Transcript Highlights:

• They have free access to phones and tablets.
• And that free access is causing a lot of... ...to phones and tablets, and that free access is causing
• We need to continue to allow access.
• It's going to have a chilling effect on survivors everywhere in accessing services and accessing our
• courts and accessing our systems.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership. Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind. The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would be great if we could have better access, or access at all, to that database to be able to identify
• And so we access it. The Attorney General's office can access it.
• And we can start with HHSC because they know who has access, and I know statutorily we grant access,
• Staff also have access to HHSC's IT system.
• Many of my comments are my own personal experience of accessing or failing to access class services and

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I wish that we were able to get more of the kids who are able to access it, to get them access, so I
• <00:42:33.599> to recommendations to expand access to recommendations to expand access to
• <00:48:31.359> to happens when our youth have access to happens when our youth have access
• lowincome children who will lose access lowincome children who will lose access to<01:09:33.679>
• comprehensive actionable or accessible comprehensive actionable or accessible and<01:27:02.880><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're having up to 200,000 people removed from access.
• Access? Yeah, reporting requirements make a difference, don't they?
• Medicaid access, as we call it, in Arizona.
• Fernandis knows quite well what the drops are in access and around the country.
• In providing access to the outdoors to all Arizonans.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the answer is, if we have, and to make sure that no Californian dies simply because they did not access
• for CalFresh and California's most vulnerable. ...challenges to maintain client access for CalFresh
• But food access alone is not enough.
• But food access alone is not enough.
• to CFAP for those who will lack access to food benefits due to H.R. 1.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is access to clean drinking water, which I think is important to all of this.
• When chapters are requesting funding in this sense, they don't have access to the money that's there.
• to licensed dispensaries in their communities while urban areas... ...little to no access to licensed
• I'd like to say that, I'm happy to say that the mayor of Douglas now has access, better access.
• because on the weekly we hear about patients who are having to drive exorbitant distances just to access

Bills: SB1041, SB1363, SB1418, SB1419, SB1445, SB1447, SB1488, SB1519, SB1523, SB1560, SB1580

Keywords: electronic monitoring, nursing care, assisted living, resident rights, privacy, consent, surveillance, marijuana, rural opportunity, dispensary, economic development, licensing, social equity, unserved communities, Arizona, small modular reactors, energy regulation, environmental compatibility, utility construction, agricultural use

Transcript Highlights:

• But there are also advocates in the community who want to preserve access to the beach.
• How do we, how are we, what access to information do we have?
• Did you have access to that sort of information? Where did you get it? Come on up, Serge.
• The history of human populations across the globe is rooted in us having access to water.
• In Imperial Beach, we haven't had access to our ocean in a very long time.

Summary: The hearing of the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy focused on infrastructure, pollution, climate resilience, public health, access, and economic impacts of sea level rise in California, with an emphasis on San Diego and the Bay Area. Chair Tasha Boerner Horvath opened by describing the committee’s purpose, the state’s sea level rise action planning, and the need for better monitoring and early warning systems. She also referenced her prior bills AB 66 and AB 72, which supported Scripps research on coastal bluff collapse warning capabilities. Assembly Members David Alvarez and Jessica Caloza later joined and emphasized that sea level rise affects not only coastal communities but inland areas as well, and that the issue should inform future legislative and budget decisions. In the first panel, Dr. Mark Merrifield of Scripps Institution of Oceanography described observed sea level rise of roughly 0.8 to 0.9 feet since the early 1900s, with acceleration expected by mid-century and potentially much greater rise by 2100 depending on emissions. He highlighted flooding, groundwater rise, beach and cliff erosion, salinization, and risks to transportation, sewage, ports, and national security. Dave Gibson of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board discussed how sea level rise affects wastewater systems, stormwater, contaminated sites, wetlands, and coastal groundwater basins, and said the board is requiring climate adaptation planning, updating stormwater permits, and seeking more flexible state permitting and mitigation tools. Members and witnesses also discussed the need for better mapping, more monitoring, and more state funding, especially if federal support from NOAA and other agencies declines. The second panel addressed public health, equitable access, and local economies. Ramon Chiras of Un Mar de Colores described how sea level rise, pollution, and access barriers threaten the Tijuana River Valley and Imperial Beach, especially for underserved communities and youth programs that rely on safe, welcoming access to the ocean. He stressed the cultural and spiritual importance of coastal access and the need for water safety and environmental education. Jessica Fane of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission explained that the Bay Area faces major economic exposure from sea level rise, citing a regional estimate of $96 billion in adaptation costs versus $230 billion in potential losses from inaction, and said BCDC is working with local governments under SB 272 on shoreline adaptation planning, funding, and regulatory innovation. Members discussed the tension between environmental permitting and the need to move projects faster, including the possibility of planned retreat in some areas and the use of simultaneous permitting and longer-term state authority to streamline adaptation work. In the final panel, Philip Gibbons of the Port of San Diego described the port’s climate adaptation efforts and its vulnerability assessments under AB 691. He said the port manages state tidelands, supports maritime commerce and recreation, and is already seeing flooding at king tides and during El Niño events, including storm-drain backflow and damage to bikeways and parks. He explained that future sea level rise could inundate major port areas and disrupt operations, underscoring the need for continued planning, mitigation, and infrastructure investment. The hearing did not take formal votes, but it concluded with a clear call for more science, funding, coordination, and regulatory streamlining to prepare California’s coast and nearby communities for worsening sea level rise impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill creates a single unified section of code to provide the flexibility, accessibility, and positive
• It's about ensuring every Texas student and every Texas family has access to a high quality education
• For students in rural communities, virtual learning provides access to advanced. courses that too often
• that students have access to advanced math, science, foreign languages, and other specialized courses
• It does this while ensuring acc— access to these high-quality options for all students.

