Transcript Highlights:

• a residential development for educational<00:48:50.319><c> purposes.
• property or to pay closing costs, prepaids, and reserves pursuant to the purchase of the residential
• or $60,000 residential property or $60,000 whichever<01:26:08.080><c> is</c><01:26:08.239><c> less.
• property or to pay closing a residential property or to pay closing costs,<01:26:39.199><c> prepaids
• </c> to the purchase of the residential to the purchase of the residential property<01:26:42.960><c>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint House committees on Housing and Education heard HB 1713, HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and transfer remaining balances in the school impact fee and certain fair share accounts to the school facilities special fund. The Department of Education testified in opposition, while the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, the Attorney General’s office (with comments and suggested constitutional amendments), the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the School Facilities Authority, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, NAP Hawaii, Avalon Development Company, Mark Development, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Housing Hawaii’s Future, Landis Research Foundation, BIA Hawaii, and others testified in support. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments. The DOE said the bill would weaken a key tool for matching school facilities to residential growth, while supporters said the current program leaves funds unused or restricted in ways that limit their effectiveness. A lengthy discussion followed about the difference between the older school impact fee program and the separate fair share agreements tied to land use entitlements and change-of-zone approvals. DOE Deputy Superintendent Jesse Suki explained that fair share funds are tied to the district where they were collected, may be too small to build a full school on their own, and are held until needed for projects such as Core Ridge, Central and West Maui, and other planned schools. Committee members pressed DOE on why funds had remained unspent for years, how much money was in the accounts, and whether the department had reviewed audit findings about the program. Members also questioned whether homeowners ultimately bear these costs through developers passing them along. The committee did not take a vote during the portion of the meeting provided. The discussion ended with members and DOE debating whether the current statute should remain in place, whether past entitlements should be affected, and whether the bill should be amended to better address remaining construction-related obligations and the use of collected funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• The unit investigates reports of abuse and neglect in any inpatient or residential health care setting
• The unit investigates reports of abuse and neglect in any inpatient or residential health care setting
• care setting, residential health care setting, including<00:15:21.279><c> hospitals,</c><00:15:21.760
• facilities is an ongoing residential facilities is an ongoing problem.<00:15:54.079><c> Diversion</c
• </c> and neglect within a residential and neglect within a residential facility,<00:28:10.640><c> what's

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:

• Uh, subdivision four is your residential<00:09:00.080><c> design</c><00:09:00.480><c> standards.
• </c><00:09:01.120><c> For</c><00:09:01.279><c> those</c> residential design standards.
• For those residential design standards.
• Those being the residential design standards and HOA provisions.
• Those being the residential design standards and HOA provisions.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This has to do with either children running away or being placed in... ...a crisis residential center
• people have already run away from home and they've come to a host home or they've come to a crisis residential
• people have already run away from home and they've come to a host home or they've come to a crisis residential
• This is just aligning the statute to have our crisis residential centers notify in the same way.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Senate considered Substitute Senate Bill 6184, which updates and clarifies statutes governing the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs in the Department of Commerce. Supporters said the bill streamlines existing law, expands eligible housing and services for unhoused youth, supports reunification when appropriate, and removes county-based limitations so the program can continue statewide. Several amendments focused on parental notification and agency placement were offered, including proposals to move the program to DCYF and to require more direct notice to parents or law enforcement, but all were rejected after debate over safety, abuse concerns, and the role of DCYF. The bill then passed final passage by a vote of 30 yeas to 18 nays. The Senate next took up Substitute Senate Bill 5931 concerning the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board. An amendment was offered to restore a public-facing data dashboard for transparency and accountability, but the sponsor withdrew it after discussion. The bill was described as making administrative changes without fiscal impact, and it passed final passage overwhelmingly, 47 yeas to 2 nays. After the two bills were disposed of, the Senate announced a Rules Committee meeting following adjournment and then adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 11th, the 31st Legislative Day.

