Transcript Highlights:

• So thank you so much for hosting elevate workforce development and elevate workforce development and
• Thank you so much for hosting this and for letting me speak.
• <04:44:09.840> Any are hosting their own data on prem.
• Any are hosting their own data on prem.
• <04:44:15.600> services it's all through our um hosted services it's all through our um hosted

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To be clear, platforms, online platforms can and do expose young people to serious harms.
• platforms, online platforms, that don't have that component?
• on one of our social media platforms.
• And then with platforms, platforms should be accountable for collecting and reporting safety-relevant
• They use a platform, Padlet, to do that. And broadly, They use a platform, Padlet, to do that.

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational hearing on the impact of social media on LGBTQ+ youth, focusing on benefits, risks, and possible safeguards. Chair members framed the discussion around the tension between protecting young people from addictive design, harassment, hate speech, exploitation, and mental health harms while preserving access to affirming resources, community, and crisis support that many LGBTQ+ youth rely on online. Members emphasized that the hearing was meant to inform future policy rather than relitigate prior bills, and several members of the LGBTQ+ Caucus attended or participated. The first panel featured lived experience and advocacy testimony from Madi Roby of Alliance for Trans Youth Rights, Shea Gardner of LGBT Tech, and Casey Pick of the Trevor Project. Roby described social media as essential to exploring identity, finding trans language and safety information, and connecting to Trevor Project resources during a family crisis, while also acknowledging online hate and bullying. Gardner argued that lawmakers should regulate harms more precisely rather than impose broad age-based exclusions, warning that account bans and age-gating could cut off access to community, privacy-protective pseudonymity, and crisis resources. Pick testified that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely than peers to attempt suicide, that social media can be both a lifeline and a risk, and that Trevor Space and other moderated online spaces can improve mental health and reduce isolation; she also cautioned against policies that would push youth into less visible, less moderated spaces. Committee members questioned the witnesses about algorithmic feeds, addictive design, age verification, and whether platforms should be required to do more to protect youth. Several lawmakers distinguished between personalized feeds and addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, and asked for more targeted prescriptions. Witnesses generally supported stronger privacy protections, limits on data collection and use, better reporting and moderation tools, digital literacy, and design changes that reduce harmful engagement patterns without eliminating access to community. The discussion also touched on the loss of LGBTQ-specific 988 services at the national level and the importance of maintaining alternative support pathways. The second panel presented research from Common Sense Media, UC Irvine, Hope Lab, and LGBTQ+ Health Australia. Researchers reported that LGBTQ+ youth often arrive online with higher depressive symptoms and limited in-person support, encounter homophobic and transphobic content at high rates, and may self-censor because of fear of harassment. At the same time, many said social media helps them feel less alone and find affirmation. Dr. Sean Young emphasized a harm-reduction approach, noting that online environments can be designed to support health and that policymakers should measure whether restrictions actually reduce harm or simply displace it. Dr. Amy Green echoed that social media is both harmful and supportive for LGBTQ+ youth, underscoring that the policy goal should be to make youth safer rather than less visible online.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um those reports were hosted by the Department of Education for two years.
• So, we began to host those reports.
• So, we began to host logical to me. So, we began to host those<00:58:06.960> reports.
• And I believe this would change that so they are on the same platform, same level.
• same you know on the same uh platform same you know on the same uh platform same<03:39:01.040>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We built an entire tech platform from scratch. That was an astounding feat.
• We did testing of that platform.
• 00:07:53.120> they<00:07:53.479> represent<00:07:53.960> all We built out a platform
• So then it's up to each kind of host site really to do a lot of the promotion of the opportunity and
• so then it's up to each kind of host so then it's up to each kind of host site<01:29:14.840>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, Georgetown's campus in Doha hosted a conference in the fall on the future of Gaza.
• platform together.
• Having a reasonable transition period for procurement and usage of adversary platforms.
• When we first came here as foreign students, A local host family welcomed us with open arms.
• So I happen to work in the fraud detection domain for an e-commerce platform.

