Video & Transcript : 'collaborative practice' :
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CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee Apr 7th, 2026
Elections and Constitutional Amendments
Transcript Highlights:
- It has been developed in consultation with the Fair Political Practices Commission and will modernize
- current filing practices for employment and amendment of registration information for lobbyists affiliated
- Offering secure electronic return is already standard practice in much of the country, as the senator
- CACEO stands ready to work with the Secretary of State to develop a secure and practical solution for
- With all due respect, Senator Cervantes, with whom we are collaborating on a number of issues, as well
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- I've been in practice for more than 25 years in both the design and construction I've been in practice
- In practical terms, that can require a building depth of only about 35 to 50 feet for the rescue to be
- architects, and legislators working together to ensure that any changes to the code framework are practical
- Should not move forward without that kind of collaboration so that housing goals can be pursued without
- I think there's a reason why this longstanding practice of two staircases has been around, and I would
Committee:
Senate Local Government and Taxation
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 03/19/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Because, in practicality, he recognized that a republic and all that it represented had to be defended
- U School of Medicine in the pursuit of practicing medicine both during and after his time in service,
- Thank you. ...in the pursuit of practicing medicine both during and after his time in service, which
- I think it is a great practice for municipalities, for local governments, to create and periodically
- That's a practice that I followed as a town supervisor.
Summary:
The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Major Brittany Wooten, then took up Senate Resolution No. 1749 designating March 19, 2026, as West Point Day in New York State. Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Senator Skoufis, Minority Leader Ortt, and several other senators spoke in support of West Point, its cadets, and the academy’s history and role in national service. Colonel Daniel R. Stuewe, commander of U.S. Army Garrison West Point, also addressed the chamber, emphasizing the long-standing partnership between West Point and New York and the academy’s mission to develop leaders of character. The resolution was adopted, and the West Point Day observance included recognition of cadets and academy staff.
The Senate then moved through a calendar of bills, passing measures including amendments to the Public Health Law, Election Law, Executive Law, Penal Law, Elder Law, Real Property Tax Law, General Municipal Law, and Public Authorities Law. Several bills drew brief explanations of vote or debate. Senator Mayer spoke in support of a bill establishing Fred Korematsu Day, framing it as a reminder of the injustice of Japanese American internment and the need to defend civil rights. Senator Ryan supported a bill streamlining the senior citizen property tax exemption process, calling it a way to reduce burdens on older residents. Senator Helming opposed a local government planning mandate as an unfunded mandate, while Senators Walczyk and Martins criticized a housing-related reporting bill as burdensome and ineffective.
The most debated item was Calendar 457, a housing-data and reporting bill sponsored by Senator May. Supporters argued it would improve transparency and help the state understand zoning and housing capacity, while opponents said it imposed new reporting burdens on municipalities and could penalize poorer communities by threatening CDBG funding. After debate, the bill was restored to the non-controversial calendar and ultimately passed by a vote of 37-23. The Senate then adjourned until the next legislative day.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Local Government Jan 15th, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill provides cities and towns with the practical, transparent, and voter-driven option to form.
- This bill provides cities and towns with the practical, transparent, and voter-driven option to form
- The bill makes practical improvements to the feasibility of urban growth area swaps while continuing
- The bill makes practical improvements to the feasibility of urban growth area swaps while continuing
- We are proud to have collaborated on this bill language during the interim.
Committee:
Senate Local Government
Keywords:
cemetery districts, elections, local governance, public policy, administrative procedures, fire protection, districts, emergency services, funding, legislation, tax exemption, land transfer, governmental entity, property tax, current use classification, zero emission, cargo handling, port district, environmental impact, grant allocation
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The flu swept through the team, keeping them away from practice.
- And on the day of the practice.
- ,<04:49:12.798><c> and</c><04:49:12.958><c> the</c><04:49:13.120><c> Asian-American</c> collaboration
- </c> promote collaboration around the world. promote collaboration around the world.
- </c><05:32:48.878><c> with</c> universities from collaborating with universities from collaborating with
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Human Services Jan 28th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- The practice science is getting better.
- So I think that is the challenge there: how to get that practice science going.
