Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is our last regularly scheduled Energy Committee meeting for this part of session.

Committee: House Energy

Summary: The Energy Committee met on February 18 and was called to order after a brief delay. The chair announced that House Bill 4219 would be laid over. The committee then took up House Bill 2440 and House Bill 2596, both with proposed committee substitutes (PCSs), which were adopted as working drafts without objection. House Bill 2440, presented by Representative Pfeiffer as an Oklahoma Water Resources Board request bill, would make it easier for the agency to hire engineers and consultants and manage contracts without having to go through OMS, addressing staffing and resource limitations. House Bill 2596, also presented by Representative Pfeiffer as a DEQ request bill, was described as a broader measure intended to speed up the permitting process while still preserving community input, oversight, and notification. Neither bill drew discussion or debate before the votes. Both measures passed the committee unanimously, 9-0, and were reported out with due pass recommendations. The chair then thanked members for their patience and adjourned the committee, noting it was the last regularly scheduled Energy Committee meeting for that part of session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would hope that next week, in this committee, we set up a relatively light schedule of a few bills

Bills: HB207 , HB235 , HB324 , HB449 , HB463 , HB502 , HB 1121 , HB1445 , HB1465 , HB1778 , HB1977 , HB2000 , HB2066 , HB2596 , HB207 , HB235

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• Those tomorrow night, uh, which a regular scheduled day for this committee.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, we are just a little bit ahead of schedule, but I think we'll move forward.
• Well, we are scheduled for a brief break before our 10:45 presentation, so we will break for now.
• But our next presentation is not until 12:45, so we will have a little more time than we had scheduled
• Would you support bringing the Medicaid expansion population to a fee-for-schedule situation where they
• In South Dakota, a private dental practice now employs the CHW to help with appointment scheduling and

Summary: The committee first approved the previous meeting minutes and then heard a detailed annual report from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and policy issues. He explained the committee’s review process, confidentiality protections, and national and North Dakota data showing that most maternal deaths are preventable and that mental health conditions, substance use, cardiovascular issues, infection, hemorrhage, and embolism are the leading causes. Members asked about suicide, domestic violence, midwife training, home births, and whether pregnancy testing at death scenes should be expanded; Dr. Arnold said better coroner education, more investigation of unexplained deaths, and possible post-mortem pregnancy testing could improve case identification, especially in rural areas. He also noted that deaths often occur well after 42 days postpartum and that mental health-related deaths remain a major concern. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark on cigarette reduced-ignition-propensity standards and related fire prevention issues. He recommended updating the state’s cigarette propensity law to current national standards and also raised a separate recommendation to require fast-breakaway oxygen tubing for home oxygen users, citing fatal fires linked to smoking around oxygen. Members asked about implementation, cost, insurance coverage, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Dr. Clark said he would provide follow-up information and was willing to help with any legislation, but no agency bill had yet been planned. Next, Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services reported on the North Dakota Stroke System of Care. She described the statewide network of stroke-ready hospitals, registry-based quality improvement, and performance data showing continued improvement in stroke recognition, imaging, thrombolytic treatment, transfers, and EMS pre-notification. She highlighted new quality measures for inter-facility transfers and intracerebral hemorrhage care, and said the system remains strong but depends on continued legislative and hospital support. Committee members asked about participation by the VA hospital and were encouraged to consider outreach to include it more fully in the stroke system. Finally, the committee began a presentation on prior authorization and non-opioid pain treatment from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to non-opioid acute pain medications, especially in the 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window when pain is most severe, and said delays can push patients toward opioids. He emphasized that prior authorization has a role in utilization management but should not create barriers in acute pain care, and he noted that current use of the company’s non-opioid product remains very low. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, every room is scheduled, so our colleagues in the legislature, House and Senate, are either
• Next year, we're scheduled to open a state-of-the-art carbon-neutral sustainable engineering laboratories
• And I don't know whether your ears burned earlier, but you were recognized both for your jammed schedules
• I'm sorry that we missed the other student schedule. Very grateful that you're here.
• , but we welcome your testimony on your important bill, and then we'll get back to the regularly scheduled

