Transcript Highlights:

• metering, and that's the charge under the current law for electric and gas metering.
• <00:24:11.919> metering<00:24:12.720> and effect for electric and gas metering and
• effect for electric and gas metering and that's<00:24:13.200> the<00:24:13.520> charge<
• The electric and gas submetering people are paying that today.
• We just want to mirror what's in the existing law with respect to electric and gas metering.

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, February 20, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The Maryland House met in session with 122 members present, received the journal, introduced several House bills and Senate Bill 37, and referred bond initiatives and executive nominations to committee. The chamber then took up a series of third-reading bills. House Bill 146, concerning on-site wastewater system inspection and pumping requirements and implementation dates, drew extended debate. Supporters described it as a consumer protection and water-quality measure, while opponents argued it would add significant costs to home sales and rentals, especially in rural areas. After discussion of septic-system costs, enforcement, and the pace of replacement approvals, the bill passed 93-36. House Bill 220, dealing with individual water submeters, also prompted debate over a $1 monthly administrative fee and a provision affecting unpaid water bills in eviction proceedings; members clarified that the eviction language had been struck by floor amendment. Some members argued the bill could raise housing costs, while the sponsor said it mirrored existing electric and gas submetering law. The bill passed 95-34. House Bill 236 on blood-testing timing for contestants before the State Athletic Commission passed 130-0, House Bill 241 extending sunset provisions for state boards and commissions passed 130-0, House Bill 242 on unemployment insurance confidentiality passed 130-0, House Bill 259 revising the Maryland Community Investment Venture Fund passed 120-10, and House Bill 308 on private mailboxes for associations passed 120-2. During the floor session, members also discussed septic-system policy more broadly, including the cost of inspections, the need for timely repairs, and whether government should intervene in real-estate transactions. One member explained that a floor amendment had removed a disputed provision from HB 220, which is why it did not appear in the reprint. The House also received a gubernatorial message with executive nominations, referred it to House Rules, and then heard committee and subcommittee announcements about upcoming votes, budget hearings, and caucus meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• The boat, I know there's talk about oil and gas and stuff that was removed by someone from the state
• The boat, I know there's talk about oil and gas and stuff that was removed by someone from the state
• Senator Green: The boat, I know there's talk about oil and gas and stuff that was removed by someone
• And the solution almost always is that our agencies actually need more funding to do the jobs that we
• And the solution almost always is that our agencies actually need more funding to do the jobs that we

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in them when gas when gas a little gas in them when gas when gas a little gas in them when gas when
• oh and I got I was eono back in them gas oh and I got I was eono back in them gas oh and I got I was
• that you get when you go to laughing gas that you get when you go to laughing gas that you get when
• in my my local District go to the gas in my my local District go to the gas station and buy this it
• nitrous that you inhale laughing gas nitrous that you inhale laughing gas nitrous oxide uh there's an

Bills: SB 2

Keywords: 920, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We said we believe they were not germane because the 213 is indexing the gas tax, weight distant tax,
• And that we've never indexed gas tax here before, have we?
• So we've done a gas tax, but we've never indexed anything.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No, I'm just adding gas to your fire, so I just... it seems like... What's working right now?
• No, I'm just adding gas to your fire, so I just... it seems like... What's working right now?
• No, I'm just adding gas to your fire, so I just... it seems like... What's working right now?
• Counties want to be part of the solution, and therefore we support the intent of this bill.
• Thank you to Senators Abeler and co-author Chairman Hoffman for bringing this solution forward.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• addition<01:11:23.600> to<01:11:23.920> having<01:11:24.320> a<01:11:24.560> GA
• addition to having a GA represent them. addition to having a GA represent them.
• This bill offers a practical and cost-effective solution by providing access to caregiver training, peer
• > practical<02:31:11.680> and<02:31:11.920> cost-effective<02:31:12.560> solution
• uh practical and cost-effective solution uh practical and cost-effective solution by<02:31:13.280

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:31:28.559> your<00:31:29.120> testimony,<00:31:29.679> Miss<00:31:29.919> GA
• >> Thank you for your testimony, Miss GA.
• >> Thank you for your testimony, Miss GA.
• It's bootstrapping some problems into a solution that is way too exclusionary.
• into a solution that is way<01:02:30.079> too<01:02:30.559> exclusionary.

