Transcript Highlights:

• County clerks will be required to include QR codes on all mailings that link voters directly to this
• In fact, studies in states like Virginia, Georgia, and Texas have shown increased rates of participation
• Look at what happened in Texas. Voter ID laws disenfranchise voters.
• Look at what happened in Texas. Millions of voters were disenfranchised due to a similar law.

Bills: AB49, AB169, AB188, AB284, AB296, AB306, AB356, AB366, AB467, AB499, AB515, AB540, AB542, AB595

Keywords: educational personnel, teacher licensing, reciprocal licensure, provisional teaching, school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, state education standards, health insurance, speech-language pathology, stuttering, rehabilitative services, habilitative services, coverage requirements, health plans, retired public employees, subsidy, Medicare, health reimbursement arrangement, Public Employees' Benefits Program

Bills: SB166, HB365, HB272, HB232, HB234, SB278, SB277

Keywords: Ten Commandments, public education, displays, funding, Alabama law, STEM, science education, technology education, engineering education, math education, workforce development, career pathways, Alabama STEM Council, Department of Workforce, education policy, higher education, community colleges, K-12 education, teacher pipeline, STEM careers

Transcript Highlights:

• I said our state parks aren't funded like Texas and Arizona; they're not staffed like Texas and Arizona
• We created our own code using Navajo words.
• It's all up here, the entire code.
• So, they gave it to the Code Talkers Association.
• We had Code Talkers from Utah.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen this bill in other states, um, in fact, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, um, to name a few.
• states,<01:45:23.760> um,<01:45:24.080> in<01:45:24.239> fact,<01:45:25.040> Texas
• ,<01:45:26.000> uh, states, um, in fact, Texas, uh, states, um, in fact, Texas, uh, Missouri

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 733, a third-party litigation financing reporting bill. Representative Cole explained that the bill shifts reporting from the Secretary of State to the courts, which he said removes the fiscal note and helps insurers obtain information for underwriting and premium-setting. The committee accepted the explanation and voted ought to pass; the roll call was 8-0 in favor, with one member taking a pause. The committee then heard House Bill 219, dealing with the renewable portfolio standard and the renewable energy fund. Representative Bose argued the bill would reduce electricity costs by lowering the REC purchase obligation from 220,000 to 170,000, which he said would reduce payments into the renewable energy fund by roughly $1 million to $2 million and save consumers only pennies a month. After questions about timing and whether to wait for a DOE report, the committee voted to retain the bill for further discussion rather than advance it; the motion to retain passed 5-4. House Bill 365 was then discussed as an election-related bill intended to help verify citizenship for voter registration and create a voucher process for people who cannot afford a birth certificate. The sponsor said the Secretary of State may be able to use federal and state databases to verify citizenship, and if not, indigent applicants could receive a voucher reimbursed by the state, with a $25,000 appropriation included. Members raised concerns about the Secretary of State’s access to databases and the bill’s timing and cost, and the committee decided to hold the bill until Secretary Scanlan could come testify. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 552, which updates retiree health coverage rules so dependent children can remain on the plan until age 26, consistent with the Affordable Care Act. DAS officials said retirees pay the full cost for dependents, about $1,000 per month, while the state covers only the retiree and spouse. The committee voted ought to pass unanimously, 9-0. The committee then began discussion of House Bill 572, a housing bill aimed at missing-middle housing, describing a voluntary program to identify developable public land, support construction, and streamline review, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, the Office of the State Engineer is enforcing the water code using penalties written in 1907
• With my colleagues right now, we have something purported to be a settlement between the Texas v.
• I hope that's not what it's going to turn into because the agreement with Texas is to deliver a certain
• Chair, Senator, not in this particular provision that's being changed, but elsewhere in the water code
• Madam Chair, Senator, there's nothing elsewhere in the code that prevents another farmer from pursuing

