Transcript Highlights:

• by giving out their name or information, so they got fingerprinted, which instantly went into the database
• probation fees and eliminated the administrative bail fee for youth through the fiscal year 2025 budget
• to the practice and with the ability to select an arbitrator, timing, rules, processes, locations, budget

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing began with opening remarks from the House and Senate chairs outlining procedures for a large public hearing with more than 100 witnesses on 64 legislative proposals. They explained time limits, rules for in-person and virtual testimony, written testimony procedures, and the committee’s reporting deadline. Testimony then moved through a series of juvenile justice, child protection, and civil liberties bills, with witnesses generally urging favorable reports or, in one case, opposing expanded juvenile court transparency and child advocate access to records. Several witnesses supported bills aimed at juvenile justice reform. Representative Hendricks backed H. 1744 to prevent child labor exploitation and trafficking, citing federal findings of child labor in seafood processing and calling for stronger penalties and a ban on minors working in such facilities. Senator Gomez supported S. 1131 and S. 1121 to reduce juvenile fees, fines, restitution burdens, and bail-related costs, arguing they worsen racial and economic disparities. Senator Crean and other advocates supported S. 1051/H. 1695 to expand juvenile diversion eligibility, while multiple witnesses from juvenile justice and immigrant advocacy groups supported H. 1657/S. 1058 to expand juvenile expungement and to limit sharing juvenile fingerprints with federal authorities, describing recent ICE detentions of Chelsea students and the resulting fear in immigrant communities. Witnesses also supported H. 1918/S. 1240 to narrow the youthful offender statute, raising the minimum age and reducing mandatory adult-style penalties for youth. The committee also heard testimony on child safety and bodily autonomy bills. Middlesex District Attorney Marion Ryan supported H. 1752 to protect children left in extreme temperatures, explaining it would create civil penalties, allow emergency responders to remove children from cars without liability, and add criminal penalties when serious injury results. Representative Thurber and Senator O’Connor testified for H. 2011/S. 1227, a bill prohibiting coercion or mandates for health-related interventions, including vaccinations, and allowing legal remedies for violations. Senator Jalen supported S. 1136/H. 1847 to prevent false confessions by requiring recording of interrogations and banning deceptive tactics, and several innocence-project and legal-services witnesses described wrongful convictions tied to false confessions and coercive interrogations. Another major topic was H. 1626, which would require age verification for pornographic content and launch an education campaign about online sexual exploitation; Representative Cruz and survivor Udoz Wallace testified in support, describing nonconsensual image sharing and deepfake harms. Not all testimony was supportive. The Committee for Public Counsel Services opposed S. 1035, which would increase transparency in juvenile court proceedings, and H. 1689, which would expand the child advocate’s access to confidential juvenile records, arguing both would undermine privacy and trauma-informed protections for children and families. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the session consisted of opening remarks and public testimony on the listed bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Set a different way, without it, we'd have a new $70 million hole in our budget that we cannot tolerate
• We have published those results annually for the past five years to a database to hold ourselves accountable
• And while we know that we won't be able to fill every budget gap or reverse every harmful federal policy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on a large docket of bills focused on MassHealth benefits and reimbursement, health equity, behavioral health, public health, dental access, 340B drug pricing, tobacco cessation, and coverage for children. The chairs emphasized rising health care costs, provider shortages, administrative burdens, and persistent inequities by income, race, geography, and immigration status. Much of the testimony centered on H.1416/S.901, an act to advance health equity, with legislators and members of the Health Equity Compact arguing for statewide benchmarks, stronger health equity leadership, reimbursement for interpreter services, community health workers and patient navigation, Medicaid graduate medical education support, and a health equity zone trust fund. Witnesses described disparities in life expectancy, maternal mortality, access to primary care, and the impact of federal Medicaid and social service cuts, and urged the committee to report the bill favorably. The committee also heard strong support for H.1368/S.847 on rapid whole genome sequencing for critically ill MassHealth children. Testifiers from industry, academia, hospitals, and families said early sequencing can end long diagnostic odysseys, improve treatment decisions, shorten hospital stays, and save money, while also providing emotional relief and information for families. The hearing then moved to H.1407 on MassHealth rate parity for inpatient behavioral health providers, where Rep. Scanlan and the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems said the bill would codify existing administrative parity so managed care plans cannot pay less than the MassHealth fee-for-service rate. On H.1392/S.853 to preserve and protect public health, witnesses supported higher vaccine administration fees to improve provider participation and immunization rates. The committee also heard testimony on H.770/845 to protect 340B providers in MassHealth, and on S.848 to require reporting and transparency around 340B revenues and outside administrative costs. Additional bills drew testimony on tobacco cessation coverage for MassHealth members, with advocates supporting broader access to counseling and medications through medical, behavioral health, and dental providers. On H.1409, a nursing home operator asked for more flexibility in a MassHealth staffing-related penalty tied to patient days per resident. On H.1401/S.888, supporters of the “Take 10” dental access proposal said adult MassHealth dental coverage is underused because too few dentists accept MassHealth, leading to long travel times and avoidable emergency room visits; they urged incentive payments for dentists serving new adult MassHealth patients. Finally, on H.1403/S.855, “Cover All Kids,” advocates and immigrant community members urged removal of immigration status as a barrier to full MassHealth coverage for children, while also backing a related bill to ensure 12 months of continuous coverage for children. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and asked questions on costs, reimbursement levels, and implementation details.

