Transcript Highlights:

• You don't want that electrical or other equipment in the flood zone.
• Report, muster points, equipment use, CMS notification, warning system procedures, and active shooter
• It must also require at least three evacuation drills yearly. ...First session safety drills designate
• an emergency preparedness supervisor with each session to run training, maintain equipment, and ensure
• Emergency drills on day one. My sons say that that never happened.

Bills: HB48 , HB66 , HB68 , HB71 , HB75 , HB164 , HB171 , HB254 , SB 3 , SB 18 , HB123 , HB149 , HB117

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Transcript Highlights:

• If you would please come on up, give your name for the record, and you know the drill.
• locations, costing nearly $7 million per election year in operating costs and over $10 million in new equipment
• Jen Marston, you know the drill. Jen, thank you. Mr.
• Jen Marston, you know the drill. Jen, thank you. Mr.
• associated with the additional voting locations: the cost to rent space, to pay poll workers, to buy new equipment

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the minutes from February 18, February 20, and March 4, 2026, then took up several measures while holding others in reserve. House Bill 2006, which would require counties without a USPS processing and distribution center to mail printed sample ballots 14 days before an election instead of 11, received support from the Association of Counties and passed on a 7-0 vote. House Bill 2167, which would impose liability on the Attorney General for certain public nuisance or consumer fraud actions that are dismissed or found meritless, drew opposition from some members who said it would interfere with the AG’s work, but it passed 4-3. The committee also discussed House Bill 2109, a hands-free driving bill that would increase penalties and expand the prohibition to watching or streaming video on a device; after extensive testimony and concerns about vagueness, dash cameras, CarPlay, navigation, and other in-car systems, the chair held the bill without prejudice for stakeholder discussions. The committee then heard House Concurrent Resolution 2016, which would send to voters a proposal to eliminate county vote centers and on-site early voting and require precinct-based polling places with a 2,500-voter cap per precinct. Testimony from voting rights groups, county officials, and rural and tribal representatives strongly opposed the measure, citing higher costs, more provisional ballots, longer lines, delayed results, and reduced access for voters in rural areas and on the Navajo Nation. County representatives asked for a delayed effective date, funding, a higher precinct cap, and a fallback option if precinct sites cannot be secured. After hearing the testimony, the chair announced the resolution would be held without prejudice until the following week to allow further stakeholder discussions with the sponsor.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do that in our drills.
• We do that in our drills.
• We do that in our drills.
• and tornado drills.
• Such as fire drills and tornado drills, constant training is also required when there's an active threat

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You don't just take a regular water drilling well to drill.
• You use an oil drilling well to do that.
• We're having to drill more wells. We've had seven wells in process.
• We've drilled three already, we're outfitting them.
• We have two more being drilled and two more planned.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• When I was in school, we had fire drills.
• No fire drill I've ever heard of evacuates only one part of a building while leaving others behind.
• Texas summer camps must be properly equipped, trained, and held accountable for safety. ...accountable
• Schools and daycares all have fire drills and active shooter drills. ...hurricane and tornado drills,
• We would have looked at materials; we would have looked at equipment to see...

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:23.680><c> The</c> about things like drilling, right?
• The about things like drilling, right?
• The perpetrators move in and out drills.
• </c> the work that we've done around drills the work that we've done around drills has<00:10:48.560><
• ><c> to</c><00:10:51.040><c> there's</c> has found that drills tend to there's has found that drills

Bills: HF3653 , HF2717 , HF3451 , HF3857

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: education finance, safe schools revenue, school safety, charter schools, funding, safe schools, school security, school levy, pupil units, safe schools aid, cooperative units, intermediate school district, school resource officer, peace officer liaison, sheriff liaison, drug abuse prevention, gang resistance education, violence prevention, suicide prevention, mental health services

