Transcript Highlights:

• would be, again, pretty. negligible for a large county, probably pretty cost-prohibitive for a very small
• is there so you don't have any kind of an estimate you but you think it'd be cost prohibitive for a small
• know, and to representative, your question about the cost savings, if it is cost prohibitive. for a small
• security and helping get our students ready to not only have careers in cybersecurity but help our small
• Rural area. areas, urban areas, different parts of the state, large providers, small providers.

Bills: HB150, HB869, HB876, HB 1043, HB1494, HB1522, HB150

Keywords: cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• 100,000 comes from our small purchase threshold.
• It's a benchmark small purchase threshold for goods and services is 100,000.
• We know that small purchase is supposed to be quick and easy, get it done, over with.
• I'm also chair of the Kaʻī Democratic Party, and I'm an auntie in a small rural community.
• market and we watch so front of my small market and we watch so many<01:05:37.039> kids<01:05

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with testimony largely in support. SB 1388 and SB 1393, both concerning the School Facilities Authority and Department of Education representation and land conveyances, received support from DOE and the School Facilities Authority, with no questions or action taken. SB 423, which would add Head Start representation to the Early Learning Board, was supported by the Early Learning Board and the Executive Office on Early Learning, which explained the bill would realign the board with federal Head Start Act requirements after the board was restructured in Act 170; EEL also requested an effective-date amendment. SB 422, allowing DOE to award diplomas to students whose education was disrupted by war, drew support from DOE, the Chamber of Commerce, the Military Council, and the Special Education Advisory Council, but also significant opposition from the Hawaii Patriot Republicans and many individuals; members asked questions about the bill, and DOE explained the measure’s purpose, but no vote was taken. The committee also took testimony on SB 532, which would expand who may administer certain medications in schools. DOE, the Department of Health, and the University of Hawaii supported the bill. Members asked detailed questions about oral, nasal, and topical medications and the process for prescription review and administration; DOE explained that parents request the medication, a school form is completed, a nurse reviews it, and either a trained school health assistant or a contracted nurse administers the medication. DOE said the measure could improve attendance and learning, especially for students with ADHD, asthma, and other chronic conditions. The committee then heard SB 659 on locally sourced food products and school meals, where DOE’s procurement office opposed the higher small-purchase threshold and DOE exemption from procurement rules, while Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others supported the bill as a way to advance farm-to-school goals and the 30% local food target by 2030. Testimony and questioning focused on the proposed threshold increase, transparency, and whether an online bidding system would be preferable. Finally, the committee heard SB 1300 on subsidies for ALICE families’ school meals. DOE supported the bill but requested amendments: defining eligibility at 250% of the federal poverty level, delaying implementation until the 2026-2027 school year, and covering reduced-price lunch students in full for 2025-2026. HSTA, Hawaii Appleseed, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Pride at Work Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and others supported the measure, emphasizing food insecurity, the burden of meal paperwork, and the educational importance of free meals. Hawaii Appleseed suggested replacing ALICE with a federal poverty level standard and removing a rulemaking requirement that could delay implementation. No votes or final committee actions were reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• that's the only mechanism that the tow industry has if people don't, you know, other than going to small
• And to think that it's reasonable that they have to go to small claims every time somebody doesn't pay
• And to think that it's reasonable that they have to go to small claims every time somebody doesn't pay
• And to think that it's reasonable that they have to go to small claims every time somebody doesn't pay
• <02:25:20.640> claims<02:25:21.040> court small claims court small claims court >>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our fraud rate is<00:32:39.760> very<00:32:40.240> small<00:32:40.559> in<00:32:
• <00:32:41.840> Um<00:32:42.320> we is very small in New Hampshire.
• Um we is very small in New Hampshire.
• So, we have a relatively small fraud rate. >> So, if I understand this correctly, we're modeling this
• petition the DEA to allow for small petition the DEA to allow for small controlled<01:50:51.360>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Remember, these are small children they are working with all day long.
• are working with all small children they are working with all day<00:14:08.360> long.
• You have an opportunity with this bill to extend some small piece of protection to the places and the
• This bill gives them the legal authority to extend some small piece of protection to extend some small
• > a<00:36:05.600> survey Think Small recently conducted a survey Think Small recently conducted

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One, our large hospital, is a sole community hospital, and the two others are small Medicare-dependent
• Um, and there might be a couple other small items in there.
• <00:50:48.559> Um a couple other small items in there.
• Um a couple other small items in there.
• Or they're sitting there, small business; they can't function from a cash standpoint.

