Transcript Highlights:

• So I work for or volunteer at two organizations that have given bicycles to 13 elementary schools, and
• So I work for or volunteer at two organizations that have given bicycles to 13 elementary schools, and
• So I work for or volunteer at two organizations that have given bicycles to 13 elementary schools, and
• </c><01:20:22.280><c> for</c> first person to get um discipline for first person to get um discipline
• Can you actually test it like the old school, put a sniffer in the tailpipe and see if it's actually

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee opened its public hearing with HB 249, sponsored by Representative Seth Miller, which would allow bicycles, human-powered vehicles, and electric bicycles to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs in certain situations. Miller argued the bill would improve cyclist safety and traffic flow at no cost to the state, citing Idaho and Delaware as examples where similar laws were associated with fewer injuries and crashes. He emphasized that the proposal would remain optional for cyclists, who would still be required to yield to cross traffic and obey right-of-way rules, and said the bill is intended to help riders maintain momentum and avoid the instability that comes from repeatedly starting from a full stop. Committee members raised concerns about uncertainty for drivers and pedestrians, liability, and whether the bill would create a special class of road users with different rules. Representative Crawford asked about the red-light left turn language, and Miller explained it was included because bicycles may not trigger some traffic signals. Representative Hill questioned how other road users would know what a cyclist intended to do at an intersection, and Representative Gon noted the bill did not appear to address liability the way some motorcycle-related laws do. Miller responded that cyclists would still be expected to yield appropriately and said he would be open to an amendment if liability language was needed. Representative Emble also questioned whether the bill would create a special vehicle class, and Miller replied that bicycles already have different roadway rules and that the bill was meant to improve safety and flow. Several supporters testified in favor of the bill. Michael Frank, a cyclist and League cycling instructor from Spofford, said he regularly rides a cargo bike for errands and that stopping fully at intersections leaves him exposed longer and makes it harder to restart on hills. He said the bill would let cyclists slow, assess traffic, and proceed safely while maintaining momentum, and noted that he had not personally received a ticket for rolling through a stop sign, though he had been warned by police. Tim Blagden, former head of the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, said the bill reflects how many people already ride, saves energy, and helps bicycles move through intersections faster and more safely. No vote or committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next item in the agenda is related to the school employee fund benefit adjustments.
• They fall into two categories: programmatic spending adjustments for the school employees fund, for a
• Me called to the school for that they were to recover. She is, development. Okay. Thank you.
• Me called to the school for that they were to recover.
• So it's a great question that will I be back here and— Into the school system a lot faster.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision proposals for labor, public safety/judiciary, and transportation, and no votes were taken. In Part A on labor, the Employment Development Department described funding for EDD Next document management work, updated UI loan interest costs, disability insurance and paid family leave benefit increases, WIOA adjustments, UI and school employee benefit changes, an EMT training reappropriation, and a technical correction tied to an EDD Next reversion. PERB discussed reduced funding requests for AB 288 due to litigation and a proposal to implement AB 1 covering legislative employees. DIR presented proposals for legal unit reclassifications, two major IT modernization projects, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COIA reappropriation, and trailer bill language requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and removing a salary cap for the DWC administrative director. CalHR proposed consolidating employee assistance services into a statewide contract with enhanced support for first responders, and CalPERS and CalSTRS presented budget adjustments tied to investment costs, state contributions, and benefit overpayments. Members focused heavily on the unemployment insurance debt and interest payments, asking why the administration had no concrete plan to pay down principal. Finance and LAO explained that the state’s UI tax structure has long been insufficient and that any long-term solution would need to address both the outstanding federal loan and the structural imbalance in employer taxes. Questions also centered on EDD Next costs and timelines, with the chair asking for clearer long-term project cost estimates and Finance noting that future maintenance and operations costs will continue after implementation. On DIR’s emerging technologies unit, members asked whether it would address AI-driven workplace harms; DIR said the unit would focus on physical workplace safety issues involving AI, robotics, autonomous equipment, and related guardrails, while LAO noted broader labor-practice questions would likely fall outside Cal/OSHA’s scope. In the CalPERS discussion, members raised concerns about transparency in private equity and external management fees, while CalPERS said higher fees reflect a strategy of greater private-market and active-management exposure and are offset by higher net returns. Members urged more information on specific investments and future reporting. For CalSTRS, Finance presented routine contribution and overpayment adjustments, but members also raised broader transparency concerns that CalSTRS staff said they would follow up on separately. Public comment in Part A was dominated by strong support for an immigrant worker emergency relief fund, along with support for apprenticeship and workforce proposals and PERB staffing. The chair and members said they would follow up on where the immigrant relief proposal should be considered, noting it may belong in another policy area. The hearing then moved into Part B with an overview of Judicial Branch-related May Revision items, including court interpreter funding, appellate court security, workload cap changes, lactation room implementation delays, and a reduction to the state court facility construction backfill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our schools? No. Our roads? One billion dollars a year underfunded, at least. Our schools, no.
• donated, standing in front of Walmart for the weekend before school starts.
• donated, standing in front of Walmart for the weekend before school starts.
• , as well as our private schools here in Washington, and one of the schools they looked at was the University
• They're looking forward to their kids going to great schools.