Summary: The committee first adopted the March 3rd minutes by voice vote after Representative Lee moved them and there was no discussion. Members then reviewed hearing rules on decorum, safety, and participation before taking testimony from Dr. James Densley and Dr. Jillian Peterson of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University. The presenters summarized research on mass shootings and K-12 school shootings, drawing on a database of homicides in school settings from 2000 to 2025 and a smaller set of 15 K-12 mass shooting cases. They said school shooters are usually insiders, most often current or former students, and typically young males. They described common patterns including a noticeable crisis before attacks, perpetrators viewing the shooting as a final act, studying prior shooters online, and “leakage” in which most tell someone in advance. They also emphasized that many perpetrators use unsecured firearms from family members and argued that prevention should combine reporting systems, behavioral threat assessment, counseling, mentoring, secure storage, and other layered interventions rather than rely on a single solution. The presenters also discussed broader violence trends in the Twin Cities, saying much school violence is spillover from community violence and that pandemic-era disruptions and weakened trust in institutions contributed to serious violence. They cited a national survey finding that exposure to gun violence is associated with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and fear of public spaces, especially among young people. During member questions, Representative Wam asked for clarification on the data set and the rural/small-town share of the survey sample.

Transcript Highlights:

• How much of the decrease is in oil activity, drilling and stuff like that? Is that part of it?
• But if, as drilling becomes more efficient and there's less taxable inputs that go in the well, that
• So there's a lot of things to kind of drill through there, no pun intended.
• Yeah, any increase in drilling activity will certainly have a positive impact on that sales tax number
• It looks like they loaded every vehicle with equipment and guns and so on, a vault, and all that.

Committee: Joint Budget Section

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that, how much is the decrease in oil activity, you know, drilling and stuff like that?
• But if, as drilling becomes more efficient and there's less taxable inputs that go in the well, that
• So there's a lot of things to kind of drill through there, no pun intended.
• Yeah, any increase in drilling activity will certainly have a positive impact on that sales tax number
• It looks like they loaded every vehicle with equipment and guns and so on, a vault, and all that.

Committee: Joint Budget Section

Summary: The Budget Section met to approve prior minutes and receive a series of budget, revenue, and program updates from OMB, the Tax Department, DOT, DMR, and DPI. OMB reported that general fund revenues through May were about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls, though the biennium is still projected to end with a positive balance. OMB also reviewed oil price and production assumptions, the budget stabilization fund transfer above its cap, Legacy Fund performance, federal grant applications, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting that most of the settlement funds had been deposited but a small amount of accrued interest would require a future deficiency request. The committee then considered Emergency Commission requests. It approved requests for Public Service Commission abandoned mine lands federal authority, an Attorney General FTE and related funding for criminal investigator work tied to the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. After discussion, the committee also approved DPI’s request for a $500,000 transfer for the food vendor program, despite questions about the program’s savings and cash-flow structure. Later, the Tax Commissioner presented the primary residence credit program, reporting that current biennium costs are expected to exceed the appropriation by about $22 million and explaining how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran credits and the 3% property tax levy cap. The Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board reported strong returns for both funds, and DOT sought and received approval for two flexible fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. DOT also updated members on Highway 85 construction and said remaining flex fund dollars were essentially fully allocated. DMR reported on the abandoned well plugging and site reclamation fund, noting North Dakota’s relatively small orphan well inventory, current and projected fund balances, rising remediation costs, and a possible need to adjust the fund cap in future sessions. Finally, DPI outlined the new integrated formula gap funding program, explaining that it compensates school districts that cannot reach the assumed 60-mill local contribution because of the 3% levy cap; the first year’s gap funding totaled about $1.8 million, with future costs expected to grow.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that, how much is the decrease in oil activity, you know, drilling and stuff like that?
• But if, as drilling becomes more efficient and there's less taxable inputs that go in the well, that
• So there's a lot of things to kind of drill through there, no pun intended.
• Yeah, any increase in drilling activity will certainly have a positive impact on that sales tax number
• It looks like they loaded every vehicle with equipment and guns and so on, vault, and all that.