Keywords: 00:00:00 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:02:20 - Discussion of 26RS HB 689 00:13:13 - Discussion of 26RS SB 201 00:27:45 - Discussion of 26RS HB 583 00:46:37 - Discussion of 26RS HB 488 00:48:13 - Discussion of 26RS HB 2 01:14:34 - Discussion of Kentucky State Plan Amendment (SPA) 26:0001: School-based Medicaid Services Program 01:18:24 - Public Comment, 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Board met on March 9 with a quorum present and no minutes to approve. The chair reordered the agenda to hear House Bill 689 first. Representative Amy Neighbors presented HB 689, which would authorize Kentucky to seek CMS approval for a Medicaid state-directed payment program for physician and non-physician professional services delivered through qualifying hospital-affiliated groups, beginning January 1, 2026, with retroactive payments for that year. She said the bill is intended to improve access to care in rural and underserved areas, support workforce retention, and generate about $29 million annually in federal Medicaid funds without using general fund dollars. Representatives from Owensboro Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare testified in support, describing staffing and subsidy pressures, lower Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and the importance of the program for maintaining access and quality in rural and safety-net settings. Committee members noted the bill had already passed the House Health Services Committee unanimously and discussed broader concerns about Kentucky’s low reimbursement rates and the need to consider other systems not covered by the proposal. The board then heard Senate Bill 2011 from Senator Donald Douglas and Cody Hunt of the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would address a Medicaid coding issue by ensuring that coverage limits do not reduce payment to fewer than two evaluation and management service units per provider, per patient, per day. Douglas argued the current one-visit, one-issue limitation forces multiple visits, increases no-shows, and prevents providers from treating the whole patient. Hunt explained that the bill is meant to correct a longstanding regulation that limited E&M services to one per physician per recipient per date of service, which can prevent providers from coding additional medically necessary work during the same visit. He said DMS has already filed a regulatory amendment to fix the problem, but a statutory change is still needed to prevent the issue from returning. He also said the bill is not intended to change reimbursement policy, only coding rules, and that MCO payment practices vary. Members generally supported the concept. Senator Berg asked about fiscal impact and private-payer billing; Hunt said there should be no fiscal impact because the bill does not change payment policy, only coding. Representative Moore said the proposal could reduce costs and improve convenience by avoiding extra visits. Chairman Meredith said the bill illustrated problems with fee-for-service care and supported moving toward a more holistic delivery model. Dr. Schuster raised a drafting concern about the bill summary language, and Hunt responded that the regulatory amendment should address the issue generally for providers. No votes were taken on either bill during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:35:54.320> and these panels is is relatively small and these panels is is relatively small
• Um it really it's a really pretty small.
• <01:36:14.800> Um power than these these small panels.
• Um power than these these small panels.
• So I believe... small lithium ion battery, portable small lithium ion battery, portable battery,<01:47

Bills: HB1697, HB1678, HB1679, HB2282, HB1940, HB1671, HB1481, HB2015, HB2207, HB2486

Keywords: natural hair braiding, registration, Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Act, public health, sanitation, cumulative voting, associations, unit owners, board of directors, elections, Hawaii Revised Statutes, condominium, association meetings, electronic voting, proxy voting, mail voting, insurance, premium increase, policy cancellation, licensing