Bills: HF362, HF2590, HF2760, HF3444

Keywords: massage therapy, Asian bodywork therapy, massage therapist, Asian bodywork therapist, licensure, professional licensing, health occupations, Department of Health, commissioner of health, advisory council, protected title, unlicensed practice, scope of practice, consumer protection, background check, professional liability insurance, continuing education, credentialing examination, state preemption, municipal regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• the following: sends masked agents into communities like my neighborhood to use loaded guns and tear gas
• loaded guns like my neighborhood to use loaded guns and<00:13:52.800> tear<00:13:53.120> gas
• <00:13:55.440> It and tear gas against our neighbors.
• It and tear gas against our neighbors.
• border patrol agents, four-year low gas border patrol agents, four-year low gas prices,<02:10:05.119

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It could be a gas station that has a... Gotcha, I get it.
• They represent, in my view, a 19th-century solution when 21st-century mitigations are available.
• like they represent in my view a 19th like they represent in my view a 19th century century century solution
• 31.280> when<05:25:31.638> 2<05:25:32.320> first<05:25:32.760> century solution
• when 2 first century solution when 2 first century mitigations<05:25:34.920> are mitigations

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first held a work session on HB 505, which would allow the sale of freeze-dried foods produced in homestead food operations. Members raised concerns about the bill’s broad language, especially the provision stating freeze-dried food would not be considered potentially hazardous. Several suggested narrowing the bill to specific products such as processed foods, berries, fruit, dairy products, ice cream, or vegetables, and requiring use of commercial freeze-drying equipment rather than dehydrators. There was also discussion of oxygen absorbers, moisture control, sanitation, and whether the issue should be handled in statute or rules. By the end of the discussion, members generally agreed the topic should be treated in a separate section of law rather than folded into the existing homestead food license, and the chair said the matter would be sent to the food safety subcommittee, with the possibility of a study committee if more time was needed. The committee then moved to HB 277, a technical correction to the animal cruelty statutes. Representative Bixby explained that current law refers to a “colt,” which applies only to male baby horses, leaving fillies unaddressed; the bill would replace “colt” with “foal” and make related wording changes so the restriction applies to any horse under 90 days old not being nursed by its dam. The New Hampshire Farm Bureau testified in support, saying the change was requested to clarify and modernize the statute and that the issue had been identified during work on related animal cruelty legislation. No votes were taken in the portion provided. The chair recessed the work session until 11:00 a.m. and announced that Representative Ktoa would take over the hearing on HB 277.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the biggest solution out there for what we're trying to do.
• And I just think this is a very elegant solution.
• So I think all around it's a more efficient solution. It sounds good.
• And so to me, that's the solution here.
• Any solutions to his bill?