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ohio developed an AI tool called Reg Explorer to reduce and review redundancies in administrative code
• Texas and Minnesota are the only two states that strictly have just a prohibition, which restricts the
• In Texas, it's 13.
• New regulatory sandbox initiatives in Delaware and Texas follow Arizona and Utah's efforts to foster
• Then, in 2025, California and Texas also joined states enacting comprehensive legislation.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Arizona House Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Committee heard a presentation from Adam Cook Hook of the National Conference of State Legislatures on recent AI policy trends across the states. He described how AI has rapidly become a major legislative issue, with all 50 states plus several territories introducing AI bills in 2025, and noted that states have created AI-focused committees, task forces, inventories, impact assessments, procurement rules, and government pilot projects. Examples discussed included state efforts in Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Hawaii, Arkansas, Ohio, and others, along with NCSL resources such as its AI legislation database and policy toolkit. Much of the discussion focused on deepfakes, elections, and synthetic media. Hook said many states have enacted disclosure requirements or prohibitions for AI-generated political messaging, and have also passed laws addressing sexually explicit deepfakes, nonconsensual intimate images, and commercial use of a person’s likeness, voice, or image. Members asked about the best state approaches to protecting likeness rights, how parody and satire affect deepfake laws, and whether such laws can avoid First Amendment problems. Hook pointed to recent court cases in California and Hawaii that struck down some deepfake laws as overly broad, especially where they lacked parody/satire exceptions or allowed too broad a private right of action. The committee also asked about practical government uses of AI, including retrieval-augmented chatbots used by agencies such as Montana’s Ethics Commission and the Ohio Secretary of State to help answer public questions or guide election officials. Hook said states are pursuing both regulation and innovation, citing comprehensive laws in Colorado, Utah, California, and Texas that combine disclosure, risk assessment, and anti-discrimination requirements with innovation efforts such as sandboxes and state support for AI research. No bills were heard or voted on, and the meeting ended with the chair thanking the presenter and adjourning the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• regarding the Texas v.
• It really hasn't sped up, and we are putting our best foot forward to navigate the procurement code.
• There's really only two states: Texas and us. So if the United States of America.
• I think Texas is one of them, right?
• Yes, Texas actually has more solar and more batteries than any other state.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr.
• recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr. recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr.
• <02:20:34.560> to of title 5 United States Code to of title 5 United States Code to authorize
• Army and Navy during World War II to serve as code readers.
• Army and Navy during World War II to serve as code readers.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 21, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• approve change orders and construction contracts with a two-thirds vote as set forth in Public Contract Code
• who's a board member of VTA, and Jesse O'Malley Solis, VTA's director of multimodal planning and real estate
• My name is Jesse O'Malley-Solis, and I'm VTA's director of multimodal planning and real estate.
• On this point, under California Public Contract Code, construction work above $5,000 must already go

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard eight bills, with testimony largely focused on local government authority, housing, and public service operations. AB 1658 would make permanent higher change-order thresholds for Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties on large construction projects; county representatives said the existing temporary authority has saved time and money, and the bill passed 6-0. AB 2263 would authorize the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to develop employee-preference affordable housing on its properties; supporters said it would help retain workers facing extreme housing costs, and it also passed 6-0 as amended. AB 2134, the Family Friendly City Councils Act, would protect city council members taking parental leave from losing their seats or having absences counted against them. Assembly Member Addis’s designee and Sunnyvale Council Member Alyssa Cisneros described the bill as a response to public pressure and privacy concerns faced by elected parents; members spoke in strong support, and the bill passed 6-0 as amended. AB 2188 would raise Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s contracting authority to $250,000 per contract; supporters said it would reduce delays and administrative costs, while questions centered on oversight and bidding safeguards. After committee amendments, it passed 6-0. AB 1768 would authorize Los Angeles and Contra Costa counties to ask voters to approve a temporary transactions-and-use tax for health care and related services in response to federal funding cuts. Supporters, including community clinics, Planned Parenthood, labor groups, and county representatives, said it would let voters decide whether to backfill major health care losses; opponents argued it would worsen affordability and tax burdens. The committee discussion highlighted concerns about equity and local control, and the bill was placed on call after a 5-2 roll call. AB 2033 would let general law cities use job order contracting for repair and maintenance projects; supporters said it would speed routine work, while AFSCME and some members raised workforce displacement and staffing concerns. It passed 8-0 as amended. AB 2415 would let the City of Folsom shift some housing obligations away from its historic district to other transit-oriented sites, with supporters saying it preserves historic character while still meeting housing goals. It passed 10-0. AB 2741, heard at the end of the meeting, would give cities a grace period to cure housing element issues involving overlay zones after a court ruling found some HCD-certified overlays noncompliant. Cities and local government groups supported the bill as a fairness measure for jurisdictions that relied on state guidance, while housing advocates and legal aid groups opposed it, arguing it would weaken enforcement and allow noncompliant housing plans to persist.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you consult the MPCA's website, you can see that the zip code where my clinic community is compared
• <00:14:59.920> where<00:15:00.000> my can see that the zip code where my can see that
• the zip code where my clinic<00:15:00.440> community<00:15:00.880> is<00:15:01.400>
• Or every person in Excel service territory who pays a fee with every bill because Texas didn't invest
• didn't invest in a resilient grid Texas didn't invest in a resilient grid that<00:20:13.320> could

