Transcript Highlights:

• with the Expanded Learning Division at CDE, and they are audited and also receive federal program monitoring
• with the Expand Learning Division at CDE, and they are audited and also receive federal program monitoring
• Jen Taylor with the Expanded Learning Division at CDE said they receive federal program monitoring reviews
• She responded that they do not ask specifically about other funding sources; they are monitoring that
• We also have the intensive continuous improvement monitoring with special education, which is also an

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three education budget items: the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), differentiated assistance/statewide system of support, and universal school meals plus kitchen infrastructure grants. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to provide $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding and $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended instead fixing the Tier 2 rate at $1,579, and committee members questioned how the rate was determined, how much funding is actually spent, and whether overlapping funding from ELOP, ACEs, and 21st Century programs is being tracked. CDE said ELOP is showing positive attendance and math outcomes, but some requested data will not be available until mid-2027; members also raised concerns about double-funding, transparency, and whether middle and high school students are being equitably served. On differentiated assistance, CCEE outlined the statewide system of support and the various tiers of universal, targeted, supplemental, and intensive assistance. Finance explained the Governor’s proposal to replace the current DA structure with a more stable universal and targeted assistance model, funded at $131.9 million ongoing, with a three-year support cycle aligned to LCAP and ESSA timelines and broader State Board authority to revise eligibility criteria. The LAO objected to considering the proposal before the State Board finalizes the new performance criteria, and committee members expressed concern that moving to a three-year cycle could delay support for LEAs that newly fall into need mid-cycle. There was also discussion about whether the proposal would weaken subgroup-based equity guardrails or give the State Board too much discretion over who qualifies for support. For school meals and kitchen infrastructure, Finance proposed $1.8 billion ongoing for universal meals and an additional $100 million ongoing plus $100 million one-time for a fourth round of kitchen infrastructure and training grants. The LAO recommended rejecting the new kitchen grant round because prior rounds are still being spent and the unmet need is not yet clear. CDE said prior investments have improved meal participation, efficiency, and menu variety, but many schools still lack the facilities for scratch cooking and face construction, electrical, and procurement barriers. Members asked for more data on how prior grants were used, which schools are benefiting, and whether funds could also support lower-cost food access strategies such as pantries, while noting federal restrictions on some meal-service innovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• What are the mechanisms and labor costs to monitor expiration dates, as well as considerations for updated
• What are the mechanisms and labor costs to monitor expiration dates, as well as considerations for updated
• What are the mechanisms and labor costs to monitor expiration dates, as well as considerations for updated
• What are the mechanisms and labor costs to monitor expiration dates, as well as considerations for updated
• Labor costs to monitor expiration dates, as well as considerations for updated versions of product that

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On slide 14, you'll see a, a publicly available tool that we developed to monitor student outcomes such
• of those institutions, like their, their respective regions and boards, we do have a Compliance monitoring
• Well, kind of, there's, there's, there's baseline accountability, compliance monitoring, ensuring the
• And if you would, if you could take particular interest in the base budget and monitor appropriations
• Yeah, so we're, we're monitoring what's going on at the federal level.

Transcript Highlights:

• Monitors return the counts: First Division 1, Second Division 2, Third Division 0, Fourth Division 2.
• Monitors return the counts: First Division 0, Second Division 0, Third Division 0, Fourth Division 0.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House took up several committee reports and adopted a series of resolutions and procedural orders. It adopted resolutions honoring Yulanda Carrillo on her 102nd birthday and the Knights of Columbus Peabody Leo Council 508 on its 125th anniversary. The House also extended reporting deadlines for the Education Committee and the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee, and concurred with a Senate referral of a sick leave bank petition for Emily Kulik. Joint Rule 12 was suspended for additional petitions, including a sick leave bank for Aden Daniels and a petition to rescind prior calls for a federal constitutional convention. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling reported a number of local bills for House consideration, including measures on Norfolk reserved capacity billing, Dalton town manager residency requirements, Lancaster’s animal control commission, Cambridge parking enforcement notices, Fairhaven’s charter, Malden’s charter, Ipswich’s charter, and a sick leave bank for John C. Murphy. The House suspended Rule 7A, took the bills through second reading, and ordered them to a third reading. The House then considered and adopted the emergency preamble for House No. 4364, authorizing easements to the town of Bourne. It also passed to engrossment two Department of Correction sick leave bank bills: House No. 4426 for Paul Stavisky and House No. 4427 for Fenneda Janow Patel. Finally, the House adopted an order to meet again Thursday at 11 a.m., and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Monitors return the counts: first division zero, second division two, third division two, fourth division
• Monitors return the counts: first division zero, second division zero, third division zero, fourth division

