Transcript Highlights:

• However, in conversations with PED regarding New Mexico's school-based behavioral workforce, a common
• Chair and Representative Lujan, we are currently starting those conversations.
• Well, not starting; we're having those conversations about how we begin to approach school districts.
• Chair, and Representative Garrett, we have had sporadic conversations about that, especially when it
• That principal evaluation tool, the person who is evaluating a principal, that is where those conversations

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think, to fix it and we hope that next year we can have the conversations about how to fix it how
• I like to bring into these conversations, for folks who weren't a part of the history, that our survivors
• And that was part of the conversation: how do you keep PG&E alive out of another bankruptcy while also
• We've had many conversations about it.
• Thank you colleagues for the questions and conversation.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy convened with a quorum and first heard SB 254, a major utility affordability and wildfire package authored by Senator Becker and coauthored by Assemblymember Petrie-Norris. The bill was described as combining wildfire mitigation reforms, $6 billion in securitized financing for future fire-mitigation capital spending, a public ownership/transmission financing program, tighter scrutiny of utility profits, clean energy permitting streamlining, stronger customer connection timelines, and a successor wildfire fund/continuation account to replace the current fund. Supporters, including the Governor’s office, TURN, labor, clean energy groups, utilities, and public advocates, said the measure would lower bills, stabilize utilities, protect fire victims, and reduce wildfire-related bankruptcy risk. Opponents and some local government groups raised concerns about affordability impacts, the volumetric wildfire fee, strict liability, and provisions they said could affect local control. After discussion, the committee approved SB 254 on a 16-0 vote and sent it to the floor. The committee then held an informational hearing on AB 825, which would enable California to participate in a West-wide electricity market. The authors said the proposal could save ratepayers up to $1 billion annually, improve reliability by allowing California to draw on a larger regional supply, reduce curtailment of renewable power, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Support came from environmental organizations, labor, utilities, community choice aggregators, large energy users, and the Public Advocates Office, all emphasizing cost savings, reliability, and cleaner energy integration. TURN opposed the measure, warning that last-minute amendments removed safeguards against subsidizing out-of-state fossil generation and could expose California ratepayers to unwanted costs. Members questioned governance, exit rights, CPUC oversight, and local control, and the authors responded that the bill includes multiple safeguards, legislative reporting, the ability to exit without penalty, and continued local consultation. No vote was taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Have you had conversations with him? The Attorney General is aware.
• I have a conversation. Here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• So look forward to continuing conversations. Thank you. Okay. Time to bring it back to the dais.
• So look forward to continue conversations. Thank you. Thank you. Okay.
• , and I support that conversation happening and getting resolved.

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard several bills focused on AI, immigration-related health care protections, digital financial assets, and online cannabis/hemp sales. SB 69 by Senator McNerney would create an AI-focused team within the Department of Justice to build enforcement expertise on civil rights, public safety, and legal issues tied to AI. SB 81 by Senator Arreguín would codify hospital and health facility policies limiting disclosure of patient immigration status and restricting immigration enforcement access without a judicial warrant. SB 97 by Senator Grayson would update and clarify California’s digital financial assets licensing law. SB 243 by Senator Padilla would impose guardrails on AI companion chatbots, including disclosures, anti-addictive design limits, self-harm protocols, and a private right of action. SB 378 by Senator Wiener would allow civil penalties against online marketplaces that advertise illicit intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Testimony on SB 69 emphasized that California needs in-house AI enforcement expertise at the DOJ; supporters said AG offices generally lack tech-policy specialists, while members asked about the Attorney General’s role and noted the office was neutral. SB 81 drew broad support from nurses, immigrant advocates, hospitals, labor, and community groups, who argued that hospitals should remain safe places for care regardless of immigration status; there was no opposition. SB 97 was described as a technical cleanup bill with stakeholder consensus, and the main public comment focused on ensuring blockchain-based nonfinancial products are not unintentionally swept into the law. SB 243 generated the most debate. Supporters, including the mother of a Florida teen who died by suicide after interacting with a chatbot, urged stronger protections for minors and vulnerable users. Opponents argued the bill’s definitions were too broad and could capture general-purpose AI systems, and raised concerns about privacy, cost, and a private right of action. Committee members largely supported the bill’s intent and discussed the need for guardrails without stifling innovation. SB 378 was supported by cannabis workers, retailers, and local government representatives who said online sales of untested intoxicating hemp and illegal cannabis are harming public health and the legal market; opponents from hemp and tech groups argued the bill could sweep in lawful hemp businesses and that definitions need refinement. The committee ultimately passed SB 69, SB 81, SB 97, SB 243, and SB 378, with SB 81 and SB 243 amended, and all five bills were sent onward to their next committees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Her experience and knowledge in all of those areas culminates into always very thoughtful conversations
• And we are hopeful that as we continue conversations this session, the Chairs and members also consider
• We're also glad to see the task force proposal on compensatory aid—a long overdue conversation as a state
• Members, we now have in front of us any conversation on that, or should we go right to the amendment?
• I appreciate all the conversations and the collaborations we've had.

