Transcript Highlights:

• Who monitors it at the state? As I've seen, nobody monitors it at the state.
• We have the only tribal college system of higher education in the country, so we do have some other states
• There's 34 pending across 27 states. States are doing this every single day.
• In some ways, this entity was created—the Tribal and State Relations Committee—was committed to educating
• Tribal affairs or state tribal relations, just to educate all of our members.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• statute, that uh stated in state energy statute, that uh stated in state energy statute, energy<02
• state.
• state of the states university does the state of the states and<04:38:30.799> they<04:38:31.039
• <04:38:34.561> that<04:38:35.199> um state of the states website that um state of the
• in its home state.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Senator Westlin. trust code and I do have um Lauren Baron trust code and I do have um Lauren
• The idea of this is also to make our state more competitive with other states that are doing the same
• <00:03:40.840> that chapters of the Minnesota code that chapters of the Minnesota code that
• on trust jurisdiction to other states on trust jurisdiction to other states who<00:04:19.040>
• <00:08:30.159> have state laws and what other states have state laws and what other states

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . education. education.
• Here in the state of Minnesota, we have three incredible structures for higher education.
• great state. great state.
• Unfortunately, in our state, we have regulations and tax codes which end up driving businesses and industries
• into their state while we're looking at driving billions of dollars out with our tax code and regulations

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• requirements for education facilities of the Florida Building Code, and prohibits local government from
• , and the Department of Education be in charge of education policy, or should one of the 400 cities be
• , and the Department of Education be in charge of education policy, or should, education be in charge
• Johns and in Dade and Broward, it's really across the state.
• Will signage change around this state?

Summary: The Transportation Committee took up several bills and amendments related to traffic safety, utilities, schools, and motor vehicle administration. Senator Pizzo’s SB 1782, as amended, expanded reckless driving per se to include certain high-speed behaviors; the late amendment removed impound language but kept mandatory court appearance, and the bill was reported favorably. Senator McLean’s SB 818 on utility relocation was amended to include an important state interest finding; after testimony from county groups opposing the cost shift to local governments and Charter Communications supporting the bill, it was also reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1644 on emergency vehicles, after a delete-all amendment broadened warning-signal use for volunteer firefighters, medical staff, and related vehicles. Senator Trumbull’s SB 1348 on DHSMV services was amended to streamline local delivery of motor vehicle services and remove certain fines, waiting periods, and CDL retesting provisions; it passed favorably with support from Florida Tax Collectors. Senator McLean’s SB 1188 on local governing authorities and charter schools drew the most debate, with supporters arguing local governments were using traffic and site-plan rules to block charter schools and opponents warning the bill would tie the hands of local governments and create a blanket preemption; it was reported favorably. The committee then passed SB 636, which limits use of the far-left lane on high-speed roads except for passing, exiting, move-over compliance, or traffic conditions, and requires FDOT signage. Senator Arrington’s SB 1152 increased the Florida Wildflower specialty plate fee from $15 to $25 to raise more money for wildflower research and habitat programs; it was reported favorably. Finally, the committee unanimously recommended confirmation of multiple appointments to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Central Florida Expressway Authority, Jacksonville Port Authority, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and Florida Transportation Commission, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Never left the state. Love the state.
• And that is we develop code where if you stay within these boundaries, you can get a code approval from
• Then a code approval means a pretty much boilerplate, make sure you're meeting all the code...
• Code approval means a pretty much boilerplate, make sure you're meeting all the code requirements, and
• This presents a big opportunity for the state of California.

