Transcript Highlights:

• But the language of the statute really matters.
• c> statute<00:35:50.160> really the language of the statute really the language of the statute
• <00:36:37.599> comes mentioned earlier, this language comes mentioned earlier, this language
• <01:17:22.320> supervision solely to meet a statutory supervision solely to meet a statutory
• > other<01:41:53.520> areas unnecessary language in other areas unnecessary language in

Bills: HF3521, HF3563, HF82, HF2689, HF1794, HF3544, HF3516, HF1752

Keywords: hospital moratorium, hospital construction, bed capacity, hospital expansion, health care facilities, hospital licensing, safety-net hospital, level I trauma center, Ramsey County, Minnesota health law, hospital beds, new hospital exception, certificate of need, inpatient capacity, emergency care, trauma services, health system regulation, state moratorium, hospital modernization, health infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• It just moves uncodified language into a codified section.
• It just moves uncodified language into a codified section.
• <00:04:11.120> Um language into a codified section. Um language into a codified section.
• the summary, um, that's language the summary, um, that's language establishing<00:08:22.160>
• delivering on their statutory delivering on their statutory obligations. obligations. obligations

Bills: HF2730, HF2257, HF2768, HF1932, HF2437

Keywords: local government debt, municipal bonds, county bonds, capital improvements, public financing, bond issuance, public hearing, notice period, bond guarantee, Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, volume cap, private activity bonds, housing finance, residential rental bonds, LIHTC, low-income housing tax credits, redevelopment, courthouse financing, jail financing, law enforcement center

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:17:34.000> amendment make clear that by statutory amendment make clear that by statutory
• So that’s just unnecessary language that might be confusing.
• So that’s just unnecessary language that might be confusing.
• So that’s just unnecessary language that might be confusing.
• So that’s just unnecessary language that might be confusing.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's simply replacing 'performance' with the language 'production.'
• That's simply replacing performance with the language production.
• So getting kind of to the performance with the language production.
• So it's kind of just removing the connotation from the language.
• I think right now there's quite a bit of limiting language in there.

