Video & Transcript Research : 'small modular reactors'
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CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session May 4th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- On May 5th, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla in Mexico, a small army of indigenous Mexicans out... ...culture
- This commemorates, as my colleagues have said, the remarkable victory of Mexico's army: a small group
- Small children...
- Everyone who was there to witness this—small children, teenagers, wives who are now widows, moms and
- This is a small but meaningful affordability assistance measure, ensuring that money that belongs to
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Emergency Management Committee Apr 23rd, 2026
Emergency Management
Transcript Highlights:
- This threshold shuts out small businesses.
- These are entry points for small business enterprises and disabled veteran business enterprises.
- For many local contractors, that's not a workable model, especially on small, short-term projects.
- These are the small companies and mostly rural areas of California.
- that's a good idea to put on them, but I think this is one of many bills that are taking a little small
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Education Committee Apr 15th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- CDPH has also taken precautions for students' de-identification in small schools.
- While small-class suppression helps, it doesn't help stop identification within school communities.
- Even a small group in a 100-student cohort is often known.
- AB 2430 takes a practical step forward by reallocating a small portion of underutilized funds to better
- I know that we are taking some small steps here today, but it sets the groundwork for really opening
Summary:
The Assembly Education Committee heard a lengthy agenda of education-related bills, with quorum established at the start and several measures taken up on consent or special order. The committee also announced that AB 1644, AB 2362, and later AB 2197 were pulled from the hearing. Members reminded the public of hearing rules and limited testimony to two witnesses each in support and opposition.
AB 2651, by Assemblymember Bonta, would require schools to notify parents when school vaccination rates fall below herd-immunity thresholds. Supporters, including physicians, the California State PTA, public health groups, and school employee organizations, argued that families need timely, school-specific information to protect children and vulnerable community members. Opponents raised concerns about privacy, stigma, and whether school-level snapshots could be misleading. The bill passed the committee 5-1 and later 7-1 on the roll call. AB 2509, by Assemblymember Schultz, would allow districts to use a five-year rolling average for ADA funding calculations; supporters said it would stabilize funding amid attendance declines, while one member noted concerns about masking long-term enrollment problems. It passed 5-1 and later 7-2.
The committee also approved AB 2430, which would expand after-school access, especially for high school students, improve funding and transparency, and create a work group on program quality. Testimony emphasized the value of expanded learning for youth development and working families, and members discussed the need to address middle school access as well. AB 2526, focused on special education funding, would expand the low-incidence fund to include students qualifying for the California alternate assessment; supporters said it would better align funding with student need, while some concerns remained about over-identification. AB 2325, the Pathways to Bilingual Teaching Act, would create a grant program to build bilingual teacher pipelines through partnerships among schools, community colleges, and universities; it received strong support and passed unanimously. AB 2460, presented by Assemblymember Pellerin for Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, would update school mental-health referral protocols to address trauma related to immigration enforcement; it also passed unanimously. AB 2404, which sought to require Central Valley representation on several governor-appointed bodies, drew debate over geographic representation and board composition and ultimately failed on a 2-5 vote.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 24 March, 2026; 11:15 AM
Public Health and Welfare
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, let me let me start by saying I'm on a board of a very small bank.
- a board<00:05:00.560>
of <00:05:00.680>a <00:05:00.760>very <00:05:01.080>small - board of a very small bank. board of a very small bank.
- And it's a very, for a very small time and investment, I think you could have more informed conversations
- And it's a very, for a very small time and investment, I think you could have more informed conversations
Summary:
The committee first considered nominees to the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering: Tom Elkins, Todd Freeman, and Aaron Washington. Each described their background in the hair industry and expressed support for making licensing and regulation more workable while still protecting health and safety. Members discussed the need for a balance between oversight and burden, with the chair emphasizing that inspectors should educate rather than intimidate. The committee then voted to advise and consent on the nominees, and the motion carried.