Bills: HF1388

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching

Transcript Highlights:

• Please take your seats or your conversations outside the rails. Speaker: Ms. Zwiener. Ms.
• And after Senator Parker died, we had a good conversation.
• Please take your seats and your conversations outside the rails. Ms. Thompson: Mr.
• There's plenty of other space for you to have your conversations.
• [Informal conversation: Talk to her, yeah talk to her real quick.]

Transcript Highlights:

• I think these conversations are very important.
• Those are the three things we kind of boil the conversation down to.
• I appreciate that we're having this conversation today, but I think we're missing the big picture.
• There's a whole conversation going on right now about devastating the supplement.
• I wonder what the conversations are like when we're talking to those dairy families and saying, don't

Bills: SB222

Keywords: whole milk, school lunch, school meals, National School Lunch Program, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Child Nutrition Act, USDA, nutrition standards, dairy, nonfat milk, low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, nondairy beverages, plant-based milk, milk substitution, parental consent, legal guardian, food allergies, allergic reaction

Summary: This meeting of the committee focused primarily on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, S222, which aims to permit schools to offer a fuller range of milk options, including whole, reduced, and low-fat varieties, that have garnered bipartisan support. Chairman Bozeman opened the session by highlighting concerns over children's nutrition and the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the significance of nutritious school meals in addressing these issues. Experts from various organizations were invited to discuss the implications of this bill as well as the current challenges facing school meal programs, including budget constraints and food supply issues. The meeting included passionate testimonies about the direct impacts of current dietary guidelines and federal funding reductions affecting schools' abilities to provide healthy meal options.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stakeholders involved and both of you chairs for all the conversations we've had to get the bill in the
• I expect the conversation to continue, but this bill today gets us to a place where we can protect judges
• I have had conversations with the County Attorneys. They did raise some questions.
• Small and I share differing recollections of our conversations.
• So the question looks like some conversations are happening.

Bills: HF2233, HF1999, HF1995, HF1614, HF2781, HF1775, HF1316, HF2127, HF2521, HF689, HF2380, HF1273

Keywords: Uniform Special Deposits Act, special deposit, banking law, financial institutions, escrow, escrow account, trust account, security deposit, beneficiary, depositor, creditor process, garnishment, attachment, levy, setoff, recoupment, financial market infrastructure, retirement benefits, compensation, earnest money

Transcript Highlights:

• We can have some offline conversation on what makes most sense.
• We were working with the same folks and had a conversation about who was going to carry the bill, and
• The conversation we're having here is related to a discussion that the Workforce Development Committee
• We've already had some of those conversations offline over the past years.
• House File 2643 was a bill I drafted because of a conversation with a childcare provider.

