Transcript Highlights:

• This meeting of the February 27th meeting of the Senate Finance Committee will come to order.
• Of those, $880 billion are in the Commerce and energy space, and I note that Commerce and energy is the
• 27.680><c> the</c> I note that Commerce and energy is the I note that Commerce and energy is the committee
• </c><01:20:53.679><c> committee</c> do and we're in the finance committee do and we're in the finance
• I will share with my members of the Finance Committee a couple concerns.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senate Bill 56, Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee.
• Let's check with committees. >> Chair of Finance. >> We're not going back to work till next week.
• Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Chair of Education, Energy, and the Environment. >> Uh thank you, Mr.
• Chair<00:14:15.760><c> of</c><00:14:15.920><c> Education,</c><00:14:16.240><c> Energy,</c><00:14:16.480
• ><c> and</c><00:14:16.560><c> the</c> Chair of Education, Energy, and the Chair of Education, Energy,

Summary: The Maryland Senate met on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with a quorum present. The session opened with an invocation by Chaplain David Stadler, followed by journalization of his remarks and several introductions recognizing guests in the chamber, including dentists, an intern, a former legislative staffer, and representatives from the University System of Maryland and other groups. Senators also noted upcoming committee meetings and a Legislative Black Caucus photo the next day. The main floor action centered on a resolution honoring Maryland Career and Technical Student Organizations for Career and Technical Student Organization Week. The sponsor described the role of CTSOs in serving more than 12,000 students statewide and in building leadership, professional, and career skills. The resolution was read in full and adopted unanimously, with the Senate expressing congratulations and appreciation for the organizations’ work with young people. The Senate then took up layover items and calendar bills. Senate Bill 56, concerning Maryland Longitudinal Data Center external data sharing for multi-state reporting, was special ordered for one day after members raised privacy-related questions. Senate Bill 99, the Open Meetings Act/Local Board of Education Transparency Act measure, was also special ordered for one day after discussion of its committee amendment. The chamber also received administrative corrections from the Governor and referred them to the Executive Nominations Committee, and the majority leader later moved adjournment until February 19 at 10:00 a.m., which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water has had consideration of HB 2758 and respectfully
• I move the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee amendment be adopted. Thank you.
• Chairman, I move the Griffin substitute floor amendment to the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee
• Sections 11-671, 49-1203, and 49-23, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to water infrastructure, finance
• Your Natural Resource, Energy and Water Committee will meet upon adjournment or recess of the floor in

Transcript Highlights:

• This was heard in the finance committee last week, but the issue was raised whether or not there was
• This was heard in the finance committee last week, but the issue was raised whether or not there was
• I just have no energy to do it.
• I just have no energy<00:48:21.920><c> to</c><00:48:22.160><c> do</c><00:48:22.240><c> it.
• I just trying to figure energy to do it.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• expands the Arizona Commerce Authority's Board of Directors to include the chairpersons of the Senate Finance
• This is a GFOA, Government Finance Officers Association, best practice when you're going to sell bonds
• Madam Whip and members, House Bill 2798, as amended by the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee
• HB 2798, as amended by the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee and Appropriations Committee
• It removes policies and practices favoring greater use of renewable energy and requires that the location

