Transcript Highlights:

• Typically, the road authority is responsible for the installation of the signals and things, and then
• <00:22:31.880> then the bill that we both co-author then the bill that we both co-author then
• Am I correct that some of these funding, especially for trunk highway bonds, they were authorized for
• Funding, especially for trunk highway bonds, they were authorized for future years.
• <00:37:49.200> in Highway bonds that were authorized in Highway bonds that were authorized

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• He disapproved the head of the presidential authority to close it back down.
• It focuses on a nursing home regulation, not on a spending authorization.
• About upholding our laws and Congress's constitutional authority over federal spending.
• I helped author that provision when I was Ranking Member of the Labor H.A.
• It's about upholding our laws and Congress's constitutional authority over federal spending.

Transcript Highlights:

• authority of the United States Congress. authority of the United States Congress.
• authorized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. authorized. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• doesn't perform what it's supposed to do. the uh authority of the president and so the uh authority
• <01:14:18.560> to 10 giving the president the authority to 10 giving the president the authority
• <01:37:52.560> They the National Command Authority. They the National Command Authority.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• billion in debt that has been authorized billion in debt that has been authorized but<00:05:01.520
• <00:08:21.280> could amount of bonding authorizations could amount of bonding authorizations
• , as well as any new debt that might get authorized this year.
• Also in 2011, they were authorized to close a budget gap.
• > legislation,<00:47:55.760> the for that authorizing legislation, the for that authorizing

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Senate Bill 3230, an act to authorize >> Senate Bill 3230, an act to authorize the
• investigative authority.
• authority to do that. authority to do that.
• . authorities. authorities.
• to be in authority.

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 4 March, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with an invocation by Reverend Austin Warren of Alcorn State University, and then dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. The chamber also heard a series of guest introductions, including representatives from the Council of State Governments, local visitors, students from Tupelo High School and First Presbyterian Day School, a doctor of the day, family members honoring a fallen highway patrol officer, forestry groups, and other guests in the galleries. The Senate then took up several calendar items. It passed House Bill 1648, the budget transfer bill, after a strike-all amendment and use of the morning roll call. It also advanced House Bill 1230 on distinctive motor vehicle tags and House Bill 1330 on local option alcoholic beverage control/resort area definitions, both with strike-all amendments and morning roll call passage. House Bill 750, the SMART Act extending a tax credit program that supports research partnerships between businesses and higher education institutions, was also passed by morning roll call. Later, House Bill 1761 relating to festival wine permits was amended with a strike-all and passed, and Senate Bill 3230 was taken up under suspension of the rules and passed to authorize Greenwood Leflore Hospital’s board to seek Chapter 9 debt relief. The chamber also adopted Senate Resolution 52 recognizing Mississippi Alpha Network/Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity on its 55th anniversary, and Senate Resolution 32 commending the Simpson Academy Lady Cougars softball team and Coach Matt Harrison for winning the MAIS 4A Division 1 State Softball Championship. Representatives of both groups addressed the Senate briefly, emphasizing service, community involvement, and the teams’ accomplishments. The Senate granted immediate release for the hospital bill and continued to pass or retain several other items on the calendar. Near the end of the transcript, the Senate began consideration of House Bill 1577 on false child abuse reports. Senator Fillingane explained a strike-all amendment that would make knowingly false reports a misdemeanor, with penalties including fines, jail time, and restitution, while preserving protections for good-faith reporting. Senators Seymour and Hopson asked questions about the bill’s criminal classification and burden of proof, and discussion was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• code in terms of level of service and making sure that the jurisdictions can demonstrate and have authority
• State agencies could be authorized and funded to audit local government administration and enforcement
• Another method, or another potential solution, would be to authorize citizen suits for violations of
• right, all the way up to what Pierce County was talking about, where they're actually giving the authority
• was talked I'm sorry Pierce County was talking about where they're actually you know giving the authority