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its second public hearing of the 194th General Court on capital investments in higher education, focusing primarily on H.54, the Bright Act, along with H.1426/S.949 on green and healthy public colleges and universities and deferred maintenance, and H.1424 on capital investment in Gateway Cities. Chairs and administration officials framed the hearing as a response to aging campus infrastructure, climate goals, workforce needs, and federal pressures on higher education, and explained that testimony would be taken from pre-registered speakers in person and virtually. University of Massachusetts leaders strongly supported the Bright Act, describing large deferred maintenance backlogs, aging buildings, and the need to decarbonize campuses while modernizing research and teaching facilities. UMass officials said the bill would help keep tuition and fees lower by reducing the need for campuses to finance capital work themselves, and argued that the investments would improve competitiveness, support research, and create construction jobs. Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Education Tuttweiler, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Gorzkowicz also backed the bill, saying it would leverage Fair Share surtax revenues for a proposed $2.5 billion in campus investments plus additional targeted grants, and that it would support affordability, economic growth, and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the balance between deferred maintenance and decarbonization, the role of grant programs versus direct spending, the impact on tuition and fees, and how the plan would help campuses respond to federal cuts such as NIH and NSF funding. Administration officials said the proposal was designed to be phased in quickly, with some projects ready to start immediately and others taking longer, and that the grant programs would be structured to include all campuses equitably. They also said the plan would build on an existing financing model similar to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and could help campuses avoid future tuition increases tied to capital costs. Additional testimony came from MassBay Community College, where President David Podell and recent nursing graduate Deanna Cavazos described the benefits of a new Framingham campus building and said community colleges need modern labs, better planning capacity, and deferred maintenance support to serve the enrollment growth from MassReconnect and MassEducate. State university leaders, including President Mary Grant, President Linda Thompson, and President John Keenan, said their campuses face outdated classrooms, insufficient electrical capacity, and aging facilities, and urged passage of the Bright Act as a long-overdue investment in student success and workforce preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• that you run that through the floor leader first to be put on the general order, and if that is not scheduled
• through her, then we will be that at some point. ...to the general order, and if that is not scheduled
• As I do sit on administrative rules, in the last two weeks we've had scheduled meetings, but they continued
• As I do sit on administrative rules, in the last two weeks, we've had scheduled meetings, but they continued
• One concern I had about the way our schedule fell this year was that we had spring break and we ended

Bills: HJR1088 , HJR1090 , HJR1091 , HB1370 , SB2154 , HJR1092 , HJR1093 , HJR1095 , HJR1099 , HJR1100 , HB3021 , SB893 , SB206 , SB248 , SB259 , SB423 , SB563 , SB604 , SB633 , HJR1077 , SB667 , SB1224 , SB1257 , SB1264 , SB1319 , SB1360 , SB1437 , SB1531 , SB1543 , SB1806 , HB3004 , SB1572 , HB4342 , SB1618 , SB2 , SB237 , SB1632 , SB1687 , SB1726 , SB1859 , SB1894 , SB1461 , HB4432 , SB1948 , SB1589 , SJR52 , SR46 , HCR1030 , SB2071 , SB2182 , SB1451

Summary: The Senate met with a quorum, prayer, pledges, and recognition of two student pages before taking up a long agenda of House joint resolutions and bills, mostly related to administrative rules and agency approvals. The chamber advanced and passed H.J.R. 1088, 1090, 1091, 1092, 1093, 1095, 1099, and 1100, which approved permanent rules for education, energy and agriculture, business and commerce, building code, health-related agencies, general government agencies, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and OMES. Several senators criticized the process for moving rule resolutions quickly and without committee vetting, while supporters said the calendar delays required direct consideration. The Senate also adopted conference committee reports and passed SB 206, SB 248, and HB 3021, with HB 3021 making small changes to graduation requirements, including science/math course language, Oklahoma history flexibility for some military families, and personal financial literacy counting toward math in some cases. A major portion of the meeting focused on House Bill 1370, which was described by its author as repealing an automatic state trigger that would replace any federal gasoline tax if the federal government suspended it. Supporters argued the bill would prevent Oklahoma drivers from paying more if the federal gas tax were repealed and framed it as tax relief; opponents argued it could reduce highway and bridge funding and create a budget hole. The Senate suspended several rules to bring the bill up, but rejected a motion to suspend the fiscal-impact rule for a proposed amendment. After debate, the chamber passed the measure 41-7 and then approved it as an emergency measure. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 893, a conference report dealing with foreign ownership near critical infrastructure and agricultural land. The bill would restrict certain foreign adversary ownership or leasing within 10 miles of critical infrastructure, add training zones and other protected areas, delay implementation until July 1, 2027, and create an enforcement process involving Attorney General review and whistleblower-style reporting. Senators raised concerns about enforcement, possible misuse, and profiling, while the author said the bill was aimed at national security and infrastructure protection. The conference report was adopted and the bill passed. Later, the Senate received notice that the House was ready to convene in joint session, and the chamber briefly stood at ease before returning to continue its work.