The committee next took up the reappointment of Jim Perry to the State Board of Health. Perry described his background in state and federal policy, finance, and health-related work, and said his board service had highlighted operational problems in state government, including personnel and procurement bottlenecks, staffing shortages, succession challenges, and the need for better, more consistent data to guide the state health plan and certificate-of-need decisions. He suggested continued budget support for policy and planning staff, more frequent updates to the health plan, and a review of whether prior procurement and personnel reforms went too far. Members asked about his statement of economic interest and discussed the broader need for better health care information and administration.
The committee voted to advise and consent on Perry’s reappointment. It then handled a block of nominations to the Board of Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists, voting to take them up and to advise and consent. Finally, the committee addressed the nomination of Dr. Anthony to the State Board of Health, noting that the seat had become vacant due to a recent death and voting to return the nomination to the governor as a procedural matter. The meeting concluded with a motion to rise and report.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
03/11/2026 - Senate Health and Human Services
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- These are not small gaps. They are barriers to early detection and diagnosis of dementia.
- It's a short program, it's a small amount of money, and we think it's going to make a big impact.
- And this is a very small but very expensive and very dangerous population.
- And this is a very small but very expensive and very dangerous population.
- For a small county, it's even more difficult. We're with you on all of this.
Keywords:
radiologic technologist, radiologist assistant, radiology, imaging, x-ray, diagnostic x-ray, fluoroscopy, mammography, computed tomography, CT technologist, nuclear medicine technologist, bone densitometry, radiation safety, radiation licensing, scope of practice, health workforce, rural health care, critical access hospital, supervision, telehealth
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- happening is the state is sending money that could go to other schools all across the state to a very small
- Have you given any thought to the impact on some of our small counties, like Harmon County?
- I think it was 5,000 in navalloum for this, so some of the very small entities it wouldn't apply to in
- Whether they're a very small business or what we might consider a decent-sized business, if we empower
- Like nobody caught it till after the protest period was over, and there was a small class A/B school
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Families and Children. (2-12-26)
Families & Children
Transcript Highlights:
- And you know, it's not friendly for small businesses.
- I'm just a small part of the puzzle. Uh they took the first part of working with the collaborative.
- <00:21:12.159>
Uh <00:21:12.400>they just a small part of the puzzle. - Uh they just a small part of the puzzle.
- I'm just a small part of the puzzle. They took the first part of working with the collaborative.
Keywords:
00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call
01:26 - Discussion of 26RS HB 6
17:45 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 6
20:20 - Discussion of 26RS HJR 50
22:30 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HJR 50
23:19 - Adjournment, 958, all
Summary:
The committee heard House Bill 6, as amended by a committee substitute, which was described as a broad child care reform package developed through a multi-stakeholder collaborative. The substitute added a two-year pilot program for off-base child care at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, beginning July 1, 2026, and making the bill an emergency measure for that purpose. Sponsors said the bill focuses on long-term reforms to affordability, quality, and access, including modernization of the All Stars quality rating system, creation of micro centers, support for children with special needs, child care data and transparency measures, CCAP improvements, and changes to the employee child care assistance partnership (ECAP). Testimony explained that micro centers are intended to fill gaps such as rural, third-shift, drop-in, and partnership-based care, would initially be limited to 10 statewide with no more than two per county, and could serve 4 to 24 children under a more flexible regulatory framework. Members also discussed whether family child care homes like the “Miss Barbara” model fit the bill; sponsors said they are not micro centers, but the bill includes other provisions to support family child care homes. Questions also focused on ECAP, which was described as a tri-share model in which employers contribute, the state matches for eligible employees, and the employee pays the remainder; sponsors said the bill privatizes ECAP first before considering expansion to teachers or public employees. House Bill 6 passed favorably by a vote of 12-0-1, and the title amendment passed.
The committee then took up House Joint Resolution 50, also sponsored by Representative Heavrin. The resolution asks the Kentucky Auditor’s office to study the administrative regulations, statutes, agency policies, and processes affecting the opening and operation of licensed and certified child care services, with particular attention to the All Stars program. The sponsor said the goal is to identify opportunities for change through a thorough third-party review, noting that the All Stars system has been in place for about 10 years and that many child care rules are tied to federal funding and cannot be changed quickly. The resolution passed unanimously by a vote of 13-0. The meeting concluded with notice of the next committee meeting and adjournment.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- Again, it's a very small part of our overall portfolio.