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and then took up several committee reports and routine procedural matters. It adopted a resolution congratulating the Warren Public Library on its 150th anniversary and approved an order extending the reporting deadline for the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to March 18, 2026. The House also suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow a petition on access to applied behavior analysis services in schools to go to the Committee on Education. The chamber then acted on a number of bills and local matters. It passed to enact Senate 2799, establishing a sick leave bank for Jeffrey Yacanthi of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and House 4233, amending the charter of the city of Malden. The House also concurred in Senate amendments to House 4031, increasing the age limit for retired police officers serving as special police officers in Weston, and House 4401, dissolving a special fund in Athol. In addition, it ordered several bills to a third reading, including measures on professional employer organizations, Boston Police Department age waivers for several named applicants, and continued employment of Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel. The House briefly observed a silent tribute requested by Representative Beal for retired Associate Justice and former State Representative Michael F. Flaherty Sr., who had recently died. The session ended after the House agreed to adjourn until the following Monday at 11 a.m. in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• portal that allows participating law enforcement agencies to submit trace requests electronically, to monitor
• submit trace requests electronically to submit trace requests electronically to<04:41:29.040> monitor
• c><04:41:29.520> progress,<04:41:30.160> retrieve<04:41:30.560> completed to monitor
• progress, retrieve completed to monitor progress, retrieve completed trace<04:41:31.440> results,
• Two, it also allows for the monitoring of the status of trace requests and retrieving of completed trace

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jones, I recognize that you have this patient using this cardiac monitor, but they're not charging it
• Hey, you know, exactly as you said, this person is not charging their monitor, you might want to find
• Jones, I recognize that you have this patient using this cardiac monitor, but they're not charging it
• Hey, you know, exactly as you said, this person is not charging their monitor, you might want to find
• Person is not charging their monitor, you might want to find a different modality.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and consent calendar, then moved through several Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid-related rules. Rule 25-220 from the Department of Energy was postponed until June so stakeholders would have more time to review revised language. Rule 25-240, involving Medicaid income verification and deductible provisions for medically needy applicants, was adopted after staff noted the cited sections had expired but the agency said it had continued operating under federal law and the state plan; the agency also said it had begun rulemaking on the cited provision. Rules 25-265 and 2633 were also adopted, with staff explaining that although parts of the rules had expired, the agency had continued implementing the policies through the Medicaid state plan, billing manuals, and related rules. The most extended discussion centered on rule 25-304 from the Bureau of Aging and Adult Services, which covers case management services for the CFI program. Staff and the agency explained that the amended conditional approval request clarified how case management agencies indicate staffing capacity, how telehealth decisions are evaluated, and that the department—not the case management agencies—sets the timeline for accepting or denying cases. The agency said the rule is intended to ensure participants are not pushed into telehealth when they do not want it or cannot use it, while leaving technical and clinical telehealth decisions to the provider. A case management provider testified in opposition to parts of the rule, arguing that the committee should not require agencies to admit unverified patients, that reimbursement-rate issues belong in legislation, that the quality-management section duplicates existing licensure oversight, and that the telehealth language improperly gives case managers authority over how other licensed providers deliver services. Committee members questioned whether the telehealth language was simply allowing case managers to determine whether telehealth fits a person’s care plan, and agency representatives responded that this was the intent. No final vote on rule 25-304 is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So until such time as DEC and ANR has a protocol for dealing with this, the onus should not be on landowners
• as DEEC and<02:48:56.560> ANR and ANR and ANR has<02:48:59.200> a<02:49:00.560> protocol
• for<02:49:01.359> dealing<02:49:01.680> with<02:49:01.920> this, has a protocol
• for dealing with this, has a protocol for dealing with this, the<02:49:03.040> onus<02:49:04.080

