Transcript Highlights:

• Native American-owned businesses are economic engines, generating $86 billion in sales, shipments, and
• The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool requires a civil engineering plan: first, replace the fractured
• Third, re-engineer the expansion joints for shifting. A 2,000-foot concrete pad...
• foot concrete pad naturally expands and contracts like an accordion in freezing winter weather, and engineers
• It's an engineering problem. It can be solved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But because race and income are deeply intertwined, this system has become a powerful engine of racial
• Framingham State and our sister state universities are equity engines for our students.
• State universities are engines of equity in Massachusetts, and we are so grateful that you understand
• states themselves the instruments of our own diminishing equity, we really will have lost a powerful engine
• and feed the perception that colleges and universities are gatekeepers for privilege rather than engines

Keywords: 995, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• There's an engineer who told me that maybe you get four a year, so I'm not sure if that's true or not
• I asked an engineer recently because of the watch number, the outlier was seven inches.
• I asked an engineer recently because of the watch number, the outlier was seven inches.
• But she wasn't able to talk to hydrologists and engineers that have studied this.
• A couple decades at the very least that no one told us from dishes to change, no experts, no engineers

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 1693 aims to address this by requiring local building departments to allow a licensed architect or engineer
• structure would be a departure from how California regulates other design professions, architects, engineers
• My mom's a civil engineer. Her stamp on something means something.
• My mom's a civil engineer. Her stamp on something means something.
• I'm a retired engineer and currently a student of acupuncture. I strongly oppose this bill.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis, with a focus on health care to agriculture, engineering to education.
• And then there's Nevada, which has the economic engine of Las Vegas generating enormous revenue through
• I have driven a fire truck for, I think in my career, I was probably an engineer for 10 years at least
• I have driven a fire truck for, I think in my career, I was probably an engineer for 10 years at least
• An engineer for 10 years, at least.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:29:13.039><c> File</c><00:29:13.440><c> 50,</c><00:29:13.840><c> State</c><00:29:14.159><c> Engineer
• </c> uh, Senate File 50, State Engineer uh, Senate File 50, State Engineer Surface<00:29:15.039><c> and
• Senate Enrolled Act Number 47, being original Senate File 50, State Engineer Surface and Groundwater
• Senate Enrolled Act Number 47, being original Senate File 50, State Engineer Surface and Groundwater
• </c> Senate Enrolled Act Number 47, being original Senate File 50, State Engineer Surface and Groundwater

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> We have the American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii in support. >> Uh, good afternoon
• Uh, I represent the American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii.
• If the Council of Engineering<00:47:22.480><c> Companies</c><00:47:22.880><c> of</c><00:47:23.040><c>
• Hawaii</c><00:47:23.440><c> gets</c><00:47:23.599><c> its</c> Engineering Companies of Hawaii gets its
• Engineering Companies of Hawaii gets its way,<00:47:24.160><c> developers</c><00:47:24.640><c> will<

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several agriculture-related bills. HB 1602 HD1 drew support from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Ulupono Initiative, and others, with testimony emphasizing the value of a dedicated grant writer who had secured nearly $9 million in federal funds and was pursuing additional grants. Members discussed how much time grant applications take and how the position helps position projects for implementation. The committee then moved on without objection. HB 1832, relating to aquaculture, received support from state agencies and industry groups, with one individual opposed. HB 1707 HD1, relating to agriculture, also drew broad support. A committee question focused on the bill’s definition of “necessary supplies,” and the Hawaii Farm Bureau said the language was broad enough to cover the inputs farmers need, including transportation-related costs, and would help reduce production costs and food prices. HB 2155 HD1, relating to agricultural statistics, prompted testimony in support of better data collection to help Hawaii compete for federal agriculture funding. The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity explained that its role would focus on production, import, and export data, distinct from the scientific data collected by another unit, and said it wanted an electronic system tied to existing manifest and GIS tools to avoid duplicative clipboard-based collection. HB 1831 HD1, relating to agricultural lands, was heard with support and no questions. HB 1650 HD1, relating to environmental assessments, drew opposition from several individuals who argued it would weaken environmental protections and resident input; no action was taken. The committee then heard HB 1652 HD1, relating to storm water management systems. The engineering industry supported clarifying that low-risk green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavement should not be treated like detention or retention ponds subject to fencing and other safety requirements. Opponents, including family members affected by a drowning and other residents, argued the bill would weaken Act 281’s safety protections and increase liability. The Hawaii Farm Bureau questioned whether agricultural water infrastructure should be exempted from the fencing requirements and said the costs would vary by system, but the committee did not take final action during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I also want to recognize state highway engineer James Ballinger, who has been covering essentially
• /c> So, [clears throat] I am joined today by Deputy Secretary Mike Hancock, Deputy State Highway Engineer
• and improvements to AASHTOWare, the information technology system that's used extensively by our engineers
• :10:43.680><c> extensively</c><00:10:44.640><c> by</c><00:10:44.880><c> our</c><00:10:45.120><c> engineers
• </c><00:10:45.519><c> and</c> used extensively by our engineers and used extensively by our engineers