- So it is a very small fee, but it is something that we have to pay.
- Chair, it's a small fraction.
- Chair, it's a small fraction.
- fair in a long time, and what took us to the state fair back in the early days was that I went to a small
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- And this is across small business, medium-sized business, and large businesses.
- So those kinds of small studies are out there, and we can learn a lot from those studies.
- So currently there are these small studies.
- We don't have these really large ones, but any of those questions that you have at a small level, there
- But if a teacher has a small group of students and this can be tutoring students on the side, that's
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in K-12 education. Dr. Maya Israel of the University of Florida gave an overview of AI literacy, the benefits of AI for personalized learning and teacher support, and the risks involving data privacy, overreliance, hallucinations, and misuse. She described the Florida K-12 AI Task Force, which published statewide guidance in March and is now providing professional development, case studies, surveys, and resources for teachers and families. She also noted that teacher preparation programs and microcredentials are being developed, but there is not yet a statewide baseline standard for teacher AI training.
Superintendents Van Ayers of Hillsborough County and Kevin Hendrick of Pinellas County described district policies and implementation efforts. Hillsborough adopted an AI governance policy, created an implementation guide, and set rules barring generative AI use for students in pre-K through 7th grade while allowing limited, teacher-approved use for older students with district-vetted tools. Pinellas emphasized digital responsibility, parent transparency, data-use agreements, and a governance process for approving tools. Both districts said AI is being used for lesson planning, tutoring, reading-level adjustments, scheduling, and other administrative tasks, but they do not yet have reliable evidence that AI is improving academic performance. They also discussed teacher training, stipends, and certification efforts, including partnerships with universities and vendors such as Microsoft, Google, Magic School, and Gemini.
Drew Allen of FSU Inspire offered an industry-focused perspective, arguing that AI is not new but that education must adapt more quickly to industry needs. He described Inspire’s workforce and research mission, its AI and robotics training for teachers, and the need to build teacher comfort and confidence through incentives and applied training. Committee members raised concerns about student dependence on AI, academic integrity, mental health, moral decision-making, data privacy, and whether schools should return to more paper-based testing. The panel generally agreed that AI should be used with strong guardrails, human oversight, and a balance between technology use and traditional learning. No legislation was considered, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Aug 11th, 2025
New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- And at Fort Stanton, we are dealing with a small wildfire earlier, which thankfully did not cause too
- Right next to this building is another small building.
- So they’re essentially taking the bonds in and then remarketing them for a small portion of the overall
- Should a small community or any community move forward and issue bonds on their own?
- But large entities and small entities get the benefit of our reporting.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Basically, and this is too small to read, but I can read it with my 2015 glasses on.
- And then you have small cities and special tax. Units which are subject to an 8% limit.
- As a small business owner, I am proud to say that for the last five of six years, I've been able to lower
- They know the value they receive from our small piece of the pie.
- In my little small community, when I was, I remember early on I’d look at my property taxes, and my sales
Keywords:
property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit, school assessment
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Jul 22nd, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- about ways that we think the Medicaid dollar can be reduced by certain interventions that require a small
- identical organizations in every state, partially funded through the various states themselves and a small
- In the past, I've always proposed small things.
- They are supported by a small amount of patient revenue.
- A lot of the small clinics in the rural areas might have an LSAA on their staff, and they are able to
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Legislative Leader Media Availability 6/6/25
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So when you look at the um very small haircut that counties are getting in the transportation bill in
- at<00:04:26.080>
the <00:04:26.880>um <00:04:27.120>very <00:04:27.440>small - <00:04:27.919>
haircut you look at the um very small haircut you look at the um very small - And how employers figure that very important but small workaround.
