Transcript Highlights:

• about what is KCTCS: as you all know, collectively we're the state's largest postsecondary education entity
• about what is KCTCS: as you all know, collectively we're the state's largest postsecondary education entity
• <00:03:11.280> we uh postsecondary U education entity we uh postsecondary U education entity
• We work with around 5,000 different entities each year.
• each year some most different entities each year some most of<00:13:10.279> those<00:13:10.440

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met for its first meeting and heard an update from KCTCS President Dr. Ryan Corral. He opened with a brief report on flood impacts across the state, noting damage at Big Sandy and Hazard, support for displaced faculty and staff, emergency student aid, and the use of campuses as shelters and Red Cross sites. He then outlined KCTCS’s role as the state’s largest postsecondary system, serving about 107,000 students across 16 colleges and 70 campuses, with strong enrollment growth, major dual credit and GED operations, and a large workforce-training mission. Corral emphasized student support needs such as food, housing, and mental health services, and said KCTCS wants to expand work with incarcerated populations and recovery communities. Corral also described system changes focused on compliance, stability, leadership development, property disposal, and curriculum review. He said KCTCS has addressed prior audit findings, is conducting additional audits, has sold or is selling several buildings, and has removed 400 underutilized credentials to better align programs with employer needs. He highlighted transfer agreements with the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University, and said KCTCS is working to align training with employers and local governments. He also discussed the system’s response to House Bill 6 and the $90 million appropriated for an efficient operations and innovation plan, including three proposed capital projects: a Somerset Community College facility for diesel, automotive, welding, HVAC, CAD, and 3D printing; replacement of an outdated Louisville building; and a South Central/Glasgow allied health facility to expand nursing and related programs. In response to questions, Corral said the Blue Oval SK training building in Glendale is open and operational, though workforce demand there has been slower than initially expected, and that KCTCS is working with the company and state officials to cover operating costs. Members praised KCTCS’s workforce role and flexibility in meeting employer needs statewide. Representative Moll also commented on the system’s progress and importance to Kentucky’s workforce development. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also collaborate with statewide entities, coordinate anti-human trafficking response with law enforcement
• survivors of human trafficking, and intervention and prevention education and training to state entities
• There are numerous federal, state, and local entities that are involved in activities aimed at addressing
• In Florida, some of the state entities include the Department of Children and Families, the Department
• We have CBCs, we have managing entities, we have things like that. As part of what DCF does.

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs received three presentations and took no bill votes. The Department of Children and Families gave an extensive update on human trafficking prevention and services, describing Florida’s statutory framework, hotline and investigation data, placement options such as safe houses and safe foster homes, new adult safe house certification rules, expanded screening tools for vulnerable adults, and prevention efforts including youth-led outreach and training. Members asked about whether current funding is sufficient, how DCF addresses grooming and re-victimization in residential settings, and how long youth typically remain in safe-house placements; DCF said funding is only one part of the support system, that families and youth receive prevention resources even when allegations are not substantiated, and that placement length varies by child. OPPAGA then presented its 2024 annual report on commercial sexual exploitation of children. The report found that verified CSE victims slightly declined in 2023, with Broward, Miami-Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, and Escambia among the highest-prevalence counties. Most verified victims were community youth rather than children already in care, though dependent youth had higher rates of prior maltreatment. OPPAGA also reported continued concerns about limited placement capacity, especially for less restrictive Tier 1 safe houses, and service gaps such as the need for survivor mentors. Its recommendations focused on expanding placement options, improving data collection, and strengthening collaboration to support survivor mentors. Finally, DCF presented the Step into Success pilot program for current and former foster youth ages 16 to 26. The program combines workforce education, professional development, and paid internships with mentor support; the first cohort launched in 2024 with 15 participants, all of whom secured placements, and the department reported strong satisfaction and early outcomes. Committee members asked about scalability, costs, and whether the model could be moved beyond DCF-run operations into community-based providers. DCF said the program was designed to be scalable, currently costs about $500,000 annually for the pilot, and could be expanded statewide with additional funding and partner support. The committee adjourned after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The entity is in a position to evaluate proposed projects.
• I do want to mention some boots-on-the-ground entities that have come out.
• That's just some of the entities that support this approach to expanding our ability to meet the needs
• to the funding, the qualified entities.
• Again, in the bill, there is the ability for entities...

