Transcript Highlights:

• Jalen is interested in really becoming a part of public service.
• and Human Services.
• SB 1316, Arizona rural health transformation fund — Health and Human Services.
• SB 1318, mammography results notice repeal — Health and Human Services.
• SB 1368, SNAP allowed purchases waiver — Health and Human Services.

Summary: The Arizona Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, confirmed attendance, and approved the prior journal. Several senators then used points of personal privilege to introduce guests and recognize visitors, including Chaplain Ron Lagata, an Air Force air traffic controller apprentice shadowing Senator Gabaldón, a guest of Senator Farnsworth, and a group connected to Arizona’s space industry and Special Olympics Arizona. Senator Bolick read a proclamation for “Not in Our State,” condemning human trafficking and calling on Arizonans, schools, churches, nonprofits, law enforcement, and businesses to work together to prevent trafficking and support victims. Senator Tothley then gave an emotional statement about the death of an eight-year-old girl in his community, criticized delays in the turquoise alert system, and urged statewide changes so alerts go out more quickly and broadly. The Senate observed a moment of silence in the child’s memory. The chamber then moved through second reading of a long list of bills and resolutions covering topics such as counseling after traumatic events, military permitting, EMS reciprocity, election procedures, court-ordered treatment, assisted living, juvenile detention education, Alzheimer’s funding, gaming appropriations, short-term rentals, law enforcement mask prohibitions, fire district formation, prison and correction officer issues, port of entry funding, appeals court structure, and congressional term limits. Several bills were also referred to committees, including measures on voting centers, candidate petition circulators, weather modification, federal land acquisition consent, bleed control kits, foreign donations, unemployment benefits, and SNAP purchases. The Senate also announced upcoming committee meetings and then adjourned until Monday, January 26, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• and patent that technology that is non-destructive.
• Um, this is a huge, I think in my mind a huge technology, uh, gain.
• Technology is allowing us to, to mediate that a little bit through Zoom and other distance technologies
• I mean, You're, you're a mission oriented extension service group, right?
• Was that technology? Could you give me a little more background? Yeah, that technology. Dr.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to call to order this very first hearing of the Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer
• Ken Wang, on behalf of the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy, in support.
• our adult chatbots, like the large language model technology.
• It doesn't outlaw technology, but certainly puts appropriate guardrails on it.
• This is how convincing this technology has become.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , a service that cannot be overstated.
• While most were sleeping, he gave his life in service. We lost a man that we loved deeply.
• While most were sleeping, he gave his life in service. We lost a man that we loved deeply.
• While most were sleeping, he gave his life in service.
• Technology has facilitated a reduction in this workforce over the last 40 years.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hybrid hearing on 31 bills covering driver privacy and data, distinctive license plates, public awareness signage, railroad safety, superload permitting, TNC/delivery data reporting, and MBTA safety measures. Chairs Jim Arciero and Brendan Crighton outlined the hearing process, and the committee heard testimony from state officials, advocates, family members of fallen officers and firefighters, transportation industry representatives, civil liberties groups, and others. No votes were taken during the hearing itself, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn. Several speakers supported bills creating a Blue Star Family license plate to honor families of fallen law enforcement officers, and a separate motorcycle plate for fallen firefighters. Colonel Jeffrey Noble and others from the Healey-Driscoll Administration and law enforcement groups said the plates would complement existing memorial practices and provide a lasting public tribute. Family members of officers killed in the line of duty gave emotional testimony in support, and Representative Steve Ultrino and Paul Jakes backed the firefighter memorial motorcycle plate as revenue-neutral, with proceeds supporting the fallen firefighter memorial. The committee also heard testimony on transportation policy and safety bills. Industry witnesses urged modernization of Massachusetts superload permitting rules, saying current requirements are slower and more expensive than neighboring states and delay public projects. Advocates supported a human trafficking awareness bill requiring hotline signage in transit facilities, a driver privacy bill limiting automatic license plate reader data retention and sharing, and a bill requiring two-person crews on freight trains and other railroad safety measures such as hotbox detectors and transportation for railroad employees. Senator John Keenan also testified for expanded naloxone availability in MBTA stations and said the MBTA had not fully complied with prior legislative directives.