- And how employers figure that very important but small workaround.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- it on behalf of us as citizens, and it allows prosecutors a tool to go out and seek justice in that small
- One is Coryell County is a very... ...small rural county; it's impossible to find a court reporter, let
- It is a very small rural county, and I've dealt with the... ...victim and the victim's family are very
- If those questions and those discussions came out, it's a small rural county.
- I made it very clear to my investigators that it could go differently because it is a small community
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine biomedical research, focusing on keeping America's edge in innovation. Apr 30th, 2025 at 09:30 am
Senate Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- NIH Institutional Development Award, the IDEA program, have transformed rural states like ours into small
- Approximately 82% of device companies are also small companies and also depend on a strong FDA to advance
- helped correct the historic imbalance in federal research funding which has been concentrated at a small
- There are jobs that fuel our small towns and cities.
- we're looking at getting private investors to invest in growth around the country, certainly in our small
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee Apr 23rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- It would allow a small contribution to those plans, allow the union to negotiate a small contribution
- And again, my hope on this bill is that this is a very, very small amount...
- My hope on this bill is that this is a very, very small amount of individuals that we are talking about
- We know it is a very small minority of school employees who are responsible for these incidents, but
- We know it is a very small minority of school employees who are responsible for these incidents, but
Summary:
The committee heard several bills focused on public employment, retirement, and recognition of cultural and public service issues. AB 569 would allow local governments and unions to negotiate supplemental pension contributions for certain employees; AB 989 would make California Native American Day an official paid state holiday; AB 268 would recognize Diwali as an official state holiday; AJR 3 would urge protection of Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal from federal cuts; AB 1067 would require misconduct investigations to continue even if an employee retires during the process; AB 1510 made technical and conforming changes to state employee pay and benefits laws and to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority labor law; and AB 1233 would create a statewide database of classified school employee employment history and serious misconduct records. The committee also took up AB 1383, which would lower the retirement age for certain first responders and restore some bargaining rights over retirement benefits, drawing extensive testimony for and against.
Supporters of the holiday bills emphasized long-overdue recognition of Native American and South Asian communities and the importance of honoring California’s diversity. Supporters of AJR 3 described the reliance of seniors, people with disabilities, and families on federal and state health and retirement programs, warning that cuts would cause serious harm. AB 1067 was presented as a way to prevent employees from retiring to avoid accountability, while AB 1233 was framed as a student-safety measure to help schools identify applicants with prior egregious misconduct. Opposition to AB 1233 focused on due process and the breadth of the misconduct records, and opposition to AB 1383 argued it would reverse PEPRA reforms, raise pension costs, and strain local budgets, while supporters said firefighters and other first responders face unique health and safety risks and deserve earlier retirement.
Most bills were reported out of committee on unanimous or near-unanimous votes and placed on hold for add-ons or referral to Appropriations or another committee. AB 912 was taken up on the consent calendar and held; AB 569, AB 989, AB 268, AJR 3, AB 1067, and AB 1510 all advanced with do-pass recommendations and were placed on hold. AB 1233 was moved to the Committee on Education. AB 1383 drew the most extensive debate, with many witnesses in support and opposition, and committee members largely expressing support for first responders while also noting concerns about cost and pension policy.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health Apr 21st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- under Title X, this is a shock to the system that has potential for grave outcomes, particularly for small
- And it's so we can continue to empower people throughout the small cities and towns that make up our
- And even in Sacramento County, we do have a team of nurses, but it's a small team.
- So being able to have nurses that could have these small clinics within the neighborhoods really helped
- As a leader of a small organization, it's passion work that I get to do.
Summary:
The subcommittee held an oversight hearing on federal actions affecting California’s public health and family planning systems, focusing first on the freeze to Title X family planning funds and then on broader CDC/public health grant terminations. Chair and members described the cuts as abrupt, harmful, and likely to create major gaps in disease surveillance, vaccination, contraception, STI testing, and other preventive services, while also criticizing the federal administration’s explanation that the actions were tied to DEI or civil-rights compliance. The chair thanked Attorney General Bonta for legal action and said the hearing was intended to document the real-world impacts and inform state budget responses.