- I think that is the challenge there: how to get that practice science going.
- And they warrant clear practice, guidance, thoughtful review, and appropriate training.
- And they warrant clear practice, guidance, thoughtful review, and appropriate training.
Committee:
Senate Human Services
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- However, these are all core functions of licensed clinical practice.
- Clinical practice, right?
- or acting in a clinical practice.
- Smaller practices actually bear the greatest harm.
- These predatory practices threaten the viability of physician practices.
Committee:
House Health
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
AEN-EEP-AGR Informational Briefing 02-24-2025
Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So thank you, folks, for participating in the Senate collaborating today.
- The list goes on, but... collaborating today today we want to collaborating today today we want to turn
- </c><00:39:23.880><c> Act</c><00:39:24.200><c> from</c> information Practices Act from information Practices
- </c><00:48:53.400><c> and</c> course you know this was a practice and course you know this was a practice
- What is the use or the practice of pesticides? What do we use pesticides for?
Summary:
The joint informational briefing focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with Senate and House members opening the meeting and explaining that the session was intended to hear expert presentations and community concerns. Fern Holland outlined the background for the briefing, describing how restricted use pesticides differ from general-use products, why state-level regulation matters, and how community advocates have sought disclosure and protections for years. She summarized 2019 reporting data, saying a small number of users accounted for most reported use, with especially heavy application in North Central Oʻahu and on the west side of Kauaʻi. She highlighted concerns about applications near schools, homes, and coastlines, and identified 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used fumigants. She also noted concerns about highly hazardous pesticides, some banned in other countries, and the lack of research on long-term combined exposure to multiple pesticides.
Greg Takashima of the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture described the department’s pesticide program and regulatory authority under FIFRA and state law. He explained the distinction between general-use and restricted use pesticides, the certification requirements for applicators, and the department’s role in tracking RUPs from sale through use. He reviewed the branch’s functions in enforcement, education and certification, registration and technical review, and laboratory analysis, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, product registration, groundwater review, and outreach on drift reduction and integrated pest management. He also noted staffing and funding limitations, saying the branch lacks a toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. Takashima thanked the legislature for passing Act 231 the prior year and said the department supports the measure as it moves forward this session.
Dr. Lee, speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and as a former member of the Kauaʻi Joint Fact-Finding Task Force, said pediatric guidance has shifted from focusing on acute poisoning to recognizing chronic low-level pesticide exposure as a concern. He cited AAP publications linking pesticide exposure to cancer, brain tumors, leukemia, birth outcomes, neurobehavioral effects, and asthma, and said pediatricians are now encouraged to advise families on reducing exposure and to support right-to-know measures and buffer zones around schools and public gathering places. He also described the Kauaʻi task force’s work, saying it found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational, questions were held until after presentations, and the department expressed support for Act 231.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
01/26/2026 - House Health & Human Services
House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill is thoughtful, measured, and collaborative.
- Sure. practiced here in Arizona.
- To be clear, this does not change the way that they practice.
- This also enables interstate practice, which reduces licensing-related...
- It doesn't change scope of practice.
Summary:
The committee began with a presentation from the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter and Dr. Anna Burke of Barrow Neurological Institute on the growing impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia in Arizona, the need for earlier diagnosis, better provider education, caregiver support, and continued research funding. They described current gaps in training and access to specialists, but also highlighted new therapies, lifestyle interventions, and Arizona-based research efforts. Members expressed support and optimism, but no action was taken on the presentation.
The committee then heard HB 2202, which appropriates $300,000 from the general fund over fiscal years 2027 through 2029 for a dementia care tele-mentoring grant program through the Department of Health Services. Supporters, including the Alzheimer’s Association, a dementia specialist, and a patient advocate, said the program would help primary care providers diagnose dementia earlier and improve care. The bill was passed out of committee on an 11-0 vote.
Next, the committee took up HB 2251, the midwifery bill, which would authorize certain licensed midwives to dispense and administer specified medications and devices, require liability insurance disclosure and annual reporting, and create a Midwifery Advisory Committee. A committee amendment removed some medications and renamed the bill the Jordan and MacTerry Act. ACOG and the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association opposed the bill as drafted, citing concerns about oversight, peer review, and the medication list, while licensed midwives and other supporters argued the bill would improve safety, transparency, and alignment with national standards. The bill was held for further stakeholder work, with members indicating more amendments were likely.
