Video & Transcript Research : 'web accessibility'

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NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • We have a vision for New Mexico, which is that every New Mexican will have access to affordable health
  • And so you're seeing unlocked access to care.
  • For extended periods of time in order to access services? Mr.
  • more access for this.
  • Our agency issued an early access Pot of money that's up to 2 million per region.
Keywords: 996, all
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Land Grant Jul 14th, 2025

House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • So I help protect that money, get access to it.
  • well as access to a printer and scanner.
  • How is that accessed?
  • Could you elaborate a little bit more on the accessibility of that funding? Sure.
  • It's just for better transparency, better access to records." So, how do we do that?
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Rules Mar 3rd, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • Did the bill contemplate public access to the 60%?
  • You don't have access. All of the rest of us have access... ...incident. You don't have access.
  • This ensures patient access while maintaining appropriate safeguards.
  • You have conditional access and create chaos.
  • Compliers got access. Compliers got access. Others got shut out. Florida stood against that.
Summary: The committee first took up SB 354, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which creates a framework for large planned communities on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area and a streamlined local review process. Senator McLean presented the bill and a strike-all amendment, and members raised concerns about local control, conservation enforceability, data centers, concurrency, multi-county projects, and whether reserve lands could later be converted. Audubon Florida and 1,000 Friends of Florida opposed the bill, arguing the conservation protections were not permanent enough and that the reserve areas could be changed later; small-county representatives also worried about tax-base impacts. Supporters argued the bill would better manage growth, preserve green space, and provide a more orderly alternative to sprawl. After debate, the committee voted to report the bill favorably. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates for federal, state, county, district, judiciary, school, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship. Amendments added disclosure about whether federal candidates intend to trade stock if elected and adjusted 2026 congressional qualifying procedures in the event of redistricting, including a new qualifying window and petition rules. The bill was reported favorably after brief support from a member of the public and discussion about candidate vetting. The committee also reported favorably CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill with amendments addressing My Safe Florida Home notices, condo pilot eligibility, firefighter hiring, unclaimed property, and related financial-services provisions. Next, the committee approved CS/CS/SB 1620, a school board members’ bill of rights. A substitute amendment narrowed the bill to access to records, fiscal transparency, and nondisclosure agreements, while preserving board members’ rights to timely documents, budget information, and public comment, and setting deadlines for records requests. Superintendents and a school board member testified in support, saying the bill clarifies roles and prevents board members from being frozen out. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material”; one senator supported the terminology change but warned about preserving legal precedent and avoiding appellate issues. The committee then reported favorably SB 1548, an update to the Live Local affordable housing law expanding eligible sites and clarifying setbacks, airport proximity, and fair-housing protections. Finally, the committee took up the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates. The bill allows trained master’s-level VPAs to perform limited veterinary services under a veterinarian’s supervision, and an amendment tightened the standard to immediate supervision on premises. Supporters said the measure would expand access to care, especially in rural areas with vet shortages, while opponents argued it added unnecessary regulation. After testimony from veterinary educators and others, the bill continued with support expressed by committee members, including praise for the direct-supervision amendment.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Human Services - 01/29/25

Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • My day job is with a nonprofit called Accessible Space, and I do a variety of other things as well.
  • to people so that they can live in their communities and access acute care or hospital services when
  • <00:31:06.000> to to help people that needed access to to help people that needed access to
  • to services and help people get access to services and have<00:31:35.399> high<00:31:35.600><
  • area and we' we've been able to access area and we' we've been able to access and<01:37:18.320><
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Finance - 04/28/26

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Another makes critical investments in mental health access for children.
  • <00:04:47.120> And mental health access for children.
  • And mental health access for children.
  • <00:12:55.040> by firearm crime uh to include access by firearm crime uh to include access
  • <00:31:27.520> to that um allow us to expand access to that um allow us to expand access to
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Finance - 04/23/26

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • , that health care should be accessible, that health care should be accessible, families<00:05:21.240
  • easier access to medical care.
  • <00:48:37.040> to Health, in part to get access to Health, in part to get access to uh<00:
  • Trying to make sure that people do have access to health insurance so that they can access health care
  • to health insurance so that they access to health insurance so that they can<01:10:15.400> access
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Local Government Committee Apr 15th, 2026