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House returned from recess and took up S. 208, a bill on standards for law enforcement identification. The House Judiciary Committee explained that it had rewritten the bill into a model-policy approach focused on Vermont state and local agencies, rather than imposing direct requirements on all law enforcement, because of constitutional and preemption concerns raised by a recent Ninth Circuit decision. The amended bill would direct the Law Enforcement Advisory Board to develop a statewide policy on officer identification and facial coverings by July 2027, require agencies to adopt a consistent policy by October 1, 2027, and deem agencies to have adopted the model policy if they do not act. The committee reported the bill favorably on a 6-5 vote. Members then debated an amendment offered by Representatives Berbeco and McGill to restore federal officers to the bill. Supporters argued that public authority should not be anonymous, that visible identification is necessary for transparency, accountability, and public trust, and that the bill should apply to federal agents as well as state and local officers. They said the amendment included exemptions for undercover work, tactical teams, protective equipment, and safety concerns, and argued Vermont should not wait for courts to resolve every constitutional question before acting. Opponents on the Judiciary Committee said the language remained likely unconstitutional and could jeopardize the bill’s passage; the committee had found the amendment unfavorable on an 8-1 vote. The floor debate continued with several members speaking in favor of the amendment, including arguments that other states have adopted similar requirements and that Vermont should lead on the issue. One member raised a point of order that was not sustained, and the Speaker ruled federal authority relevant to the question. The transcript ends while debate on the amendment was still underway, after a request for a roll-call vote was granted, with no final floor vote on the amendment shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Casino, that when that was built that we do not have the same sort of HVAC systems, the same safety protocols
• 16.720> safety sort of HVAC systems, the same safety sort of HVAC systems, the same safety protocols
• :30:18.640> uh<00:30:18.720> the<00:30:18.960> same<00:30:19.279> uh protocols
• , the the uh the same uh protocols, the the uh the same uh requirements<00:30:20.159> uh<00:30

Transcript Highlights:

• So typically when a governor appoints someone, there is a standard protocol by which the Executive Council
• 35.199> a appoints someone there is a appoints someone there is a standard<04:11:38.239> protocol
• <04:11:39.199> which<04:11:39.359> the<04:11:39.600> executive standard protocol
• by which the executive standard protocol by which the executive councils<04:11:41.439> can<04

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• giving us an update in September, which is why I didn’t want to do anything specific about their protocol
• want to do anything specific<02:33:48.800> about<02:33:49.120> their<02:33:49.439> protocol
• <02:33:50.000> until<02:33:50.319> we specific about their protocol until we specific
• about their protocol until we had<02:33:50.720> more<02:33:50.960> information<02:33:51.359

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee discussed House Bill 185, which would amend RSA 3109 to add timelines for OPLC’s complaint review and investigation process. Members reviewed the existing five-year limitation period for misconduct complaints and noted that the bill would add a 30-day deadline for the office to make a recommendation to the board and a 90-day deadline to complete investigations. Some members raised concerns that the new deadlines could conflict with the existing statute of limitations, create pressure to dismiss cases too quickly, and potentially undermine the separation between OPLC’s investigative role and the boards’ adjudicatory role established by House Bill 655. Nicholas Fry, OPLC general counsel, testified that the agency’s fiscal note originally assumed it would need roughly double its staff to meet the proposed deadlines, though a later amendment reduced that estimate somewhat. He said OPLC would still need additional personnel, including investigatory paralegals and a physician investigator for the Board of Medicine, to meet the timeframes. He also explained OPLC’s current complaint and hearing procedures, including new consumer-friendly correspondence, website guidance, and efforts by the enforcement division to improve transparency and communication with complainants and licensees. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors testified in support of the bill’s basic goal of speeding up intake and investigation, saying the 30-day intake/review period was reasonable and that the bill would not change OPLC’s role in that first step. He argued, however, that the investigation step is where delays occur, especially for lower-priority complaints, and that some cases have remained unresolved for years. Committee members also questioned how the added staffing costs would be paid, with discussion of whether they would come from license fees or the general fund. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know the protocol on this, but I had a couple of lights.
• I don't know the protocol<00:28:03.679> on<00:28:03.840> this,<00:28:04.000> but
• 28:04.399> had<00:28:04.480> a<00:28:04.640> couple<00:28:04.799> of protocol
• on this, but I had a couple of protocol on this, but I had a couple of lights.<00:28:05.200> I

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here to testify in strong support of Senate File 30007, which establishes protocols for emergency
• of Senate File 30007<00:42:15.119> which<00:42:15.359> establishes<00:42:16.000> protocols
• <00:42:16.560> for 30007 which establishes protocols for 30007 which establishes protocols