The committee then heard HB 2252, which would allow certified nurse midwives, certified professional midwives, or licensed midwives to accompany a patient in a ground ambulance during an out-of-hospital birth if approved by medical direction. Supporters described cases where continued midwife involvement during transport helped newborns and mothers, while firefighters and EMS representatives opposed the bill as written, saying it created ambiguity about command and scene control and could raise safety concerns. The chair said the bill would be held for further stakeholder meetings and possible language changes. After a recess, the committee reconvened for presentations on federal Medicaid and rural health funding impacts, beginning with JLBC’s overview of H.R. 1’s Medicaid provisions and the rural health transformation grant program.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- So, sustaining a culture of collaboration and community.
- Uh, so, the collaboration and community.
- other um kanu, you know, plants, etc., that would be a very, you know, powerful healing type of practice
- That would be a very, you know, powerful healing type of practice.
- What are the plans to incorporate Native Hawaiian values and cultural practices?
Bills:
HB389 , HB1166 , HB1510 , HB1541 , HB1605 , HB1661 , HB1663 , HB1678 , HB1769 , HB1785 , HB1801 , HB1802 , HB1815 , HB1824 , HB1838 , HB1840 , HB1853 , HB1860 , HB1891 , HB1952 , HB1960 , HB1969 , HB1970 , HB1972 , HB1976 , HB2050 , HB2094 , HB2104 , HB2158 , HB2165 , HB2171 , HB2208 , HB2246 , HB2271 , HB2300 , HB2310 , HB2315 , HB2319 , HB2338 , HB2339 , HB2343 , HB2443 , HB2498 , HB2551 , HB2599 , HB2606 , SB17 , SB83 , SB99 , SB148 , SB411 , SB709 , SB847 , SB874 , SB888 , SB1032 , SB1166 , SB2001 , SB2014 , SB2031 , SB2041 , SB2050 , SB2057 , SB2061 , SB2074 , SB2075 , SB2089 , SB2095 , SB2101 , SB2102 , SB2108 , SB2109 , SB2110 , SB2125 , SB2135 , SB2138 , SB2140 , SB2146 , SB2151 , SB2152 , SB2175 , SB2203 , SB2239 , SB2246 , SB2247 , SB2253 , SB2261 , SB2268 , SB2271 , SB2272 , SB2320 , SB2340 , SB2347 , SB2353 , SB2363 , SB2367 , SB2372 , SB2376 , SB2386
Keywords:
HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- And then you are de-identifying it to work with when best practice, and we talked about this last year
- We collaborate with related service providers like speech therapists and OTs.
- We collaborate with related service providers like speech therapists and OTs.
- So I only see this bill as a way to strengthen collaboration with the families.
- So I only see this bill as a way to strengthen collaboration with the families.
Committee:
House Education
Keywords:
grading scale, education reform, students, public schools, academic policy, special education, due process, local education agency, burden of proof, IEP, education law, data sharing, student information, privacy, education, LA FIRST, foreign adversaries, terrorism, contracting, school funding
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Subcommittee on Appropriations - General Administration Mar 2nd, 2026 at 08:00 am
Subcommittee on Appropriations - General Administration
Transcript Highlights:
- I do want this to be a very collaborative effort.
- I've experienced that so far in the last year or so, and I genuinely appreciate... ...very collaborative
- It's like, now how does that actually work in practice?
- It's like, now how does that actually work in practice?
- the most: how do you actually apply that to practical, real-world problems?
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:09:18.720><c> and</c><00:09:18.959><c> financially</c><00:09:19.440><c> on</c> are um practically
- and financially on are um practically and financially on districts<00:09:20.000><c> moving</c><00:09
- </c> movement breaks restorative practices movement breaks restorative practices and<00:59:04.880><c>
- It is for the Department to help school districts in researching and implementing practices focused on
- practices focused on promoting<01:47:27.639><c> academic</c><01:47:28.239><c> achievement</c><01:47:
Committee:
House Education Policy
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
House Standing Committee BR Sub. on Health & Family Services (2-26-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- But I would say that we work collaboratively. We're always working to help educate them.