Summary: The Select Committee on Climate Innovation and Infrastructure held a hearing focused on emerging technologies for climate resilience and infrastructure. The first panel discussed the Calistoga Resiliency Center, a utility-driven microgrid that keeps the city powered during public safety power shutoffs using hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, and liquid hydrogen storage. PG&E described microgrids as a resilience tool but emphasized that cost remains the main barrier to wider deployment. Energy Vault explained the project’s design, its ability to provide at least 48 hours of backup power on a small parcel of land, and its use of green hydrogen and battery storage to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. A Calistoga councilmember and NCPA representative also discussed the Lodi Energy Center hydrogen project, saying it could help decarbonize power generation and transportation, but that federal and state funding changes, tax credit timing, and other policy shifts have made the project difficult to advance. The Green Hydrogen Coalition supported the Calistoga model as a blueprint and urged policy changes to create demand and reduce barriers for renewable hydrogen, including addressing behind-the-meter rules and recognizing hydrogen in state energy planning. The second panel focused on water resilience and desalination, with the California Desal Association and Oneka Technologies discussing wave-powered desalination for the City of Fort Bragg. Cal Desal said California’s changing hydrology, reduced snowpack, and drought conditions make local water supply options increasingly important, but noted that conventional desalination is expensive and slow to permit. Oneka described its offshore, wave-powered system as a zero-electricity desalination technology that produces drinking water without greenhouse gas emissions and with limited land use, and said the Fort Bragg pilot is intended to demonstrate the technology under California conditions. The company and Cal Desal both stressed that permitting is a major obstacle, with the project requiring multiple agencies and a timeline far longer than in other jurisdictions. They also said the technology’s autonomous operation could improve water resilience because it does not depend on the electrical grid. The final panel featured the Climate Foundation’s marine permaculture proposal, which aims to restore kelp forests and support carbon removal and coastal food systems. The presenter said warming oceans and nutrient loss have devastated kelp forests along the California coast and argued that offshore platforms that raise and lower seaweed to access nutrients and sunlight could help regenerate ecosystems while producing food, feed, fertilizer, and carbon benefits. He said the technology has shown strong growth rates and storm resilience in other regions, but that California permitting remains a major hurdle, involving 17 state and federal agencies. He proposed a streamlined, code-based permitting approach for smaller projects and said the group is seeking matching funds to complete a first California pilot. Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses repeatedly highlighted the tension between innovation and the high cost, complexity, and length of California’s permitting and funding processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The state, back in 1986 or 1987, augmented our federal tax credit program to add the state low-income
• Codes and Standards acts as a statewide enforcement agency, title and registration agency, code enforcement
• Codes and Standards is also called upon by state and local agencies to support post-disaster efforts
• The state.
• There are 13 fair housing councils across the state that provide testing, investigation, education, and

Summary: The subcommittee heard an extensive presentation on the administration’s housing reorganization proposal, which would centralize multifamily affordable housing finance under the new Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) and align it with the Governor’s trailer bill language. Administration officials said the plan is intended to create a one-stop application and award process, reduce duplicative timelines and costs, and pair state subsidy with private activity bonds and federal tax credits more efficiently. They also described proposed changes to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, including shifting a larger share of funding toward housing-related awards while preserving a portion for sustainable communities investments. The Legislative Analyst’s Office generally supported the streamlining concept but recommended changes to the proposed bond set-aside timing and urged flexibility for integrated applications and future reporting on demand. Senators, especially Senator Cabaldon, raised concerns that the proposal could weaken the original climate-and-transportation purpose of the sustainable communities program and that the reorganization would be undercut by the lack of new housing production funding in the budget. The item was held open without a vote. The committee then received a report from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee on federal and state housing tax credits. Staff explained that the federal H.R. 1 change lowering the bond-financing threshold from 50% to 25% greatly expanded the number of projects able to use the 4% federal tax credit, allowing California to fund many more projects and units. They also described the state low-income housing tax credit as an important gap-filling tool for projects that still need additional subsidy, and noted existing set-asides for rural, homeless, at-risk, and extremely low-income projects. Members discussed rehabilitation as well as new construction, and the item was informational only. Finally, the Civil Rights Department reported on the effects of federal civil rights policy changes and on three programs facing expiration: California vs. Hate, the Community Conflict Resolution Unit, and Investigations and Conciliation Enhancement. Director Kevin Kish said federal cuts and policy shifts have reduced support for fair housing and other civil rights functions, while CRD’s caseload has grown from about 8,700 open matters a year ago to more than 12,000, with a six-month wait for interviews despite overtime triage efforts. Senators expressed strong support for continuing the programs and concern about the broader federal rollback of civil rights enforcement. The department said it is using overtime, intake triage, and outreach partnerships to manage the workload and direct Californians to appropriate state, local, and nonprofit resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Who monitors it at the state? As I've seen that nobody monitors at the state.
• We have the only tribal college system of higher education in the country, so we do have some other states
• There's 34 pending across 27 states. States are doing this every single day.
• The Tribal and State Relations Committee was committed to educating members as they come through, but
• Tribal affairs or state tribal relations, just to educate all of our members.

