Video & Transcript Research : 'alternative testing'
Page 187 of 500
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Environment and Agriculture (02/24/2026)
Environment and Agriculture
Transcript Highlights:
- are looking to do this tighter testing are looking to do this tighter testing um<01:28:24.560>
person shall get a baseline blood test person shall get a baseline blood test done<01:42:35.760> - follow-up test to see the response. follow-up test to see the response.
- to be tested, right? to be tested, right?
- path that you would do your testing on? path that you would do your testing on?
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Health Services (7-30-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- And when we test anatomy, we test that for very good reasons. That's Part I.
- These tests cost $1,400.
- to accept their test.
- So, I would just call them two different tests. And our test is one test in three parts.
- And the test is one test in three parts.
Keywords:
00:00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call
00:02:17 - Approval of June 18, 2025 Minutes
00:02:33 - Introductions and Discussion on Priorities
00:07:27 - Health Data Discussion-KY Health Information Exchange (KHIE)
00:34:02 - Health Data Discussion-Public Health Data
01:19:24 - Health Data Discussion-Other Health Data Platforms
01:42:40 - Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations (Except 201 KAR 005:010)
01:44:48 - Discussion of Optometry Regulation 201 KAR 005:010
02:25:29 - Hearing on Unified Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Application for FFY 2026 - 2027 Funds
02:33:40 - Administrative Regulation 201 KAR 005:010 Vote Clarification
02:34:03 - Adjournment, 958, all
Summary:
The Interim Joint Committee on Health Services met to approve the June 18 minutes and hear introductory remarks from new Cabinet Secretary for Health and Family Services Dr. Steven Stack and new Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. John Langfeld. Both described their backgrounds and emphasized a shared focus on using health data to improve quality, coordination, and outcomes across Kentucky. They highlighted the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHI) as a central tool for connecting hospitals, labs, providers, public health systems, Medicaid, and other state and federal data sources, and said the system supports notifications, immunization records, surveillance, and care coordination. They also outlined priorities such as continued investment in KHI, stronger interoperability, privacy protections, and expanded analytic capacity to turn data into action.
Committee members then asked about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and informed consent, particularly for pregnant women and children. Dr. Stack said informed consent should come through a licensed health care provider, that Kentucky did not mandate the COVID vaccine, and that the evidence still supports vaccination for high-risk groups, including pregnant women, citing professional medical guidance. A follow-up exchange focused on concerns about past vaccine policies and the need for patients to receive full information before making decisions.
Senator Heron asked how KIPRC/KIPR could be used to address firearm injuries. Dr. Langfeld said the key opportunity is to make data more real-time and usable for day-to-day response, while Dr. Stack said the department would continue its long-standing partnership with KIPRC and noted his view that gun violence is a public health emergency. He added, however, that because firearms are a deeply divided issue, the Department for Public Health’s current role is mainly to make data available for authorized research rather than to take a broader policy role. No votes or formal actions beyond approving the minutes were taken.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Commission to Study Costs of Special Education (06/16/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- <02:09:57.920>
academic, <02:09:59.040>social, <02:09:59.520>or alternative academic - , social, or alternative academic, social, or emotional<02:10:00.400>
options <02:10:01.119> - that doesn't talk about special education services, which are not matched with an IEP. >> There's no test
- that doesn't talk about special education services, which are not matched with an IEP. >> There's no test
- commission her testimony regarding test commission her testimony regarding winn<03:56:48.160>
squam
Summary:
The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others.
The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years.
A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Agriculture and Water Management Committee Mar 31st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So like I'm saying, you test Devil's Lake. I'm guessing every spring before...
- So like I'm saying, you test Devil's Lake. I'm guessing every spring before.
- Yeah, so we do test it every spring. Yep. Has it changed in fluctuation? No.
- And so, like you said, yes, we are testing it all, you know, throughout the whole season.
- The Supreme Court focused on the navigability for title test.
