Transcript Highlights:

• I am a certified midwife and the legislative contact for ACNM. Thank you.
• uh legislative um previous existing<00:10:47.920> legislative<00:10:49.279> statutes<00
• :10:50.560> where<00:10:51.200> it existing legislative statutes where it existing legislative
• and the legislative contact for ACNM.
• We urge you to support this legislation.

Bills: SB2936, SB2850, SB2851, SB2521

Keywords: accessible parking, disability, kupuna, public accommodations, small business exemptions, Hawaii Revised Statutes, parking permit, blind, deaf, accessibility, deafness, traffic safety, law enforcement, vehicle registration, communication, emergency services, commercial driver's license, first responders, public safety, authorized emergency vehicle

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 1871, establishing a maternal health monitoring pilot program, drew support from the Department of Health, the Hawaii State Commission on Status of Women, and the Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives, with testimony urging provider-neutral language so midwives and other qualified providers would not be excluded. HB 1977, requiring a maternal and infant health information mobile app, received support from ACNM and Philips, which said similar apps in other states improved awareness of services and helped families navigate care; a member asked the Department of Health about implementation time. HB 1858, relating to certificates of fetal deaths, was supported by the Department of Health and clinicians, who said the current statute is outdated and inconsistent with CDC guidance; the department and a physician testified that the bill should shift documentation responsibilities to physicians and APRNs, and members discussed optional versus mandatory issuance language and whether the bill would improve data on home births and transfers. The committee also heard HB 1591, expanding definitions for preceptor and volunteer-based clinical training to improve income tax credits. The Department of Health supported the measure but preferred a similar, broader bill; Taxation suggested clarifying terms; the University of Hawaii and the State Center for Nursing supported it. ACNM asked that midwifery preceptors and Hawaii-based students enrolled in mainland programs be included, while the Hawaii Public Health Institute supported expansion of the program as a workforce solution. HB 1574, on the health care education loan repayment program, also drew broad support, including from the governor, SHPDA, OHA, and health organizations, but ACNM raised concerns that the bill’s 30% Medicaid-client threshold could exclude many providers and limit participation. For HB 1575, creating a feasibility committee on Parkinson’s patient air transport, the Department of Health supported the intent but said transportation is more likely an insurance or benefit issue and suggested redirecting funds to Parkinson’s research; the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Hawaii Parkinson Association supported the bill, citing inter-island travel barriers and high costs for patients and caregivers. HB 1854, establishing certification of community behavioral health clinics, was supported by the Department of Health and DHS, which said certification would help clinics qualify for enhanced Medicaid reimbursement and expand access; the Attorney General’s office raised a legal concern about the special fund language and recommended a purpose section, and the committee discussed whether the fund would be self-sustaining and noted a possible amendment to change membership language and reduce the board size if the amendment moved forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• , maybe something about lead pipe legislation and drinking water legislation.
• Why don't we put in legislation?
• Why don't we put in legislation?
• Why don't we put in legislation?
• Go to your state legislator.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, there was federal legislation Last year, there was federal legislation HF1<00:02:33.680
• Very fine piece of legislation.
• Very fine piece of legislation. Um, >> Yes. Very fine piece of legislation.
• And even frankly, legislators, we must face it that it's under our dome with legislators committed, uh
• and the taxpayer must also cooperate and the taxpayer must also cooperate fully<01:30:18.720>

Bills: HF4234, HF3697, HF1183, HF4738

Keywords: HF4234, Minnesota private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, bond cap, aggregate bond limitation, residential rental projects, multifamily housing, affordable housing finance, housing bonds, public finance, bond allocation, private activity bond cap, Minnesota Statutes 474A.02, tax committee, tax refund, Minnesota Statutes, time limit, claims, tax overpayment, taxation