Keywords: 00:03 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:57 Capital Projects and Highway Plan 56:11 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met to hear the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s presentation on the governor’s 2026 capital projects budget and recommended highway plan. Secretary Gray and cabinet staff first thanked KYTC snow and ice crews, local road departments, first responders, utility workers, and others for their work during a major winter storm, then outlined the capital budget request. The cabinet said its facilities are aging, with about 35% at or beyond useful life, and that limited road fund revenues led it to focus mainly on maintenance, maintenance pools, aircraft maintenance, environmental compliance, AASHTOWare upgrades, state park road maintenance, truck parking, and reauthorization of several projects, including airport work and road projects. The cabinet said the governor’s budget includes about $22.8 million in state funds for the capital budget over the biennium, plus carry-forward language for maintenance pools and project reauthorizations to avoid losing federal funds. Members asked about repeated reauthorizations, cost increases, and whether projects should be restarted as new requests after carrying over for multiple budgets. The cabinet responded that budget office policy generally allows only one reauthorization before a project must be resubmitted, and said many delays are due to acquisition or other project issues. Members also questioned the basis for increased-cost line items and the $5 million request for commercial truck parking; cabinet staff said they could provide original project cost details and that many increases are inflationary, while the truck parking project is expected to use federal funds and is a cabinet priority. The committee also discussed the decline in road fund receipts, which the cabinet attributed largely to lower motor fuels tax revenue. The presentation then shifted to the 2026 recommended highway plan. Officials said the plan covers more than 1,300 projects over six years and anticipates about $9.5 billion in federal and state funding. They said the plan is intended to maintain existing assets, advance long-term priority projects, and honor prior commitments, including the Mountain Parkway, the Brent Spence Companion Bridge, and the I-69 Ohio River Crossing. About 40% of plan funds are dedicated to existing pavements, bridges, and guardrails, and officials cited a 61% rise in highway construction costs from 2020 to 2025 as a major challenge. To help offset those pressures, the cabinet is seeking $125 million from the budget reserve trust fund for the Brent Spence Bridge and release of a federal grant condition tied to the already appropriated $150 million for the I-69 crossing. No votes were taken at the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• bringing in this million barrels a day, and these ships that have normally aspirated internal combustion engines
• Speaker: These ships that have normally aspirated internal combustion engines are burning number six
• the... ...walls were necessary, but too often the biggest obstacle is not determining what the engineering
• Like all ports, our port is an economic engine for our community in the broader South San Francisco region
• Like all ports, our port is an economic engine for our community in the broader South San Francisco region