Bills: HF2436, HF470, HF2643, HF2456, HF102, HF1367

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, early education, scholarships, funding, children, families, Minnesota education, child care licensing, family child care, child care center, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, correction order, conditional license, fix-it ticket, documented technical assistance, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and we've all had enough conversations about it to know why that is.
• You know, I think we all agree we've had lots of conversations this committee.
• You know, I think we all agree we've had lots of conversations this committee.
• , and often those conversations have sort of focused on the monetary cost.
• have um sort often those conversations have um sort of<00:24:26.840> focused<00:24:27.200>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2617, and first adopted a DE1 amendment. The bill, as amended, was presented as a major child care licensing reform that would narrow licensing to core health and safety requirements, reduce what supporters described as punitive or overly technical citations, and shift quality standards toward accreditation and professional organizations. The author also described the bill as a response to long-standing problems in the current licensing structure and county oversight of family child care. Public testimony was uniformly supportive. Child care providers and directors from Duluth, Rochester, and Esko said the current system penalizes minor clerical or cosmetic issues, creates inconsistent interpretations, and contributes to provider burnout and the child care shortage. They argued the bill would separate health-and-safety licensing from quality measures, which they said are better addressed through accreditation, coaching, and national standards. One testifier also said the bill would help with background study delays by creating a liaison to improve visibility into the process. Members asked about the difference between licensing and accreditation, how other states handle similar models, and how the bill would interact with the department’s licensing modernization work. The bill’s supporters said licensing would remain focused on foundational health and safety items such as ratios, background checks, hygiene, and facilities, while quality standards would be left to national organizations like NAEYC or the National Family Child Care Association. They cited Connecticut, Indiana, and Florida as examples of states using national standards in some form. The committee closed public testimony, took member questions, and the author renewed his motion to lay over House File 2617 as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• This has resulted in productive conversations, but we have a lot of work to do.
• One group just contacted us late last night, and another group that I've had multiple conversations with
• That is one of the conversations that has come up over the last couple of years, but nothing that I..
• The conversations that I had with some of my police chiefs talked about the brazen behavior of these
• I know how to have a conversation in a way where they can understand where I'm coming from.

Bills: HB1511, HB1831, HB1988, HB2147, HB2234

Keywords: housing, affordable housing, state regulations, zoning, local government authority, drug court, juvenile justice, diversion programs, rehabilitation, criminal justice reform, remote proceedings, depositions, virtual hearings, court technology, criminal responsibility, age of maturity, expungement, mental health services, juvenile record sealing, 1184

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Brad, for taking notes during this conversation.
• But if there's a, there's a more relevant place to pull from, I'd be happy to have that conversation.
• I see people talking on the phone in public, uh, and everybody's listening to the conversation.
• So definitely um I've seen that increase, uh, conversations in the classroom has increased.
• Is that a conversation that has come up? Yes, it has.

Bills: HB6, HB27, HB123, HB210, HB213, HB222

Keywords: hemp, consumable hemp products, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, cannabidiol, CBG, cannabigerol, Texas hemp law, hemp regulation, cannabinoid products, delta-9 THC, intoxicating hemp, hemp gummies, hemp vape, retail registration, product registration, QR code labeling, child-resistant packaging, youth access, minor sales

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to make sure that Representative Redondo, did you finish up that conversation?
• I really appreciate the conversation and want to continue working on the bill.
• Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Representative Steele, for the conversation yesterday.
• And thanks so much for the conversations. I rep Abbott.
• I had great conversations with everyone.

Summary: The Housing, Agriculture and Tourism Subcommittee heard and advanced several bills. HB 615, allowing landlords to send required notices electronically with tenant written consent, was amended to allow either landlords or tenants to send messages electronically and passed favorably after testimony from legal aid and tenant advocates urging stronger opt-in, opt-out, and notice protections. HB 665, dealing with local government impact fees and development permits, would limit certain art-related impact fees, define “extraordinary circumstances,” and require more public process before fee increases; it passed after local government and industry testimony focused on refining the extraordinary-circumstances definition and concerns about public art funding. HB 365, a tenant protection bill for affordable housing units receiving public incentives, was amended to apply only to leases of 13 months or less and to take effect in July 2026; it passed with support from housing advocates and AARP and was described as preventing mid-lease rent increases while preserving renewal-time adjustments. HB 381, requiring issuance of addresses and parcel identification numbers within a set timeframe, was amended to extend the deadline to 20 business days and shift the fee consequence to the address fee rather than the building permit fee; it passed after discussion about delays affecting developers and local government responsibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will tell you that I've had some great conversations with the folks at FIU, and I look forward to more
• And I'm glad to hear that you had conversation with FIU because I want to make sure that the stakeholders
• You know, I was just at FIU Day yesterday, and I was having a conversation about how great FIU is with
• Kennedy, you know, we had a conversation.
• Happy to consider and have the conversation. Representative Henson, you recognize for a question?