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Monitors, return the counts. First Division: 0; 2nd Division: 3; 3rd Division: 0; 4th Division: 1.
• Monitors, return the counts. First Division: 0; 2nd Division: 0; 3rd Division: 0; 4th Division: 0.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted two ceremonial resolutions: one commemorating the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and another honoring the Veterans Brotherhood VMC, Massachusetts chapter for its service to veterans. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling then reported several local bills for consideration, including measures on recall elections in Rutland, oversight of the Boston Finance Commission, manufactured housing payments in Attleboro, validation of Stow proceedings, public meeting notices in Uxbridge, firefighter appointment age limits in Westfield, and special police appointments in Norwood. These bills were read a second time and ordered to a third reading without objection. The House then took up several local bills on third reading and passed them to be engrossed, including bills concerning wastewater treatment in Sandwich, preliminary elections in Longmeadow, additional liquor licenses in Southbridge, and an additional liquor license in Salem. The chamber also welcomed guests of Representative Sylvia of Fall River, including election officials from Fall River and Freetown, and briefly recessed subject to the call of the Chair. The major statewide item was House No. 5350, an act modernizing the Commonwealth’s cannabis laws. Because it required a separate constitutional vote on the emergency preamble, members voted by division and the preamble was adopted by a 3-0 tally. The bill then passed to be enacted. The House adopted the order to meet again Monday at 11 a.m. and adjourned accordingly.

Transcript Highlights:

• If it's properly not monitored, and so I'm concerned about making that. if it's properly not monitored

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Mental Health met in executive session and first took up Senate Bill 878, a pharmacy-related bill by Senator Fitzwater. Members adopted a committee substitute and a committee amendment before voting the bill do pass by a vote of 13 ayes and 2 noes. The substitute added language previously seen in other legislation on pseudoephedrine and 340B, and the amendment aligned the bill with Senate floor language on ivermectin. The committee then considered House Bill 3457, Representative Burns’ medically complex patients bill. Members adopted a substitute that narrowed the definition of “medically complex patient,” changed one provision from “shall” to “may,” and required primary care physician approval of a care plan before it could be entered into the alert system. One member raised concerns about making hydroxychloroquine over-the-counter and about pharmacists prescribing class two devices such as CPAP machines, but the substitute and then the bill itself were both approved unanimously, 15-0. Finally, the committee approved two resolutions sponsored by Representative Hruza. House Resolution 5380, on ALS awareness, was amended to add more encouragement for assistive technology and augmentative and alternative communication, then passed 15-0. House Resolution 4661, on chronic kidney disease, was also voted do pass 15-0. The meeting ended after brief closing remarks and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this is something we're going to have to monitor, and that is why we meet every year.
• and I think that we will be able to review how it's working both venues are open to monitor that venues
• are open to monitor that behavior,<00:13:00.320> which<00:13:00.560> is<00:13:00.760><
• something we're going to have to monitor something we're going to have to monitor and<00:13:07.880
• and I think think it will be monitored and I think that<00:13:28.920> we<00:13:29.160> will

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:02:20.640> and<01:02:20.880> controlling the clock um monitoring and controlling
• eight, now it's six regions to monitor eight, now it's six regions to monitor and<01:04:05.280><
• We monitor and enforce compliance with mandatory electric reliability standards.
• We monitor in entities in our footprint.
• We monitor in and<01:07:49.839> enforce<01:07:50.720> um<01:07:50.960> compliance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, with regard to threat monitoring, like DIR does today, every day, I might add, the command may
• monitor the dark web or other channels only for entities that contract for that help.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Resolution 380 by Representative Freeman to create the real-time fence line air monitoring alerts
• House Resolution 380 by Representative Freeman to create the real-time fence line air monitoring alerts
• Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office to establish a pilot program for home incarceration and electronic monitoring
• House to reject the amendments so that we can put it in conference to work on some language for the monitoring