Summary: The committee heard a series of natural resources bills, with several measures accepted on committee amendments and moved forward on party-line or near-unanimous votes. AB 2461 on oil and gas bonding and well-closure financial assurance drew strong support from environmental groups and some legislators, while an industry representative was neutral and warned about unintended consequences and reduced transfers. Senators Laird and Cabaldon supported the bill as a clarification of AB 1167, and the committee voted do pass as amended to Appropriations, with the bill placed on call. The committee also approved a consent calendar of 10 bills, which was moved and held on call. AB 53 by Assemblymember Ramos, as amended, would expand tribal eligibility for conservation grants and loans and express legislative intent to create a process for returning ancestral lands to federally recognized tribes. Tribal and environmental supporters argued the bill recognizes tribal stewardship and helps remove barriers to conservation participation, while county, farm bureau, and habitat league witnesses raised concerns about long-term land management, public accountability, easements, and jurisdiction if lands are transferred. Committee members emphasized the importance of preserving conservation protections and continuing work on the land-return framework; the bill was moved do pass as amended to Appropriations and held on call. AB 2679 on Lake Tahoe corridor safety and access was supported by local officials and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, who described dangerous parking, pedestrian conflicts, and a successful shuttle pilot, and the bill was moved do pass as amended to Appropriations. AB 1666, creating biomass innovation parks and other incentives for non-combustion uses of forest and agricultural biomass, received broad support from business, conservation, and local government witnesses, with senators framing it as a way to address wildfire debris and create rural jobs; it also advanced do pass as amended to Appropriations. AB 2494, which would modernize the demonstration state forest system and elevate biodiversity, recreation, carbon storage, and tribal stewardship over maximum sustained production, drew strong support from environmental and tribal advocates but significant opposition from forest industry, county, and research witnesses who warned it could undermine research, sustainable forestry, and local economies; the author said he would continue negotiations, and the bill was moved do pass to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 2234, which updates the definition of geothermal exploratory projects, and AB 2521, which seeks to use the California Council on Science and Technology for watershed-wide water availability analyses to help identify excess water for groundwater recharge. Both bills had support from sponsors and some stakeholders, while AB 2521 drew concerns from agricultural water interests about agency reliance, public trust considerations, and funding. Both measures were moved do pass as amended to Appropriations. Finally, AB 2410 would extend a CEQA exemption for certain fuels-reduction projects in high fire-risk areas; local government groups supported it as a wildfire-prevention tool, while environmental and other opponents argued the remaining exemption still weakens habitat protections and public review, and one witness sought to remove conventional herbicides from the exemption.

Transcript Highlights:

• 1693 aims to address this by requiring local building departments to allow a licensed architect or engineer
• that…” “The initial question that I hear is that you are not sure that any qualified architects and engineers
• What would happen is you’d have a professional certifier, an architect, or an engineer that is actually
• waiting time is so long, and all the design paper plan is all drawn by certified architects and the engineers
• waiting time is so long, and all the design paper plan is all drawn by certified architects and the engineers

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• lanes throughout the program area, which means there are seven interchanges that we would have to engineer
• . ...throughout the program area, which means there are seven interchanges that we would have to engineer
• beginning of September this year, and then having the federal government issue that entry into engineering
• So I think it's, you know, maybe in the order of a third-ish, but I'm not an engineer, so my math skills
• I'm not an engineer, so my math skills are not that close. But those are the numbers.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• contributes approximately 15% of California's total income tax revenue, proud to be one of the economic engines
• Tremendous story to tell, but not just for art and culture's sake, but because of the economic engines
• Hills, tremendous story to tell, but not just for art and culture's sake, but because of the economic engines
• employment and jobs, and that's the other sort of side of the coin of cultural districts: economic engine
• the second-largest city in San Mateo County, and we would lose over $6.5 million in firefighting engine