Transcript Highlights:

• The response was that they would get less, $600 or less, under the proposed fee schedule.
• In other lines of business, fees and cost schedules are paid at extraordinary numbers, but this is pennies
• We pay some fees and cost schedules and other lines of business, this extraordinary number.
• We’re on a schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.” “Thank you. Representative Barral. All right.
• We’re on a schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Challenge accepted.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 27 and first took up House Bill 175 and its companion House Bill 165, both dealing with lottery proceeds for veterans. HB 175 was amended to create a Veterans Service Grant Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs and direct $500,000 annually from Louisiana Lottery net proceeds into a Veterans Service Grant Fund, with unused money returned to the lottery proceeds fund that supports the MFP. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, The Boot Louisiana, LDVA Secretary Charlton McGinley, and Bastion Veterans Organization, argued the grants would help veteran services, workforce placement, mental health, housing, entrepreneurship, and retention of veterans in Louisiana. Members raised concerns about drawing from lottery proceeds that traditionally support education, but the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 175 favorably as amended. HB 165, the constitutional amendment companion, was also amended for technical and ballot-language changes and then reported favorably as amended for voter consideration. The committee then considered House Bill 457, which would authorize the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal to set minimum housing standards for homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes. The sponsor said the bill responded to a state auditor recommendation and to unsafe conditions in some facilities; he also explained an amendment changing the Fire Marshal’s duties from mandatory to permissive to reduce fiscal impact and allow agencies flexibility. Some members questioned whether local standards already existed and how enforcement and funding would work, while others supported the need for statewide minimum standards for human housing. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 457 favorably as amended. House Bill 488, by Representative Brough, sought to create a Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using recurring severance tax revenues from Plaquemines Parish to help buy out the Belle Chasse toll bridge and end what the sponsor described as excessive tolls and fees. He and several local witnesses, including business owners, a YMCA representative, and a parish council member, testified that the tolling arrangement had harmed access, businesses, and quality of life. The committee adopted a technical amendment clarifying the revenue source and then reported HB 488 favorably as amended. House Bill 566, which would prohibit state funds from supporting net-zero greenhouse gas initiatives tied to the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, drew significant debate over whether it would interfere with agency funding and economic development efforts; the sponsor argued the plan lacked legislative approval and should be repudiated, while members urged caution and suggested hearing from affected agencies. The sponsor agreed to consider deferring the bill, and the committee did not advance it at that time. House Bill 603, a constitutional amendment authorizing investment of state funds in digital assets and precious metals, was discussed as a way to hedge inflation and preserve value; members asked about limits and safeguards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then began hearing House Bill 763, a transparency measure creating a public database for settlement agreements involving state agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, there are ways that you can go to ASCs without having fee schedules, and that's another debate.
• No, they'd get less, the $600 or less, with this fee schedule that we're proposing.
• We pay some fees and cost schedules and other lines of business this extraordinary number.
• We pay some fees and cost schedules and other lines of business, this extraordinary number.
• We're on a schedule. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Challenge accepted.

Bills: HB165 , HB175 , HB198 , HB272 , HB457 , HB488 , HB566 , HB603 , HB763 , HB902 , HB909 , HB971 , HB981 , HB1066 , HB1125 , HB1154 , HB1231

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• This public hearing, along with others scheduled for the month of March, is being held to solicit testimony
• that's either statutorily required, or we have commitments to, say, bondholders or a pension funding schedule
• reflective of a couple things, one. or we have commitments to say bondholders or a pension funding schedule
• Additionally, small businesses have seen their unemployment insurance taxes increase as we've jumped rate schedules
• You would mention that kind of the big impetus behind this when we look at, say, Schedule C filers, right