Transcript Highlights:

• can charge for services also offered by the DMV.
• This bill reduces service capacity without reducing demand.
• And then it just, what it applied to, the types of services, have a cap, whereas other services in last
• And we must ensure emerging technologies do not add to that toll.
• And so, at least it is, you have technology, and unfortunately with technology, we have to find out what

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provider covers a prescribed service for one patient population, they also cover the same service for
• , water, or electrical services when the interruption of service begins.
• The same technology that can address the 3D-printed firearm problem The same technology that can address
• It is to configure proven technology for this specific application.
• That's what I understood in terms of technology.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1184, HOAs uniformed services division flags.
• SB 1195, appropriation legal assistance services aid.
• SB 1242, mental health hearings, video audio visual technology, Health and Human Services.
• Transportation Technology.
• SB 1253, Safe Haven providers hospital deliveries, Health and Human Services.

Summary: The Senate convened with a prayer by Rabbi Mendel Soup of Lake Havasu and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Senator Carroll, then completed an electronic roll call and approved the journal for January 20, 2026. The chamber recognized several guest groups and visitors, including CRNA Capital Day participants, rural electric cooperative representatives, AEA Retired members, March of Dimes advocates, students and school officials, and other invited guests. Senators used points of personal privilege to highlight the work of these groups and to introduce visitors in the gallery. The body then read a long list of bills on second reading, covering a wide range of topics including child welfare, public school safety, health insurance, water policy, taxation, housing, elections, public safety, transportation, and abortion-related measures. The Senate also received first-reading introductions and committee referrals for additional bills on subjects such as motor vehicle booting fees, traumatic event counseling, election procedures, assisted living, short-term rentals, and various appropriations and policy changes. No substantive debate or votes on the bills were recorded in the transcript. After committee reports were noted and the Senate briefly recessed for bill assignments, the chamber returned to order and continued with first reading and reference of more bills and resolutions. At the end of the session, the Majority Whip moved to adjourn, and the Senate adjourned until Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the Washington Technology Industry Association.
• They'd be covered under the Personnel Services Reform Act, the 4180, like general government civil service
• Washington's commitment to harnessing novel technologies to unlock human flourishing.
• Washington can and should be on the positive side of technological history.
• I'm here today on behalf of the Information Technology Industry Council.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held public hearings on several bills related to artificial intelligence, student employee bargaining, and online safety. For HB 1170, staff explained that the bill would require certain large generative AI providers to offer provenance detection tools and include latent or optional manifest disclosures in AI-generated audio, image, and video content, with enforcement by the Attorney General under the Consumer Protection Act. Committee discussion focused on whether the bill would apply to AI-generated text code, and staff clarified that it would not. Testimony from the Washington Technology Industry Association opposed the bill as written, citing enforcement ambiguity, definition changes, and interoperability concerns, while noting support for continued work on the issue. For HB 1570, staff described the underlying bill as extending collective bargaining rights under the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act to student employees at several state higher education institutions, with a striking amendment narrowing the bill to non-academic student employees at Western Washington University and listing covered job classifications. Staff estimated the original bill’s fiscal impact at about $1.5 million per biennium, reduced to roughly $200,000 per biennium under the striking amendment. Testimony from labor and student representatives supported the narrowed bill, emphasizing student worker safety, organizing support, and the need to move forward after prior union votes. The committee also heard substitute HB 1833, which would create the Spark Act grant program in the Department of Commerce to support innovative uses of AI, with grants requiring a state benefit and shared technology, and with Commerce consulting the Attorney General’s AI Task Force. Staff estimated administrative costs of about $160,000 per year plus grant funding that could bring total annual program costs to roughly $660,000 to $1.6 million. Representative Keaton said an amendment would update dates and incorporate changes. Testimony was generally supportive from industry and retail representatives, who framed the bill as a pro-innovation public-private partnership. Finally, the committee heard a proposed third substitute for HB 1834, which would prohibit addictive feeds for minor users and restrict push notifications during evening and school hours unless parents consent, while allowing all users to limit feeds and privacy settings. Supporters, including the Attorney General’s Office, Children’s Alliance, and a parent who lost a child to social media harms, argued the bill would protect children and reduce behavioral health costs. Opponents from technology, civil liberties, and industry groups raised constitutional, privacy, and vagueness concerns, warning that age determination could function like age verification and that the bill could restrict access to beneficial content. No votes or executive action were taken; the committee concluded public hearings and announced amendment deadlines for upcoming executive sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes bookstores, food services, housing, student unions, and support services.
• They’re mainly operating student services and support services programs.
• As you mentioned, technology changes.
• “Service for both products, or could customer service be open on Saturday for the consumer product but
• There's no one who thinks that anyone actually reads terms of service or agrees to those terms of service

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• distributed ledger technologies.
• So this distributed ledger technology is...
• Most know us for our data, our video, and our voice services, but we have additional services as well
• This isn't a technology transformation.
• I'm the CIO for the North Dakota University System and Core Technology Services.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• technology...
• Representative Penner: ...again, a fictional technology to meet requirements for technology that are
• and ableist technology, to solve a problem that doesn't exist.
• Lastly, it fictionalizes technology.
• Technology that is going to identify every possible instance of AI.