- Yes, so that's a collaborative effort between my division and other divisions within the department.
- , and you have to drill down into the individual providers in the practice who may be utilizing codes
- , and you have to drill down into the individual providers in the practice who may be utilizing codes
- It is a collaborative effort. We meet quarterly with all of the MCOs, the U.S.
Summary:
The subcommittee met to review the Department for Medicaid Services’ program integrity work. Commissioner Lisa Lee and Program Integrity Director Jennifer Dudinsky outlined Kentucky Medicaid’s structure, funding, enrollment, and spending, including FMAP rates, the size of the Medicaid and KCHIP populations, the number of providers, and 2024 expenditures. They also described the managed care and fee-for-service populations, noting that managed care serves most members while fee-for-service is concentrated in long-term care and waiver populations.
Most of the discussion focused on fraud, waste, abuse prevention, and provider oversight. The department described its provider enrollment and certification checks, revalidation requirements, site reviews, fingerprinting for some high-risk providers, and termination grounds such as false application information, Medicare actions, unreported ownership changes, and abandonment of a provider number. Members asked about nonprofit ownership reporting, MCO fraud oversight, and how the department tracks unusual CPT code utilization, especially in behavioral health. The department said it uses data analytics, audits, policy review, and collaboration with behavioral health staff to monitor those trends.
Dudinsky explained the division’s four branches: provider licensing and certification, audits and compliance, recovery, and third-party liability/estate recovery. She described prepayment and postpayment audits, referrals of credible fraud allegations to the Attorney General, monthly meetings with the AG’s office, and coordination with the Office of Inspector General, CMS, HHS OIG, MCOs, and other partners. She also explained payment suspensions, stand-downs during law enforcement investigations, and recovery efforts for overpayments, provider/member fraud, and third-party liability. The department said its recovery and avoidance efforts produced more than $251 million in savings so far in 2025. No votes or formal actions beyond approving the minutes were taken.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on the Judiciary Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on the Judiciary
Transcript Highlights:
- It's great to collaborate with the Attorney General's Office and the committee.
- It's great to collaborate with the Attorney General's Office and Anthony Mariano, the antitrust enforcement
- I'm very practical in this whole situation because we've been working very hard with the help of Senator
- However, under this administration, we've seen a dramatic increase in this practice.
- I'm D'Andre Fernandez, a practicing attorney and graduate of Howard University and Boston College Law
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary
Summary:
The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a late-file hearing on several bills, with Chairs Michael Day and Lydia Edwards outlining hearing rules, testimony limits, and written-testimony procedures. The first bill discussed was H. 4876, a proposal to strengthen supports for survivors of abuse. Representative Carol Faiola testified on behalf of a constituent who described how a lifetime restraining order was effectively undermined after a family member’s death, arguing the bill should limit abusers’ legal standing after death, improve survivor notification and privacy protections, expand coercive-control definitions, and create education and resource programs.
The committee then heard testimony on H. 5111, which would strengthen the Massachusetts Antitrust Act. Representative Dave Rogers and Attorney General’s Office antitrust chief Anthony Mariano said the bill would give the state more tools to pursue anti-competitive conduct, including conduct with multi-state effects, while allowing enforcement even when federal authorities are also involved. They said it would increase penalties, clarify that invitations to conspire are violations, protect labor markets, remove limits affecting some housing transactions, and extend the statute of limitations. The committee also heard support for a related “universal 1983” bill, S. 2976/H. 2976, creating a state cause of action for constitutional violations by federal, state, or local officers acting under color of law; supporters said it would fill gaps in remedies against federal officers while preserving qualified immunity.
Testimony also supported H. 4783, a bill affirming the rights of people experiencing homelessness. The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless said the measure would push back against growing criminalization of homelessness, especially after the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision and local encampment bans, and would protect the use of public spaces without discrimination based on housing status. On H. 4826, condo owners and advocates said Chapter 183A is outdated and leaves owners with too little say and too few remedies against mismanagement, citing problems such as unsafe water, major assessments, and lack of meaningful dispute resolution. The committee also heard strong support for H. 5116, renaming the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court the Judge Leslie E. Harris Courthouse, with testimony from family members, legislators, attorneys, and community leaders describing Judge Harris’s mentorship, community service, and commitment to second chances.
