Video & Transcript : 'ports of entry' :

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KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Legislative Session Day 11 (1-21-26)

Kentucky House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Next order of business, the excuse of absent members. >> Mr.
  • Next order of business is the second reading of bills.
  • Yeah, it is. >> We now return to the order of business of second reading of bills. >> Clerk, please report
  • It's the product of five years of work.
  • </c> of floor amendments. of floor amendments.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Legislative Session Day 10 (1-20-26)

Kentucky House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • of the people of this great commonwealth.
  • </c> of the house rules. of the house rules.
  • c> report</c><00:05:15.440><c> of</c> Next order of business, report of Next order of business, report
  • </c> of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, section of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, section one,<00:23:50.400
  • ><c> House</c><00:23:51.360><c> of</c> one, the members of the House of one, the members of the House
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • all of that when I was in second top of all of that when I was in second grade<00:30:48.360><c> my</
  • of dropping out of school.
  • of dropping out of school.
  • </c> if the judge is of the opinion of those if the judge is of the opinion of those uh<00:39:24.440>
  • </c> of them already do but I want all of of them already do but I want all of them<00:52:39.319><c>
Summary: The House Standing Committee on Families and Children met and first took up House Bill 479, which would require one hour of dementia training for DCBS workers. Representative Derrick Lewis and the Alzheimer’s Association said the bill was a straightforward, bipartisan effort to address dementia awareness and improve worker training, with no fiscal impact. Members spoke in support, including remarks about personal family experiences with dementia and the importance of recognizing symptoms early. The committee voted 11-0 to pass the bill with favorable expression. The committee then heard House Bill 574, the “Baby Maya” child protection bill, sponsored by Representatives Dossett and Lewis. The bill would require reporting when a child is born to a parent who previously had children removed for neglect or abuse, create a rebuttable presumption allowing the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to make an initial safety determination, authorize emergency custody procedures, and name the measure the Baby Maya Law. Sponsors said it was intended to add guardrails after the Baby Maya case and stressed that it would not automatically remove children or add new mandatory-reporter penalties. Members asked about hospital involvement, HIPAA, and information-sharing; the Cabinet commissioner said the agency would be open to better data-sharing with hospitals, but currently has no such system. The bill passed 12-1 with favorable expression. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 291, the Family Preservation and Accountability Act, with a committee substitute. The bill would expand sentencing alternatives for primary caregivers convicted of nonviolent offenses, allowing judges to consider family status and use options such as counseling, parenting classes, and related services. Supporters argued it would keep families together, reduce harm from parental incarceration, and save money; one witness cited a report estimating $4 million in direct incarceration savings and broader economic benefits. Another witness, Amanda Hall, gave emotional testimony about the long-term harm of parental incarceration and said access to help would have been better for her family than prison. The committee adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill 12-1 with favorable expression.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • of the committee.
  • co-chair of the committee.
  • It is the reporting of a pool project in excess of a million dollars.
  • of the water payment in arrears due to the district by the City of Livingston.
  • to lack of payment.
Summary: The committee first reorganized by electing new co-chairs for the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee: Senator Fanny Fromom? as Senate co-chair and Representative McPherson as House co-chair, both by acclamation. The committee then approved the minutes from the prior meeting and received quarterly capital project status reports from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Finance and Administration Cabinet, and postsecondary institutions. Those reports noted University of Kentucky equipment purchases, several school districts planning general obligation and revenue bond issues, a notification of non-approval for PR 3567, and Kentucky Community and Technical College System asset preservation projects. Kevin Cardwell of the Finance and Administration Cabinet reported two action items: a $5,100 federal-funded Transportation Cabinet renovation of the Rowan County east and westbound rest areas, and a $1 million federal fund increase for the Capitol City Airport terminal building project, bringing the total federal support to $10 million and reducing the need for restricted funds. The committee also received a no-action report on a $1,363,000 Kentucky State University exterior repairs project funded through the 2024 asset preservation pool. Both action items were approved unanimously after roll call votes. The committee approved four lease renewals presented by Natalie Bronner for Cabinet for Health and Family Services locations in Bell, Lee, and Clay counties, plus a parking lease for the Department of Corrections in Jefferson County. Members asked about lease pricing and were told renewals must remain at existing terms and conditions. The committee then approved a $57,000 Kentucky WATS emergency grant for Wood Creek Water District to cover part of arrears tied to the City of Livingston; members discussed the city’s audit delinquency, possible regional water/sewer solutions, and concerns about rates and private involvement, but the grant was approved. Finally, the committee approved a $1 million line-item water grant to the City of Williamsburg with no action required, three Economic Development Fund grants for Bell, Franklin, and Shelby counties totaling $8 million in state support for site acquisition and infrastructure work, and five SFCC-supported school debt issues for Elizabethtown Independent, Erlanger Independent, Boyd County, Henderson County, and Union County. The school projects included middle school, high school, and vocational school renovations or new construction, and members requested a breakdown of the space funded by the debt. All action items were approved, and the meeting adjourned.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Appropriations and Revenue.(2-10-26)