Transcript Highlights:

• that previously expired due to failure to reinstate or to renew that business entity on time.
• <00:49:14.160> that reinstate a business entity that reinstate a business entity that previously
• <00:49:21.280> That<00:49:21.520> would that business entity on time.
• That would that business entity on time.
• It seems as if no one entity is responsible for planning and coordination.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Would extend the expiration date for the state's pass-through entity tax.
• The pass-through entity tax allows taxpayers to elect to file and pay at the entity level.
• At the state level, 100% of the tax that those pass-through entity taxpayers pay is refunded.
• At the state level, 100% of the tax that those pass-through entity taxpayers pay is refunded.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• IN FLORIDA ARE SOVEREIGNS OUR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYED ENTITIES.
• WHILE THEY ARE NOT SHIELDED FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES ARE SHIELDED FROM FINANCIAL LIABILITY
• WHICH CAN SERVE AS A DISADVANTAGE BRINGING IN THE LAWSUIT REGARDLESS OF IT MERIT AGAINST A SOVEREIGN ENTITY
• STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS THE VICTIMS OF THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME TO BRING A CLAIM AGAINST A GOVERNMENT ENTITY
• AS THEY WOULD AGAINST A PRIVATE ONE AND GIVES GOVERNMENT ENTITIES THE OPTIONS TO SETTLE LEGITIMATE CLAIMS

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are working with a lot of these local entities.
• So we are working with a lot of these local entities.
• Four million homes in the woods. ...empower the local government entities to take action.
• So empower the local entities and back it up.
• My partner, make the local entities have a piece of the responsibility, a stake in the game.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation held an oversight hearing on home hardening and defensible space as wildfire mitigation strategies. The chair opened by stressing that California has reached a tipping point, with repeated community-scale wildfire losses, rising insurance costs, and growing utility wildfire mitigation expenses. The hearing was organized around four panels: what home hardening and defensible space are, community risk reduction and coordination, evaluation of current defensible space programs and proposed investments, and the future of home hardening and the California Wildfire Mitigation Program. The first panel featured IBHS, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and local wildfire mitigation advocates. IBHS described wildfire spread through embers, flames, and radiant heat, emphasizing that structure separation, removing combustible materials within the first five feet of a home, and combining multiple mitigation measures significantly reduce loss. It highlighted its Wildfire Prepared Home and Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood standards, including an “essential” and “enhanced” level, and said California is ahead of other states but still needs scalable, standardized, and sustainably funded mitigation. The LAO outlined key policy questions for the Legislature, including the state’s role, intergovernmental coordination, cost-effectiveness, program design, measurement of success, long-term sustainability, and barriers to implementation. The chair and panelists discussed estimated costs, including roughly $15,000 for a basic retrofit and about $50,000 for more extensive ignition-resistant construction, and whether state funding should focus on the most cost-effective initial measures. The second panel focused on scaling adoption through local coordination, education, financing, and community-based programs. Megafire Action argued that home hardening is a market adoption problem and said the state should not try to pay for every home, but instead target high-leverage interventions across the “customer journey,” including education, financing, trusted certification, and neighborhood network effects. Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council described free home assessments, small retrofit grants, Firewise community support, and the importance of neighborhood-level action, local capacity, and cultural change. Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority described its locally funded model, grant program, public education efforts, and an Ember Ready program that helps residents navigate home hardening and Zone Zero compliance. The chair repeatedly emphasized the need for a coordinated statewide marketing campaign, stronger incentives, better insurance discounts, and more use of local, utility, federal, and private funding sources. The third and fourth panels addressed Cal Fire’s defensible space inspection program, the proposed defensible space financial assistance program, and broader state investments. Cal Fire said homes lacking compliant defensible space are far more likely to be damaged or destroyed and requested ongoing funding and staffing to stabilize inspections statewide; the LAO suggested the Legislature consider alternative funding sources such as GGRF or a reinstated SRA fee. Cal Fire and the State Fire Marshal explained that Zone Zero sets a minimum standard, local governments cannot go below it, and grant prioritization will favor jurisdictions that submit inspections. Cal Fire also said the new defensible space financial assistance program would focus on ember-resistant zone-zero work and, in the Southern California counties covered by the legislation, would assist about 3,125 homes at an estimated $8,000 per home. In the final panel, the State Fire Marshal described California’s layered strategy of parcel-level home hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation, along with technical support, financial assistance, and incentives such as insurance discounts and builder marketing. The overall theme was that California must move from isolated efforts to a coordinated, science-based, and scalable statewide approach to reduce wildfire losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.
• So there's a function for more than just that one entity for that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 2614 was heard with a delete-everything amendment adopted at the outset. The bill, as explained by the authors, would prevent local governments from requiring amenities or common property that effectively force the creation of a homeowners association, while still allowing developers to create HOAs voluntarily when needed. The authors said the language was negotiated with stakeholders, including the League of Minnesota Cities, and was intended to be moved on to the Housing Committee for further discussion. Supportive testimony came from Housing First Minnesota and the Minnesota Homeownership Center. They argued that unnecessary HOA mandates can raise housing costs, reduce homebuyer choice, and shift public infrastructure costs onto homeowners through dues in addition to property taxes. Testifiers cited examples involving single-family developments, a Burnsville case involving a large roof assessment and disputed ACH withdrawal, and the Heritage Park development in Minneapolis, where an HOA was required but later became difficult to dissolve. They said the bill would preserve HOAs where they are genuinely needed, such as townhomes or shared-amenity developments. Members raised questions about the removal of county-specific language in the amendment, the meaning of the bill’s references to services and common property, and whether the bill would still allow neighborhood signs or other developer-requested features. A major point of concern was stormwater ponds and drainage infrastructure: one member argued that prohibiting cities from requiring HOA maintenance of such facilities could shift costs to taxpayers, while the authors responded that the bill was meant to stop cities from mandating discretionary amenities and that maintenance issues had been partly addressed in the amendment. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion provided, but the amendment was adopted and the bill was discussed for referral onward.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the next slide, I'll also discuss how Soil and Waters are a very unique entity.
• Very few entities across the U.S. have this authority.
• The NMRC and the New Mexico State University Research Center are two different entities.
• to be prioritization entities, to be on the ground, prioritization entities that knew what was going
• And when I see what looks like a consolidation of power to any one entity.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it was surprising to some of our county-based purchasing entities, some of the barriers that
• and if uh and most would many entities and if uh and most would be<00:15:03.920> willing<00:15
• So, um the A1 ensures that when entities own or invest in health care practices, they don't control or
• So, um the A1 ensures that when<00:36:09.599> entities<00:36:10.240> own<00:36:10.480><
• c> or<00:36:10.720> invest<00:36:11.040> in when entities own or invest in when entities