Summary: The meeting covered a long series of bills, mostly in health, education, commerce, federalism, and government. In health, members discussed radiology technology updates (HB 2050), a tribal Medicaid waiver/drawdown measure with no state cost (HB 2177), an emergency medicine study committee (HB 2183), fetal death certificate and remains-transfer requirements (HB 2184), a physician assistant licensure compact (HB 2190), dementia care telemonitoring funding (HB 2202), SNAP error-rate reduction and fraud/eligibility oversight bills (HB 2206, HB 2442, HB 2797), child welfare protections like credit freezes and recorded interviews (HB 2321, HB 2322), and podiatric licensure compacts (HB 2438). Several of these were described as consent-calendar items, while HB 2206 and the SNAP-related measures drew discussion about fraud reduction, administrative burden, and work requirements. In commerce and finance, the committee heard bills on mobile food vendors and local permits (HB 2118), earned wage access services with fee caps and disclosure rules (HB 2309), CPA licensure changes (HB 2476), cash acceptance for retail purchases under $100 (HB 2555), drone delivery and unmanned aircraft guardrails (HB 2875), timeshare salesperson licensing (HB 2877), and a prohibition on state-mandated social credit scoring in lending decisions (HB 2903). The tax and retirement-related items included 529 plan conformity and Roth IRA transfer rules (HB 2477), annual tax conformity to the Internal Revenue Code (HB 2785), ASRS technical and disability-related changes (HB 2089, HB 2090, HB 2092), and a bill on employee health insurance definitions (HB 2089). The Arizona Commerce Authority bill (HB 2754) would add legislative members to the board and shift more control over trade offices and Arizona Competes Fund spending to the legislature. The education section focused heavily on school governance and finance. Bills included patriotic youth group presentations in schools (HB 2312), school board term limits (HB 2318), mandatory training for governing board members (HB 2379), independent municipal advisors for bond elections (HB 2320), restrictions on districts buying operating charter/private school sites to game enrollment formulas (HB 2376), conflict-of-interest limits for school facilities board architects and engineers (HB 2378), public meeting and travel transparency rules for districts (HB 2380), limits on long-term school property leases and reporting requirements (HB 2384), tighter bidding rules for school construction job orders using Building Renewal Grant funds (HB 2482), and a voluntary computer science proficiency seal (HB 2764). Sponsors repeatedly framed these as transparency, accountability, and anti-abuse measures, while some opposition centered on local flexibility, housing use, and existing training providers. In federalism and government, the committee heard bills to give counties more time to mail sample ballots (HB 2006), require courts to identify veterans at first appearance for possible veterans court referral (HB 2226), study veterans’ awareness of benefits (HB 2406), broaden military leave protections (HB 2663), require SAVE verification for voter registration and certain state services (HB 2806), require U.S.-sourced voting machine components by 2029 (HB 2901), affirm the Electoral College (HB 2902), and establish due process protections for justice of the peace courts against outside administrative action (HB 2976). Government committee items included a later deadline for library trustees’ annual reports (HB 2129), a two-year limit on certain adult protective services reports to the Attorney General (HB 2228), and an exemption for public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ spa rules (HB 2439). Several bills were reported as consent-calendar items, and a number of sponsors noted committee votes, fiscal neutrality, or favorable testimony in support of the measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• everybody's going to pay their fair share, but in order to transmit and to deliver that source of energy
• to the project, any additional infrastructure costs related to or because of providing that energy cost
• Of course, these are the energy costs that are generated and produced by the data centers, that they
• Translation: that these substantial energy costs that are related to these data centers are not going
• He has worked hard and represented his university well, and we are grateful for the dedication and energy

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that reduces overall energy usage, but it changes the energy mix because we use less natural gas
• So, in the what about energy usage?
• </c><00:57:51.840><c> usage</c> What we see in general is energy usage What we see in general is energy
• </c> And so that reduces overall energy And so that reduces overall energy usage, usage, usage, but<00
• </c> energy to do a variety of things. energy to do a variety of things.

Bills: HF4470 , HF2418 , HF3417 , HF3365 , HF3463

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• CDFIs come in when financing gaps.
• Um, if it's just going to finance, I think we could squeeze it in later.
• Um, if it's just going to finance, I think we could squeeze it in later.
• Um, if it's just going to finance, I think we could squeeze it in later.
• </c><02:14:14.000><c> into</c> uh bring a lot of energy into uh bring a lot of energy into Minnesota's

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• 104 by Representative Coates is a concurrent resolution urging the Department of Conservation and Energy
• 104 by Representative Coates is a concurrent resolution urging the Department of Conservation and Energy
• 104 by Representative Coates is a concurrent resolution urging the Department of Conservation and Energy
• The bill is reported from the Committee on Finance and ordered to the Legislative Bureau.
• The bill is reported from the Committee on Finance and ordered to the Legislative Bureau.