Summary: The House debated a series of amendments to a major income tax bill, with repeated arguments over tax fairness, affordability, administrative feasibility, and the role of the Department of Revenue. Early motions to reconsider a failed child care amendment were rejected, and Amendment 2561, which would have restricted data sharing with the IRS, was also defeated after debate over privacy, federal relationships, and whether the proposal was administrable. Amendment 2579, which would have required annual reporting on the tax’s effects on filers, businesses, and charitable donations, likewise failed, with supporters emphasizing transparency and opponents arguing DOR was not the right agency and the report was too speculative. Amendment 2598, proposing to use half of new revenue for a broad sales tax cut, was rejected despite arguments that it would reduce regressivity and provide immediate relief; Amendment 2556, expanding sales tax exemptions for diapers and other child-care essentials to include adult diapers and earlier implementation, also failed after debate over scope and timing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, other disciplines that might be carried out was the statement at that time is why Congress

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, the schools are this kind of consolidated, like everyone's tightknit.
• That's eight years in a row with the same school system, right? You're protected.
• </c><02:21:24.080><c> system,</c> know, when you leave the school system, know, when you leave the school
• </c> years in a row with the same same school years in a row with the same same school system,<02:21:
• He passed away when my son was a freshman in high school.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> amounts are from the healthy school amounts are from the healthy school meals<01:14:53.840><c> for
• </c><01:16:06.159><c> meals</c> shall be from the healthy school meals shall be from the healthy school
• </c><01:31:07.520><c> 12</c> shall be from the healthy school 12 shall be from the healthy school 12
• Commission on Judicial Discipline. Office of Judicial Discipline: 5.0 FTE.
• Commission on Judicial Discipline. Office of Judicial Discipline: 5.0 FTE.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• now, which will be added to the 33 existing vet schools.
• Nine new vet existing vet schools.
• large</c><00:14:59.519><c> investments</c> schools are getting large investments schools are getting
• There's a new vet schools in Arkansas.
• Um, if you follow along with me, school.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> board</c> local school district local school board local school district local school board does
• <c> because</c> high school suspend from school because high school suspend from school because you're
• </c> School principal not the high school School principal not the high school principal<01:32:50.719
• school district and running the school school district and the<03:17:37.640><c> school</c><03:17:37.920
• </c> school that didn't have whole school school that didn't have whole school Title<03:36:19.600><c>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education to require objective, science-based evidence for pedagogical methods. The prime sponsor said the bill is a verbatim reintroduction from the prior session and argued that current federal definitions are too vague, allowing subjective surveys and other weak evidence to justify teaching methods. He said the bill is limited to pedagogy, not subject matter, and is intended to improve student outcomes, reduce fad-driven practices, and potentially save money by limiting unnecessary retraining and new materials. Members asked repeatedly about the bill’s scope, including whether it would affect classroom teachers, curriculum content, and existing instructional approaches such as phonics versus whole language or queuing. The sponsor said the bill applies to state and local education bodies and educator training policies, not individual teachers in their classrooms, and that teachers would retain flexibility. He also said standardized testing could be part of a scientific study but is not itself a study, and that textbook providers could be asked to furnish the studies supporting instructional guidance included in their materials. Several members raised concerns about the fiscal note and possible cost shifts to local districts and taxpayers. The sponsor disputed the idea that the bill would necessarily create major new costs or require additional staff, saying any costs would likely be limited and that the department is already applying federal evidence-based rules. He also said if some current methods are not science-based, updating them would be justified even if there were some initial expense. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the student trustee on Cody School Board.
• I'm the student trustee on Cody School Board.
• </c> the student trustee on Cody School the student trustee on Cody School Board.<01:17:18.080><c> And
• </c> &gt;&gt; Wait, did you say you're on the school &gt;&gt; Wait, did you say you're on the school
• We build relationships that go beyond our school walls.

Bills: SF0025 , SF0027 , SF0043 , SF0066

Committee: Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Keywords: landowner licenses, hunting, wildlife management, quota hunt areas, game and fish commission, game management, hunting regulations, black bear, tracking dogs, wildlife conservation, conservation, contracting, supervisor, funding, districts, hunting licenses, donated licenses, life-threatening illness, vision impairment, nonprofit organizations

Transcript Highlights:

• Even as the support public schools.
• School nurses rely on staff.
• It does not school recommendations.
• Fairness and fiscal discipline.
• </c> municipalities in 203 school districts. municipalities in 203 school districts.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is the discipline that is required under law with internal controls, with segregation of duties.
• But it only takes discipline. segregation of um uh of duties that um segregation of um uh of duties that
• um<01:04:55.359><c> it</c><01:04:55.599><c> only</c><01:04:55.839><c> takes</c><01:04:56.160><c> discipline