Witnesses from Essential Access Health, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, a Central Coast clinic, and other providers said California’s Title X network serves more than half a million low-income patients annually and relies on the funds for staffing, outreach, training, mobile and school-based clinics, and confidential care. They warned that the freeze has already forced reserve spending, delayed services, and could lead to layoffs, reduced hours, longer waits, and fewer appointments, especially for sexual and reproductive health care. Public comment included support for a proposed state backfill of Title X losses, with advocates emphasizing impacts on low-income, LGBTQ+, and communities of color.
On the public health side, CDPH, county health officials, and local health officers testified that the CDC’s rescission of $11.4 billion in grants would affect California by an estimated $840 million and threaten lab capacity, immunization programs, health disparities work, and data systems such as CalConnect and vaccine registries. Sacramento County and others described how the grants supported outbreak response, sequencing, community vaccination clinics, and equity-focused partnerships, and said terminations had already led to canceled appointments, stopped contracts, and layoffs. Several speakers urged the Legislature to preserve and expand state “future of public health” funding and to backfill federal losses, while public commenters from HIV, immunization, labor, and county organizations echoed concerns about workforce losses and worsening health outcomes.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Appropriations Apr 8th, 2025 at 08:30 am
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- Can you really need one on these small budgets?
- And so this is a small thing.
- And so that, although it seems like it's a small thing and it doesn't necessarily have a dollar amount
- And so this is a small thing.
- And so that, although it seems like it's a small thing and it doesn't necessarily have a dollar amount
Summary:
The committee began with roll call and a brief update on remaining work, then took up Senate Bill 2213, the “science of math” bill. Members clarified that the appropriation for the program was not included in the DPI budget and would remain attached to the policy bill for now. The committee adopted the amendment and then gave the bill a do pass recommendation, 21-2.
The committee next considered Senate Bills 2036 and 2037, both juvenile justice/Human Services bills involving mental health and criminal responsibility evaluations for minors. Testimony explained that the bills create new processes and require DHS to contract with specialized providers, with appropriations of $500,000 in 2036 and $300,000 in 2037. Members debated whether the funding should come from existing DHS resources or remain as separate appropriations, and whether the programs were one-time or ongoing. The committee adopted amendments on both bills and then recommended both do pass, with 2036 passing 14-6 and 2037 passing 17-4.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget. Representative Bosch outlined major themes in the budget, including migration from PeopleSoft and the mainframe, onboarding/off-boarding automation, double-counting of IT spending, and the transition of education technology from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus. Members also discussed a study amendment related to a statewide enterprise resource planning system, and added language on grant management and compliance management. The committee adopted the amendments and gave the budget a do pass recommendation, 20-0-3.
Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2011, the Highway Patrol budget. Representative Pyle explained the House changes, including shifting some one-time costs to the motor carrier electronic permit fund, funding for body armor, breath tests, road course resurfacing, fleet costs, handgun replacement, and carryover authority for federal technology funds. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed the budget 21-0-2. The committee then began Senate Bill 2399, a Human Services bill on Medicaid reimbursement for psychiatric residential treatment facilities, but deferred action after testimony from a facility representative and committee discussion about therapeutic leave days, reimbursement rates, and whether a cap on reimbursable days should be set in statute or rule. The chair said the committee would seek more information from DHS and take the bill up the next day.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- But it's a very small portion if you take the people that are actually commuting from Juárez every day
- But as far as overall, it would be very small because they pay a higher, if they pay out-of-country or
- And so the $150 increase over time would be a small portion of that.
- We have a small, minimal number of out-of-state students you have to consider.
- Hurley, I grew up in a little small town in Kentucky, and here we both are.
Keywords:
special prosecutor, state law, criminal justice, accountability, law enforcement, stormwater management, counties, regulation, environment, water quality
Summary:
The Committee on Higher Education met to hear several bills and first corrected the minutes from its April 1, 2025 meeting to reflect that a committee substitute for HB 271 had been adopted before the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard HB 3326, which would help Texas higher education employees, especially adjunct faculty, qualify for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness by counting classroom hours toward full-time status, requiring institutions to verify employment within 60 days, and requiring annual notice to eligible employees. No witnesses testified against the bill, and it was left pending.