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Rep. Athena Hollins and Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart introduced Minnesota’s proposed climate superfund bill, describing it as a way to make major historical greenhouse gas polluters help pay for climate adaptation and infrastructure repair. They said the bill would target large fossil fuel corporations with significant emissions and use the revenue for projects such as stormwater upgrades, bridge and roof protection, erosion control, drinking water protection, cooling cities, and other resilience work. Both lawmakers framed the proposal as a matter of accountability and fairness, arguing that Minnesotans should not keep paying for damage caused by companies that profited from fossil fuel pollution. Several supporters testified in favor of the bill, including St. Paul City Council Vice President Nyang Kheimey, former legislator and medical student Hunter Cantrell, Unidos Minnesota volunteer Bonnie Becol, and 100% Minnesota’s Aurora Vautrin. They emphasized local climate impacts such as flooding, wildfire smoke, extreme heat, emerald ash borer damage, asthma, and infrastructure failures, and said the costs are increasingly falling on taxpayers, local governments, and vulnerable communities. Kheimey highlighted municipal needs and St. Paul’s own climate investments, while Cantrell focused on environmental racism and health harms, and Becol and Vautrin stressed species loss, community recovery costs, and the burden on residents. In the question-and-answer portion, Hollins and Johnson Stewart explained that the bill would apply to fossil fuel corporations with at least 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions and a nexus to Minnesota, not local utilities. They said the State Auditor’s office would determine the assessments owed by companies, while the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency would hold the fund and administer grants. They also said they were looking to models in Vermont and New York and hoped the proposal could attract bipartisan support because it is tied to affordability and shifting costs away from taxpayers and onto polluters. No vote or formal committee action was taken in the transcript, and the event ended with the sponsors opening the bill to questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's duplicative of the existing structure of the code, Children's Code and Criminal Code.
• And so the... of the code, children's code and criminal code.
• And I would like to point out that the bill does rely on Title VIII of the Children's Code when it comes
• So Code of Criminal Procedure 401 governs the qualifications for jurors, and some don't realize this,
• law that created a compact between Texas and Louisiana.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here in Texas.
• Valerie Smith testifying on behalf of Texas Pediatric Society, Texas Medical Association, Texas Public
• I'm a pediatrician from Tyler, Texas, representing the Texas Pediatric Society, Texas Medical Association
• Texas does not license.
• Texas. So Texas currently does not allow psychologists to prescribe.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I understand it, our plugging requirements are more stringent than Texas.
• So, looking at other states like Texas, sorry, Mr.
• Chair, so are they doing something remarkably different in Texas?
• Why would they have passed that in Texas? What's different? Mr.
• So, are you also going out of state in particular to Texas for responses? Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas parents, and you've been a huge promoter of Texas parents. deserve to know how their schools are
• And that's the key thing to the Texas TEA.
• . lower socioeconomic than this Texas Central.
• Texas and one in Southwest Texas.
• I'm Stephen with Disability Rights Texas here on SB 8.