Summary: The committee held a work session on local government issues, beginning with an update from the State Building Code Council on four legislatively mandated code amendments now in CR-102 rulemaking: temporary emergency shelters, reduced minimum dwelling unit size, multiplex housing up to three stories and six units, and single-exit apartment buildings up to six stories. Council staff also described a separate embodied-carbon appendix proposal that remains under public review, with testimony both supporting and opposing it. Members asked about the rationale for some of the code limits, including the restriction on connecting multiplex buildings. The committee then heard a panel on annexations from MRSC, Pierce County, and the Association of Washington Cities. Witnesses reviewed annexation methods, including petition, election, and interlocal agreement approaches, and said larger annexations are increasingly using interlocal agreements because they can address infrastructure, revenue sharing, and public process concerns. They described barriers such as inconsistent local standards, the cost of infrastructure, referendum risk, census requirements, and the difficulty of persuading residents and local officials to support annexation. Members asked about the five-year restriction on residential zoning changes in one annexation method and whether a hearing examiner could reduce political pressure on local decision-makers. A second panel discussed subdivision reform. The Master Builders Association urged raising the short-plat threshold within urban growth areas to 30 lots as a simpler first step, citing permitting delays and added housing costs. The City of Spokane described implementation problems with recent housing laws, including uncertainty about how to review plats under HB 1110, lot-splitting administration, and added notice requirements for unit lot subdivisions. AWC said there was broad agreement that subdivision decisions should be more administrative, but public hearings remained a point of disagreement. The committee also heard from FutureWise, the Washington State Association of Counties, and Lewis County on county development regulation and enforcement, with witnesses emphasizing underfunded code enforcement, inconsistent standards between counties and cities, and the need for better coordination, incentives, and possibly stronger enforcement tools. No votes were taken; the chair said the committee would continue working on possible solutions in future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• authority to direct other relevant state agencies.
• Oversight authority by defining and empowering a lead organization and assuming the authority to oversee
• They've typically targeted or appointed some sort of authority, a committee, a group.
• They've typically targeted or appointed like some sort of authority, a committee, a group.
• Yeah, we might not call the person an authority figure.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee subcommittee held a hybrid hearing to receive three State Auditor’s Office performance audits. The first audit examined implementation of the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act. Auditors said the Criminal Justice Training Commission had developed most required training, but six community/cultural topics were still unfinished, the patrol tactics curriculum was incomplete in one area, and the agency lacked a systematic project management approach. They reported that most officers had not completed the 40 required hours, with low participation in patrol tactics training, weak communication, limited data to track compliance, and ineffective incentives or consequences. Committee members questioned staffing, liability, and enforcement, and the Commission said it generally agreed with the findings and had begun implementing recommendations, including improving training development and communication. The second audit reviewed Washington’s digital equity planning. Auditors concluded the state lacked a comprehensive, unified digital equity strategy, a designated lead, and reliable funding. They said the existing PEAR/Impact Plan, BEAD five-year plan, and NTIA-approved digital equity plan each addressed parts of the issue but none provided a full statewide framework with clear authority across agencies. The Department of Commerce’s Broadband Office and the Office of Equity said they agreed with the findings and were open to working with the legislature and the Digital Equity Forum on a more structured approach. A public witness described local and regional digital equity planning efforts and emphasized the importance of coordination and community-based work. The third audit focused on Commerce’s management of the Digital Navigator Program. Auditors said Commerce did not consistently use a competitive process, did not adequately vet grantees and subgrantees, wrote contracts that lacked clear deliverables and monitoring requirements, failed to enforce reporting, and paid $10.7 million without sufficient documentation to verify reimbursement eligibility. They said agency staff had raised concerns that were ignored and that some payments and contract expansions occurred despite warnings. Commerce officials said new leadership had already begun major contract-management reforms, including centralized oversight, risk assessments, clearer documentation standards, and staff training, and they said they would pursue recapture where appropriate. Committee members expressed strong concern about accountability, and the hearing ended after public testimony and committee discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• this committee, please ask your members to make their way to Labor and Employment, as well as any authors
• who will be presenting bills. to Labor and Employment, as well as any authors who will be presenting
• That is a gap we have both the authority and the responsibility to close.
• By aligning state provisions with federal WIOA requirements, authorizing a unified subgrant structure
• And just want to thank you for that, and would love to be a co-author. Appreciate it.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard and advanced a series of bills, mostly on worker safety, wages, workforce training, and retirement savings. AB 2137 (Chen) would strengthen safety rules and certification for artificial stone fabrication shops to reduce silica exposure; AB 2499 (Gibson) would require Cal/OSHA to develop heat-illness protections for incarcerated workers and staff in correctional facilities; AB 2300 (Arambula) would streamline the disbursement of state and federal workforce funds; AB 2646 (Krell) would establish a minimum wage floor for certain agricultural workers; AB 2227 (Connolly) would tighten licensing and bond requirements for farm labor contractors and add default-judgment procedures for wage claims; AB 1869 (Haney) would create a reporting process for alleged REIT interference in hotel operations; AB 2650 (Pellerin) would expand CalSavers with emergency savings accounts and other updates; AB 2634 (Zbur) would prioritize labor-management partnerships in High Road Training Partnership grants; and AB 1888 would require skilled-and-trained workforce and prevailing wage standards for work under the Safe Home Grant Program. AB 1534 (Irwin) would create California’s approval process for short-term Pell-eligible workforce programs. The committee also took up several consent items, including AB 1904, AB 1980, AB 2550, AB 2078, and AB 2682. Most bills were described as aligning state programs with federal law or improving worker protections and program quality, while opponents generally raised concerns about costs, administrative burden, regulatory uncertainty, or reduced oversight. Testimony was largely split along labor and industry lines. Supporters included labor unions, legal aid groups, workforce boards, and affected workers or family members, who emphasized heat illness, wage theft, silica exposure, poor prison conditions, and the need for higher-quality training and retirement access. Opponents on several bills, especially those affecting agriculture, REITs, and workforce administration, argued the measures would increase costs, create uncertainty, or duplicate existing law. On AB 2227, committee members engaged in extended discussion about Labor Commissioner delays and whether the bill’s default-judgment and bond provisions would meaningfully help workers. On AB 1869, members and witnesses debated whether the bill created new standards or simply improved enforcement of existing REIT rules. The committee voted to pass all of the measures heard, generally with motions to do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. Several bills were held open for absent members during the meeting, and later add-on roll calls recorded additional ayes, moving the bills out of committee. The meeting concluded after the consent calendar was approved and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The initial force was limited to a superintendent, 14 patrolmen, one authorized for each county, and
• I believe that it's so important that one has authority, that the authority that they possess.
• That one has authority, that the authority that they possess is identified and respected.
• Diminish the authority that one has that actually is the rightful owner of those things.
• Taking the authority away risks leaving communities like Benson powerless until the damage is already

