Transcript Highlights:

• In the state championship game, Lomega secured a commanding 71 to 44 win.
• They have a fifth all-time state record of a 51-game win streak.
• Number one skill for a teacher, too. So doubly trained.
• “As I mentioned before, so yes, we can play that game all day long.”
• on data, based on the research that shows better outcomes for kids.

Bills: SB1177, HB3705, SB1942, SB2026, SB1533, SB1327, SB2065, SB2155, SB2159

Keywords: education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget, tax credit, parental choice, private school, income tax, dental insurance, health care, medical necessity, insurance claims, dentist rights, military discharge, veterans, DD Form 214, confidentiality, grandchildren access, veteran burial

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, received an invocation focused on grief and remembrance, and heard several special presentations recognizing a brave child, visiting groups, and multiple student-athlete teams and school groups in the galleries. The chamber also introduced the Doctor of the Day and Nurse of the Day. The main business was consideration of the Joint Committee report on Senate Bill 1177, the general appropriations bill, presented by Chairman Caldwell-Trey. Most of the floor time was spent on extended questions about the budget’s major features. Caldwell-Trey explained the bill as a largely flat or modestly increased budget that includes a $200 million transfer to a new sovereign wealth fund, $225 million in set-asides, a $12.5 million “dream accounts” program for newborns, and funding tied to teacher pay, education, workforce, public safety, agriculture, and health agencies. Members questioned the use of one-time funds for recurring expenses, the reduction in state contributions to the OPRS pension system, Medicaid assumptions, emergency management funding, veterans’ services, child care, school counselors, and the lack of funding for some requested items such as National Board Certified Teacher stipends and veterans’ facility maintenance. Caldwell-Trey defended the budget as transparent, early, and designed to preserve cash reserves while supporting core services. No final vote on the appropriations report is reflected in the transcript excerpt. The House also heard explanations that the limits bills would be run later in committee, and that the budget negotiations were still ongoing with the Senate and governor on some related items. The session ended with the queue closed after the budget questioning, and the transcript cuts off during additional remarks from Representative Timmons.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's from Tuorosa, but he is based in the East Mountains and went to Monsanto High School.
• He's the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
• separate application systems, Our goal here is to open it up and have separate application systems based
• The penalty for, I guess, on page four, let's see, I'll just note with some amusement for my colleagues

Keywords: 996, all

Bills: SB667, SB904, SB1344, SB1380, SB1423, SB1425, SB1484, SB1500, SB1502, SB1503, SB1555, SB1561, SB1562, SB1565, SB1572, SB1644, SB1749, SB1833, SB2007, SB2044, SB2074

Keywords: chiropractic, licensure, animal chiropractic, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, licensing requirements, gender transition, gender-affirming care, transgender, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, hormone therapy, sex reassignment, transition surgery, Medicaid, public funds, state facilities, state hospital, Oklahoma, intersex, DSD

Bills: SB667, SB904, SB1344, SB1380, SB1423, SB1425, SB1484, SB1500, SB1502, SB1503, SB1555, SB1561, SB1562, SB1565, SB1572, SB1644, SB1749, SB1833, SB2007, SB2044, SB2074

Keywords: chiropractic, licensure, animal chiropractic, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, licensing requirements, gender transition, gender-affirming care, transgender, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, hormone therapy, sex reassignment, transition surgery, Medicaid, public funds, state facilities, state hospital, Oklahoma, intersex, DSD

Summary: The committee heard and advanced a large number of health-related bills, with much of the agenda focused on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) regulation, Medicaid administration, and health-system cleanup measures. Bills passed included HB 1344 on insulin affordability and state support for low-cost biosimilar insulin manufacturing; HB 1380 requiring the Health Care Authority to check death records to disenroll deceased Medicaid recipients; SB 2007 and SB 2074, both PBM-related measures addressing pharmacist reimbursement, dispensing fees, appeals, and penalties; SB 1572 creating a feasibility study on reorganizing the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and temporarily allowing the Health Commissioner to serve in a dual role; and SB 1555 updating the definition of intellectual disability to match the federal definition. Members also approved several bills eliminating or repealing outdated councils and programs, including SB 1423 ending the Hospital Advisory Council, SB 1425 repealing the Health Care Workers and Educators’ Assistance Program and Health Care Workforce Resources Center, and SB 1502 eliminating the Alzheimer Dementia Disclosure Act Advisory Council. Other measures passed included SB 1561 changing EMS discipline to a progressive system, SB 244 and SB 667 making chiropractic language and training cleanup changes, SB 1749 on LP gas inspections for food trailers, SB 1484 requiring more detailed medical information for infant and child death investigations, SB 1562 clarifying hospice patient protections, and SB 1644 creating reporting related to alpha-gal to support possible research funding. The most debated bill was SB 1503, which would expand the Choosing Childbirth Act so nonprofits without an Oklahoma physical address could receive grants to connect women seeking abortions with pregnancy resources. Members questioned whether grant dollars and salaries would stay in Oklahoma, whether reporting and accountability would be sufficient, and whether Oklahoma-based providers could do the work instead. The bill passed 5-2 after the sponsor said he was open to amendments and oversight. SB 1833, codifying a SNAP waiver restricting candy and soft drink purchases, and SB 904, modifying the use of certain state funds and facilities for medical procedures, also drew questions and passed on divided votes. The meeting ended after all listed bills were heard and voted on, with most measures passing unanimously or by wide margins.