Transcript Highlights:

• City Hall and a scenic riverwalk feature, but also a substantial economic growth driver, with new residential
• The MUD will encompass 171 acres of undeveloped land for residential use in Fort Bend County and in the
• The MUD will encompass 171 acres of undeveloped land for residential use in Fort Bend County and in the
• approximately 34 acres of raw land in Harris County in the City of Houston's ETJ, centered for residential

Bills: HB103

Committee: Senate Local Government

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee met to hear and act on a series of municipal utility district and municipal management district bills, most of them presented as template or cleanup measures. The committee first heard HB 5672, which redefined the boundaries of the Driftwood Conservation District in Hays County to match acreage added through landowner petitions; no one testified, and the bill was reported favorably and placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up HB 5696 for the Reserve Municipal Management District in Mansfield, where Senator Birdwell explained a committee substitute that conformed the bill to the standard MMD template; the bill was left pending subject to call of the chair. Similar template or technical bills followed, including HB 5680 (Bayou Bell No. 1 MMD in Liberty County), HB 5654 (Montgomery County MUD No. 263), HB 5662 (Fort Bend County WCID No. 12 with road powers), HB 5658 (Craver Ranch MMD in Denton County), HB 5661 (Fort Bend County MUD No. 286), HB 5699 (an exclusion/contract provision for Harris County MUD No. 405), HB 5679 (Hills of Walnut Creek MUD in Parker County), HB 5437 (validation language for Austin County MUD No. 1), HB 5665 (Waller County MUD No. 70), HB 5656 (Fort Bend County MUD No. 263), HB 5670 (Montgomery County MUD No. 259), HB 5651 (Montgomery County WCID with drainage powers), HB 5682 (Comina Ranch MMD No. 1 in McKinney), HB 5320 (merging Starr County drainage-related districts), HB 5677 (Pura Vida MMD No. 1), and HB 5666 (Fencey Road MUD in Harris County). In each case, the sponsor described the district, acreage, location, and powers, and committee substitutes were often used to align the bills with the chamber’s standard template language or correct drafting errors. Public testimony was repeatedly opened and closed with no witnesses appearing for or against the bills. The committee consistently adopted committee substitutes when offered, then voted to report the measures favorably, usually with recommendations that they do pass and be printed, and to place them on the local and uncontested calendar. Most roll calls showed 4 or 5 ayes and 0 nays, with some members absent or not voting. HB 5680 and HB 5682 were reported with committee substitutes in lieu of the filed versions; HB 5658 was reported with a do-not-pass recommendation on the filed bill but do-pass on the substitute; HB 5677 was handled similarly as a companion/template cleanup measure. The committee also noted a few procedural issues, including quorum concerns early in the meeting and a mislabeled bill number that required clarification. At the end of the meeting, the committee adopted several motions in writing and then recessed to reconvene 15 minutes after adjournment of the floor, anticipating possible additional bills later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• waiver, Nash loses services that are vital to his quality of life, like music therapy, massage therapy, pool
• of life, like music therapy, massage of life, like music therapy, massage therapy,<00:10:18.399><c> pool
• </c><00:10:18.720><c> therapy,</c><00:10:19.279><c> and</c><00:10:19.440><c> our</c> therapy, pool therapy
• , and our therapy, pool therapy, and our muchneeded<00:10:20.240><c> respbit</c><00:10:20.640><c> care

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• high, and there have been some years where there haven’t been as many qualified applications, this pool
• So, on the one hand, having a big pool of credits stocked up is actually a beneficial thing for GoBiz
• And so by GoBiz having this big pool of credits, we can take advantage of the fact that maybe in one
• would address issues this subcommittee has examined over the past two years, ensuring the growing pool

