Transcript Highlights:

• So with TK rebenching, we are rebenching TK in a way that what we're utilizing to rebench, we are still
• One quick question for Finance: Is there a requirement for reporting on the utilization of the funds?
• Utility increases are up over 200% over the last decade.
• — that whole umbrella of utilities is a significant cost factor.
• I feel like I say that all the time, but if we're not allowed to utilize that to create businesses and

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance met for its annual Proposition 98 overview, with Chair Alvarez outlining the committee’s focus on K-12 funding, student outcomes, and use of one-time funds. Superintendent Tony Thurmond gave an update on education issues, including wildfire recovery support for affected school communities, ongoing concerns about federal threats to education funding and immigration enforcement, progress on literacy and math, dual-language immersion, educator housing, and support for dual enrollment. Members broadly expressed support for these priorities, while also raising concerns about implementation, funding stability, and the need for schools to remain safe places for students. The committee then reviewed the Governor’s Proposition 98 proposal. The Department of Finance said the 2025-26 Proposition 98 guarantee is projected at $118.9 billion, with higher revenues and TK-related rebenching driving the increase. The LAO said the budget adds about $7.5 billion over two years and discussed the volatility of the guarantee, especially in 2024-25, when changes in revenue could have an outsized effect on school funding. Members questioned the proposed $1.6 billion delayed settle-up payment, the legal basis for delaying it, and the impact of possible federal funding freezes. The LAO presented alternatives such as a reserve deposit or delayed disbursement, while Finance said the proposal is intended to manage uncertainty. Members also raised concerns that ethnic studies implementation was not funded in the January budget, and Finance said the administration was not proposing funding for it. The committee next heard on the Proposition 98 rainy day fund and education deferrals. Finance said the reserve would receive a mandatory deposit of about $1.2 billion in 2024-25 and a discretionary deposit of $376 million in 2025-26, leaving a balance of about $1.5 billion. The LAO supported rebuilding the reserve as a way to manage volatility. On deferrals, Finance described the Governor’s plan to eliminate remaining deferrals by 2025-26, and the LAO said paying them off improves cash flow and budget resilience. Members generally supported eliminating deferrals and rebuilding reserves, though some asked about acting earlier if revenues allow. The committee also reviewed the proposed $1.8 billion student support and professional development block grant; Finance said it would fund professional development, recruitment and retention, and dual enrollment, while the LAO recommended clearer language on local discretion and use for one-time costs. Members were divided, with some supporting flexibility and others warning that one-time block grants can create instability and confusion for districts.

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition to grant assistance, we may see funding that is provided for the needs of repair, replacement
• in other similar An off-the-shelf product, something that had been utilized in other similar Attorney
• It's utilized in a number of Attorney General's offices, and right now we are in the development and
• Phase 2 includes all things motor vehicle issues related, so in scope for this is replacing the legacy
• Currently, the I-Connect system is utilized by over 35,000 users.

