as planned.

Transcript Highlights:

• to let Atlanta and another an exception to let Atlanta and another an exception to let Atlanta and another
• for like you brought up the gym except for like you brought up the gym except for like you brought up
• as otherwise provided in prescrib except as otherwise provided in prescrib except as otherwise provided
• number one the exceptions number one the exceptions number one the insallation will not be insallation
• property pretty good little exception property pretty good little exception there a few more number

Bills: SB 26, SB 28, SJR 36, SB 616, SB 565, SB 384, SB 28, SB 28, SR 131, SR 168, SR 174, SR 175

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the same except for $1,000, and it could be up to a year for the second offense?
• And then the same except for $1,000, and it could be up to a year for the second offense?
• So what's in here is the prescribed exception, which was smart and a good thing.
• So what's in here is the exception, which was smart and a good thing.
• They grow on all continents except Antarctica.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It can't spend any more than this except in certain cases.
• It can't spend any more than this except in certain cases.
• It can't spend any more than this except in certain cases.
• It can't spend any more than this except in certain cases.
• more than this except in certain cases. more than this except in certain cases. and<03:49:12.160

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of him and and therefore we >> except of him and and therefore we actually<01:03:57.520> w<
• ones don't don't stay here exceptional ones don't don't stay here and<02:24:51.280> if<02:24:
• from other exceptional teams, then I think that would merit a discussion.
• players from other other exceptional players from other exceptional<02:36:58.960> teams,<02:36
• years with some with some exceptions. years with some with some exceptions.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• they were sort of industry except they were sort of invented<01:14:20.719> as<01:14:20.840>
• <02:21:03.359> for<02:21:03.960> this scratch from scratch except for this scratch
• So I guess I don’t have a remark except for we didn’t need to, but anyway.” elme she raised her elme
• <03:34:14.319> for guess I don't have a remark except for guess I don't have a remark except
• We have a set of recommendations on everything except money. Excuse me, Mr.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The public hearing opened on HB 728-FN, which would authorize video lottery terminals at charity gaming facilities and repeal historic horse racing licensing. Representative Om explained that the bill would convert the current historic horse racing terminals into true video lottery terminals/slot machines and change the revenue split, reducing the operator share from 75% to 70% while increasing the state share from 25% to 30%. He also noted the bill would increase the amount going to charities and other state beneficiaries. Former State Rep. Pat Brammy, who had served on the Charitable Gaming Study Commission, testified in support of the bill’s basic structure. He said a consultant’s report found historic racing machines cost facilities 12% to 18% more to operate because of totalizer and track-related fees, and that slot machines would be cheaper because there are more manufacturers and more competition. He argued that although the operator share drops by 5%, facilities could still benefit from lower operating costs, and he said the commission concluded that moving to slot machines would increase revenues to facilities, charities, and the state. He also said the bill would create a more stable stream of funding for problem gambling, since the current HHR “breakage” funding mechanism is limited and dependent on a single vendor. Brammy also discussed the commission’s concerns about market concentration in HHR machines, saying the commission found the market was dominated by only a few manufacturers and recommended legislation to address that issue under Article 83 of the state constitution. He interpreted the bill as allowing a phase-in of slot machines upon passage, with the remaining HHR provisions phasing out by January 1, 2028, and said facilities would likely transition as leases expire. Committee members asked about HHR contracts, machine programming, testing, and whether removing HHR would reduce competition; Brammy said he believed leases were likely short-term, machines are tested by a lab, and the legislature could decide whether the change is appropriate. No vote or final action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Plessinger, the cowboy, displayed not only exceptional athleticism, but also the kind of mental toughness
• Saurin's invitation back for a second year is a testament to his exceptional talent on the violin and
• It doesn't do anything except begin a process. Why are we doing this to both of these CRAAs?
• Why are we do as except begin a process.
• President Trump is taking decisive action, pausing tariffs for 90 days, except for China, as nations

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sensitive populations. ...to opt out of pesticide applications to protect sensitive populations, except
• Doesn't it make more sense to ban these products statewide, with exceptions for only critical needs?
• Doesn't it make more sense to ban these products statewide, with exceptions for only critical needs?
• The other exceptions for emergency use may seem rare.
• The other exceptions for emergency use may seem rare, but when you tally the potential effect across

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bridgewater in his presidency to support the success of every student, one student at a time, without exception
• and thank you for helping us support the success of every student, one student at a time, without exception
• and thank you for helping us support the success of every student, one student at a time, without exception
• One student at a time, without exception. The panel and I would welcome your questions. Wow.
• by the Trump administration, including today, to make it increasingly more difficult for everyone except