Summary:
The committee opened its third interim meeting with roll call, approved the November 13, 2025 minutes, and the chair reviewed prior committee work, including a denied request for a fertilizer-capacity study and a planned later discussion of the Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger issue. Commissioner Doug Goring then presented Department of Agriculture updates on uncrewed aerial systems grants to detect noxious weeds, the state’s irrigation potential, the low-carbon fuels program for ethanol plants, the Environmental Impact Mitigation Fund, model zoning ordinances for animal feeding operations, and fertilizer production and supply in North Dakota. Members asked about funding sources, fertilizer storage and availability, natural gas and water needs for future fertilizer plants, and how the model zoning website would help counties and townships apply setback and odor tools.
A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Water Resources’ economic analysis tool for water conveyance and flood-related projects. Dr. Dwayne Poole explained that the department is proposing changes to better account for end-of-useful-life conditions and updated hydrologic data, while still limiting the model to direct, demonstrable costs and benefits. He said the goal is to make the analysis more realistic and consistent without changing statute, and he provided examples of how project benefits could change as drains age or as rainfall and flood data evolve. Committee members and water-user representatives generally supported continued work on the proposal, while raising concerns about downstream impacts, closed-basin projects, and whether the changes would meaningfully affect project approvals.
The committee then heard from John Paskowski, state engineer, on Devil’s Lake, the West End and East End outlets, and the Tolna Coulee control structure. He reviewed lake history, outlet capacities, sulfate and downstream flow limits, and explained that the control structure is intended to prevent a catastrophic uncontrolled release by slowing erosion and head cutting. Members asked about water quality trends, the length of the downstream flow constraint, and whether the Tolna Coulee area had been studied for possible natural overflow or silt buildup. The discussion emphasized ongoing flooding concerns, mitigation for affected landowners, and the need to balance outlet operations with downstream water quality and infrastructure protection.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Autonomous vehicles regulated 3/4/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, and the reason why we do that is because it is important for us to test the system and know exactly
- Um, and the reason why we do that is because it is important for us to test the system and know exactly
- c> deployment<00:47:32.000>
of <00:47:32.319>level <00:47:32.640>one the testing - and deployment of level one the testing and deployment of level one to<00:47:33.040>
five <00: - rather than wide open and testing rather than wide open deployment<00:47:44.480>
as <00:47:44.720
Summary:
The committee took up House File 5313, a bipartisan bill to create a statewide framework for autonomous vehicles in Minnesota. The author said the bill is intended to improve safety, provide regulatory clarity, avoid a patchwork of local rules, and support economic development and mobility for seniors and people with disabilities. The bill was described as a work in progress, and the committee adopted three author amendments: A12, a technical correction; A15, which states MDOT and Public Safety can absorb the bill’s incidental costs within existing resources; and A14, which added clarifying airport-related language requested by the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport/MAC.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation testified in support of continued discussion but said the bill needs more work in several areas, including an annual MDOT permitting process for AV operators, defining operational design domains, adding stronger enforcement authority, clarifying remote assistance roles, and requiring fully automated vehicles to be registered with Public Safety. MDOT said it has worked with the governor’s connected and automated vehicles council and more than 70 stakeholders on recommendations. Industry and transit witnesses strongly supported the bill, citing existing AV deployments and safety benefits. Southwest Transit’s CEO said its Eden Prairie AV service has carried 27,000 riders over 112,000 miles with no accidents, strong customer satisfaction, and increased ridership. A Whimo representative said the bill would create regulatory certainty and help expand AV deployment.
Several public witnesses emphasized accessibility and safety. A disability advocate described how autonomous vehicles could improve independence for people who cannot drive, including those with epilepsy and other disabilities, and urged passage of the bill. A former 911 dispatcher and state patrol employee said AVs could reduce crashes and protect drivers, pedestrians, and officers, contrasting a dangerous human ride-share experience with a safer autonomous ride. Another disability advocate and blind Minnesotan testified that AVs could help address transportation barriers, though he also noted ongoing discrimination problems with ride-hailing services for blind riders with guide dogs. After the amendments were adopted, the bill was moved to the Commerce Committee.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Judiciary Committee Apr 29th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I know this is something that also is running into what was tested by the Supreme Court with regard to
- So we'd like to actually—many of them are—but we'd like to see at least some sort of a means test on
- Under that law, if a doctor in diversion fails a drug test, the board's enforcement staff is notified
- locations would change the testing dates to avoid testing on weekends and on holidays.
- One is a tech company that creates these and tests them and knows all that.
