Transcript Highlights:

• They also made changes that reflect the Century Code changes made during the last legislative session
• The rule changes are not related to any federal statute or regulation changes.
• What was the intent of the change? those rule changes there.
• Well, that was a law change, so I guess it would be up to the Legislature to make that change.
• We did listen there and make changes, or not make the changes that maybe didn't make sense. Okay.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:29.240> in to incorporate those changes in to incorporate those changes in February
• stepped into a regulatory board dispute. stepped into a regulatory board dispute.
• the regulatory world. the regulatory world.
• regulatory boards can hang their hat on. regulatory boards can hang their hat on.
• or do you know if that changed? or do you know if that changed?

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee considered an emergency regulation from the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners, 201 KAR 5021E, along with a staff amendment to conform the text to KRS Chapter 13A. The regulation was described as implementing an Attorney General opinion and a review of optometrists licensed during the 2020–2023 period when alternative testing and waivers were used during the COVID-19 era. The board explained that the rule requires affected licensees to complete specified examinations or an alternative certification before renewing in 2027, and that it now removes the OEBC Canadian exam as a future pathway while preserving recognition of OEBC results submitted during the period when that option was in effect. The staff amendment was approved without objection. Testimony was sharply divided. Board representatives and the Attorney General’s office said the regulation is needed to protect public health and to bring the licensure review into the formal administrative process. They said the NBEO Part 3 exam is the nationally recognized hands-on clinical licensure test, while the American Board of Optometry certification is a post-licensure credential for already licensed practitioners and is not a substitute for initial licensure testing. They also said no other state uses the ABOC certification for licensure, and that the board’s approach balances fairness, due process, and public protection. Opponents argued the regulation would allow individuals who were improperly licensed to continue practicing without meeting the same standards as other Kentucky optometrists. A representative from the Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation described cases of alleged inadequate care and urged the committee to require full national board passage before independent practice. Representatives from ARBO and NBEO said the emergency regulation is not justified as an emergency, does not adequately address public safety or fiscal impacts, and exceeds the board’s authority by creating a renewal path for licensees whose initial licensure was challenged. They emphasized that NBEO Part 3 is a practical, hands-on exam and that the ABOC certification is not designed or validated for initial licensure. The committee asked several questions about the differences between the exams, and no final vote on the regulation itself was described in the transcript beyond approval of the staff amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The PSC's rate regulatory authority...
• There may be changes that may bring...
• play, into the regulatory oversight.
• to the regulations and how these EPZ zones may change.
• Are you recommending any changes to that? Yeah, Mr.