Summary: The Budget Section approved the March 18 minutes and received an OMB update showing the general fund is still ahead of the budgeted starting point, but revenues through May are now about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls. OMB also reported the budget stabilization fund is above its cap, meaning a transfer to the general fund is expected, and reviewed oil price/production assumptions, noting continued volatility. Members asked about the income tax netting process, the sales tax decline, oil price discounts/premiums, natural gas taxation, and when the executive branch would present its revenue forecast. The committee then acted on several Emergency Commission requests. It approved, as a group, requests for federal mine reclamation funds for the Public Service Commission, an additional criminal investigator FTE and funding for the Attorney General’s office, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. It separately approved DPI request 2164 for $500,000 to support the food vendor program after debate over whether the program’s savings were known and whether the money was simply a pass-through. OMB also reported on federal grants, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, FTE pool usage, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting the settlement funds had been deposited and that a deficiency appropriation may be needed later to cover remaining accrued interest. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus presented on the primary residence credit program, saying participation has grown sharply and that the current biennium will likely need about $431 million, roughly $22 million above the appropriation. He explained how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran benefits, how the 3% property tax cap works, and why county valuations and mill rates vary. The committee also received a Legacy Fund/Budget Stabilization Fund report showing strong returns, and DOT Director Ron Henke received approval for two Flex Fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. Henke also explained remaining Highway 85 funding and said the department is exploring uses for leftover state dollars. Finally, the Department of Mineral Resources reported on abandoned well plugging and site restoration, noting North Dakota remains in relatively strong shape compared with other states, and DPI began a presentation on gap funding tied to the 3% levy cap, reporting 24 districts received $1.8 million in the first year and projecting higher future needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means that if you're signed of the Florida National Guard, you drill, we pay our soldiers and our
• Some states have high numbers, but they not don't necessarily have all the people showing up for drill
• We only have so many pieces of equipment, so many vehicles, have so many pieces of equipment, so many

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 32:49.600><c> process</c><00:32:50.720><c> surface</c> drill process is the process surface drill process
• </c><00:33:01.039><c> into</c> when developers are drilling into when developers are drilling into mineral
• We're talking about a well that's drilled on state or private property close to federal property.
• We're talking about a well that's drilled on state or private property close to federal property.
• </c> requirement for a federal drilling requirement for a federal drilling permit<00:53:09.040><c> for

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, April 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How do you think it gets from under the ground through our three big drills and all that we have?
• drill a hole in the sand to put the beach equipment in; they used that sand drill to threaten the beachgoer
• I heard that someone was threatened by a beach chair vendor who uses a sand drill to drill a hole in
• the sand to put the beach equipment in, that they used that sand drill to threaten the beachgoer.
• They used that sand drill to threaten the beachgoer.

Summary: The committee first took up CS/SB 1730, a Live Local Act bill on affordable housing. The sponsor described it as a set of technical and policy adjustments to strengthen implementation, including changes to zoning, height, parking, moratoriums, attorney fees, and related land-use rules. An amendment by Senator Claudio was adopted, adding provisions such as a 10-story height limit near single-family neighborhoods, exclusions for certain protected areas, and changes to fee and use definitions. The committee then reported the bill favorably. Members next considered CS/SB 1674 on unrated bonds for Israel bonds, with a clarifying amendment adopted to make clear the bill applied only to Israel bonds. CS/SB 140 on charter schools was also approved after debate over parent-led conversion of public schools, municipal job-engine charter schools, and surplus school property; opponents warned about local control and impacts on teachers and communities, while the sponsor said the bill preserved district authority and created new school-choice and economic-development options. The committee also passed SB 96, a claims bill for Jacob Rogers, and CS/SB 954 on recovery residences, after strike-all amendments that addressed zoning, ADA concerns, bed caps, staffing ratios, and limits on operation in certain multifamily settings. Senators expressed support for expanding treatment housing but also raised neighborhood and staffing concerns. The committee then approved CS/SB 1714 on local housing assistance plans, which would allow SHIP funds for limited lot-rental assistance for mobile-home owners and require local plans to address mobile-home park closures. SB 658 on standardized construction lien release forms was reported favorably despite testimony from contractors and lawyers warning about possible effects on lien rights and the separate House proposal. The committee also reconsidered and then approved CS/SB 482 after a late-filed amendment addressing local government art fees and a key issue over defining “extraordinary circumstances,” with counties and cities saying more work remained. Finally, the committee passed SB 24 and CS/SB 4, both local claims bills, CS/SB 712 on synthetic turf and related construction rules, SB 952 repealing the emergency firearms/ammunition restriction, CS/SB 1164 allowing email notice delivery in landlord-tenant matters with opt-in safeguards, and SB 202 on municipal water and sewer rates, which drew extensive opposition from North Miami Beach and Miami Gardens officials over utility surcharges and revenue impacts. The meeting ended with SB 202 still under heavy questioning and testimony about the fairness and financial consequences of the surcharge structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• I kept moving forward with the permit process, permitted the well, drilled the well, built the facilities
• Yeah, so it is known at times if proper coring is done when the well is drilled.
• You've got to drill to get the core sample. Correct. Got it.
• What's drilled to the one that's currently permitted at 1,160?"
• What's drilled to the one that's currently permitted at 1,160?"

