Transcript Highlights:

• <01:21:06.880> and<01:21:07.199> work have to kind of plan our work and work have to
• So, we have to work together. We need to work together.
• So, we have to work together. We need to work together.
• So, we have to work together. We need to work together.
• So, we have to work together. We need to work together.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• remote location under rule 40.7. remote location under rule 40.7.
• He said he is committed to working on it and working through it, but that as they worked on it with the
• It's worked very well.
• how the process works. how the process works.
• How do we work on that?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh for this work in a bipartisan way. uh for this work in a bipartisan way.
• Speaker, and it's worked. It has truly worked.
• <03:22:20.560> And it's worked. It It has truly worked. And it's worked.
• It It has truly worked.
• work for solutions. work for solutions.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, December 15, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• statutes written pursuant thereof work statutes written pursuant thereof work together<01:03:18.319
• <01:25:44.560> session announcement of the working session announcement of the working session
• regarding um the possibility of working regarding um the possibility of working on<01:25:49.320>
• <01:26:12.560> on the committee will not be working on the committee will not be working on
• <01:57:21.400> 9<01:57:21.719> to5 working 9 to5 working 9 to5 uh<01:57:22.920> or

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a publicly noticed work session.
• The work session is entitled Budget Work Session Division of Behavioral Health.
• That's not how it works.
• and working with individuals.
• and working with individuals.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee’s Division 3 held a public work session on the Behavioral Health budget on February 27, 2025. The chair opened by explaining the schedule, materials, and deadlines for the budget process, and noted there would be no motions or votes in the division that day. Division of Behavioral Health Director Ktia Fox and DHHS CFO Nathan White then walked the committee through the division’s mission, structure, and budget materials, describing the division’s four bureaus: Mental Health Services, Children’s Behavioral Health, Drug and Alcohol Services, and Homeless Services, along with the policy unit. They emphasized the division’s role in oversight, technical assistance, quality assurance, contracting, and the continuum of care from prevention and early intervention through crisis and residential services. Much of the discussion focused on major programs and funding lines, including the 988 Lifeline contract with Headrest, a technical assistance contract with UNH, Medicaid pass-through payments to New Hampshire Hospital and Glencliff, crisis response services, cold-weather homeless responses, housing supports, and the children’s system of care. Members asked about the UNH contract, the 988 program, crisis stabilization centers, and the peer certification program; Fox explained that the peer certification is a training-and-credentialing pathway for people with lived experience to enter community-based behavioral health work, not a volunteer program. The committee also discussed the “Choose Love” program, which Fox said was created after the Sandy Hook tragedy to build resilience and strength-based emotional regulation in schools and communities. On the children’s side, Fox described the system of care account as the place where many contracted services are budgeted, including community mental health centers, care management entities, rapid response services, and residential programs. Members asked about temporary staffing, and Fox said roughly $500,000 in temporary staff costs shown in the current year would not be spent next year because the money came from a nonlapsing appropriation in HB 1573 for oversight of children’s residential services. She also said provider rate increases were a prioritized need but were not funded in the governor’s current budget, and that the Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center was not funded, resulting in about a $1 million reduction. The session ended while the division was still moving through the children’s behavioral health slides, including questions about the Fast Forward high-fidelity wraparound program and medication management.

Transcript Highlights:

• property values yeah so I think working property values yeah so I think working with<00:22:58.600
• <00:23:27.400> uh think that the bills need some work uh think that the bills need some work
• <00:57:54.000> well have now are working well have now are working well um<00:57:56.799>
• work willing to work would certainly be work willing to work with<01:27:42.040> you<01:27:42.239
• How does this work for the dams?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed scheduling and notice for upcoming executive sessions on a larger slate of bills, including plans to take up eight bills in the morning and possibly the last three bills in the afternoon, with caucus time provided if needed. The chair emphasized advance notice, publication, and flexibility if more bills are added later. The hearing then opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and proceeded to HB 568, a bill allowing local planning boards to request water supply studies for subdivisions to ensure water adequacy as housing density increases. Representative Kat McGee, the prime sponsor, said HB 568 was developed after constituent concerns about private wells being affected by nearby development. She described the bill as narrowly tailored, non-mandatory, and intended to preserve local control while clarifying that planning boards may request studies under local regulations. She noted bipartisan support, an exclusion for community water systems and larger groundwater withdrawals regulated elsewhere, and said the bill would help prevent water shortages and related problems for new and existing homes. Questions from members focused on whether the bill should specify that it applies to subdivisions of four or more lots, since that language had been in an earlier version. Testimony on HB 568 was mixed. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors opposed the bill, arguing it lacked a definition of “water supply study,” could lead to expensive hydrology studies, and might raise housing costs; he suggested more work with DES or a study committee. DES administrator Brandon Kernin said the department had worked from a 2010 groundwater commission report, that such problems arise only intermittently in certain areas, and that the bill would make explicit local authority to adopt such ordinances. He also said DES data and homeowner surveys can help identify problem areas and that more robust wells could be considered in the long term. The committee noted 10 online submissions in favor and 3 opposed, plus blue-sheet testimony of 2 in favor and 1 neutral, and then closed the hearing on HB 568. The committee immediately opened HB 582, a bill on safety requirements for operation of personal watercraft. Representative Darby, the sponsor, said the bill responds to the speed and maneuverability of modern personal watercraft, which he described as more like motorcycles on water than traditional boats, and cited a fatal accident on Lake Monomonac as an example of the risks. He said the bill is not intended to restrict ordinary recreation or wake surfing, but to update safety standards for a newer class of larger, quieter three-person PWCs. The hearing began with Darby’s presentation, and no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• my works, and we've made that work in my works, and we've made that work in my town.<00:14:47.360
• We've made it work. the town side. We've made it work.
• worked back in the '90s it's not working worked back in the '90s it's not working now >> So, thank
• It's the work all work I signed up for.
• /c><04:27:40.319> in worked really hard to work in worked really hard to work in collaboration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:37.760> His<00:10:38.279> work "Faith without works is dead."
• His work "Faith without works is dead."
• bring back the full tax credit and work bring back the full tax credit and work to<00:13:47.920>
• But now that work is in jeopardy.
• plenty of real work to be done. plenty of real work to be done.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 8, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• would get the how that's going to work would get the how that's going to work but<00:21:42.279><
• <05:49:01.400> work<05:49:01.638> working<05:49:02.000> for uh uh you know working
• work working for uh uh you know working work working for a<05:49:02.760> um<05:49:03.000>
• I worked for the church.
• <06:15:29.478> with from background checks and I work with from background checks and I work