Bills: H5006 , H5007

Committee: Joint Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on two proposed ballot initiatives: one to reduce the state personal income tax rate from 5% to 4% over three years, and another to revise the state tax collection cap law (62F) so the cap would be based on the prior year’s actual collections plus wage-and-salary growth and would include surtax revenue. Committee chairs outlined the hearing process and noted that the measures would need additional signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot if not enacted by the legislature. The committee’s expert witness, Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation, said the income tax proposal would lower the base rate in stages beginning in 2027 and would ultimately reduce state income tax collections by about $5.4 billion annually when fully implemented. He estimated savings would vary by income level, from a few hundred dollars for lower- and middle-income households to about $10,700 for taxpayers at the surtax threshold. He argued the proposal would improve tax competitiveness but would also require major budget adjustments, likely including reserve use, spending cuts, and possibly new revenue measures; he cited prior downturns and said the state’s rainy day fund is stronger than in past recessions, though spending growth and health care costs remain concerns. On the 62F proposal, he said rebasing the cap to prior-year collections would make refunds more likely, with modeled refunds totaling about $7.9 billion without the surtax and $10.1 billion with it over the last decade, and warned it could reduce stabilization fund deposits and constrain recovery after recessions. Proponents of both petitions, including representatives from Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts, NFIB, Pioneer Institute, and the Mass Opportunity Alliance, argued that Massachusetts faces an affordability and competitiveness crisis and that lower taxes would help families, small businesses, job creation, and outmigration. They said the income tax cut would put about $1,300 a year back into the hands of average families, help pass-through businesses reinvest, and improve the state’s ability to compete with lower-tax states such as North Carolina. Their economist, Rebecca Paxton, presented a model projecting average annual revenue losses of about $680 million during the phase-in and a total net income tax revenue impact of $2 billion to $2.2 billion, while saying long-term revenue growth would be stronger after implementation. The hearing ended with committee questions and a brief dispute over a planned voter testimonial video, which the chairs said was not appropriate for the hearing at that point.

Transcript Highlights:

• This public hearing, along with others scheduled for the month of March, is being held to solicit testimony
• that's either statutorily required, or we have commitments to, say, bondholders or a pension funding schedule
• Or we have commitments to, say, bondholders or a pension funding schedule or things like that.
• Additionally, small businesses have seen their unemployment insurance taxes increase as we've jumped rate schedules
• You had mentioned that kind of the big impetus behind this when we look at, say, Schedule C filers, right

Bills: H5006 , H5007

Committee: Joint Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Transcript Highlights:

• The laws at present are that if you don't like the schedule that your work has for you, you're welcome
• As an educator who had to work these schedules out, how do you imagine this working for schools?
• And yes, I did schedules for over 25 years in my former life, and that is true.
• So how I scheduled was backing the 30-minute duty-free lunch for teachers to the 30 minutes of recess
• So I'm well aware of the scheduling conflicts, but the 30 minutes is reasonable, and I think that's worthwhile

Bills: SB65 , SB248 , SB330 , SB378 , SB844 , SB1330 , SB1410 , SB1475 , SB1476 , SB1565 , SB1618 , SB1623 , SJR39 , SJR47 , SB2084 , SB1655 , SB1679 , SB2174 , SB1775 , SB1873 , SB1204 , SB1884 , SB1916 , SB1937 , SB1447 , SB1500 , SB2007 , SB2074 , SB1944 , SB2018 , SB1984 , SB2026 , SB2045 , SB2049 , SB2062 , SB2112 , SB2118 , SB2127 , SB2134 , SB2135 , SB2139 , SB2154 , SB1195