Later testimony covered S. 2975, a bill to deter ICE courthouse arrests and protect access to justice; CPCS, law students, and defense advocates said courthouse arrests chill participation by defendants, witnesses, and victims and disrupt pending cases. The committee also heard support for H. 5244, repealing an archaic law criminalizing concealment of a child’s death, with advocates arguing it has been used to punish pregnancy loss and should be removed. The hearing concluded with additional testimony in favor of S. 2976 and more support for the Judge Harris courthouse renaming, after which the chairs closed the hearing and reminded the public how to submit written testimony.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Education
Transcript Highlights:
- In practice, it is all too common for educators to continue teaching on an expired contract.
- In practice, it is all too common for educators to continue teaching on an expired contract.
- They need to know how to teach and include kids in terms of their basic practice and strategies.
- How would that actually work in practice?
- This is not truth in practice because I am perpetually exhausted from the circumstances that arise from
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Education
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with most testimony focused on two main topics: improving access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with disabilities, and raising educator pay statewide. On the AAC bills (House 514/Senate 418), parents, advocates, and attorneys described how AAC devices and communication books help nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate, participate in class, and reduce frustration and behavioral issues. Testimony emphasized that while districts are generally required to provide devices, many teachers and school staff lack training to use them effectively; the bill would direct DESE to update licensure and training requirements so newly licensed teachers are prepared to support AAC users. Committee members asked about current teacher-prep practices, implementation, and whether DESE could act without legislation, and witnesses said the proposal was intended as a long-term solution and had previously received some support and compromise language.
The committee also heard extensive testimony on House 733/Senate 370, which would set a statewide minimum salary of $70,000 for teachers and $55,000 for education support professionals (ESPs/paras), with inflation adjustments and a phase-in structure that would shift costs over time from the state to municipalities. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, MTA leaders, and school employees from several districts, argued that current pay is not a living wage, contributes to staffing shortages and turnover, and forces many educators to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. They said the bill would help recruit and retain staff and better reflect the importance of the work. Committee members raised questions about how the state would fund the mandate, how it would interact with Chapter 70 school aid and local budgets, whether other states have similar mechanisms, and whether the proposal could create disincentives for districts already paying above the floor. Witnesses pointed to the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, and the need for a broader school funding formula review as possible parts of the solution.
The committee also briefly heard and discussed Senate Bill 435/House Bill 736, which would require de-escalation training for school bus operators, with the training paid for by employers. The sponsor and a parent advocate said the bill was prompted by a school bus incident involving a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would improve safety and reduce reliance on law enforcement. Members asked whether the bill should also cover bus monitors and other transportation staff, and whether private contractors and public operators currently provide similar training. At the end of the hearing, the chairs closed testimony on the full list of bills and adjourned the hearing without taking any votes.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Jun 10th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- But the law vaguely defines what realistic means in practice.
- Over the past 10 years, in collaboration with the Blue Sky Consulting Group, ...development.
- Over the past 10 years, in collaboration with the Blue Sky Consulting Group, we have built models that
- I want to thank our experts here, and, you know, I try to have practical bills that are focused on how
- This bill is narrow and practical to address the issue.
Summary:
The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing-related bills. SB 457 would direct HCD to develop statistical formulas based on historical development data to help cities complete housing element site inventories, with the author and supporters arguing it would make RHNA compliance more realistic and less costly; the California Building Industry Association opposed, and the bill was later approved on a 7-1 vote. SB 904 would codify and expand wildfire-rebuilding coordination and reporting practices used after recent fires, with supporters saying it would speed recovery and opponents questioning the need for additional reporting; it passed 11-1. The committee also took up SB 1091, which would create a state acquisition-and-preservation program for unsubsidized affordable housing to prevent displacement; it drew broad support from housing and tenant groups and passed 9-1, with members emphasizing preservation as a key housing strategy.
