Transcript Highlights:

• Appointments by the President: I'm appointing Senator Kavanagh to the Committee on Finance, temporarily replacing
• I'm appointing Senator Ortiz to the Committee on Natural Resources to temporarily replace Senator Hatathlie
• I'm appointing Senator Sears to the Committee on Natural Resources to temporarily replace Senator Gabaldon
• HB 2389, replace the new certificates and environmental compatibility. Natural Resources.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But when voters entered the booth, all of that nuance disappeared and it was really replaced by a very
• and<00:04:36.720> it<00:04:36.960> was<00:04:37.040> really<00:04:37.440> replaced
• <00:04:37.919> by<00:04:38.160> a<00:04:38.400> very and it was really replaced
• by a very and it was really replaced by a very lengthy,<00:04:39.600> complicated<00:04:40.479

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It replaces that with Mississippi Business Alliance, and it changes the number.
• c><00:09:00.640> it cleanup language and it it will it cleanup language and it it will it replaces
• <00:09:01.360> with<00:09:01.519> Mississippi<00:09:02.000> Business replaces with
• Mississippi Business replaces with Mississippi Business Alliance<00:09:03.040> and<00:09:03.279

Keywords: Environment Prot, Cons and Water Res - Room 210, 2 February, 2026; 3:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee first organized by electing Senator McClendon as secretary and adopting the chairman’s rules, with reconsideration motions allowed to be disposed of the same day they are entered. A quorum was confirmed present. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2418, which would prohibit geoengineering in the state by defining it as the intentional injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or other substances into the atmosphere to affect temperature or sunlight. The bill sponsor said it was intended to safeguard public health and noted he had received constituent concerns and photographs of alleged chemtrails. Senators raised questions and proposed amendments, including one to exempt research by IHL centers and another to clarify that ordinary agricultural pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide use would not be affected. The committee adopted the research amendment and rejected the agriculture amendment, then reported the bill out as amended. The committee next considered several Department of Environmental Quality bills. Senate Bill 2414 made cleanup changes to an advisory council by replacing a reference to the Mississippi Manufacturers Association with the Mississippi Business Alliance and adjusting the number of industry representatives; it was passed and reported. Senate Bill 2415 revised DEQ public hearing procedures to allow hearings in Hinds County, in the county or municipality where a permit is sought, or online, and removed a $10 water well permit fee; the committee adopted the committee substitute and reported the bill. Senate Bill 2760 removed a specific office reference in DEQ law to give the agency more flexibility in assigning staff and programs, and it was reported without opposition. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2761, described by DEQ as a modernization of the state’s lead-based paint program to align it with current and future federal law, similar to changes made last year for the asbestos program. That bill was reported out. The last measure, Senate Bill 2252, would authorize DEQ to consider permitting a commercial hazardous waste injection facility; the sponsor said the bill would only allow DEQ to evaluate and potentially permit such a facility, not require one, and that the agency remained neutral. After adopting a committee substitute, the committee voted to report the bill, and the meeting ended with a motion to rise and report.

Transcript Highlights:

• those And so once that is funded, then we begin working on doing those transactions and then buying replacement
• The entire point of this is to make sure that we're keeping the trust whole, and again, buying replacement
• good, good for us, good for the tribe, good for the environment, and again, we'll be able to buy replacement
• It's about $300 million worth of local revenue that we're going to have to figure out how to replace.