Bills: HB17, HB34, HB41, HB 118, HB 119, HB 127, HB 128, HB 129, HB 130, HB132, HB133, HB17, HB41, HB118, HB119, HB127, HB128, HB129, HB130, HB132, HB133

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy

Transcript Highlights:

• > paying<00:10:40.240> $3<00:10:40.399> million hosting the mainframe, paying $3
• million hosting the mainframe, paying $3 million a<00:10:41.040> year<00:10:41.120> for
• >> This is going to be a cloud application, and we're going to use the Azure platform most likely.
• <00:15:03.199> Um<00:15:03.519> it's Azure platform most likely.
• Um it's Azure platform most likely.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing covered SB 2120, which would allow certain state and county employees rehired within one year to transfer accrued vacation and sick leave and extend the break-in-service period for health benefits. Testimony was split: the Department of Human Resources explained current leave payout and pension credit rules and raised concerns about the long transfer window, while labor representatives supported the measure. During decision-making, both committees recommended passage with amendments. The amendments narrowed the bill by changing the break-in-service period to 180 days for leave beginning on or after July 1, 2026, making the benefit transfer voluntary with a 90-day notice deadline, and changing the effective date to January 1, 2077. The recommendations were adopted by vote. The committees also heard SB 2523, an appropriation for the City and County of Honolulu Department of Information Technology to modernize the driver’s license and motor vehicle system. DIT described the current COBOL-based mainframe as decades old, said the project would use a code-share arrangement with Arizona, and estimated a $10 million, two-year conversion and rollout. Members questioned the cost, the city-state funding arrangement, and the feasibility of the project, including whether it would move to a cloud-based system. After testimony, both committees deferred the measure. In the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs portion, SB 2032 on consumer protection for solar sales drew broad support from the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Office of Consumer Protection, the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, and others. Testifiers said the bill was needed in response to misleading solar door-to-door sales and urged amendments to clarify “contractual affiliation,” exclude balcony/portable solar devices, and require disclosure of cash and financed prices. The committee then moved on to SB 2079 on vehicle titles, which had one supporter and one opponent but no testimony in person or online, and SB 2241 on zero-emission vehicles, for which the Hawaii State Energy Office submitted written support. The hearing also began discussion of SB 2579 on water-related grants, where agencies said any program would need clearer statutory standards and likely a feasibility study before implementation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, there is a very special breakfast in the morning that will be hosted by the Kentucky State Police
• He used his global platform to advocate for peace, faith, and justice, emerging as an enduring symbol
• He used his global platform to advocate for peace, faith, and justice, emerging as an enduring symbol
• He used his global platform to advocate for peace, faith, and justice, emerging as an enduring symbol

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and a quorum declared. The journal from January 14, 2026 was approved, absent senators were excused, and the chamber moved through second readings of several bills and a concurrent resolution, including measures on identity documents, limiting gubernatorial pardon authority, motor vehicle regulation, solid waste facilities, pharmacist reimbursements, battery stewardship, property tax exemption, and a Medicaid delivery model feasibility study. Those items were referred to the Rules Committee after second reading. Committee reports were received from Education, Judiciary, and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection, each recommending passage of listed bills, which were then treated as having first reading and placed on the calendar. The Committee on Committees later referred additional bills to Health Services, Natural Resources and Energy, and State and Local Government, and sent Senate Resolutions 35, 36, and 37 to the floor. The Rules Committee also posted Senate Bill 7 and later additional measures for the next day’s regular orders. Several new bills and resolutions were introduced, including bills on grandparent visitation, prosthesis and orthosis coverage, welding safety, transactional precious metals, Kentucky State Police, and concealed deadly weapons, along with memorial and honorary resolutions. Members also filed multiple co-sponsorship requests, all accepted without objection. The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 29 honoring Edward Todd Jr., observed a moment of silence for Jeremiah Parsons, and heard announcements about a Kentucky State Police Professional Association breakfast, a Higher Education open house, and a Bags of Hope foster-care service project. The session ended with technical issues noted in filing documents, but the clerk reported the new filings and the Senate adjourned without objection until 9:00 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• hocus pocus going on with the genetic assay, and what I mean by that is With these different QPCR platforms
• There's another platform that you actually send your results into them, and they send you a number back
• to see it kind of actually the government not assisting in that and not feeling, not using that platform
• what they're what They're putting out there, and I see on KFOR, and I've seen some web pages just hosting

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For instance, on the secondary side, we have our zello workforce program platform.
• The provides opportunities for students to explore within the platform as well as parents.
• My question goes to if we're looking at you talked about it, HVAC nursing a whole host of career opportunities
• with the Florida chamber and as well as several other programs would sell or workforce training is platform

Transcript Highlights:

• somewhere else... ...considered business friendly, moving their operations somewhere else, a whole host
• You know, if you left something in your shopping cart, there's a whole host of ways of discounts and
• There's also the question of whether complying with this bill may force platforms to collect more data
• Moreover, A4013 requires covered services to monitor covered users' activity on the covered platform
• To deliver New Jersey specific warnings, platforms must track user location.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from some folks in UC, not on behalf of UC, but on behalf of themselves, about the possibility of hosting
• us understand what we need to do when people come and speak for or against, whether they're the platform
• laws have been enacted over the Mind that the CCPA and CalA and a whole host of other California laws
• In particular, we are seeking an amendment to amend out the MLS platforms, multiple listing services,
• With this data exchange platform, they'll be able to understand what is happening.

Summary: The committee heard several AI- and consumer-protection-related bills, with extensive testimony from authors, supporters, and industry opponents. SB 53 by Senator Wiener would create transparency requirements for large AI developers, including disclosure of safety and security protocols, reporting of critical safety incidents, whistleblower protections, and the CalCompute public cloud. Supporters said it is a narrower, transparency-based follow-up to last year’s vetoed AI safety bill, while opponents argued it still relies too much on company size, could expose trade secrets, and should be narrowed further. The committee approved SB 53 on a do-pass-as-amended vote to Appropriations, with the roll held open for absent members. SB 766 by Senator Allen would codify the FTC’s Cars Rule and create a three-day cooling-off period for certain used-car purchases, along with stronger disclosure rules on pricing, add-ons, and government affiliation claims. Supporters said it would save consumers money and time and help buyers avoid bad deals, while dealer and industry groups said amendments addressed many of their concerns. Several former opponents moved to neutral, and the committee passed SB 766 unanimously as amended to Appropriations. SB 7 by Senator McNerney would regulate automated decision-making systems in employment by requiring notice, human review for discipline and termination, and limits on predictive behavior analysis. Labor and consumer advocates supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or overly automated workplace decisions, while employer and industry groups raised concerns about scope, notice burdens, and the predictive-analysis ban. The committee passed SB 7 to Appropriations on a 4-2 vote, with the roll held open. SB 833, also by Senator McNerney, would require human oversight of AI used in critical infrastructure, along with training and system assessments; it drew limited opposition focused on scope, and the committee passed it as amended to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote, also holding the roll open. Later, the committee took up SB 11, which would address AI-generated voice, image, and video cloning and deepfakes by clarifying likeness protections, requiring consumer warnings, and addressing misuse and evidence tampering. Supporters framed it as a targeted response to nonconsensual deepfakes, while industry groups said recent amendments improved the bill but still had concerns about penalties and warning language. The committee also heard SB 720, the Safer Streets Act, which would let cities opt into a revised red-light camera system that shifts from driver to owner liability, removes facial identification, makes violations civil rather than criminal, and directs revenue toward transportation safety projects; the author presented the bill, but the transcript ends before any final action on SB 720.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so, there are a whole host of reasons. There are many more. I think we should pass this.
• Um so, there a whole host of and death.
• These types of platforms currently require no... >> Thank you, Madam President.
• <01:25:06.680> This<01:25:06.840> would platforms on public waters.
• This would platforms on public waters.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• go<00:12:03.279> over<00:12:03.440> a<00:12:03.680> whole<00:12:03.839> host
• our website and we go over a whole host our website and we go over a whole host of<00:12:04.320>
• the state website, which this is a phenomenal resource, but if you go on there's a thing called I platform
• the state website, which this is a phenomenal resource, but if you go on there's a thing called I platform
• compare district to district. ...phenomenal resource, but if you go on there's a thing called I platform

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can make the speeches from this platform, but you are the ones who get it done.
• La Corsiere, as you know, Indianapolis is going to be hosting the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival
• Indiana is very proud to host this event in May and we thank the American Legion for providing that opportunity
• , family members of veterans serving veterans. who has done a great job in, you know, allowing a platform
• I'm glad that you've got the platform. You're doing a great job of grabbing hold of that platform.