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard five bills. HB 1097 would rename the Florida Catastrophic Storm Center at FSU as the Florida Center for Excellence in Insurance and Risk Management, transfer the public hurricane loss projection model from FIU to FSU, and provide recurring and nonrecurring appropriations to support independent insurance research and collaboration with OIR and other universities. Members discussed university roles, model oversight, independence from industry funding, and student/workforce benefits. The bill passed favorably on a roll call vote. HB 319 would create a regulatory framework for virtual currency kiosk businesses, requiring registration with the Office of Financial Regulation, consumer disclosures, and penalties for violations. Much of the discussion focused on fraud prevention, especially for seniors, and whether the bill should include transaction caps or stronger recovery tools; AARP supported the bill but urged additional protections. The bill passed favorably. CS/HB 385 made technical changes to the Florida Trust Code and Community Property Trust Act, including decanting, trustee claims, redemption by satisfaction, and homestead transfer treatment; an amendment conforming to the Senate version was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. CS/HB 97 would allow service of process for exploitation injunctions against unascertainable scammers through the same communication method used to contact the victim, such as text or social media, and would let courts freeze funds temporarily while the matter is heard. Testimony from elder law practitioners and AARP supported the bill as a tool against scams, while some members raised due process and overreach concerns; the bill passed favorably. HB 839 would shorten the overpayment recovery window for claims submitted to psychologists and HMOs to match other health providers, with the goal of improving parity and access to mental health care; an amendment was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. The meeting concluded with adjournment after the final roll call votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you're sitting down at lunch, you can have a conversation with the people sitting next to you.
• So, and we had a conversation with the bill author yesterday, I think that there are some conflicting
• Also, that we could have this really robust conversation today.
• It's a conversation that has to be had.
• In fact, I was having a conversation back there about why on earth is it that based on the conversation

Bills: HB6, HB27, HB 123, HB210, HB213, HB222, HB610, HB 1085, HB1481, HB6, HB27, HB123, HB210, HB213, HB222

Keywords: mental health, telehealth, public schools, discipline management, behavioral interventions, financial literacy, high school education, curriculum requirements, economics, personal finance, HB 123, kindergarten readiness, early literacy, early numeracy, reading screening, math screening, foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, dyslexia screening, reading intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• So looking forward to the conversation today and turn things back to you, Mr. Chair.
• So looking forward to the conversation today and turn things back to you, Mr. Chair.
• So looking forward to the conversation today and turn things back to you, Mr. Chair.
• So looking forward to the conversation today and turn things back to you, Mr. Chair.
• we're able to have these conversations we're able to have these conversations especially<01:43:34.639

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Have you had any conversation with our highway superintendents about this?
• Yeah, we've been having some conversations.
• We actually had a conversation, I think, this morning as well, with some of our highway superintendent
• So we'll continue to have those conversations. All right, thank you. It's important that we are.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held its final meeting of the 2026 session, with Chair Jeremy Cooney noting quorum and thanking staff and members. The committee considered a large agenda of transportation-related bills, including measures on school construction notice from NYC DOT, inspection station disclosures, electronic signatures for vehicle registration forms, sex trafficking awareness and prevention, passenger notification after sexual assault incidents involving transportation network companies, hazardous materials rail notifications, ATV seasonal use, highway dedications, disabled-person license plates, a DMV study of inspection stations and fees, lighting requirements for e-bikes and e-scooters, school speed zone cameras in New Rochelle, work zone safety instruction for new drivers, removal of registration stickers in favor of electronic certificates, complete streets considerations, hands-free device rules for bus/taxi/livery drivers, bans on virtual reality headsets while driving, early registration renewal for deployed service members, and road salt distribution requirements. Most bills were reported from committee by voice vote, often with bipartisan support. Several members offered brief comments supporting bills aimed at public safety, worker protection, distracted driving prevention, and trafficking awareness. Senator Gallivan opposed the bill eliminating registration stickers, citing concerns that the stickers help law enforcement quickly identify registered vehicles; that bill was referred to Finance. The committee also referred the road salt bill and the supplemental rail-worker protection bill to Finance, while some other measures were referred onward to Codes or Consumer Protection. The meeting closed after the supplemental rail-worker protection bill was added at the end of the agenda and reported with bipartisan support. Overall, the session emphasized transportation safety, worker protections, and administrative updates to vehicle and highway law.