Bills: SR125 , SCR70 , SCR12 , HB4 , HB251 , HB623 , HB819 , HB944 , HB986 , HB1098 , HB1222 , HB1257 , HB221 , HCR58 , SCR22 , SCR24 , SB29 , SB30 , SB32 , SB41 , SB42 , SB43 , SB47 , SB84 , SB93 , SB113 , SB192 , SB199 , SB219 , SB220 , SB221 , SB222 , SB241 , SB253 , SB255 , SB289 , SB292 , SB306 , SB314 , SB351 , SB399 , SB404 , SB14 , SB102 , SB133 , SB151 , SB165 , SB169 , SB170 , SB200 , SB217 , SB280 , SB291 , SB300 , SB303 , SB330 , SB449 , SB489 , SB521 , SB45 , SB156 , SB181 , SB203 , SB274 , SB304 , SB379 , SB396 , SB410 , SB425 , SB427 , SB436 , SB424 , SCR61 , SCR9 , SB35 , SB65 , SB215 , SB246 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , HCR31 , HB296 , HB299 , HB322 , HB364 , HB519 , HB535 , HB538 , HB568 , HB571 , HB622 , HB635 , HB676 , HB772 , HB784 , HB1006 , HB1018 , HB1043 , HB1070 , HB1134 , HB1239 , HB62 , HB193 , HB203 , HB210 , HB220 , HB228 , HB246 , HB420 , HB475 , HB486 , HB574 , HB584 , HB750 , HB813 , HB815 , HB826 , HB870 , HB949 , HB953 , HB1045 , HB1092 , HB1151 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1177 , HB1196 , HB1214 , HB1241 , HB22 , HB28 , HB33 , HB41 , HB47 , HB87 , HB115 , HB162 , HB195 , HB214 , HB217 , HB233 , HB283 , HB290 , HB319 , HB324 , HB345 , HB362 , HB363 , HB368 , HB377 , HB380 , HB382 , HB386 , HB392 , HB406 , HB431 , HB441 , HB466 , HB503 , HB533 , HB559 , HB575 , HB590 , HB593 , HB618 , HB636 , HB655 , HB664 , HB685 , HB692 , HB707 , HB715 , HB732 , HB738 , HB741 , HB748 , HB776 , HB807 , HB822 , HB856 , HB860 , HB868 , HB887 , HB888 , HB905 , HB908 , HB961 , HB980 , HB990 , HB992 , HB999 , HB1000 , HB1010 , HB1146 , HB1157 , HB1233 , HB1236 , HB1243 , HB54 , HB137 , HB180 , HB192 , HB310 , HB321 , HB396 , HB512 , HB552 , HB578 , HB638 , HB663 , HB708 , HB717 , HB718 , HB1009 , HB1082 , HB1104 , HB1107 , HB1198 , HB1246 , HB1250 , HB17 , HB36 , HB73 , HB119 , HB126 , HB129 , HB133 , HB140 , HB159 , HB166 , HB211 , HB226 , HB245 , HB271 , HB280 , HB337 , HB351 , HB354 , HB399 , HB677 , HB712 , HB723 , HB726 , HB728 , HB759 , HB789 , HB844 , HB850 , HB966 , HB1036 , SB149 , SB382 , SB441 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , HB782