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session with an update from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Commissioner Dave Upthe Grove outlined DNR’s size and scope, previewed agency-request legislation, and emphasized budget priorities. He said DNR will seek authority to sell ecosystem service credits, better use underutilized water rights with tribal consultation, add a tribal representative to the State Board of Natural Resources, make minor timber-sales efficiencies, and include wildland firefighters in the LEOFF pension system. He also urged restoration of wildfire prevention and preparedness funding, warning that reduced funding would mean fewer firefighters, less forest health work, and less support for rural fire districts. He noted DNR’s wildfire suppression costs are rising and argued prevention spending can reduce larger, more expensive fires. State Forester George Geisler followed with a detailed wildfire season review. He said Washington now responds to fires year-round and also assists other states, including Texas. He described DNR’s use of 31 aircraft, 691 firefighters, and corrections-based crews, and said the agency’s success rate for keeping fires under 10 acres improved slightly from 93.7% to 94.1%. He highlighted increased arson activity, especially around Spokane, and described the Crescent Road Fire as an example of early detection, rapid response, and the use of bulldozers, aircraft, and hand crews to contain a fire to 182 acres with no structure losses. Senator Saldan praised the emphasis on prevention and the use of bulldozers as cost-effective tools. Assistant deputy supervisor Dwayne Emmons then reviewed the trust land transfer program, which was codified in statute in 2023 after being funded through the capital budget for decades. He said more than 130,000 acres of underperforming trust land have been transferred since the 1990s to other public or tribal entities for more appropriate use, while DNR acquires replacement lands to keep the trust whole. He described the current application and ranking process, including tribal input, and said DNR is requesting funding for remaining parcels from the last round, including portions of Tract C, Babcock Bench, and Middle Fork Snoqualmie. In questions, Senator Wagoner raised concerns about DNR’s decision to remove some acres from timber harvest rotation and its impact on local revenue and mills; the commissioner responded that current five-year harvest plans provide short-term stability and that any changes would be explored through the Board of Natural Resources process, not through immediate reductions in supply. The committee then received a history briefing from staff member Jeff Olson on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and agency structure. He traced the evolution from early fish and game commissioners to the current commission-appointed director model adopted by voter-approved Referendum 45 in 1995. Olson explained the commission’s statutory duties, membership requirements, and how Washington compares with other states. Chair Chapman said he had no plans to hear a bill this session changing the commission’s makeup, but he expressed personal interest in exploring reforms, accountability, and possibly a future broader coalition or referendum process. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only, and the chair adjourned the session with holiday and New Year’s wishes.

Transcript Highlights:

• crucial help by ensuring that manufactured homeowners will at least have the option of choosing replacement
• Replacement cost coverage gives survivors a real path to recovery and financial stability.
• process of filing claims with insurance companies that are trying to reconstruct their homes and replace
• process of filing claims with insurance companies that are trying to reconstruct their homes and replace

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to hear several bills related to insurance coverage, wildfire risk, workers’ compensation, and paid family leave. SB 8 by Senator Ashby would extend workers’ compensation and disability protections to Sacramento County park rangers, with testimony emphasizing that they perform law-enforcement-like duties and should receive the same protections as comparable officers. SB 429 by Senator Cortese would create a public wildfire catastrophe model and related wildfire safety program, with support from the Department of Insurance and consumer advocates who said public access to modeling data would improve transparency and help evaluate private insurance risk models. The committee also heard SB 525 by Senator Jones, which would require the FAIR Plan to offer coverage options for manufactured and mobile home owners, including replacement cost coverage. Supporters said the bill would help lower-income residents obtain meaningful insurance protection, while no opposition testified. SB 495 by Senator Allen, as amended, would require insurers to provide a larger contents-coverage advance after a total loss during a declared emergency without requiring an immediate itemized inventory, extend proof-of-loss deadlines, and require insurers to provide catastrophe modeling and reinsurance data to the Department of Insurance. Several insurers withdrew opposition after amendments, and the Department of Insurance and United Policyholders supported the measure. SB 590 by Senator Durazo would expand paid family leave to cover care for designated persons or chosen family members, with strong support from AARP, labor, civil rights, caregiving, and health organizations, and testimony from a parent describing the need to care for a non-legal family member during surgery recovery. The committee also took up consent items SB 230 and SB 854. After roll calls, SB 8, SB 429, SB 495, SB 525, and SB 590 all received do-pass votes, with SB 429 sent to the Committee on Emergency Management, SB 495 to Judiciary, and SB 525 and SB 590 to Appropriations. The consent calendar bills were also approved, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• does is ensure that, as we look at this in the summer, they have the lifeline of a partial wage replacement
• > wage they have the lifeline of a partial wage they have the lifeline of a partial wage replacement
• 19.920> get<00:13:20.079> them<00:13:20.560> through<00:13:21.040> the replacement
• to get them through the replacement to get them through the year,<00:13:21.920> having<00:13:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Brodeur: THIS DELETE ALL AMENDMENT DELETES EVERYTHING AND REPLACES IT WITH NOTHING, GET US READY FOR
• THIS IS AN AMENDMENT BY WHICH WE REMOVE ALL THE LANGUAGE AND REPLACE IT WITH NOTHING. >> Chair Hooper
• THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE TAKE EVERYTHING OUT AND WE REPLACE IT WITH NOTHING SO THAT IS WHAT THIS
• WON'T SPEAK FOR PRIOR LEGISLATORS BUT ATTRACTING THE BIG FISH MANUFACTURER TO BUILD HERE HAS BEEN REPLACED