Transcript Highlights:

• state appropriations that y'all have submitted requests that y'all have submitted either in this past budget
• Um, it's not a line item, uh, then, uh, we have a set budget, and then if we collect fees, we can go
• And so does the FDA say that you have to maintain A database of those who purchase this medication, even

Bills: HB 265, HB25

Keywords: youth camp, safety regulations, advisory committee, child welfare, health standards, summer camp, camp safety, child abuse reporting, child neglect, mandatory reporting, background check, criminal history check, sex offender registry, CPR training, first aid, public health, child protection, camp operator, camp counselor, Health and Safety Code

Transcript Highlights:

• they want to go in and search for someone, let's say you, if someone wants to go into one of those databases
• The FBI is enormous, with 38,000 agents and a nine billion dollar budget.
• To executive orders that have been issued as it pertains to the federal budget, federal spending, hiring

Transcript Highlights:

• I chair the HR Division and Center Appropriations that manages the HHS budget.
• There is no state budget line for this.
• But that's a starting point in the budget process.
• And then if human services has it in its budget, great.
• Regarding the size of the budget, I tell our caucus, if you think the human service budget is too big

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:

• So, thank you, a budget to fund it. So, thank you, Madam<04:26:51.760> President.
• But we're talking about the default budget.
• We're not talking about the budget that people are going to vote on first.
• we're talking about the default budget. we're talking about the default budget.
• <04:34:58.080> that We're not talking about the budget that We're not talking about the budget

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Certainly will add some fiscal pressure to your budgets.
• And so they have a database to show how many gen ed they have taken junior and senior year.
• And so they have a database to show how many gen ed they have taken junior and senior year.
• <01:19:53.840> Budget<01:19:54.320> language junior and senior year.
• Budget language junior and senior year.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 0:00:00 Approval of Minutes: 0:01:45 Federal Education Updates 0:02:12 Dual Credit Updates: 0:43:38 Kentucky State University's Doctoral Program Request: 01:27:08 Postsecondary Accreditation: 1:49:05 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations: 2:14:48 Adjournment 2:16:31, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the previous meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Austin Reid of the National Conference of State Legislatures on education-related provisions in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). Reid said the law is projected to increase the federal deficit over 10 years, with major savings coming from Medicaid, student loan changes, and SNAP. He focused on how those changes could affect schools, including possible effects on free and reduced-price meal certification, state funding formulas that use SNAP as a proxy for low-income status, and Medicaid-funded school services for students with disabilities. Reid also outlined the new federal scholarship tax credit, which gives a dollar-for-dollar credit for donations to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations. He said families up to 300% of area median income may benefit, the program begins in 2027, and states must opt in and designate eligible organizations. He noted unresolved questions about whether states can add their own criteria and said Treasury regulations will be important. He also described the expansion of 529 plans to cover more K-12 and postsecondary expenses. On higher education, Reid explained a new workforce Pell grant option for short-term programs, with states and governors playing a role in determining eligible programs. He said the programs must meet placement, completion, and earnings measures and that implementation is expected to be tight before the July 1, 2026 effective date. He also reviewed student loan changes, including lower institutional loan limits, prorated borrowing for part-time enrollment, new caps on graduate and Parent PLUS loans, and a new earnings-based accountability standard that could make some programs ineligible for student loans if graduates earn too little. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• They enter information into our database. They review our policy and our definitions.
• They enter information into our database. They review our policy and our definitions.
• calls they enter information<00:56:04.359> into<00:56:04.559> our<00:56:04.760> database
• <00:56:05.319> they information into our database they information into our database they

