Transcript Highlights:

• Two findings were issued for the Child Care Development Fund Cluster, also known as the CCDF Cluster.
• Are there human beings going to these child care providers? Thank you, Senator.
• Is there collaboration among other states with cybersecurity?
• First of all, we do collaborate. I can tell you we've worked very closely with North Carolina.
• And so we have collaborated with those. Oklahoma, we've done a lot of collaboration with them.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bridges, and wastewater, that have a statewide impact, um, that connect with all Minnesotans taking care
• generally broadly like the collaboration generally broadly like the collaboration between<00:05:
• <00:18:17.840> to on Medicaid to provide health care to on Medicaid to provide health care
• His care is $16,000 a month. And she's worried the nursing home will close. She will lose her care.
• She can't take care of him. She has no idea what will happen under that situation.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Stephanie Ellis, and I'm the executive director of Wild Care.
• Careful there. Thank you. My name is Richard Murphy.
• When they see us protect what's fragile, they learn to care for it.
• When they see us protect what's fragile, they learn to care for it.
• Mary cares deeply for dogs and cats as well as all wild animals.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:53.840> with initiatives in collaboration with initiatives in collaboration with various
• I know you care.
• I know<00:31:29.520> you<00:31:29.679> care.
• U so that will take up know you care.
• and provide for the care that they need. and provide for the care that they need.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on several measures. SB 2723, which would designate April 27 as State Sheriff’s Day, was supported by the Department of Law Enforcement and a long-serving sheriff, who described the historical roots of Hawaii’s sheriffs in the Kingdom of Hawaii and said the bill would recognize that legacy. HGA submitted written comments, and there was no opposition or vote taken on the measure during the excerpt. The committees then heard SB 17 on wildfire mitigation. The Public Utilities Commission, DLNR, the State Fire Council, OPSD, the Attorney General’s office, and Kamehameha Schools all testified, mostly in support of the bill’s intent but with suggested amendments. Several witnesses said the bill should better define the working group’s structure, staffing, and funding, and the Attorney General noted constitutional concerns about placing the group outside a principal department and pointed out possible overlap with Acts 302 and 303 from the prior year. Committee members questioned whether SB 17 duplicated earlier wildfire legislation, and witnesses generally said it did not directly conflict but overlapped with existing efforts. On SB 2358, which would require reimbursement for search-and-rescue costs when people leave trails and enter closed areas, the State Fire Council and the Hawaii SAR Alliance testified in opposition or caution, arguing that reimbursement could deter people from calling for help and that Hawaii’s SAR system still has structural and administrative gaps. A committee member asked whether other jurisdictions had used similar measures without discouraging rescues; the Fire Council said Kauai has a similar law but it has not resulted in invoices being sent. No action was taken in the excerpt. The final measure discussed was SB 2475 on Red Hill remediation funding and reimbursement from the Department of Defense. The Board of Water Supply, DLNR, and other testifiers supported the bill, emphasizing the need for long-term research, monitoring, and cleanup, while also noting the unique groundwater conditions and the importance of keeping the funds focused on Red Hill contamination response. Committee members asked about existing federal and state funding, whether the state had received any direct federal money, and what would happen if reimbursement is not obtained. DLNR said it was still working through the reimbursement mechanism and that some federal funding had gone to the Red Hill registry, but not directly to the state for this purpose.

Transcript Highlights:

• and prosecutes fraud by healthc care and prosecutes fraud by healthc care providers<00:09:14.720
• unjustifiable harm to a healthc care unjustifiable harm to a healthc care facility<00:15:03.920>
• ,<00:15:11.199> or withholding necessary food, care, or withholding necessary food, care,
• <00:15:20.160> setting, residential health care setting, residential health care setting,
• facility, what's called a board to care facility, what's called a board to care facility.<00:28:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee chair opened by explaining that the committee has expanded from a traditional audit-follow-up role into an oversight role focused on whether audit recommendations are implemented and whether controls are in place to detect fraud. He said the committee was concerned about fraud uncovered in social service programs in other states and wanted to understand New Hampshire’s safeguards, especially around major contracts and program performance. Charles Buchanan, director of the New Hampshire Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and investigator Tim Brackett described the unit’s structure and mission. Buchanan said the unit, housed in the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Bureau, investigates and prosecutes fraud by health care providers serving Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of residents in health care facilities. He outlined common Medicaid fraud schemes such as billing for services not rendered, upcoding, using unqualified staff, drug substitution, kickbacks, supplemental charges, and inflated customary charges. He also described resident abuse/neglect and drug diversion in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living settings. Brackett said his role is financial investigator/auditor and noted the unit is grant-funded and must include a prosecutor, investigator, and auditor. The witnesses then explained how cases reach the unit and how they are handled. Most referrals come from the state Department of Health and Human Services’ program integrity unit and from managed care organizations’ special investigations units, which look for fraud, waste, and abuse and refer credible allegations. Other sources include qui tam whistleblower actions, the national Medicaid Fraud Control Units association, citizen complaints, provider referrals, adult protective services law-enforcement referrals, local law enforcement, and federal agencies. Once a referral is received, the unit can accept or deny it; accepted matters may be investigated criminally or civilly, while nonviable matters can be referred back to HHS or other agencies for administrative action, including repayment demands and reimbursement offsets. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• That has been a collaborative.
• To those who collaborated in coming up with that figure.
• And all of this is going to take care of our schools.
• It looks like you don't care, but why did we statutorily care whether they did 180? versus 175.
• That you care about them as a teacher.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• the monthly cost-of-care-plus payments for all subsidized child care providers through June 30, 2026
• have that care when they need it.
• What is the requirement for health care? Do we know what standard of health care there is?
• It includes the child care sector.
• An employer can take a health care credit. There's no parameters around the health care credit.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee held an informational hearing on the final three-party budget agreement and related trailer bills, with the Department of Finance outlining the major budget bill and omnibus measures. Finance described a package built around balancing the state budget amid economic uncertainty, preserving core health and safety-net programs, and making significant ongoing reductions in some state programs. The budget bill included major items such as shifting $1 billion from the General Fund to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for Cal Fire, funding universal transitional kindergarten, deferring some UC and CSU funding, supporting foster care and homelessness programs, providing Proposition 36 implementation funding, and achieving Medi-Cal savings through changes to benefits and eligibility. The committee also heard that votes on the budget bills were expected later in the week and the following Monday. Finance then walked through the trailer bills, including health, human services, early learning, education, resources, energy, transportation, labor, housing, tax, public safety, courts, general government, cannabis, and energy-related measures. Notable provisions included a Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for certain adults, new premiums and benefit changes for some immigrants, child care COLA changes, education funding for literacy, teacher support, universal meals, and community college student support, as well as resource and climate measures affecting Cal Fire staffing and energy permitting. The housing trailer bill drew the most discussion, with provisions on CEQA streamlining, a vehicle miles traveled mitigation banking program, a renters’ credit trigger, and a six-year moratorium on new residential building standards. Members also discussed a film tax credit expansion, cannabis enforcement funding, a tribal police pilot program, and changes to tax policy, including military retirement income exclusions and wildfire settlement payment exclusions. Committee members largely praised the staff and the budget process, but several raised concerns and asked detailed questions, especially about the housing trailer bill’s new wage standards, tribal consultation provisions, and possible effects on prevailing wage protections. Finance explained that the housing language was intended to set wage floors for market-rate projects receiving CEQA streamlining, with different county-based tiers and a notwithstanding clause preserving existing prevailing wage laws. Members also questioned the size and timing of funding for the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, Clean Cars for All, Proposition 36, and the film tax credit expansion. Other members highlighted support for public safety, veterans’ tax relief, child care providers, housing production, and higher education, while some expressed concern that the budget’s policy changes were being negotiated too quickly or without enough stakeholder input.

Transcript Highlights:

• It has made its way into our workplaces, our schools, our health care, and our homes.
• Patients with poor health literacy or those unable to access timely primary care may be at particular
• Lastly, the bill does not prohibit the use of AI in legitimate health care settings.
• The language in print today has been drafted in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders across
• The language in print today has been drafted in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders across

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard a long agenda focused largely on AI-related consumer protection, child safety, and privacy bills. Members first adopted the consent calendar, then took up SB 1050, which would require disclosures when advertisements use AI-generated or synthetic performers. Supporters, including SAG-AFTRA, Common Sense Media, and labor groups, said consumers should know when an ad depicts a non-human performer and that the bill protects both consumers and workers. Opponents from TechNet, the Motion Picture Association, broadcasters, and business groups argued the bill was too broad, lacked a deception standard, could burden accessibility uses and short audio ads, and created litigation risk. The committee voted the bill out on a party-line-leaning roll, with several members noting concerns but supporting continued work on the measure. The committee also approved SB 1111, which creates liability and remedies for non-consensual digital replicas using a person’s voice or likeness, and SB 1146, which targets deceptive AI-generated health advertisements that depict synthetic health care providers. Both measures drew support from consumer, labor, medical, and child-safety advocates and faced no formal opposition. Members emphasized the need to prevent deepfake abuse, especially in health-related ads where consumers could be misled into trusting fake doctors or medical endorsements. Several child- and privacy-focused bills were also heard and advanced. SB 867 would place a four-year moratorium on AI chatbot-powered toys for children, with supporters warning about harmful content, addictive design, and privacy risks; some opposition raised definitional concerns and asked for clearer standards. SB 1247 would give child influencers the right to delete monetized content posted during their minority, and it moved forward without opposition. SB 1000 updated California’s AI Transparency Act to align content provenance rules with newer technology and international standards, with support from Google and Adobe and no opposition. Finally, SB 957 would require social media companies to notify users when the federal government seeks their data through administrative subpoenas, give users time to challenge the request, and report disclosures; supporters framed it as a First Amendment and due process protection, while one member opposed it as an overreach against federal law enforcement. All of the measures discussed were reported out of committee, with several rolls left open for absent members.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:44.200> in<00:13:44.400> trade, continuing collaboration in trade, continuing
• collaboration in trade, education,<00:13:45.880> and<00:13:46.080> cultural<00:13:46.600
• relating to rural regional planning and Act 250 tier jurisdiction and hear about the Rural Health Care
• This member serves on the health care committee, and it's also a member in good standing at the Tuesday
• committee and it's also a health care committee and it's also a a<00:18:56.200> member<00:18:

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House began with a devotional and then took up several Senate bills for first reading and referral: S. 323 on miscellaneous agricultural subjects, S. 325 on regional planning and Act 250 tier jurisdiction, and S. 328 on housing and common interest communities. The chamber then adopted House Resolution 16, reaffirming Vermont’s friendship with Taiwan and supporting stronger bilateral relations and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after its reading, and remarks followed welcoming guests from Hazen Union School and Director General Charles Lao of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston. During the action calendar, the House postponed action on H. 657, relating to services for unaccompanied homeless youth, for one legislative day. It then passed H. 727 on sustainable data center deployment, H. 935 on emergency management, and H. 938 establishing the Vermont homelessness response continuum. The House also committed H.R. 15, another Taiwan friendship resolution, to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. The main substantive debate centered on H. 941, relating to municipal regulation of agriculture. The committee explained the bill as a response to a Vermont Supreme Court ruling and described it as restoring limits on municipal regulation of farms while allowing narrow local exceptions and creating a stakeholder group to continue studying the issue. Testimony came from a broad range of agricultural, municipal, and policy stakeholders, and the committee reported a 7-0-1 vote. An amendment offered by Representative Durfee, based on feedback from the House Environment Committee, replaced a Tier 1A concept with parcel-size-based exceptions, clarified state authority over growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and adjusted the stakeholder charge; the House adopted the amendment and ordered the bill to third reading. The House also heard announcements about committee appointments, caucus meetings, a public hearing on community safety concerns, and then adjourned until April 1, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• training, the number of barriers they encounter are much more significant: transportation barriers, child care
• Transportation barriers, child care barriers.
• Additionally, DMA is requesting $1.5 million to establish a state-sponsored health care insurance pilot
• Finally, DMA is requesting $1.5 million to establish a state-sponsored health care insurance pilot program
• reimbursing individual premiums for TRICARE Reserve Select, ensuring our guardsmen have the health care

Summary: The committee met to hear the Governor’s proposed budget for the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development silo and to consider one bill. The Governor’s Office outlined a $117.4 billion state budget, including $18.3 billion for the TED area, with major allocations for the Department of Transportation, Commerce, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, State, Military Affairs, Emergency Management, and the Florida State Guard. Agency heads then presented their priorities, including housing and disaster recovery funds at Commerce; pay, vehicles, aviation, and data systems at Highway Safety; facility modernization, recruitment, retention, and maintenance at Military Affairs; election audit, conservation lab, and historic preservation funding at State; transportation, aviation, seaport, and safety investments at DOT; and emergency response, flood mitigation, grant systems, and alerting at Emergency Management. Members asked questions about Visit Florida’s private match, FHP’s role in immigration enforcement and body cameras, National Guard deployment tempo and staffing, State Guard staffing and facilities, arts grant rules, rail funding, and the number of detainees at the Everglades detention site. Several notable positions were expressed during questioning. Visit Florida said it met and exceeded its private match requirement and described the match as important to ensuring value from public dollars. The Highway Patrol said its aviation assets have been used more heavily in immigration enforcement and that in-vehicle camera systems were a higher priority than body cameras at present. The National Guard and State Guard both emphasized heavy operational demands, readiness needs, and the importance of additional funding for facilities, personnel, and equipment. The Department of State said its audit funding would help counties move to automated post-election audits and that its arts grant rule changes were intended to create more consistent scoring rather than reduce access. The committee then took up CS/SB 48 on accessory dwelling units. The bill requires local governments to allow property owners to voluntarily create ADUs, preserves homestead treatment for the primary residence portion, limits parking restrictions, and extends density bonus incentives to housing for military families receiving basic housing allowance. An amendment was adopted removing reusable tenant screening reports and clarifying that compliant ADUs are allowed by right without a separate hearing or permit. Testimony from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association supported the bill, especially the long-term rental requirement, as a tool to help workforce housing. The committee reported the bill favorably by a roll call vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:28.600> and now it's come into a collaboration and now it's come into a collaboration
• I don't care if you're a large farmer or a small farmer, if you're a city farmer or a country farmer,
• group anymore to have Division<00:21:42.240> I<00:21:42.360> don't<00:21:42.520> care
• if you're a large Division I don't care if you're a large farmer<00:21:43.760> or<00:21:43.880
• I don't care if you're a large farmer or a small farmer, if you're a city farmer or a country farmer,

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee met with a large group of 4-H and FFA students and guests in attendance, and members repeatedly highlighted the importance of those youth programs to agriculture and future leadership. The committee first took up House Bill 356, as amended by a committee substitute, which would create the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative. The sponsor explained that the substitute broadened the bill beyond hands-on farming to include agricultural education, agribusiness, advocacy, internships, apprenticeships, and other experiential learning, while also lowering the starting age from 6 to 5, removing the requirement that participants have access to farmland, and changing the program into a pilot focused on urban youth. Testimony from a 4-H student and Kentucky 4-H leadership emphasized that the goal is to remove barriers and provide access to agriculture education for all youth, including those in urban areas. Several members spoke in support, noting the value of urban agriculture and youth exposure to the field, and one member asked whether urban community gardens would fit within the concept; the sponsor said the substitute was designed to allow that kind of access. The committee then voted unanimously to pass HB 356 as amended, and also approved a title amendment. After HB 356, the committee moved to House Bill 315, a foreign adversary land bill intended to limit certain foreign entities’ ability to purchase land in Kentucky. The sponsor said the bill was carried over from a prior version drafted by a former representative. The chair then recognized Tim Shank, general counsel for the Kentucky Bankers Association, who testified in opposition to the mechanics of Section 8 dealing with foreclosure. He said banks are already heavily regulated and must screen borrowers through federal systems such as FinCEN, and warned that the bill’s provisions could create problems for community banks that make agricultural loans and potentially limit access to credit if the issue became widespread. The transcript ends during discussion of HB 315, before any final committee action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're taking care of others who got sicker, too.
• We're taking care of others who got sicker, too.
• It's alarming to think that from care.
• care of their<01:32:35.000> community.
• Senate position related to health care Senate position related to health care facilities<01:40:36.719

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I care about the Alma.
• I care about the Alma. the Amama fish. I care about the Alma.
• I care about this bill because regions.
• 04.960> support<01:13:05.440> in Holomulu Collaborative in support in Holomulu Collaborative
• > nonprofit Collaborative is a local nonprofit Collaborative is a local nonprofit founded<01:13

Bills: HB1817, HB2056, HB2616, HB1718, HB1842, HB1740, HB1919, HB1616, HB1774, HB1984, HB1603, HB2171

Keywords: fishing regulation, ʻamaʻama, striped mullet, bag limit, overfishing, Hawaii fisheries, funding, appropriations, Honolulu, housing, construction, grant-in-aid, community development, Banyan Drive, Hawaii community development authority, cultural revitalization, special fund, public safety, economic development, affordable housing

Summary: The committee heard HB 1817, which would create a daily bag limit for amaa/ama fish to protect Hawaii’s fisheries. DLNR said the biggest stressor on amaa populations is diversion of freshwater flows that cut off food sources for juvenile fish, and suggested that place-by-place rulemaking with fishers and stakeholders would be the most effective approach. A teacher and several Waialua Elementary students testified in strong support, describing research on declining catch data, cultural importance, and the need to preserve the fish for future generations. Other supporters said the fish is being outcompeted by invasive species and cited historical declines, including testimony that bag limits in Hilo Bay have helped increase populations. Committee members asked DLNR about traditional and cultural gathering rights, whether the bill’s bag limit would apply to native Hawaiian practices, and whether the limit was 10 per day or per season. DLNR said constitutional Hawaiian practices are protected, but also noted that if the bag limit is set in statute it would limit the department’s flexibility to tailor rules by area. Members also asked about other conservation efforts, and DLNR said fish pond revitalization and amaa production are underway statewide. One member raised concern that a statewide statutory limit might not fit conditions on every island, and DLNR said it has authority to adopt area-specific rules through rulemaking, though that process can take months to more than a year. The committee then moved to HP 206, an appropriations measure for the City and County of Honolulu involving school land transfers, and HP 266B relating to Banyan Drive. On HP 206, the county said the request is a one-time item and estimated costs were about $3.25 million, with the city and county already spending more than $350,000 on the transfers. On HP 266B, HCDA said it is conducting a master planning effort for Banyan Drive and plans a community visioning exercise this summer. Testimony from the Banyan Drive redevelopment agency emphasized the need for more flexible land-tenure rules, while OHA supported the bill with amendments to include cultural specialists and lineal descendants in the redevelopment process and to protect ceded lands. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• In their account for cost associated with the monthly cost of care plus payments.
• I have a bill that is proposing a new corporate tax to support affordable child care.
• For the collaborative enterprise resource planning project, otherwise known as the collaborative ERP,
• There's roughly 160 million from the part-time faculty health care program.
• of your family, taking care of your needs, you opt for that over the educational pathway.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• care does not mean having the best doctors and the best technology only.
• This digital health care is life-saving.
• Prior to this role, I worked in people-facing roles in health care and pharmacy.
• Thank you, and thank you for reminding us that we face a lot of health care challenges.
• was effective, very effective testimony on health care.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held its second hearing on a large docket of technology, internet, cybersecurity, broadband, and media bills. Early testimony focused on community media funding legislation, with lawmakers and local access advocates arguing that as cable subscriptions decline and streaming grows, revenue tied to cable franchises no longer supports community television and PEG programming. Supporters said community media remains a key source of local news, government meeting coverage, and civic transparency as newspapers disappear or consolidate. A related bill on cable contract oversight also drew support, with testimony that the Department of Telecommunications and Cable is backlogged and should more actively review municipal-provider agreements and report its workload to the committee. Another major topic was a proposal to create a Massachusetts Innovation Fund for state IT modernization. The Alliance for Digital Innovation backed the bill, saying agencies need flexible upfront capital to replace outdated systems and improve cybersecurity, and pointing to the federal Technology Modernization Fund as a model. The witness noted that funding for the state program still needs to be identified. The committee also heard strong support for a bill requiring free broadband in public housing, with Rep. Emmela Goodwin and MAPC describing internet access as essential for jobs, school, telehealth, and civic participation. They said the digital divide in Massachusetts is driven largely by affordability rather than infrastructure, though questions were raised about costs, wiring, and whether all housing sites already have broadband access available at the curb. A substantial portion of the hearing centered on bills to limit addictive social media feeds for minors. Supporters, including lawmakers, parents, teens, and advocacy groups, argued that algorithmic feeds contribute to addiction, anxiety, body image problems, and other harms, and said the bills would restrict surveillance-based curation and overnight notifications while leaving search and followed accounts available. Opponents, including FIRE, CCIA, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, argued the bills would require invasive age verification, threaten privacy and cybersecurity, burden adults’ anonymity, and likely face First Amendment challenges. They also warned the measures could disadvantage smaller businesses and may be unconstitutional based on recent court rulings in other states. The committee also heard support for blockchain-related bills creating a commission, a pilot program, and consumer education efforts, with testimony that Massachusetts has the talent but needs a coordinated state strategy. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide a clear statutory authority for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, or MDVA, to collaborate
• a policy bill that provides clear statutory authority for the Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate
• Um, they asked that we try to get some just easy direct clear authority for us to collaborate with veterans
• with organizations that to collaborate with organizations that serve<00:03:47.440> our,<00:03
• clear uh authority for us to collaborate clear uh authority for us to collaborate with<00:04:04.560

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3467, a policy bill by Representative Ray Brower that would give the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs clearer statutory authority to collaborate with veterans organizations using staff time, expertise, and other nonmonetary resources. Brower and MDVA testified that the bill is permissive, does not move money, and is intended to help the agency support initiatives related to food insecurity, homelessness, suicide prevention, and similar needs. They cited a DAV-led effort to expand veterans food pantry services statewide as the main example, including possible use of MDVA space and staff support, and noted a reporting requirement to legislative veterans committee leaders. John Kelly of MDVA said the bill arose from discussions with agency counsel and is meant to avoid uncertainty about whether the department can partner quickly on emerging initiatives. Stefan Whitehead of the Disabled American Veterans described the food pantry work already underway in Minneapolis, where DAV says it serves about 300 boxes of food a month, and said the organization wants to expand statewide with MDVA’s help in identifying need, coordinating partners, and connecting veterans to benefits and other resources. He emphasized that DAV is not seeking state funding, but rather MDVA expertise and coordination. Members generally supported the concept but raised concerns about the bill’s wording and whether it could be read to allow use of agency resources beyond nonmonetary support or lead to added costs or staff positions. Chair Bliss and Representative Wilson asked for clarifying language to ensure the bill does not authorize spending or full-time employees, and Kelly said MDVA was willing to work on amendments to make that clear. The committee did not take final action and instead laid the bill over for possible amendment and further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• please note that Senator Jones is excused from today's meeting, and I had to let Senator Martin go take care
• Strengthening the future of Florida's transportation system is a collaborative, multi-jurisdictional
• And then that group also recommends objectives to improve collaboration.
• And so any projects that are needed are prioritized with local input, local collaboration.
• And so any projects that are needed are prioritized with local input, local collaboration.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation met to hear presentations from the Florida Department of Transportation on rural arterial roadways and transportation resiliency, followed by a panel discussion on metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). FDOT’s Will Watts described the state’s growing population and travel demand, emphasizing that rural arterials are critical for connectivity, freight movement, evacuation routes, and congestion relief. He outlined FDOT’s project selection factors, noted thousands of identified rural arterial needs with billions in unfunded demand, and explained that the department uses community input and long-range planning to prioritize safety, capacity, and economic development. Watts then discussed resiliency planning for hurricanes and flooding, focusing on structural design, storm readiness, and drainage. He highlighted efforts such as elevated bridges, wave attenuators, coastal armoring, drainage upgrades, and materials testing at FDOT’s research facilities to extend service life and reduce storm damage. Committee members asked about local project selection, materials research, LiDAR use, and legislative support; Watts said local coordination drives project priorities and asked lawmakers to protect the Transportation Trust Fund. The MPO panel, led by FDOT’s Kim Holland, explained that MPOs are federally required in urban areas over 50,000 population and that Florida has 27, the most in the nation. Holland said MPOs identify and prioritize transportation needs through long-range plans and public engagement, and she noted that several regions are exploring consolidation after the 2020 Census, especially in Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida. Representatives from MetroPlan Orlando, Forward Pinellas, Pasco MPO, and Hillsborough discussed their structures and the potential benefits and challenges of merging, including representation, governance, funding, and maintaining local voice. Members generally supported regional collaboration, urged patience as studies continue, and emphasized the need for transparent public engagement, while the committee adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hawaii has shown excellence of care and prenatal care.
• <00:48:34.000> been<00:48:34.240> excellent care postpartum care has been excellent care
• HB 1328 does allow true collaborative care.
• HB 1328 does allow true collaborative care.
• collaborative care it supports Medicaid collaborative care it supports Medicaid reimbursements<02

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint House Committee on Health and Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard two midwifery bills, with testimony focused primarily on HB 1194. Committee chairs opened the hearing with rules for Zoom testimony and noted the bills relate to midwives. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said it supported the intent of HB 1194 and offered comments. Supporters of the bill, including the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, argued that midwifery should remain subject to mandatory licensure to protect consumer safety, citing the state’s regulatory licensing standards and a 2025 state auditor sunset analysis. They said the bill would strengthen educational standards and public protection, and some offered clarifying amendments. Opponents argued HB 1194 would restrict access to care and fail to protect traditional, cultural, and community-based birth practices. Testifiers from the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force, the Hawaii Home Birth Collective, the Libertarian Party of Hawaii, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Pacific Birth Collective, and Papa Ola Lōkahi said the bill would limit licensure pathways, reduce access in rural and underserved areas, and burden Native Hawaiian and traditional practitioners. Several speakers said the measure could worsen Hawaii’s maternal health shortages, especially on Maui, and urged lawmakers to defer HB 1194 or instead advance HB 1328, which they said better protects practitioner access and cultural practices. The Hawaii affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives said it opposed HB 1194 because it did not align with national or state standards for certified midwives and could create conflicts with Medicaid reimbursement and prescriptive authority. The ACLU also opposed the measure, emphasizing reproductive rights, privacy, and the need to preserve apprenticeship pathways to licensure. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• They might suggest collaborating with someone else, modifying it in some way, but coming back with a
• But it might present the opportunity to collaborate as institutions.
• So while no one institution can support German language, collaboratively, one institution could step
• But it might present the opportunity to collaborate as institutions.
• You're going to go there and we're going to help take care of it and so is the state. So.

Summary: The committee met to discuss higher education funding and capital building policy. Members first heard an update from NDUS Deputy Commissioner Lisa Johnson on low-producing academic programs. She described a proposed board policy using a five-year rolling window and thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, with programs flagged for three consecutive review periods going to the board. Possible outcomes would include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the review would account for program costs, service to other students, workforce demand, and the difference between inactivation and termination. Johnson said the board would consider broader factors and that campuses already do detailed program analysis. Several members also asked about cost savings and staffing impacts from program terminations, and Johnson said the board would try to provide more information later. The committee then received a report on the Capital Building Fund from Jamie Wilkie. He reviewed the program’s history, matching requirements, and recent uses, noting that about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with most going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Members discussed whether the program is reducing deferred maintenance and requested updated systemwide data on deferred maintenance and campus space utilization. Wilkie said the board is considering a new study to update deferred maintenance figures, which are based on information more than 12 years old. He also reported that several institutions have used current biennium funds for projects such as residence hall renovations, health sciences housing, generators, and building repairs. Later, the committee began a detailed walkthrough of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and also revise the capital building fund structure. The draft would use fall enrollment FTEs, add completion incentives for degrees in in-demand fields, and create a separate research funding component for UND and NDSU tied to doctoral completions and external research expenditures. Members raised concerns about the use of older data in the formula, the treatment of waivers, the weighting of professional and health sciences programs, and the use of CIP codes to define CTE and education incentives. The bill draft would also combine capital building fund tiers, broaden eligible uses for deferred maintenance and legislatively authorized projects, change matching requirements, repeal the old formula chapter and the capital pool, and transfer funds from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund into the capital building fund. No final votes were taken during the portion provided; the meeting was primarily discussion and review.

Transcript Highlights:

• But again appreciate the creativity, very interested in collaborating with you as you think about this
• <00:05:02.240> with<00:05:02.400> you<00:05:02.800> as interested in collaborating
• with you as interested in collaborating with you as you<00:05:03.280> think<00:05:03.440>
• we<00:37:17.920> want<00:37:18.000> to<00:37:18.160> take<00:37:18.320> care
• <00:37:18.480> of generations we want to take care of generations we want to take care of

Keywords: 1183, house