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1697, which would exempt natural hair braiders from licensing requirements under certain conditions. The DCCA Board of Barbering and Cosmetology said it recognizes braiding as within the scope of cosmetology practice but warned that a broad exemption could create consumer protection gaps, especially around sanitation training, tool use, and enforcement. Supporters from the Institute for Justice and the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii argued the current licensing regime is overly burdensome and unrelated to braiding, citing the 1,250-hour training requirement, high tuition costs, barriers for low-income entrepreneurs, and the fact that many other states already exempt braiders. Committee members asked whether a standalone sanitation course or similar training could address the board’s concerns, and the board said it would bring that idea back for discussion. The committee also noted 16 written testimonies in support and 2 in opposition. The committee then took up HB 1678, relating to condominium and planned community association elections using cumulative voting. Supporters, including the Hawaii State Association of Parliamentarians, said the bill would clarify that cumulative voting applies to all candidates, including write-ins, and would help resolve confusion in association elections. One testifier urged the committee to remove proxy voting, calling it an abuse of power in some associations, while another asked whether cumulative voting and proxies could be manipulated to stack votes. In response, the parliamentarian explained that cumulative voting and proxy voting are different, that proxies simply allow someone to vote on another’s behalf, and that existing deadlines and counting procedures reduce opportunities for abuse. Testimony also emphasized that electronic or mail voting can be secure and efficient, and that the bill would make the process clearer and more democratic. Finally, the committee heard testimony on HB 1679, which would clarify an association board’s authority over electronic meetings, electronic voting, voting without a meeting, and mail voting without a meeting. Supporters said the measure would clean up statutory language, make electronic voting optional, and fix problems created by a 2024 change that made written-consent timing rules difficult to use for association actions. They also said the bill would clarify that proxies are only used at meetings, not for actions taken without a meeting. One opponent argued the bill needs further amendment because electronic voting is not well defined and could be abused, and questioned the neutrality of parliamentarians testifying on condominium bills. No votes were taken on any of the measures during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• district with few facilities are a small district with few facilities it<00:12:37.839> would<
• I own a resort, a small family-owned resort in Park Rapids, Minnesota.
• family owned my I own a resort a small family owned my husband<00:18:51.440> and<00:18:51.520
• > resorts also want to mention our small resorts also want to mention our small resorts are<00
• Most of our family-owned resorts are small.

Bills: HF1124, HF1457, HF1803

Keywords: school calendar, education, school year, Labor Day, state law, school construction, landfill, dump site, closed landfill, contaminated site, pollution control agency, school siting, public school, charter school, environmental health, student safety, brownfield, solid waste, waste disposal site, site contamination

Transcript Highlights:

• requirements but this being such a small requirements but this being such a small one-hour<00:32
• As an example, not necessarily saying that it's happening in school, but my small kids came from her
• As an example, not necessarily saying that it's happening in school, but my small kids came from her
• <00:44:15.040> kids happening in school but my small kids happening in school but my small
• I did just want to note one small, well, I don't know if it's small, minor thing: these are allegations

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 749, which would require high schools to provide at least one hour of instruction on the nature and history of communism. The prime sponsor said the bill was prompted by concerns that students lack basic historical knowledge about communism and its effects, and argued that a short, flexible requirement could be embedded in an existing course without creating a new full class. He described communism as a totalitarian ideology and cited historical examples including the Soviet Union, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Cold War, and current events involving Russia, Ukraine, and Taiwan as reasons students should understand the topic. Members asked whether the subject is already covered in current social studies standards, whether one hour is enough, and whether the bill would apply to public, private, parochial, and charter schools. The sponsor said he did not believe communism is specifically required in current standards, that he would prefer a full course but was proposing a minimal requirement, and that he intended the bill to apply broadly to schools under the Department of Education’s umbrella, though he acknowledged the wording may need clarification for charter schools. He also said the proposal was both reactive and proactive, based on anecdotal concerns and his teaching experience. A second supporter testified that he was born in the Soviet Union and favored the bill, but suggested the instruction should emphasize critical thinking and explain both why communism can appeal to some people and why it can have harmful consequences. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:06:32.360> Surplus<00:06:33.360> but<00:06:33.520> as still estimate a small
• Surplus but as still estimate a small Surplus but as you<00:06:33.759> can<00:06:33.880> see
• changes in the 2627 bium even small changes in the assumed<00:18:54.000> rates<00:18:54.240><
• The net effect is a very small decrease in the corporate tax revenue forecast in this biennium and a
• teachers many manufacturers small teachers many manufacturers small businesses<01:16:26.760>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the course of this program, the program has awarded 173 grants to researchers and small businesses
• 17 173 grants to researchers and small 17 173 grants to researchers and small businesses<01:04:27.559
• I hope you're proud of the fact that, as a relatively small state, we have two NCI Comprehensive Cancer
• The funds, supplemented only by a small amount of non-credit fee income, are used to provide training
• funds supplemented only by a small funds supplemented only by a small amount<01:36:36.679> of