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • What they lack is access.
  • Their access, their understanding would have been totally different.
  • Their access, their understanding would have been totally different.
  • I think we know wholeheartedly that we have to have more access to EV chargers.
  • One of the biggest barriers to doing that is access to land.
Keywords: 988, house, all
Summary: The committee heard several local government-related bills. AB 1578 by Assembly Member Jackson would require elected local and state officials to take anti-hate speech training through existing sexual harassment training. Supporters said hate rhetoric can embolden prejudice and officials should be accountable for their words; opponents argued the bill lacks a legal definition of hate speech and could chill protected speech. The chair indicated support, but no quorum was present at that point, so no vote was taken. AB 2083, also by Assembly Member Jackson, would authorize creation of a regional child care special district for Moreno Valley and Paris to expand child care programs and facilities. The author said the district would help underserved communities and support families with nontraditional work hours. The California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions opposed the bill’s mechanism, though it said it supported the goal and had been working with the author. The bill was discussed without a final vote in the excerpt. AB 1783 by Assembly Member DeMaio would prohibit state and local mileage taxes and block state agencies from studying or advancing them. The author argued Californians already pay too much in gas and car taxes and that mileage taxes would burden drivers. Opponents, including the State Building and Construction Trades Council, Transportation California, NRDC, and others, said the state needs to study road user charges as a fairer replacement for declining gas tax revenue. After quorum was established, the committee voted 3-2 to pass and re-refer the bill to the Revenue and Taxation Committee, with the roll left open. The committee also advanced AB 1693 by Assembly Member Suber, which would streamline retail tenant improvement permits by allowing qualified professionals to certify plans and imposing review deadlines on local building departments. Support came from retail, business, property, and chamber groups, and there was no opposition. The committee voted 5-0 to pass and re-refer the bill to the Business and Professions Committee. AB 1679 by Assembly Member Gonzales would create a temporary commercial activation permit for pop-up businesses in vacant storefronts; supporters said it would help revive downtowns and reduce barriers for small businesses, while local government groups had no position. The committee approved it 7-0 and re-referred it to the Health Committee. AB 2418 by Assembly Member Gonzales would set timelines for nonresidential plan checks and allow private plan checkers after delays; business groups supported it, local government associations had no position, and the committee passed it 7-0 to the Judiciary Committee. The committee also heard AB 1820 by Assembly Member Schiavo, which would cap EV charger permit fees and allow higher fees only with written findings; supporters said it would reduce barriers to charger deployment, while cities and counties argued current fees reflect actual costs and that the bill would shift costs to local governments. The discussion was extensive, but no vote is shown in the excerpt.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary Apr 1st, 2025

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Floridians deserve access to best-practice health care without government interference.
  • We need to ensure that they do not have barriers to accessing care. Half of all new STI cases.
  • We need to ensure that they do not have barriers to accessing care.
  • They deserve access to important tools in order to take care of their health.
  • We are not allowing children to get access to STIs and also contraception.
Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard Senate Bill 1272 on guardianship, which would limit a guardian’s ability to isolate an adult ward from family and require notice of major events such as a ward’s death or relocation to a more restrictive setting. Senator Jones and supportive speakers said the bill was intended to protect wards from abuse and isolation by bad actors, while still preserving good-faith guardianship. With no opposition testimony or debate, the committee voted 8-0 to report the bill favorably. The committee then considered CS for Senate Bill 1284, which would expand Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow civil claims for the death of an unborn child. An amendment was adopted to define “unborn child” as a member of the species Homo sapiens carried in the womb and to state that the act does not authorize claims against the mother or against health care providers acting within the lawful standard of care. The bill drew extensive debate and testimony. Supporters argued it would give parents parity and fuller damages, including economic losses and mental anguish, when negligence causes the death of an unborn child. Opponents, including the ACLU, medical professionals, and reproductive rights advocates, warned it could be used to target abortion care, increase malpractice exposure, worsen physician shortages, and create speculative damages. The committee approved the bill 6-4. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 1288 on parental rights, with a strike-all amendment that would strengthen parental control over minors’ medical decisions, surveys, and biofeedback devices, while adding exceptions for emergencies, court orders, certain legal statuses, and situations involving abuse or out-of-home placement. Supporters said the measure restores parents as primary decision-makers and protects children from inappropriate questioning or treatment without consent. Opponents argued it could block minors from confidential care for STIs, mental health, or abuse-related issues, and could chill school and medical screenings. The transcript ends during testimony and debate on this bill, before any final vote is shown.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Committee on State and Local Government - 01/28/25

