Transcript Highlights:

• the agenda later, we only have one model the agenda later, we only have one model laboratory<00:
• c><00:03:31.120> they're what a model school does and they're what a model school does and they're
• earlier this year for a new model earlier this year for a new model laboratory<00:04:01.840>
• <00:35:06.400> Um the superintendent of Model Lab. Um the superintendent of Model Lab.
• of innovation at Model Lab. of innovation at Model Lab.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met with a quorum, approved the August 20, 2025 minutes, and then heard a discussion tied to Constitution Day and Kentucky’s constitutional duty to provide an efficient system of common schools. Chairman James Tipton reviewed the history of Kentucky’s model laboratory schools, postsecondary academy programs such as Gatton and Craft, magnet schools, virtual learning, and computer science opportunities, arguing that Kentucky has long expanded educational opportunity through different school models. He described model schools and academy programs as hybrid or innovative approaches that serve specialized student needs and noted that some of these programs receive state appropriations and, in some cases, tuition. Senator Steve West then gave a retrospective on school choice in Kentucky, beginning with the 2017 charter school law and explaining that Kentucky’s charter framework was designed as public-only to comply with the state constitution. He said charter schools have remained largely dormant in Kentucky and used that as context for Senate Bill 207, the School Innovation Act, which he said was modeled on a South Carolina approach. Under SB 207, a local school board can contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, receive SEEK funding, and seek waivers from certain state regulations in order to innovate, while retaining limits on items such as school safety and attendance rules. Members asked about how the new model differs from charter schools, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the bill is intended to keep the school within the public system, with the local district initiating the process and maintaining accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school fails to perform. They emphasized that the school would serve the existing student population rather than select students, and that teachers would remain district employees with their pensions and related contributions unchanged. Representative Brown raised concerns that exceptions and charters could leave lower-income children behind, while West responded that the bill is meant to expand choice for families who otherwise lack access and cited examples from other states where outside management and parental involvement helped turn around low-performing schools. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there is a model; we have made that change.
• The chair of Rules, the President, and her staff—thank you.
• Pursuant to the rules of the Senate, the Chair will announce the votes of several members.
• Hearing no objection, the rules are suspended.
• Without objection, the rules are suspended. The question now comes on adoption of the order.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a ceremonial welcome for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School crew team, which was congratulated for winning the 2025 Massachusetts Public School Rowing Association spring championship. The chamber also adopted several congratulatory resolutions honoring Eagle Scouts Henry Skolsky, Gregory de Rochman, Colin Bauker, and Gabriel Bennett. The Senate then took up and passed two sick leave bank bills for Massachusetts Department of Transportation employees: House No. 4104 for Daniel Yender and House No. 4161 for Mark Kratman. It also ordered a series of other calendar items to third reading without debate. The chamber later considered Senate No. 2550, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, with Senator Preen explaining that the bill would align Massachusetts with other states, reduce forum shopping, and better protect left-behind parents; the bill was amended by Ways and Means, ordered to a third reading, and passed to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 39-0. The Senate next took up Senate No. 2551, the Debt Collection Fairness Act. Senator Eldridge described provisions to raise garnishment protections, lower post-judgment interest rates, prohibit imprisonment for consumer debt, and shorten the statute of limitations on debt collection, while noting support from consumer advocates and the Attorney General. After adopting a technical Ways and Means amendment, the Senate ordered the bill to a third reading and passed it to be engrossed by roll call vote. The chamber also adopted committee reports placing Senate Bills 137 and 1034 on the Orders of the Day and advanced a Ways and Means-recommended substitute draft for a bill on police interactions with people with autism spectrum disorder. The session adjourned in memory of Mark Sullivan.

Transcript Highlights:

• highlighted the potential limitations of big tech's computing intensive models.
• In August 2024, a federal judge ruled that, in fact, it is.
• Alternating from one party to the other, in order of seniority, subject to the early bird rule.
• And I think you have these models.
• I think we have large language models. I don't understand my Southern accent.