Summary: The committee met to review advanced nuclear energy issues in North Dakota, beginning with approval of the April 21, 2022 minutes. Nucleon presented an overview of the advanced reactor landscape, distinguishing light-water SMRs, advanced Gen 4 reactors, and microreactors. The presentation emphasized that light-water SMRs are the most near-term deployable and use familiar low-enriched uranium fuel, while many Gen 4 designs may require high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALU), which is not yet supported by a mature U.S. supply chain. Nucleon also noted that advanced reactors are being developed primarily for industrial heat applications, while microreactors are niche, higher-cost systems for remote or mission-critical uses. Committee members asked about fuel availability, safety, recycling, and whether large reactors such as AP-1000s were evaluated; the presenter said fuel development is proceeding in parallel but remains a bottleneck, and that siting and grid capacity often make SMRs more practical than gigawatt-scale plants in North Dakota. Representatives from the National Association of State Energy Officials described how other states are supporting advanced nuclear through task forces, roadmaps, regional coordination, grants, tax incentives, workforce and supply-chain efforts, and pilot programs. They highlighted the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative and said states are focusing on multi-state coordination, demand aggregation, regulatory coordination, waste management, workforce readiness, and community engagement. They also discussed affordability tools such as construction work in progress (CWIP), financing incentives, and consumer protections, citing examples from Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, Tennessee, and others. In response to questions, they explained that pilot programs often involve site-readiness and feasibility studies, and that the federal Nuclear Innovation Campus process is moving forward with multiple submissions while broader waste and recycling policy may require congressional action. The Public Service Commission said it would likely have a major role in any North Dakota nuclear project through certificate-of-public-convenience-and-necessity review, siting, and rate regulation, but noted gaps in current law for small reactors, co-located facilities, NRC coordination, and long-term site stewardship. The commissioner said the commission has no authority over a private, self-contained reactor not connected to the grid. The Department of Environmental Quality explained that the state regulates radioactive materials under its agreement-state authority, but NRC retains primacy over fission reactors; DEQ would likely assist with emergency planning and could have a larger role if fusion reactors emerge. The Department of Emergency Services said it would serve as the lead off-site preparedness agency, requiring a dedicated radiological emergency preparedness program, training, drills, public outreach, and likely additional funding and staffing, with industry expected to bear much of the cost. The Department of Water Resources said North Dakota’s water laws and prior-appropriation system are adequate for nuclear siting, that the Missouri River is the best likely source, and that no statutory or budget changes are currently needed from a water perspective. The committee recessed for lunch after these agency presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The PSC's rate regulatory authority...
• The PSC's rate regulatory authority...
• There may be changes that may bring...
• play, into the regulatory oversight.
• to the regulations and how these EPZ zones may change.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to review prior minutes and hear a series of presentations on advanced nuclear technology and state readiness. The committee approved the April 21, 2022 minutes. Nucleon’s William Bridge outlined the advanced nuclear landscape, distinguishing near-term light-water SMRs from more advanced Gen 4 reactors and microreactors, and emphasized that fuel supply, especially HALEU, remains a developing supply chain. He said light-water designs are the most deployable in the near term, while advanced reactors may be better suited for industrial heat applications and could face a 2- to 3-year delay from fuel availability. Representatives from NASEO described how other states are supporting advanced nuclear through task forces, roadmaps, pilot programs, financing tools, workforce and supply-chain efforts, and regional coordination. They highlighted the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative and stressed that states are focusing early on emergency preparedness, community engagement, waste management, affordability, and consumer protections. They also noted that some states are creating nuclear-ready community programs and cost-recovery guardrails, while public utility commissions are examining long-term lifecycle costs and rate impacts. North Dakota agencies then outlined their potential roles. The Public Service Commission said it would likely be involved in public-interest review, siting, and rate regulation, but noted current statutes may not fully address long-term nuclear projects, co-location, or decommissioning. The Department of Environmental Quality said it would continue to regulate radioactive materials and likely support emergency planning, while fission reactor oversight remains federal. The Department of Emergency Services said it would serve as the lead off-site preparedness agency, needing a radiological emergency program, training, exercises, equipment, and possibly industry funding. The Department of Water Resources said North Dakota has sufficient surface water, especially from the Missouri River, but that water planning would be important; it did not recommend statutory or budget changes at this time. The committee recessed for lunch after these presentations, with no additional votes or actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the years since, these services have continued to grow. and evolve in a changing legal, regulatory
• You talked a little bit about how we got to the regulatory aspect that we're at.
• be changed via rulemaking, should you see a need?
• Utilizing the data internally for regulatory purposes? We do. We use it all the time. Okay.
• Lyft Senior Council for Regulatory and Malcolm McFarland, Lyft Public Policy Manager.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we started looking into the regulatory authority and there is no regulatory authority through
• started looking into the regulatory started looking into the regulatory authority<00:18:37.919><
• authority and there is no regulatory authority and there is no regulatory authority<00:18:39.520
• regulatory processes are complete. regulatory processes are complete.
• It also does not regulatory approvals.

Bills: HB542, HB566, SB270, HB618, HB617, HB542, HB566, SB270, HB618, HB617

Keywords: HB542, district attorney, prosecutor, supernumerary district attorney, Employees' Retirement System, ERS, Alabama retirement, public employee retirement, pension, retirement benefits, post-retirement employment, salary cap, dual participation, double dipping, District Attorneys' Plan, assistant district attorney, deputy district attorney, state pension, survivor benefits, Office of Prosecution Services

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:22:47.520> um created a office of regulatory um created a office of regulatory um efficiency
• can come through you know changing that can come through you know changing the<00:30:18.399> language
• <01:04:14.480> were that uh a lot of these changes were that uh a lot of these changes were
• So does that change?
• So does that change?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The PSC's rate regulatory authority...
• There may be changes that may bring...
• play, into the regulatory oversight.
• to the regulations and how these EPZ zones may change.
• Are you recommending any changes to that? Yeah, Mr.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• haven't been there lately, and I definitely need to make the trip over there and see how much it's changed

Bills: HB95, HB111, HJR1, HB32, HB33, HB61, HJM2, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM34, HM50, HB8, HB30, HB43, HB156, HM2, HM16