Summary: The committee met at Spirit Lake Tribe and heard an extended discussion with Spirit Lake tribal leaders and program directors about government-to-government relations with the state. Chairwoman Street and others outlined a number of concerns and requests, including taxation of tribal and trust lands, state school support for non-beneficiary students, homelessness services, Indian-managed health care, gaming/e-tabs, the Feather Alert system, industrial farming near waterways, tourism and cultural issues, and the need for more consistent tribal consultation. Committee members responded that many of these issues had previously been passed along without direct action, and several members emphasized the committee’s role in education, communication, and preparing possible legislation or resolutions for the next session. Tribal representatives also offered to provide training on treaties, IHS 638, and compact services to help legislators better understand tribal jurisdiction and billing issues. A major portion of the meeting focused on Spirit Lake Fish and Wildlife concerns, especially jurisdictional “gray areas” around hunting and fishing on the reservation, recognition of tribal licenses, and the boundary of the reservation around Spirit Lake/Devils Lake. Tribal officials said they wanted a co-stewardship agreement or MOU with the state to clarify jurisdiction, improve cooperation, and address invasive species and aquatic nuisance species. Committee members discussed whether to draft legislation or a resolution directing the executive branch and state agencies to negotiate such an agreement, and they asked for further input from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at a future meeting. The committee also discussed county involvement in land status changes and trust land issues, with Spirit Lake leaders describing a past Benson County resolution that tried to block fee-to-trust transfers and saying it was later rescinded. The committee then heard from Benson County tax equalization director Randy Thompson, who explained how the county values land and handles tax-exempt, inundated, and fee-to-trust parcels. Members asked about the impact of tax-exempt lands on county services and discussed prior legislation that helped counties with large tax-exempt bases. The committee also received a presentation from Dr. Steven Smith of Sisseton Wahpeton College, who described the college’s programs, economic impact, and funding needs, including support for non-beneficiary students and workforce training. Members asked about expanding tribal college education into correctional settings, and Smith said the idea was worth exploring through the tribal college system. Finally, HHS interim medical services director Christoph Framing presented remotely on 1115 Medicaid waivers and the IMD exclusion, explaining current state funding mechanisms for inpatient and residential behavioral health services and the bill draft directing HHS to pursue a waiver for IMD payments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal code requires states and territories to establish programs to contract with one or more Medicaid
• It is a state and federal partnership, and we work with the CMS as described earlier to have a state
• Also unique to the state of Arkansas, we're the only state that uses premium assistance, which is how
• Those can include provider fees to put up the state share or be funded by the state.
• Those can include provider fees to put up the state share or be funded by the state.