Summary: The subcommittee first heard an item on the vehicle license fee backfill for counties, focused largely on San Mateo County and the related excess ERAF calculation. Department of Finance staff said the administration does not propose the requested $119 million backfill, arguing the payment is discretionary and that the existing statutory formula should continue to operate as written. Senators and public witnesses, including Senator Becker and former Senator Jackie Speier, argued the state has a longstanding obligation to local governments and that San Mateo County faces severe service cuts without the funds; they also discussed whether the issue could be solved through local school district boundary changes or other structural fixes. The chair held the item open after testimony. The committee then reviewed Secretary of State budget proposals. The department presented SB 851 implementation funding of $1.1 million General Fund in 2026-27 and $807,000 ongoing for four positions and software to track election-related litigation, update voting system standards, and expand vendor notice requirements. Members asked about election security, the impact of recent federal court decisions, the end of federal HAVA funds in 2027-28, and the staffing and timeline needed to implement the law. The committee also heard a $11.8 million General Fund request for the Cal Access Replacement System, intended to replace the outdated campaign finance and lobbying disclosure platform; staff said the project is on track for a November 2026 go-live with a stabilization period afterward. A separate item sought $9.795 million Business Fees Fund for the Notary Automation Program replacement, with the department explaining delays were due to more planning, a 2025 special election, and the need to secure a contractor, with go-live now projected for 2029. All three items were held open. The Department of Veterans Affairs presented its overall status and then its Yountville skilled nursing facility project. CalVet described progress on veterans homes, home loans, housing programs, and mental health initiatives, while noting higher-acuity needs among older veterans and continued support for underserved groups. For Yountville, the department said the new 240-bed skilled nursing facility is nearing completion and will replace the aging Holderman Hospital building, though some functions will remain in the old building and other campus projects, including roof and steam system work, are still underway. Members also raised concerns about retroactive tax liabilities for employees whose housing fringe benefits had not been reported, and CalVet said it has corrected the reporting, retrained staff, and is working with employees on repayment and lease adjustments. The committee also discussed a proposal to eliminate vacant positions under Control Section 4.12; CalVet said the positions were long vacant and could be given back without harming operations, while the LAO noted the Legislature had not concurred and keeping them would increase General Fund costs. The item was held open. Finally, the California Arts Council gave an informational update on its work and the cultural districts program. The director described the council’s grantmaking, technical assistance, and support for 24 cultural districts statewide, while members emphasized the economic and preservation value of arts funding and urged more investment, including a proposed $50 million General Fund augmentation and a $10 million carve-out for cultural districts. Staff explained that the original cultural district funding was reduced and that the program is currently unfunded and lacks dedicated staff, limiting its ability to expand beyond a small share of applications. Members from different regions noted that many parts of the state still lack cultural district designations and pressed the council to broaden access beyond major urban areas. The item was informational only, with no vote taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if there is an ambiguity, it will drive those conversations between engineers, the state officials
• amendment that I want to thank the gentleman and the parties for agreeing to that will cover traffic engineers
• 00:53:12.480><c> cover</c><00:53:13.320><c> uh,</c><00:53:13.400><c> traffic</c><00:53:13.800><c> engineers
• </c> will uh, cover uh, traffic engineers. will uh, cover uh, traffic engineers.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we see here on the screens is Society of Automotive Engineers, and this is from J3016, driving automation
• It requires a jurisdiction that establishes a crash prevention zone to conduct an engineering and traffic
• violations in the zone and directs net revenue from the use of these cameras to local accounts for engineering
• zone and directs the additional revenue to local accounts established by local jurisdictions for engineering
• It modifies the scope of an engineering and traffic investigation of public roads that must be conducted

Summary: The committee held a work session on autonomous vehicles, beginning with an overview from the Washington State Transportation Commission on the state’s five-year AV work group. The commission described its 2018 legislative mandate, the 35-member executive committee and seven subcommittees, and the resulting 29 recommendations and “roadmap to the future.” The presentation emphasized six policy “building blocks” for Washington: agency readiness, public outreach, equity, safety, testing and pilots, and a path to deployment. It also noted current Washington law requires AV testing companies to self-certify with the Department of Licensing, carry $5 million in liability insurance, report collisions and violations, and notify local law enforcement before testing; three companies are currently certified. State regulators from California and Arizona then outlined their AV frameworks. California described its long-running permit system for testing with and without a safety driver and for commercial deployment, its current rulemaking to expand use cases to heavy-duty trucks and passenger shuttles, and new requirements for mileage, operational assessments, and more detailed crash and incident reporting. California also said it is creating a new enforcement tool allowing citations to be issued to manufacturers for moving violations by AVs. Arizona described its executive-order-based approach, later codified by statute, which allows testing and driverless operations through self-certification, law enforcement interaction plans, quarterly meetings with companies, and reporting of crashes or near misses; Arizona also said it tracks crashes monthly and has not recorded fatalities attributed to AVs. Industry representatives from Waymo, Zoox, and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association argued that AVs can improve safety, accessibility, and mobility while creating jobs. They described extensive sensor systems, community outreach, first-responder engagement, and current operations in multiple cities. Waymo cited more than 127 million rider-only miles and said its data show large reductions in injury-causing and pedestrian crashes; Zoox said it operates in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle and stressed its purpose-built electric robotaxi and local jobs; AVIA said its members have driven more than 145 million autonomous miles and that 26 states now expressly authorize driverless operations. Members asked about public education, crash and fatality tracking, enforcement, weather, school zones, first-responder interactions, and labor impacts. Labor and public-safety witnesses from the Teamsters, firefighters, and driver unions opposed commercial AV deployment without stronger safeguards. They argued Washington should not be an unregulated testing ground, especially for heavy trucks and hazardous materials, and warned of job losses for drivers, taxi and rideshare workers, and related occupations. Firefighters and driver representatives raised concerns about AVs interfering with emergency scenes, blocking responders, and creating risks in dynamic roadway incidents. Committee members also asked for comparisons to human-driven vehicles, data on citations and crashes, and more information on how AVs interact with pedestrians, first responders, and workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• issuing a permit that requires reductions in emissions from motor vehicles, mobile sources, or non-road engines
• issuing a permit that requires reductions in emissions from motor vehicles, mobile sources, or non-road engines
• to include voluntary conditions and permits related to reductions of mobile sources and non-road engine
• Including voluntary limits on emissions from mobile sources and non-road engines in the permit for a
• way, really pretty interesting because I read a study that said if you shut down every combustion engine