Bills: HF2393, HF2052, HF2218, HF2307, HF2003, HF2366, HSB725, HF2078, HSB554, HSB676, HSB717, HF2270, HSB718, HF2306, HSB746, HF332, HF460, HSB680, HF2051, HSB677, HF2187, HSB719, HF2123, HF2451, HF621, HSB608, HSB683, HSB735

Keywords: education savings account, general fund, school districts, funding flexibility, teacher salary, professional development, preschool, education, community-based providers, instruction, school district agreements, special education, classroom cameras, video surveillance, school safety, student privacy, FERPA, Iowa school districts, charter schools, innovation zone schools

Transcript Highlights:

• This law would not reward someone who obtained a not guilty verdict based on failure of proof, meaning
• There was also some concern about a state park arrangement that has turned out not to be a problem based
• So I'd be happy to get into all of that. ...based on legal advice since then.
• This is pursuant to 23-904, Idaho Code, which prescribes golf courses to have kind of a tiered system based
• to have kind of to 23904 Idaho Code, which prescribes golf courses to have kind of a tiered system based

Summary: The Senate State Affairs Committee heard several bill introductions and memorials. Senator Zito presented RS 32969, a self-defense proposal modeled on anti-SLAPP protections that would create an early pretrial immunity hearing and allow reimbursement of reasonable costs for defendants found to have acted lawfully in self-defense; after questions about Idaho examples and scope, the committee voted to introduce it. Senator Nichols presented RS 33826, which would prohibit government from requiring digital ID, preserve acceptance of physical identification, protect access to personal devices, and limit digital ID to identity verification; it was also sent to print. She then presented RS 33333, a memorial urging the federal government to restore the tier two duty on imported sugar to protect Idaho’s sugar beet industry, and that too was approved for printing. Senator O’Connowitz presented RS 33369, a revised measure to require Senate confirmation for remaining department directors and align them more closely with other department heads; the committee voted to introduce it. Senator Bernt presented RS 33388, which would allow breweries to operate two remote taprooms instead of one, and it was sent to print. Senator Den Hartog presented RS 33296, revising election rules for single-county highway districts to make them partisan on a delayed timeline and allow candidates to list party affiliation in the 2026 cycle; the committee approved introduction. The committee also considered HCR 24, a resolution honoring fallen firefighters Frank Harwood and John Morrison Jr. and recognizing injured firefighter David Tisdell after a deadly 2025 attack in Kootenai County; members voiced support and voted to send it to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation. Finally, Senator Shippy presented SB 1258, a liquor licensing bill for Koenig Distillery that would create a specialty license allowing a rural distillery to serve its own products by the drink, with testimony emphasizing agricultural tourism, small business, and competitive fairness; after supportive testimony from the distillery owner and representative, the committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• Well, the whole bill is based on population growth.
• But that would be based on personal opinion.
• We are also... of a very tourism-based economy.
• They base that on a 20 call volume a day.