State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • Now, some of them fall inside water and they're not accessible, but they're the certified corners that
  • Now, some of them fall inside water and they're not accessible, but they're the certified corners that
  • Now, some of them fall inside water and they're not accessible, but they're the certified corners that
  • We know that this is due to disparities in access to gender-affirming care, mental health care, access
  • > to Care Mental Health Care um access to Care Mental Health Care um access to safe<01:04:43.520
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
Summary: The committee heard Senate File 59, authored by Senator Green, which would require counties to locate and restore original public land survey monuments and related boundary markers. Green argued that newer GIS/GPS-based surveys have sometimes shifted long-established property lines, creating disputes for landowners, counties, and state agencies. He described examples involving his own property and constituents, including a case where a neighbor allegedly lost access to a well and septic system after a new survey and another where a landowner was told he was farming school trust land based on a newer plat reference. Testimony in support came from Allan Roger Olen, who said a newer survey changed his family’s property lines and created a dispute over land, a building permit, and ownership of well and septic systems. Senator Green also said county plat books are not legally binding and that the bill is intended to force counties to find original monuments before more disputes arise. Committee members raised concerns from the Association of Minnesota Counties about the bill’s timeline, funding, and requirement that counties employ a land surveyor. Green responded that counties had already been told to hire surveyors in some disputes, acknowledged the funding concerns, and said he would look for funding sources while emphasizing protection of property rights. A committee member who teaches surveying explained that adverse possession is a real legal doctrine in Minnesota and noted that restoring all monuments would cost far more than the $10 million already appropriated, estimating the total need at about $300 million. Phil Reigns of the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors testified that the Public Land Survey System underlies Minnesota’s land tenure system, that the original monuments were set mostly between 1850 and 1908, and that surveyors aim to restore them as accurately as possible using historical records and modern tools. He said the work is expensive because many counties lack staff surveyors and must hire consultants. Members discussed whether the bill would create boundary conflicts or authorize counties to alter lines, and Green said his intent was to restore original monuments and avoid litigation. Co-Chair Lang moved that Senate File 59, as amended, be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Judiciary. The motion prevailed on a voice vote. Afterward, the committee began receiving an overview from the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Jun 17th, 2026

Budget and Fiscal Review

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's accessed remotely. So the tax, as far as incidence... It's accessed remotely.
  • We have a responsibility to do everything that we can within our power to protect access to health care
  • So in November of 2024, In November of 2024, the voters approved Proposition 35, the Protect Access to
  • to care to fulfill the promise made to voters through Proposition 35 implementation. access to care
  • At the same time, AB 122 creates a new recurring tax on digital software and remotely accessed software
Keywords: 987, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Judiciary Committee Jun 16th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • the University of California, California State University, and California community colleges equal access
  • While California has a long-standing commitment to expanding access, affordability, and student success
  • But without access to secure on-campus employment, they were forced into underpaid, exploitative, and
  • impacting accessibility to the courts for those who rely on ASL interpretation.
  • Reentry into foster care allows youth to regain access to housing, case management, behavioral health
Keywords: 987, senate, all
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