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration heard several budget proposals from CDTFA, the Board of Equalization, and the Franchise Tax Board. The first panel focused on cannabis, hemp, flavored tobacco, and related enforcement. CDTFA requested ongoing funding to implement cannabis tax changes, enforce the new intoxicating hemp restrictions and flavored tobacco seizure authority, and continue compliance work. The department said it is targeting illicit product, protecting licensed businesses, and using referrals from the public and lawmakers to focus inspections. The LAO supported some of the proposals but urged the Legislature to treat them as part of a longer-term enforcement strategy and raised concerns about the use of General Fund support for cannabis enforcement. Public testimony on the cannabis item largely supported stronger enforcement and funding for the legal market. The committee also heard CDTFA’s request to reappropriate funds for an upgrade to the CROS tax collection system, which would improve taxpayer services, security, and software maintenance without adding new money. A separate CDTFA proposal would make all delivery network companies, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, marketplace facilitators for sales tax purposes. CDTFA said the change would reduce confusion for restaurants and improve compliance, while the LAO questioned whether the proposal functioned more like a tax increase because it would also capture service fees. Members raised affordability concerns, but the proposal was framed by the administration as a parity and compliance measure. The subcommittee then considered a governor’s proposal for a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit. Finance argued the credit would help decarbonize aviation and support in-state production, while the LAO recommended rejection, citing cost, uncertainty about environmental benefits, possible diversion of diesel excise tax revenues from transportation programs, and concerns about consistency with voter-approved transportation funding rules. Testimony from airlines, labor unions, airports, and refinery workers strongly supported the credit, emphasizing union jobs, refinery conversions, and emissions reductions, while fuel retailers and some others warned about fiscal risk and higher fuel prices. The chair and some members expressed support for the proposal despite the funding concerns. Finally, the BOE presented an IT modernization project for state-assessed property administration, saying the current system is outdated and manual and that a new system is needed to improve accuracy, cybersecurity, and workflow efficiency, especially with a likely increase in workload from new VoIP assessments. The LAO asked for more justification for the timing, but BOE said the urgency stems from aging systems and growing workload. BOE also requested modest funding to implement SB 293 changes to intergenerational property transfers and wildfire relief guidance, which the LAO did not oppose. The Franchise Tax Board began its presentation on the final phase of its Enterprise Data to Revenue modernization effort, describing the project’s rollout across audit, collections, legal, and filing enforcement workloads and noting it is now in a warranty period.

Transcript Highlights:

• integrity or the credentials of that test, he thinks this actually strengthens it and broadens the pool
• actually strengthens it and it broadens actually strengthens it and it broadens the<00:21:37.919><c> pool
• 38.240><c> to</c><00:21:38.559><c> people</c><00:21:38.880><c> that</c><00:21:39.120><c> are</c> the pool
• to people that are the pool to people that are wellqualified.<00:21:40.559><c> So</c><00:21:40.960><

Keywords: Consideration of HB 139 -- 00:03:15 Consideration of HB 356 -- 00:08:48, 958, all

Summary: The committee first adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 139, which would allow a political party to replace a candidate who dies or withdraws after the filing deadline but before ballot certification. Representative Decker explained the substitute as a narrow election-related fix, and the bill was then passed by the committee on an 11-yes, 1-pass vote and sent to the full House. The committee then heard House Bill 356, which would move the Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) qualification test from a once-every-four-years, Frankfort-based format to administration through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System at multiple locations and times. Representative Bridges said the Department of Revenue would still write and control the exam, KCTCS would only administer it, the fiscal note was zero, and the change would improve access and convenience without weakening standards. KCTCS said it was prepared to help if directed. Members generally agreed PVAs should be tested, but some raised concerns about test integrity, whether a broader testing network could create uneven conditions, and whether the change should instead use a smaller number of regional test sites. Others supported the bill as a common-sense way to expand access and avoid forcing candidates to wait years after missing a single test date. The committee also discussed the lack of a study guide for the exam and whether that should be addressed separately. No final vote on House Bill 356 is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It brought $500 million in philanthropy in an effort to create a pool of more than 3,000 housing units
• effort</c><00:48:43.040><c> to</c><00:48:43.200><c> create</c><00:48:43.440><c> a</c><00:48:43.599><c> pool
• <00:48:43.839><c> of</c><00:48:44.000><c> more</c><00:48:44.160><c> than</c> an effort to create a pool
• of more than an effort to create a pool of more than 3,000<00:48:44.960><c> housing</c><00:48:45.359