Summary: The committee first adopted the April 14, 2026 minutes as amended, correcting a misspelling in the reference to Chair Davids. It then heard House File 4234, a tax-exempt bonding/affordable housing bill from Representative Rey Rower, and adopted a technical A1 amendment before laying the bill over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill. The bill would conform Minnesota law to recent federal changes to low-income housing tax credit rules by lowering the amount of tax-exempt bonds needed for projects to qualify, with the stated goal of spreading bond allocations across more projects and increasing affordable housing production without additional state funds. Testimony in support came from the bill author, the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, and Mary Tingerthal, who said the change would increase efficiency in the use of federal bond authority and could raise the number of funded housing projects from about 16 to 25 per year, bringing in roughly $120 million more annually for housing. Members discussed where the benefits would be felt statewide, including greater Minnesota and larger metro areas, and the author said the bill would help address shortages in affordable and senior housing. The committee took no final vote on the bill, instead laying it over. The committee next heard House File 3697 from Vice Chair Norris, which would change Minnesota’s tax refund claim timelines to better align with federal law and most other states. The author and a tax attorney testifier said the bill would reduce confusion and help taxpayers, especially vulnerable individuals who may overpay or be overassessed and then miss the current deadline to seek refunds. The Department of Revenue said it had no concerns with the language and did not oppose the bill, and the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill. Finally, the committee began hearing House File 4738 from Representative Keeler, a Safe Harbor funding proposal for victims of sex trafficking and sexually exploited youth. The author described Safe Harbor as a statewide program serving youth across Minnesota and said the committee should consider creative funding options, but Chair Davids stated the proposed funding source would not work because it would take money from women’s sports scholarships. Testifiers from Lake House in Duluth and a former Safe Harbor youth described the program’s impact on homeless and trafficked youth, including shelter, mental health services, education, and transition to adulthood. The hearing continued with testimony, but no action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• As House Bill 2 works its way through the legislative process.
• Um, Biden era legislation.
• Some action that you all took during the recent legislative session that.
• I think Representative Lente actually carried the legislation 2 sessions ago.
• Uh, as a state legislator, we probably wouldn't know that.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of this committee may need from time to time to step away for other legislative duties, including
• Again, I greatly appreciate the cooperation of the committee and our visitors in preserving order and
• County, and it would hopefully uncover some best practices that we could then address maybe through legislative
• This bill could put more teeth to it, more weight to it if there's a legislative requirement that they
• Kevin, we have you registered as Kevin Hale, legislative coordinator for the Libertarian Party of Texas

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislators are joining us right now, so we're going to kick off with them to talk about special education
• We also want to ensure that in addition to hearing from the legislators who are here and living this
• hallway; it's a life-changing service, and we heard that earlier today. ...today from both of our legislators
• therapist, I am grateful. ...for the long history of support for literacy and education from this legislative
• It was with the help of advocates like Robbie Cooper and Decoding Dyslexia, along with many others, that

Keywords: special education, funding gap, dyslexia, House Bill 2, Senate Bill 568, House Bill 3928, disability penalty

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on special education funding, with significant discussions around House Bill 2 (HB2), Senate Bill 568 (SB568), and House Bill 3928 (HB3928). Key speakers advocated for increased funding to close the estimated $1.7 billion annual gap that affects special education in Texas public schools. Several witnesses, including educators and students affected by dyslexia, provided personal testimonies about the impact of insufficient funding and the disability penalty, which penalizes schools financially for identifying students needing special education services. The committee demonstrated a strong commitment to advocate for changes that would improve special education resources and training for teachers, thereby ensuring that all Texas children receive the educational support they need to thrive.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:02:46.879> local as legislators can't control local as legislators can't control local property
• To provide championing this legislation.
• c> state legislators representing both state legislators representing both parties<00:13:01.760> serve
• I'm the legislative director at the Department of Revenue.
• :07:33.440> Minnesota must cooperate with the Minnesota must cooperate with the Minnesota Alcohol

Bills: HF4119, HF3959, HF3792, HF3913, HF3752

Keywords: property tax, renter credits, co-pay, housing affordability, tax relief, homestead, tax refund, Minnesota, tax increase, financial relief, homeowners, AmeriCorps, taxation, individual income tax, living allowances, stipends, national service, tax compliance, revenue, analytics

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Cooper. Here. Senator Jones. Yes. Senator Nethercott. Excused. Senator Rothfuss. Here.
• Yes, Representative Representative Representative Representative Cooper. Cooper. Cooper.
• All right, Senator Cooper. Child care as an economic driver. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Senator Cooper said that, of course, the committee should listen to what the JAC had to say, but ultimately