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, received an opening prayer from Pastor Elizabeth Ali Frank, and adopted the journal. The chamber then handled a large number of messages, committee reports, resolutions, and House bills, including several ceremonial resolutions and many House measures returned with amendments. Notable resolutions included recognition of World Preeclampsia Awareness Day, commendations for Louisiana sports honorees, and a resolution urging higher reimbursement rates for behavioral health crisis centers, which was adopted. The Senate also concurred in SCR 22 on opioid settlement fund reporting, with Senator Myers explaining the House changes were technical and improved the reporting deadline and detail. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to concurrence or rejection of House amendments on Senate bills. The Senate concurred in several bills involving telehealth, prenatal bereavement care, official journals, ambulance Medicaid coverage, insurance and licensing disclosures, peptide regulation, psychosocial rehabilitation services, university records confidentiality, the Inspector General, religious exercise protections, child care assistance, eye care coverage, teacher retirement, and electronic service of pleadings. The chamber rejected House amendments to SB 42 on AI-created child sexual abuse materials and SB 43 on psychedelic-assisted therapy, and also rejected amendments on SB 29 and SB 32 before later concurring in many other technical or clarifying House changes. Several members explained that the House amendments were mostly technical, clarified effective dates, or adjusted definitions and contact information. The Senate then took up numerous House bills on final passage. Bills passed included measures on inmate workforce development cleanup, jury bond filing by mail, free transcripts for victims testifying before pardon/parole hearings, public awareness on illegal firearm discharge, special masters in complex litigation, paternity acknowledgments in hospitals, juvenile court filing fees in East Baton Rouge Parish, drug-free school zone penalties, criminal history record confidentiality, body brokering/fraudulent patient referrals, bail notice and residence requirements, sex offender registration updates, parish court jurisdictional amounts, court technology fees, deferred retirement options, shared custody standards, women’s policy and research commission membership, sickle cell and uterine fibroids commission membership, child exploitation reporting on online platforms, recreation of the state civil service department, children’s cabinet membership, DCFS employee background checks, AI disclosure in health care visits, the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact, mental health advisory board updates, foster children’s rights, automatic renewal contract disclosures, Orleans sheriff term alignment, access to death records for financial institutions, insurance referral disclosures, radiologist assistant regulation, plumbing licensure reforms, legislative auditor thresholds, developmental disabilities office renaming, insurer investment rules, Medicare Advantage coverage for integrative care services, and more. Some bills were returned to the calendar for further work, including HB 571, HB 475, HB 750, and HB 1162, and HB 490 was set aside after extensive debate on private-use electrical networks and data-center power arrangements. The most prominent floor action was final passage of HB 636, the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act, which Senator Boudreaux described as a comprehensive response to hazing tragedies on Louisiana campuses. He said the bill was developed by a task force that included the Wilson family and would strengthen education, reporting, accountability, and penalties, including permanent banishment for organizations involved in hazing deaths. After the bill passed 37-0, the Senate recognized the Wilson family and presented flags in Caleb Wilson’s honor. Throughout the day, many bills passed overwhelmingly, though a few drew dissent, including HB 296, HB 538, HB 568, HB 635, and HB 784. The meeting ended with continued consideration of additional House bills and unfinished items returned to the calendar for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Gordon Shemp is here, and he is a senior energy advisor with Nemecu Analytics LLC.
• know if I'm going to have a few seconds left, but if you would allow me, having somebody with the finances
• Chair, for the record, Molly Graber, the Senate Finance Analyst. Mr.
• Chair, for the record, Molly Graber, the Senate Finance Analyst.
• down safely without human intervention or external power, and are carbon-free, helping meet clean energy

Bills: HB2014 , HB2031 , HB2078 , HB2102 , HB2103 , HB2117 , HB2261 , HB2262 , HB2264 , HB2278 , HB2428 , HB2494 , HB2756 , HB2758 , HB2762 , HB2782 , HB2932 , HB2933 , HB2986

Committees: Senate Natural Resources , Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, water rights, groundwater, Willcox, active management area, certificate of grandfathered rights, Arizona legislature, aggregate mining, reclamation plans, environmental protection, public safety, land use, domestic water, improvement district, water delivery, water hauling

Transcript Highlights:

• Third reading of Senate Bill 2447, Senate Draft 1, relating to campaign finance.
• </c><00:16:01.480><c> Is</c> Draft 2 relating to renewable energy.
• Is Draft 2 relating to renewable energy.
• As part of our shared responsibility to balance the state finances, SB 3125 SD1 also proposes to sunset
• President. balance the state finances, SB 3125 SD1 balance the state finances, SB 3125 SD1 also<00:34

Transcript Highlights:

• I know this isn’t the Finance Committee, but I just want to make you aware of that.
• I know this isn’t the Finance Committee, but I just want to make you aware of that.
• I know this isn’t the Finance Committee, but I just want to make you aware of that.
• code these are added costs 2021 energy code these are added costs to<00:39:23.280><c> both</c><00:39
• Well, it's going to go to Finance for sure." "Oh no, actually this one doesn't have an FN.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• to be an energy community.
• US Department of Energy.
• And in New Mexico, we have um a lot of solar energy, we have the wind energy, potentially, we can even
• Uh, I'm talking about solar energy and wind energy.
• Also has abundant solar energy and wind energy.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a time when energy is scarce. We really need these energy resources.
• We are taking all of these distributed energy resources.
• I want to touch for a moment on energy storage.
• energy storage.
• They have been taking a more conservative approach to energy policy.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• [Music] The Finance Committee for 2025 will come to order.
• I'm committee administrator for Finance on the DFL side. Lexi Stangle, Senate counsel.
• Glad to be on Finance, uh, temporarily, I understand.
• I have no role in the Finance Committee, but I am helping the President's Office in the bill referrals
• </c> this money to good use energy this money to good use energy Transportation<00:29:39.200><c> whatever

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• heard the first reading of the bill, and it is referred to the committee on natural resources and energy
• Now you've heard the first reading of the bill, and it is referred to the committee on finance.
• <00:05:40.479><c> the</c><00:05:40.639><c> committee</c><00:05:40.880><c> on</c><00:05:41.199><c> finance
• Senate Finance will meet at 1:30. >> Senator from Washington. >> Senate Appropriations will meet at 1

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> legislation continues to focus energy legislation continues to focus energy and<01:22:32.880><c>
• </c> municipal energy projects. municipal energy projects. and<03:21:10.239><c> Senate</c><03:21:10.640
• Certainly, you know, she has been so valuable to me as chair of Finance and my aide.
• The other people who make me look good as chair of Finance is OBA. Okay.
• The other people who make me look good as chair of Finance is OBA. Okay.

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee regarding Appropriations Health and Welfare Public Health Services, Senate Bill 1429 by Finance
• Senate Bill 1432, by the Finance Committee, an act relating to the appropriation to the Department of
• Senate Bill 1433, by the Finance Committee, an act relating to the appropriation to the Department of
• Senate Bill 1434, by the Finance Committee, an act relating to the appropriation to the Department of
• Senate Bill 1437 by Finance Committee, an Act relating to the appropriation to the Idaho State Police

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the Legislative Finance Committee Analyst for the Department of Information Technology.
• We have Jacob Gable, the Department of Finance and Administration Analyst talking about the Executive
• But what becomes extremely challenging is having the finance and accounting staff to make sure we're
• We have the finance team here and They hit it every single day, fixing, cleaning, finding money that
• to really hone the craft of working you know, the procurement code and finance in the state.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Cyrus Reid on behalf of the Department of Energy.
• There’s no attention nor ability to finance expansion.
• a 40-year term versus a 30-year term. ...for those projects they are financing.
• I know there are school districts that are looking at financing structures for school buildings with
• With 30-year financing, almost a third of that cost is placed on existing ratepayers before a single

Bills: SB863 , SB1190 , SB1261 , SB1413 , SB1624 , SB1662 , SB1663 , SB1855 , SB1967 , SB2124 , SB2204 , SB1623

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs