Transcript Highlights:

• As written, the bill will require nursing homes and assisted living facilities to determine whether any
• I have been in a nursing home and witnessed voters who could not understand a constitutional ballot and
• And also to say that a person from a nursing home is going to go out there and try to request and help
• Have you been to a nursing home? Have you noticed how understaffed they are?
• You know, and it's like if I'm in the nursing home and this person is, you know, my beautiful daughter

Bills: HB2139 , HB2253 , HB3632 , HB4171 , HB4309 , HB4508 , SB760 , SB1470

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• And when you look across the board, there are not many municipalities or quasi-government agencies that
• Next, we will go to Bill Lucia from the Washington State Standard. Hi there.
• I can't afford to buy my first home. Those are the real crux of things.
• homes, the cuts to adult family homes, the cuts to the things that those senior citizens need, and then
• homes, the cuts to adult family homes, the cuts to the things. cuts to nursing homes, the cuts to adult

Summary: House and Senate Republican leaders held a media availability focused on the final stretch of the legislative session, with most of the discussion centered on budget proposals, a proposed income tax on high earners, and several policy bills they oppose. They criticized the operating budget for relying on a new income tax, using one-time fund sweeps and pension-related financing, and drawing down the rainy day fund, while saying the capital budget was more bipartisan and the transportation budget had some positive emphasis on road preservation but still included concerns such as Public Works Trust Fund sweeps and ferry funding. A major topic was allegations that sign-ins on the income tax bill included duplicates or fraudulent entries. Republicans said they took the issue seriously, supported verification improvements, and argued that even after removing duplicates the bill still drew over 100,000 unique emails opposing it. They rejected claims that their side had manipulated the process and said the Legislature should fix the sign-in system, possibly with more IT safeguards, while also arguing the bill should lose its emergency clause so voters could weigh in through a referendum. Republicans also criticized bills they described as anti-police or anti-law-enforcement, including measures related to face coverings and sheriff qualifications, and they opposed a bill requiring arbitration before claims against the state or local governments can go to jury trial, saying broader tort reform is needed instead. They said the state’s liability problems stem from harm done in areas like juvenile rehabilitation and child welfare. On the budget side, they objected to cuts to Medicaid, child care, transitional kindergarten, rural school funding, and other programs, while also warning against using pension funds to balance the budget and against a proposed 75-year Sound Transit bond, which they called financially irresponsible. No votes were taken in this media availability.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's high across the board.
• You know about the home prices, $800,000 median home, so on and so forth. It's got to change.
• You know about the home prices, $800,000 median home, so on and so forth. It's got to change.
• Without a workable minimum wage standard, and I say a living minimum wage standard in market-rate housing
• That's a standard that we can do here.

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Transcript Highlights:

• That's like people living in prisons, dormitories, and nursing homes from their migration estimates.
• I'm a Boston girl, but I also have a home on the Cape and have had a long... ...but I also have a home
• So those two together translate to about 51,000 homes that are needed, additional homes that are needed
• for sale or rent. homes that are needed, additional homes that are needed for sale or rent to get us
• So when we put all those together, the 51,000 homes for the healthy vacancy rate, the 68 homes for the