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• $500,000 for a generator at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum and $382,500 for replacement of IT equipment
• , which includes 306 computers, core routers, and various other technology equipment.
• We're requesting $4.67 million for appropriate housing of our critical equipment and the paper.
• And I was the first Secretary of State who had ever actually visited the warehouses where our equipment
• So let's, for a moment, drill down on the claims amount. The claims amount is $3 million.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For the plant, it's also on equipment, so that changes.
• They help us with some equipment financially also.
• And then twice a year, we do a nuclear drill where we'll do a practice.
• They help us with some equipment financially also.
• And then twice a year, we do a nuclear drill where we'll do a practice.

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Summary: The committee met to hear a series of presentations on advanced nuclear economics, workforce, community impacts, and financing. Nucleon Energy’s William Bridge presented a report estimating the economic impacts of hypothetical 200-megawatt and 600-megawatt SMRs, including construction and operating jobs, local spending, tax revenue, and the private-sector conditions needed to attract investment. He said the report used nth-of-a-kind cost assumptions, discussed security and water siting considerations, and argued that early community engagement and permitting work should be timed to when projects are closer to being economic. Committee members questioned cost assumptions, security staffing, transmission and water siting, and whether large reactors or SMRs are more likely to be financed in the near term. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning. She described declining labor-force demographics, the need for hundreds of thousands of new energy workers by 2050, and six workforce priorities: career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and non-traditional pipelines. She highlighted the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, robotics, and when training should begin relative to future plant construction; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers broadly and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. Red Wing, Minnesota Mayor Gary Yako described hosting the Prairie Island nuclear generating facility. He said the plant provides a large share of the city’s property tax base, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to local emergency preparedness, and is a strong community partner through donations and employee involvement. He said the city supports relicensing, has regular emergency drills, and has had no issues with dry cask storage. The committee also heard from NEI’s Benton Arnett, who reviewed the current financing landscape, including federal tax credits, DOE loan authority, offtake agreements, and the shift toward project developers and special-purpose vehicles. He said early projects face high first-of-a-kind costs, but federal support and long-term power purchase agreements are helping make projects financeable. Finally, DOE’s Julie Kazeraki described the Office of Energy Dominance Financing and its role in supporting new nuclear, restarts, uprates, and supply chain investments, emphasizing that federal loan and tax-credit tools are intended to reduce upfront risk and improve project affordability.

Transcript Highlights:

• An agency decided to add that piece of equipment.
• And I just want to drill down into it because I just don't know.
• That's more appropriate pieces of equipment for 2025.
• We fund the data that is collected through USGS equipment.
• Is that a special order, or is that common equipment today?

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• minds together and also my experience as a school resource officer and how this stuff flows during a drill
• this stuff flows officer and how how this stuff flows during<00:04:39.919><c> a</c><00:04:40.080><c> drill
• 41.240><c> we</c><00:04:41.400><c> put</c><00:04:41.520><c> it</c><00:04:41.600><c> on</c> during a drill
• and how do we put it on during a drill and how do we put it on steroids<00:04:42.440><c> and</c><00:
• relatively inexpensive when it comes to making sure that every single school in the state of Minnesota is equipped

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• sets out a process for school districts and other educational entities when texts and other books, equipment
• Equipment, materials, or relocatable facilities are deemed surplus and are for sale or for lease.
• So we want to make sure that students that are especially in need of this equipment when they...
• We want to make sure that students that are especially in need of this equipment, when they graduate,
• That is more common than any earthquake drill, fire drill, or lockdown drill that we prepare for.

