Video & Transcript Research : 'technology modernization'

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KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Standing Committee on Families and Children.(3-10-26)

Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:
  • future, but this is going to initiate work that should have happened years ago, including the modernization
  • future, but this is going to initiate work that should have happened years ago, including the modernization
  • Including the modernization of All STARS, data reforms, and financial transparency. Mr.
  • talked to the cabinet about<00:25:08.000> that<00:25:08.240> about<00:25:08.520> technology
  • <00:25:09.160> that's about that about technology that's about that about technology that's
Keywords: 958, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Judiciary Committee Jul 1st, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this is the modern antitrust violation: through these tech tools that are allowing industries to
  • pieces, our goal is to try to make sure that, you know, we know that AI is incredibly powerful technology
  • We're all looking at AI and its pluses and minuses, but to address a technology that business is using
  • First and foremost, I actually worked in technology prior to this job, if you will.
  • California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance and the California Manufacturers and Technology
Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee without quorum at first, then later established quorum and continued hearing several bills. SB 27, the annual CARE Court cleanup bill, would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, allow limited data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and expand eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said it would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people receive treatment; opponents argued it would expand CARE Court too broadly, strain county resources, and divert attention from housing and voluntary services. The bill passed to the Health Committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 82, dealing with so-called “infinite arbitration clauses,” would limit consumer contract arbitration provisions to disputes arising from the product or service actually purchased. The author and supporters said the bill would stop companies from forcing arbitration in unrelated claims and would not ban arbitration itself. Opponents from business and banking groups argued the language was too restrictive, could create litigation over related transactions, and should be clarified as prospective only. The committee approved the bill and placed it on call after a roll call vote. The committee then heard two reparations-related bills. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop a genealogical methodology and framework for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with oversight, reporting, and guardrails tied to recently allocated state funding. Supporters said the bill would create a fair, evidence-based process; opponents, including professional genealogists and reparations advocates, argued the work is already well understood, the bill is unnecessary, and it could delay action. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs. Supporters framed it as needed infrastructure to implement reparations recommendations; opponents objected to locating it in the Department of Justice, warned about data privacy and law enforcement control, and criticized the inclusion of broader communities. Both bills were moved to Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithms to collude on and artificially inflate rental prices; the author and supporters described it as a response to AI-assisted rent fixing in California’s housing market.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

Senate Health and Human Services (03/11/2026)

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • But this just changes it from conspicuously displayed to readily retrievable, a reflection of the modern
  • So basically 504<00:44:22.960> modernizes 504 modernizes 504 modernizes as<00:44:25.040> uh
  • amendment would make updates to short-term health plan duration and renewal limits to reflect the modern
  • <01:29:53.199> regulatory of step with the modern regulatory of step with the modern regulatory
  • renewal limits to reflect the modern renewal limits to reflect the modern insurance<01:30:10.880
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Well, I don't know a lot about technology, but I know that technology can sure help in this way, as a
  • Or, you know, wait and it'll come back around and we'll need. ...about technology, but I know that technology
  • We didn't have today's technology.
  • Sometimes technology can be—I made sure I wrote this down so I don't mess it up—sometimes too much technology
  • This technology goes back to like 1948.
Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness hearing convened in Kerrville with quorum, public testimony limited to three minutes and invited testimony to 10 minutes. Leaders from both chambers, along with the lieutenant governor and speaker, framed the hearing as an unprecedented joint effort focused on learning from the July 4 flood, honoring victims, and identifying actions to reduce future loss of life. The committee also heard opening remarks about decorum, logistics, and the intent to continue work in future sessions. The first panel included Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas IV, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, Upper Guadalupe River Authority representative William Rector, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, and Real County Judge Bella Rubio. They described the flood as sudden and catastrophic, with Kerr County reporting 108 deaths and two missing. Local officials emphasized that they received no timely warning of the scale of the event, that responders and volunteers acted heroically under extreme conditions, and that communications, cell coverage, and rural emergency resources were strained. Several witnesses said the county’s existing alert systems were limited by geography, sparse broadband, and the speed of the flood. Testimony focused on possible improvements, including real-time flood gauges and predictive monitoring, stronger rural emergency management staffing and training, better interoperability and alerting tools such as IPAWS, CodeRED, WENS, and sirens, and expanded broadband and radio coverage. Kerrville asked for a flood warning system before next summer and state help for stormwater, floodplain, and disaster recovery funding. UGRA described its past and current flood-warning and mitigation efforts, including gauge funding, a new software-based flood prediction project, and consideration of additional retention dams. Kendall and Real counties highlighted successful or needed alerting and evacuation practices, while also stressing the difficulty of funding and maintaining such systems in small rural counties. Members asked detailed questions about the timeline of the flood response, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and whether regional consolidation or additional infrastructure could improve future preparedness.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Public Works and Highways (01/13/2026)