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census, chaired by Senator Will Brownsberger with Senator Liz Miranda and other members participating, held a hearing on mid-decade population estimates and projections for Massachusetts. Susan Strait of the UMass Donahue Institute presented the latest Census Bureau estimates and explained the main components of population change: births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration. She said Massachusetts has continued to grow, but much more slowly than in the immediate post-2020 period, largely because net international migration has fallen sharply after a pandemic-era surge. She also reviewed fertility and aging trends, noting that births are concentrated among women in their 30s, that the state’s population is aging, and that the share of residents 65 and older is projected to rise substantially, increasing the dependency ratio. Strait and committee members discussed the role of immigration in Massachusetts’ population growth, the concentration of immigrants in Greater Boston and other regions, and the effect of immigration on births and the labor force. They also discussed domestic out-migration, especially among young adults, and the possibility that housing affordability is a major driver. Senators raised questions about how the Census counts people in group quarters such as prisons and dormitories, and Strait explained that the Census counts incarcerated people where they are housed and generally does not treat dormitory residents as migrants in the same way as household residents. She said the Census Bureau is still working on methodological issues such as extending a “college fix” to more areas. Jesse Partridge Guerrero of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council described how MAPC uses Donahue Institute population projections, household headship rates, and UrbanSim to allocate projected households down to regional, municipal, and sub-municipal levels. He said the projections used for MassDOT’s long-range transportation plan anticipated slower statewide growth and regional decline in the Cape and parts of western and central Massachusetts. Tim Reardon of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities then explained how those projections feed into the statewide housing plan, including three population scenarios and associated housing needs. He said the plan estimates a need for about 115,000 homes to address existing shortages and another 73,000 households even under a low-growth scenario, with total housing needs rising to roughly 222,000 units under the middle scenario and 262,000 under the high scenario. Members pressed him on whether the scenarios may understate future need given the recent drop in immigration and ongoing affordability problems, and he said the state is also pursuing housing production, rental assistance, shelter response, seasonal conversion prevention, and infrastructure support for communities. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• with an emphasis on serving underserved populations would help alleviate the state's health care workforce
• with an emphasis on serving underserved populations would help alleviate the state's health care workforce
• the federal government and what that could mean for our excellent and thriving UC system across the board
• hearing on March 3rd in this committee when we discussed financial aid, but some of them, I know nursing
• is one... ...aid, but some of them, I know nursing is one...

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Plutonium Workforce Development Initiative, which focuses on workforce development in New
• work on workforce development.
• If it meets the standard, and that's what I'm struggling with, why do we not have that standard yet?
• So I'm questioning developing a standard, regardless of the source, and saying this standard is good
• We've had bad appointees who want to dissolve the board, who want to neuter the board.

Committee: House Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to go to issue number five, to the California Workforce Development Board.
• Workforce Development Board, hi. Feel free to introduce yourself and begin when you're ready.
• Joelle Ball, I'm the chief deputy for the California Workforce Development Board. Hopefully.
• Joelle Ball, I'm the chief deputy for the California Workforce Development Board.
• Established in the California Unemployment Insurance Code, the California Workforce Development Board

Transcript Highlights:

• More than 20% of beyond the home.
• </c> jobs, 13% of the workforce. jobs, 13% of the workforce.
• The current option of 150 college credits workforce, workforce, costing an workforce, workforce, costing
• And so, the and I went home."
• </c> Minnesota State Board of Investment. Minnesota State Board of Investment.

Bills: HF1458 , HF2063 , HF2164 , HF1377 , HF927 , HF1059 , HF1910 , HF2232

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• and places that we all call home.
• , particularly the starter homes in Minnesota's home market.
• new home price.
• We have a 100,000 home shortage here in Minnesota. home ownership more affordable uh and home ownership
• in Minnesota's Home Market starter homes in Minnesota's Home Market uh<00:05:18.479><c> today</c><00

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm from the East Valley, and this is my second home, so I love the Senate.
• As a nurse, I cannot ignore these red flags.
• That's what the standard is.
• The acceptable standard is this Court of Appeals decision said while the standard is de novo for the
• Like, we're not thinking of a 1930s English boarding school.

Committee: Senate Senate Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills on taxes, public health, veterans’ benefits, public notices, HOA rules, and school policy. SB 1045, which would bar local governments from taxing or feeing blockchain use in residences, passed 4-3 after brief discussion; supporters framed it as a tax-preemption measure, while opponents argued it would reduce local revenue. SB 1019, which would prohibit adding fluoride to public water systems, drew extensive testimony. The sponsor argued fluoride should be topical rather than systemic and cited emerging research on possible health risks, while dental and public health advocates strongly opposed the bill, citing decades of evidence that fluoridation reduces tooth decay and saves money. The committee voted 4-3 to advance the bill, with members on both sides explaining their votes at length. The committee also advanced SB 1050, granting free lifetime state park passes to Arizona veterans, after Arizona State Parks said it was neutral but warned of possible revenue losses; the bill passed 4-3. SB 1078, clarifying that court review of public-records denials is de novo, passed unanimously 7-0 with support from the Goldwater Institute and no opposition testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• And to ensure that our programs adhere to these standards and are engaging in a continuous improvement
• We also, as EPPs, have representation on the Professional Standards Committee.
• At the core of Idaho's workforce and economy and communities is education.
• Then I remembered my own kids coming home and talking about whole language and sort of what I thought
• And so I think for us, our Department of Education, our state board is coming...

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• And so while the Division of Apprenticeship Standards keeps on Going forward.
• Home health being easier to make relevant to us.
• Child care, home health.
• meeting, or ADDP's board meeting, was on that date.
• I'm on the board.

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met with ASL and CART interpretation, took roll call, and approved the prior meeting minutes by motion and second. The main discussion focused on a proposed apprenticeship-related presentation and outreach to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), including a draft letter and follow-up communication with Undersecretary Josh Cutler and Amara Ram. Members said the draft looked good and discussed keeping trade partners informed, as well as the need to coordinate with the broader commission before moving forward. A substantial portion of the meeting centered on apprenticeship opportunities for people with disabilities and how to frame the topic. Members discussed a recent Apprenticeship Week event, noting employer interest, Governor Healey’s goal of expanding apprenticeships to 100,000, and concerns raised by employers about a $250 annual fee and the complexity of the registration process. Participants also discussed the need to include people with disabilities in apprenticeship conversations, challenge stereotypes about suitable jobs, and possibly involve the Commission for the Blind, higher education partners, and behavioral health apprenticeship models. The subcommittee generally agreed to focus first on child care and home health as initial apprenticeship fields, with direct support, house managers, and program managers also identified as important workforce roles. Members discussed inviting trade representatives and state liaisons, but emphasized that scheduling should not become overly complicated. They leaned toward a Zoom-only format, likely around 90 minutes, and agreed to continue coordinating offline on dates, format, and outreach before the next step.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jeremy Creekmore, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, in support. Ellena Y in support.
• </c> it's available for online sales and Home it's available for online sales and Home Delivery<00:47
• this as an opportunity to do something right and to keep the workforce home as well as maybe even bring
• </c><00:59:55.280><c> uh</c> their farmers and and local Workforce uh their farmers and and local Workforce
• 01:00:02.440><c> maybe</c><01:00:02.680><c> even</c> workforce home as well as maybe even workforce home

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The joint Health and Human Services and Judiciary meeting heard testimony on several measures, with most of the discussion focused on SB 709 and SB 955. On SB 709, relating to mental health data and related appropriations, the Department of Health supported the bill’s intent and said the funding would help maintain a data dashboard and positions, though it had no suggested amount for one blank appropriation. Members also discussed whether sections of the bill were duplicative of existing data reporting. The committees later recommended SB 709 be passed with amendments, including technical changes, deferring the date to December 31, 2050, and blanking out the appropriation for later clarification. SB 955, relating to fitness to proceed, drew mixed testimony. Judiciary opposed portions of the bill, saying some changes could have unintended practical consequences. The Office of the Public Defender supported the bill’s intent but urged keeping a three-member evaluation panel rather than reducing it to two, warning that a two-panel process could create delays if a third evaluator had to be added later. A former Hawaii State Hospital clinician said the bill placed too much blame on the courts and should address institutional and administrative problems at the hospital more directly. The Department of Health supported the intent and said it appreciated efforts to address overcrowding. After discussion about examiner shortages and status hearings, the committees recommended SB 955 be passed with amendments reducing the number of qualified examiners from three to one and making related technical changes. The committee also heard SB 1228, a child welfare services measure creating a working group related to youth legal representation and child welfare reform. DHS requested adding a Child Welfare Services representative to the work group, and multiple advocates, including the National Center for Youth Law and Hawaii Youth Services Network, testified in strong support, emphasizing the need for youth voice and implementation of Malama Ohana recommendations. Members asked whether this working group overlapped with another recently passed working group bill; testimony indicated the two measures addressed different issues. The meeting then recessed and later resumed for decision-making on the 9 o’clock calendar, where SB 709 was adopted with amendments and SB 955 was adopted with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• . standards. standards.
• Um, the board letter is from the charter school board.
• Um the board have one uh board letter.
• </c> their standard budget. their standard budget.
• , residential treatment centers, homes, residential treatment centers, and<04:53:17.920><c> board</c>