Summary: The Medicaid Subcommittee of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee met to adopt the November 2018 minutes and receive a primer on the subcommittee’s role and Medicaid oversight in Arkansas. Legislative audit staff reviewed the subcommittee’s history and explained that Medicaid is audited annually through the statewide single audit because it is a high-risk federal program. Staff summarized recent audit findings, including weaknesses in eligibility and data-matching controls, improper use of Medicaid funds for partially non-Medicaid work, issues with incarcerated juveniles’ coverage, the absence of a Medicaid recovery audit contractor program exception request, reporting problems involving MFCU recoveries, and provider eligibility documentation concerns. Staff also noted a DHS departmental audit finding involving employees who improperly received benefits, which was referred for further action. The Department of Human Services gave an overview of Medicaid’s structure, eligibility, delivery systems, and budget. DHS described Arkansas Medicaid as covering about 850,000 people through fee-for-service, managed care, and premium assistance for the expansion population, and outlined major spending categories such as institutional care, long-term services, pharmacy, capitated payments, and supplemental payments. DHS also explained the difference between state plan amendments and waivers, and said it has a beneficiary-fraud unit that refers cases to local prosecutors. The Office of Medicaid Inspector General described its role in detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, distinguishing between suspensions for credible allegations of fraud and recovery actions for mistakes or overpayments. OMIG said it works with DHS and law enforcement, issues quarterly and annual reports, and has increased recoveries in recent years. The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit explained that it prosecutes provider fraud criminally and civilly, can also handle long-term care neglect, abuse, and exploitation cases, and works with local prosecutors as special deputies. Committee members asked about court venue, provider suspensions, beneficiary fraud, education of providers, and the status of Medicaid expansion work requirements; DHS said it is preparing to implement community engagement requirements under HR 1 and will begin with a soft launch before full enforcement. No formal votes were taken beyond adoption of the minutes, and the meeting adjourned after questions were answered.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're going to do business in the state, you've got to get a business certification in the state.
• Now it's used voluntarily, you know, in most states, but there are also several states that require it
• And then at the state level, it's largely codified by Code Section 21-5I-4.
• , or, excuse me, in the state.
• So this is an attempt to clarify the state and federal law in code to make it more transparent.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 4198, which would require employers to use E-Verify to confirm new hires’ work authorization and impose escalating penalties for violations, including warnings, debarment from state contracts, loss of business licenses, and other sanctions. Counsel and senators raised extensive drafting concerns, including circular language, conflicts with existing record-retention provisions, unclear references to “seeks to employ,” possible application to babysitters, lawn care, and other casual or household arrangements, and uncertainty about how the bill would work for employers who never actually complete a hire. The bill sponsor defended the measure as a way to strengthen compliance with existing law, protect employers who use E-Verify in good faith, and deter illegal hiring. After debate, a motion to table the bill failed on a roll call vote, 6 in favor and 10 opposed, and the chair then announced the bill would be sent to a subcommittee to be cleaned up, with instructions to resolve the drafting conflicts and other ambiguities. The committee then turned to House Bill 4710, with an amendment, which would require a person to be registered with a political party or as an independent 210 days before filing a certificate of candidacy. Counsel explained that the change would lengthen the current 60-day requirement and would affect both party-switching and independent candidacies, making it harder for candidates to change affiliation shortly before an election. Senators asked about how the 210-day period would work relative to the primary and general election filing deadlines, and counsel clarified that it would be measured backward from the relevant filing dates. The discussion focused on the practical effect of the bill as a “sore loser” measure and on the timing rules for candidacy filings.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would require parents who accept DSAs to waive their federal and state special education rights, leaving
• Board of Education, in many states in the South, set up school voucher systems.
• All this for 2% of our children in the state of Texas can get a private education?
• Not just for education, but for meals, for special education services.
• Texas should follow no state on any education opportunities for those that need help the most.

Bills: SB2, SJR36, SB2, SB2, SR29, SB2

Keywords: Maverick County, recognition, economic development, Texas Senate, community celebration, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in this state to protect workers.
• And our state has grown dramatically.
• How does Cal OSHA's average fines compare to those in other states, especially states that have fewer
• How does Cal OSHA's average fines compare to those in other states, especially states that have fewer
• We are here and our establishment is to educate employers, as I stated in my opening, to empower them

Summary: The hearing focused on a state audit of Cal/OSHA titled “The Division of Occupational Safety and Health: Process Deficiencies and Staffing Shortages Limit Its Ability to Protect Workers.” Committee leaders and the audit team described serious workplace tragedies, argued that California’s worker protections are not being adequately enforced, and said the audit was prompted by concerns that Cal/OSHA was too often relying on letters instead of inspections, delaying investigations, and closing cases without enough documentation. Members repeatedly emphasized that the issue was not just staffing, but also outdated policies, weak oversight, and inconsistent enforcement. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found a 32% vacancy rate in 2023-24, heavy reliance on hard-copy files, outdated or unclear policies, and inconsistent decision-making in complaints, accidents, citations, and fine reductions. He said Cal/OSHA conducted on-site inspections in only about 20% of complaints, used letter investigations more than 80% of the time, often lacked evidence that hazards were corrected, and sometimes failed to inspect serious injury cases on time. The audit also found weak documentation for fine calculations and settlement reductions, with some penalties reduced substantially without clear explanations. Parks said the agency had accepted the findings and would provide progress updates later in the year. Committee members pressed the auditor on vacancy rates, the use of letter investigations, the low rate of criminal referrals, and whether fines were being reduced too often. Cal/OSHA and DIR officials responded that the vacancy rate had fallen to 12% partly because 66 vacant positions were eliminated in a statewide budget reduction and partly because of hiring; they said 126 people had been hired in the first half of the year. They also said they had hired a policy writer, were updating several policies, were planning periodic internal audits, and were developing a new data management system expected to go live in late 2026 or early 2027. On fines, officials said Title 8 sets base penalties and allows adjustments based on factors like employer size, history, and good faith, with appeals and informal conferences also affecting final amounts. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• five, state, must state the contract period and then subsection five states that the competitive solicitation
• criteria stated.
• Are we following any other states' model of this? Mr.
• I couldn't find anything that really listed all 50 states and what the practices are in all 50 states
• The other two were inexperienced and both returned to our state from outside the state.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• education are equalized levies, meaning that it's a revenue program funded by some mix of state aid
• finance system, including a state takeover of what had previously been a statewide general education
• The state takeover was of what had previously been a statewide general education levy.
• <00:29:36.000> education<00:29:36.480> budget component of the State education budget
• I think we should have a comprehensive look at how we fund education in the state.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fire code<01:05:00.079> State<01:05:00.319> Fire<01:05:00.599> code<01:05:00.880
• code has a number of code State Fire code has a number of access<01:05:01.920> requirements<01
• with the state fire code.
• with the state fire code.
• with the state fire code.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• employee or the state health plan.
• The 1963 Legislative Assembly did enact North Dakota Century Code 52-12, which authorized state agencies
• from our neighboring states.
• Followed by state wage data.
• This bill would revise those sections of code to align with the state law and federal requirements, and