Keywords: antitrust, competition policy, digital advertising, monopoly, America Act, big tech, consumer rights

Summary: The meeting, titled 'Big Fixes, Big Tech', marked the first hearing of the Senate antitrust competition policy and consumer rights subcommittee in the 119th Congress. Chairman Lee opened the session focusing on the urgent need for effective solutions regarding anti-competitive behavior among major tech firms like Google and Facebook, highlighting several ongoing court cases regarding monopolistic practices in the digital advertising and search markets. Key discussions included the limitations imposed on small businesses and innovation due to the dominance of these tech giants, with many testimonies advocating for stronger legislative measures, including the America Act. The act aims to disrupt the monopolistic capabilities of these firms and restore competitive integrity in the marketplace, which has suffered under their oppressive market control.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under those rules...
• There are no substantive differences between the draft rules for our committee and the model rules provided
• What does this model do?
• We have a model, a base level model. We do. And you've run the model. We have.
• The BLE models are more of a planning model, I would say, as opposed to a forecasting model.

Keywords: flooding, emergency response, communication systems, first responders, disaster management, Texas Water Development Board, regional planning, public safety

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee rules.
• There are no substantive differences between the draft rules for our committee and the model rules distributed
• We have a model, a base-level model. We do. And you've run the model. We have.
• The BLM models are more of a planning model, I would say, as opposed to a forecasting model.
• They had a model.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Switching to our revenues, just a reminder: we make assumptions in the models, both for our U.S. model
• The laws, rules, and regulations...
• So we have lots of models here in the Dungeness watershed that we are so willing to share our models
• One of those is the exclusive benefit rule.
• That includes the exclusive benefit rule.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session covering the state revenue outlook, caseload forecasts, wildfire costs, budget balance, tort liability, water supply, and pension policy. The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reported modest near-term U.S. growth, no near-term Washington employment growth in 2026, continued personal income growth, and elevated inflation, with tariffs and federal policy cited as major risks. Revenue forecasts were slightly improved for the current biennium by about $105 million but down about $185 million for the next biennium. Members asked about income inequality and housing permits; staff said personal income is an aggregate measure and housing production remains below long-term needs. The Caseload Forecast Council then reported that most forecasts were unchanged or only slightly changed, but several programs increased, including Washington College Grant, Working Connections, aged/blind/disabled cash grants, nursing homes, home and community services, and developmental disabilities personal care. The largest policy-driven change was in Medicaid low-income adult caseloads, where federal H.R. 1 was projected to reduce coverage substantially through narrower eligibility, community engagement requirements, and shorter eligibility periods. The committee also heard a wildfire funding update and a 2025 fire season review. Staff explained that the state budgets $93 million annually for suppression and uses supplemental appropriations for costs above that level, with an estimated state supplemental need of about $139 million for the current year. Department of Natural Resources officials said 2025 fire activity remained below the 10-year average in acres burned, but fires were more complex and closer to communities, contributing to higher residence loss. They described expanded use of aircraft, firefighters from other states, corrections crews, and the Arcadia 20 hand crew, and said the state did not need National Guard ground support this year. A budget preview then showed that the near general fund outlook had worsened after vetoes, lapses, and forecast changes, and that maintenance-level costs alone would leave a projected negative balance by fiscal year 2027 and about $4.3 billion by fiscal year 2029, before any policy decisions. Jason Seams, the state risk manager, reported a sharp rise in tort claim costs, with indemnity expenses nearly doubling from fiscal year 2023 to 2025 and DCYF accounting for most of the increase. He said the state self-insurance liability account has run deficits for four straight biennia and is now facing nearly $600 million in deficits, driven largely by a surge in DCYF claims, especially juvenile rehabilitation and long-running sex abuse cases. Members asked about the role of old claims, comparisons with other states, excess insurance, and whether more Attorney General staff could reduce special assistant attorney general costs. The committee then shifted to water policy, hearing from tribal leaders, Ecology, and the Washington Water Trust. Tribal witnesses emphasized overappropriation, declining flows, climate impacts, and the need for legislative oversight and tribal participation in water policy. Ecology described major projects in the Odessa sub-area, Yakima Basin, and Dungeness, along with the need for storage, recharge, conservation, and policy changes to support water supply development. The Washington Water Trust argued that climate change is reducing summer flows and that the state needs more funding, enforcement, and long-term commitment to restore instream flows. The final item was a pension update on LEOFF 1 surplus assets; staff reviewed two 2025 bills that would have merged or restructured the plan and used surplus assets, but neither passed, and instead the budget directed the Select Committee on Pension Policy to study the issue and report back.