Bills: HB26, HB73, SB 14, HB46

Keywords: HB26, law enforcement contracts, sheriff, constable, county commissioners court, commissioners court, private security, special law enforcement district, property owners association, POA, municipal utility district, school district, junior college district, local government, contract policing, supplemental police services, large counties, population over 3.3 million, Texas Local Government Code, Harris County

Transcript Highlights:

• it's not limited to, but skating rinks, youth recreation centers, public swimming pools, arcades, amusement
• This bill removes the price-based penalties for stolen firearms and replaces them with a consistent range
• For the motion, the second will be based on the vague work on which click you. Harris, aye.
• My concern with this is that an individual could be charged based on this language, and there’s no definition

Bills: HB3765, HB4324, HB3678, HB4170, HB3495, HB3040, HB3062, HB4140, HB4106, HB4109, HB4104, HB3581

Keywords: property rights, forfeiture, noncitizen, land ownership, felony, public safety, criminal procedure, sentence modification, resentencing, judicial review, postconviction relief, district attorney, prosecutor, victim rights, victim notification, Department of Corrections, inmate rehabilitation, sentencing reform, life without parole, nonviolent offense

Summary: The committee considered a series of criminal justice bills, many of them focused on penalties for theft, public safety, and offenses involving foreign ownership or riot-related conduct. House Bill 3765, as amended, increased the punishment from two to five years for certain felony conduct involving unlawfully acquired foreign land ownership, and was reported do pass. House Bill 4324, a prosecutor-initiated resentencing bill, was also reported do pass after brief explanation and no opposition. Other bills approved included HB 3678, expanding the definition of public officials to cover municipal and public school board members for purposes of harassment/intimidation protections; HB 417, increasing penalties for theft causing environmental damage from crude oil or gasoline; HB 3495, criminalizing straw purchases of land for foreign nationals; HB 3040, expanding “zone of safety” protections for children by adding places like skating rinks, youth recreation centers, pools, arcades, amusement parks, and water parks; HB 362, extending firearm-carry authority to retired municipal judges; HB 4140, creating a uniform felony penalty for firearm theft and possession of stolen firearms; HB 4106, lowering the grand larceny threshold to $900 and adding penalties for repeat petty larceny; HB 4109, creating a duty to report certain crime-related evidence and circumstances at hospitals and other facilities; and HB 4104, restructuring peeping-tom/voyeurism offenses and sex-offender registration consequences. Several of these bills were amended before passage, including HB 4106 and HB 4104, and HB 3581 was taken up later with a committee substitute and amendment before discussion of its riot-related provisions. The committee also laid over HB 3497 and HB 4142, and adjourned after reporting the remaining bills out with mostly unanimous or near-unanimous votes, typically do pass or do pass as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• In order to have attended an LSU game in Tiger Stadium in 2020, you had to do a COVID pre-screening form
• not the government truly has the constitutional power to discriminate against any American citizen based
• Chairman, just based on the conversation and the membership and whatnot, I think it would be wise to
• And so this is just based on our history in Louisiana, our history with the state fire marshal. ...us
• based on our history in Louisiana, our history with the State Fire Marshal.

Bills: HB414, HB457, HB475, HB611, HB616, HB740, HB897, HB925, HB926, HB931, HB949, HB962, HB1076

Keywords: healthcare, criminal convictions, employment, background checks, prohibited offenses, homelessness, homeless shelter, emergency shelter, transitional housing, group home, halfway house, shelter standards, housing standards, sanitation, habitability, fire marshal, inspection, local permitting, parish government, Louisiana Department of Health

Bills: SB216, SB229, SB216, SB229

Keywords: retired law enforcement, retirement benefits, employment, firemedics, salary cap, released time, religious instruction, elective credit, public schools, K-12 education, school board policy, church-state separation, parochial education, Bible class, faith-based instruction, student release, attendance credit, State Board of Education, local school board, parental consent

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> partnering with community based partnering with community based providers.<01:04:34.400><c> Uh</
• </c> provision which is contractual based provision which is contractual based would<01:21:29.360><c>
• </c><01:56:50.719><c> on</c> and disproportionate um based on and disproportionate um based on geography
• 02:10:48.079><c> as</c><02:10:48.320><c> well</c> based on classroom observations as well based on classroom
• Um, the Chair's recommendation is based on the testimony.

Bills: HB1946, HB1515, HB1514, HB1648, HB1644, HB1619, HB1571, HB1810, HB2475, HB1645, HB2301, HB1889, HB1840

Keywords: time shares, registration, renewal, real estate, Hawaii, Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, workers' compensation, functional capacity examination, occupational therapy, physical therapy, employer responsibilities, injured workers, medical stabilization, vocational rehabilitation, injury recovery, employment services, return to work, nonprescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, healthcare providers