Public Works and Highways

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, has the technology I know we've dealt with similar road salt bills in the past, but is the technology
  • Um, has the technology I know we've dealt with similar road salt bills in the past, but is the technology
  • Um, has the technology I know we've dealt with similar road salt bills in the past, but is the technology
  • in the past, but is the technology in the past, but is the technology available<01:01:48.880>
  • U all modern taking my question.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, May 5, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <04:22:57.920> We to steal and exploit US technology.
  • I bill to fund IT modernization for BIS.
  • own goods and technologies against us. own goods and technologies against us.
  • <08:12:26.478> And technologies to get all of it out.
  • And technologies to get all of it out.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming Jun 21st, 2026 at 12:00 pm

Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming

Transcript Highlights:
  • Commonwealth's path to net zero emissions by 2050, we often think of hard infrastructure and innovative new technologies
  • I know in previous proceedings this committee has been thinking about technological approaches to the
  • Currently, there are no commercially viable technologies that perform carbon removal at this scale.
  • And what's interesting to me as a climate scientist is that for years, all we worked on was technological
  • This law is in need of update and modernization.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The committee held a hearing on natural and working lands, carbon sequestration, and related provisions in Governor Healey’s $3 billion Mass Ready Act. EEA officials described the bill’s investments in flooding, land protection, tree planting, wetlands restoration, biodiversity, dams, seawalls, and coastal resilience, along with permitting reforms intended to speed ecological restoration projects. They also outlined current programs on resilient lands, healthy soils, forest climate solutions, forest reserves, and urban tree planting, and said the administration expects natural and working lands to offset up to 7 million metric tons of residual emissions by 2050, while acknowledging that additional strategies will be needed to close the gap to the state’s 10-million-ton offset target. Committee members pressed EEA on the cost of reaching the 30% conservation-by-2030 goal, the loss of a federal USDA grant of about $22 million, the adequacy of current sequestration estimates, and whether the state should consider regional approaches or statutory changes. EEA said current state conservation spending has been about $35 million to $40 million annually, that the Mass Ready Act is intended to help double the pace of conservation, and that federal funding remains uncertain. Senators also raised concerns about PILOT payments for state-owned land, the management of state forests, and the proposed Chapter 91 general license for restoration projects. EEA said the bill’s forest reserve language is meant to create a more durable designation process while still allowing limited active management. Advocates from The Nature Conservancy and Mass Audubon supported stronger investment in land conservation and restoration, saying natural and working lands are a cost-effective climate strategy that also provides biodiversity, water quality, and public health benefits. They urged passage of legislation to increase funding, improve PILOT equity, and strengthen land-use planning and mitigation requirements. They also backed removing Chapter 91 licensing requirements for ecological restoration, arguing that the current process adds cost and delay. In a later panel, a forest scientist and an urban forestry advocate emphasized the carbon and cooling benefits of mature trees, called for greater protection of older forests, and supported bills to expand municipal reforestation and modernize public shade tree law. No votes were taken during the hearing.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session May 7th, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • shared past and collaborative future together in policies ranging from agriculture and labor to technology