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several state technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Business Solution (DEMS). FDEM said DEMS is about 50% complete, with some grants and finance functions already live, and is intended to replace manual disaster and grants processing with a cloud-based system. Officials described faster reimbursement timelines after recent storms, major return-on-investment claims, and a planned final phase focused on design, testing, communications, data governance, and additional functionality. Members asked about the total cost, the role of Florida Digital Service, deliverables-based contracting, and how much of the system is live; FDEM said the project is expected to cost about $16 million to $16.8 million and finish by June 2027, with some follow-up information to be provided. The Department of Legal Affairs presented its Office of Attorney General Modernization Program, a follow-up to an earlier effort that failed after spending about $26 million. Acting Attorney General John Gard said the department has now moved to an off-the-shelf case management product, LawBase, and is in development and testing, with the Office of Statewide Prosecution already live and full implementation expected by the end of the fiscal year. The request includes funding for staff augmentation, cloud storage, the LawBase license, redundancy through a backup site in Orlando, and OnBase support. Members questioned the prior failure, the use of Florida Digital Service standards, data location and cloud migration, and the redundancy plan; Gard said lessons learned included better scoping and that the current effort is on track. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles then updated the committee on Motorist Modernization, including the Orion system and the MyDMV portal. Officials said Phase 1 and Phase 2 have modernized driver license and motor vehicle services, with Phase 2 statewide rollout scheduled to begin in April 2025 and Phase 3 proposed at $16.5 million for dealer services, data warehouse improvements, and call center modernization. Members asked about payment options, organ donor questions, staffing, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and the digital driver license program. The agency said the portal already allows some sanctions to be cleared online, an ACH option is being developed, the digital driver license vendor has changed with a fall go-live anticipated, and the department is using security testing and a managed security service provider. Officials also said the system is currently on an on-prem private cloud, with future workloads expected to move to public cloud where appropriate. Finally, Florida Commerce presented on the Reemployment Assistance modernization system, Reconnect, and the FLWINS workforce system. Commerce said Reconnect is hosted in the Azure Government Cloud, has reduced claim filing time, improved fraud detection, and increased appeals capacity, and now needs $4.9 million in recurring funding to cover ongoing operations, cloud hosting, licenses, and staff augmentation. Members asked about adjudication issues, wait times, fraud prevention, and whether the system stores caller identifiers; Commerce said the average wait to speak to a representative is about 18 minutes and claims are generally processed in four to six weeks. The committee then began hearing about FLWINS, which is intended to create a “no wrong door” workforce portal under the REACH Act, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:53:51.280> uh get their buy off on how we utilize uh get their buy off on how we utilize
• >> Which includes um replacing the turf. >> Which includes um replacing the turf.
• >> The Snyder Replacement Building. >> Snider Replacement. Yes. >> Okay.
• >> The Snyder Replacement Building. >> The Snyder Replacement Building.
• >> Snider Replacement. Yes. >> Snider Replacement. Yes.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They do have a replacement schedule that they follow. Okay, thank you, Senator Lanier.
• They're on a 12-year replacement cycle. So if so, whatever throughout the state, so...
• Whatever school buses come up to that 12-year mark, those are the ones that would be replaced.
• I think this doesn't replace bonding reform.
• It's not being utilized for some reason.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is not about replacing physicians, nurses, or physician associates.
• We just don’t utilize that here in Delaware, and we want to know why.
• Please utilize opportunities to get to the core of addiction so lives can be truly safe.
• If consequences are removed, they should be replaced with strong engagement and treatment pathways, so
• If consequences are removed, they should be replaced with strong engagement and treatment pathways, so

Bills: SB274, SB301, SB249

Keywords: healthcare, life-sustaining treatment, patient preferences, POLST, advance directive, medical orders, hospital discharge, pregnancy, patient care, discharge planning, healthcare policy, substance use, harm reduction, syringe services, needle exchange, overdose prevention, naloxone, opioid antagonist, drug paraphernalia, syringe

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several measures related to health care, public health, and patient protections. House Concurrent Resolution 148, urging a statewide educational strategy on menopause, was presented as a workplace awareness measure and received supportive comments from members before being released. Senate Bill 274, updating Delaware’s MOST program to POLST and clarifying capacity determinations and documentation for end-of-life orders, also drew supportive testimony from medical and nursing groups and was released. House Bill 458, limiting local backflow preventer requirements for certain low-hazard buildings, was presented as a cost-relief measure for homeowners and small businesses; DHSS expressed concerns but said it was willing to work on amendments and a sunset provision, and the bill was released. Senate Joint Resolution 18, designating August 31, 2026 as International Overdose Awareness Day and ordering flags at half-staff, was released after brief supportive remarks. The committee then considered Senate Bill 339, a technical correction to the advance health care directive form clarifying that an agent’s authority for voluntary mental health admission cannot exceed 72 hours, consistent with existing law. Members asked detailed questions about how the 72-hour limit works and whether it applies to voluntary directives; the sponsor and a Disability Rights Delaware witness explained that the bill only aligns the form with current statute and does not expand authority. The bill was released. House Bill 301, requiring hospitals to create discharge plans for pregnant patients discharged while showing signs of labor, prompted extensive discussion. The sponsor and supporters said it would improve safety, transportation planning, and aftercare, while some members noted Delaware hospitals already do much of this work and questioned whether codifying it was necessary; supporters emphasized maternal mortality disparities and the need for guardrails. The bill was released. Senate Bill 196, creating ownership disclosure requirements for long-term care facilities and resident notice rules after ownership transfers, was presented as a transparency measure for seniors and families and was released after supportive testimony from the Delaware Nurses Association and elder-care advocates. Senate Bill 320, expanding pharmacists’ independent prescriptive authority for certain non-controlled medications and allowing opioid use disorder medications under standing order, with added malpractice reporting requirements in Senate Amendment 2, was supported by pharmacists and nurse practitioners as an access-to-care measure and was released. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 161, establishing a unified licensing and oversight framework for adult behavioral health providers under DSAM, was presented as a patient-protection measure; providers supported the goal but cautioned that regulations must be workable, and the substitute was released. Senate Joint Resolution 19, directing DHSS to study strategies to reduce health care costs, was released with a note reflecting concerns about broadening the analysis to include additional cost drivers and alternatives. Finally, Senate Bill 249 with Senate Amendment 2, modernizing harm-reduction programs and paraphernalia laws, generated the most extended debate: supporters framed it as life-saving public health policy, while opponents raised concerns about needle litter, community impacts, and whether the approach facilitates addiction. Despite the objections, the bill was released.