Bills: HR310, HR314, HR316, HR317, HR321, HR275, HR276, HR279, HR282, HR286, HR289, HR292, HR295, HR302, HR319, HCR112, HR307, SCR59, SCR61, SCR62, SCR68, SCR69, SCR70, SCR54, SCR55, SCR64, SCR75, HCR3, HCR49, HCR66, HCR67, HB1, HB2, HB42, HB45, HB66, HB71, HB79, HB126, HB133, HB145, HB159, HB167, HB213, HB218, HB222, HB289, HB291, HB312, HB313, HB316, HB324, HB352, HB383, HB398, HB403, HB429, HB457, HB459, HB511, HB549, HB571, HB579, HB591, HB608, HB616, HB624, HB766, HB769, HB783, HB799, HB804, HB864, HB874, HB909, HB951, HB971, HB983, HB1005, HB1017, HB1051, HB1056, HB1095, HB1126, HB1129, HB1186, HB1193, HB1223, HB1224, HB1230, HB1235, HB1249, HB723, HB36, HB140, HB181, HB198, HB205, HB211, HB226, HB259, HB271, HB302, HB335, HB342, HB487, HB513, HB623, HB682, HB730, HB740, HB761, HB775, HB797, HB812, HB816, HB940, HB968, HB979, HB1028, HB1029, HB1038, HB1049, HB1084, HB1161, HB1194, HB1199, HB1201, HB1203, HB1247, HB1256, SB25, SB132, SB155, SB157, SB202, SB228, SB237, SB250, SB405, SB406, SB414, SB433, SB480, SB513, SB149, HB359, SB29, SB43, SB78, HB210, HB258, HB468, HB784, HB134, HB1117, SB42, SB274, SB382, SB449, SB300, HR74, HB463, HB715, HB998, SB80, SB268, SB444, SB479, HB901, HR20, HCR65, HCR71, HCR98, HB284, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB603, HB605, HB614, HB625, HB646, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1191, HB1240, HB1255, SB82, SB89, SB97, SB123, HB74, HB119, HB368, HB414, HB552, HB732, HB776, HB848, HB870, HB953, HB956, HB1236, SB208, SB217, SB283, SB387, SB389, SB401, SB408, SB469

Keywords: oil and gas, orphan wells, inactive wells, shut-in wells, marginal wells, plugging and abandonment, well decommissioning, site remediation, site restoration, Oilfield Site Restoration, OSR program, financial security, bonding, taxpayer liability, public liability, offshore wells, onshore wells, coastal erosion, Department of Conservation and Energy, natural resources

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, these farmers, these deer farmers, will tell you that they can monitor their herds very effectively
• for the first signs of any disease more effectively than we can in the DNR monitor wild herds.
• <00:43:38.600> their<00:43:38.840> herds you that they can monitor their herds you
• that they can monitor their herds very<00:43:39.800> effectively<00:43:40.480> for<00:43
• <00:43:46.720> So, in the DNR monitor wild herds. So, in the DNR monitor wild herds.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House first adopted a conference committee report on House File 3900, a constitutional amendment related to state government and school trust lands. Members from both parties praised the work on the bill and said the conference committee returned a clean version of the House-passed measure. The report was adopted without opposition, and the bill was repassed as amended by conference on a 134-0 roll call. The chamber then took up Senate File 4282, a forecast-adjustments bill covering K-12 education, human services, children and families, and transportation. Representative Youakim explained that the conference report restored all four forecast articles plus several no-cost education items, including school fund transfers, utility-payment authority, a paraprofessional licensing clarification, a grant extension, and school trust lands language. Representative Mueller moved to refuse adoption, arguing the report had become a catchall and omitted agreed-upon literacy language; that motion failed 62-72. The House then adopted the conference report, and the bill was repassed as amended by conference on a 94-37 vote. Next, the House concurred in Senate amendments to House File 4138, the social media bill aimed at restricting addictive social media harms for minors. The Senate had removed House “threat alert” language, and the author said that was the only substantive difference. Supporters said the bill would protect kids online and require parental permission for social media accounts for children 15 and under. The House concurred and repassed the bill as amended by the Senate on a 131-2 vote. The House then began consideration of Senate File 2373, a labor and industry bill exempting minor league baseball players from minimum wage and overtime requirements. Through a series of amendments, members added provisions on rural cancer research, disability services and employment access, unemployment insurance for certain laid-off Iron Range miners, and agricultural funding items such as depredation, local foods, down payment assistance, and meat processing grants. One proposed amendment to remove the double-fencing requirement for farmed cervidae was strongly opposed as a threat to deer health and was defeated 61-72. The transcript ends during debate on that amendment, before final disposition of the bill is shown.