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with committee process reminders from the chair, including rules for questioning witnesses, time limits for testimony, and how motions and committee reports are handled. The chair also discussed the committee’s history, emphasized a cooperative approach with agencies and the Judiciary, and noted that a special committee on the Family Division of Circuit Court had previously done useful work; he said a new subcommittee could be appointed later to continue looking at judicial-system issues. He also mentioned that the Speaker’s office was expected to name members to the DHHS oversight committee by Friday at 1. The substantive presentation was from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Child Support Services. Attorney John Williams introduced the bureau team, and Bureau Chief Lisa Dekowski described the program’s mission: encouraging responsible parenting, family self-sufficiency, and child well-being by locating parents, establishing paternity, setting or modifying support orders, and enforcing court-ordered child and medical support. She said the bureau operates statewide under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, works with courts, employers, and other partners, and serves both in-state and out-of-state cases, with some international and tribal coordination. She also cited program scale, saying the bureau dispersed about $76 million to families in New Hampshire in fiscal year 2023 and that most collections go directly to families. Members asked about enforcement tools, especially passport denial. In response to a question about a case involving a very small shortfall, the bureau said the federal passport-denial threshold is $2,500 in arrears, not a few cents, and that denial remains in place until the balance is resolved or an arrangement is made with the agency, with hardship factors potentially considered. The bureau also explained that either parent can apply for services when a child support order exists and that the bureau can help initiate income withholding orders. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• How often do we have, you know, the database? We're collecting data all the time in DPS.
• Uh, this was part of the governor's supplemental budget package and within the governor's package, he
• this was part of the governor's Uh this was part of the governor's supplemental<00:52:22.080> budget
• c><00:52:22.400> package<00:52:23.200> and<00:52:24.120> within supplemental budget
• package and within supplemental budget package and within the<00:52:24.560> governor's the governor's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm glad we can bring up the budget.
• the budget were. the budget were.
• bring up the budget. bring up the budget.
• You know, a lot of us in this room voted for that budget.
• But I think our our budget priorities.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no escalation, so if they're extrapolating, if the Legislative Budget Board... the fiscal note
• If we passed a budgeting appropriation for the school choice plan itself and it just dealt with the money
• Chairman Creighton: If we passed a budgeting appropriation for the school choice plan itself and it just
• There will be people who say that this bill will blow up the budget.
• Last I checked, surpluses do not cause budget deficits.

Bills: SB 2

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no state budget line for this.
• But that's a starting point in the budget process.
• Regarding the size of the budget, I tell our caucus, if you think the Human Services budget is too big
• Regarding the size of the budget, I tell our caucus, if you think the human service budget is too big
• Regarding the size of the budget, I tell our caucus, if you think the human service budget is too big

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• basis, multiple times a day, are criminal history reports that come through the national criminal database
• come through the national<00:27:35.200> criminal<00:27:36.080> uh,<00:27:37.279> database
• ><00:27:37.840> of<00:27:38.080> what<00:27:38.320> a national criminal uh, database
• of what a national criminal uh, database of what a person's<00:27:39.200> criminal<00:27:39.600