Transcript Highlights:

• 31 is referred to the under rule 31 is referred to the committee<00:05:40.560> on<00:05:40.800
• bylaws. >> Now, the bill has been read the first time and pursuant to Rule 48.
• It's placed on the calendar for notice the next succeeding day. model bylaws, model bylaws, introduced
• creation of model bylaws. creation of model bylaws.
• <00:08:11.440> 48 the first time and pursuant to rule 48 the first time and pursuant to rule

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Supreme Court ultimately blew up that model, said you cannot have a model that's solely compartmentalized
• For instance, we should improve our ethics rules.
• Legislators should have better conflict of interest rules.
• For instance, we should improve our ethics rules.
• Legislators should not think they can do it. ethics rules.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill proposes a framework to govern AI model training.
• We need to build trust and verify that AI models are well built.
• They still overwhelmingly support strict rules to make AI safe and fair.
• When we place humans with AI models and use these models to analyze classrooms, videos, or audio recordings
• And that is the model that is shopped around nationwide.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on several artificial intelligence bills, opening with remarks about the 9/11 anniversary and then broad statements from the co-chairs about AI’s promise and risks. Chair Farley-Bouvier and Senator Moore emphasized the need for guardrails, transparency, and worker and consumer protections, while Senator Finegold described Senate Bill 37, which would create a framework for AI model training with safety assessments, audits, incident reporting, Attorney General oversight, and workforce reporting. Members also discussed Massachusetts’ position relative to other states and the need for state action in the absence of federal regulation. A large portion of the hearing focused on the Fair Act, House 77 and Senate 35, which would limit workplace surveillance, restrict collection of biometric and location data, require notice and human review for automated employment decisions, and protect workers from retaliation. Labor leaders, including AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, SEIU, building trades, and other worker representatives, testified in support, describing harms from bossware, automated benefits denials, hiring and promotion screening, scheduling, and monitoring in workplaces ranging from health care and education to manufacturing and construction. They argued that AI systems are already affecting wages, benefits, safety, and job security, and that Massachusetts should act now to set clear rules. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 74, which would require informed consent and clear contract terms for digital replicas of voices and likenesses, with SAG-AFTRA representatives supporting the bill as a protection for performers and creators. Another major topic was Senate Bill 51 on social media algorithm accountability and transparency; child safety advocates, researchers, and a public health expert described harms from engagement-based algorithms, including exposure to harmful content, eating disorders, and youth mental health impacts, and supported independent audits and public reporting. A few industry and civil liberties witnesses supported regulation but urged balance, warning against overly burdensome rules while acknowledging the need for privacy, transparency, and accountability. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the hearing excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this model is really what we're seeing in this bill.
• plenty of margin for them to continue to make money in that model.
• So what we see is we already operate in that model.
• And that is a business model that is not patient-centric.
• That is a business model that favors the patient, and that is wrong.