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The joint Minerals Committee met to select interim topics and announced its meeting dates for April 27-28 in Casper, June 4-5 in Casper, and August 27-28 in Cheyenne. Members heard public testimony on several economic development and minerals-related topics and were asked to identify their top priorities for later ranking and consensus. No formal votes were taken during this portion of the meeting. A major topic was removing obstacles to energy development in Wyoming, including possible regulatory, bonding, and permitting barriers. Testimony from the Mining Association and Energy Capital Economic Development supported revisiting barriers to development, similar to the earlier Regulatory Reduction Task Force. Another related topic was industrial siting exemptions on coal mine property, with testimony arguing that mineral-related projects such as rare earths, uranium conversion, and ferroalloys should not have to go through the full industrial siting process when communities have already dealt with similar development. Members also discussed industrial siting bonding requirements, including whether bonding or advance payments should be used to cover impacts on local services and emergency response, especially for projects like solar farms or battery storage. The committee also discussed coal bed methane industrial sovereign zones, tied to House Bill 120, with testimony seeking to include coal bed methane in value-added manufacturing zones. The sponsor said the goal was to create industrial zones that support economic development while protecting scenic values and limiting industrial sprawl. Another topic was sourcing curling stones in Wyoming, which was presented as a lighthearted but potentially useful way to promote Wyoming stone and broader dimension-stone quarrying; a state geologist testified that Wyoming has granite with similar mineralogy to stone used for curling stones elsewhere. Child care as an economic driver was withdrawn. The committee also heard support for a Business Council restructure review, though several members said the Minerals Committee should do the substantive review because the Business Council falls within its jurisdiction, while still coordinating with Appropriations. Finally, the committee heard a proposal for a domestic preference in residential general service contracts, extending Wyoming preference concepts beyond construction into goods and services, with testimony emphasizing local economic multipliers and possible exceptions for federal funding or other procurement limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the READ Act, you will see a change from Regional Literacy Network to Minnesota Service Cooperative
• Network to Minnesota service Cooperative Network to Minnesota service Cooperative that<00:20:04.799
• Senator Abeler said he would be happy to work on bipartisan legislation next session during a policy
• next session during a policy legislation next session during a policy year year year um<00:37:13.359
• um from tier one to tier two legislation um from tier one to tier two legislation two<00:59:03.720

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We seek to protect the rights of all who participate in the legislative process so that we can have effective
• This bill is also a priority of the California Legislative Black Caucus.
• My name is Kara Cooper, and I support SB 68. Dine allergy safe. My name is Zer...
• Making sure that our businesses can comply is very important as we bring new legislation forward.
• Making sure that our businesses can comply is very important as we bring new legislation forward.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related measures. SB 27 by Senator Umberg would revise and expand California’s CARE Court by limiting the expansion to people with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, clarifying the definition of “clinically stabilized,” and narrowing the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Supporters, including behavioral health officials and family members, said the bill would reduce dismissals and better serve people with severe illness; opponents warned the expansion would strain county staffing and housing resources and could undermine voluntary engagement. The bill passed on a do pass motion to the Committee on Public Safety. SB 503 by Senator Weber Pierson would require AI tools used in health care facilities to be identified, monitored, and mitigated for bias when used in clinical decision-making or resource allocation. The author and supporters from Kaiser Permanente and the California Medical Association said the bill would help prevent discriminatory outcomes and improve trust and safety. The committee discussed the need to clarify developer and deployer responsibilities, and the bill passed as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. SB 68 by Senator Menjivar would require restaurants to provide written allergen information for the top nine food allergens, with tiered flexibility for smaller establishments. The bill was supported by patients, families, nurses, and allergy organizations, who described severe reactions and the difficulty of relying on verbal disclosures alone. The California Restaurant Association opposed unless amended, seeking broader use of the national model food code and additional liability language. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 403 by Senator Blakespear, which would remove the sunset from the End of Life Option Act; supporters described the law as a compassionate, well-functioning option for terminally ill patients, while faith-based groups opposed it. The bill passed to Judiciary. Later, SB 41 by Senator Wiener was introduced to rein in pharmacy benefit manager practices that steer patients to mail-order pharmacies and reimburse community pharmacies below cost; community pharmacists and several health organizations testified in support, describing pharmacy closures and patient access problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate amendment requires a director subject to legislative appropriation or award of a federal grant
• Representative Cooper introduced this bill with the idea that increased supervised driving time, versus