Members then heard HB 2853, authorizing UTEP to phase in a student union fee increase to fund demolition and reconstruction of its aging student union. Representative Perez and UTEP student and university witnesses said the current facility is outdated and insufficient for a campus of more than 25,000 students, while some members raised concerns about the size of the fee increase and its impact on low-income students. UTEP representatives said most students receive aid, the fee would be phased in over time, and the project was student-approved; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4066, a one-line bill to abolish the Texas Research Incentive Program after the state cleared its backlog of matching obligations, with the author saying the program was no longer needed in light of newer research funding approaches. The bill was left pending.
The committee spent substantial time on HB 125, which would create the Tarleton State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Supporters, including Tarleton leadership, the founding dean, a rural hospital CEO, and a feasibility consultant, argued the school would address severe rural physician shortages by recruiting Texas and rural students, training them in rural settings, and developing new residency slots rather than competing for existing ones. Members asked about affordability, residency placement, and whether the school would draw students from rural Texas; Tarleton said it would seek to keep tuition and debt low, had already raised private donations, and would request $25 million in state support over the biennium. The bill was left pending.
Finally, the committee heard HB 42, which would increase the annual Higher Education Fund appropriation and adjust its allocation methodology. The chair and university witnesses described rising deferred maintenance, inflation, cybersecurity needs, and enrollment growth at HEAF-eligible institutions, with witnesses from Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, and UNT saying the additional funding would help address aging facilities and technology needs. After testimony, the committee left HB 42 pending and recessed.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session Apr 7th, 2025 at 01:00 pm
North Dakota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The Senate made several small changes in the wording on lines 16 through 19, which the prime sponsor
- Having someone in the office collecting phones for kids in a small town, like Underwood in my district
- Having someone in the office collecting phones for kids in a small town, like Underwood in my district
- Speaker and members of the Assembly, Senate Bill 2112 offers a small but important expansion of a safety
- That's not a small number of children that might qualify for it.
Summary:
The North Dakota House convened with prayer, roll call, and recognition of guests and student visitors, then moved through a long calendar of resolutions and bills. Early in the session, members honored Mandan High School’s e-sports team for state championships and recognized House Minority Leader Zachary Ista’s birthday. The House then passed HCR 3037 unanimously, urging mandatory reporting requirements for public officials, after committee support and remarks emphasizing accountability in public office.
The chamber then considered numerous Senate amendments and final-passage votes on bills covering ambulance service grants (HB 1597), Public Service Commission records and open meetings (HB 1110 and HB 1063), squatter/trespass law (HB 1305), nonconforming structures in local governments (HB 1500), academic tenure policy (HB 1437), retirement eligibility for correctional officers and state radio dispatchers (HB 1274 and HB 1419), a Medicaid dental study (HB 1567), above-ground fuel storage tank regulation (HB 1058), gaming site authorization procedures (HB 1615), an oil extraction tax incentive outside the Bakken and Three Forks formations (HB 1483), and simple assault protections for hospital workers (HB 1341). Most of these measures passed, though HB 1231, which would have created a study on early discontinuation of sex offender registration, failed on final passage.
A major point of debate was Senate Bill 2354, which would restrict student use of personal electronic devices during the school day in public and nonpublic schools, with exceptions for medical and special education needs and annual reporting on impacts. Supporters argued it would improve focus, behavior, and mental health, while opponents raised concerns about private-school regulation, logistics, liability, and duplication with a similar bill. The House passed SB 2354, and also passed SB 2112, which temporarily authorizes the Life Skills and Transition Center to serve certain non-eligible youth in crisis, despite objections that the facility should remain focused on developmental disabilities and concerns about repeating past institutional problems. The House also debated and rejected HB 1300 on legislative term limits after extensive discussion about whether the Senate’s date change altered the effect of the voter-approved measure. The session ended with announcements, committee notices, and adjournment until April 8, 2025.