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Nevni Perier on behalf of the California School Employees Association, in support.
• Nevni Perier on behalf of the California School Employees Association in support.
• Dorothy Johnson, with the Association of California School Administrators, respectfully opposed.
• Dorothy Johnson, with the Association of California School Administrators, respectfully opposed.
• Navni Perrier, on behalf of the California School Employees Association, in support.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I went to school here, my children went to school here, and my grandchildren are currently going to school
• And then also, just real quick, on the list is your churches, your local schools and the school leaders
• "Yes, ma'am, I believe if we're going to make school safety rules and regulations for the schools to
• I think one of our school districts is... ...one of our school districts in San Antonio is providing
• You need to be able to go out to the schools when schools are open.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> school bus? school bus?
• the school bus safe.
• the school bus safe.
• the school bus safe.
• the school bus safe.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:42:20.440><c> districts</c> costs have grown as school districts costs have grown as school districts
• We now have complete data about what schools spent on special ed services in the 2024 and 2025 school
• School special ed spending grew by 10% School special ed spending grew by 10% last<00:44:45.520><c> year
• </c> The annual rate of growth for school The annual rate of growth for school spending<00:44:53.920>
• That fiscal discipline will remain important in this legislative session and the next.

Bills: HF3425

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: supportive housing, grants, housing assistance, funding, Minnesota Statutes, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Mary's, which is the school of many many Mary's, which is the school of many many NHL<00:55:12.079><c
• And it would provide discipline for them that would withhold their wage increases for two years if they
• And it would provide discipline for them that would withhold their wage increases for two years if they
• And it would provide discipline for them that would withhold their wage increases for two years if they
• districts that will then flow school districts that will then flow into<01:57:38.880><c> property</c

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that this impacts schools. It impacts trails, especially in my district.
• They're offering these programs at the high school level, so you have younger people entering the programs
• We think allowing us to start recruiting at an early age, especially with our high school folks who are
• Because we are nearly through the program, which corresponds with a normal school year, we will have
• programs awarded in partnership with the Charter School Association.

Bills: AB6 , AB102 , AB131 , AB212 , AB213 , AB220 , AB259 , AB282 , AB376 , AB396 , AB479 , AB503 , AB570 , AB572 , AB574 , AB576 , AB593 , SB185 , SB207 , SB507 , AB6

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, FASD, prenatal alcohol exposure, children's health, developmental disability, early intervention, treatment assistance, Aging and Disability Services Division, Department of Health and Human Services, Autism Treatment Assistance Program, public health, parent education, evidence-based treatment, Nevada NRS 427A, disability services, behavioral health, emergency medical services, ambulance, licensing, health district

Transcript Highlights:

• Catherine Crump again from Berkeley Law School. We can agree on two things.
• School Police, L.A.
• School Police Management, California Coalition of School Safety Professionals, and the California School
• School Police, L.A.
• School Police Management, California Coalition of School Safety Professionals, and the California School

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.

Transcript Highlights:

• , vocational and agricultural schools.
• vans that have the flip-up yellow school bus sign, the RMV also recently started offering the school
• Adding these additional languages broadens the pool of applicants for school transportation.
• We're working with schools across the Commonwealth and outreach events such as high school career days
• This airport is within a few hundred yards of, even closer to, an elementary school and a high school

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The chairs and members opened with thanks to UMass, university leadership, court officers, and legislative staff, and Chancellor Javier Reyes highlighted UMass Amherst’s research, workforce, sustainability, and transportation contributions, including energy research, transit operations, and partnerships with MassDOT. The hearing then moved to MassDOT and MBTA testimony on the administration’s transportation funding package, including House 2, the FY26 Fair Share supplemental, and a proposed four-year Chapter 90 authorization. MassDOT officials described the budget as part of a broader multi-year transportation investment strategy, citing funding for operations, snow and ice removal, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, the Merit Rating Board, sustainable aviation fuel credits, micro-transit and last-mile grants, unpaved road improvements, bridge and pavement work, and housing-related transportation infrastructure. They emphasized workforce expansion, capital delivery capacity, safety improvements, and local aid, including the new lane-mile-based Chapter 90 formula intended to benefit rural communities. Officials also discussed major projects and programs such as Grant Central, culvert and unpaved road grants, work zone speed cameras, congestion hotspot fixes, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge projects, and MBTA operating support and safety upgrades. Testimony from the MBTA and rail/transit staff focused on improved ridership, service frequency, accessibility, and safety, including progress on the Green Line Train Protection System, reduced delays, expanded bus and commuter rail service, and the South Coast rail extension. Regional transit authorities reported increased ridership and described new fare-free, connectivity, and community transit grants. Aeronautics testimony covered airport capital work, drone and data programs, sustainable aviation fuel efforts, and workforce development in aviation maintenance. Committee members then asked questions, especially about Western Massachusetts priorities, Chapter 90 funding, bridge repairs, snow and ice costs, Cape Cod bridges, Buzzard’s Bay rail, and Compass Rail/West-East Rail. Officials said several federal rail grants were moving forward, that Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, and that the administration remained committed to pursuing federal funding and multi-year transportation investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• and agricultural schools.
• vans that have the flip-up yellow school bus sign, the RMV also recently started offering the school
• We're working with schools across the Commonwealth and outreach events such as high school career days
• This airport is within a few hundred yards of, even closer to, an elementary school.
• A high school, neighbors are very worried about expanded travel of jets.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 1212, all