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• board discretion as to the timing.
• The board is clear.
• The board is clear. Ms.
• Okay, the board is clear.
• Elena Branzara: ...any standards.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first took up HB 987, which would move the Louisiana Geological Survey under the LSU Energy Institute to streamline energy-related programs. The author and members described it as an efficiency measure, and the committee reported the bill favorably without objection. Members then heard HB 513 on name, image, and likeness rules for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes. The bill was presented as a product of a task force and was supported by the Attorney General’s office, coaches, and a student athlete, who emphasized the need for guardrails, education, and protections against exploitation by agents or third parties. Questions focused on high school enforcement, parental consent, and what students may legally do; the committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered HCR 26, which asks BESE to incorporate the science of human growth and development, including prenatal development, into science or health standards and to provide instructional materials. Supporters said it would improve science education and show fetal development more clearly, while opponents raised concerns about medical accuracy, political influence, and lack of safeguards. An amendment requiring parental consent for instruction was offered but failed on a roll call vote, and the resolution was then reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 608 favorably as amended to protect confidentiality of documents tied to intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing, while preserving public disclosure of overall institutional spending. It also advanced HB 380, creating a pilot program to expand CDL workforce training through a community college and school partnership, and HB 392, which would require suicide hotline information on school websites, student ID cards, and, through amendment, visible signs in schools. The committee then reported HB 476 as amended, requiring Safe Haven law flyers in school restrooms, and began discussion of HB 682 to authorize veterans as school resource officers, with amendments addressing qualifications and training.

Transcript Highlights:

• No, uh, Chair and members of the board here.
• Um, Chair and members of the board here.
• ,</c><00:04:19.359><c> a</c> I'm not just a teacher, I'm a nurse, a I'm not just a teacher, I'm a nurse
• </c> House and get them on board. Thank you. House and get them on board. Thank you.
• </c> Nash on board, we're all good to go. Nash on board, we're all good to go.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair then asked if he wished to hear from a registered maternal health nurse and executive director
• We do need to come back and fix the board next year.
• Right now, Kentucky has about 20% of its workforce in licensed occupations.
• Kentucky has about 20% of its workforce in licensed occupations.
• we really want we really want Workforce we really want to<00:45:15.720><c> expand</c><00:45:16.280><

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on March 12, 2025, after waiting for the Senate to adjourn so the committee could officially convene. The committee first took up House Bill 90, which concerned freestanding birthing centers and related medical language. Testimony from Representative Jason Nemes, Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg of ACOG Kentucky, and a representative from Kentucky Right to Life focused on clarifying what medical procedures are not abortions under Kentucky law, including miscarriage management, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, sepsis, hemorrhage, and stillbirth. Supporters said the committee substitute was intended to reduce confusion and barriers to care for physicians and patients, while Senator Armstrong and Senator Berg raised concerns about the late-arriving substitute, terminology, and whether the bill was being accurately described as supported by ACOG. The committee substitute and title amendment were adopted, and House Bill 90 passed with favorable expression. The committee then considered House Bill 398, relating to occupational safety and health. Representative Walker Thomas said the bill would prevent Kentucky from adopting or enforcing regulations stricter than federal OSHA standards, arguing it would create uniformity for businesses operating in multiple states while preserving worker safety. Senator Armstrong questioned what would happen if federal OSHA were eliminated and argued the bill could reduce Kentucky’s ability to address state-specific workplace hazards; Representative Thomas responded that Kentucky is a state-plan state and would retain the ability to act if needed, and that the measure was about administrative regulation rather than legislation. After a committee substitute was adopted, the bill passed 8-1, with Senator Armstrong voting no. House Bill 580, concerning alcohol and drug counselors and peer support specialists, was presented next. Representative Kim Moore and Elena Sweezy explained that the bill would add structure, training, and supervision requirements for peer support specialists, limit group settings to eight patients, shorten temporary peer support status to nine months, and require additional supervision hours so trainees can complete required training. The bill passed with favorable expression, with Senator Nemes voting no. House Bill 87, relating to employment and occupational licensing, followed; Representative Emily Callaway said it would reduce barriers for people with felony records and help “second chance” citizens enter the workforce. Several senators supported the goal but Senator McDaniel noted caution about substance-use billing and oversight, and the bill passed with favorable expression. Finally, House Bill 422, relating to administrative regulations, was described by Representative Derrick Lewis as a streamlining measure that would reduce paperwork and simplify the regulatory process. It also passed with favorable expression, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• standards for operating our locomotive.
• Chris Hannan is on our board. Okay.
• , a large workforce, in the future.
• We have a huge workforce, a skilled workforce in that region, and whatever I can do to be supportive
• as Labor Chair here in the State Senate, also sitting on the Workforce Development Board, to help us