Transcript Highlights:

• I did have a prior conversation probably two weeks ago about the setbacks, and I can't even remember
• who I had a conversation with, so that's why I was curious about that portion.
• Redondo: I just want to say thank you for the great conversations.
• We are hearing conversations where we are not able to talk about our culture, our blackness, and by having

Transcript Highlights:

• , please just contact Alicia and we'll get the bill sponsor in a room and we'll just have that conversation
• , please just contact Alicia and we'll get the bill sponsor in a room and we'll just have that conversation
• , please just contact Alicia and we'll get the bill sponsor in a room and we'll just have that conversation
• , please just contact Alicia and we'll get the bill sponsor in a room and we'll just have that conversation

Bills: SB19, HB40, HB27, HB40, HB27, HB40, HB27

Keywords: contraceptive rights, healthcare access, civil action, Attorney General, contraception enforcement, prostate cancer, health insurance, screening, high risk, cost-sharing, African American men, savings accounts, catastrophe, emergency funds, financial security, state laws, criminal justice, parole, Board of Pardons and Paroles, risk assessment

Transcript Highlights:

• IS AWESOME TO HAVE EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH CLOSE STAFF AND SENATORS THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK
• 520408 BY SENATOR BURGESS YOU ARE RECOGNIZED TO EXPLAIN THE AMENDMENT. >> Senator Burgess: AFTER CONVERSATIONS
• I HOPE THIS IS A PRODUCT OF EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE HAD BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
• MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THIS AND TO THE CHAIRS POINT IT COULD SERVE AS A PILOT CONCEPT FOR A BROADER CONVERSATION

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I really hope we can make this a conversation.
• going to pause there because I would love for folks to ask me questions or make this more of a conversation
• And I think the converse of that is if you're looking at, you know, 24-hour-per-day care, and we do have
• And I think the converse of that is if you're looking at, you know, 24-hour-per-day care, and we do have
• Representative Kahn and Nancy Garcosi, thank you so much for joining us today for this important conversation

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The subcommittee met with MassHealth LTSS Chief Leslie Darcy to review the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program and the legislative work group focused on its long-term sustainability and cost containment. Darcy and Charlie described the work group’s five meetings and three consensus recommendations: enforce the 66-hour overtime cap, address fraudulent activity in the PCA program, and eliminate MassHealth handling of PCA paperwork/administrative work for members without a live-in exemption because those members are subject to EVV. They explained EVV as an electronic visit verification system replacing paper timesheets, and noted the rollout is expected to be completed this fall. The group estimated about $7 million in savings from the consensus recommendations and agreed to continue meeting through June to consider additional ideas. Darcy presented data showing the PCA program served about 56,000 members in state fiscal year 2024 and has grown from $1.2 billion in FY20 to $1.6 billion in FY24, with projections near $2 billion by 2027. She said much of the growth is driven by wage increases and older adults using more services, and compared PCA costs with other LTSS programs. The discussion also covered overtime spending, the role of federal financial participation, and how Massachusetts’ PCA program differs from other states because it has no hard caps on hours or activities. Several members emphasized the program’s value for independent living and community participation, while also acknowledging the need to control growth without undermining services. Members asked about undocumented immigrants and MassHealth funding, and Darcy explained that some eligibility categories are state-funded only and do not receive federal matching funds. Another member asked about workforce recruitment and wage pressures; Darcy said recent collective bargaining agreements raised PCA wages, with some workers eventually reaching $25 per hour and the entry wage reaching $20. The group also discussed whether IADL hours are disproportionately high compared with ADL needs, and reviewed data suggesting potential savings if IADL hours were limited relative to ADL hours, though no consensus recommendation was made on that point. The meeting ended with approval of the prior minutes by roll call vote, an update that the next health equity informational hearing is scheduled for May 19, and a motion to adjourn carried unanimously.