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee first disposed of several measures without debate, including deferrals of House Bill 460, House Bill 561, Senate Bill 322, and another deferred Senate measure, before taking up House Bill 819 by Chairman Cruz. HB 819 would replace Louisiana’s current workers’ compensation medical treatment schedule with ODG by MCG, a private evidence-based guideline system used in other states. Cruz and Troy Prevo argued ODG is more comprehensive, updated more frequently, and could reduce claim duration, medical costs, and premium rates; Dr. Jason Picard said Louisiana already uses ODG as a secondary reference for gaps in the state schedule and that the bill would not change appeals or variance procedures. Opponents, including injured-worker advocates Joseph Jola St. and Robin Crumholt, argued Louisiana’s current guidelines are working, that ODG is more cost-cutting and insurer-driven, and that the bill could increase denials and delay care. Members discussed amendments to add a two-year sunset, allow tacit approval when treatment follows the schedule, require payment within 30 days, and raise the carrier’s burden to challenge care; the committee adopted the amendments and then reported HB 819 favorably by a 7-6 vote. The committee then began Senate Bill 409 by Senator Myers, the Louisiana Living Donor Leave Protection Act. The bill would provide paid leave protections for living organ donors, set eligibility and verification procedures, and prohibit forfeiture of leave in certain circumstances for private employers. Myers said the measure is intended to remove job and paycheck barriers for people willing to donate organs and to support better transplant outcomes. Technical amendments were adopted at the start of the presentation, and the bill was introduced for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now go out there tonight all gas and no brakes and beat those Texas Longhorns, and then turn around and
• <00:40:03.119> and<00:40:03.359> no Now go out there tonight all gas and no Now go
• The annual gas tax hike that already is in place is going to raise the gas tax another two cents to a
• It's going to really increase the gas prices to probably $843, according to a USC study.
• It's going to really incre increase<02:11:20.960> the<02:11:21.119> gas<02:11:21.520>

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, June 5, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• H 489 is a simple common sense solution that ensures that emergency responders can be seen, protected
• House Bill 489 is a simple common sense solution that ensures that emergency responders can be seen,
• <05:06:13.280> cap<05:06:13.480> will<05:06:13.638> throw student that a loose gas
• cap will throw student that a loose gas cap will throw an<05:06:13.920> engine<05:06:14.200><
• than we have to this better solution than we have to this point<05:25:58.480> but<05:25:58.680

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 758, which would establish a study committee on airport operation hours and possible noise abatement measures, including whether New Hampshire should prohibit departures between midnight and 6 a.m. The sponsor said the committee would examine the pros and cons and consult stakeholders. The Bureau of Aeronautics testified neutrally, noting that New Hampshire has 25 public airports, 12 with federal funding and grant assurances that may require them to remain open during those hours, and that cargo operations, including at Manchester, commonly occur overnight. Members also discussed existing noise abatement programs and how mitigation is determined by noise contours and FAA funding decisions. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing after testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 489, allowing voluntary emergency workers to use rear-facing blue lights on private vehicles when responding to emergencies. The sponsor said the bill corrects an oversight in existing law, would not cost the state or towns money, and would improve visibility and safety, especially in rural areas. Supportive testimony from a volunteer responder emphasized that blue lights help cut through fog, snow, and nighttime conditions, and that the bill would only add a single rear-facing blue light to existing red, amber, and white emergency lighting. The New Hampshire State Police opposed the bill, arguing that expanding blue lights to private vehicles would confuse the public and desensitize drivers to blue lights, which are associated with law enforcement. The hearing closed without action. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 533, which the sponsor and State Police clarified is actually two separate changes: one authorizing civilian automotive equipment inspectors to assist with vehicle inspection work, and another expanding language in motor carrier enforcement to include new entrant safety audits and compliance reviews. The State Police explained that civilian inspectors are hired and trained through the department and that any findings of state-law violations would be referred to troopers; they also said the new motor carrier language was requested to satisfy federal audit concerns about right of entry. The New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said it had no position if the civilian inspectors were not doing commercial truck inspections, but would oppose the bill if they were. Members asked about the difference between audits and compliance reviews, and the State Police said audits are for newer carriers and are non-enforcement, while compliance reviews look for violations. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 533. After a brief reset, the committee opened House Bill 594, which would repeal an alternate definition of “way” for the driving-after-suspension statute. The sponsor said the change was requested by the Department of Justice. Representative Erica Leon opposed the repeal, explaining that the prior language was intended to avoid criminalizing people who mow lawns or perform similar work near property edges while suspended, but she worried the repeal could create a loophole allowing driving on places like highway medians. Members questioned whether the issue was limited to mowing or broader vehicle use on property edges, and Leon said she would work with agencies to clarify the language so it protects lawful mowing without allowing misuse. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I worked in visitor experience, the same department as gallery assistants or abbreviation gas.
• I worked in visitor experience, the same department as gallery assistants or abbreviation gas.
• Uh in a museum abbreviation gas.
• And so when a GA was found sitting, they were escorted off the premises by security, even though they
• And so when a GA was found sitting, they were escorted off the premises by security, even though they