Bills: HB2073, HB2403, HB2587, HB2607, HB1170, HB1570, HB1710, HB1750, HB1834, HB2441

Keywords: health insurance, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, failure to register, criminal justice, registration requirements, public safety, law enforcement, nonprofit, grant funding, pilot program, financial support, community development, child care, childcare, subsidy rates, rate regions, market rate survey

Transcript Highlights:

• particular, and I think all of our colleagues, are looking for budget savings that don't imperil services
• It's a way to both save money and improve the services that this state delivers.
• The technology that we see in other states right now is not the top-of-the-line technology that we will
• The technology that we see in other states right now is not the top-of-the-line technology that we will
• The technology that we see in other states right now is not the top-of-the-line technology that we will

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2565, which would require University of Washington gifts, grants, and similar funds to be invested through the Washington State Investment Board instead of UW’s internal investment office. Staff and the prime sponsor argued the change would lower fees and improve returns, while UW’s representatives opposed the bill, citing concerns about donor intent, legal restrictions on thousands of individual endowments, and differences in portfolio management and liquidity needs. No questions were raised in the hearing, and no action was taken on the bill at that time. The committee then moved into executive session on several bills. On Third Substitute House Bill 1607, related to recycling and waste reduction, members adopted a technical amendment but rejected amendments that would have directed unredeemed deposits to the Working Families Tax Credit and litter programs, added accountability requirements for grants, or created a SNAP-related benefit. The bill was then reported out of committee with a do pass recommendation on a 17-13 vote. On Second Substitute House Bill 1622, concerning bargaining over public employers’ use of artificial intelligence, members adopted one amendment updating the AI definition and rejected three others that would have narrowed bargaining triggers or limited the bill to technologies with demonstrable material impacts. The bill was reported out with a do pass recommendation on a 19-11 vote. The committee also advanced House Bill 2254, which would cover administrative costs for the Partnership Access Line assessment, and House Bill 2385, which extends timelines for the Medicaid access program after federal changes affected implementation; both were reported out with do pass recommendations. House Bill 2531, continuing and adjusting the ground transportation quality assurance fee structure, also passed out of committee. Finally, House Bill 2543, allowing county clerks to increase certain fees to cover court-related costs, was reported out with a do pass recommendation on a 22-6 vote. The committee adjourned after completing its business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Conversely, many service or 5G Wi-Fi.
• Do we cover the monthly service?
• Do we cover the monthly service?
• Do we cover the monthly service?
• Do we cover the monthly service?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So SpaceX is the world-leading space launch and space services provider.
• You don't have cell service; it's been knocked out.
• You don't have cell service; it's been knocked out.
• We go out west where there's very limited to no service.
• The challenges and technologies might be a little different... ...any other.

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on Florida’s space economy and related infrastructure. SpaceX Vice President Kiko Donchev described the company’s Florida operations, launch cadence, reusable rocket program, Starlink service, and plans for future Starship activity at the Cape. Senators asked about Florida employment, expansion plans, satellite lifetimes, disaster-relief uses of Starlink, and recreational connectivity; members also praised SpaceX’s hurricane response and broader public benefits. Donchev said SpaceX’s Florida workforce has grown to about 1,600 and that the company hopes to add Starship pads and continue expanding in the state. The committee then recognized Commander Dennis Baker for his military service and veteran advocacy, including his leadership of the Florida Veterans Foundation, grant work, the Walk of Honor, and the Gadsden Flag license plate program. Members highlighted that revenue from the plate helps fund veterans’ dental care and noted upcoming dental services for veterans in Volusia County. Baker received a flag flown over the Capitol and a framed gubernatorial proclamation. Newview CEO Clint Grumman presented the company’s commercial satellite LiDAR mapping system, describing its Lake Nona headquarters, Florida ownership, planned jobs, and applications for infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. He said the company’s satellite data could improve accuracy and lower costs, and noted partnerships including a Department of Defense contract and a European Space Agency moon-mapping effort. Space Florida then outlined its role as the state’s aerospace finance and business development authority, emphasizing its pipeline of projects, spaceport improvement program, workforce academy, and efforts to address infrastructure constraints and seek tax-exempt bond authority for spaceports. NASA’s Kelvin Manning closed with an update on Kennedy Space Center, highlighting Artemis progress, rising launch demand, commercial partnerships, economic impact, and the Florida University Space Research Consortium. No bills were voted on, and the meeting adjourned after comments from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• And a budget proposal for their digital service delivery teams.
• We’ll move over to the Department of Technology.
• We are also decisively moving into operations and service.
• So does Skyline Technologies then report directly to it?
• CDT requests $1 million in technology services revolving fund authority in 2026-27 and $550,000 in 2027