Appropriations & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> of what uh the import of 500 would be. of what uh the import of 500 would be.
  • the</c> has assisted of of going through the has assisted of of going through the codes<00:38:02.720
  • We have an example of an entry that we found for $28,000 in flights for some individuals who may not
  • ><c> uh</c> an example of an entry that we found uh an example of an entry that we found uh for<00:46
  • </c> breakdown of some of those expenditures. breakdown of some of those expenditures.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • So, unless one of y'all can go snag one of these guys, but I know there's a lot of BRs going on and I
  • What are some of the benefits of this plan for the employees?
  • the</c> to the efficacy of the programs of the to the efficacy of the programs of the Commonwealth,<00
  • </c> the type of audit gets a certain type of the type of audit gets a certain type of fee.<00:36:43.280
  • By way of each hour of audit work build.
Summary: The committee first heard from Personnel Cabinet officials on House Bill 6, which required the Kentucky Employees Health Plan to offer a qualified high-deductible health plan by the 2026 plan year. Officials said the plan was already added for 2025, described it as the lowest-premium option with higher deductibles, and explained that federal rules prevent first-dollar coverage except for limited preventive services. They said 264 members had selected the plan out of about 142,000, and noted it also allows health savings accounts. Members asked about the plan’s benefits, what “catastrophic” meant, the deductible amounts, and whether employees were aware of the option; the cabinet said it would continue to highlight the plan in communications and that the deductible is above $8,000 for individuals and above $16,000 for families. The committee then received an update from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs on the Bowling Green veterans center. Officials said the current target is to move into the building on October 28, with first admissions about two months later, pending final fixes and certification steps for Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA. They explained that about $7 million in FY25 appropriations lapsed because of construction delays, staffing ramp-up was postponed to avoid unnecessary spending, and the unspent funds should be considered in the next budget request. Members praised the project and asked about annual operating costs; officials said the current operating budget is about $15 million, though they do not expect to spend all of it this year. The commissioner also announced the fifth annual state commanders conference in Lexington, focused on veterans issues and featuring state, federal, and advocacy leaders. State Auditor Allison Ball then outlined her office’s budget priorities. She said the office is primarily a billing agency that charges audited entities for its work, and warned that some agencies are now signaling they may refuse to pay for audits related to kinship care and the medical cannabis application process. She said the office plans to continue requesting outlier credits for unusually burdensome county audit fees, funding for the ombudsman office’s transition and expanded in-office operations, and revenue replacement for local government audits and possibly state audits and special examinations. Ball also said the office conducts about 500 audits, reviews, and examinations a year and wants to restore performance audits with seed funding, as well as add investigators to the ombudsman office to focus more on child abuse and neglect cases. Members discussed the value of performance audits, the possibility of raising certain board thresholds to account for inflation, and the need for additional capacity to handle more audits.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • /c> transitioned of off of type two transitioned of off of type two connections<00:16:22.240><c> at</
  • uh</c><00:20:55.760><c> of</c> some kind of capability of of uh of some kind of capability of of uh
  • </c> another layer of of design in there another layer of of design in there another<00:32:26.159><c>
  • </c> unaware of. unaware of.
  • </c> comply uh comprised of uh of lawyers. comply uh comprised of uh of lawyers.
Summary: The Information Technology Oversight Committee met to hear a presentation from Kentucky Department of Education officials David Couch and Mike Lingham on the history and current status of Kentucky’s K-12 internet network, including its relationship to KentuckyWired. They described the original KETS design from 1995, when KDE established district internet hubs and left local districts to connect to them, and said that model helped Kentucky become a national leader in school connectivity and cloud-based services. They also emphasized the importance of E-rate eligibility, saying it has saved the state substantial money and remains central to KDE’s network contracting. Couch and Lingham said the current “next generation Kentucky K-12 internet” contract with Education Networks of America is more reliable, offers more functionality, and costs less than the prior system, including lower bandwidth and firewall costs. They explained that the transition was complicated by build-out and provisioning issues, especially the need for more “type two” connections through local providers, which pushed some implementation past the June 30, 2024 E-rate deadline. As a result, 39 sites remain on type two connections, and KDE absorbed the loss of federal discount dollars for the portion of the transition that extended into July. The witnesses also discussed home internet access for students. They said KDE has tracked home access for about 20 years and estimates about 4.5% of students still lack adequate internet at home, with roughly 3% able to reach access nearby and 1.5% having no access. They said the biggest barrier is usually cost rather than lack of available lines, and noted that temporary hotspot support during COVID helped students continue schoolwork. Senator Williams asked about the costs of the transition, the current type two sites, and the potential cost of any future transition, but the transcript cuts off before a full answer was given.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • It's the south side of Fent County. Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