Keywords: veteran services, homelessness, unemployment, VA funding, mental health, congressional oversight, testimonies, American Legion, Dole Act, suicide prevention

Summary: This meeting focused on veteran services, emphasizing the urgent need to address the alarming rate of unemployment and homelessness among veterans. Numerous testimonies were presented detailing the impact of mass furloughs and cutbacks at the VA on personnel, notably veterans who were serving as employees. Various representatives expressed deep concern over how these firings could drastically affect the quality of care available to those who have served the nation. There was a strong call for Congress to bolster funding for existing programs aimed at alleviating veteran homelessness and improving overall care quality, especially in mental health services.

Transcript Highlights:

• So every region has been hosting those listening sessions throughout the last couple of months, and they'll
• We developed a model and then started going out into communities to develop and host these workshops.
• Workforce capacity for peers and providing digital platform for data and resources.
• We're very robust in the evaluation, and we have the iECHO platform that can help and assist that.
• This past year, we also hosted two of the SIM workshops at the ECHO Institute, which gather a lot of

Bills: HB1

Keywords: feed bill, legislative appropriations, legislative branch, New Mexico Legislature, general fund, legislative council service, legislative finance committee, legislative education study committee, house chief clerk, senate chief clerk, per diem, mileage, session expenses, interim committees, district staff, capitol complex, capital outlay data system, legislative processing system, redistricting, census redistricting

Transcript Highlights:

• Tonight, I invite you to step into that future at Tech Day at the Capitol, hosted by the Florida Technology
• advancing AI and automation, as well as the need to create frameworks that ensure our various technology platforms
• , which is specifically designed for government agencies and offers secure deployment options on platforms
• This product enables agencies to more easily self-host and manage their own security, privacy, and compliance
• mentioned our ChatGPT Gov product, which was recently announced, that allows a government to self-host

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and automation in Florida government. Panelists from Worldwide Technology, OpenAI, the James Madison Institute, and the Florida Digital Service described AI as a tool to improve efficiency, constituent services, fraud detection, translation, HR workflows, public safety, and regulatory review, while emphasizing that AI should supplement rather than replace workers. They also stressed the importance of data readiness, workforce training, governance, and having existing technology systems and policies in place before broader deployment. Members asked about public records concerns, vendor vetting, model integrity, and how to balance innovation with privacy and security. Chief Schoonover said agencies are already using or exploring AI in areas such as Medicaid analysis, environmental data, emergency management, tax forms, and child support, and noted that the Digital Service publishes prohibited vendor and application lists. OpenAI discussed its red teaming, safety evaluations, privacy controls, and government products such as ChatGPT Gov, and said it does not train on personal data or target users with ads. The committee also discussed concrete examples of efficiency gains, including reduced call times, faster translation turnaround, and streamlined HR classification work, as well as concerns about job disruption and constituent access. In closing, members raised data center infrastructure and energy needs, with panelists noting that AI depends on substantial compute, power, cooling, and utility capacity. The chair concluded by encouraging continued dialogue and noting that future AI legislation should be targeted to specific problems rather than overly broad.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also leads in research and education, hosting 168 institutions of higher education.
• , ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I have the great pleasure to have... ...had the pleasure of hosting
• This is a platform dedicated to fostering and strengthening Black-Jewish alliances, which is a cause

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered a prayer and pledge, and then moved through a series of privileges of the floor recognitions. Senators honored California Interscholastic Federation Scholar-Athletes Ryan Liu of Burlingame High School and Mona Sugawata of West Torrance High School for their academic, athletic, and community achievements, and welcomed a delegation from Jiangsu Province in China to mark the 15th anniversary of the California-Jiangsu sister-state relationship. The chamber also recognized the California Taxpayers Association on its 100th anniversary and welcomed Senator Ochoa Bogh’s district staff visiting Sacramento. Under motions and resolutions, the Senate referred AB 782 to the Rules Committee. A motion by Senator Menjivar to rescind the vote on AB 1457 and place it on third reading was debated, with Senator Valadares opposing; the roll call passed 28-9. The Senate then took up the consent calendar, adopting Assembly Concurrent Resolutions 129, 164, and 166 by a unanimous 38-0 vote, with the same vote applying to the remaining consent items. The remainder of the session was devoted to adjourn-in-memory tributes. Senators Becker, Wiener, and Rubio honored Clarence Jones, Rita Semmel, and Deputy Levi Vargas, respectively, describing their public service, community leadership, and lasting legacies. The Senate then announced that the next floor session would be Monday, June 8 at 2 p.m., and recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have been incredible hosts. I especially want to thank our respective staffs.
• I'm the ranking member of the committee, and thank you to our hosts for having us here.
• Delighted to be back to thank you, Chair Kilcoyne, Chair Kennedy, for hosting us.
• Thank you for hosting us today, Chair Kilcoyne, Chair Kennedy.
• We have hosted, and we plan and continue to host, community conversations and focus groups across the