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And my question to Deputy Commissioner Row at that time was actually, can you see that in the database
• you see that that time was actually, can you see that in<01:30:00.960> the<01:30:01.120> database
• c> which<01:30:01.760> at<01:30:02.000> that<01:30:02.159> point in the database
• , which at that point in the database, which at that point hadn't<01:30:02.639> even<01:30:02.880

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• cuts that makes it back of the budget cuts that makes it harder<02:41:02.720> uh<02:41:02.880
• Something to budget for and have your department rise to that challenge. >> Well, we could budget for
• I think we're straying off the topic here because this isn't really a budget issue.
• <02:42:31.439> This<02:42:31.680> is isn't really u a budget issue.
• This is isn't really u a budget issue.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no state budget line for this.
• But that's a starting point in the budget process.
• And then if Human Services has it in its budget, great.
• Regarding the size of the budget, I tell our caucus, if you think the Human Services budget is too big
• Regarding the size of the budget, I tell our caucus, if you think the human service budget is too big

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• It may not come up in<00:55:28.880> the<00:55:29.040> budget<00:55:29.520> as<00
• as that but you're losing in the budget as that but you're losing the<00:55:31.599> time<00:55
• But that money that was spent had drawn down the budget for public defense.
• To come out of the budget somehow.
• Retailers pay for private security and loss prevention, which doesn't show up in public budgets, but

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• what other people look at as a database.
• They do have some sort of a database, but I think at the present time this bill needs to be ITL until
• Although I do like the protections, the clerk had some concerns that if we use the word database, that
• >> I guess what we look at as a database and what other people look at as a database.
• They do have some sort of a database, but I think at the present time this bill needs to be ITL until

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently receives from the federal government each year, and what percentage of our total education budget
• How are we going to replace that in our state budget?
• The budget has changed so many times in the last eight years that I've been involved in the budget process
• We constantly have to address budget shortfalls. You're recognized for your answer.
• When I first got elected, my goodness, there was a $1.8 billion budget hole.

Bills: HB4028, HB4075, HB4077, HB4074, HB4076, SB1221, SB1921, SB2118, SB1932, SB2134, HCR1025, SB1432, HCR1024, HCR1022, SB1122, HB4029, HB4063, HB4073, HB4078, SB1936, SB44, SB237, SB248, SB1360, SB985, SB1204, SB1239, SB1307, SB2143, SB1428, SB1390, SB1400, SB1405, SB1732, SB1832, SB1859, SB1989, SB2018, SB1427

Keywords: tax deduction, venture capital, economic development, Oklahoma, investment, water resources, appropriations, funding, state treasury, infrastructure projects, emergency act, emergency management, disaster relief, pandemic response, state appropriations, HB4074, Health Care Workforce Training Commission, Health Care Workforce Revolving Fund, health workforce, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• The budget was in shambles, and important programs were being cut that would ultimately harm working
• For a follow-up, it's my understanding that when we got the budget, we were told it was a flat budget
• Am I reading the wrong budget? The wrong budget? Thank you for the question.
• A budget of the bill will be debating a debate question for the house is shall the bill pass?
• We also have a flat budget, and we also know it is nigh impossible to pass a tax.

Bills: HB4028, HB4075, HB4077, HB4074, HB4076, SB1221, SB1921, SB2118, SB1932, SB2134, HCR1025, SB1432, HCR1024, HCR1022, SB1122, HB4029, HB4063, HB4073, HB4078, SB1936, SB44, SB237, SB248, SB1360, SB985, SB1204, SB1239, SB1307, SB2143, SB1428, SB1390, SB1400, SB1405, SB1732, SB1832, SB1859, SB1989, SB2018, SB1427

Keywords: tax deduction, venture capital, economic development, Oklahoma, investment, water resources, appropriations, funding, state treasury, infrastructure projects, emergency act, emergency management, disaster relief, pandemic response, state appropriations, HB4074, Health Care Workforce Training Commission, Health Care Workforce Revolving Fund, health workforce, health care workforce