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first addressed House Bill 415, which would remove the requirement that schools provide menstrual products. Members supporting an ITL said the mandate was unfunded, had been in place since 2019, and was already working without complaints from districts. Other members opposed the bill, arguing menstrual products are essential and that the requirement helps students, especially those with fewer resources. The committee voted ITL on HB 415 by a roll call of 17 yeas, 0 nays. The committee then took up House Bill 388, concerning public reports on special education. Supporters of ITL said they agreed with the goal of transparency but were concerned about student privacy, especially in small districts, and thought the bill’s information requests went too far. They noted that related issues could potentially be addressed in another bill, HB 557. The committee voted ITL on HB 388, 17-0. House Bill 730, which would require schools and some colleges to provide information on adoption, was also moved ITL. The sponsor said adoption is personally important to him but that the bill was not the right vehicle and involved entities such as colleges and the Attorney General unnecessarily; he said related ideas might be folded into other bills later. The committee agreed and voted ITL, 17-0. The committee then discussed House Bill 671, a preschool/early literacy proposal involving a statewide nonprofit digital program, likely Waterford. Members raised questions about who would be covered, data privacy, prior use of federal ESSER funds, whether the program had measurable results, and whether the bill’s nonprofit requirement was too restrictive. Department of Education witness Melissa White said the state had spent $400,000 in FY22 and $600,000 in FY23 on a Waterford contract using ARP ESSER funds, but she did not have participant counts and said the department could not measure literacy gains for that population. She also said the bill’s funding level would likely require an RFP and that, if enacted as written, the program would probably still be Waterford-based. The discussion continued without a final vote in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• with that do the work.
• We worked hard with 11 hearings. I'm proud of the work. We worked hard with 11 hearings.
• work and the work that she does to really protect our communities.
• So thank you, and we look forward to working with you, continue to work with you. ...continue to work
• Thank you so much for your work. Thank you so much for your work.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts. Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings. Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• coalition of social work organizations to develop and implement the social work licensure compact.
• Thank you, and thank you for the important work you're embarking on as a Master of Social Work student
• Badger and I worked together when I worked for the state university system, and she worked for Mass Maritime
• I've been working there since 2013.
• We know this will work.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony on a broad set of bills focused on making public higher education more affordable and accessible, protecting student information, and changing social work licensure rules. Chair Rogers and Senator Comerford opened by emphasizing the committee’s focus on financial aid, tuition and fee waivers, scholarships, admissions, and institutional changes, and they reminded witnesses about the three-minute testimony limit. No votes were taken during the hearing. A large portion of the hearing centered on the “Super Act” (H. 1423/S. 218), which would eliminate the master’s-level social work licensing exam and create grant support for social work internships. Supporters—including students, practitioners, educators, and advocates—argued that unpaid internships and the exam create financial barriers, worsen workforce shortages, and disproportionately affect Black, brown, older, ESL, and other marginalized candidates. Opponents from the Association of Social Work Boards argued the exam is a necessary public-protection standard, helps maintain uniform licensure, and is important to the social work licensure compact; they said workforce shortages should be addressed through pay, working conditions, and caseloads instead. Committee members asked detailed questions about compact participation, exam accommodations, and how other states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut have handled similar changes. The committee also heard extensive testimony in favor of debt-free public higher education bills (H. 1436/S. 929). Witnesses, including students, faculty, advocates, and Senator Eldridge, said Massachusetts should expand on free community college by covering tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges and universities, with additional aid for living costs for lower-income students. Supporters said student debt delays homeownership, family formation, and career entry, and that the state should use Fair Share revenue to invest in public higher education. Some committee members voiced support but also raised concerns about prioritizing K-12 funding and the cost of expanding free college further. Several witnesses also supported bills to extend tuition and fee waivers to young adults raised by grandparents or other kinship guardians outside the DCF system, arguing that these students face the same trauma and financial barriers as foster youth but do not receive the same benefits. Representative Donato, Joseph O’Leary, Shauna Manning, Sandra Vecchio, Karen Gardner, Judy Walter, Elaine Arsenault, and others described the financial strain on grandparents raising grandchildren and urged parity with DCF-related waivers. In addition, Senator Jake Oliveira testified for a bill to protect public higher education student directory information from data mining and unauthorized sharing, and Deirdre Cummings testified for an open educational resources bill to reduce textbook costs. The hearing concluded with continued testimony on kinship care and college access, with committee members thanking witnesses and indicating follow-up on some bill language issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:12.160> experience individuals with paid work experience individuals with paid work
• quickly um I while I have been working quickly um I while I have been working on<00:03:47.720>
• this is something that I've been working this is something that I've been working on<00:04:07.400
• <00:18:18.120> service liaison from Bright Works service liaison from Bright Works service
• um so working diving into this work um so working really<00:18:58.520> hard<00:18:58.919>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• house to the table in the working group. house to the table in the working group.
• <00:07:56.400> We<00:07:56.639> worked<00:07:56.879> hard to work with next
• We worked hard to work with next year.
• Representative Hansen continued that the working group, and Representative Feist has been working very
• to work with you. All right. Thank you. to work with you. All right. Thank you.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But that work, and that strategy is working, and it's helping many, many in putting the recommendations
• I think our goal is to try to align community work with landscape work.
• Well, again, most of our work and Cal Fire's work is accomplished through grants to local and regional
• It doesn't work so well. We need you to do this because we told you so. Doesn't work so well.
• So our team is designed to work our and work with our residents to become compliant.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're familiar with our work in helping aging populations and so many others that we work across the
• really helps to foster additional work in the... and the work out at the Grand Farm.
• Is that how does that work?
• We're working with communities across the state and beyond to do all of that work.
• working with you in the future.