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 3796, as amended by a DE2 amendment, and the amendment was adopted on a voice vote. Representative Jones described the bill as creating a reasonable expectation that employees can sit when the nature of the work allows it, and said the DE2 clarified language with help from the Department of Labor and Industry and added a penalty for violations. She said the bill was inspired by constituents who work in a museum and by concerns about the health effects of prolonged standing, including back and leg pain, fatigue, cardiovascular issues, and pregnancy-related harms. Supporters testified that the bill would improve worker health and safety and reflect common-sense accommodations. A former Walker Arts Center union president described a dispute over stools for gallery assistants, saying workers were told they needed a doctor’s note to use them and that the union gathered signatures and other support after the employer restricted seating. A UFCW representative said seating makes ergonomic sense, can reduce injuries and workers’ compensation costs, and may reduce ADA-related issues, especially for cashiers. Opposition came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business, both of which argued the bill was too vague and could create compliance and litigation problems for employers. They raised questions about what counts as reasonable seating, adequate numbers of seats, and reasonable proximity, and worried about impacts on small businesses, tight workspaces, and industries such as retail, food service, hospitality, nursing, and meatpacking. Department of Labor and Industry staff explained that enforcement would likely begin with technical assistance and an inform-and-educate process, with investigations and possible penalties if compliance could not be achieved. Members also questioned statewide impact and fiscal effects. The chair laid over House File 3796 as amended for further discussion, with no final vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So much of what we would handle, Charlie is an expert when it comes to gas stuff, gas industry.
• My crash course in the gas industry, I'd say probably 85% of it came from Charlie Clements, understanding
• The gas companies don't want it. They hate it.'
• But the gas company—it was a gas company bill again. We'd made a deal with them on permitting.
• I don't know, some of you may remember this, but we had a tax bill here on gas, and it was a time that

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate first handled several House amendments to Senate bills and passed them, including SB 194 updating the definition of disabled veteran taxpayer, SB 499 requiring toxicology tests in auto accidents, SB 672 on Real Estate Commission licensing discipline, SB 724 on home confinement officers and the EMS retirement system, SB 897 on alcohol and drug counselor licensure, and SB 982 creating the Neighborhood Access Road Program. In each case, the chamber agreed to the House changes and then passed the bill, with some measures also given effective dates, including SB 724 effective July 1, 2026 and SB 648 effective from passage. The Senate also concurred in amendments to SB 197, doubling penalties for sex crimes against minors, and SB 648, which removed restrictions on foreign entities in the Strategic and Critical Resources Act. The chamber then took up a series of additional bills and conference actions. It appointed a conference committee on HB 4588 after refusing to recede from its amendment. The Senate passed HB 4009, the Portable Benefit Account Act, after adopting a Banking and Insurance committee strike-and-insert amendment that moved the program to the Division of Labor, expanded portable benefit definitions, and made technical changes. Later, the Senate also passed SB 182 on annexation by minor boundary adjustment after amending the House changes to allow one annexation per year instead of one every two years, and it passed HB 5101 increasing strangulation penalties, HB 4364 on juvenile offender bail and counsel language, HB 4412 on age verification for certain websites, HB 5564 on deputy sheriff vacation carryover, HB 4138 on sex offender registration fees, HB 4951 after receding from its earlier amendment on continuing education, SB 4 after receding from its amendment, SB 389 after refusing to concur in a House amendment that would have stripped the bill, SB 927 on beekeeping and municipal regulation, and HB 5214 on drug testing for parents before reunification. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to Senate Resolution 67 honoring Senator Michael Andrew Woelfel and Senate Resolution 68 honoring Senator Charles Houston Clements. Numerous senators gave extended remarks praising Woelfel’s legal skill, candor, mentorship, and service, and Clements’s long service, institutional knowledge, steadiness, and friendship. Both resolutions were adopted by roll call votes, with SR 67 passing 34-0 and SR 68 passing 33-1. After the resolutions, the Senate recessed briefly to present the outgoing senators with resolutions and flags flown over the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• It seems like Port Canaveral is getting more and more involved with natural gas.
• So Port Everglades does have cruise ships that are taking liquefied natural gas as fuel.
• That gas product either comes out of Jacksonville or Savannah right now.
• Anyone else doing natural gas? No.
• So for Miami, we don't have gas at the port, fuel at the port, but No.