Summary: The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on February 26, 2026, and heard several bills, mostly in the areas of workers’ compensation and consumer protection. HB 1946 HD1 on timeshare registration renewal drew support from DCCA’s timeshare program and major industry groups including Hilton Grand Vacations, the American Resort Development Association, and Marriott Vacations Worldwide, with no opposition noted. HB 1515 HD1, which would allow an attending physician to request a functional capacity examination without employer permission, was supported by DLIR and the Department of Human Resources Development and had no other in-person testimony; the bill was then moved on without questions. The committee spent substantial time on HB 1514 HD1, which would streamline workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation by clarifying provider selection and requiring vocational plans within 90 days. DLIR supported the intent but asked for amendments, saying the 90-day deadline was too rigid given case-by-case complexity, limited staffing, and the need for coordination among injured workers, employers, and counselors; members discussed possible extensions and whether a 120-day timeline or other flexibility would be better. Testimony on the bill included one individual in support and seven in opposition. HB 1648 HD1, concerning workers’ compensation and physician dispensing of non-prescription drugs, drew support from DHRD and comments from DLIR and industry witnesses. DLIR said the bill should be narrowed so it does not restrict medically necessary over-the-counter medications or oral guidance from providers, while Aloha Billing Company and Solera Integrated Medical Solutions urged tighter limits on physician dispensing and raised concerns about pricing abuse through average wholesale price. Members discussed clarifying the bill’s language so it targets written prescriptions rather than oral advice. HB 1644 HD1, requiring a standardized disclosure form for residential solar contracts, received support from the Hawaii Solar Energy Association and Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative, while DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection supported the consumer-protection goal but proposed stronger remedies, including a three-day cancellation right, voidability for missing disclosures, and possible lender liability; members questioned how those remedies should apply to lenders, and no vote was taken on the measures in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Vice Chair, based on what we've already seen... Mr. Chair, Mr.
• So you can go inside the 5-foot envelope based on how this is written.
• So we talked about evidence-based; it is evidence-based in the bill.
• So we talked about evidence-based; it is evidence-based in the bill.
• I have been a longtime home and community-based service operator.

Bills: HB2211, HB2229, HB2389, HB2403, HB2445, HB2502, HB2620, HB2813, HB2872, HB2889, HB2960, HB4028, HCR2007

Keywords: contractors, subcontractors, resident preference, public contracts, materials supply, Arizona Revised Statutes, local businesses, pregnancy resource center, pregnancy center, crisis pregnancy center, DHS, Arizona Department of Health Services, state appropriation, general fund, nonprofit grant, women's health, maternal health, reproductive health, abortion funding, pro-life

Transcript Highlights:

• some sort of program through the arts or the historical society or through the Jim Davis Gun Museum based
• assist communities in recruiting new out-of-state residents and strengthen Oklahoma's workforce and tax base

Bills: SB1307, SB1425, SB1826, SB1365, SB1696

Keywords: Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Arts Council, J.M. Davis Memorial Commission, historical preservation, arts funding, museum, gun collection, state agency contracts, 501(c)(3), nonprofit corporation, public funds, sectarian, religious funding restriction, appropriations, fiscal oversight, cultural institutions, historical artifacts, SB1425, health care, healthcare workforce

Bills: HB4329, HB3016, HB4118, HB3066, HB3649, HB3650

Keywords: dental insurance, claims, medical necessity, appeal procedures, dentist reimbursement, education, vision screening, binocular vision, kindergarten, elementary education, health, family caregiver, tax credit, activities of daily living, elderly care, Oklahoma tax law, HB3066, Health Care Workforce Training Commission, workforce recruitment, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires the DCYF to provide its annual report capacity information based on the JR capacity needs
• A5 removes the voluntary transfer process and the ability to transfer back based on certain rated bed
• By January 1, 2027, DCYF is to develop a community-based referral pathway for high-risk families with
• a community-based provider, aim to keep children safe, support families, and increase participation
• DCYF is to develop a referral process in consultation with the community-based referral providers and

Bills: SB6062, SB6080, SB6184, SB6224, SB6255, SB6286, SB6308, SB6319, SB5977, SB5979, SB6249, SGA9299

Keywords: juvenile justice, criminal offense, minors, rehabilitation, legal provisions, contracts, jails, federal custody, municipal agreements, incarceration, law enforcement, homeless youth, youth services, mental health, support programs, state law, behavioral health, children, support services, poverty reduction

Transcript Highlights:

• qualified candidate or political party with qualified candidates in the same race to bring an action based
• However, no participant may be required to participate in a faith-based activity while in the program
• Restoring faith-based batterers' intervention programs are very near and dear to our hearts.
• Restoring faith-based batterers' intervention programs are very near and dear to our hearts.
• Faith-based intervention and counseling is key to stopping domestic violence.