Bills: SB8, SB 8

Keywords: education, accountability, public school assessment, state law, transparency, intervention, performance ratings, sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bar code 9, 4, 0, 1, 0, 1, You're recognized to explain that amendment. >> Thank you, Mr.
• place now that Vince install 12 or 15 years ago does not mean that meets the requirements of today's code
• So bar Code 8, 8, 1, 9, 3, 7, You're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr.
• you are expanding spaceport or whether you're re nursing a beach, whether you're closing on a real estate

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 930 updates the California's elections code to reflect how people actually vote today, especially
• AB 930 updates and aligns election code with modern election processes and procedures.
• Section of vote-by-mail election code to match vote-by-mail acceptance periods that were updated in AB
• So this very simply puts the top funders of measures— where the real estate is the most precious, as

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas, Mississippi, and West Virginia have all passed it within the past 9 months with nearly unanimous
• Why not join with say<00:16:56.680> Texas<00:16:57.680> or<00:16:57.839> California<
• or California or both and and say Texas or California or both and and partner<00:17:00.760> with<
• <00:26:40.320> book<00:26:40.520> allows<00:26:40.880> for Society code book
• State of Ohio has passed a similar standard and is applicable through their code process.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're in the optional municipal code sections. They're in the GMA sections.
• Looking at things like pausing the building code, the frequent code updates, to stabilize cost and reduce
• , building code, fire code...
• But also, you have to consider energy code, building code, fire code, inclusionary zoning requirements
• You know, they may object, but the code says it has to go forward.

Summary: The committee heard a series of presentations on comprehensive plan updates, permitting reform, special purpose district coordination, and subdivision reform. Pierce County and the City of Redmond described their recent comprehensive plan updates, emphasizing housing production, transit-oriented development, middle housing, preservation of affordable housing, and the need for technical assistance and clearer state guidance. Both jurisdictions said the planning process took years and was complicated by overlapping state requirements, changing legislative mandates, and multiple review authorities. Redmond in particular said mid-course legislative changes forced supplemental environmental review and added significant cost and delay, and both local governments asked for more stability, clearer statutes, and better-aligned timelines. Presenters from the architecture, building official, and development sectors focused on permitting delays and proposed ways to speed housing delivery. Dave Boucher of AIA Washington argued for a provisional construction permit process for projects stamped by licensed professionals, along with mandatory deadlines and fewer stalled review cycles. Tim Woodard of WABO described existing tools such as pre-application meetings and phased approvals, noting they can improve certainty but also require staff time and careful coordination. Representatives from Master Builders and D.R. Horton said permit and subdivision delays add substantial cost to housing, citing studies showing months of delay and tens of thousands of dollars added per home, and urged administrative approvals, concurrent review, self-certification, and limits on repeated review cycles. The committee also reviewed a Commerce-led task force report on integrating special purpose districts into Growth Management Act planning. The task force recommended early invitation and notice to water, sewer, school, port, and other service providers during countywide planning policy and comprehensive plan updates, better coordination on grants and capital projects, updated water system coordination plans, and improved school siting and funding alignment in fast-growing areas. Speakers stressed that the recommendations were intended to be light-touch and focused on better communication rather than major statutory overhaul, while also noting that rural and slow-growing areas should not be burdened with the same requirements as rapidly growing jurisdictions. On subdivision reform, FutureWise and the City of Spokane discussed making more subdivision decisions administrative, preserving vesting, clarifying exemptions, and reducing unnecessary notice and appeal steps. Spokane described local reforms such as smaller minimum lot sizes, unit lot subdivisions, and reduced-process “minor engineering review” for simple plats, while raising concerns about new notice requirements and appeals to city councils for technical plat decisions. Across the hearing, members repeatedly returned to the theme that local governments, builders, and state agencies need clearer, more coordinated rules to reduce delay and uncertainty while still protecting safety and planning goals.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so in this bill, we'd suggest that you look at the historical building code or look at the existing
• building code for the waiver application that you had asked for, for variance.
• But it remains impossible to bring the buildings up to code, and they remain vacant, like the Buffalo
• Maybe this is the approach, because instead it gives a tax credit for bringing a building up to code
• I do a lot of real estate investing.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so embedded into those early territorial codes were those two things.
• They added a three-member commission in the territorial water code.
• So that was a different new part of the governance that came in with the territorial water code.
• But the more dramatic part of the change that happened was the 2007 water code.
• The 2007 water code adopted the prior appropriation doctrine and installed the state engineer as the