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard SB 356 by Senator Wright, which would create an opt-in framework allowing counties and municipalities to designate certain roads for utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) under local conditions, including driver licensing, insurance, and speed-limit restrictions below 55 mph. Senator Wright said the bill would give law enforcement clearer authority and mirror the local-option approach used for golf carts. Supporters included a retired Volusia County sheriff and county commissioner, who argued UTVs are safer than golf carts and are already being used on roads, while opponents from the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and Honda warned that UTVs are designed for off-road use, lack federal safety standards, and pose crash and tire-blowout risks on public roads. Several senators raised safety concerns, especially about speed and crash severity, but the committee ultimately voted to report SB 356 favorably. The committee then held a lengthy discussion on seaport infrastructure and funding, beginning with a moment of silence for JaxPort COO and former FDOT employee James Bennett. FDOT presented data showing Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports generate major cargo volume, jobs, and economic impact, and described state funding programs such as FSTED, SPI, and the construction aggregate grant program. Port representatives from Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and the Port of Palm Beach described record cargo and cruise activity, major capital projects, and the need for continued state and federal support for dredging, bulkheads, cranes, rail, and terminal expansion. Senators asked about ROI, trade shifts, intermodal connections, fuel and LNG availability, leverage and reserves, and operational risks such as flooding, sea level rise, and channel depth; port officials emphasized resiliency, private partnerships, and long-term master planning. The committee also confirmed appointees to the Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and the Tampa Port Authority in one vote, with no objection. Finally, FDOT presented the statewide mapping programs work group report required by SB 1662, explaining that coordinated statewide use of LiDAR and aerial imagery could reduce duplication, improve emergency management and planning, and support insurance and storm-damage assessment. FDOT recommended a formal statewide coordination program, shared procurement and cost-sharing agreements, dedicated staffing, and statutory updates to Chapter 334 to support interagency agreements and recurring funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• I actually have that Laguna Burger and gas station. I go that far out. So, thank you.
• They consist of ash and flue gas desulfurization material.
• When we talk about gas and oil, we have the remnants of produced oil.
• Do we have any kind of issue like we have with produced water from oil and gas?
• Unlike oil and gas, where the target is not the produced water, it's the oil and gas, and the produced

Transcript Highlights:

• > and<00:03:31.480> I<00:03:31.640> drive<00:03:32.040> a<00:03:32.239> gas
• <00:03:32.519> guzzling<00:03:33.319> RAV like I do and I drive a gas guzzling RAV
• And already electric vehicles only pay $75 toward a fee versus the average $219 or $214 they pay in gas
• I do have a bill that increases... average $219 or $214 they pay in gas tax average $219 or $214 they
• pay in gas tax um<00:05:04.639> and<00:05:04.759> if<00:05:04.960> if<00:05:05.039

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to move on then to the next measure, House Bill 1077, relating to the greenhouse gas sequestration
• relating to the greenhouse gas relating to the greenhouse gas sequestration<00:20:43.760> task
• On House Bill 1017, HD1, relating to the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, members, we passed
• On House Bill 1017, HD1, relating to the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, members, we passed
• On House Bill 1017, HD1, relating to the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, I'd like to pass this