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on several bills related to reproductive access, child safety online, immigration enforcement in schools, health privacy, location data, digital provenance, reparations, and age assurance. AB 54 would protect the medication abortion supply chain and shield providers and others from liability; AB 1137 would strengthen reporting and enforcement tools for child sexual abuse material on social media; AB 49 would limit ICE activity at California public schools; AB 82 would expand privacy and safety protections for gender-affirming care patients and providers; AB 1355 would restrict the collection, use, and sale of precise location data; AB 853 would expand provenance requirements for AI-generated and authentic content; AB 62 would create a pathway for restitution for racially biased eminent domain takings; and AB 1043 would create a device-based age assurance framework for online services.
Supporters generally framed the bills as necessary responses to current harms: reproductive rights advocates emphasized California’s role as a safe haven; child safety witnesses described the persistence and re-victimization caused by CSAM online; immigrant rights and education advocates said schools should remain safe from immigration enforcement; health and LGBTQ+ advocates stressed privacy and safety risks tied to tracking and harassment; privacy and consumer groups backed limits on location data and stronger provenance tools; and reparations advocates said AB 62 would help address historic injustices. Opposition came from family policy, tech, business, law enforcement, and industry groups, who raised concerns about safety claims, constitutional issues, implementation burdens, transparency, law enforcement access, and the need to preserve existing privacy frameworks and voluntary standards.
The committee members largely expressed support for the policy goals while noting implementation concerns on some measures. Several members asked for or were offered coauthor status on bills. AB 1137, AB 54, AB 49, AB 82, AB 1355, AB 853, and AB 62 all received do-pass votes to Appropriations, with some members voting no or not voting on certain bills. AB 1355 and AB 853 were advanced with amendments or ongoing work promised with opponents, and AB 1043 was presented with discussion of possible amendments on parental consent and age assurance details, though the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (01/23/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- There are alternatives. It's not a problem.
- There are alternatives. It's not a problem.
- There are alternatives. It's not a problem.
- Alternatives and have a lesser potential Alternatives and have a lesser potential for<05:22:00.480>
- We want members to have access to these sorts of alternative treatments.
Summary:
The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, which would add ski, snowboard, and boat wax containing PFAS to the state’s consumer-product restrictions. The sponsor argued the product is already banned in many places, has PFAS-free alternatives, and is used in ways that can directly contaminate water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and said the bill was a simple extension of prior PFAS legislation. A witness also described a personal experience where a liquid ski wax disappeared from the market and later returned, likely because of PFAS concerns. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167 without a vote.
The committee then opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett said the bill was modeled on New Jersey law and intended to let student-athletes earn compensation from NIL without losing institutional scholarships, while also requiring licensed representation and setting limits on certain endorsements. He described the measure as proactive because NIL rules are evolving and could create conflicts among schools and future lawsuits. Members questioned whether the bill should apply to two-year institutions, whether it should exclude firearms and weapons, and whether the scholarship protections would cover need-based or academic aid as well as athletic scholarships. Moffett said the scholarship language was intended to protect scholarships generally, but not need-based aid specifically, and he acknowledged discomfort with some of the endorsement restrictions.
Public testimony on HB 312 was mixed. One supporter, a former Division III athlete and coach, backed the bill but urged removal of a section allowing institutions or athletic bodies to use an athlete’s NIL without compensation, arguing most New Hampshire athletes do not receive NIL money and should not have to work extra jobs to cover basic expenses. The chair also raised concerns about the bill’s contractual and identity-rights implications, referencing prior committee work on a J.D. Salinger-related identity case and noting the committee had previously declined to get involved in similar contractual disputes. No vote was taken during the hearing.
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:51:44.240>
Test <00:51:44.559>or personal consumption. - Test or personal consumption.