Summary: The Senate Insurance Committee met on May 13, 2026, adopted the May 6 minutes, and then took up several bills dealing with pharmacy benefit managers, prescription access, behavioral health coverage, and Citizens Property Insurance. HB 938, as amended, was the main PBM reform measure. After the committee adopted a large amendment set that narrowed the bill, members heard extensive testimony in support from Mark Bloom, Justin Joseph of Capital Rx, and Kathy Ue of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, all emphasizing transparency, pass-through pricing, reverse auctions, and patient access. Supporters described savings from reverse auctions and administrative models, while the cancer center testified that PBM-owned specialty pharmacy requirements can delay cancer medications and create financial hardship. The committee reported HB 938 favorably with amendments. The committee also heard HB 1154, which prohibits prior authorization for certain generic medications prescribed by qualified physicians, with a $250 cap discussed as a safeguard against higher-cost generics. The bill was supported by representatives from Ochsner Health and the Louisiana State Medical Society and was reported favorably. HB 909, which requires commercial coverage for behavioral health crisis services, was amended to clarify the insurers covered and then reported favorably with support from the Office of Behavioral Health and several outside groups. Testimony on HB 909 focused on reducing emergency room and law enforcement burdens and expanding crisis response capacity across the state. HB 1187, dealing with excess emergency assessment funds from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, was explained by the Insurance Commissioner as a way to transfer remaining Katrina-era assessment funds to the Fortified Roof Program. The committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, SB 511 and SB 512 were deferred and converted into a study resolution approach because there was not yet consensus on the underlying issue. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Multiple courts have ruled that the model that the NCAA has had violates federal antitrust law.
• to break the rules when it suits them.
• So this is a professional model, right?
• In all those professional models, they have a Players Association who, In all professional models, they
• I learned about the rule of 72.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> All persons not entitled to the privileges of the floor under the rules of the Senate must now vacate
• That's what the model is as well.
• what the model is is part of the model what the model is is part of the model as<00:19:37.039>
• Rules is Bill 124, Senate Bill 129.
• And the rules committee Senate Bill 170.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call establishing a quorum of 35 members, and approval of the previous day’s journal. The chamber also received messages from the House that it had passed House Bills 43, 139, 297, 414, and 485 and requested concurrence. Second reading reports placed several bills in the Rules Committee, including measures on property disposition, children, school district sick leave, unemployment insurance, and status offenses, and a new resolution was introduced honoring the 10th anniversary of the 2016 session and its bullying-prevention legislation. The main floor action was on Senate Bill 39, relating to fishing in privately owned lakes and ponds. Senators debated multiple floor amendments, with several withdrawn and floor amendment 6 adopted. Supporters said the bill clarified private property rights and allowed stocking of F1 Florida bass without changing existing license requirements, while opponents and some supporters emphasized protecting the public trust, conservation funding, and the North American wildlife management model. After extended debate, the Senate passed SB 39 as amended by a vote of 29-8. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 154, relating to elections. The sponsor said it would strengthen election integrity by removing non-photo identification options, specifically Social Security cards and EBT SNAP cards, from the list of acceptable voter verification methods. Opponents argued the bill would make voting harder without evidence of fraud, citing that many Kentuckians used those IDs in the last election and that transportation and access barriers already exist. The transcript cuts off during debate on SB 154 before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is modeled, and I don't want to still Casey Sunder, but it's modeled after health care; it's modeled
• Our SAFE model is a guided decision-making model that we use when assessing child safety, both at removal
• So rule change we can handle internally, and we are in the process of updating those rules.
• change so rule change we can handle internally and we are in the process of updating those rules rulemaking
• The issue with the rule is the rule, and no, we do not treat runaway versus missing any differently.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rule, occupational therapy compact fee rule, and the national exam definition rule.
• April 16th, 2025 that include the rules April 16th, 2025 that include the rules on<00:09:06.480> um
• > rule, member state implementation rule, member state implementation rule, occupational<00:09
• /c> occupational therapy compact fee rule, occupational therapy compact fee rule, and<00:09:15.600>
• and the national exam definition rule. and the national exam definition rule.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met in August with a quorum present and approved the prior meeting minutes without objection. The committee then reviewed several regulations, generally adopting staff-suggested amendments without objection, and heard brief explanations from agency representatives on each item. The Board of Pharmacy regulations would clarify what registered and certified pharmacy technicians may do under supervision and what certified technicians may not do, while updating registration applications. The Board of Cosmetology package included changes to executive director authority, licensure and reciprocity rules, school requirements, training hours, instructor ratios, sanitation and disease-related rules, complaint procedures, and permit terms; members asked about straight razor language and the increase in student-to-instructor ratios, and the board explained that cosmetologists are not permitted to use straight razors and that the higher ratio was intended to give schools flexibility, especially for part-time students and schools with wait lists. The Occupational Therapy emergency compact regulation added four compact rules adopted in April 2025, and Senator West raised a technical question about certification requirements under House Bill 6; the agency said it had been instructed to file the regulation as submitted. The Department for Fish and Wildlife Resources presented a package covering wildlife management area rules, a northern pintail bag limit increase, reportable disease reporting, and a repeal tied to boat registration fees. After a brief explanation of the new wildlife disease reporting rule, the agency requested and received a deferral of 301 KAR 2:031 to avoid a gap while replacement language is finalized. The Economic Development Finance Authority explained an emergency regulation for the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive Program, saying it was needed because the program had become oversubscribed and because administration was shifting to a new film office and council; members also asked about certification issues under House Bill 6, and the agency said it had filed the regulation as directed. The Department of Workplace Standards emergency PPE regulation was also discussed, with members asking about HB 6 certification language, and the agency gave the same response. The Department of Insurance regulation would create a $10,000 registration fee and a $1,000 annual licensing fee for pharmacy benefit manager licenses, with an agency amendment exempting PBMs that solely serve workers’ compensation plans. Members asked how many PBMs would be affected and why workers’ compensation PBMs were carved out; the agency said there were 70 registered PBMs total, four solely workers’ comp, and that workers’ comp rates are set by statute and could not absorb the fee. Finally, the Public Service Commission’s pole attachment regulation was summarized as a broadband-expansion measure that speeds application review, increases the number of poles allowed in a single application, and shortens dispute timelines; the commission explained it grew out of earlier legislative direction and subsequent emergency amendments, and the committee adopted the staff amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it is like a data sharing so that they can use those rules, program the rules for DSS programs
• rules to determine the exemptions.
• How can we improve on this model?
• How can we improve on this model?
• I understand the federal model.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it training the model now? Is it an open model and it's accessible to other users of the model?
• And when you use these different AI models, whether And when you use these different AI models, whether
• And that's where models can drift because large language models will try to give you an answer.
• So our models transcend criticality out their specific models that will use your data to train your model
• And so anything goes awry for our preapproved and model risk tolerance models and they are flight and