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Since 1993, Maria's small communities.
• We got out there and listened to people. is our September small business of the is our September small
• , far an act of kindness, big or small, far an act of kindness, big or small, can<02:11:05.280>
• working families and our small working families and our small businesses.<04:31:42.239> That's
• c><05:50:11.360> awakening<05:50:12.240> taking small symbol of an awakening taking small

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, September 18, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Small engines run better and are better maintained if you put in premium non-oxygenated fuels.
• So, like I said, motorcycles, classic cars, and many small engines. Will benefit from this.
• This common-sense reform protects small policyholders and ensures the system works as intended.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a very small bill.
• So what we are asking for is a small change to allow them to participate in the grant funding.
• So what we are asking for is a small change to allow them to participate in the grant funding.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection convened with a quorum, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, and briefly discussed the ongoing flooding in eastern Kentucky. Members and the chair asked for prayers for affected families, first responders, utility workers, and others dealing with the disaster. The chair also reminded members about Military Kids Day on Tuesday, February 25 at 9:00 a.m. The committee then took up House Bill 234. Sean Butler, executive director of the Kentucky Police Chiefs Association, testified that the bill would fix an omission in current law so airport police departments can participate in grant funding when they turn in firearms for destruction or sale through the Kentucky State Police, as other departments already can. He said airport police are fully sworn and certified officers but were left out because they fall under a different statute. After questions, the committee voted on the bill and it passed with favorable expressions, advancing to the House floor. The chair said the second bill would not be considered that day because of unresolved issues and would be brought back later. A member also asked to register attendance before the meeting concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Being able to do that, small ones, this is how we're going to solve the problem.
• Uh I operate a small child care program licensed for 20 children in Salem.
• So, we sort of know that this is a small amount of traffic from the outset.
• <02:07:24.880> businesses process in front of small businesses process in front of small businesses
• small child care, be less than 24 by 32. small child care, be less than 24 by 32.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a 50-year-old renewable energy company based here in Hawaii, 100% employee-owned small business
• Um, we employee owned small business.
• out little small flyers like this<01:13:17.679> to<01:13:17.920> the<01:13:18.320>
• state and yet at the Alawawaii small state and yet at the Alawawaii small boat<01:31:05.040>
• A tourism is a small percentage of their business, of their revenues.

Bills: HB1739, HB1741, HB2606, HB2362, HB2608, HB2294, HB2431, HB2375, HB2582, HB2585, HB2231, HB1601, HB2424, HB1956

Keywords: transit-oriented development, zoning, land use, urban planning, density, local governance, housing, inclusionary zoning, inclusionary mandate, affordable housing, below-market-rate housing, inclusionary housing, development exaction, impact fee, housing affordability impact fee, needs assessment study, financial feasibility, rough proportionality, essential nexus, county ordinance