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No. relating to international cooperation agreements between certain state agencies and the United Mexican
• Texas to conduct gaming on certain lands under state law. to state affairs. designate subjects for legislation

Bills: SJR36, SJR3, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB5, SJR52, SJR53, SJR54, SJR55, SCR18, SCR19, SCR22, SB27, SB29, SB35, SB1151, SB1152, SB1153, SB1154, SB1155, SB1156, SB1157, SB1158, SB1159, SB1160, SB1161, SB1162, SB1163, SB1164, SB1165, SB1166, SB1167, SB1168, SB1169, SB1170, SB1171, SB1172, SB1173, SB1174, SB1175, SB1176, SB1177, SB1178, SB1179, SB1180, SB1181, SB1182, SB1183, SB1184, SB1185, SB1186, SB1187, SB1188, SB1189, SB1190, SB1191, SB1192, SB1193, SB1194, SB1195, SB1196, SB1197, SB1198, SB1199, SB1200, SB1201, SB1202, SB1203, SB1204, SB1205, SB1206, SB1207, SB1208, SB1209, SB1210, SB1211, SB1212, SB1213, SB1214, SB1215, SB1216, SB1217, SB1218, SB1219, SB1220, SB1221, SB1222, SB1223, SB1224, SB1225, SB1226, SB1227, SB1228, SB1229, SB1230, SB1231, SB1232, SB1233, SB1234, SB1235, SB1236, SB1237, SB1238, SB1239, SB1240, SB1241, SB1242, SB1243, SB1244, SB1245, SB1246, SB1247, SB1248, SB1249, SB1250, SB1251, SB1252, SB1253, SB1254, SB1255, SB1256, SB1257, SB1258, SB1259, SB1260, SB1261, SB1262, SB1263, SB1264, SB1265, SB1266, SB1267, SB1268, SB1269, SB1270, SB1271, SB1272, SB1273, SB1274, SB1275, SB1276, SB1277, SB1278, SB1279, SB1280, SB1281, SB1282, SB1283, SB1284, SB1285, SB1286, SB1287, SB1288, SB1289, SB1290, SB1291, SB1292, SB1293, SB1294, SB1295, SB1296, SB1297, SB1298, SB1299, SB1300, SB1301, SB1302, SB1303, SB1304, SB1305, SB1306, SB1307, SB1308, SB1309, SB1310, SB1311, SB1312, SB1313, SB1314, SB1315, SB1316, SB1317, SB1318, SB1319, SB1320, SB1321, SB1322, SB1323, SB1324, SB1325, SB1326, SB1327, SB1328, SB1329, SB1330, SB1331, SB1332, SB1333, SB1334, SB1335, SB1336, SB1337, SB1338, SB1339, SB1340, SB1341, SB1342, SB1343, SB1344, SB1345, SB1621, SJR57

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement, enforcement suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:39.679> on the goals behind the legislation on the goals behind the legislation on
• Are we ready, or are we still waiting for the technology to cooperate? Jacob calling.
• Are we ready, or are we still waiting for the technology to cooperate?
• Are we ready, or are we still waiting for the technology to cooperate? Both on and off sale, Mr.
• Um, are we ready, or are we still waiting for the technology to cooperate? Jacob calling.

Bills: HF1234, HF1956, HF1025, HF1172, HF791

Keywords: payment transparency, public contracts, contractor rights, government accountability, construction payments, municipal finance, liquor store, audit requirements, state auditor, local government, historic flag, state flag, display standards, ceremonial, Minnesota Statutes, Ursa Minor, state symbol, Minnesota state laws, constellation, official state designation

Transcript Highlights:

• has been considerable work going back and forth, and I am absolutely amazed at the speed and the cooperation
• has been considerable work going back and forth, and I am absolutely amazed at the speed and the cooperation

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I do think the first part of this legislation is very appropriate, that if a permit is sitting
• I think this legislation takes the right step. I believe it'll help a lot.
• Ryan: The impact on rates, your cost of money with this legislation or with this legislation?
• This is credit positive legislation, which is helpful in the scenario that we're in and that we're blessed
• The more debt I take on, the worse my credit rating becomes, so credit positive legislation helps to