Summary: The Senate first considered Senate Bill 1623, a measure updating the state charter for state-regulated credit unions to make them more competitive with federal credit unions. Two amendments were adopted: one changing certain board authority language from “shall” to “may,” and another restoring the title. Supporters said the bill was the product of years of negotiation with bankers and credit unions and would not affect national banks; after questions about membership expansion and census-tract service areas, the bill passed 44-0. The chamber then took up Senate Joint Resolution 39, which would send to voters a constitutional amendment lowering annual caps on assessed-value growth for homestead and agricultural property from 3% to 1%, and for other property from 5% to 3%. Proponents argued it would slow property-tax growth, help seniors and fixed-income homeowners stay in their homes, and not reduce government revenue but only slow future growth; opponents warned it would reduce local revenue growth for schools, counties, infrastructure, and bonding capacity, and would disproportionately benefit higher-value property owners. The resolution passed 38-8, and the special-election referral also passed 38-8. Senate Joint Resolution 47, which would place current voter ID requirements into the Constitution, also advanced and passed 39-8, with the special-election provision passing by the same margin. Supporters said it simply constitutionalized existing law requiring proof of identity and would preserve election security; critics said Oklahoma already has voter ID rules, the measure was unnecessary, and the language could create uncertainty for absentee voters and future changes. Debate also touched on provisional ballots, military and overseas voting, and whether the measure would make future adjustments harder. Later, Senate Bill 2084 passed 35-7 and as an emergency measure. The bill limits wrongful-termination settlements for faculty members at higher education institutions to two times annual salary, including pay and accrued benefits. Supporters said it would provide certainty for universities and regents; questions focused on tenure, free-speech claims, and how the cap would interact with existing tort limits. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1655 unanimously to allow Oklahoma Complete Health’s Children’s Specialty Program to contact adoptive parents and offer continued voluntary services for post-adoption children, and Senate Bill 1679 was introduced as the “Preserving Oklahoma Values Act,” aimed at codifying adherence to the U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions and rejecting foreign law, with debate beginning over its enforcement and scope.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, committee, hopefully we have a busy day, because if you look, most of the schedule is committee
• Okay, we're already behind schedule. It's 10:00 a.m.
• So if you go on to the second-to-last page is where the numbers start in a schedule there.
• Okay, so you'll see the fall FTE undergraduate census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.
• So you'll see the fall FTE undergraduate census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, committee, hopefully we have a busy day, because if you look, most of the schedule is committee
• Okay, we're already behind schedule. It's 10:00 a.m.
• So if you go on to the second-to-last page is where the numbers start in a schedule there.
• Okay, so you'll see the fall FTE undergrad at census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.
• So you'll see the fall FTE undergrad at census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review a proposed process for identifying and addressing low-producing academic programs, then moved into discussion of draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the ND University System described how other states and systems define low-producing programs, emphasizing multi-year enrollment and completion thresholds, cost and workforce review, and the role of governing boards. She reported that North Dakota institutions already review programs in varying cycles, often use shared resources and stackable credentials to keep low-enrollment programs viable, and cited recent system actions over five years: 100 programs placed on inactivation, 75 terminated, and 384 new programs created. Committee members raised concerns about workforce-critical programs, duplication, exemptions, and whether the legislature or the State Board of Higher Education should drive the process. The chair said he wanted the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting and suggested the legislature may use funding leverage, including a possible holdback, to encourage the review process. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft funding formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal used fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder rate of $7,000 per undergraduate FTE and $10,500 per graduate/professional FTE, plus incentives for completions in high-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council explained that the formula also included separate treatment for research funding, external grants, and capital building tiers, and that the MD program at UND would remain fixed funding outside the formula. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the in-demand program list, the treatment of external grants, and how the proposal compared with current appropriations. The chair noted that the formula numbers were illustrative and not final budget amounts. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. It used fall census FTE with no weighted economic factor, a higher undergraduate rate of $8,750 per FTE, and completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other credentials. Members noted that the proposal would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and questioned whether the same structure should apply across institutions with very different missions and sizes. Committee discussion focused on fairness, hold-harmless concerns, and whether the nine institutions should be grouped differently. The committee did not take formal action, but the chair indicated the formulas would continue to be discussed later in the meeting and in future work.

Transcript Highlights:

• vaccines can be administered and that there can be that discussion in true informed consent about the schedule
• True informed consent about the schedule that you would like to have your child vaccinated on.
• The more we tell people that they have to... true informed consent about the schedule that you would
• And I think that, for me, the component about really having real conversations about a schedule—I think
• the schedule that exists now, I've heard many different reasons why it exists.