Summary: The committee on Water and Land met on February 19, 2026, and the chair opened by emphasizing strict time limits and that all bills would be deferred if the agenda was not completed before the noon session. The first major measure discussed was HB 1739 HD1, which would preempt county land-use authority in transit-oriented development areas. The Department of Planning supported the bill, saying it could promote state-funded TOD and infrastructure, while the city and county’s position was raised in questioning. Unite Here Local 5 opposed the bill, arguing it would strip counties of self-determination, disrupt state-county policy collaboration, and remove a check on unrestrained development. Committee members pressed the supporters on whether the bill was really about higher density and whether it would override local zoning and sustainability concerns. The committee then heard testimony on HB 1741 HD1, a housing bill described by supporters as reducing inclusionary housing mandates and increasing supply. Grassroots Institute of Hawaii argued affordability mandates reduce overall housing production and raise market-rate prices, while a Zoom testifier said the bill would improve housing stability, health, and community outcomes for working families, kupuna, and young residents. Members asked about the bill’s needs assessment and who would conduct it, with a witness saying the counties would likely contract it out but that the bill did not clearly specify the reviewer. HB 2668 HD1, dealing with water heating systems, drew testimony from the Hawaii State Energy Office and industry representatives. Supporters generally backed adding heat pumps to the law, but one solar-water-heater industry witness asked for amendments to remove or extend the current 15-year statutory life limit for solar water heaters and to update outdated standards and variance rules. A Kauaʻi Climate Action Coalition witness opposed the existing solar-only structure, arguing heat pump water heaters are cheaper, align with climate goals, and should be allowed without a variance. The Energy Office said the current law already allows variances in some cases, suggested adding high-efficiency heat pump water heaters to the exemption, and said the 15-year figure may be too short, with 18 years mentioned as a possible alternative. The committee also briefly moved through several other bills, including HB 2606 HD1 on off-site construction and HB 2362 HD1 on housing, with no notable testimony or action recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• My companies are members of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, a 1400-member small and
• My companies are members of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, a 1400-member small and
• My companies are members of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, a 1400-member small and
• Might be a small one. Um so perhaps it should be laid over for consideration.
• Might be a small one. Um annual notice. Might be a small one.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Anselm College, and it's in just a very small number of towns that will be affected now.
• Small businesses installing solar arrays for individual homeowners flourished.
• <00:49:28.520> businesses was available small businesses was available small businesses installing
• All other states are, so we can contribute a small amount of money through our non-game program.
• Our New England cottontails are very, very small numbers in the state. Senator Ros, thank you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're very diverse, as small as we are.
• <00:08:59.640> as<00:08:59.800> we diverse uh as as small as we diverse uh as as small
• I kind of knew what we needed in a small school of 630 some kids. We have two principals.
• We have a lot of activities for a small school here; we try to get kids involved.
• we have a lot of activities for a small we have a lot of activities for a small school<00:41:33.680

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• But these are the kind of things that need to be really looked after, no matter how small the money is
• or how small the grant is.
• The result was small: $1,957 improperly paid to two ineligible horse owners.
• The result was small: $1,957 improperly paid to two ineligible horse owners.
• Department of the Treasury expanded the State Small Business Credit Initiative program, or SSBCI.

Summary: The committee convened, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received a memo summarizing major audit items. The State Auditor’s office and outside auditors then presented a series of audits, many of which were clean with unmodified opinions and no findings, including the Bank of North Dakota, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Region State College, and the Office of the Governor. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association audit was also clean overall, but it repeated findings about limited segregation of duties and auditor assistance in preparing financial statements, which the auditor said were expected to continue because of the organization’s small size. Committee members asked about out-of-state board addresses, and the association explained those members were North Dakota residents using South Dakota mailing addresses. Several audits did include findings. The Council on the Arts audit identified two issues: payroll charged to federal awards without supporting time records, and $12,825 in Cultural Endowment Fund spending that was not allowable under state law, including staff training, retreats, and executive director candidate travel. The Department of Public Instruction audit found unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, but additional testing confirmed the funds were credited properly and students completed required school district work, so no improper payments were identified. The University of North Dakota audit found a lack of documentation and transparency in School of Law admissions decisions; the auditor said the law school used a holistic process but did not keep notes or evaluation tools to show why applicants were admitted, waitlisted, or denied. UND leadership said the school is in good standing with the American Bar Association and agreed better documentation is needed, and the auditor said the issue was the missing documentation, not ABA accreditation itself. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which found four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating cap, grant conditions not being met, improper breeder fund awards, and improper procurement. The auditor said promotion fund spending exceeded the cap by $327,447 and the fund balance dropped sharply over the audit period. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson said the agency had become complacent, that grant requests were treated as routine, and that controls and documentation need to be tightened. He also explained that the breeder fund overpayments involved two horses whose ownership transfers were not properly documented before racing, and that the procurement issue stemmed from an advertising contract that proceeded without proper written procurement procedures after a misunderstanding with the State Procurement Office. The auditor said the Racing Commission will now be audited every two years because of the findings. The committee also received updates on Dakota College at Bottineau’s bank reconciliations, which Minot State University said had been brought current after an 18-month backlog, with only one account still needing cleanup; members asked for a written report on the corrective actions. The North Dakota Fair Foundation was reported to have dissolved, with remaining funds transferred to another nonprofit account for continued support of the state fair. Finally, the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, revising the earlier estimate to about $1.1 million based on incomplete district survey responses, and said the Anti-Lunch Shaming law likely increased meal debt because schools must feed students regardless of account balance. Members discussed the need for a more accurate year-end debt figure and possible future reporting at a later committee meeting.