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provide funds to rural rail transportation districts for short-line railroads for track or bridge replacement
• And to replace the disappearing value in employment that the mines and the plant had provided for decades
• Texas needs one to participate in competitive federal grant programs for track and bridge replacement
• Some of these bridges that we've had to replace are over 100 years old.

Bills: SB 682, SB 1013, SB 1369, SB 1422, SB 2001, SB 2080, SB 2366, SB 2705, SB 2841

Keywords: memorial highway, Captain Kevin Williams, Firefighter Austin Cheek, Smith County, transportation, pedestrian right-of-way, sidewalk users, bicycle safety, micromobility, electric scooter, motor-assisted scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, skateboard, roller skates, driveway crossing, alley crossing, traffic safety, yield law, Texas Transportation Code, vehicle-pedestrian collision

Summary: The meeting of the committee focused on several bills aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency of Texas transportation and port authorities. Key discussions included the implications of SB2080, which seeks to streamline operations for navigation districts by raising procurement authority, exempting security discussions from recording requirements, and aligning Texas ports with national standards to foster economic growth. Senator Alvarado advocated fervently for the bill, emphasizing its positive impact on competitiveness with ports in states like Virginia and New Jersey. Public testimony reflected mixed responses, with strong support from industry representatives but opposition from some municipal authorities concerned about the potential overreach of port authorities into local development.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we have a provision that allows replacing of statues in Statuary Hall and Congress.
• Uh we have a provision that allows<00:09:48.160> replacing<00:09:48.800> of<00:09:49.200
• > statu<00:09:50.000> statues<00:09:50.480> in allows replacing of statu statues
• in allows replacing of statu statues in statuary<00:09:51.279> hall<00:09:51.680> and<

Bills: HF2783

Keywords: state government finance, biennial budget, appropriations, Minnesota Management and Budget, Healthy Aging Subcabinet, Office of Healthy Aging, older adults, aging policy, long-term care, caregivers, public health, Medicaid fraud, medical assistance fraud, attorney general subpoena power, fraud enforcement, business filing fraud, Secretary of State, deceptive mailings, consumer protection, certified public accountant

Transcript Highlights:

• And the substitutes they're already getting; this just replaces the family leave under the catastrophic
• So, it replaces that. Um... ...leave, so it replaces that.
• This would replace that.