Transcript Highlights:

• From there, we utilized new programs and grants like CalAIM and the CYBHI to expand to a multi-tiered
• Recently, the California Green Schoolyard grants have been used to replace asphalt with trees on campuses
• The Green Schoolyard grants have been used to replace asphalt with trees on campuses.
• They're very important for us to be able to utilize to help support our students.
• They're very important for us to be able to utilize to help support our students.

Summary: The Select Committee on Youth Mental Health and Treatment Access held its third hearing to review the state of youth mental health, progress under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), and remaining implementation and funding challenges. The chair emphasized that schools are often the main point where education, health care, and social services intersect for students, and that the committee’s goal is to ensure public investments translate into better access and outcomes. The hearing featured testimony from researchers, a youth advocate, state officials, and local practitioners. PPIC researcher Shalini Mostala reported that teen mental health remains a serious concern, with high rates of chronic sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts, though recent California data show some improvement since the pandemic. She noted persistent disparities by gender, race, and rural status, and said school-based health centers, wellness centers, and community schools are associated with lower suicidal thoughts. Youth advocate Ella Cruz, speaking for NAMI California, described her own mental health struggles and argued that youth voice, peer-to-peer support, and reducing stigma are essential; she also said technology and AI cannot replace trusted adults or trained professionals. Committee members asked about phone use, stigma, cultural barriers, and how to make supports more accessible and relatable to students. Dr. Sohill Sood of the California Health and Human Services Agency said statewide survey data show declining stigma, increased counseling use, and lower suicide ideation among students, and he highlighted CYBHI’s certified wellness coaches, digital tools, awareness campaigns, and the first-in-the-nation fee schedule that allows schools and colleges to bill health plans for behavioral health services. He said the program is growing quickly, with more than 230,000 claims and over $11 million in new revenue to date, while acknowledging that billing systems and coordination are still being built. Trina Frazier of Fresno County described a multi-tiered system of care supported by CYBHI, CalAIM, and other grants, serving thousands of students through school-based services, wellness centers, and mobile therapy units; she said ongoing funding and flexibility are critical. Rachel Kroberniski of El Segundo High School’s James Morehouse Project described a long-running wellness center and peer mentorship model that supports students in multiple languages, and said peer programs help students feel seen, connected, and more willing to seek help. Members broadly praised the flexibility, collaboration, and peer-based approaches described by the witnesses. Questions focused on sustaining funding after one-time grants expire, improving coordination among schools, counties, and providers, expanding the fee schedule to higher education, and ensuring continuity of care for students after high school. Officials said county offices of education, DHCS, and other partners are using communities of practice and technical assistance to spread best practices, and that CYBHI services can follow some young adults through age 25, with additional supports through community-based programs and digital platforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the insurance provider goes through and they did their bidding to determine a replacement cost, and
• Is that all utilities? Is that right? Yeah, municipal government, basically.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then the Lieutenant Governor goes up, and they get to appoint their replacement.
• be reserved for the first 6 months just for the recording industry, so they have that 6 months to utilize

Bills: SB45, SB73, SB169, HB243, SB177

Keywords: driver licenses, validation, identity, state laws, regulations, K-12 education, athletic associations, student-athlete eligibility, Alabama Administrative Procedure Act, governance, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, motor vehicle crimes, restitution, law enforcement, HB243, Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Safe Streets Act, DUI, drunk driving, impaired driving

Transcript Highlights:

• He pledged to replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.
• The fees imposed on those who utilize the system.
• replacement for Inspector General. replacement for Inspector General.
• yell fraud as an excuse to replace yell fraud as an excuse to replace Obamacare<05:03:55.040>
• encouraging countries to better utilize encouraging countries to better utilize the<05:35:16.160

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, January 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Or do you also utilize contract pharmacies?
• It could be utilization, it could be, again, the mixes, and so forth.
• Our outside counsel had to determine which alias to utilize.
• Instead, they utilize a tactic known as swoop and settle.
• Written releases are always utilized.