Bills: SB 10, SB 11

Keywords: human trafficking, trafficking victim, compelling prostitution, affirmative defense, criminal defense, coercion, force fraud or coercion, sexual exploitation, victim protection, Penal Code, Texas criminal law, prosecution, party liability, affirmative defense statute, survivor rights, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• alike. for thousands of solar projects that are more accessible for homeowners and businesses alike,
• My second question has to do with whether we can help the consumer who's losing access to the federal
• If we're serious about providing affordable energy, we have to make rooftop solar more accessible.
• So the next group is the equity, access, and affordability. I thank you to the previous speakers.
• I'm the Northeast Regional Director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access, or CCSA.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on ways Massachusetts can accelerate solar deployment, lower costs, and preserve reliability as electricity demand rises and federal support for solar and other renewables changes. Chair Creem opened by emphasizing solar’s role in meeting climate mandates and peak demand, citing June heat-wave data showing behind-the-meter solar reduced wholesale prices and saved ratepayers money. Commissioner Elizabeth Mahoney of DOER said Massachusetts has grown from 3 MW of solar in 2008 to 3.5 GW today, highlighted SMART 3.0 as a flexible, evergreen incentive program, and said DOER is working on updated rates, interconnection reforms, flexible interconnection, net crediting, and a petition to the DPU to speed implementation. She also said Massachusetts joined the lawsuit over canceled federal Solar for All funding. Committee members and witnesses discussed several policy changes to speed projects before federal tax credits expire, including automated permitting, remote inspections, faster interconnection, and changes to caps on municipal and regional solar development. Senator Barrett pressed Mahoney on whether the 10 MW municipal cap and regional caps should be lifted, and on whether the state should increase its solar tax credit to offset the loss of the federal residential credit. Mahoney said the municipal cap should be revisited and that interconnection cost allocation and other market issues need to be worked out before lifting broader caps. She also said DOER is open to automated permitting and is already developing a permitting portal under the 2024 climate law. Industry and advocacy witnesses largely supported streamlining measures. Sunrun’s Bronte Payne urged removal of a proposed requirement that all net-metered facilities enroll in SMART, and recommended automated permitting, remote inspections, flexible interconnection, better hosting-capacity information, consumer protections, and continued support for Connected Solutions and virtual power plants. Permit Power’s Hannah Bernbaum and Solar App’s Matthew McAllister argued that smart permitting and remote inspections can significantly reduce soft costs and delays, with McAllister saying Solar App now operates in over 320 jurisdictions and saves about three weeks on average. They said remote inspections are already common and can be done safely with photos, video, and qualified third parties. Community solar and clean energy advocates, including CCSA’s Kate Daniel and Vote Solar’s Lindsay Griffin, supported a 10 GW solar target by 2035, a higher refundable state tax credit for low-income households, interconnection reforms, flexible interconnection, and preserving the option to build outside SMART so projects can retain renewable energy certificates. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members requested follow-up materials and draft language from witnesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• The issue of secondary access was addressed in the initial CEQA lawsuit.
• Secondary access is not the only means for alleviating risk from wildfire.
• Did you provide that access? The secondary access has not been provided.
• The secondary access has not been provided.
• Sometimes these accesses, you can't— the secondary access would go through a preserve and you can't do

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because they saw a need from an access standpoint to save costs on reentry.
• What—how many urban Indian organizations would this open up for access to members?
• Chairman Livingston, Representative Blackman, Access is on health care costs.
• Access is neutral. Access definitely values traditional healing.
• Access independently submitted a waiver to allow traditional healing.