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill passed me. amendment titled Reporting Prior Authorizations Claims and D.
• to the finance authority.
• to the finance authority.
• This requires these districts to apply to the finance authority and petition for these districts.
• The House Public Safety Committee titled it "Sheriff, Exclusive Authority, Auxiliary."

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of bills and resolutions, with staff giving brief descriptions and members flagging which items were on consent, had unanimous committee votes, or should be pulled for further discussion. Topics included education, health care, public safety, labor, water, taxation, housing, and elections. Several measures were noted as party-line or mixed votes, while many others were reported as unanimous and placed on third-read or consent calendars. Among the more discussed items were bills on school and labor policy, including a proposal to prohibit teacher strikes, a measure restricting school district bond actions, a bill requiring school safety protocols and assigning felony penalties for noncompliance, and a resolution limiting public money for labor organization activities. Members also raised concerns or requested further review on bills involving pharmacist testing authority, expired opioid antagonists, a county sheriff-related measure, a housing affordability district proposal, and a tobacco/vape regulation bill. Some measures were explicitly pulled from consent, including a Medicaid audit resolution, a budget-related pay-withholding resolution, and several education and public safety bills. The caucus also heard multiple health and human services measures, such as genetic counselor licensing, nursing board and pharmacy board continuations, foster care rights, psychiatry access funding, and free school meals. In addition, there were water and energy bills on Colorado River management, groundwater, transmission-line review, and renewable energy valuation, plus election and campaign-related proposals. The meeting ended with announcements, including an upcoming Colorado River breakfast briefing and an internal award recognizing Representative Brian Garcia, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And one other announcement is, let's see, the bill authors for House Bill 7.
• And then they don't have any authority to act on behalf of the ward.
• She went to the local mental health authority for a mental health status exam.
• authority can range from $7,000 to $10,000 in legal fees alone.
• And we don't want these fees to stand in the way of their pursuit of this authority.

Bills: HB557, HB732, HB1892, HB1954, HB2301, HB3180, HB3405, HB3650, HB3758, HB4035, HB4621, HB4795, HB4870, HB5069, HB5137, HB5149

Keywords: child support, arrears, court enforcement, contempt, legal protections, healthcare, insurance, cost reduction, accessibility, regulations, impotency, marriage annulment, Family Code, Texas law, family law, Texas legislation, dissolution of marriage, annulment, marriage, child custody

Transcript Highlights:

• And members on our side of the aisle, I would recommend a yes vote on the amendment to allow the author
• to have the bill in the form that the author would like the bill.
• We appreciate the provision in the bill to repeal the sunset on the new payment withholding authority
• for state agencies withholding authority for state agencies that<00:10:09.839> was<00:10:09.920
• strengthen and make this authority strengthen and make this authority permanent<00:10:16.320>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of the right one, does not specifically, I think, expressly grant Office of Consumer Protection authority
• Office of Consumer Protection authority to enforce.
• Grant Express authority to ocp to Grant Express authority to ocp to enforce<00:27:09.000> would
• okay um thank you thank you Authority okay um thank you thank you chair<00:27:22.360> MERS<00
• <00:37:38.400> submitted the Hawaii tourism Authority submitted the Hawaii tourism Authority