  • shared past and collaborative future together in policies ranging from agriculture and labor to technology
  • . ...collaborative future together in policies ranging from agriculture and labor to technology and education
  • They shared about their investments in innovation and technology.
  • It's an understatement to say that Larry helped shape the modern labor movement in the Bay Area.
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • example was a good one, but much of the income made by multinational corporations, by big pharma, by technology
  • example was a good one, but much of the income made by multinational corporations by big pharma, by technology
  • , is based. by multinational corporations by big pharma, by technology, is based on intellectual property
  • Sarah Bridges, on behalf of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, in opposition.
  • has been limited and inconsistent, making it difficult to invest in large-scale improvements to modernize
Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation heard several bills dealing with tax policy, local revenue authority, consumer protections, and incentives for development. AB 1726 would create catastrophe savings accounts for homeowners to save pre-tax dollars for disaster mitigation and recovery costs; it drew support from the Department of Insurance and the California Bankers Association, while the California Teachers Association opposed it because of the General Fund and Prop. 98 impact. The bill was referred to suspense. AB 1768 would authorize Los Angeles and Contra Costa counties to ask voters to approve local transaction and use taxes to offset projected federal funding cuts affecting health care and safety-net services; it received broad support from health providers and county representatives, opposition from one member and a resident, and passed the committee 5-2 to the Assembly Local Government Committee. The committee also considered AB 1790, which would repeal the Waters Edge corporate tax election and require worldwide combined reporting for multinational corporations. The author and supporters argued it would close a loophole, raise several billion dollars annually, and help fund schools, Medi-Cal, and other programs; opponents warned of double taxation, compliance burdens, retaliation from foreign governments, and job losses. After extensive testimony and member debate, the bill was referred to suspense. AB 2020 would provide a full property tax exemption for the primary residence of 100% disabled veterans and surviving spouses, and AB 2069 would create a targeted sales and use tax exemption to spur development projects at fairgrounds; both measures had support from sponsors and related organizations, no opposition, and were referred to suspense. Finally, AB 2705 would regulate third-party “asset finders” who help claim excess proceeds from tax sales by requiring written agreements, disclosure that claims can be filed free with the county, and a cap on fees at 10%. County officials and local government groups supported the bill as a consumer protection measure, while recovery companies and related firms opposed it, arguing the work is complex and the cap would reduce access to services. The committee moved AB 2705 to the Assembly floor on a 4-0 vote.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Jan 21st, 2026

Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • chairperson of the board of managers for Rapid Fiber Internet, expanding broadband access to support modern
  • appointment to the board, I've been proud to support and be part of a transformational and massive technology
  • students for high-skill, high-demand, and high-wage careers in fields such as health care, information technology
  • Palm Beach County is experiencing rapid growth in business, finance, health care, and technology, and
  • Stilly, and we so appreciate your being with us, and unfortunately, given our technological problems
Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to consider a large slate of confirmations and reappointments to boards of trustees for Florida’s colleges, universities, and the Florida Prepaid College Board. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the importance of trustee appointments to maintaining Florida’s higher education system, and the committee heard brief testimony from each nominee about their background, ties to the institution, and priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, fiscal stewardship, and community partnerships. Several nominees highlighted personal connections to their schools, including alumni status, family legacy, or prior service on the board, while others emphasized experience in business, law, education, health care, or public service. Testimony focused heavily on workforce development and institutional growth. Speakers cited nursing, dual enrollment, applied programs, military and veteran support, broadband access, agriculture, law enforcement, and technical training as key areas for colleges to meet regional labor needs. University nominees discussed research expansion, affordability, strategic planning, and partnerships with industry and government, with Florida Atlantic, Florida Polytechnic, the University of West Florida, and the University of South Florida each described as being in periods of growth or transition. Miami-Dade College, Tallahassee State College, Polk State College, and other state colleges were praised for enrollment, economic impact, and job placement outcomes. The committee also heard from the Florida Prepaid College Board reappointee, who described the program as a long-term promise backed by public trust and reported recent technology and customer-service improvements. After testimony, the committee took up the nominations as a group. One nominee, Drew Weatherford, had withdrawn and was not voted on. The remaining trustees were approved unanimously by roll call and reported favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The meeting then adjourned.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And so really trying to maximize every single person that we have, every single piece of technology that
  • requesting $2.6 million in 2025-26 and ongoing to continue maintenance and operations of its Business Modernization
  • This project addresses business and technology needs that will increase This project addresses business
  • and technology needs that will increase efficiency and accuracy of work activities for five programs
  • that currently rely on very old legacy technology solutions for their enforcement and licensing systems
Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held an informational hearing on budget issues for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Cannabis Control, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Arts Council. The chair noted there would be no votes. CalVet gave an overview of its programs serving veterans and families, including transition assistance, county veterans service officers, education approvals, housing and homelessness programs, home loans, long-term care homes, and state veterans cemeteries. Members asked about future long-term care needs for aging veterans, staffing and recruitment challenges at veterans homes, and the Yountville steam infrastructure replacement project, for which CalVet sought a $38.8 million reappropriation and said federal reimbursement was expected. CalVet also discussed the role of county veterans service officers in helping veterans file claims and avoid predatory unaccredited representatives. The Department of Cannabis Control described its regulatory role from seed to sale and requested one position to implement SB 1064’s combined activities license. Members and public witnesses focused heavily on the illicit cannabis market, enforcement staffing, and the impact of taxes and fees on the legal market. DCC said it had roughly 87 enforcement positions with about a 15% vacancy rate and more than 200 compliance staff. Its economist presented the 2024 cannabis market report, which found licensed production and retail quantity were up, but retail value and prices were down, with an estimated 11.4 million pounds of illicit production and about 60% of California consumption still coming from the illicit market. Industry witnesses argued the legal market is in crisis, urged repeal of the scheduled excise tax increase, stronger enforcement against illicit cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicants, and expanded retail access. The Department of Consumer Affairs briefly presented nine budget proposals, including a $2.6 million ongoing request to maintain a business modernization system for several boards and bureaus. The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls described its work on economic and educational equity, health care, violence prevention, student rights, and archival and outreach projects, and said its budget request would convert limited-term positions to permanent. A member urged the commission to narrow its priorities toward current issues such as affordability, child care, and women’s health. The California Arts Council outlined its role as the state’s only statewide arts funder and requested restoration of $5 million in local assistance; supporters testified that the funding would leverage additional local investment and help sustain arts access, especially in rural communities. The hearing ended after the non-presentation items were noted and no further public comment was offered.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Rules Mar 26th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • It makes for changes to increase efficiency to efficiencies and modernize the court system.
  • It company specializing in atmospheric water generation awg a sustainable technology that produces clean
  • This technology reduces the burden on our aquifers.
  • Our technology can alleviate the struggles of community disproportionately affected by drought on sharing
  • That's another technology that perhaps should be regulated differently.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