Summary: The committee took up several energy, transportation, and land-use bills. HB 2428, dealing with county and ADEQ authority to issue voluntary permits certifying emission reduction credits for mobile and non-road sources, received neutral testimony from ADEQ and support from Maricopa County; the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed the bill 10-0 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2145, which expands who may request certain gasoline fuel reformulation actions and is contingent on EPA approval, also passed on a 5-4 vote after brief staff explanation and no amendment. The committee then considered HB 2331, a strike-everything amendment requiring electric utilities to ensure 85% of generating capacity serving retail load comes from “reliable resources” by 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor and Arizona Free Enterprise Club, argued it would protect affordability and grid reliability by favoring dispatchable power; opponents, including the Sierra Club and Rural Arizona Action, said it would effectively favor fossil fuels, raise costs, and limit cleaner resources. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 6-4. HB 2795, which would bar counties from using zoning to block small modular reactors once federal permitting conditions are met, drew strong support from the sponsor and industry advocates who framed it as pro-property-rights and pro-nuclear, and opposition from county, city, and environmental groups who raised preemption, local control, safety, waste, and siting concerns; it passed 6-4. The committee also passed HB 2340, which allows the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to evaluate proposed generating facilities along with transmission lines, on a 5-4 vote. HB 2400, an emergency measure to suspend the motor vehicle fuel tax in Areas A and C during part of the year and replace the lost revenue through state highway funding, drew opposition from cities and counties over transportation funding impacts but support from the sponsor and some members focused on gas affordability; the Griffin amendment was adopted and the bill passed 6-4. Finally, HB 2401 was introduced as a requirement for ADEQ to conduct a biennial review of available fuel formulations and their air-quality impacts in Areas A and C, but the transcript ends before testimony or action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> If we need to call any of these engineers, let us know. >> Okay. >> We don't want the money spent
• that the money will spend down in a compliant fashion on time. >> If we need to call any of these engineers
• ><c> these</c> &gt;&gt; If we need to call any of these &gt;&gt; If we need to call any of these engineers
• </c> engineers, let us know. engineers, let us know. &gt;&gt; Okay. &gt;&gt; Okay. &gt;&gt; Okay.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 10:30 A.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The department has been working getting all the engineering done, and when they did get ready to go and
• And so now they have all of the engineering work done and no money to do the work because they let it
• And so now they have all of the uh engineering<00:22:41.039><c> work</c><00:22:41.280><c> done</c><00
• 22:41.679><c> no</c><00:22:41.919><c> money</c><00:22:42.080><c> to</c><00:22:42.240><c> do</c> engineering
• work done and no money to do engineering work done and no money to do the<00:22:42.559><c> work</c><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had contracts with engineering firms to be able to complete preliminary engineering reports or
• We are looking at by year's end to have 24 preliminary engineering reports completed on their behalf,
• Maybe you know, to help with the engineering to help with the hydrology of this irrigation canal that
• college and they're still going to need to, you know, we're competing with folks Who want to be engineers

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you'll hear from this department and the state engineer, as well as the governor's office, that
• So we've talked to State Engineering. We've talked to the Department of Transportation.
• time we did, and we immediately, at their request, engaged with Them along with the Office of State Engineer
• We recently held a workshop With Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Los Alamos County, Office of State Engineer
• The permitting for the well drilling itself is done through the Office of State Engineer, and that includes

Transcript Highlights:

• And if we can engineer that into a screw worm and then use a technique called gene drive where you essentially
• you, you find out the, the level of construction and how things were done from the architect and engineer
• It was my understanding they were going to start meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers immediately
• Um, I was under the impression that they'd already sent the planning, uh, folks from the USDA, engineers
• But that new facility was, was built, uh, under the supervision of the Army Corps of Engineers and it