  • On average, it's 10.4% of the population has some form of dementia.
  • > um</c><00:04:02.159><c> struggling</c> T of thousands of Kian um struggling T of thousands of Kian
  • with the onset of dementia.
  • </c> of our loved ones are taken advantage of of our loved ones are taken advantage of in<00:08:50.760
Summary: The committee met with a quorum, passed over House Bill 291, and took up House Bill 479, an act related to dementia training. Rep. Derek Lewis, joined by Rep. Adriel Camel and Mackenzie Wallace of the Alzheimer’s Association, explained that the bill would provide free dementia-specific training for Adult Protective Services workers and help them better recognize and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and the needs of people with dementia. Testimony emphasized the personal impact of dementia on families, the difficulty of navigating diagnosis and care, and the need to connect families to services. A senator asked about the bill’s data and scope, and Wallace explained that the county-level figures reflected Adult Protective Services referrals and diagnosed cases of Alzheimer’s or other dementia among people 65 and older. She also noted broader public health efforts related to brain health and a federal grant effort tied to those issues. Several members spoke in support, including Sen. Denine, who described his father’s recent death after a difficult period with dementia and said the training would help families and workers identify and respond to the disease earlier. After discussion, Sen. Heron moved the bill, the motion was seconded, and the committee voted 6-0 to pass House Bill 479 with favorable expression. The chair said it should pass on the Senate floor. Afterward, the committee briefly reviewed administrative regulation 921 KAR 2:100 and found it reviewed with no questions. A child care block grant item was also presented for information only, with no questions raised. The meeting then adjourned.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • /c><00:20:58.120><c> Investments</c> um most of the most of the Investments um most of the most of the
  • </c> deal of expertise a great deal of deal of expertise a great deal of knowledge<00:25:24.679><c> uh
  • </c> to being a part of the culture of the to being a part of the culture of the facility<00:33:07.039
  • c> the</c> result of regular surveys of the result of regular surveys of the facilities<00:35:32.680>
  • Education</c> Department of US Department of Education Department of US Department of Education um<00
Summary: Chairman Hart called the meeting to order, confirmed a quorum, welcomed Representative Rachel Roarx, and the committee approved the February 11 minutes. The committee then moved through its agenda of PSC and related contract items, including a motion to consider the reviewed contracts without objection. One Department of Highways item was deferred when the virtual representatives were not yet available. The committee first took up Kentucky Housing Corporation contracts. Members questioned outside legal services for foreclosures and bankruptcies, why the work was not handled entirely in-house, and how much of the workload and cost it represented. Witnesses said the agency’s need was largely geographic rather than a lack of expertise, that less than 1% of the loan portfolio is referred out for foreclosures, and that many fees are reimbursable through FHA. Both Kentucky Housing Corporation items were approved. The committee then considered a Department for Community Based Services contract tied to a protest and a temporary renewal with PCG. Witnesses said the contract increase was needed to bridge the gap while the protest and RFP process were unresolved, and that the initial vendor received no funds. The committee approved the item, with Senator Douglas explaining his vote as a preference for straightforward answers. The committee also heard a Northern Kentucky University contract for a Workday ERP replacement, including implementation consulting and separate license fees. University officials explained the move from SAP to Workday, the complexity of the systems, and the need for a consulting partner; they said the total effort would span 10 years and that the contract was priced below comparable institutions. After extensive questioning about cost, budget, and value, the vote ended 4-4 and the chair noted the contract would move forward through the Finance Committee if no disapproval motion was made. Finally, the Office of Inspector General presented a contract for culture change training in nursing facilities funded by civil monetary penalties; witnesses said the goal was to improve staff satisfaction, communication, and resident outcomes, and that the CMP fund balance was about $38 million. Discussion also covered survey backlogs and CMS restrictions on the funds, with the item still under review as the transcript ended.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