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of the model developers are actually sidestepping it, and therefore the models they're building
• Google's advanced AI and gen AI models can understand...
• Predictive models in health care have been around for years.
• That’s the exception, not the rule.
• I posit to you there actually are some models we could look at.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Health and Privacy Committees focused on generative AI in health care, with opening remarks emphasizing both its potential to improve care and its risks around privacy, bias, liability, workforce impacts, and unequal access. Chair Bauer-Kahan and Chair Bonta framed the discussion around how California can encourage beneficial innovation while protecting patients, especially given the sensitivity of health data and the possibility that AI could worsen existing disparities if not carefully governed. The first panel featured representatives from Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, Penguin AI, and Google, who described current uses of AI such as ambient clinical scribes, nursing documentation tools, imaging triage, maternal-fetal risk prediction, and administrative automation. Speakers said these tools can reduce clinician burden, improve patient experience, speed treatment, and in some cases improve outcomes, including a reported mortality benefit from a Kaiser predictive model and faster thrombectomy times at Cedars-Sinai. Members raised concerns about accuracy with accents and multilingual visits, whether predictive tools could reinforce bias or lead to more interventions such as C-sections, and how to ensure a human remains in the loop for important decisions. The second panel, including representatives from the California Health Care Foundation, UC Berkeley, and Stanford, focused on policy and governance challenges. Testimony highlighted examples of AI supporting homelessness outreach and community health work, but also warned that biased algorithms can encode inequities, especially when trained on data that reflect under-treatment of Black, rural, or low-income patients. Witnesses urged clearer standards for trustworthy AI, stronger monitoring and governance structures, better data access for accountability, and attention to the safety net’s limited resources. Several speakers argued that states should require health systems to have AI governance processes, clarify liability between developers and deployers, and regulate downstream uses of AI while preserving access to data for lifesaving research and oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• [Music] The Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration will come to order.
• I move the adoption of the calendar for the day pursuant to Rule 1.21.
• No, none of these bills would have a Rule 3.33 deadline. Okay, thank you.
• Representative Bennett moved the adoption of the calendar for the day pursuant to Rule 1.21 and Rule
• Representative Bennett: I move the adoption of the calendar for the day pursuant to Rule 1.21 and Rule

Bills: HF550

Keywords: redistricting, Bipartisan Commission, Minnesota Constitution, census, legislative districts, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we have a better scientific model here, or use a scientific model to really get these variables
• That was the Michigan. model.
• But I was wondering, in the CRP model or the Michigan model, are the medical boards involved in the health
• There's enough redundancy in medicine that we talk about the cheese holes and cheese model, reasons model
• At the top, we're supporting training on the eSIM model, the Sequential Intercept Model.

Transcript Highlights:

• . model. model.
• Rule changes.
• joint rule 22-1 is there. joint rule 22-1 is there.
• And if rules. We must follow our rules.
• And to have folks quote rules on rules.

Keywords: 916, all