Bills: HB712, HB722, HB946, HB1687, HB1809, HB1899, HB2528, HB2583, HB2741, HB2750, HB3021, HB3150, HB3265, HB3658, HB3812, HB3960, HB4392, HB4432

Keywords: prostate cancer, health benefit plans, insurance coverage, cost sharing, preventive health care, auto insurance, total loss evaluation, disclosure, insurance materials, vehicle appraisal, HB 946, Texas Insurance Code, automobile insurance claims, oral release, written release, settlement agreement, claim release, property damage, bodily injury, psychological injury

Transcript Highlights:

• New Hampshire FMLA is a critical benefit that many Granite Staters utilize.
• benefit that many granite sters util benefit that many granite sters util utilize.<00:13:35.040>
• If repealed, it would harm my utilize.
• disability coverage could be utilized disability coverage could be utilized for<00:27:46.000>
• The different types of leave that can be wage replacement for.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rural Bridge Grant initiative the AFA and the Alabama Forestry Commission created to help counties replace
• cars a day, but it's scenic and it's... ...cars a day, but it's scenic and it's rural, and you can utilize
• there's some possibility that what this is doing can... ...possibility that what this is doing can be utilized

Bills: SB110, SB64, SB42

Keywords: weight limits, trucking regulations, transportation, enforcement authority, portable scales, SB64, Alabama, state waters, public waters, aquatic plants, aquatic vegetation, lake management, waterway maintenance, environmental regulation, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, DCNR, commercial contractors, vegetation removal, mowing aquatic plants, uprooting plants

Transcript Highlights:

• YOU CAN'T REPLACE THAT WITH DOLLARS. SECONDS MENTIONED THE FIVE-YEAR CAP.
• THAT WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE COMING BACK TO THE LEGISLATURES AND GET THEM RECLASSIFIED TO BE COULD UTILIZE
• AND WHAT WE ARE UTILIZING IS YOU WILL SEE THIS IN JANUARY AND I WILL INVITE YOU ALL TO COME TO IT AND
• UTILIZING IT NOT TOO MUCH MORE OF A DMS RATE ON LEASING.

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding for the design, development, solicitation, and eventual production of the plaque would utilize
• it was going to not be used to expand veteran services, but that it was going to become a way of replacing
• So it is utilizing state resources to more broadly serve the entire state of Minnesota.
• Tees in the agency by utilizing these resources to support the operations throughout the state of Minnesota

Transcript Highlights:

• And then if it really truly doesn’t work and we can’t utilize some of the technology available, then
• And then if it really truly doesn’t work and we can’t utilize some of the technology available, then
• <01:09:20.960> my<01:09:21.199> ACL my ACL and they had replaced my ACL my ACL and
• they had replaced my ACL while<01:09:22.000> I<01:09:22.159> was<01:09:22.319> out.
• If a provider must pay staff, utilities, and vendors on time, and usually our net time frame is at a

Bills: HB0117, HB0126

Keywords: informed consent, abortion, civil liability, coercion, healthcare rights, fetal heartbeat, termination of pregnancy, medical emergency, Wyoming legislation, rights of minors, healthcare regulations, parental consent, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• currently using it very low utilization currently using it very low utilization for<01:52:28.760
• <01:52:53.520> the employer and how they're utilizing the employer and how they're utilizing
• > low file a claim again utilization very low file a claim again utilization very low in<01:53
• accident and they were able to utilize accident and they were able to utilize this<02:13:57.159>
• newborn all have the option to utilize newborn all have the option to utilize this<02:14:17.800>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 437, which would change New Hampshire law on undischarged mortgages by creating a shorter period after which certain old mortgages would be treated as unenforceable. Prime sponsor Representative Bill Boyd said the bill was developed with input from bankers, lawyers, realtors, the Attorney General’s office, and the Banking Department, and he noted a drafting correction needed on line 18. He explained that the proposal would replace current law with a new framework modeled partly on Massachusetts, including a five-year expiration after a stated maturity date and a 35-year period for mortgages without an expiration date. Supporters said the bill would help clear obsolete title defects, reduce costly quiet-title litigation, and make real estate transactions easier for consumers, attorneys, and conveyancers. Representative Mary Hakken-Phillips, Susan Cole of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, and Michelle Coffin all testified in support, describing the bill as a consumer protection measure. They said undischarged or improperly discharged mortgages often surface during title searches, causing delays, legal expenses, and failed or delayed closings. Coffin and Hakken-Phillips emphasized that many of these cases involve old, effectively obsolete mortgages and that the current process often requires expensive court action even when no one contests the title. Cole described a recent transaction in which a title defect caused a buyer to walk away and later restart the financing process, creating costs for both buyer and seller. A committee member asked about notice to mortgage holders; the response was that the lender bears responsibility for recording and extending the mortgage, and that due process rights would remain if a lender later contested the discharge. Ryan Hill of the New Hampshire Bankers Association said the banking industry had reviewed the bill and was generally comfortable with it, while requesting a delayed effective date so members would have time to adjust their recording practices. He said the bill’s January 1, 2028 effective date reflected that request. After closing the hearing on HB 437, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 721, the Gold and Silver Legal Tender Act. Representative Juliet Harvey-Bolia introduced it as a bipartisan economic justice bill intended to recognize gold and silver as legal tender, protect against inflation, and address concerns about trust, taxes, and government taking. She argued that gold is a stable store of value and discussed tax treatment in neighboring states, federal history, and digital gold platforms. The hearing on HB 721 was still in progress when the transcript ended, with the chair limiting questions because of time.