Summary: The Senate Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy held an informational hearing on California’s hydrogen leadership, with the chair framing hydrogen as a complementary clean-energy pathway for hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy-duty trucking, transit, rail, ports, industrial uses, and backup power. The first panel of private-sector witnesses from the California Hydrogen Business Council, Bosch, Hyundai, and Sierra Northern Railway described existing deployments in California, including hydrogen buses, trucks, fueling infrastructure, and the nation’s first hydrogen fuel cell switcher locomotive. They emphasized that the technology is commercially ready but scaling is constrained by permitting delays, high fuel and equipment costs, infrastructure gaps, and uncertainty around federal support and incentives. Witnesses urged stable state policy, targeted investment, and concentrated deployment in high-impact corridors such as ports and freight hubs. Committee members also asked about labor standards, community engagement, and the current size of the hydrogen vehicle fleet in California and abroad. The second panel focused on air quality, climate, safety, and public health. Testimony from CAPCOA, the Coalition for Clean Air, the California State Building and Construction Trades Council, and a UC Berkeley researcher argued that hydrogen fuel cells can reduce diesel-related pollution and health harms when used in the right applications, especially in ports, rail yards, warehouse corridors, transit depots, and backup power for facilities like data centers. Witnesses cautioned that hydrogen should be used selectively, produced as cleanly as possible, and paired with early community engagement, safety planning, and environmental justice protections. The researcher cited projected reductions in NOx, particulate exposure, premature deaths, and health costs under broader hydrogen adoption. Committee members discussed workforce training, apprenticeship programs, and how to balance near-term costs with long-term infrastructure value. The final panel provided public-sector updates from SamTrans, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Port of Long Beach, and First Public Hydrogen Authority. SamTrans described its transition to a large hydrogen bus fleet and said the loss of expected ARCHES funding created a major infrastructure gap; it asked the state to protect transit funding, restore a sales tax exemption for zero-emission buses, and address axle-weight rules. GoBiz said the state should focus on creating demand, reducing costs, and streamlining permitting, while acknowledging the disruption caused by the federal cancellation of ARCHES funding. The Port of Long Beach reported hydrogen truck deployments, port incentives, and a planned public fueling station, but said high costs, fuel shortages, and uncertainty have slowed momentum. First Public Hydrogen Authority described efforts to aggregate municipal demand and support new green hydrogen production projects, stressing the need for long-term market signals and financing. Committee members repeatedly emphasized the need for state support, infrastructure investment, and a diversified fuel strategy to keep hydrogen deployment moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our veterans and nursing and pumping.
• were it not for a VA home assistance loan.
• were it not for a VA home assistance loan.
• were it not for a VA home assistance loan.
• </c> the organization he proudly called home. the organization he proudly called home.

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires the Texas Water Development Board to produce a study.
• So what is requested of the Water Development Board in the study is...
• Like nursing, it's just right.
• We are held to an extremely high standard because we should be, and we can be.
• nurses and scrubs.

Bills: SB 2 , SB 5 , SB 10 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4 , HB17 , HB7 , HB7 , HB15 , HB15 , HB27 , HB1 , HB7 , HB15 , HB18 , SB9 , SB7 , SB17 , SB4 , HB17 , HB27 , HB1 , SB8 , HCR13 , SB2 , SB5 , SB10