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, then ConvenientMD is not the bad person here or the bad entity.
• The hospital gets to object to any entity, so if we pick one entity, they get to object.
• <01:31:37.360> to separate third-party entities to separate third-party entities to represent
• > object if we pick one entity they get to object if we pick one entity they get to object so<
• Massachusetts so any private entity Massachusetts so any private entity moving<01:33:22.239>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And these are two different entities<00:34:46.600> that entities that entities that they<00:34
• administrators care management entities administrators care management entities are<04:42:45.920
• So, um, it is public funds being utilized by public entities.
• Thank you. the receiving entity of the funds were the receiving entity of the funds were to<05:05:46.360
• by public entities. by public entities.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 562, which would create a home damage mitigation and resilience grant program aimed at helping homeowners make property improvements that could reduce insurance costs and non-renewals. Commissioner DJ Bettencourt of the New Hampshire Insurance Department explained that the program is modeled in part on Alabama’s safer homes program, but tailored for New Hampshire hazards such as floods, microbursts, heavy snow, ice, and falling trees. He said the grants would be limited to primary residences, subject to a means test, capped at $10,000, and intended to help homeowners make targeted improvements such as roof fortification or tree removal that could improve underwriting outcomes and lead to premium discounts. Bettencourt said the program would not use state taxpayer funds and would instead rely on philanthropic donations, possible federal or regional housing-bank funding, and other outside sources. He said the department would not need new staff, and that a current position could be reconfigured to help administer the program part-time. Committee members asked about the funding language, the meaning of “loans” in the bill, whether there were any other states using a similar no-state-funds model, and how many homeowners could be helped. Bettencourt said Rhode Island and Connecticut were moving forward in a similar way, and that the number of beneficiaries would depend on how much money is raised. Members also questioned how the grant program would actually lower premiums, whether savings would apply only to participants or more broadly, and how the IBHS evaluation process would work. Bettencourt and department staff said the direct benefit would be to the homeowner whose property is improved, though neighbors could also benefit in some cases. They explained that IBHS is a building-safety organization that certifies contractors and inspectors and that its standards can qualify homes for insurer discounts. Questions were also raised about confidentiality provisions, first-come-first-served grant awards, rollover of unused applications, and possible tax treatment of donations. The sponsor said those details would be addressed through rulemaking or existing tax rules, and no vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we can target these covered entities...
• So we can target these EITE entities that have large emissions that are very difficult to electrify,
• The pathway for entities interested in pursuing those... ...on carbon management.
• The pathway for entities interested in pursuing those...
• Private and public entities can participate in collection sites.