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing of the House Committees on Tourism, Housing, and Economic Development and Technology began with House Bill 604, which would raise the transient accommodations tax by 1 percentage point starting January 1, 2026 and direct the revenue to the Hawaiian Homes General Loan Fund. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands supported the bill as a source of consistent funding, while the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii opposed it, warning that Hawaii already has very high tourism taxes and that further increases could hurt visitors, workers, and the broader economy. The committees later voted to pass HB 604 with amendments as an HD1 and to defer the date; the vote was adopted, with one member noted as having reservations in the housing committee vote and one no vote in that committee. The committees then heard House Bill 973, which would require transient accommodations brokers and others to display all resort fees, taxes, and government-imposed charges upfront in advertised prices and would establish penalties. The Office of Consumer Protection expressed concerns about the bill’s intent requirement and noted a forthcoming federal FTC rule on junk fees; the Hawaii Hotel Alliance strongly supported the measure as promoting transparency and uniformity, and a public witness also supported price transparency while questioning the size of the penalties. After questions about federal rescission of the FTC rule and enforcement authority, the committees voted to pass HB 973 with amendments as an HD1, including removal of the intent requirement and technical changes, and the recommendation was adopted unanimously. House Bill 594, relating to hotel service disruptions, would require hotel keepers to give notice of disruptions to guests and third-party vendors and allow damages. The Attorney General’s office recommended amendments to add a purpose section and savings clause to address First Amendment and contract clause issues, and Unite Here Local 5 supported the bill, saying guests are not always notified of disruptions and that the measure would improve transparency; the union agreed with the legal amendments. The committees voted to pass HB 594 with amendments as an HD1 and to defer the date, adopting the recommendation. The final measures were House Bill 448 and House Bill 449, both related to technology enablement and economic development for small businesses, including tourism-related businesses. HTDC strongly supported both bills but emphasized that technology should be targeted to the actual problem and coordinated with sister agencies rather than applied broadly; the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Chamber of Commerce also supported HB 448, and HB 449 received support from HTDC and HFIA. The committees adopted amendments to HB 448, including moving a $250,000 appropriation to the committee report, and to HB 449, including deleting duplicative language tied to HB 448 and moving a $500,000 appropriation to the committee report; both bills were passed as HD1s with deferred dates, and the hearing adjourned after the votes were adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• This act gives Delaware's Public Service Commission the authority to designate a telecoms provider as
• So giving the PSC the authority to designate them will help speed this up.
• This amendment clarifies that the earlier authorization necessary for summer enrollment are pre-authorizations
• It allows school-age children who are eligible for purchase of care to receive pre-authorization for
• the Delaware Transportation Authority, appropriating special funds of the Delaware Transportation Authority

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, having authored the Okay, good.
• <00:51:11.280> um authorizes um authorizes um uh<00:51:12.440> lease<00:51:12.800> or
• So, your authorization, our authorization, for us is just the ability to try to creatively think, "Can
• > authorization So, your authorization our authorization So, your authorization our authorization
• <01:24:42.000> resides<01:24:42.720> within the authority resides within the authority

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:42.399> um treatment investigatory Authority um treatment investigatory Authority um
• that the lack of oversight and authority that the lack of oversight and authority over<00:14:27.399
• You authorized state-funded grants to assist local jails in getting ready to authorize or operate the
• 00:35:05.520> authorize<00:35:06.160> state<00:35:06.560> funded program you authorize
• <00:38:23.440> to don't have the legal authority to don't have the legal authority to collect

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Licensing boards already have authority to investigate and to act on these standards when they are not
• I'm a co-author on this bill.
• to investigate and to act on authority to investigate and to act on these<00:12:39.680> standards
• I'm a co-author<00:14:12.399> on<00:14:12.639> this<00:14:13.120> bill.
• Thank you for co-author on this bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's never been a declaration of war or any congressional authorization whatsoever to send United
• And when they're properly called forth by Congress under the authority of the Constitution or federal
• And so what we do know is that it's been endorsed by people in authority to say that we would not lose
• So my question to you is: under what legal authority could the federal government withhold funding when
• Federal authorities to support the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Mr.