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also amended the motor vehicle kill switch language. That is the amendment. Okay.
• It also amended the motor vehicle kill switch language. That is the amendment. Okay.
• , we believe the information, the language it's being added.
• We do not believe that language needs to be struck through. Thank you. William B.
• This bill restructures the language regarding criteria for involuntary placement or treatment.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice considered and advanced a series of criminal justice bills, with most measures reported favorably after brief presentations, amendments, and roll-call votes. Among the bills approved were CS/SB 468 on fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, which increases offense levels and allows impoundment of involved vehicles; CS/SB 1136 on age as an element of a criminal offense, which strengthens protections for minors and was amended to adjust age thresholds and luring/enticement language; CS/SB 144 on criminal justice, which was narrowed by substitute amendment after discussion with law enforcement and includes provisions on kill switches, body cameras/AI, first responder recognition, and other corrections-related items; and CS/SB 1782, which creates penalties for dangerous excessive speeding. The committee also favorably reported CS/SB 964 on objective parole guidelines, CS/SB 1450 on arrest and detention of individuals with significant medical conditions, CS/SB 612 on murder involving unlawful drug distribution by minors, CS/SB 1838 on tampering with or harassing court officials, CS/SB 716 on enhanced penalties for sexual offenses by repeat offenders, CS/SB 1604 on corrections, and CS/SB 1360 on xylazine, which preserves veterinary use while increasing penalties for illicit trafficking and possession for sale. Several bills drew substantive testimony and debate. CS/SB 1838 prompted concerns from the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers that the tampering language could be applied to prosecutors or defense attorneys; the sponsor said he would work to refine the language. CS/SB 964 received support from criminal defense advocates and a witness who argued Florida’s parole system needs revision due to prison overcrowding and staffing issues. CS/SB 1604 generated questions about inmate access to courts, the statute of limitations for confinement claims, and involuntary mental health treatment; the sponsor said the bill aims to balance inmate rights with timely reporting and to address bad actors in corrections. CS/SB 1360 was supported as a response to the spread of xylazine on the street, while noting its legitimate veterinary use. The most contested measure was CS/SB 1804 on capital sex trafficking. The bill would create a capital offense for adult trafficking of a child under 12 or a mentally incapacitated person under specified circumstances, with a life-felony fallback if capital punishment is later found unconstitutional. Supporters argued it targets especially heinous conduct and closes a gap in existing law; opponents, including the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and anti-death-penalty advocates, argued it expands the death penalty beyond homicide, raises constitutional concerns, risks retraumatizing victims, and would be costly to litigate. After extensive debate, the committee adopted an amendment aligning the bill with the House companion and reported the bill favorably. The committee also approved SB 776 adding an aggravating factor for assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, despite objections from some members who voted no. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked members for the session, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:03.200> as to say it's exactly the same language as to say it's exactly the same language
• building code board of appeals language building code board of appeals language and<01:54:04.639
• <01:54:41.520> Uh, use the more robust language. Uh, use the more robust language.
• language into 155A. language into 155A.
• , appropriate language, appropriate language, >> but<02:31:44.319> the<02:31:44.479>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first took up House Bill 525, which would have transferred administration of the program for the deaf and hard of hearing and the related board to OPLC. The chair said the sponsor was no longer interested in moving forward, and Representative Schmidt moved ITL. The motion passed 14-0 with two members absent, and the bill was placed on the consent calendar. The committee then considered Senate Bill 182 on the maternal mortality review committee. The chair described a narrower amendment that would keep the name change, clarify operations so recommendations are returned to the appropriate entities, and expand contact with family members and close contacts, while dropping a proposed addition of a Department of Corrections member. The amendment was adopted unanimously, and the bill was then moved ITL and placed on the consent calendar. Senate Bill 185, dealing with OPLC investigations and backlog reduction, received an update from OPLC General Counsel Nicholas Fry. He described efforts to improve public communication, clear the complaint backlog, standardize intake and expert review, add automated responses and website updates, use weekly legal-viability reviews, create preliminary investigation protocols, and establish a process for law-enforcement referrals. Members asked about board involvement and criminal-conviction cases; Fry said boards are kept informed and that such matters can proceed either through complaints or application/background-check processes. Representative Groa requested a follow-up update in January, and the committee agreed to an oral report then if needed. The bill was then voted ITL unanimously and placed on the consent calendar. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 349 on optometrists performing ophthalmologic laser procedures. Dr. Angelique Sawyer testified in support, saying the amendment adds more specific proctoring and qualification requirements, based on language requested after earlier hearings, and that similar systems exist in other states. Representative Sers confirmed that the new sections were the key additions, while Representative Schmidt said he remained open to the concept but wanted a thorough review and asked about a subcommittee. The discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended, with no vote recorded on HB 349.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to keep working on this language.
• I would like to keep working on this language.
• <00:07:00.879> I to keep working on this language I to keep working on this language I really
• so we haven't fully prepared a language so we haven't fully prepared a response<00:07:38.080> to<
• on some language that that will<00:14:51.360> work<00:14:51.720> this<00:14:51.920>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also amended the motor vehicle kill switch language. That is the amendment. Okay.
• , we believe the language that's being added.
• We do not believe that language needs to be struck through. Thank you. Thank you. William B.
• So those are our concerns with the unintended consequences of that tampering language. Thank you.
• This bill restructures the language regarding criteria for involuntary placement or treatment.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice considered and reported favorably a series of criminal justice, corrections, and public safety bills. Among the measures approved were SB 468, increasing penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement and allowing impoundment of involved vehicles; SB 1136, tightening age-related criminal offense provisions and clarifying that ignorance or misrepresentation of a victim’s age is not a defense in covered cases; SB 144, which was described as a broad public safety measure addressing law enforcement tools, AI/body camera use, concealed carry licensing exemptions for law enforcement, blood testing after exposure incidents, and related matters; and SB 1782, creating a dangerous excessive speeding offense for extreme speeding conduct. The committee also approved SB 964 on objective parole guidelines, SB 1450 giving law enforcement discretion on immediate arrest of individuals with significant medical conditions in nursing home or assisted living settings, SB 612 closing a loophole related to charging minors in drug-distribution deaths, SB 1838 protecting court officials from tampering, harassment, and retaliation, SB 776 adding an aggravating factor for assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, and SB 716 imposing mandatory minimums for certain sexual offenses committed by registered sex offenders or predators. Several bills drew notable testimony and debate. SB 1804, which would make sex trafficking of a child under 12 or a mentally incapacitated person a capital offense, received strong support from the sponsor and some members who argued it was needed to address the most heinous trafficking cases, but it also drew opposition from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and others who argued the death penalty should not be expanded to non-homicide crimes and would be unconstitutional, costly, and retraumatizing to victims. SB 1604 on corrections, which included provisions on inmate litigation, limitations periods, tracking devices, and involuntary mental health treatment, prompted questions about inmate rights, accountability, and possible abuse; the sponsor said the bill was intended to balance access to claims with institutional safety and to continue refining the language. SB 1838 also drew concerns from criminal defense lawyers about possible unintended effects on attorneys, and the sponsor said he would work on clarifying the language. The committee adopted amendments on several bills, including a substitute amendment to SB 144 that removed some provisions for further work, added first responder-related provisions, and adjusted motor vehicle kill-switch language; an amendment to SB 1136 changing the age threshold and refining luring/enticement language; a strike-all amendment to SB 964 limiting retroactivity and focusing on presumptive parolees; and a delete-all amendment to SB 1604 that revised multiple provisions, including tracking devices and consecutive sentencing under 10-20 Life. Most bills were reported favorably by roll call, with SB 776 and SB 1804 passing despite recorded no votes from some members. The chair closed by noting it was the committee’s final meeting of the session and thanked members before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we did, on a very bipartisan basis, go through the language that was in the bills that were heard
• > that<00:01:47.439> was<00:01:47.759> in<00:01:48.119> the through the language
• that was in the through the language that was in the bills<00:01:48.600> that<00:01:48.719>
• It updates and clarifies state-operated services crisis services technical assistance language.
• education section 20 is new language education section 20 is new language that<00:12:21.440>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It puts 14 days, that's the bill language now, to produce parcel identifications.
• Business owners—now, the way these premiums work is there's a statutory trigger.
• It made me think a little bit about some of the language as well.
• The language as amended still has... Thank you, Madam Chair.
• It is time that this language get amended.

Summary: The Housing, Agriculture and Tourism Subcommittee heard and advanced several bills. HB 615, allowing landlords to send required notices electronically with tenant written consent, was amended to allow either landlords or tenants to send messages electronically and passed favorably after testimony from legal aid and tenant advocates urging stronger opt-in, opt-out, and notice protections. HB 665, dealing with local government impact fees and development permits, would limit certain art-related impact fees, define “extraordinary circumstances,” and require more public process before fee increases; it passed after local government and industry testimony focused on refining the extraordinary-circumstances definition and concerns about public art funding. HB 365, a tenant protection bill for affordable housing units receiving public incentives, was amended to apply only to leases of 13 months or less and to take effect in July 2026; it passed with support from housing advocates and AARP and was described as preventing mid-lease rent increases while preserving renewal-time adjustments. HB 381, requiring issuance of addresses and parcel identification numbers within a set timeframe, was amended to extend the deadline to 20 business days and shift the fee consequence to the address fee rather than the building permit fee; it passed after discussion about delays affecting developers and local government responsibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if we need some language to clean up, I'm more than willing to do that.
• So if we need some language to intent.
• So if we need some language to clean<00:08:33.599> up<00:08:33.839> I'm<00:08:34.000>
• So, the way that it's been kind of rewritten, it doesn't need that language anymore. All right.
• So, the way that it's been kind of rewritten, it doesn't need that language anymore. All right.

Bills: HF3831, HF3603, HF1900, HF495, HF3750, HF4316, HF2136, HF4384

Keywords: SNAP, income limits, asset limits, nutrition assistance, children and families, federal poverty guidelines, federal waiver, food assistance, low-income families, nutritional support, day care, tax subtraction, child care costs, licensed child care, dependent care assistance, child care, family child care, child care center, licensing, correction order

Transcript Highlights:

• language changes throughout as well.
• So that results in some statutory<01:08:37.040> language<01:08:37.440> changes<01:08:37.920
• > throughout<01:08:39.199> as statutory language changes throughout as statutory language
• Additionally, the governor supports the language in 1913105 giving authority to the director to appoint
• <01:15:10.400> in governor supports the language in governor supports the language in 1913105

Bills: HB0103, HB0070, HB0091

Keywords: First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits, foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, artificial intelligence, social scoring, biometric data, privacy rights, government regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• within the statutory within the statutory requirements<01:08:48.120> now<01:08:48.400>
• We also provided the specific language to all review panelists, so they were made aware of the specific
• struggled with the the English language struggled with the the English language or<01:15:36.360>
• The way the cultural heritage grant language reads, it says that a certain percentage should be over
• Grant awards on the website will be over $150,000, but that's because it's consistent with the language

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The short answer is we are not wedded to that particular language.
• <00:31:58.040> I'd >> And 707 may have the same language.
• I'd >> And 707 may have the same language.
• And uh I'm not if that language avoid.
• It's substantially similar to the language that was proposed by the governor in HB 2 last session.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We would show you that language. That language would go in front of the commission.
• We would show you that language. That language would go in front of the commission as well.
• The meanders—so back when, kind of in the '40s and '50s, the meandering language there used to be language
• And that's illustrated in this language.
• And I guess I would encourage language in a statement to be drafted.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have statutory authorization for another state veterans cemetery near Baiji.
• Uh and this is identical to language Uh and this is identical to language that<00:38:24.160>
• Or what's your intention with this language being in the bill?
• Or what's your intention with this language being in the bill?
• to uh take that language and go forward. to uh take that language and go forward.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that same provision, that language passed the House in House and not in a hospital.
• And that same provision, that language passed the House in House Bill 177 with a vote of 137 to 9.
• I don't know the exact language of the bill, but I can't imagine we didn't force anybody to do that.
• So again, there's some language that probably needs to be addressed. Right.
• As the bill sponsor mentioned, this language passed out of Government Efficiency and out of the House

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Mental Health met with a quorum and first voted in executive session to give House Bills 2370, 3278, and 1638 due pass, with recorded votes of 13-9, 15-0, and 17-0 respectively. The committee then moved to public testimony on Senate Bill 1015, which would create a court process for assisted outpatient treatment for adults with serious mental illness who cannot voluntarily engage in care and are at risk of deterioration, hospitalization, or harm. Senator Maggie Nuremberg and supporters from the Missouri Behavioral Health Council and the Missouri Association of Public Administrators said the bill would help people stay stable in the community, reduce hospitalization and incarceration, and save costs; there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard a presentation on the STARS program from SSM Health, which was described as a Missouri-based emergency planning system for medically complex children. Witnesses explained that STARS provides physician-approved, electronic emergency care plans for EMS and emergency departments, with education and quality improvement components, and that it is funded by participating children’s hospitals rather than families or EMS agencies. Members asked about costs, access, and how the program differs from the bill previously discussed by Representative Burns; the witness emphasized that STARS is an EMS program and not the same as the proposed hospital-flagging requirement. House Bill 2903, sponsored by Representative Don Mayhew, would change rules for county and district hospitals to make them more competitive with private hospitals by narrowing Sunshine Law exposure for sensitive business information, adjusting board qualifications, and aligning financial reporting deadlines. Supporters from Phelps Health said the bill would reduce administrative burdens and protect proprietary information, while still preserving public transparency for core financial information. Finally, House Bill 3379, sponsored by Representative David Dolan, would expand and strengthen the employee disqualification list and mandated reporting rules for abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, including adding certain bank personnel and first responders as reporters and creating penalties for failure to report. DHSS supported the bill, while the Missouri Bankers Association supported the goal but raised concerns about mandatory reporting obligations for bank staff when customer participation in adult day programs may be unknown; the committee took no final action on the public testimony bills before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is very similar to the language that you approved in their regular appropriation bill during
• There's some language I just took from the statute itself.
• I think it has to be, just make sure the language, it has to be transferred at fair market value.
• This is normal language that they have there. Mr.
• Chairman and members of the committee, this is normal language.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Appropriations Division met in a work session on the draft Rural Health Transformation appropriations bill, 25.1392.01000, with no public testimony taken. Legislative Council and the Department of Health and Human Services walked through the bill, which would appropriate about $397.8 million in federal grant funds over two federal fiscal years, provide transfer authority, allow certain federal funds to be used for salaries and wages without counting against existing transfer limits, and authorize OMB to adjust other agencies’ spending authority if they receive grant awards through HHS. The bill also includes several temporary statutory exemptions to help implement the program, plus recipient acknowledgement/reporting requirements, periodic reports to Legislative Management, and an immediate effective date upon filing. Committee discussion focused heavily on how the federal rural health transformation money can be used and administered. Department officials explained that CMS will review projects for allowability and sustainability, that the state has flexibility to move funds among categories, and that the grant is limited to 10% administrative costs. Members asked about whether the funding could support renovations, equipment, ambulances, bulk purchasing, food distribution, and other rural health ideas, and were told many details will depend on CMS approval and the eventual applications. Questions also addressed cash flow, timing of obligations and reimbursements, FTE funding, and whether grant recipients should be told the program will not continue beyond the federal period; officials said the language is meant to prevent expectations of automatic continuation, not to bar future legislative action. The committee also discussed the bill’s use of a two-year appropriation amount, with staff explaining that the state must appropriate enough authority to cover the federal grant cycle and that unused authority would lapse if the full amount is not received or spent. Members raised concerns about whether the bill’s language could limit creativity or future program design, but department officials and several members emphasized the need for flexibility because CMS may reject overly specific directives. After discussion, the committee voted to recommend the bill draft to the full committee; the motion carried on a roll call vote, and the chair said the full Joint Appropriations Committee would take up the bill at the special session next week.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm willing to sit down with you and talk about language if you'd like to do that.
• So, but I am willing to sit down with you if you have language that you would like to discuss.
• But I am willing to sit down with you if you have language that you would like to discuss.
• I hope you will look at my language and take what you want out of it, even if you take out the bathing
• The bill retains the good faith language on lines 36 and 37.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Subcommittee met to consider three bills. HB 199, relating to Veterans Court, was presented as a repeat measure aligning Veterans Court procedures with mental health and drug court laws and allowing post-adjudicatory referrals. A technical amendment was adopted, numerous witnesses waived in support, and the bill passed unanimously 17-0. The committee then took up HB 45, which would add public swimming pools and public bathing places to existing sex offender residency, work, volunteer, and visitation restrictions. The sponsor argued it would protect children and apply only to specified sex offenses. Several members and public witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s definitions were overly broad, could effectively ban registrants from much of Florida, and could increase homelessness and make offenders harder to track. An amendment narrowing the bill’s scope and definitions was adopted after debate, and the bill passed 11-5 as amended. Finally, HB 17, the Jason Rayner Act, was heard to clarify that force may not be used to resist an arrest by an officer acting in the performance of official duties, retain good-faith language, add manslaughter to offenses requiring a life sentence when reclassified, and increase the severity level for battery on a law enforcement officer. The sponsor said the bill was intended to strengthen protections for officers; opponents argued it could sweep in accidental or less culpable conduct, while supporters said existing law already covered serious cases. A clarifying amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 16-0 as amended. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Completely removing that language.
• language by reinserting the Senate incinerator language that limits its application and removes the
• Regarding the auxiliary container language, it reinstates that language. However, there are...
• The House amendment removed the language that we put...
• THE NEW LANGUAGE, NEXT QUESTION.

Keywords: 999, senate, all