Transcript Highlights:

• that are financed by a nonprofit community development financial institution certified by HHFDC as utilizing
• We'll also replace, per HHFDC's amendment, the language "projects that require the least amount of state
• the language amendment to replace the language projects<00:27:02.640> that<00:27:02.880> require
• Um, now, um and and instead replace it with other um and and instead replace it with other things<01:
• The chair's recommendation is to pass, and will be replacing the language from SB 1000?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard several housing-related bills and resolutions. HB 1298 HD3 would create a government employee housing revolving fund and a government employee 99-year leasehold rent-to-own program; testimony was generally supportive from HHFDC, labor groups, and the Maui Chamber, with the Tax Foundation and Budget and Finance raising concerns about the revolving fund. The committees recommended passage with non-substantive amendments for clarity and consistency, and the motion was adopted. HB 741 H2, which would exempt certain affordable housing projects financed by a certified nonprofit CDFI from prevailing wage requirements, drew support from housing advocates and opposition from several construction unions; the chairs said they were concerned about the labor objections and deferred the measure, with the labor committee agreeing to defer it as well. The housing committee then took up HB 417 HD1, which creates a housing efficiency and innovation subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund and allows HHFDC to transfer funds between the subaccount and the main fund without legislative approval. Testimony was largely supportive. The chair described a series of amendments, including changing the funding-efficiency standard, adding perpetual affordability language, allowing any land tenure type, broadening eligible financing tools, adding priority criteria for mixed-income projects and government-employee projects, and inserting blank appropriations tied to a requested $75 million per year and a $75 million subaccount appropriation for the HCDA 99-year leasehold project. The committee recommended passage with amendments, and the recommendation was adopted. HB 422 HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and move remaining balances to the school facilities special fund, drew broad support from housing and taxpayer groups and opposition from the Department of Education and some individuals. The School Facilities Authority and DOE argued the current system had not produced enough usable land or school sites and suggested narrowing the exemption to government housing projects’ construction costs instead of repealing the fee entirely. Members pressed DOE and SFA on how much land had actually been obtained and whether the fee had been effective; the discussion highlighted concerns about unused balances, school overcrowding, and the role of the Land Use Commission and county zoning in securing school sites. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the portion shown. The committee also heard STR 60/SR 45, urging HHFDC to develop a plan to meet housing demand, and STR 77/SR 60, addressing continued eligibility for housing credits for certain projects after repeal of Act 31; both sets of resolutions had HHFDC support, with DHHL supporting STR 77/SR 60 and Johnny May Perry opposing both.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're still— we would still go through that same process, still be utilizing our risk estimating, still
• So it would still need an appropriation whether it was utilized or not.
• We know we have that ability to utilize those amounts of resources, and we really—it behooves us to try
• What is the draw on the local utilities, how many megawatts, blah, blah, blah.
• It's super important based on the utilities bill to even actually provide that power, right?