Bills: S0062, S0156, S0168, S0288, S0290, S0292, S0296, S0298, S0364, S0386, S0624, S7004, S7006, S7008, S7012, S7014, S7016

Keywords: candidate qualification, political party, voter registration, election law, Florida Statutes, rural electric cooperatives, energy production, Florida law, energy tariffs, regulation, agriculture, landscape equipment, gasoline-powered, ecologically significant parcels, local government regulations, public records, appellate courts, information exemption, safety, personal identifying information

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met with a quorum present and considered a long agenda of bills, many of which were reported favorably. Early action included CS for SB 62 on candidate qualification, which would create an enforcement mechanism for party-affiliation qualification requirements, and CS for SB 156, the Officer Jason Raynor Act, which would clarify resistance-to-officer language and add mandatory life imprisonment for manslaughter committed against a law enforcement officer. SB 156 drew strong support from the City of Daytona Beach and law enforcement groups, while the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers opposed parts of the bill, arguing it removed useful limits on force and imposed overly rigid sentencing. The committee also approved several open-government sunset review bills, including measures extending exemptions for social media platform investigations, small business loan program records, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles investigatory records, emergency shelter recipient information, Department of Military Affairs records, conviction integrity unit reinvestigation information, Public Service Commission records and meetings, and Florida Gaming Control Commission records and meetings. The committee also advanced CS for SB 624, allowing batterers’ intervention programs to offer optional faith-based activities, with supporters saying faith-based counseling can help reduce domestic violence and no participant would be required to take part. Other approved measures included HB 167 on former phosphate mining lands, which limits certain liability claims if notice and survey requirements are met; CS for SB 48 on housing, which requires local governments to allow accessory dwelling units and was amended to remove hearing and variance requirements and clarify local ordinance obligations; SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives, described as a negotiated glitch bill preserving co-op authority over generation and power purchases; and CS for SB 364 on public accountancy, which creates additional CPA licensure pathways and mobility provisions. The committee also approved SB 292 creating a public records exemption for appellate court clerks and their families, despite some opposition votes. Later, the committee passed CS for SB 296 and CS for SB 298, which expand protections for victims of domestic violence and dating violence by creating a feasibility study for a secure web-based 911 alert platform and extending address confidentiality and public records protections to dating violence, stalking, and aggravated stalking victims. SB 386 on farm equipment, described as a “lemon law” for tractors and similar equipment, also passed. Additional open-government bills were approved for emergency shelter recipients, military affairs records, conviction integrity unit materials, PSC records, and gaming commission records. SB 168 on public nuisances was reported favorably as well. One bill, CS for CS for SB 290 on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, was temporarily postponed after extensive stakeholder testimony; the chair allowed public comment but no vote was taken, and the sponsor indicated ongoing discussions and possible changes. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded several individual votes for the record, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Team-based care is not theoretical in rural health. It is essential.
• empowering pharmacists with limited prescriptive and diagnostic authority is a practical, evidence-based
• empowering pharmacists with limited prescriptive and diagnostic authority is a practical, evidence-based
• You know, does a pharmacist have the clinical skills to, you know, we spend a lot of effort training
• nursing support. ...care, inpatient stabilization, primary care services, and skilled nursing support

Bills: HB1621, HB1624, HB1623, HB1622, HB1625, HB1626, HB1627, HCR3038

Keywords: presidential physical fitness test, physical education, fitness assessment, student fitness, school curriculum, graduation requirements, elementary school, middle school, high school, public schools, nonpublic schools, superintendent of public instruction, exceptions, disability accommodations, North Dakota studies, computer science, cybersecurity, health education, concept-based fitness class, school standards

Summary: The North Dakota House convened in special session with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then took up several rural health-related bills. Senate Bill 2401, as amended, required physicians to complete one hour of continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health each renewal cycle and also added language allowing criminal history background checks for the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Supporters emphasized the role of nutrition in reducing chronic disease, and the bill passed 92-0. The House then considered Senate Bill 2402, which expanded pharmacists’ limited prescriptive and therapeutic substitution authority for certain low-acuity conditions and clarified related lab-test and communication requirements. Members discussed examples such as motion sickness, cold sores, lice, hypoglycemia, COVID and flu testing, emergency access to medications and supplies, and limits excluding certain drug classes; the bill passed 91-1. Senate Bill 2403 created a temporary medical facility emergency operating loan option through the Bank of North Dakota for qualifying rural hospitals facing severe financial distress, with extensive debate over the targeted nature of the aid, anti-gifting concerns, repayment terms, and the hospital’s turnaround plan; it passed 80-12. Senate Bill 2404 appropriated funds for NDIT to address federal digital accessibility requirements and for the Public Service Commission’s litigation efforts related to transmission costs, with a backup loan authorization available if needed; it passed 92-0. At the close of the session, leaders thanked members and staff for their work on the rural health transformation package, a committee notified the Governor and the Senate that the House had completed its business, absent members were excused, and the House adjourned sine die.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just a skill they developed. In 1976, they outlawed the softball throw.
• It's based on a false premise.
• And they base those numbers on next year's enrollment.
• I go to a lot of basketball games and hockey games and wrestling matches and choirs.
• And I know there's hypocrisy in this game, but that really stands out to me.