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on several energy- and environment-related measures. HB 242 HD1 on electric vehicle batteries drew support from the Department of Health, the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, SERFCO, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation; the Energy Office suggested a broader working group covering all lithium-ion batteries, and members later adopted amendments including a date change and revised timing language. HB 751 HD2 on statewide organic waste reduction and diversion received mixed testimony, with the Department of Health opposing it over concerns about compostable food packaging and incomplete testing data; the committee nonetheless moved the bill forward with amendments removing compostable food packaging from the definition of organic waste and changing the effective date to July 1, 2050. The committees also considered HB 1020 HD1 on a statewide program to characterize carbon sequestration potential and underground water resources. The Hawaiʻi State Energy Office and Ulupono supported the measure as part of a broader geothermal and energy security effort, while members raised concerns about overlapping roles between agencies and the need for a single coordinated voice. The committee ultimately amended the bill to place DBEDT in charge, with technical changes, and passed it. In a separate portion of the hearing, HB 350 HD2 on energy was heard with support from the State Energy Office, industry, and advocacy groups; opponents argued the existing solar water heater law is working and that variances already allow flexibility. The committee passed HB 350 unamended. Later, the committee heard HB 977 HD1 on energy financing, HB 1017 HD1 on the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, HB 1051 HD1 on energy efficiency portfolio standards, and HB 1406 HD1 on government procedures. HB 977 received support from the Public Utilities Commission, DCCA, and others and was advanced with technical, non-substantive amendments. HB 1017, which would repeal the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, and HB 1051, which sets energy efficiency benchmarks, were both passed unamended. HB 1406, a task force bill aimed at improving permitting and regulatory processes, was amended to add a Senate representative, include the State Energy Office, make the bill effective on approval, and note prior funding requests in the committee report; it was then adopted. Votes were recorded on each measure, with some members excused and HB 751 drawing one no vote from Senator Rhoads.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're not going there for gas. You're not going there for lunch.
• tax revenue from them because they don't buy gas.
• Heavier vehicles typically would have purchased more gas.
• And so, as such, it purchased more gas.
• through the gas it process. through the gas it process.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c><01:02:00.480> all<01:02:00.720> current<01:02:01.000> nurs<01:02:01.319> gas
• <01:02:01.640> are Workforce um all current nurs gas are Workforce um all current nurs gas
• 01:38:19.719> not<01:38:19.920> a<01:38:20.199> sustainable<01:38:21.239> solution
• <01:38:22.239> HB fund is not a sustainable solution HB fund is not a sustainable solution

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education met at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Bachman Hall and heard testimony on several UH-related bills. HB 542 would expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to provide unmet-need scholarships at four-year UH campuses. UH system officials, the UH Student Caucus, and a Honolulu Community College student testified in support, emphasizing college affordability, student retention, and workforce needs. Committee members asked about current program data, eligibility, transfer patterns, and cost; UH said it had data available, noted about 10% of current Hawaiʻi Promise students transfer to four-year campuses, and estimated the full expansion would cost about $12 million. UH also suggested a possible alternative of focusing on transfer opportunities from two-year to four-year campuses. The committee then heard HB 840, which concerns athletics appropriations for UH. UH Mānoa and UH Hilo supported the bill. UH officials said the funding would help cover recurring athletics operating costs, women’s sports travel and recruiting, Austin Awards, and a new nutrition fueling station, while Hilo said the money would help with travel, per diem, and conference-related costs. Members asked about the history of the athletics funding, the difference between Austin Awards and special talent waivers, NIL planning, and whether the appropriation should be restored to the base budget. UH explained that a $4 million athletics appropriation was originally made in 2018 or 2019, later removed from the base, and has been reappropriated annually since then. Finally, the committee heard HB 842, which would fund three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center. UH supported the bill, and Academic Labor United and a high school student testified in favor, citing student stress, overwork, and the need for more counseling access. In questions, members discussed the current counselor-to-student ratio, recruitment challenges in a tight labor market, and strategies for hiring, including looking at candidates on soft-money grants who may be seeking stable employment. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.