Summary: The Senate began with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognitions, including the doctor of the day and a lighthearted “Cannoli Day” introduction. The chamber then held an extended farewell celebration for Senator Joe Gruters, with numerous senators, colleagues, and family members praising his loyalty, political skill, family focus, and service in the Legislature and Republican Party. Gruters was presented with a commemorative gift recognizing his work on a 2019 public-safety and immigration bill that prohibited sanctuary cities and required local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The Senate adopted a motion to spread Gruters’s remarks upon the journal and then recessed briefly. After recess, the Senate returned to regular business and took up third-reading bills. Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 354, relating to blue ribbon projects, was temporarily postponed. The chamber then considered Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1758, relating to public assistance, with Senator Gates explaining that it contained five reforms to the public assistance system discussed earlier in session. During debate on SB 1758, Senator Berman opposed the bill, saying he could not support it in its current form because he believed the Medicaid-related provisions would create a coverage cliff after the one-year transition period and could leave people without care while increasing costs to hospitals and taxpayers. He also said SNAP error reduction should be a priority, but argued the state should focus on fixing administrative errors and fraud rather than imposing a work requirement whose costs and effects were uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• 2828 hopes to address a critical gap in current law by classifying these psychoactive substances as Schedule
• So I'm just wondering... ...because I checked, it's not scheduled by the federal government.
• So I understand that it can be abused, of course, but I'm concerned about including that in a Schedule
• It's just that because it would be listed as a Schedule I... ...intention to harm. Right?
• It's just that because it would be listed as a Schedule I.

Committee: House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills, beginning with HB 2855, which would let the Department of Labor adjust workers’ compensation administrative taxes and the second injury fund surcharge in smaller 0.1% increments instead of 0.5%. The sponsor and the department said the change would better right-size collections and reduce the burden on employers; the Missouri Chamber also supported the bill as good governance. No opposition was presented, and the hearing on HB 2855 was closed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 3142, a camp-safety bill prompted by the Camp Mystic flooding tragedy in Texas and a Missouri drowning case. The sponsor and multiple grieving parents urged mandatory emergency plans, staff training, background checks, licensing, weather warnings, and clearer oversight for summer camps. Supporters included the American Camp Association and some state and youth-safety advocates, while opponents—especially camp operators, the Missouri Afterschool Network, and park and recreation representatives—argued the bill was too broad, could burden day camps and church camps, and might worsen child-care shortages. Several witnesses suggested the bill should be narrowed to distinguish overnight residential camps from lower-risk day camps and possibly be housed under DSS rather than DESE. No vote was taken. Finally, the committee took testimony on HB 1893 and HB 2075, which would require sex-segregated multi-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms in private schools and public buildings, with enforcement tied to state funding in some cases. Sponsors said the bills were meant to create clear statewide standards and protect privacy and safety; opponents argued the measures would harm transgender and intersex people, be difficult or impossible to enforce, and create safety and discrimination problems. Supporters emphasized private-school autonomy and concerns about safety in shared facilities. The hearing concluded after extensive questioning, with no action or vote reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• the notice, and recommitting the bill back to this committee for a further public hearing to be scheduled
• And just so that we're clear, I don't think the bill was introduced or scheduled with the underlying
• don't think the bill was<00:37:55.440><c> introduced</c><00:37:55.920><c> or</c><00:37:56.320><c> scheduled
• </c><00:37:56.720><c> with</c><00:37:56.960><c> with</c> was introduced or scheduled with with was introduced
• or scheduled with with the<00:37:58.079><c> underlying</c><00:37:58.640><c> assumption</c><00:37:59.119