Members also considered SB 1267, which would require EV charger installers in common-interest developments to indemnify associations during installation and make homeowners responsible for costs arising from use of privately owned chargers. The bill was presented as a follow-up to prior HOA-related EV charging legislation, with support from HOA, EV, and climate groups and opposition from the California Association of Realtors pending amendments; it passed 10-0. SB 1117 would clarify that ADU impact fees above the 750-square-foot exemption are charged only on the portion above that threshold, not the entire unit, and supporters said it would remove a fee cliff that discourages slightly larger ADUs. Cities, special districts, and fire agencies opposed or opposed unless amended, citing infrastructure funding concerns, but the bill passed 10-0 after extensive debate.
The committee also heard SB 1361, which would prevent local governments from taking actions to avoid SB 79 transit-oriented housing requirements at existing or planned transit stops. Supporters from L.A. Metro, labor, and housing groups said it would protect transit investments and jobs, while the City of Burbank opposed; the bill passed 9-0. Two consent items, SB 722 and SB 1426, were approved without discussion. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly stressed the goals of streamlining housing production, preserving existing affordable homes, and reducing barriers to rebuilding and transit-oriented development.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses May 6th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We're asking for practical, common-sense solutions that recognize the economic reality small businesses
- I also want to thank Senator Cynthia Creem, who listened to the Charles River Dining Collaborative over
- I also want to thank Senator Cynthia Creem, who listened to the Charles River Dining Collaborative over
- I'm a partner at the law firm of Zidli Austin and the banking, payments, and fintech practice.
- Commissions, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Division of Financial Practices.
Summary:
The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Business held a public hearing focused on credit card interchange fees, cashless transactions, chargebacks, fraud, and possible reforms affecting small businesses in Massachusetts. Chair Paul Feeney opened the meeting, outlined the commission’s charge, and noted that the hearing would hear from small business owners, industry representatives, and others on the effects of payment trends and proposed policy changes. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that universal card acceptance and the current interchange system are important to Massachusetts tourism and should not be disrupted ahead of a busy summer season.
A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates, who said processing fees are especially burdensome because restaurants operate on very thin margins and are charged fees on sales tax and tips that are not retained as revenue. Testifiers including Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, and Kerry Colzer described rising operating costs and gave examples of annual or monthly fee totals, urging relief from fees on tax and gratuity amounts. Ryan Lotz also asked for chargeback reforms, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, proportional fees, and safeguards against repeat abuse. Several witnesses, including Dan Swanson, argued that states have authority to regulate aspects of the payment system and cited the Illinois litigation and federal court rulings as support for state action.
Opposing testimony came from credit unions, banks, payment industry representatives, and policy groups, who warned that changing interchange rules could create compliance burdens, reduce rewards, raise account fees, and shift costs elsewhere. Witnesses such as Alex Vereen, Brad Popolado, Keely McEwen, David Montero, Hunter Hamburlin, and Luke Bondar emphasized fraud prevention, network security, consumer protections, and the need for a stable, uniform payment system. Some suggested alternatives such as vendor compensation, surcharging, instant payments, or QR pay code standards, while others argued that sales tax and tip amounts cannot easily be separated within current card-network architecture. The chairs said the commission is still exploring options, discussed possible state-level solutions, and announced plans for one more public hearing before moving toward recommendations and a report. The commission then voted to adjourn.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Hearing Joint Legislative Audit and Assembly Business and Professions Committee Feb 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The department could not demonstrate that it has policies and practices that position it to consistently
- We also recommended that the department develop policies and practices to ensure licensees who repeatedly
- We view this audit not simply as an evaluation of past practices, but as...
- We view this audit not simply as an evaluation of past practices, but as an opportunity to strengthen
- And we also welcome continued collaboration with public health and prevention experts.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- To act quickly collaboratively, and we want to do that again.
- As camp professionals, working with you to provide the best practices and real camp experiences, uh,
- So that really is the best practice. Now, actually coming on property, I don't know what that is.
- I think that is the best practice.
- Um, a sound that we practice and a sound that um there That just may not strike fear in a child, that
Committee:
House Culture, Recreation & Tourism