February 13, 2025 - 09:00 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • Step Up continues to leverage technology innovations to allow for major efficiencies in the reimbursement
  • Hero, the technology platform that you demoed. Was that an out-of-the-box solution?
  • So could you talk a little bit about your technology platform and kind of where that came from?
  • This will be the third school year with our modernized scholarship platform.
  • not to interrupt you, but before you forget, before you begin, I just want everybody to know our technological
Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met to continue reviewing how Family Empowerment Scholarship students are funded through the FEFP and the role of scholarship funding organizations. Staff gave a statutory overview of parent, SFO, and Department of Education responsibilities, including application deadlines, eligibility verification, quarterly payment timing, cross-checks to prevent duplicate funding, and the 99% district FEFP limitation for certain awards. The committee then heard demonstrations from Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation showing their parent portals, application workflows, reimbursement systems, school enrollment/invoice processes, and marketplace tools for tuition, tutoring, and approved goods and services. Step Up reported major growth since HB 1, saying its scholarship population expanded from about 260,000 to more than 440,000 students, with application processing averaging about 10 days. It also highlighted faster tuition, provider, and reimbursement payments, multilingual support in English and Spanish, and resources such as videos and a call center. Members asked about support for Creole speakers, optional Florida ID numbers, student identifiers, marketplace pricing, tutor qualifications, background screening, and how awards differ from funded status. Step Up said it does not currently support Creole, does not do background screenings for tutors, sets no marketplace prices itself, and uses a unique internal student ID separate from the state ID. AAA demonstrated its revised software for the 2025-26 school year, including an eligibility screener, household and student application steps, messaging with staff, reimbursement requests, and administrative review and payment batching. AAA said the new system is custom-built, more transparent about award value versus available balance, and designed to better handle quarterly funding for UA students. Members questioned AAA and Step Up about student ID numbers, public-school cross-checks, fraud controls, school fee schedules, whether schools must participate, and reimbursement timing. Both organizations said they report quarterly to DOE, receive public-school cross-checks, and recover funds when students return to public school; AAA said its average reimbursement turnaround is about 14 business days, while Step Up said its reimbursement approvals have improved significantly. The committee also requested follow-up information, including one-pagers, data on income levels and demographics, and additional details on forecasting and system costs.
US
Transcript Highlights:
  • The common thread in my private sector work was technology.
  • And I will bring a deep understanding of technology markets to the DOJ.
  • But of course, the DOJ Antitrust Division does not just focus its resources on technology markets.
  • You're saying that a technology company can't be sued?
  • And these technology companies, a shield nobody else gets, special privileges nobody else gets.
Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Todd Blanch and Gail Slater for the positions of Deputy Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, respectively. The committee considered the qualifications of both nominees, with opening statements provided by the nominees themselves. There was an evident emphasis on the rigorous vetting process that nominees undergo before their selection, highlighting the importance of the roles within the Department of Justice. Members of the committee engaged in a structured question-and-answer session to further evaluate the nominees' capabilities and fit for the positions they were nominated for, with each member allotted seven minutes to pose questions.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session Jul 2nd, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • driven by the rising costs of health care and public safety, as well as the need to maintain and modernize
  • This tragedy reminds us that behind every aircraft, every mission, and every technological advancement
Keywords: 988, house, all
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Agriculture Apr 21st, 2026 at 08:30 am

Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:
  • When you modernize something, what does that all entail? I'm not an engineer.
  • And that technology does exist and has been successful in other areas. Thank you.
Keywords: 959, house, all
Summary: The House Agriculture Committee first met in executive session on House Bill 2998. Members discussed a committee substitute that narrowed the bill to a study of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and the Rural Development Office, and extended the deadline to December 1, 2029. After questions about the cost and whether the proposed river-related project would work, the committee adopted the substitute and then voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2998 do pass by a roll call of 21 ayes and 0 noes. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 913, which would extend a number of agricultural tax credits for five years and add a short-line railroad tax credit. Senator Curtis Gregory explained the bill as a continuation of existing programs such as the MAZBIDTA program, rolling stock credits, meat processing incentives, biodiesel and ethanol-related credits, and the new short-line railroad provision. He and supporters said the bill would provide certainty for agricultural investment, rural development, and railroad infrastructure, and several witnesses from farm, railroad, banking, business, and commodity groups testified in favor. Committee members asked detailed questions about how unused credits carry forward, how the rolling stock credit reimburses local political subdivisions, and whether the short-line railroad credit could benefit lessees or be transferred. Supporters said the rolling stock provision makes local governments whole rather than creating a double payment, and that the short-line credit is intended to help rehabilitate aging rail lines and spur economic development. Opponents argued that Missouri’s tax credit system is too large, lacks sufficient auditing, and imposes significant costs on the state budget; one witness said the bill could add tens of millions in fiscal impact and should not be funded. No vote was taken on SB 913 in the portion of the transcript provided.
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Agriculture Apr 21st, 2026

Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • When you modernize something, what does that all entail? I'm not an engineer.
  • And that technology does exist and has been successful in other areas. Thank you.
Summary: The committee first met in executive session on House Bill 2998 and adopted a House committee substitute that narrowed the bill to a study of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and the Rural Development Office, with a new date of December 1, 2029. Members asked about the fiscal note and whether the proposal was simply a study rather than a broader project. The committee then voted the substitute do pass on a 21-0 roll call. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 913, which would extend several agricultural tax credits for five years and add/adjust provisions for short-line railroads, biodiesel, rolling stock, meat processing, specialty crops, and related programs. Senator Gregory and supporters said the bill would provide certainty for agricultural investment, rural development, ethanol and biodiesel production, meat processors, and short-line rail infrastructure, with several witnesses emphasizing return on investment, competitiveness, and the importance of keeping Missouri agriculture strong. Some members also discussed the rolling stock credit and local tax backfill, with supporters saying it simply makes local political subdivisions whole and does not create a double payment. Opponents, led by the State Public Advocate, argued Missouri’s tax credit system is too large, costly, and insufficiently audited, and said the state could not afford the projected fiscal impact. They criticized the credits as giveaways and questioned whether the programs would happen without incentives. Despite those objections, the hearing featured broad support from farm, rail, banking, agribusiness, chamber, and commodity groups, and no vote was taken on SB 913 before the committee adjourned.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Child Committee Meeting - 2025-04-10

Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • If you recall under the DE-1, there is money available—technology grants that can go for cameras for
  • Next year is when we have to do modernization, and we're going to do a great job.
Bills: HF2436, HF2929
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Apr 9th, 2025

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • TWC is in the process of implementing the Texas Child Care Connection project, which includes modernizing
  • So this technology is out, it's widespread, and it effectively forms a dissolution of reality.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations Apr 8th, 2025 at 08:30 am

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • are owned by the Historical Society, and these improvements are needed to continue the goal of modernizing
  • install exhibits, address maintenance challenges, fabricate exhibit components, fix aging exhibition technology
Bills: HB1603
Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum and announced it would begin meeting at 8 a.m. for the rest of the week to work through a growing bill list. The committee first approved House Bill 1603, a companion to the Historical Society budget dealing with NAGPRA, including a $500,000 matching grant to be divided among North Dakota’s five tribes and a committee to address repatriation of human remains and cultural items. The vote was unanimous, 15-0. The committee then considered House Bill 1225, which would increase penalties for reckless endangerment involving a firearm and create a mandatory prison term. After debate over public safety concerns versus the bill’s fiscal note and prison costs, the committee adopted a do not pass recommendation by a 9-6-1 vote. Members also discussed House Bill 1018, the State Historical Society budget, and approved an amendment that adjusted one-time funding items, including NAGPRA compliance, museum exhibits, military gallery funding, local historic grants, and line-of-credit repayment. The amended bill then received a due pass recommendation by a 14-2 vote. The committee next approved House Bill 1468, a behavioral health facility grant for St. Hayes, which supporters said would expand in-state access to acute and adolescent behavioral health care and reduce the need to send patients out of state. The bill passed 14-1. It then amended and passed House Bill 1485, increasing the personal needs allowance for certain Medicaid recipients by $15 and indexing it to inflation; the amendment and the bill as amended both passed 14-2. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 1016, the Adjutant General/National Guard budget, after adopting an amendment that funded disaster relief, response equipment, IT and website costs, and staffing changes for the watch center; the amended bill passed 14-2. The committee adjourned after completing six bills and planned to resume the next morning at 8 a.m.