Bills: HB61, HB327, HB253, HB297

Keywords: home school, career and technical education, public schools, K-12 education, enrollment policy, parental leave, state employees, adoption, employee benefits, aircraft tax, aviation tax, sales tax exemption, use tax exemption, lease tax, rental tax, commercial aircraft, air carrier, airline, aircraft parts, maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislation to eliminate the STAR test and replace it with effective tools to assess students' progress
• reducing state required accountability exams to the minimum required by federal federal law and replacing
• HB 152 by money relating to a study of alternative methods of taxation to replace revenue loss to political

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, Chair Leeling at the time had described they replaced the words medically necessary care and just
• :04:14.920> had<00:04:15.400> described<00:04:16.400> they<00:04:16.639> replaced
• <00:04:17.639> the The time had described they replaced the words medically necessary care

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It was an emergency replacement that was built in 1994 when an old wooden bridge collapsed.
• <00:09:48.000> that<00:09:48.120> was It was an emergency replacement that was It was
• an emergency replacement that was built<00:09:48.640> in<00:09:48.800> 1994<00:09:49.960
• <00:10:59.440> bridge<00:10:59.880> that with a two-lane replacement bridge that with
• a two-lane replacement bridge that resolves<00:11:00.600> these<00:11:00.880> isolation

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 31 and heard a series of resolutions focused on roadway safety, transportation access, and infrastructure coordination. Early measures included HCR 104/HR 96 on advancing coastal trails on O‘ahu’s North Shore and HCR 63/HR 57 on clarifying responsibility for Honouliuli Bridge and addressing safety, wildfire, and emergency access concerns. The Department of Transportation supported both, and a resident testified that the Honouliuli bridge is a single-lane emergency replacement on state land that has limited access for fire protection, heavy vehicles, permits, and repairs. DOT said it was working with DLNR and that jurisdiction may ultimately lie with the County of Maui, with research ongoing. The committee also heard HCR 62/HR 56 on alternative vegetation management along Hana Highway, HCR 43/HR 39 on raised crosswalks near Ala Wai Elementary, and HCR 52/HR 48 on integrating the safe system approach into county road design; these drew support testimony and no opposition. The committee then considered HCR 120/HR 112 on regulating transportation network companies under motor carrier law. DOT and the Public Utilities Commission offered comments, while Lyft opposed, arguing the legislature already created a TNC-specific framework in 2022 and that motor carrier law is not a good fit for app-based ride platforms. In questioning, PUC explained that TNCs would fall under both PUC motor carrier jurisdiction and DOT permitting, and DOT said it would follow up on enforcement questions. Members also discussed HCR 119/HR 111 on an indirect traffic disruption grant program, with the chair asking DOT to clarify how it enforces penalties when contractors or others fail to follow road closure requirements. Other measures discussed included HCR 96/HR 88 on moving to a demerit-point driver licensing system, which DOT supported; HCR 128/HR 120 on coordinating capital improvement planning for Hawaiian Home Lands developments, which DOT and DHHL supported; HCR 127/HR 119 on a state highway police force, which DOT supported; and HCR 125/HR 117 on a statewide plan for derelict utility poles and lines, which drew support from DOT, Hawaiian Electric, and Hawaiian Telcom, with DOT acknowledging it lacks current statutory authority to force immediate removal. The committee also heard HCR 58/HR 54 on school crosswalk safety for Mililani Elementary, HCR 55/HR 51 on using artificial intelligence to mitigate traffic and improve road safety, and HCR 54/HR 146 on expanding the Hele-On Shared Ride program on Hawai‘i Island. Supporters of the Hele-On measure said expanded service would help rural residents, kupuna, and people with disabilities reach medical appointments and daily activities, while noting cost and technology-access concerns; they said missed or delayed appointments are a real issue in remote areas. The final item discussed in the excerpt was HCR 64/HR 58 on minimizing rumble strip dimensions on Kūhiō Highway on Moloka‘i, with DOT saying it had already removed some strips where large emergency vehicles were affected on narrow curves.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm more than happy to offer this amendment, and it's to replace line 51 on page 2 with the following
• It just says replace line 86 >> Yes, sir.
• It just says replace line 86 on<01:03:49.119> page<01:03:49.359> four<01:03:49.599>
• to restart if an alternate replace to restart if an alternate replace replaces<01:06:21.680>
• Finally, the bill replaces a juror.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was an amendment that replaced the entire bill.
• Senator Hill said the House amendment added a new paragraph to the existing statute and did not replace
• anything um it added U Roman not replace anything um it added U Roman 2-a<00:09:58.600> uh<00
• I was trying not to redesign any curriculum or replace state standards with this paragraph, but simply
• <00:20:27.080> state curriculum or um uh replace state curriculum or um uh replace state standards