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• direct appropriations, and we also prioritize many of our member projects in these competitive grant pools
• This is another pool for them to draw from. And it's still not enough. Our communities need more.
• what we've done, so wisely, thanks to Chair Vang and our committee members and our staff, is we put a pool
• We maintain a pool of funding within the Minnesota Humanities Center, increasing their funding to $17.5

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a pool of money currently of $240 million.
• paid for.<00:30:31.440><c> There</c><00:30:31.600><c> is</c><00:30:31.679><c> a</c><00:30:31.840><c> pool
• There is a pool of money of for.
• There is a pool of money of currently<00:30:33.279><c> $240</c><00:30:34.360><c> million.

Bills: HF2438

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school

Transcript Highlights:

• He said they started with a 90,000-acre pool of lands for trade that quickly dwindled to roughly 30,000
• with a federal government we started off with a 90,000<00:10:08.160><c> acre</c><00:10:08.920><c> pool
• lands</c><00:10:10.160><c> for</c><00:10:10.440><c> trade</c><00:10:11.279><c> that</c> 90,000 acre pool
• of lands for trade that 90,000 acre pool of lands for trade that quickly<00:10:12.200><c> dwindled</

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up HF 1425, which would prohibit the sale of state-owned school trust lands in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the federal government and instead require a land trade. Representative Skraba argued the federal wilderness law requires an exchange, not a sale, and said the state should trade Boundary Waters school trust lands for federal lands elsewhere, citing potential benefits for logging, mining, and school trust revenue. He said the current proposed sale price was too low and moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion in a future bill. Later, he withdrew a DE1 amendment and instead moved to re-refer the bill to the Education Finance Committee, but that motion failed. Testimony was largely opposed to the bill. Aaron Vandal of the Office of School Trust Lands said the exchange option was no longer viable, that the lands have produced no revenue for education for decades, and that selling them is the trust’s last opportunity to generate returns for schoolchildren. Bob Meyer of the DNR supported Vandal’s position and said the agency could not negotiate mineral rights in the way suggested. Aon Clems of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Amanda Hefner of Save the Boundary Waters both opposed HF 1425, though they emphasized different reasons: Clems argued a sale best fulfills the state’s fiduciary duty to maximize long-term returns for education, while Hefner said a sale would harm public education funding, align with the trust’s original purpose, and help consolidate federal ownership in the wilderness. Members then questioned the valuation and the practical differences between a sale and an exchange. Representative Jacob challenged the low per-acre price and asked about the federal government’s set-aside amount, while Representative Fischer asked how the appraisal was determined. DNR lands and minerals director Joe Henderson explained the valuation came from an independent appraiser, was based on the wilderness restrictions and lack of development potential, and was from a 2020 appraisal that is now being updated. Representative Schultz supported the sale approach and said the state should not transfer the land at such a low price. The committee did not advance the bill to the Education Finance Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it in a residential place? >> A variety of different placements.
• Sometimes it could be in a hospital; it could be in a residential placement.
• So, if they're in a residential is in.
• So for homebound residential placement.
• </c><01:45:34.960><c> placement</c> in a residential placement in a residential placement &gt;&gt; in