06/01/2026 - Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Department of Health and Human Services or HHS froze access to and funding for certain.
  • HHS froze access to and funding for certain child care and family assistance funds in five different
  • It's just whether we access it in the exam.
  • The Joint Legislative Audit Committee could direct— we have the authority to access records based on
  • If approved by JALAC, we will need access to information, records, and staff from all state agencies
Summary: The committee first heard an update on Topok Elementary School District’s long-running noncompliance with Arizona’s Uniform System of Financial Records. The Auditor General’s office explained the USFR noncompliance process and reported that Topok had made substantial progress, correcting many deficiencies in areas such as open meeting law, procurement, payroll, attendance reporting, property control, and information technology. The district’s superintendent and staff described the corrective actions they had taken, the use of outside consultants, and their plan to maintain compliance through stronger leadership, training, and consistent procedures. Members praised the district’s progress and asked about the remaining deficiencies and the status of the 3% state-aid withholding, which the Auditor General said would be addressed by the State Board of Education. The committee then considered a request for a fourth school safety special audit, tied to concerns raised by Representative Martinez about Phoenix Union High School District and school violence response practices. The Auditor General said the proposed audit would be a new topic focused on policies and procedures for responding to credible threats of violence and allegations of staff misconduct affecting student safety, and could include Phoenix Union in the sample. Representative Martinez described a fatal 2024 shooting, weapons incidents, and concerns about district oversight. The committee approved the motion 10-0. Next, staff presented the fiscal years 2027-2028 school district performance audit schedule, describing 26 randomly selected school districts and career and technical education districts, plus 84 planned follow-ups. The Auditor General said the schedule is intended to shorten the average time between audits and that the school audits division is now fully staffed. Members asked about county coverage and the inclusion of ESA accountability, but the schedule was ultimately presented for review rather than approval. The committee also heard a detailed federal compliance audit presentation on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by DES. The Auditor General reported repeated findings involving missing provider documentation, questioned costs, and FFATA reporting errors, including a 2024 sample that led to questioning $2.88 million in costs. The office recommended stronger documentation, record retention, reporting procedures, and staff training; DES concurred and said it would correct the findings in 2026. Members discussed the limits of the single-audit scope, the possibility of a broader special audit, and the federal government’s recent actions on CCDF oversight in other states. Finally, the committee considered and discussed a special audit request for CCDF that would broaden review to provider oversight, licensing, site visits, and billing accuracy across multiple state agencies, with estimated costs of $547,000 to $625,000 and a projected report date of July 31, 2027.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Governor's education policy bill discussed 3/11/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • rights into state statute helps make clear that these students have the right to consistent, stable access
  • <00:02:40.160> You stable access to their education.
  • You stable access to their education.
  • There’s near racial parity in access to PSO statewide and an actual closing of an opportunity gap for
  • Don’t create another barrier to access for students and stall out that all-too-rare good news we have
Keywords: 1183, house
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Health Policy Feb 2nd, 2026

Health Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • So going more to the logistics of this, the Florida ACCESS system, which is used by DCF right now to
  • collect and verify applicant information, is more than 30 years... [01:48:20.000] The Florida ACCESS
  • They can determine whether a family has access to health care, stability, and dignity.
  • And as we look at the access program in DCF, and the for that.
  • This is a key component for me of this bill, and I totally support it. ...we have been able to access
Summary: The committee first considered SB 268, a public records exemption for emergency physicians. Senator Rodriguez’s strike-all amendment narrowed and clarified the exemption, and testimony from an emergency physician described threats, harassment, and safety concerns tied to mandatory reporting and patient encounters. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. Members then heard SB 514, creating the Dula Support for Healthy Births Pilot Program in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties for pregnant and postpartum women affected by substance use disorder. Senator Osgood explained the pilot would provide non-medical doula support and data collection, and an amendment changed the funding source to specific appropriations in the General Appropriations Act. Supporters said doula care can improve maternal and infant outcomes and complement medical providers. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also approved SB 36 on use of professional nursing titles after extensive debate over whether nurses with doctoral degrees should be allowed to use “doctor” in clinical settings, with concerns raised about patient confusion and the need for clearer identification. The bill was amended to align with the House version and then reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee next approved SB 864, a public records exemption for uterine fibroid research data, after a technical amendment setting a July 1, 2026 effective date; Senator Sharif said the exemption is needed so the Department of Health can collect sensitive data for the related research bill. SB 844, requiring continuing education on sickle cell disease care management for certain licensed physicians and nurses, was also reported favorably after emotional testimony from patients and advocates describing delayed care and bias. Later, the committee approved SB 1404 on memory care, after a strike-all amendment creating a new memory care specialty license for assisted living facilities that advertise or provide specialized memory care services, while allowing optional supportive services without the new license. Supporters from the senior living industry backed the clarification. The committee then passed SB 914, which clarifies that licensed occupational therapists may perform dry needling, after an amendment adjusting supervision and continuing education language. Finally, the committee took up SB 1758, a broad Medicaid and SNAP reform bill that would strengthen fraud enforcement, impose Medicaid work requirements for certain able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services, modernize drug purchasing and prior authorization, and require SNAP fraud-reduction measures. Several amendments were adopted, and members questioned the work requirement, implementation costs, EBT card photo identification, and due process concerns; debate continued as the transcript ended.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session May 29th, 2025