Keywords: HB95, additional judgeship, district court, judicial district, First Judicial District, Second Judicial District, district judges, court administration, judicial staffing, caseload, access to justice, New Mexico courts, judiciary, judge vacancy, court backlog, state courts, water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order

Transcript Highlights:

• part of that regulatory body.
• part of that regulatory body.
• part of that regulatory body.
• part of that regulatory body.
• part of that regulatory body.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > change<00:34:51.040> from ensures that any regulatory change from ensures that any regulatory
• I hope I look forward to many more years of partnership to change the lives and change neighborhoods.
• They decided to change that.
• and change. and change.
• regulatory budget that is unworkable. regulatory budget that is unworkable.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This must change. As I said last week, we have entered the era of climate consequences.
• The regulatory environment must balance speed and safety.
• But the solution requires step-change reform, not tweaks around the edges.
• Too often, the federal regulatory process and state regulatory process says begins with a filing from
• This shift is a big change. It can't go on the ebbs and changes of an administration.

Keywords: environmental review, permitting process, infrastructure, bipartisan legislation, economic growth, Nucor, West Virginia

Summary: The meeting focused on critical discussions surrounding the need for modernizing the federal environmental review and permitting processes. Witnesses from various sectors, including Nucor, provided testimony on the delays and costs associated with current regulations, emphasizing the impact on infrastructure and economic growth. Major projects in West Virginia, such as the Corridor H and Coalfield Expressways, were highlighted as examples of initiatives stalled by excessive permitting hurdles, prompting calls for bipartisan legislation to streamline these processes while maintaining environmental protections. The committee expressed a commitment to address these issues immediately, highlighting the urgency to enhance efficiency in permitting to facilitate economic development.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
• Climate change.
• But I'm fully supportive of Americans and people adapting to any change. changes in the climate that
• Szabo, is climate change real? Thank you Senator, yes. Climate is changing. Mr.
• . change?

Transcript Highlights:

• And that role would not change. This addition to the bill would not change.
• It simply changes the label.
• If you look at that, there is no regulatory requirement for solar, no regulatory requirement for wind
• , no regulatory requirement for biomass, no regulatory requirement For wind, no regulatory requirement
• So basically those are the two major changes, outside of some minor language change to the manager.

Bills: SB78, SB235, SB22, SB310

Keywords: nuclear energy, renewable energy, sustainability, carbon emissions, energy regulation, microgrid, zero carbon resources, Public Regulation Commission, energy generation, electric utilities, motor vehicle manufacturers, licensing, dealers, franchise agreements, consumer protection, water supply, sewage improvements, environment, funding, Mora County

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, yes, so we already are in agreement state with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
• And dates can move around and can change.
• So that changes the operating profile of the unit.
• The evolution, as you know, there have been some changes that we're seeing.
• Are there law changes? Or are there some policy changes we could be helpful with on that?