Bills: SB6222 , SB6263 , SB6118 , SB6261 , SB6320

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Keywords: public education, technology access, surplus hardware, digital divide, student resources, school district, public bidding, bid limits, procurement, public works, construction contracts, competitive bidding, lowest responsible bidder, small works roster, quotations, school purchasing, Washington-grown food, local food, inmate work programs, Department of Corrections

Transcript Highlights:

• And you want to be exempt from sales tax exemptions also for purchasing all equipment?
• This also, I think, creates a problem in terms of water because most leases allow the lessee to drill
• Members, usually when a surface landowner has drilling operations and plugging operations on their land
• It's not only the equipment coming out of the well, but it's all of the land damage and whatnot they've
• Landfills accept drill cuttings, muds, and other wastes that are legally considered non-hazardous, but

Bills: HB3619 , HB3652 , HB4572 , HB4891 , HB4941 , HB5103 , HB5105 , HB5106 , HB5224 , HB5600

Committee: House Energy Resources

Keywords: surface estate, well plugging, Railroad Commission, landowner rights, liability, strategic reserve, gas supply, petroleum products, disaster response, Railroad Commission of Texas, energy security, emergency planning, oil and gas waste, environmental regulation, waste management, mining pits, groundwater monitoring, regulation, commercial disposal facilities, environmental standards

Transcript Highlights:

• It could have been equipment was down, or it could have been staff turnover, training on how to use equipment
• the equipment, and they work with audiologists to read the screening results.
• Items in the administrative rule category referred to fire drills and certain dietary provisions.
• Those changes could include a reduction in fire drill frequency, dropping from 12 drills per year down
• Those changes could include a reduction in fire drill frequency, dropping from 12 drills per year down

Committee: Joint Human Services

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Human Services Committee met in interim session and first approved the previous meeting minutes before receiving a series of presentations on homelessness and housing stability. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency updated members on the new Interagency Council on Homelessness, describing its executive-order mandate to review resources, gather input from stakeholders, identify gaps, and develop recommendations. She said the council’s first work is building a statewide program matrix of existing homeless services and funding sources, with attention to youth, tribal communities, and other vulnerable populations. Members raised concerns about youth homelessness, homeless veterans, and how the council will stay focused on a practical framework rather than getting lost in details. The committee also discussed possible connections to the rural health transformation grant and agreed to continue the topic later in the spring. Beth Olson of Presentation Partners in Housing described the organization’s housing-first model in Cass County and Clay County, including homeless prevention/diversion, housing navigation, and Cooper House, a 42-unit permanent supportive housing building in Fargo. She said the organization focuses on people with long-term and chronic homelessness, many with mental health, addiction, health, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity-related barriers, and reported strong outcomes: 85 of 86 people housed in 2025, 91% still housed after one year, and major reductions in emergency room use, ambulance rides, jail stays, detox days, and shelter use. She also explained that state funding has grown from a small share of the budget to about $1.1 million in state-connected funding for fiscal 2026, largely through contracts tied to supportive services. Members asked about vouchers, rent contributions at Cooper House, length of stay, and whether similar projects could be expanded elsewhere. Andrea Olson of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota outlined statewide homeless and housing-related services delivered through six community action agencies in all 53 counties. She explained the Community Services Block Grant structure, said housing was identified as the top need in the most recent statewide needs assessment, and described programs including Supportive Services for Veteran Families, North Dakota Homeless Grant services, and Home ARP supportive services. She emphasized that the end of North Dakota Rent Help has increased pressure on the system, that the current $2 million annual homeless grant is far smaller than prior rent-help assistance, and that community action is using case management and financial assistance to move households toward self-sufficiency. Members asked about funding formulas, rural service delivery, and coordination with Presentation Partners to avoid duplication. YouthWorks then began a presentation on youth homelessness, describing services for ages 12 to 24, the special needs of youth and former foster youth, and the organization’s use of federal and state funds to support transitional housing, emergency shelter, maternity housing, and diversion services.