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• identified here related to well plugging. and carbon dioxide sequestration, new boats and boat replacements
• First I'm respectfully requesting the use of funds for the replacement of 16 GLO fleet vehicles that
• We are requesting funds to replace boats whose hulls are 10 to 20 years old.
• So all between those those two times we had people that could get stranded and we couldn't replace the
• Aging systems. that just need to be rehabbed or replaced.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , Vermont, and others observing Native American or Indigenous People's Day in addition to or in replacement
• And then we will show our commitment to repair and healing by replacing the holiday with a celebration
• Native people have consistently sought an Indigenous Peoples' Day that replaces Columbus Day.
• I am advocating to change Columbus Day to the second week and be replaced by Indigenous Peoples' Day.
• We have members all across the state, and we are all deeply in support of replacing Columbus Day with

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing covered a wide range of bills, with substantial testimony on commemorative days and several local development measures. Early testimony focused on competing proposals about Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Senator Comerford and others supported redesignating the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, while several Italian American legislators and advocates opposed changing Columbus Day and instead urged a separate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on August 9 or another date. Committee members noted the long-running debate, discussed the state flag and motto review process, and emphasized that any changes would require legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee also heard strong support for a Fred Korematsu Day bill, with testimony from advocates, legal organizations, community leaders, and Korematsu’s daughter. Witnesses described Korematsu’s resistance to Japanese American incarceration during World War II, argued that his story remains relevant amid current immigration and civil liberties concerns, and said the designation would help educate students and the public. A separate bill to designate September as PCOS Awareness Month drew testimony from Senator Miranda and health advocates, who described the disorder’s prevalence, frequent misdiagnosis, fertility and pregnancy risks, and the value of public awareness and education. Other bills discussed included a Domestic Workers’ Rights Day proposal, supported by Representative Garcia and Representative Sousa, who spoke about the invisibility and vulnerability of domestic workers and the importance of recognizing their labor. The committee also heard support for a veteran suicide awareness and remembrance day, a Boston branch library and affordable housing project in Dorchester, and a Fall River waterfront redevelopment bill transferring land to the local redevelopment authority for a major mixed-use project. In addition, Senator Miranda testified in favor of a memorial portrait for former Representative Doris Bunty, highlighting her pioneering role in the legislature and Boston public housing. The hearing was hybrid and lengthy, with the chair repeatedly asking witnesses to be concise and noting that testimony would be public record.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:37:35.119> of<00:37:35.359> the<00:37:35.520> adult storage, replacement
• of the adult storage, replacement of the adult correctional<00:37:36.320> officer<00:37:36.880
• Also get an accurate cost of what it would take to replace the uniform because the uniform shirts now
• Also get an accurate cost of what it would take to replace the uniform because the uniform shirts now
• cost of what it would take to replace cost of what it would take to replace the<00:47:09.680>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2145, which would establish a statutory right for the public to record law enforcement activities in public. Supporters, including the Libertarian Party of Hawaii and the ACLU of Hawaii, said the bill would clarify First Amendment protections, reduce confusion, and provide a private right of action if the right is violated. Most written testimony was in support, while the Maui Police Department and Honolulu Police Department submitted opposition. A senator asked about existing court cases, and the ACLU witness said courts have consistently recognized a right to record officers in public so long as recording does not obstruct police activity. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2151 on emergency management. Testimony from the Office of Information Practices and HEMA focused on proposed changes to Chapter 127A, including limits on emergency powers and a two-thirds legislative override. Earthjustice and other supporters argued the bill was needed after the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Nakoa decision, which they said read emergency powers too broadly and could allow suspension of laws for long-term policy issues rather than true emergencies. HEMA opposed the restrictions, saying emergency managers need flexibility to respond to unknown, statewide crises such as tsunamis, hurricanes, war-related threats, and large disasters, and objected especially to limits on the governor’s ability to suspend public records requirements during emergencies. Several witnesses, including the Public First Law Center, said the bill was a step in the right direction but suggested amendments to better define emergencies and make clear the changes respond to the Nakoa decision. Committee members questioned whether the proposed limits would hinder disaster response and whether the legislature already has tools to override emergency proclamations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• In that experiment, the AI has read in its input that it would be replaced by a new version of AI.
• In that experiment, the AI has read in its input that it would be replaced by a new version of AI.
• Again, the AI sees that it's going to be replaced.
• For, again, the AI sees that it's going to be replaced by a new version in its input, but it also finds
• The engineer who's in charge of that new version replacing the current AI has an extra marital affair