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a Health and Human Services budget hearing in Clinton, with opening remarks from Chairs Meg Kilcoyne and Robin Kennedy, local officials, and many House and Senate members introducing themselves. The hearing focused on Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS and MassHealth budgets, with repeated themes of rising health care costs, federal funding uncertainty, workforce shortages, and access to care in underserved regions. Members also raised concerns about primary care shortages, rural and regional disparities, behavioral health access, maternal health, food insecurity, and the impact of federal policy changes on Massachusetts programs. EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the FY27 EOHHS budget totals $33.7 billion, reflecting mostly non-discretionary growth from health care costs, labor costs, caseload increases, and provider rate pressures. He highlighted targeted investments in foster care, family resource centers, maternal health, youth services, nutrition programs, immigrant legal services, and human service workforce rates, while warning that federal actions could strip roughly $3.5 billion annually from the state’s health care funding. In response to questions, he defended the administration’s cooperation with federal audits and program integrity efforts, discussed the primary care crisis, and said the state is trying to preserve core services while preparing for a more difficult FY28 budget cycle. MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine then described two major FY27 challenges: double-digit cost growth and the expected effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said MassHealth’s proposed $22.7 billion gross budget includes a 7.5% increase and relies on a moratorium on new expansions plus targeted reductions, including a $1,000 annual adult dental cap, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management to peer-state levels, and work groups to slow growth in PCA, adult foster care, and adult day health spending. Members questioned the impact on Boston Health Care for the Homeless, preventive care, and regional access; Levine said the changes are meant to preserve sustainability, that children and certain disabled populations remain protected, and that the administration will continue working with providers, advocates, and the Legislature on implementation and longer-term reforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, just a whole host of concerns about how we would measure it.
• Because this would only be— we're talking about international platforms that do this now.
• platforms platforms that<00:26:17.679> do<00:26:17.880> this<00:26:18.160> now.
• The issue is the platforms who are profiting off of your betting on that.
• The issue is the platforms who you want.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're moving away from our legacy systems, locally hosted systems, things that we're having to patch
• We're moving away from our legacy systems, locally hosted systems, things that we're having to patch
• We're moving away from our legacy systems, locally hosted systems, things that we're having to patch
• We're moving away from our legacy systems, locally hosted systems, things that we're having to patch
• across all our consistent platform across all our counties,<01:01:41.119> all<01:01:41.359>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary met without a quorum and heard an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on the judicial branch budget. AOC Director Zach Ramsey and budget director Carol Henderson outlined the branch’s current funding structure, noting that fiscal year 2026 general fund support is about 2.77% of the state general fund, below the National Center for State Courts’ typical 2% to 4% range. They emphasized Kentucky’s unusual responsibility for courthouse facilities, with the judicial branch directly involved in construction, maintenance, and operations across 229 facilities in all 120 counties. AOC said nearly 91% of its general fund is spent on personnel and other non-discretionary costs, and that the branch has long relied on agency revenue, restricted fund carryforwards, and vacancy credits to balance court operations. Members were told that Senate Bill 25 required a $34.5 million transfer into a reserve account, part of which was used to purchase the Chamberlain Avenue building in Frankfort. AOC reported that only $11.9 million remains in restricted funds, while it projects needing about $13.5 million to cover fiscal year 2026 obligations, not including roughly $9 million in flood-related remediation costs for Hardin and Franklin counties, much of which it expects to recover through insurance and FEMA. Looking ahead to the next biennium, AOC said it will seek full funding of court operations at $341 million annually, a $13.5 million increase to bring current services into the base appropriation rather than relying on reserves. It also previewed additional requests, including a 15% across-the-board pay parity plan for Kentucky Court of Justice personnel, replacement of declining master commissioner fee revenue tied to 141 deputy circuit court clerk positions, funding for technology subscription and case management system costs, JAV audiovisual system upgrades, AEDs and medical kits for courthouses, and other staffing and operational needs. Senator Funky Frommeyer asked whether the 15% salary proposal was included in the $13.5 million increase; AOC said it was not, and that it would be an additional request. No votes or formal actions were taken.