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from WSDOT on balancing uncertainty in capital program estimates and cash flow management. WSDOT explained the differences between design-bid-build and design-build delivery, its tiered risk-assessment process by project size, and how it uses base estimates, inflation, and risk modeling to set budgets. Staff said design-bid-build estimates are generally accurate within about 1% across the program, while design-build projects carry much wider uncertainty and are better communicated as ranges; they cited a P85 budget approach and noted that large, complex projects can be affected by market competition and long procurement timelines. Members asked about the Columbia River Bridge cost growth and about value engineering, and WSDOT said it uses value engineering but has limited scope to cut costs because of project requirements and policy mandates. Troy Swing also discussed cash flow, noting that a few large projects can significantly affect biennial funding needs, and said a risk pool would not reduce overall program risk but could help manage timing if paired with appropriation and cash-flow controls. The committee then received the final presentation in the WSDOT Project Delivery and Innovative Practices study from HKA Global. The consultant said WSDOT’s estimating practices are generally robust and recommended improving transparency by presenting budget authorizations as ranges or estimate classes, better tracking estimate growth over time, and adjusting advertisement timing to avoid competing lettings. The report also discussed surety bonding, suggesting the legislature consider restoring authority for reduced bonding on select large design-build projects or using phased bonding and alternative securities. On indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting, the consultant said current job order contract rules are restrictive and recommended legislative changes to make such tools more usable, especially for smaller tasks and to help use unspent funds more flexibly. The committee also heard a follow-up presentation on transit-oriented development policy recommendations tied to HB 1491. The Urban Institute’s Yona Freemark said Washington has been a national leader on TOD but that housing construction, especially in the Puget Sound, has slowed sharply since 2022. He said rising construction costs, high financing costs, and local tax and rent conditions are making many TOD projects infeasible, and recommended that the state fill infrastructure funding gaps around stations, revisit MFTE affordability requirements, consider minimum rather than average density requirements near transit, and create a statewide system to track TOD outcomes such as affordability, gentrification, and transit access. Members questioned the study’s developer interviews, the role of rent control and crime, property tax assumptions, and parking needs; the presenter said the study included five private developers, that rent control was not part of the study scope, and that parking was included in the model assumptions. Finally, the committee began a presentation on regulating emissions from ocean-going vessels at berth. Staff and consultants described California-style at-berth rules, which require shore power or equivalent emissions controls so ships can shut off diesel auxiliary engines while docked. The study is examining vessel traffic, emissions reductions, implementation costs, labor and operational needs, and possible effects on port competitiveness and cargo diversion. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• They had to go find a replacement.
• They had to go find a replacement. There's a process you go through.
• No, what the bid increases in the extension periods were versus what the new four-year replacement contract
• Versus what the new four-year replacement contract was.
• Is there a speedy process to replace someone who's missing in order to make sure that delivery of care

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• counties, across the state, arbitrarily applied recommendations as they've been characterized, without utilizing
• Recommendations as they've been characterized, without utilizing the force of the legislative process
• We saw a lot of people fleeing into our county to utilize our businesses.
• We saw a lot of people fleeing into our county to utilize our businesses.
• previously had stated, now there's discussions on, yeah, we should just allow these foreign entities to replace

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The committee first established quorum and met in executive session, where House Bill 2809 by Representative Knight was moved do pass and approved by a vote of 11 ayes, 0 noes, and 2 present. The committee then moved to public hearing, noting House Bill 3108 would not be heard that day. The main hearing was on Senate Bills 977 and 1011, sponsored by Senator Nick Schroer. The bills were described as a restatement of the supremacy clause, providing that foreign laws, foreign treaties, and related arbitration decisions cannot supersede the U.S. Constitution, the Missouri Constitution, or state law when fundamental rights are implicated. Members and the sponsor discussed concerns about foreign legal systems, religious law, COVID-era public health recommendations, and whether the bill could affect private arbitration, family law, custody, adoption, tribal law, and international agreements. Supporters said the bill was narrowly tailored, included carve-outs such as the Hague Convention, and was intended to guide courts and prevent foreign law from overriding Missouri law. One witness from Liberty Link Missouri testified in favor, saying the law should restate constitutional principles even if it is technically unnecessary. No vote was taken on the Senate bills during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2589 by Representative Mike Jones, which would require only a rear license plate on vehicles. Supporters said the change would save money for the state and drivers, align Missouri with many other states, and avoid the need to drill front bumpers or display plates in windshields. Members raised concerns about law enforcement, vehicle identification, stalking cases, and whether some vehicles or commercial vehicles should still require two plates. The sponsor said he was open to exploring exemptions or weight-based distinctions, but the hearing ended without a vote or further action on the bill.