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• done before, but it would support disaster and recovery relief, including, but not limited to, replacement
• or renovation of publicly owned buildings damaged in the event; replacement or renovation or expansion
• damaged in the event replacement damaged in the event replacement renovation<00:18:59.840> or
• <00:19:22.360> repair<00:19:23.360> of um for costs of replacement repair of um for
• costs of replacement repair of their<00:19:23.760> buildings<00:19:24.360> and<00:19:24.520

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:12 SB 28 Discussion 00:01:33 SB 28 Vote 00:04:05 SJR 26 Discussion 00:05:32 SJR 26 Vote 00:07:10 HB 741 Discussion 00:08:30 HB 741 Vote 00:14:00 HB 544 Discussion 00:15:40 HB 544 Vote 00:28:15 HB 775 Discussion 00:31:20 HB 775 Vote 00:56:00 HJR 33 Discussion 01:00:25 HJR 33 Vote 01:01:40, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on March 11, 2025, with a quorum present and first adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 28. The bill would create a framework for using $5 million previously set aside for agricultural economic development through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, including loan and grant programs. Members asked about changes in the substitute, and the sponsor explained that it revised the board composition to include members with more experience in finance, lending, and economic development. SB 28 was approved 20-0 and reported favorably. The committee then approved Senate Joint Resolution 26, which directs the Department for Medicaid Services to provide the Legislative Research Commission a report on pharmacist pay parity and the cost of allowing independent pharmacists and pharmacies to be reimbursed by Medicaid for services within their scope of practice. The sponsor and Kentucky Pharmacists Association representative described it as a request for information rather than a policy change. The resolution passed 20-0 and was reported favorably. House Bill 741, relating to public water and wastewater systems, was next. The sponsor said the substitute incorporated Kentucky Infrastructure Authority recommendations, clarified best management practices, and allowed storm water inflow and groundwater infiltration reduction projects to be scored more fairly alongside water projects. Members discussed how the bill narrows eligibility to systems most in need and refines the scoring process for the program created last session. HB 741 passed 20-0, was reported favorably, and received a title amendment. The committee also considered House Bill 544, a branch budget bill amendment creating a new SAFE fund for the most recent Eastern Kentucky flood disaster, indexed to the relevant presidential disaster declaration. The bill would allow state money and other funds to support local governments, utilities, school districts, and other eligible recipients for recovery costs, planning, and short-term liquidity, with reimbursement provisions if FEMA or other sources later pay. Members discussed the amount of available funding, the use of prior SAFE fund balances, and the emergency clause. HB 544 passed 20-0, was reported favorably, and a title amendment was adopted. The committee then began House Bill 775, relating to development areas, and adopted PHS 2 and a committee amendment; the sponsor started explaining the bill’s provisions on development areas, tax increment financing, brewers’ electronic filing, distilled spirits property tax language, income tax reduction conditions, tourism development incentives, and other tax-related sections, but the transcript cuts off before final action on the bill.