Bills: HB1621, HB1624, HB1623, HB1622, HB1625, HB1626, HB1627, HCR3038

Keywords: presidential physical fitness test, physical education, fitness assessment, student fitness, school curriculum, graduation requirements, elementary school, middle school, high school, public schools, nonpublic schools, superintendent of public instruction, exceptions, disability accommodations, North Dakota studies, computer science, cybersecurity, health education, concept-based fitness class, school standards

Summary: The House convened in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge, confirmed a quorum, and recognized visiting students from Shiloh High School. Members also observed a moment of silence for former Representative Cindy Shriver Beck, and the House adopted the Employment Committee report approving special-session staff appointments. The chamber then considered House Bill 1621, which would require the presidential physical fitness test in K-12 physical education courses with exemptions for students with disabilities and an effective date of August 1, 2027. Supporters framed it as a return to a historic fitness standard and a response to federal direction; the bill passed 90-0. The House next took up House Bill 1624, a universal school meals bill that would place the program in statute rather than the Constitution, start it a year earlier than the initiated measure, and appropriate $65 million for the first year. Debate centered on whether universal meals were needed, whether the bill would preserve legislative flexibility and property-tax relief, and whether it would help families or subsidize those who could pay. The bill passed 55-38. Finally, the House began debate on House Bill 1623, the rural health transformation package tied to federal grant funds and a Bank of North Dakota loan program to support rural health projects, EMS, behavioral health, and related infrastructure. The sponsor and supporters emphasized North Dakota’s strong grant award, the need to move quickly, and the bill’s role in filling rural health gaps statewide. Some members raised concerns about federal spending, inflation, and telehealth, while others stressed the need to address EMS and workforce shortages. The transcript ends during debate on HB 1623, before any final vote is shown.

Bills: HB1621, HB1624, HB1623, HB1622, HB1625, HB1626, HB1627, HCR3038

Keywords: presidential physical fitness test, physical education, fitness assessment, student fitness, school curriculum, graduation requirements, elementary school, middle school, high school, public schools, nonpublic schools, superintendent of public instruction, exceptions, disability accommodations, North Dakota studies, computer science, cybersecurity, health education, concept-based fitness class, school standards

Summary: The North Dakota House convened in special session with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the reading of communications from the Secretary of State and Governor Kelly Armstrong certifying the special session call. The governor’s executive order said the session was called to act on funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program so the state could accept and appropriate federal funds and avoid interruptions to government services. Three new members, Representatives McNally, Scraw, and Timmons, were sworn in, and the roll showed 91 members present, establishing a quorum. The main business was a Rules Committee report outlining temporary special-session rules. The changes were designed to speed up floor action, including allowing second reading the same day a bill is reported from committee, final passage one day after first reading, and immediate transmission to the other chamber unless reconsideration is noticed. The report also replaced the regular standing committee structure with two joint committees: Joint Appropriations and Joint Policy, allowed remote testimony and remote member participation with approval, and limited bill introduction to Legislative Management-approved bills or bills approved by a two-thirds vote. Several deadline changes for resolutions and bill filing were also described, with some provisions delayed until the special session ends. The House adopted the Rules Committee report after a motion by Representative Bosch and no opposition. During announcements, the clerk listed the membership of the Joint Appropriations and Joint Policy committees, and the Highway Patrol announced safety sessions for legislators in the Rough Rider Room at 11 a.m. that day and the next day. The House then recessed until the joint session scheduled for 10 a.m. the following day.

Bills: HB5691, SB427, SB2623, SB2858

Keywords: municipal management district, bonds, assessments, property taxes, economic development, eminent domain, special district, SB 427, local government, political subdivision, state loan, state grant, financial reporting, annual financial statement, annual report, county report, municipal finance, water district, municipality, county auditor