Summary: The committee held an interim work session focused first on carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), then on hazardous waste and extended producer responsibility (EPR). On the CCUS topic, industry and nonprofit presenters described point-source capture, direct air capture, mineralization, and geologic sequestration, emphasizing Washington’s basalt formations and state trust lands as strong candidates for storage. They argued that CCUS can help hard-to-abate industrial sectors, support jobs and investment, and provide a pathway for compliance, while also noting the need for clearer permitting, subsurface rights, pipeline authority, and storage infrastructure. Ecology and Commerce staff explained current state policy touchpoints, including Cap-and-Invest offsets and exemptions for permanently stored CO2, the public comment process underway to define “thousand-year” permanence, and how CCUS might fit within the Clean Energy Transformation Act without counting emitting generation as non-emitting. Some presenters supported more state action and primacy over federal permitting, while others warned about costs, energy use, uncertain capture performance, and the need to ensure real net greenhouse gas reductions and long-term liability protections. Members asked about public meetings, whether mineralized carbon would qualify as exempt under the Climate Commitment Act, the timeline for Ecology guidance, aquifer and water-quality concerns, energy intensity of capture systems, and liability if storage later proves problematic. Responses said Ecology’s guidance process is already underway, public meetings will be virtual, mineralized carbon would likely qualify if it meets the permanence standard, and EPA rules require storage in deep saline formations below drinking water aquifers. Industry speakers said capture energy use varies by source and concentration, and one presenter noted that some states use trust funds funded by injectors to address long-term liability. The second half of the session shifted to hazardous waste and EPR. Ecology staff reviewed existing product stewardship programs for electronics, paint, batteries, and mercury lights, and described moderate risk waste and household hazardous waste management in Washington. They highlighted that E-Cycle and PaintCare are producer-funded, that the battery stewardship program will begin in 2027, and that the mercury lamp program is in transition after its prior stewardship organization exited, prompting enforcement notices and a pending replacement plan. Ecology recommended best practices for future EPR programs, including clear producer and product definitions, full producer funding, convenience standards, annual reporting, and strong agency enforcement and plan approval authority. Local government speakers from King County and Douglas County described rising collection costs, equity and access barriers, rural travel distances, and the need for stable funding and flexible local implementation. King County said it collected over 3 million pounds of hazardous products in 2025 and supports EPR as a way to shift costs from ratepayers to producers, while Douglas County emphasized that rural residents will participate when services are accessible and that future systems should account for geography and local infrastructure.

Transcript Highlights:

• The legal cause of action is against entities that create or require males and females to share these
• And so this is about requiring single-sex multi-use spaces and holding our entities accountable not to
• And we keep hearing that this is about entities, but it specifically says no individual shall enter.
• Yes, you can sue the entity, but this says no individuals shall over and over in it.
• This is about entities creating the This is about entities creating those spaces that allow opportunists

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for the 53rd day by a 123-0 roll call. The chamber received Senate messages on Senate Substitutes for House Joint Resolutions 173 and 174, and committee reports recommending passage of several bills and resolutions, including HB 2180, HB 1870, HB 2596, HB 1866, HB 2852, HB 2855, HB 2536, and HJR 115. Members then took up a series of Senate amendments and conference motions. HB 2180, dealing with notice procedures for blind pension recipients and electronic notification options, was adopted and finally passed 147-1 and then 148-1. HB 1870, updating bankruptcy exemptions and garnishment procedures, was adopted and finally passed 141-9 and 142-8. HB 2596, concerning multiple employer self-insured health plans, was sent to conference after the House refused the Senate substitute. HB 1866, addressing peace officer licensing and school protection officers, had Senate amendments concurred in 149-1 and was finally passed 148-1. The House also passed HJR 115, a proposed constitutional amendment to extend property tax and homestead exemptions to 100% service-connected disabled veterans and their spouses, after extensive debate over fiscal impacts and fairness; it passed 152-0. Later, HB 1736, allowing park sales tax funds to be used for stormwater management and related park improvements, passed 100-52. HB 1887 and related bills on artificial intelligence and transparency passed 145-3, HB 2855 on workers’ compensation fund rate changes passed 152-1, HB 1906 on tax payment schedules for certain township collectors passed 152-1, HB 2297 on fence responsibilities passed 116-35, HB 2142 on the Missouri Film Program passed 93-54, HB 3004 on hardwood industry labeling/truth-in-advertising passed 143-6, and HB 2151 raising income thresholds for a workforce-development program passed 116-32. The chamber also debated and passed HB 2536, which defines male and female by biological sex for certain government-owned or managed multi-occupancy spaces and creates enforcement provisions; it passed 101-48 after strong opposition centered on privacy, discrimination, and enforcement concerns. Finally, the House began perfection work on a substitute for HB 3068 and HB 3049, adopting several amendments, including technical corrections and language changes tied to plumbing and inspection provisions, before the transcript ended mid-consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• So do they give money to other entities besides you then? Hypothetically, they could.
• There haven't been entities that have gone up for those funding.
• The issue is that particular funding is very heavily weighted toward the rural entities.
• It is a huge help to those entities that really need that money. We don't want to touch that.
• It is a huge help to those entities that really need that money. We don't want to touch that.