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held an informational hearing on “Protecting Equity in Higher Education” and emphasized that no bills were being heard. Members and witnesses focused on the effects of recent federal actions on DEI, admissions, financial aid, student loans, international students, and campus equity efforts in Massachusetts. Opening remarks from the co-chairs and the chair of Higher Education highlighted Massachusetts’ investments in free community college, expanded financial aid, and early college programs, while warning that federal policy changes could undermine those gains. Testimony from BU law professor Jonathan Feingold argued that many DEI practices remain legally defensible after Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, and that the decision did not end all race-conscious or equity-oriented efforts. He said the Trump administration’s anti-DEI actions and funding threats were legally suspect and had created confusion and a chilling effect. Bahar Akman-in-Boden of the Hildreth Institute testified that proposed federal cuts to TRIO, Gear Up, Pell Grants, SEOG, work-study, and student loan programs would disproportionately harm low-income, first-generation, Black, Latino, and other underserved students, and urged the state to prepare hold-harmless and advising supports using Fair Share revenue. Commissioner Noe Ortega described Massachusetts’ long history of equity in higher education and said the state has expanded aid, success programs, and early college, but still has work to do on attainment and completion. He said the state responded to SFFA by creating ACARE and continuing to defend equity practices, while also warning that federal disruptions and “dear colleague” letters have created uncertainty. In the second panel, state university leaders and campus officials said federal threats to Pell, DEI grants, Medicaid, and international student policies could affect access, campus operations, and the economy; they stressed that most state university graduates stay in Massachusetts and that institutions are continuing their equity practices despite federal pressure. Roxbury Community College’s president said RCC remains committed to open access and inclusion, noted enrollment growth, and said executive orders do not change existing law or the college’s obligations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Almost all the current exceptions and exclusions to compensation would be repealed.
• Almost all the current exceptions and exclusions to compensation would be repealed.
• from work, they rape her, they sodomize her, and she is denied all compensation because of the exceptions
• know who have legally changed their names in Massachusetts in the succeeding years, my case was the exception
• Her grief was no different from the orca who carried her deceased calf for 17 days, except no one saw

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a lengthy public hearing on a wide range of civil actions, labor, consumer protection, and animal welfare bills. Chair Lydia Edwards and Representative Michael Day opened with strict testimony rules and time limits, then heard from legislators and advocates on measures including animal-abuser pet ownership bans (S. 1207/H. 1914), a name-change privacy bill (S. 1045/H. 1973), tort claims reform (H. 1724), law enforcement council coverage under the Tort Claims Act (S. 1199), civil rights and qualified immunity-related proposals (H. 1641), employee free speech/captive audience restrictions (S. 1078/H. 1653), consumer protection and civil rights jurisdiction expansion (S. 1041), private right of action for wage theft (H. 1916), gun-owner liability insurance (H. 1836), pseudoephedrine sales tracking (S. 1243/H. 1581), prepaid legal services plans (H. 1612), structured settlement protections (H. 1863), third-party litigation financing disclosure (H. 1861), antitrust reform for small businesses and workers (S. 1038/H. 1982), legal notices in online-only newspapers (S. 1279/H. 1632), and several animal cruelty and protection bills including H. 1938, H. 1949, S. 1277/H. 1934, and H. 1764. Testimony was largely supportive from bill sponsors and advocacy groups, with repeated themes of protecting vulnerable people and animals, improving access to justice, and updating outdated laws. Supporters of the animal bills argued for stronger possession bans, broader cruelty citations, and civil removal tools to prevent repeat abuse; opponents or conditional supporters raised due process and enforcement concerns, especially around warrantless seizures and requiring retail or shelter staff to check registries. On the labor and consumer side, supporters said the antitrust bill would curb monopoly power and help small businesses and workers, while opponents warned it could destabilize competition and burden successful firms. The employee free speech bill was backed as a response to captive audience meetings, and the wage-theft bill was presented as a way to let workers or organizations pursue claims when individual employees are afraid to come forward. Several public officials and association representatives testified on the law enforcement and civil rights bills. Chiefs of police supported adding law enforcement councils to the Tort Claims Act, saying it would close a liability gap for regional mutual-aid collaborations. But police representatives opposed changes to the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act and qualified immunity-related provisions, arguing the federal system already provides a workable forum and that expanding liability could increase costs, reduce morale, and worsen recruitment and retention. On the consumer/civil rights bill, Senator Collins and a veteran described an out-of-state assault case that they said showed the need for Massachusetts to let residents seek redress at home when rights are violated elsewhere. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing itself; the committee mainly received testimony and questions. Several witnesses indicated they had submitted written testimony or proposed amendments, and some bills drew requests for favorable reports while others were explicitly opposed unless amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• commissioners, and municipalities, as well as expenditures approved by those officers and governing bodies, except
• captures expenditures that are approved by such county officers or county or municipal governing bodies, except
• for those expenditures that Or county or municipal governing bodies, except for those expenditures that
• valorem to fund the operations and administration of county officers and expenditures they approve, except
• Except Miami-Dade County is a very special area to live in.

Summary: The Senate took up Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 2F, a proposed constitutional amendment to expand homestead property tax relief, lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limit county and municipal ad valorem tax revenues to specified uses. Senator Avila presented the measure as a major property tax reform intended to provide relief to homeowners and restrain local government spending, while opponents argued it would shift costs to fees, services, and state appropriations and could harm local budgets, public safety, schools, and other services. Several senators also raised concerns about the ballot language and the lack of a completed fiscal analysis. The chamber considered and rejected multiple amendments. Senator Sharif’s income-based “circuit breaker” amendment failed, as did Senator Smith’s sunset clause amendment and Senator Berman’s amendment to rewrite the ballot statement for greater accuracy. During questioning, Avila said the revised language was meant to preserve flexibility for local governments and that future legislatures could set implementing procedures and, if necessary, prohibit certain local expenditures by general law. He also confirmed that the proposal would not affect refinancing or portability, and said the measure would not prevent local governments from continuing to fund many services such as libraries, parks, animal control, code enforcement, mosquito control, public housing, county health departments, and elections. Debate on final passage was extensive. Supporters described the proposal as overdue relief for homeowners and a way to force local governments to prioritize spending, while critics called it a risky tax shift that could reduce local revenue by billions and force cuts or higher fees. Some senators emphasized concerns about public safety funding, mental health and social services, and the accuracy of the ballot summary; others argued the measure would give voters a chance to decide on property tax reform. After debate, the resolution was rolled over for third reading and the Senate continued discussion, but the transcript provided does not include a final vote on the joint resolution.