House Chamber - Mon Mar 23, 2026, 12:00PM HST - Day 32

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> to your House of Representatives. to your House of Representatives. Mahalo. Mahalo. Mahalo.
  • </c> let's move on to the order of the day. let's move on to the order of the day.
  • </c><00:19:36.240><c> Please</c> support of this resolution. Please support of this resolution.
  • </c> of their work. of their work.
  • I rise in support of this resolution. I rise in support of this resolution. You can sit down.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Commerce Mar 17th, 2026

Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • But some of those, one of those fees was already taken care of by Representative Riser.
  • And just for the record of oils has a thousand acre port on the red.
  • one of them was inside of ag business.
  • Hundreds of jobs, yeah. Of Oils has not done that yet. And we have a port, by the way.
  • Hundreds of jobs, yeah. Of Oils has not done that yet. And we have a port, by the way.
Bills: HB489 , HB545 , HB555 , HB583 , HB670 , HB672 , HB797 , HB814 , HB913 , HB952
Committee: House Commerce
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Will everyone please rise and say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
  • </c><00:13:27.360><c> of</c> bringing awareness to the issue of of bringing awareness to the issue of
  • </c> of upfront through the department of of upfront through the department of agriculture<00:16:02.399
  • </c> out of the way of some of the barriers. out of the way of some of the barriers.
  • Are you aware of any of that?
Summary: The committee heard first from Kentucky Farm Bureau leaders, who outlined the organization’s current priorities and recent work on farmland transition. Eddie Melton said Farm Bureau is working through 983 county and advisory committee resolutions and highlighted support for the updated selling farmer tax credit, now law through House Bill 775, as well as Senate Bill 28’s agriculture economic development provisions. He said Farm Bureau’s likely priorities include maintaining the 50% share of the tobacco settlement fund for agriculture, protecting funding for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, preserving sales tax exemptions on farm inputs, keeping property taxes controlled, and exploring additional tools to keep farmland in active farmers’ hands, including possible loan or inheritance-tax changes. He also raised concerns about eminent domain transparency, nuisance deer permits, and access to agricultural inputs and crop protection products. Alita Bots described the farmland transition initiative in more detail, saying the revised state tax credit is generating strong interest and that a new federal tax provision now allows eligible land sales to actively engaged farmers to spread capital gains taxes over time. She said the initiative has reached 22 counties and more than 1,300 people this year through outreach and meetings, and that Farm Bureau is pairing policy work with resources to help farm families plan transitions and prepare wills and other estate documents. Drew Graham added that the effort is also meant to bridge the rural-urban divide and support rural communities, and Farm Bureau invited members to its annual meeting in early December. Members asked about rising insurance costs and deer damage. Farm Bureau representatives said severe convective storms, inflation, and higher repair and material costs have driven insurance rate increases, citing five major storm events since 2021 and a recent Owensboro hailstorm that caused about $350 million in losses; they said the company is moving toward percentage deductibles to help moderate increases. On deer, they said crop-loss totals are hard to quantify but acknowledged the problem and discussed possible coordination with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Hunters for the Hungry. Commissioner Jonathan Shell then began the Department of Agriculture presentation, reporting gains from the department’s school agriculture outreach program, including a 23% increase in county participation between March and September and improved teacher-reported student learning, before continuing into the department’s legislative priorities.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • I've also got some of my family up here. of behind the the pole there uh she has of behind the the pole