- <01:31:29.199>
if you have to satisfy certain tests if you have to satisfy certain tests if - So our conclusion was, and again this will have to be pressed and tested, that you can reduce a cost
- Our conclusion was that you can tested.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety (01/31/2025)
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- Alternatively, it required the officer, before an individual made the decision about whether to consent
- car searched and Al it it alternatively car searched and Al it it alternatively it<04:01:47.920>
- IFI that um you know ideally who tested IFI that um you know ideally so<05:06:12.840>
I <05:06 - <05:38:37.478>
ify <05:38:37.680>today 1440 and uh I wanted to test ify today 1440 - and uh I wanted to test ify today so<05:38:38.160>
you <05:38:38.320>guys <05:38:38.760>
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado House 2026 Legislative Day 101 Apr 24th, 2026
Colorado House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- to make sure pregnant, no pregnancy test to make sure you're<02:14:59.440>
pregnant. - receive care through alternative receive care through alternative methods,<02:18:49.359>
which - But to make assumptions that our campuses are some sort of political machines and our alternative is
- But to make assumptions that our campuses are some sort of political machines and our alternative is
- But to make assumptions that our campuses are some sort of political machines and our alternative is
Summary:
The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal from April 23, and then moved through announcements and recognitions before taking up third-reading business. Members recognized a guest connected to the Mason Museum and Learning Center in Aurora, honored the family of a bicyclist killed in a 2021 hit-and-run, and heard reminders about open enrollment and an upcoming Auctioneer Day fundraiser for nonpartisan staff. The chamber also welcomed guests from Concerned Women for America and celebrated a pair of birthdays with the capital choir.
On legislation, Senate Bill 95, concerning measures to support victim survivors of certain crimes without changing substantive criminal offenses, passed third reading 58-0 with five excused. House Bill 1132, which would increase pollinator habitats through conservation of native plant materials on state lands, passed 43-18 with four excused. House Bill 1130, requiring baby diaper changing stations in public restrooms, drew extensive debate: supporters said it would improve accessibility for parents and that small businesses were exempted or given flexibility, while opponents argued it was an unfunded mandate that would burden small businesses, raise installation and liability costs, and create safety and maintenance concerns. The bill ultimately passed 35-28 with two excused.
The chamber also passed Senate Bill 136, requiring reporting of missing livestock to the Department of Agriculture, by a vote of 63-0 with two excused, and House Bill 1287, continuing certain Division of Real Estate regulatory functions under the sunset process, by a vote of 49-14 with two excused. Senate Bill 43 was laid over until Monday. At the end of the excerpt, the House began receiving committee reports from Appropriations, listing several bills recommended for referral onward.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation (10-15-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:07:31.280>
delivery So as far as alternative delivery So as far as alternative delivery - just remember uh that alternative just remember uh that alternative delivery<00:17:58.799>
is - And so on the alternative be. Okay.
- <00:20:39.600>
delivery utilities on alternative delivery utilities on alternative delivery - <00:24:22.000>
delivery the nature of the alternative delivery the nature of the alternative
Keywords:
00:05 Call to Order and Roll Call
01:20 Road Projects
46:30 Approval of Minutes
46:50 Railroads
57:26 Adjournment, 958, all
Summary:
The Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met without a quorum, so it could not approve the minutes. The chair announced an Eastern Kentucky University health forum later that day and then proceeded with testimony on alternative delivery methods for road projects. Jason Sawala of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Chad Laroo of the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors were sworn in and introduced themselves.
Sawala explained KYTC’s use of alternative delivery tools, including design-build, construction manager/general contractor (CMGC), and public-private partnerships (P3s). He said the cabinet’s goal is to deliver the best value to taxpayers in terms of quality, cost, and time, and emphasized that alternative delivery is most useful on projects with special circumstances such as innovation needs, specialized technology, complex constructibility, schedule pressure, or early contractor input. He cited the cabinet’s wrong-way driving prevention project as an example where design-build helped evaluate technologies and coordinate with stakeholders such as EMS and first responders.
He also outlined the main tradeoffs: alternative delivery can improve collaboration and sometimes accelerate schedules, but it also brings risks related to right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, changing scope, and the need for dedicated staff and compressed decision-making. He stressed that these methods are not a cure-all and are not appropriate for every project, while noting that traditional design-bid-build remains effective for most of KYTC’s work.
Representative Branscum responded favorably, saying early contractor involvement is valuable and consistent with his experience in the vertical construction world. No votes or formal actions were taken because the committee lacked a quorum.