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The commission met to continue its study of the cost of special education, with the chair emphasizing that the group needs to narrow its focus over the coming year toward specific cost drivers, including the IEP process, Medicaid, charter schools, and EFAs. Members reviewed a draft first report due November 1 and agreed it would be a brief synopsis of prior meetings, with minutes attached. The September 30, 2025 minutes were amended to correct the number of federally funded department staff from 234 to 23, and to revise language about Senator Sullivan’s comments so they reflected concerns about IEP advocates and fees charged to families rather than support for the concept. The amended minutes were then approved unanimously, with abstentions noted for members who were absent. The main presentation focused on how special education costs are handled for students attending charter schools. The DOE representative said there are 804 students with disabilities in charter schools across 88 of the state’s 176 districts, and that the district of residence remains responsible for all services and costs. She explained that students must meet IDEA criteria through district evaluation and parent consent, and that services are determined through individual IEP meetings rather than by a blanket charter-school decision. Members asked how those costs are tracked, whether any students are merely “monitored,” and whether districts separately identify charter-school special education expenses; the answer was that most districts fold those costs into their overall special education budget, though some may break them out as a line item. The discussion then turned to transportation and mileage costs for staff providing services at charter schools. Testimony indicated that districts may use their own staff, contract staff, or contract with a charter school for certified services, and that travel costs are often either built into contracts or absorbed as part of staff time rather than separately reimbursed. Members questioned whether mileage is reimbursed when staff travel to distant charter schools and whether those costs can be isolated in district budgets; the response was that practices vary by district and are not usually broken out by special education function. Several members argued this makes it difficult to determine the true cost of delivering special education, especially given New Hampshire’s model in which the district of residence pays regardless of where the charter school is located. The chair noted the complexity of the system and compared it to the state’s separate tuition and transportation approach for career and technical education centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• services with somebody with residential services with somebody with them<01:17:13.239><c> all</c><01
• </c><01:20:25.960><c> service</c> versus higher cost residential service versus higher cost residential
• </c> and ABD waiver that provide residential and ABD waiver that provide residential services<01:43:22.880
• And where would they go if they did not have that residential care?
• Residential Residential Care<01:45:09.239><c> represent</c><01:45:09.639><c> wner</c><01:45:10.320><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division of Long-Term Supports and Services presented its budget and program overview as part of the Department of Health and Human Services operating budget review. Leadership described the division’s three bureaus—Aging and Adult Services, Developmental Services, and Family-Centered Services—and explained that the division provides guidance, technical assistance, quality monitoring, and contracted provider oversight across the lifespan. Members also discussed staffing, with reported vacancy rates of 4% in Aging and Adult Services, 15% in Developmental Services, and 6% in Family-Centered Services; the division said the higher BDS vacancy rate is partly due to the small number of authorized positions. The governor’s budget had left eight positions unfunded in the division, including three in Aging and Adult Services and five in BDS. A major topic was the division’s roadmap initiatives, especially building a system of care for healthy aging and strengthening developmental disabilities systems through a new reimbursement rate structure. The division said it contracted with an actuary to study DD service costs and found rates had not been reviewed since 2017 and were significantly below actual costs and other states’ rates, contributing to provider shortages even when services are authorized. Members asked about the impact on service delivery and whether rates would need to rise overall; the division said its strategy is to focus on lower-cost services that help people remain in the community. The division also reported waiver enrollment figures, including about 4,161 people on the Choices for Independence waiver, 3,688 average nursing facility residents, 5,061 people on the DD waiver, 228 on the acquired brain disorder waiver, and 488 children on the in-home support waiver, while noting there is no funding waitlist but provider availability remains a constraint. The division highlighted IT modernization as a major accomplishment, especially moving Adult Protective Services and Developmental Services into the New Heights system. Officials said these changes improve case-note access, data retrieval, service authorization tracking, and transparency for providers, and they asked for future oversight discussion focused on IT leverage. Members noted that New Heights maintenance is budgeted in the Office of the Commissioner under class 27 and suggested better transparency on system costs and benefits. The division also reported that it closed out a long-running CMS corrective action plan for BDS on July 1, 2023, and said it is now focused on strengthening the system rather than compliance alone. Other discussion covered the Aging and Adult Services bureau’s name change from Elderly and Adult Services to Adult and Aging Services, intended to avoid negative connotations and better reflect preventative services. The bureau described Adult Protective Services trends involving scams, financial exploitation, self-neglect, and isolation, and explained that it administers the CFI waiver, determines medical eligibility for nursing facility level of care, and braids funding from Medicaid, state funds, Older Americans Act money, Social Service Block Grants, and other grants. Members asked about waiver growth targets and federal consequences if enrollment remains below projections; the division said it would explain the shortfall in a future waiver amendment and did not anticipate a federal penalty. The meeting ended without any votes or formal actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not necessary residential tenant.
• as</c><01:22:45.040><c> a</c> child of a residential tenant as a child of a residential tenant as a tenant
• So, it would read: A residential lease shall not list a minor child of a residential tenant as a tenant
• <01:27:11.640><c> tenant</c> residential tenant residential tenant as<01:27:13.120><c> a</c><01:27:13.200
• In residential contracts for contract.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• studied a steady increase in the gross sales on residential real estate.
• The reason why the real estate transfer tax residential market in the state but over residential market
• </c> residential real estate. residential real estate.
• Litchfield is doing a great job increasing the residential housing.
• Um are but the the residential housing.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:53:31.520><c> in</c> calls short-term rentals residential in calls short-term rentals residential
• You talked about residential.
• I mean, if if I'm renting residential.
• </c> ruled is that it's a it's a residential ruled is that it's a it's a residential use<00:56:32.160
• Because in the terms of property use, this is a residential use. ...this is a residential use, and then