  • </c> amount of Farmland a minimum amount of amount of Farmland a minimum amount of Farmland<00:20:26.880
  • I was one of the few members of my party that voted in favor of this similar piece of legislation last
  • ><c> piece</c><00:32:50.840><c> of</c> voted in favor of this similar piece of voted in favor of this
  • </c> dimunition of the value of the dimunition of the value of the mortgage<00:43:13.240><c> by</c><00
Summary: The House Agriculture Committee first spent much of the meeting recognizing the large number of 4-H and FFA students and guests in attendance, with members from several counties introducing their groups and praising the programs for developing future agricultural and civic leaders. Comments emphasized the value of youth involvement in agriculture, leadership, and public speaking, and several members noted their own 4-H or FFA backgrounds. The committee then took up House Bill 356, and adopted a committee substitute before hearing testimony on the revised measure. House Bill 356, sponsored by Representative Carney, would create the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, expanding the original urban farming concept into broader agricultural education, agribusiness, advocacy, and work-ready skills. The substitute removed the requirement that participants have access to farmland, lowered the age floor from six to five, broadened participation, and established a pilot program with implementation left to Cooperative Extension. Supportive testimony came from a 4-H student and Kentucky 4-H representatives, who described how the program helps youth explore many interests and removes barriers for urban students. Members from both parties praised the bill as a way to reach more youth and strengthen agricultural education. The committee approved House Bill 356 as amended by the committee substitute on a roll call vote, with all members present voting yes. The committee then heard House Bill 315 from Representative Sharp, a foreign adversary land bill intended to limit certain foreign entities’ ability to purchase Kentucky land. Before member questions, Tim Shank of the Kentucky Bankers Association testified in opposition to one section of the bill, saying banks already screen borrowers through federal systems and that Section 8’s reference to an Attorney General lien for “actual costs” was too vague. He warned the language could create uncertainty for mortgage holders and potentially affect credit availability for farmers. Representative Sharp said he had just learned of the concern and may need to work with the Attorney General’s office to address it. He also said the bill was largely the same as last year’s version, except for the removal of a leasing-related paragraph, and the committee began discussion of the bill after that testimony.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations May 26th, 2026

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • of that plan.
  • So again, the employee covers 100% of the cost of the plan, 100% of the medications associated with that
  • of the concerns that we have in terms of the level of death that we are having in the state.
  • And all of us can kind of recognize when there are some inflation or things of that nature that's going
  • But I’m just saying it in terms of the logic of it.
Bills: SB25 , SB132 , SB155 , SB157 , SB202 , SB237 , SB250 , SB433
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select Aug 5th, 2025

Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Transcript Highlights:
  • You're here on behalf of the Texas chapter of the U.S.
  • Some of those include these alert systems and things of that nature.
  • Some of the issues that we saw led us to bring in the Department of State Health Services and some of
  • And so the rest of the state is covered by Justices of the Peace.
  • of things.
Bills: HB2 , HB1 , HB18 , HB19 , HB20 , HB1 , HB 2 , HB18 , HB19 , HB20
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence May 21st, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • All of these clients are watching the explosion of AI, and yes, there's a lot of good that comes from
  • of America.
  • That would put plaintiffs' counsel on notice regarding any of the detail. a kind of laundry list of items
  • of each of the payments that the provider had made in the last two years.
  • And and I'm the president of the Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys.
Bills: SB1960 , SB1730 , SB766 , SB2342 , SB2501 , SB2903