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, they were very much in the light of alternative payment models, major reforms to our hospitals and
- technology, and the big component within that, aside from some smaller state procurements that we will test
- If electing some of these alternative business models that we're incentivizing should be on an absolutely
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Transcript Highlights:
- The people that are here today, the test... ...for you know coming down to Foxborough, you know the people
- in the nation for the percentage of children who were subject of a substantiated, indicated, or alternative
- families earlier, prevent court recourse, and are effective at integrating services, offering a true alternative
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities held a hybrid hearing on a series of child welfare bills focused on DCF, foster care, mandated reporting, educational records, and family support. Chair Kennedy and Chair Livingstone opened with accessibility and testimony rules, then heard testimony on bills including S.127 on expanding mandated reporters, S.107/H.235 on a Foster Children’s Bill of Rights, S.106/H.228 on transferring foster care review from DCF to the Office of the Child Advocate, H.258/S.125 on an electronic backpack for foster children’s educational records, H.205 on kinship foster care background checks, H.246/H.266 on minimizing trauma in care and protection cases, and S.159 on support for families after sudden unexpected infant death.
Supporters of the mandated reporter bill, led by Sen. Feeney and Foxborough advocates, described a local model that trains all adults who work with children and argued the state should scale that approach statewide to improve recognition and reporting of abuse. Testimony on the foster care bills emphasized the need for clearer rights, better notice to children and attorneys, stronger remedies, and independent oversight. Advocates, youth with lived experience, and legal organizations described placement instability, delayed notifications, abuse in care, poor educational continuity, and the need for rights around safety, family contact, culture, language, and access to records. Several witnesses urged that the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights include enforceable court remedies, not just reporting requirements.
On the oversight bill, supporters argued DCF should not review its own foster care system and pointed to poor outcomes, high placement instability, and recent investigative reporting as evidence for moving review responsibilities to the Office of the Child Advocate. On the electronic backpack bill, testimony focused on the need for real-time data sharing and a centralized system so schools can receive foster students’ records quickly and support continuity. On the trauma-minimization bill, Rep. Miskin framed the proposal as a set of practical changes to reduce harm during removals and court involvement. On the SUID bill, Sen. Lovely said families should be given information about available grief and support resources after an infant death. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Special Session E May 29th, 2026
Florida Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Testing. Hey, I'm on. It's just not lit up.
- prevention, and medication-assisted treatment, naloxone distribution, court-directed treatment alternatives
- Hamilton Center is supposed to be a conservative think tank, political science, economics, sort of an alternative
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee May 28th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- part of the state's approach to making fuel less polluting by encouraging production of cleaner alternatives
- low-carbon fuel standard context, where we are looking at the life cycle emissions of the fuels and the alternatives
- That's something that we are continuing to pressure test.
Summary:
The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held its annual oversight hearing on the transportation fuels sector, focused on California’s fuel transition, the announced refinery closures by Phillips 66 and Valero, and the potential effects on supply, prices, and the broader fuel system. Committee leadership said the state needs a system-wide transition plan rather than a piecemeal approach, and state witnesses from CARB, the CEC, and DPMO described the fuel market as a complex, interconnected ecosystem involving crude production, refining, storage, imports, and delivery. They emphasized that declining gasoline demand from EV adoption is occurring alongside shrinking in-state refining capacity, which could increase volatility and price spikes if not managed carefully.
CARB Chair Liane Randolph reviewed the state’s climate and air-quality programs, including AB 32, SB 32, the 2022 scoping plan, the low-carbon fuel standard, and vehicle emissions rules. She said these policies have reduced emissions substantially but that California still faces major ozone and PM2.5 problems, especially in disadvantaged communities. Randolph also said federal actions challenging California waivers could complicate the state’s clean-air efforts, and she noted that while liquid fuels will still be needed in some sectors, the state must continue reducing fossil fuel dependence while protecting public health.
CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda and DPMO Director Ty Milder presented data on gasoline demand, refinery throughput, crude imports, and price differentials. Gunda said the Legislature’s special-session laws gave the agencies transparency and planning tools, and that the CEC is developing a fuels transition plan while evaluating whether any regulatory tools should be used. Milder previewed DPMO findings that Californians have paid a long-running “mystery gasoline surcharge” averaging 41 cents per gallon since 2015, with higher margins concentrated in branded gasoline and among vertically integrated firms. He said the data show a concentrated market with some refiners doing well and others struggling, and that DPMO will continue investigating price behavior, competition, and supply risks.