Bills: SB1112, SB1517, SB1537, SB1584, SB1673, SB1776

Keywords: mental health, hearings, acquaintance witnesses, patient rights, treatment evaluation, barbering, cosmetology, appropriation, funding, licensing, board operations, peace officer, training, public safety, traffic offenses, judicial system, corrections, recruitment, state budget, crime victims

Transcript Highlights:

• So historically, critical access hospitals, which are 25 beds or less, have been paid a higher per diem
• Critical access hospitals, which are 25 beds or less, have been paid a higher per diem and closer to
• And the hospitals contribute through what we call access payments to help fund the state share of the
• We're really proud of the 27 critical access hospitals we have in the state.
• We're really proud of the 27 critical access hospitals we have in the state.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Whatever we do, these families have to have access to their information.
• Whatever we do, these families have to have access to their information.
• So they've been able to access the IConnect system and use electronic health records for that.
• We use CyberArk for access to several applications, including I-Connect.
• I'd like to provide this access.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• down there in the bottom and light green, but still an important component of how many Minnesotans access
• down there in the bottom and light green, but still an important component of how many Minnesotans access
• Remaining focused on our mission, ensuring Minnesotans have access to affordable health coverage.
• <00:59:20.640> in want to expand healthcare access in want to expand healthcare access in
• And we're helping to ensure that rural Minnesotans are able to access community-based care.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:42:17.040> for college students more accessible for college students more accessible for
• So let's break down barriers and make college access the standard. Thank you for your time.
• it's going to be even more accessible it's going to be even more accessible and<01:01:03.720>
• <01:31:58.119> that state um to that clinic to access that state um to that clinic to access
• We play a vital role in accessible health care.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Senate Bill 907, and it creates the act against abusive website access litigation.
• This is Senate Bill 907, and it creates the act against abusive website access litigation.
• They're empowered to enforce the right to equal access through litigation if necessary.
• We all want those with disabilities to have access, but the submission.
• We all want those with disabilities to have access, but the process of getting there must be fair to

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Missouri House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the prior day’s journal by a 126-2 vote. Members then observed a moment of silence for former Representative and Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Barney Fisher, with remarks honoring his military service, business career, and House service from 2005 to 2013. The chamber also welcomed several guest groups, including Southern Boone third graders, Lake of the Ozarks Day visitors, and other special guests. The House then took up several third-reading measures. Senate Bill 907, the “act against abusive website access litigation,” was adopted with House amendments and passed 148-0 after debate focused on protecting businesses, nonprofits, churches, and political subdivisions from abusive ADA-related website lawsuits while preserving access rights and allowing a 90-day cure period. House Joint Resolution 159, which would modernize constitutional limits on state treasurer investments, passed 101-34 after supporters argued it could generate about $15 million annually without raising taxes, while opponents raised concerns about broad investment authority and voter intent. House Bill 2741, requiring CDL holders to be able to read and speak English sufficiently for safe operation and related duties, passed 104-22 amid debate over safety, immigration concerns, and enforcement. House Bill 2474, offering political subdivisions an optional progressive design-build contracting method, passed 141-5. House Bill 3076, described as cleanup language exempting agricultural non-point sources from water permitting, passed 102-41 after sharp disagreement over environmental protections and DNR authority. House Bill 2436, dealing with animal abuse, neglect, impoundment, and related procedures, passed 88-54 after debate over due process and livestock/property rights. House Bill 2576, the annual naming/awareness bill, passed 140-3. House Bill 3175, “Mason’s Law,” allowing certain health-condition information to be shared with law enforcement through the Department of Revenue for traffic stops, passed 147-0. Before adjournment, the House announced that the Rules Committee would meet immediately on one Senate bill and that members should be prepared to consider additional measures upon return. The chamber then adjourned until 4 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 1073 ensures that individual board members have timely access to all district documents and budget
• They need to be given access to these documents.
• The second part of this is the public access for the school board member to have access to public records
• Brosmer, as a board member, does not have access without paying $3,600 to look at those ROIs.
• I would have thrown a fit if I couldn't access information, if I had to pay for it.