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And to celebrate this momentous occasion, there'll be a reception in 317 upon the German accession.
  • wavered in his belief that every single student, no matter their zip code or background, deserves access
  • This bill offers a modest and reasonable step toward protecting safe and clean water accessibility for
  • And all the while, communities can't access these important venues for food and connection.
  • Students should have access to social services that support their unique needs.
Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file with numerous guest introductions and recognitions, including tributes to outgoing University of California President Michael Drake, student and community advocates, and visitors connected to foster care, military appreciation, and college savings. The chamber also took up several procedural items, including concurrence in Senate amendments to ACR 75 on California Farm Week, which passed 59-0. Members then adopted AJR 7 on protecting federal special education funding and services for students with disabilities, with broad bipartisan support and a 65-0 vote after 63 co-authors were added. The Assembly also adopted ACR 82 recognizing Foster Care Month and ACR 85 recognizing 529 College Savings Day by voice vote after adding co-authors, and ACR 89 recognizing Military Appreciation Month, also adopted by voice vote after co-authors were added. These resolutions featured testimony and remarks emphasizing support for vulnerable children, foster youth, military families, and access to higher education. On policy bills, the Assembly passed AB 929 on groundwater and managed wetlands (41-14), AB 1026 on utility connection timelines for housing projects (52-0), AB 1332 on direct shipment of medicinal cannabis under specified conditions (55-0), AB 1356 on follow-up reporting in DHCS death investigations at treatment facilities (54-0), and AB 671 on streamlining restaurant openings through self-certification of certain plans (62-0). The chamber also approved AB 715 on anti-Semitism and school climate after extensive debate and cross-caucus support, 64-0, and AB 33 on autonomous vehicle deliveries requiring a human safety operator, 52-6. Later, AB 5 on election ballot-counting timelines passed 66-0, AB 27 and AB 28 addressing the Chiquita Canyon landfill disaster passed 61-0 and 44-6 respectively, and the Assembly began consideration of AB 43 to extend state authority over wild and scenic rivers.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

CPC Public Hearing - Thu Feb 13, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST

Consumer Protection & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • Would those funds still be accessible by the program? Yes, okay.
  • Can they get access to the fund? And then they're going to flip it?
  • Can they get access to the fund? And then they're going to flip it?
  • <00:42:50.359> is think the issue in terms of access is think the issue in terms of access
  • <00:42:57.720> public individuals uh from accessing public individuals uh from accessing public
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 818 HD1, which would establish the Waiawa Community Development District. The Attorney General’s office said the bill may not comply with requirements for a special fund, and DLNR asked for further amendments so lease revenues would remain with DLNR while it continues managing the lands. DLNR cited ongoing costs, including the Uncle Billy’s demolition debt and management needs at Banyan Drive/Banyan Country Club. HCDA/Waiawa representatives supported the bill, agreed that DLNR should keep lease revenues while it remains the land manager, and said a future transfer of land management would change where revenues should go. Members focused on whether removing lease revenue would undercut the bill and on how existing and future revenues should be allocated. The committee then took up HB 338 HD1 and HB 339 HD1 on renewable energy-related utility transactions and procurement. Testimony came from the Consumer Advocate, the State Energy Office, the Public Utilities Commission, Hawaiian Electric, IBEW Local 1260, Ulupono Initiative, and Life of the Land. Supporters generally backed the measures, while some asked for labor-related strengthening language. Discussion centered on how the PUC should handle competing bids or offers in utility merger or acquisition situations, with concerns raised about NDAs, timing, and whether the original version or amended language better allowed public and intervenor participation. A witness from Life of the Land argued that utilities should not negotiate under NDA in a way that blocks later public competition, and a PUC-related witness said the current language was changed from the original to address PUC testimony. Finally, the committee heard HB 1467 HD1 on housing resiliency. OIP was not present, while B&F raised concerns about placing federal funds into a special fund, saying federal grant money should remain in a separate P fund for transparency, accountability, and single-audit compliance. State agencies and groups including OPSD, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Climate Advisory Team, and Hawaii Realtors supported the measure. Testimony emphasized that many older roofs lack hurricane clips and that strengthening homes could reduce disaster sheltering and temporary housing costs. IBEW Local 1260 supported the bill but argued that building to current standards upfront is preferable to retrofitting later. Members questioned funding structure, eligibility, and whether the program should be needs-based; the bill was described as limited to households under 140% AMI. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (04/01/2026)

Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, and then we need this access.
  • Um so that access would medical care.
  • Um so that access would the<01:12:20.719> the<01:12:21.199> access<01:12:21.600> in<
  • these public access rights. these public access rights.
  • Hampshire that children deserve access Hampshire that children deserve access to<04:43:17.920>
Keywords: 1189, house, all
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

House Chamber - Tue Mar 4, 2025, 9:00 AM HST - Day 25

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <01:21:45.000> and for capital capital to be accessed and for capital capital to be accessed
  • akin to putting up a gate to access akin to putting up a gate to access these<03:54:28.520> traditional
  • because it does provide that access because it does provide that access thank<03:54:34.680> you
  • <03:54:53.399> to expand rather than restrict access to expand rather than restrict access
  • <03:57:20.920> to midwives and increase our access to midwives and increase our access to
Keywords: 910, house, all
MI

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

Housing and Human Services 26-06-22

Housing and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • ... ...to issue model code for point access block residential buildings, what we're talking about here
  • With eliminating the basement and creating a single-stair access building with an extra floor, we can
  • only under specific conditions, ensuring that fire protection, building materials, and emergency access
  • With eliminating the basement and creating a single stair access building with an extra floor, we can
  • housing for all Michigan. ...to remove the barriers to truly abundant and accessible housing for all
Summary: The Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services met with a quorum, adopted the June 16, 2026 minutes, and then unanimously adopted S-1 substitutes for House Bills 5570 and 5571. The chair said the committee would take testimony and likely not move to final passage that day, in order to allow more discussion and questions. The bills, as substituted, would allow local governments to permit certain multifamily buildings up to four stories to be built or converted with a single staircase, subject to conditions such as limits on units per floor, floor size, and existing fire safety requirements. A sunset provision was described as ending the statute once LARA adopts corresponding building code rules. Representatives Fairbairn and Wooden testified in support, saying the bills are intended to address Michigan’s housing shortage by making smaller infill and “missing middle” projects more feasible and less costly. They argued the current two-stair requirement drives up costs, makes land assembly harder, and limits development on narrow or irregular lots. Senators asked about stair width, emergency safety, the choice of four stories instead of six, and why the American Institute of Architects opposed the approach; the sponsors said the 48-inch stair width was intended to allow two-way movement, four stories was a compromise aligned with expected code changes, and the architects preferred rulemaking over statutory change. Supportive testimony came from Pew Charitable Trusts, which said research from New York City, Seattle, and other places found fire death rates in modern single-stair buildings to be indistinguishable from other multifamily buildings, and that modern safety features such as sprinklers, alarms, and fire-rated construction make these buildings safe. A developer from Ann Arbor and the Michigan Home Builders Association said the reform would improve floor-plan efficiency, reduce wasted circulation space, lower construction costs, and help smaller projects pencil out. Abundant Housing Michigan also supported the bills, estimating they could reduce apartment construction costs by nearly 13%. The clerk read in numerous written cards in support from business, housing, municipal, and advocacy groups, while the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs and the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union were listed as neutral. The committee adjourned without further business.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

S/C on Juvenile Justice Apr 23rd, 2025

S/C on Juvenile Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • However, The requirement to complete only TDLR-approved programs has presented challenges in accessibility
  • Right now, many minors who are required to complete alcohol awareness programs simply can't access them
  • Whether it's due to lack of internet access, transportation, or financial means, the youth in rural or
  • And so, because they didn't have access to that information, it looked like they had a course that was
  • then, like I said in the layout, it's really to give people from low-income areas and rural areas access