Summary: The committee met as a study subcommittee on fixed-route public transportation and first approved the December 11 minutes. It then heard detailed presentations from transit leaders in Grand Forks, Bismarck/Mandan, and Fargo about their systems, including route structures, paratransit service, ridership trends, fare changes, funding sources, fleet replacement needs, and operational challenges. Grand Forks described Cities Area Transit’s 17 routes, university shuttle service, expanded paratransit coverage, a 2025 fare increase, and rising costs for labor, fuel, parts, and new buses. Bismarck/Mandan’s Bisman Transit outlined its fixed-route and paratransit operations, recent service expansions approved for April 1, fare structure, ridership recovery since COVID, and major funding streams including mill levies, federal grants, and new local sales tax revenue. Fargo’s MATBUS representative emphasized the importance of continued state support for urban fixed-route transit. Members asked extensive questions about cost per ride, fare increases, school transportation, veteran service partnerships, app-based ticketing, local funding formulas, and whether ride-share or microtransit could replace fixed routes. Transit officials said fixed-route service remains essential because it provides reliable capacity, supports jobs and access to services, and preserves federal funding tied to public transit operations. They also said paratransit is costly but necessary for riders with disabilities, and that vehicle and maintenance costs have risen sharply. Minot’s transit superintendent added context on the state’s existing transit aid formula, explaining that it is weighted more toward rural and paratransit providers and that urban fixed-route systems are seeking a separate, dedicated funding source rather than changes to the current formula. The committee also heard public testimony from North Dakota Protection & Advocacy supporting both fixed-route and paratransit service for disabled riders, and from Minot staff on refurbished buses, CDL driver recruitment, and why the agency is not pursuing full electric buses. Near the end, members discussed whether to recommend additional state funding for the four urban fixed-route systems. A motion passed to have Legislative Council prepare a summary of the subcommittee’s activities for inclusion in the Government Finance Committee’s report to Legislative Management. Members then continued discussing possible recommendations, including a separate funding source for urban fixed-route transit and whether the four urban systems should meet to develop a proposed amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• what we're calling independent settlements, meaning those actions that we filed directly against the entity
• It also distinguishes between Julie Meade: which entities we settled directly with and which were part
• So, do you know yet from all of your three entities how you're going to participate in that effort?
• reason I'm bringing this up is this package is pretty comprehensive and so I've encouraged every entity
• That we can initiate individuals, entities, manager in the private sector.

Transcript Highlights:

• the question about, you know, some critics of the CFPB say, you know, it's a redundant government entity
• This includes data from and about corporations, nonprofits, state agencies, and other entities that the
• Some of the individuals are LLCs, which are individuals, but actually have this corporate entity.
• Some of the individuals are LLCs, which are individuals, but actually have this corporate entity.
• Some of the individuals are LLCs, which are individuals, but actually have this corporate entity.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It drives a partnership between local entities and the state so that libraries can be more attractive
• It drives a partnership between local entities and the state so that libraries can be more attractive
• It drives a partnership between local entities and the state so that libraries can be more attractive
• it drives a partnership<00:04:53.560> between<00:04:54.000> local<00:04:54.400> entities
• <00:04:55.280> and partnership between local entities and partnership between local entities

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• et al. relating to certain prohibited transactions and logistical support between a governmental entity
• and an abortion assistance entity to State Affairs.
• Senate Bill 36 by Parker relating to the Homeland Security activities of certain entities to Border Security
• Senate Bill 1875 by Perry relating to the repeal of the requirement that certain entities subject to
• regulation and use of artificial intelligence systems and the management of data by governmental entities

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:33.919> to wasn't really an oversight entity to wasn't really an oversight entity to
• > that<00:35:46.800> are these are the entities that are these are the entities that are
• <00:40:32.720> So entities that that do kickback. So entities that that do kickback.
• <01:36:23.280> So, responsible for the entire entity."
• So, responsible for the entire entity." So, I<01:36:24.239> hear<01:36:24.480> you.

Keywords: 1183, house