Summary: The committee met in Fargo and approved the minutes from the March 31 meeting before hearing a series of informational presentations focused on North Dakota agriculture, water, and research. NDSU President David Cook opened with remarks about NDSU’s land-grant mission, emphasizing statewide service through research, teaching, and extension, and highlighting examples such as the Lilac Agriculture startup and the university’s role in applying research to real-world problems. He said he intends to spend time listening across the state to better understand local needs. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study projected significant potential for expanded irrigation acreage, especially in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau, and estimated major economic gains from irrigation, including higher farm returns and support for value-added agriculture. Members discussed water permits, surface water versus aquifers, infrastructure, drought resilience, and the role of legal drains in improving productivity and generating economic activity. The presenters also noted that the full report is available online. Dr. Greg Lardy followed with NDSU’s required interim report, outlining the university’s agricultural research and extension system, including the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, seven research-extension centers, and the economic importance of agriculture to the state. He highlighted recent research impacts such as new crop varieties, potato breeding successes, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, weather-network tools, and 4-H programming. He also described NDSU’s budget priorities: restoring the governor’s proposed 10% cuts, additional operating support, and deferred maintenance funding. Committee members asked about the new agricultural field lab, storage sheds, and NDSU’s partnership with Grand Farm. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor presenting water-related research, including data center cooling, water reuse, smart irrigation, and a feasibility study on co-locating data centers with greenhouse and aquaculture production. Members asked about water use, ownership, and whether the concepts were operational or still speculative. Finally, North Dakota AgTech presented its NSF-funded innovation engine work, describing startup commercialization, on-farm trials, workforce development, and partnerships with NDSU, UND, tribal colleges, and other land-grant institutions. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we continue to work.
• So thank you for all the collaboration and the work and we must continue to work together However, I
• We have been working together early and often, and we are working through challenges, and I feel we are
• How about, have you worked with?
• We are working with.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in areas that we worked on in.
• in areas that we worked on in.
• in areas that we worked on in.
• That's if they work full time.
• It's not working the way it needs to work. It doesn't erase 2011, but it gives an option.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee held an informational hearing on the final three-party budget agreement and related trailer bills, with the Department of Finance outlining the major budget bill and omnibus measures. Finance described a package built around balancing the state budget amid economic uncertainty, preserving core health and safety-net programs, and making significant ongoing reductions in some state programs. The budget bill included major items such as shifting $1 billion from the General Fund to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for Cal Fire, funding universal transitional kindergarten, deferring some UC and CSU funding, supporting foster care and homelessness programs, providing Proposition 36 implementation funding, and achieving Medi-Cal savings through changes to benefits and eligibility. The committee also heard that votes on the budget bills were expected later in the week and the following Monday. Finance then walked through the trailer bills, including health, human services, early learning, education, resources, energy, transportation, labor, housing, tax, public safety, courts, general government, cannabis, and energy-related measures. Notable provisions included a Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for certain adults, new premiums and benefit changes for some immigrants, child care COLA changes, education funding for literacy, teacher support, universal meals, and community college student support, as well as resource and climate measures affecting Cal Fire staffing and energy permitting. The housing trailer bill drew the most discussion, with provisions on CEQA streamlining, a vehicle miles traveled mitigation banking program, a renters’ credit trigger, and a six-year moratorium on new residential building standards. Members also discussed a film tax credit expansion, cannabis enforcement funding, a tribal police pilot program, and changes to tax policy, including military retirement income exclusions and wildfire settlement payment exclusions. Committee members largely praised the staff and the budget process, but several raised concerns and asked detailed questions, especially about the housing trailer bill’s new wage standards, tribal consultation provisions, and possible effects on prevailing wage protections. Finance explained that the housing language was intended to set wage floors for market-rate projects receiving CEQA streamlining, with different county-based tiers and a notwithstanding clause preserving existing prevailing wage laws. Members also questioned the size and timing of funding for the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, Clean Cars for All, Proposition 36, and the film tax credit expansion. Other members highlighted support for public safety, veterans’ tax relief, child care providers, housing production, and higher education, while some expressed concern that the budget’s policy changes were being negotiated too quickly or without enough stakeholder input.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're familiar with our work in helping aging populations and so many others that we work across the
• How does that work?
• Standing Rock to do some of the work on bison and the work they're doing with regenerative ag.
• We're working with communities across the state and beyond to do all of that work.
• working with you in the future.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a scope of work.
• And did you discuss any of this with her at work in the normal work? No.
• So her work at EEC was completely separate from this work? Yes.
• that you were working on?
• on work to” “That they actually have joint passions and work on work together, but then, you know, when

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The hearing resumed on day two of the Legislative Ethics Board fact-finding matter involving Representative Tara Simmons. After opening remarks and confirmation that board members had not engaged in outside research or ex parte communications, Simmons’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she improperly combined a legislative proviso for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and private conduct were intertwined and that the board had enough evidence to require a defense. After deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss and proceeded to hear defense testimony. The first defense witness, Sharon Navas, testified that she met Simmons through advocacy work, later hired her at the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC), and maintained written employment policies intended to separate Simmons’s legislative role from her work for EEC. Navas said Simmons was never compensated for lobbying or legislative acts, that EEC paid her from unrestricted funds, and that Simmons did not work on the AEJG dashboard project or participate in the contract dispute with Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley. Navas described the proviso request and later contract issues as separate from Simmons’s legislative duties, and said she continued to pay invoices while the project was being completed. Simmons then testified about her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics advice before taking outside employment or pursuing provisos. She said she repeatedly consulted House ethics counsel and reviewed prior board decisions to ensure her outside work and legislative actions were separated. Simmons described her relationship with Anthony Powers, the dashboard project, the proviso process, and her understanding that the work was distinct from her legislative role. The hearing paused for lunch after part of Simmons’s direct examination, with testimony set to continue after the break.

Transcript Highlights:

• into the working groups.
• We work across all the labs.
• We do a lot of work with GAIN.
• And then prior to that, And then prior to that, working there, I worked out at INTEC.
• Lab to work.

Keywords: 908, all