Bills: HB1237, HB2663, HB3071, HB4384

Keywords: occupational licenses, renewal, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, registration, license expiration, HB 2663, inactive well, plugging extension, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, oil and gas, orphan wells, well cleanup, well plugging, abandoned wells, surface equipment removal, electric service termination, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, Section 89.029

Transcript Highlights:

• A key part of our work is supporting women entrepreneurs to come together through a cooperative model
• to come together through cooperative to come together through cooperative model model model to<00
• <01:16:07.000> report seen the legislative auditor's report seen the legislative auditor's
• legislator in in just one term. legislator in in just one term.
• You have been terrific, and you've done so much great legislating even in your first term as well.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have really great small telcos, rural electric cooperatives, cable providers across the state that
• We have really great small telcos, rural electric cooperatives, cable providers across the state that
• We have really great small telcos, rural electric cooperatives, cable providers across the state that
• We have really great small telcos, rural electric cooperatives, cable providers across the state that
• We have really great small telcos, rural electric cooperatives, cable providers across the state that

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a cooperative educational program training those health science innovators that help feed the
• This is a cooperative educational program training those health science innovators that help feed the
• This is a cooperative educational program training those health science innovators that help feed the
• This is a cooperative educational program training those health science innovators that help feed the
• This is a cooperative educational program training those health science innovators that help feed the

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee met and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The chair noted that agency overviews from the Office of Higher Education and other state agencies were not available, so the committee proceeded with University of Minnesota presentations instead. The committee also reviewed posted committee rules. University of Minnesota representatives gave an overview of the university’s research enterprise, describing it as a system of five campuses with a possible expansion to St. Cloud, and highlighting research strengths across campuses in agriculture, energy, natural resources, health, and the Twin Cities flagship campus. They said the university has more than $1.3 billion in annual research expenditures, receives most of its research funding from federal sources, and is ranked highly for both overall research and interdisciplinary research. Examples discussed included the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Forever Green initiative, and research tied to sustainable crops, health, and commercialization. Members asked questions about specific research areas, including biodegradable or renewable plastics, wheat research, food dyes, health and environmental toxins, and the market for winter camelina and winter pennycress. University staff said they could follow up with more detailed information and explained that the winter crop work is intended to become market-driven over time, while also improving soil health and creating new revenue streams for farmers. They also clarified that the university’s federal research funding includes money from NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and other agencies, and that the “other” funding category includes foundations, subawards, and internal university seed funding. The committee then heard a second University of Minnesota presentation focused on partnerships, commercialization, and workforce development. Testimony highlighted collaborations with industry and government partners such as U.S. Steel, 3M, Medtronic, Cisco, and defense-related industry leaders, as well as programs supporting microelectronics, AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable aviation fuels. No formal votes were taken beyond approving the minutes, and the committee ended the segment by moving on to the next testifier.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:03.199> we<00:16:04.160> uh particular piece of legislation we uh particular
• And so that's why we haven't asked for general shepherding in this legislation.
• And so that's why we haven't asked for general shepherding in this legislation.
• It's always good to hear both sides of the legislation to weigh the pros and the cons.
• <01:02:55.200> to sides of uh of the the legislation to sides of uh of the the legislation

Bills: SF0050, SF0084, HB0133, HB0116, HB0011, HB0044

Keywords: groundwater, water resource management, state engineer, aquifer study, corrective controls, monitoring wells, public reporting, water conservation, Colorado River, drought, irrigation, water rights, voluntary program, interstate agreements, conservation districts, supervisors, elections, agriculture, local governance, beneficial use

Transcript Highlights:

• Hampshire in crafting this legislation Hampshire in crafting this legislation and<00:14:46.639><
• Um, these stakeholders include current and previous legislators from the House and Senate, some of whom
• Massage businesses established pursuant to House Bill 405 in the last legislative session, which was
• So, I just want to highlight that one of the pieces I think is very valuable of this legislation is,
• So, um, I just want to highlight that one of the pieces I think is very valuable of this legislation

Keywords: 1191, senate, all