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• think, four or five members who are missing, that might also give them an opportunity to be in that pool
• it's four or five members who are missing, that might also give them an opportunity to be in that pool

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting focused on organizing the Cabo Verdean Cultural Center Commission, including confirming quorum, approving prior minutes, electing leadership, and planning next steps. Once quorum was reached, members approved the minutes from the prior meeting and unanimously elected Senator Liz Miranda and Representative Kip Diggs as co-chairs. There was also discussion of whether vice chairs should be added later, with several members favoring a mix of legislative and appointed/community representation. A major portion of the discussion centered on expanding the commission membership and identifying candidates who reflect regional, gender, and professional diversity, with emphasis on arts, culture, history, philanthropy, development, and construction. Members suggested numerous names from Boston, Brockton, New Bedford, Fall River, Cape Cod, Taunton, and other communities, and there was broad interest in including people connected to cultural organizations, universities, and the business/development community. Members also discussed whether designees could count toward quorum, but no rule change was adopted during the meeting. The commission also discussed its operating structure and public process. Members agreed to submit two or three recommended names by November 13, and to reconvene on November 25 at 4 p.m. to finalize recommendations and continue building the commission. They also discussed meeting cadence, with support for alternating formal meetings and site visits or listening sessions every other month, plus possible subcommittees to handle research between meetings. The chair noted that the commission is public-facing, will keep records and minutes, and will need to consider the organizational vehicle or advisory structure that will support Cape Verdean clubs and associations in the broader project. The meeting adjourned after these next steps were outlined.

Transcript Highlights:

• workforce training initiative designed to help Louisiana employers quickly develop a skilled talent pool
• workforce training initiative designed to help Louisiana employers quickly develop skilled talent pool

Committee: Senate Labor & Industrial Relations

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so there's a smaller pool of available workers, and it's affecting our landscapers tremendously.
• And so there's a smaller pool of available workers, and it's affect our landscapers tremendously.

Bills: HCR77 , HB81 , HB512 , HB663 , HB717 , HB1194

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development

Keywords: crawfish, agricultural labor, H-2B program, H-2A program, labor shortage, temporary workers, Louisiana economy, HCR77, crawfish industry, H-2B visa, seasonal labor, agriculture, immigration, arborist, property disputes, tree trimming, neighborhood, landowner rights, Delta Economic Research and Sustainability District, board of commissioners