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , Core Technology Services, capital bond appropriations, financial aid grants, and then into the institutions
• And then the bigger chunks are really our programs and services, our tech services that we do, the registration
• And then on the tech service side, it's very similar: the tech service clients have increased their purchase
• Forest Service and from the air bases.
• We have several technologies.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed the 2024-25 tuition waiver report for the North Dakota University System. Staff explained that waivers were reported for degree-seeking students and broken out by residency, institution, and waiver type. Members asked about partial versus full waivers, institutional discretion, athletic waivers, and whether campuses have published guardrails or transparency requirements. Staff said most waivers are set by institutions, with some statutory and board-required categories, and that athletic waivers are a small share of total waiver dollars. The report showed total gross tuition of $354.5 million, tuition waived of $38.9 million, and 11,193 of 42,040 students receiving some waiver. Members also discussed how waivers affect net tuition revenue, housing and food collections, and whether campuses are using waivers strategically compared with scholarships and other funding sources. The committee then heard a presentation on tuition rates by campus and State Board policy. Staff explained the board’s tuition factors for resident, Minnesota reciprocity, contiguous-state/U.S. nonresident, and international students, and noted that campuses often seek exceptions based on program-specific competition and enrollment goals. Members asked whether rates are based on cost or competition, and staff said campuses typically bring forward estimates and market comparisons when requesting special rates. The presentation also reviewed general fund appropriations versus net tuition revenue by campus, and members discussed how local tuition decisions and waivers do not directly affect the state funding formula, though they do affect institutional revenue and reserves. Questions were also raised about the Higher Learning Commission’s financial composite indicator and how it differs from the more intuitive reserve and revenue figures. The committee next received a broad overview of non-higher-education entities affiliated with the State Board of Higher Education, beginning with NDSU agriculture-related units. Dr. Greg Lardy described the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, the NDSU Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the branch research centers, emphasizing their statewide role in crop and livestock research, extension education, and county-based outreach. He outlined funding mixes for extension, the experiment station, and branch stations, noting that grants and contracts support both research and education, while the agronomy seed farm is self-funded through seed sales. Members asked about the new and vacant FTE pool, R1 research status, matching requirements for grants, and whether state appropriations count toward research expenditures. Dr. Lardy also highlighted major research impacts, including crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, and NDAWN weather data. The Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute also presented. NCI described its role in market development, technical services, and education for regional agriculture, its governance through the Northern Crops Council, and its funding from state appropriations, other states, and earned revenue. Members asked about the source of out-of-state funding, intellectual property, and the institute’s international reach. UGPTI then outlined its transportation research, federal and state funding structure, and work on road and bridge condition assessments, travel demand modeling, and workforce training. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides solid waste services for the region.
• It requires a data center that seeks electricity service or is already receiving service to agree to
• It requires a data center that seeks electricity service or is already receiving service to agree to
• Additionally, an agency that is deploying AI technology through a SPARC grant technology is required
• It invests in cutting-edge technology.