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave policies, labor market conditions, and prevailing wage issues, then later took up committee rules and bill-draft jurisdiction. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the state has paid the full family premium since 1979, described cost-control and benefit-enhancement changes over time, and explained current plan options, wellness incentives, employer wellness discounts, and the upcoming bid process for the 2027-29 contract. HRMS then presented compensation comparisons showing state classified pay generally trails private and regional markets, with larger gaps at higher-level jobs, and reviewed benefits and leave policies, including the new enhanced annual leave and new-hire leave, the state’s unpaid family leave structure, and varying tuition reimbursement practices. Job Service reported on labor force trends, low unemployment, high labor force participation, job openings, and wage growth, and OMB said there are no state prevailing-wage requirements beyond federal Davis-Bacon rules for federally funded projects. The committee then considered a proposed amendment to Joint Rule 211 to better align the health insurance mandate review process with recent statutory changes. Members discussed how the rule should reference both the committee’s required actuarial reports and the Legislative Council cost-benefit analysis, and the amendment was adopted on a roll call vote. The committee also discussed how its jurisdiction decisions affect whether a bill draft receives actuarial analysis, with staff explaining that a decision not to take jurisdiction means the bill is not treated as impacting the relevant retirement or health plans for purposes of that analysis. After that, the committee began reviewing bill drafts for jurisdiction. The first draft, bill draft 33, would automatically renew pre-tax elections for dental and vision coverage during open enrollment instead of requiring annual re-election. Members debated whether it had any actuarial impact, noting the state does not pay those premiums directly, and the discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Administrative Code.
• So is this common in other states?
• Education release, work release.
• Contracts, the Model Penal Code, and the model codes that states should follow, they say here's...
• The Restatement of Contracts, the Model Penal Code, the model codes that states should follow.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And under North Dakota Century Code and North Dakota administrative code, a licensed distributor may
• And under North Dakota Century Code and North Dakota administrative code, a licensed distributor may
• on around the state.
• It's in our state.
• I'm here specifically to address Century Code 53-06 of the Century Code.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• educator code of conduct and this is regulated by a body called ESPEC that we are their staff.
• State Board for Educator Certification and ESPEC is empowered to take action against the certification
• If it's a certified educator they can report it to us and we're the administrative arm. for the State
• There's 3.5 that is completely new outside of what is required by the education code.
• We cover all state employees retired state employees and all employees of public higher education institutions

Keywords: infrastructure, water supply, flood mitigation, Texas Water Fund, community projects, funding allocations

Summary: During this committee meeting, the focus was on discussing critical infrastructure funding, especially related to water supply and flood mitigation projects. Chairwoman Stepney and the Water Development Board presented extensive details regarding the Texas Water Fund, which included $1 billion appropriated to assist various financial programs and tackle pressing water and wastewater issues. Additionally, funding allocations aimed at compromising the state's flood risk and improving water conservation were hotly debated, emphasizing collaboration among committee members and the necessity of addressing community needs in such projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and charter schools throughout the state.
• We lived through the Black Codes. We lived through the Jim Crow era.
• We lived through the Black Codes. We lived through the Jim Crow era.
• Will offer education, will offer civil engagement.
• AB 2285 provides state-chartered banks, credit unions, and crypto exchanges with Provides state-chartered

Keywords: 988, house, all