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• regulatory revisions. regulatory revisions.
• his council to make those regulatory his council to make those regulatory changes<01:50:47.760><
• changes were made. changes were made.
• Uh, most of those changes don't just fly through. Um, they require a lot of work to change.
• want help so that we can change faster. want help so that we can change faster.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's do the Regulatory Affairs Committee amendment, please. Mr.
• Let's do the Regulatory Affairs Committee amendment, please. Mr.
• Clerk will read the Regulatory Affairs Committee amendment. Mr.
• The amendment also makes technical and conforming changes.
• Change the law if you don't like it.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the journal, received House messages and first-read a large number of bills, then moved through several Committee of the Whole calendars. On Calendar 2, SB 1419 on solar energy inspection contractors was amended with a Carroll floor amendment and passed; a Sundareshan amendment aimed at requiring utilities to shield residential ratepayers from costs tied to large loads such as data centers was debated at length, but failed on a 12-15 division. SB 1498 (Department of Public Safety appropriation) and SB 1502 (unlawful flight/reckless endangerment) also received do-pass recommendations. The Committee of the Whole report was adopted, and the Senate later rejected an attempt to add the failed data-center amendment to the report by a 13-14 vote. On Calendar 3, the Senate advanced SB 1165 (insurance cost sharing for breast exams), SB 1206 (storm-related insurance claims), SB 1212 (health insurance reimbursement rates for vaccines), SB 1215 (firefighters’ occupational disease/workers’ compensation), SB 1290 and SB 1291 (agricultural property notices/classification), and SB 1347 (fertility preservation coverage), with committee amendments adopted on most of them. A Warner substitute floor amendment to SB 1347 was adopted to address insurer concerns by allowing prior authorization with a 72-hour processing requirement and clarifying storage-cost responsibility. The Senate also retained SB 1503 on the calendar. On Calendar 1 and the additional calendars, the Senate advanced SB 1013 (public employees merit hiring), SB 1108 (cash transactions and rounding, with an emergency clause added), SB 1178 (naturopathic physicians), SB 1186 (document retention/proposals/donations), SB 1286 (veterinary visits and prescriptions), SB 1366 (commercial buildings and telecommunications), SB 1431 (municipal design prohibitions), SB 1671 (gaming/racing/boxing conflict-of-interest continuation), SB 1004 (ESA students’ interscholastic activities), SB 1116 (AHCCCS access/claims review/behavioral health), SB 1162 (health care institution licensing complaints), SB 1179 (group home monitoring), SB 1475 (school district governing boards/eligibility), SB 1821 (DCS training and child placement), and SCR 1012. Several floor amendments were debated and adopted or rejected, including a Kavanaugh emergency-clause amendment to SB 1108, a failed Sears amendment to SB 1178 on prescription drug price gouging, a failed Sundareshan transparency amendment to SB 1186, a failed Kavanaugh amendment to SB 1286 on veterinary prescriptions, a Gowan amendment to SB 1366, a Payne amendment to SB 1077, a Carroll amendment to SB 1479, a Petersen amendment to SB 1566, and an Angius amendment to SB 1018 expanding the definition of foreign law to include certain harmful practices. The Senate adopted the Committee of the Whole reports and properly assigned the bills after each calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:58.480> Authority agencies that had regulatory Authority agencies that had regulatory
• <00:15:47.120> Authority<00:15:47.680> or regulatory Authority or regulatory Authority
• definitely a need for regulatory definitely a need for regulatory certainty<00:40:56.640> and
• > those places um that we did change those places um that we did change those considerations<00
• key industry to implement these change key industry to implement these change to<01:05:25.319>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's my responsibility to represent the interests of these residents and to recommend changes to the
• Together, these changes will improve the quality of life and care that Massachusetts citizens receive
• The proposed regulations would fundamentally change how rest homes operate day to day.
• The proposed regulations would fundamentally change how rest homes operate day to day.
• Is that changed? The pharmacy as well. Is that change? No self-administration. Thank you very much.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence held a hearing on two assisted living bills, Senate 3057 and House 5376, which would create an Assisted Living Residence Trust Fund to support certification staffing, compliance reviews, complaint investigations, ombudsman services, public reporting, appeals, and oversight. Testimony from MassALA, AARP, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman generally supported the bills and the dedicated funding stream, but MassALA urged amendments to expand career pathways for staff through certified medication aides and to add guardrails on the use of fines as a funding source. The Ombudsman supported the fund and emphasized the need for additional staffing to better serve the state’s assisted living residents. Committee members asked for draft amendment language, and the chairs indicated they were open to further discussion, especially on fines and CMA language. The committee then heard testimony on Senate 3056 and House 5243 regarding medication administration in rest homes. Providers, including the Massachusetts Association of Residential Care Homes, LeadingAge Massachusetts, and several rest home operators, opposed proposed Department of Public Health changes that would eliminate the long-standing “responsible person” model and move rest homes toward the Medication Administration Program (MAP). Witnesses said the current model has been used for decades, is tailored to rest homes, and is essential to affordability, staffing stability, and resident continuity of care; they warned that replacing it with MAP or nurse-only administration would raise costs, worsen workforce shortages, and could force closures or resident displacement. They asked the committee to support legislation preserving responsible persons’ authority to administer medications while improving training and oversight. Committee members asked questions about the history of the responsible person model, how medication administration works day to day, whether other states use similar systems, and whether data exist comparing medication error rates under MAP and the current model. The chairs said they were still reviewing building-code-related recommendations raised in the assisted living discussion and noted that some issues might be better addressed through a task force. The hearing concluded after testimony and questions, and the committee voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been a lot of change.
• change. of last year.
• I do still do not have regulatory authority over the courier itself, but we're taking regulatory action
• . and also the software change.
• Okay, and was the lottery rules changed as you had indicated you changed the lottery rules to modify?

Keywords: 1184, house, all