Summary: The committee first suspended the five-day notice rule and then heard House Bill 2521 on firearm background check fees. Staff explained that the bill would remove the $18 fee cap and allow Washington State Patrol to set fees based on actual program costs, which could be about $33 to $35 per check. Supporters said the change was needed to keep the background check system operating and avoid delays and layoffs; opponents argued it would burden lawful gun owners and amount to an unconstitutional tax or barrier to a constitutional right. No vote was taken in the hearing. Members then heard Substitute House Bill 2475 on language-accessible public programs, which would direct the Office of Equity to develop uniform language-access guidelines, address interpreter and translator shortages, and require agency implementation reporting. Testimony was strongly supportive, emphasizing the need for consistent access for limited-English-proficient residents and the benefits for schools, families, and state services. The committee also heard Second Substitute House Bill 2479 on wage recovery, which would create a wage recovery fund to provide partial advance payments to low-wage workers with meritorious unpaid wage claims and adjust wage penalty provisions. Employers, labor advocates, and legal services representatives largely supported the bill as a bipartisan, worker-protection measure funded by penalties rather than the general fund. The committee next took up Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1960 on renewable energy tax incentives, which would replace existing property tax and excise tax provisions with a new state and local renewable energy excise tax structure and related grant programs for local governments and tribes. Counties, utilities, developers, and tribal representatives generally supported the bill’s goal of stabilizing tax treatment for renewable projects, though several witnesses said they wanted amendments to address rates, timing, and late-stage project impacts. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5932 on alternative jet fuel incentives, which would change the timing and duration of existing tax preferences; supporters said it would provide certainty for emerging sustainable aviation fuel projects, while one refinery sought clarification and a broader county threshold. Later, the committee heard Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2238 on statewide food security, directing the Department of Agriculture to monitor food system performance and develop a statewide food security strategy. Agricultural groups, grocers, anti-hunger advocates, and farmers supported the bill as a coordination effort to improve food access, affordability, and supply chain resilience. The committee then heard Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1903, which would create a statewide low-income energy assistance program through the Department of Commerce; supporters said it would address growing unmet need and complement existing utility programs, while opponents said it did not address the root causes of rising energy costs. Finally, the committee heard Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2416 on waste-to-energy facilities under the Climate Commitment Act and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2515 on large energy-use facilities (data centers), both of which drew mixed testimony centered on balancing emissions, ratepayer impacts, reliability, and environmental or tribal concerns. No final votes were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:33.680><c> and</c> our office of technology and our office of technology and communications
• </c> this effort was to restoring services this effort was to restoring services for<00:18:04.320><c>
• . technologies. technologies.
• </c><00:26:27.520><c> with</c> allowing us to restore services with allowing us to restore services with
• </c> continuity of emergency services continuity of emergency services traveling<00:32:31.440><c> throughout

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• She later worked in juvenile detention services, continuing her commitment to public service while also
• Okay, the 911 technology roadmap has been included in your packet.
• So he is our new Technology Committee chair.
• With the technology roadmap approval, the Technology Committee will review the five strategic priorities
• I got to take a look at the operations and see the technology for myself.

Summary: The Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority met in special session, confirmed a quorum, welcomed new member Josh Huffines, approved the prior meeting minutes, and accepted financial reports for September through December 2025. The chair and staff also presented recognition awards, including thanks to former legal counsel Austin and outgoing chair Mark Sharpton, and honored Leachin Lockwood of Tulsa 911 as the state’s third-quarter Emergency Telecommunicator of the Quarter. The board addressed compliance and funding issues for several PSAPs. It authorized notice and a public-hearing process for Chokota Police Department and Pawnee Police Department if they did not complete required annual audit/reporting documents by the stated deadline. It also approved a recruitment campaign for the 9-1-1 profession, including a website landing page and media outreach, and transferred $150,000 from reserves to support that effort. In addition, the board approved a technology roadmap outlining statewide priorities such as mapping, GIS integration, satellite emergency communications, push-to-talk interoperability, and CAD sharing. Several grants were approved, including GIS remediation and maintenance for Drumright and Love County, a Next Gen 9-1-1 call-handling solution for Muskogee 911, and CAD integration for Sand Springs and Mercy EMS. A Love County public hearing on GIS noncompliance was rendered moot after the grant approval, and the board voted to take no action on escrowing Love County funds. Staff reports highlighted boundary verification letters, the upcoming 911 Day at the Capitol, cybersecurity training, 911/988 integration progress, Virtual Academy training totals, and ongoing work on NG911 RFPs, coordinator workshops, and county-level implementation projects. The meeting also included legislative updates on HB 4092 and HB 2710, with the latter described as creating a parallel state radio/911 structure, and the session adjourned with no public comments or new business.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:29.000><c> a</c> Services meaning the more services a Services meaning the more services a
• </c><00:35:39.720><c> products</c><00:35:40.079><c> and</c><00:35:40.400><c> services</c> rehab technology
• products and services rehab technology products and services we<00:35:41.560><c> focus</c><00:35:41.880
• You guys, as a state, have been the front-runners in the technology for traditional Medicaid fee-for-service
• You guys, as a state, have been the front-runners in the technology for traditional Medicaid fee-for-service

Keywords: 1187, senate, all