Summary: The committee first took up a short-form administrative licensing measure requested by the administration to correct and clarify renewal provisions in a prior bill. Members raised no questions, and the committee voted to adopt the proposed Senate draft and recommit the bill back to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee for a further public hearing. The committee then heard SB 2876 on natural hair braiding, which would exempt natural hair braiders from licensing under certain conditions. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology said it views hair braiding as within the broader scope of cosmetology, but agreed that people who only braid hair should not need a license because the training and exam requirements are minimal. The board warned, however, that exempting braiders could create consumer protection gaps involving sanitation, training, and enforcement, and noted that related services such as waxing, cutting, coloring, shampooing, and relaxing would still require licensure. Supporters included the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and the Institute for Justice. The committee also heard SB 2950 on captive insurance and SB 2951 on insurance proceeds. On SB 2950, the Insurance Division opposed the bill, saying captive insurance is designed for formal self-insurance for companies and that allowing captives to insure the public would not fit the existing regulatory framework; a fire survivor advocate supported the measure as a way to expand disaster-related insurance options. On SB 2951, which would require mortgage servicers to follow certain rules for disbursing insurance proceeds after residential damage or destruction, United Policy Holders strongly supported the bill, citing delays in releasing funds and the need to help survivors rebuild, while banking and financial industry groups submitted opposition or comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 2952, SB 2960, and SB 2964, all related to property insurance and disaster recovery. SB 2952 and SB 2960 would extend the time policyholders have after a declared disaster to submit documentation and recover replacement cost value, with supporters arguing that rebuilding after major disasters takes far longer than standard policy deadlines allow and that the bills would improve consumer protection and transparency; the Insurance Division, the Insurance Council, and national insurance groups opposed the measures. SB 2964 would require annual disclosures of replacement cost value and coverage sufficiency; the Insurance Council opposed it as costly and unnecessary because policies already include inflation-related adjustments, while United Policy Holders and fire survivors supported it, saying many homeowners are underinsured and do not understand their coverage.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we do have a full executive session scheduled for the 12th.
• full of do today. uh we do have uh a full executive<00:11:02.480><c> session</c><00:11:03.040><c> scheduled
• </c><00:11:03.440><c> for</c><00:11:03.600><c> the</c> executive session scheduled for the executive
• session scheduled for the 12th.<00:11:04.399><c> If</c><00:11:04.640><c> everything</c><00:11:04.959>
• 26.080><c> have</c><00:31:26.640><c> redetermination</c> Will have redetermination on their regularly scheduled

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think we have a time scheduled for our execs. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
• It's not um scheduled on the calendar.
• here early since we didn't It's<00:56:35.119><c> not</c><00:56:35.599><c> um</c><00:56:35.839><c> scheduled
• </c> It's not um scheduled on the calendar. It's not um scheduled on the calendar.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, Ed will be—I think Ed's on vacation—and we appreciate him adapting his schedule.
• <00:37:01.520><c> uh</c><00:37:01.680><c> adapting</c><00:37:02.320><c> his</c><00:37:02.640><c> schedule
• </c><00:37:03.440><c> I</c><00:37:03.599><c> hope</c> him uh adapting his schedule.
• I hope him uh adapting his schedule.
• I appreciate your time prior to this meeting, and I appreciate you carving out time in your schedule,

Summary: The interim task force on disaster prevention and resiliency met for its fourth meeting and focused heavily on insurance markets, affordability, and mitigation. Cochairs noted they are working toward recommendations for a later fall meeting. The main presentation came from David Snyder of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, who said the insurance industry sees itself as part of the problem and part of the solution because it ultimately pays for losses created by natural conditions, development choices, and construction practices. Snyder described rising losses from natural catastrophes, inflation-driven increases in rebuilding and repair costs, more development in disaster-prone areas, wildfire exposure, severe convective storms, hail, and roof damage. He argued that Kentucky should avoid the mistakes he attributed to California, where regulatory responses contributed to a strained insurance market and greater reliance on the FAIR Plan. He said Kentucky’s private market appears to be functioning better, with relatively few FAIR Plan policies, and urged lawmakers to preserve that market through risk-based rates and policies that do not worsen availability. He recommended a broad mitigation strategy involving stronger building codes, land-use decisions, stormwater infrastructure, public access to risk data, and incentives for resilient construction. He highlighted programs such as the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, fortified-home standards, wildfire-prepared community practices, and examples from Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida showing that mitigation can produce quick returns and insurance discounts. He also suggested catastrophe savings accounts, flexible coverage options, and a whole-of-government approach that includes the insurance department, building-code agencies, first responders, FEMA, NFIP, and NOAA. In questions, a legislator asked about the prognosis if carriers continue exiting markets and if nothing is done to address affordability and accessibility. Snyder said he could not predict market exits but stressed that regulators should monitor the market closely, use available data, and focus on loss prevention and mitigation. He said insurers want to do business in Kentucky and that the long-term solution is coordinated action among public and private stakeholders to reduce risk and keep coverage available.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I'd like to do, so we'll stay on schedule, we'll go ahead and invite PED and LESC up unless members
• But don't schedule a meeting and then schedule it with your staff and the analyst and then him show up
• But when we schedule a meeting with legislators and agree to meetings and agree to do things in LFC,
• But while this wasn't on the schedule, I did think it is very important and appreciate them both being