Members pressed the witnesses on whether state regulations contributed to refinery exits or higher prices, and on whether the agencies had adequately analyzed consumer costs. Witnesses said they had not yet implemented the new permissive tools from SB X1-2 and AB X2-1 because they were still assessing risks and benefits, and they stressed that refinery closures and capital decisions are driven by broader market conditions as well as regulation. No vote was taken; the hearing was informational, with the committee seeking updates and urging the agencies to develop a practical transition strategy that balances affordability, reliability, climate goals, and worker/community protections.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If we do, I believe the author should seek out a more reliable standard that has been tested by the courts
- These voters often rely on limited documentation, alternative identity protections, or face legitimacy
- We respectfully urge... this committee to include alternative verification methods, such as affidavits
Keywords:
HB 2442, Texas Election Code, Election Code Section 84.001, early voting, ballot by mail, mail ballot, absentee voting, runoff election, primary runoff, general runoff, voter application, election administration, county election officials, opt-out, voter choice, mail voting, ballot application, voting by mail, Election Code, size requirements
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- and, and truly a model now that, uh, I think will stand up, you know, in every state and, and the test
- there are options that we are looking at presently that would give us, uh, a variety of different alternatives
- There is an alternative, um.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Jan 15th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- However, you could also look at alternatives to that going forward.
- However, you could also look at alternatives to that going forward.
- And that curriculum has been tested with several cohorts of students at FSU at the College of Social
Summary:
The committee held its first meeting of the session and received an overview of the Higher Education Appropriations budget from staff director Tim Elwell. He explained the committee’s broad jurisdiction over universities, state colleges, district workforce programs, vocational rehabilitation, blind services, student financial aid, private colleges, and the Board of Governors, and reviewed key budget concepts such as local funds, funds per FTE, performance funding, and the distinction between the total appropriation and the recurring base budget. He noted that higher education is funded largely through state and local sources, with substantial flexibility compared with other state budgets, and that the base budget is heavily weighted toward lump-sum allocations to the public systems.
The committee then heard a presentation from the University of South Florida’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida), led by retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie and USF representative Mark Walsh. They described Cyber Florida as a statewide cybersecurity platform created by the Legislature in 2014 to support education, research, workforce development, public policy, and community engagement. McKenzie emphasized the growing cyber threat environment, Florida’s leadership role, and several funded initiatives, including K-12 outreach, workforce training, a cyber range for county governments, critical infrastructure assessments, grant development, and public conferences and outreach. Members asked about public cyber awareness, the lack of a national cyber defense strategy, school district participation in Cyber Launch, and which counties are most at risk; McKenzie said smaller counties with limited cybersecurity staffing are generally more vulnerable and offered to provide follow-up information.
Finally, the committee heard from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida, led by Dr. Drew Andrews, along with program and parent representatives from participating institutions. Andrews explained the center’s role in coordinating Florida’s postsecondary comprehensive transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities, supporting program development, distributing grants and scholarships, and monitoring outcomes. He reported that the state now has 33 approved programs at 35 institutions, including universities, state colleges, and technical colleges, and that scholarship and grant funding has grown significantly. He said student retention is about 88 percent, many graduates are employed, and median hourly earnings have increased over time. A representative from Southeastern University described how the center’s support helped build and sustain SEU Link, including a new third-year employment-focused option for students.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- increased demands associated with oil and gas production. they don't have additional funding, what alternative
- to want to enter into an apprenticeship because it's a good way to get somebody trained you get to test
- . population of older adults rapidly grows, more people are giving up driving, and looking for alternatives
- And our workforce is having to choose the alternatives or stepping out of the workforce altogether.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Hello test this. Am I audible? Yep, we can hear you. Got it. Thank you. I'll begin my remarks now.
- pictures of tests, taking pictures of each other without consent, sending naked pictures of classmates
- I parked in an alternative parking lot and came to school late, which means I did not come to school
- I parked an alternative shooter threats.
- I parked an alternative parking<01:53:54.639>
lot <01:53:55.040>and <01:53:55.280>I<