Bills: SB1047, SB1365, SB1474, SB1618, SB1620

Keywords: National Guard, active duty, combat, Arizona, declaration of war, state law, military service, property tax, exemptions, veterans, disabilities, widows and widowers, Arizona Revised Statutes, immigration enforcement, local law enforcement, federal cooperation, law enforcement training, public safety, military affairs, funding

Transcript Highlights:

• I was a real law enforcement officer for 43 years, so I think I can pretty well speak with authority
• Port Authority unless a senator requests a separate vote on an individual appointee.
• Expressway Authority, and Patrick Allman with the Tampa Port Authority.
• Alman with the Tampa Port Authority, Mark Kaplan with the Tampa Port Authority, and Chadwick William
• Herod with the Tampa Port Authority.

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard SB 356 by Senator Wright, which would create an opt-in framework allowing counties and municipalities to designate certain roads for utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) under local conditions, including driver licensing, insurance, and speed-limit restrictions below 55 mph. Senator Wright said the bill would give law enforcement clearer authority and mirror the local-option approach used for golf carts. Supporters included a retired Volusia County sheriff and county commissioner, who argued UTVs are safer than golf carts and are already being used on roads, while opponents from the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and Honda warned that UTVs are designed for off-road use, lack federal safety standards, and pose crash and tire-blowout risks on public roads. Several senators raised safety concerns, especially about speed and crash severity, but the committee ultimately voted to report SB 356 favorably. The committee then held a lengthy discussion on seaport infrastructure and funding, beginning with a moment of silence for JaxPort COO and former FDOT employee James Bennett. FDOT presented data showing Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports generate major cargo volume, jobs, and economic impact, and described state funding programs such as FSTED, SPI, and the construction aggregate grant program. Port representatives from Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and the Port of Palm Beach described record cargo and cruise activity, major capital projects, and the need for continued state and federal support for dredging, bulkheads, cranes, rail, and terminal expansion. Senators asked about ROI, trade shifts, intermodal connections, fuel and LNG availability, leverage and reserves, and operational risks such as flooding, sea level rise, and channel depth; port officials emphasized resiliency, private partnerships, and long-term master planning. The committee also confirmed appointees to the Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and the Tampa Port Authority in one vote, with no objection. Finally, FDOT presented the statewide mapping programs work group report required by SB 1662, explaining that coordinated statewide use of LiDAR and aerial imagery could reduce duplication, improve emergency management and planning, and support insurance and storm-damage assessment. FDOT recommended a formal statewide coordination program, shared procurement and cost-sharing agreements, dedicated staffing, and statutory updates to Chapter 334 to support interagency agreements and recurring funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill reforms the prior authorization process in health insurance.
• The bill also establishes that any prior authorization review be conducted by a licensed physician or
• The bill also establishes that any prior authorization review be conducted by a licensed physician or
• The authorization of this charter is all of that application process that is laid out in this bill.
• The authorization of this charter is all of that application process that is laid out in this bill.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. The chamber received notice that the governor had signed several bills, and the Speaker appointed conference committees after the Senate failed to concur with House amendments on Senate Bills 2180 and 2330. The House also approved several sixth-order amendments without objection before moving into reconsideration and final action on House Bill 1300, which concerns legislative term limits. After procedural motions to reconsider and undo concurrence, the House voted to do not concur on HB 1300, sending it back to the chair’s lap for further negotiation. A major portion of the meeting focused on Senate Bill 2232, which changes mandatory reporting rules for prenatal exposure to controlled substances and alcohol. Supporters said the bill is intended to keep pregnant women in prenatal care by removing an automatic CPS report if a woman tests positive but enters and stays on a treatment plan; opponents argued it weakens protections for unborn children and creates vague standards for mandated reporters. The House passed the bill 57-36. The chamber also passed Senate Bill 2280 unanimously, establishing timelines and standards for prior authorization in health insurance, and passed Senate Bill 2186, which creates a civil remedy for interference with court-ordered parenting time, a child custody review task force, and related reporting requirements. The House then took up Senate Bill 2239, an apprenticeship grant program with a $1.1 million appropriation, but rejected it 14-79 after the committee said the program lacked a clear administrative home. Senate Bill 2241, creating a framework for public charter schools, generated extensive debate over school choice, local control, funding, staffing, and rural impacts; supporters emphasized flexibility and community-driven options, while opponents warned about diversion of funds and weak guardrails. The bill passed 64-29. The House also passed Senate Bill 2024, the Department of Environmental Quality budget, after discussion about federal funding uncertainty; Senate Bill 2374, updating property insurance laws and market rules; Senate Bill 2216, creating a waterfowl habitat restoration stamp; Senate Bill 2245, allowing certain duck and goose hunting from anchored floating craft; and Senate Bill 233, establishing a distressed ambulance services process, which drew questions about how affected districts and neighboring services would be involved.