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee heard and advanced six bills. The first, PCS/HB 1073 by Rep. Koster, would give individual school board members timely, free access to district documents and budget information, require agendas and supporting materials to be kept as public records, and prohibit school districts from requiring or incentivizing nondisclosure agreements. Testimony from a Volusia County school board member and a former educator described difficulty obtaining records and concerns about NDAs; some members raised chain-of-command concerns, while others argued the bill was needed for transparency. The bill passed 15-3. The committee then approved HB 4049, a local bill for Jacksonville/Duval County that changes how the Duval County School Board’s attorney is selected, and OGSR/HB 7021, which extends and clarifies the public-records exemption for education examination and assessment instruments through 2031. HB 4049 passed 17-1 after debate over whether the board should use the city’s general counsel process; HB 7021 passed unanimously with no debate. Members also approved CS/HB 753 on school counselors, which removes certain certification barriers while keeping degree and counseling requirements in place and allows districts to choose whether to require the removed certificates. Supporters said the bill could help address counselor shortages and free counselors to focus on students; it passed 18-0. Finally, HB 157 created a School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program for D- and F-rated schools, using high-performing current or retired teachers as mentors with stipends funded from an existing allocation. Members discussed mentor limits, funding, and oversight, but the bill passed unanimously, 18-0. The meeting adjourned after committee members recognized visiting officials and students.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we're here to really talk about accessibility issues and energy conservation.
• Frankly, we need more accessible seating areas in general as well.
• Louis County Government Center, enhancing accessibility and effectiveness.
• They provide affordable access to our lakes, prairies, hills, and rivers.
• So this will access both of those trails.

Bills: HF474, HF218, HF210, HF441, HF691, HF720, HF1068, HF1314, HF1465, HF1860, HF2046, HF1389, HF2404, HF2854, HF2985, HF3128, HF3103, HF778, HF3125

Keywords: HF474, Hubert H. Humphrey, Henry Mower Rice, Statuary Hall, United States Capitol, statue replacement, capital investment, general fund appropriation, Minnesota State Capitol, Minnesota State Historical Society, public art, commemorative statue, National Statuary Hall Collection, commissioner of administration, cultural heritage, monument, Washington D.C., HF218, Minnesota, Department of Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Services are accessed through bus passes.
• Are they limited number of wheelchair, accessible vehicles. That's something that is emerging.
• So we do have access to sometimes it all of these coaches and transit and explore exports.
• So which is which which is much more accessible, then a forest options.
• That means not everybody has access to everything which gets kind of, you know, important from a data

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And are they accessible to the public? Senator Rodriguez. Thank you.
• I want to make sure that I have access to the water personally.
• I want to make sure that everybody has access to the waters in Florida.
• , that access is already much more difficult.
• to... ...punish people more or limit their access to courts more.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several member introductions recognizing interns, guests, and advocates. The Rules Chair added CS for CS for SB 622 to the special order calendar, and SB 80 on state land management was temporarily postponed. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills when the measures were identical or nearly identical. The Senate passed SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, requiring DEP to develop a recycling and waste diversion roadmap by 2026; SB 492 on land development and mitigation banking, after adopting amendments related to mitigation credit use and former phosphate mine lands; and SB 494/HB 255 on aggravated animal cruelty, which increases sentencing consequences and creates a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers, with an amendment clarifying the database language. The Senate also passed SB 500/HB 711 establishing the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, SB 524/HB 1089 adding Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening, SB 592/HB 393 revising the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education, SB 936/HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment, and SB 1156 on a home health aid program for medically fragile children. Most of these bills were adopted after brief sponsor explanations, questions, and in some cases amendments or House-substitute motions. Debate centered on several policy issues. Senators raised concerns about the constitutional and environmental implications of mitigation banking credits in SB 492, the scope and privacy implications of the animal abuse database in SB 494, the funding and eligibility details of the condo resilience program in SB 592, and the public-school/charter-school balance in SB 822, which drew extensive questioning about enrollment, governance, discipline, accountability, and data sharing before being placed on the third-reading calendar after amendments. The Spectrum Alert bill drew support from members who compared it to the Purple Alert and emphasized the risks faced by children with ASD. The medically fragile children home health aid bill also drew strong support, with senators describing it as a long-needed fix to help families provide in-home care without losing Medicaid coverage. Votes on the measures reported in the transcript were overwhelmingly favorable, with bills passing by margins such as 38-0, 35-3, 37-0, 36-0, and 35-0.