Transcript Highlights:

• I know it was a story that I learned about when I was a kid.
• I know it was a story that I learned I know it was a story that I learned about<00:25:50.080>
• , Schools should be places for learning, Schools should be places for learning, not<00:33:54.679>
• , students distress, disrupts learning, students distress, disrupts learning, undermines<00:37:47.880
• The clerk will close the roll. participating remotely. Jones. participating remotely. Jones.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there is clear lines with remote work. I operate a fully remote company.
• We are 100% remote. There are times that they do travel to client sites, but they're fully remote.
• Um but they're fully remote. Mr. sites. Um but they're fully remote. Mr.
• It is not for remote workers.
• Um, basically for remote work.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:34:57.120> to analytics and machine learning to analytics and machine learning to continually
• 21:26.760> even Eliminating remote supports pushes even Eliminating remote supports pushes even
• <01:21:29.120> Remote harder in that same direction.
• Remote harder in that same direction.
• remote function. remote function.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I work remotely as a manager of technology projects.
• I work remotely as a manager of technology projects.
• Now I can use video remote interpreting and video remote services to help me work from a distance.
• I'm just grasping at straws is what we learned from the study.
• I'm just grasping at straw is what we learned from the study.

Summary: The committee first heard an update on North Dakota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and Continuum of Care funding. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported that homelessness remains driven by tight housing markets, low incomes, rising rents, and barriers to rental assistance, public benefits, and disability determinations. She said the state’s one-time North Dakota Homeless Grant is serving all regions but reaches far fewer households than the former Rent Help program, and that aging homelessness, shelter staffing shortages, and limited affordable units are growing concerns. Members discussed the need for more housing supply, better coordination with Health and Human Services, landlord engagement, reentry housing, and possible continued one-time funding for the $10 million Homeless Grant and $25 million Housing Incentive Fund. Henderson also warned that federal Continuum of Care funding is uncertain, with HUD expected to issue a new notice June 1 and possible shifts away from permanent supportive housing toward transitional housing and other models. The committee then took testimony on accessibility of government services for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing. Paul Olson of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind described the school’s services for infants, children, and adults, including screenings, mobility training, assistive technology, and outreach across the state. He said the agency works closely with Vocational Rehabilitation and is also involved in improving website and document accessibility, especially for PDF materials. Public testimony highlighted barriers such as inaccessible CAPTCHA systems, online forms, driver’s license requirements on job applications, and limited transportation in rural areas. A deaf resident urged broader use of video remote interpreting and video relay services, along with training so people know how to use them effectively. Finally, Kay Larson presented the final report on the child care provider licensing study. The report recommended streamlining North Dakota’s child care licensing structure into three provider types plus a preschool designation, while preserving health and safety standards and maintaining eligibility for child care assistance. The committee discussed simplifying training and qualification rules, revising ratio and group-size requirements, and adjusting age bands for infants and toddlers. The report also noted that some changes would require statutory amendments and later administrative rule changes, with a transition period likely extending through 2029. No formal votes were taken in the transcript, but the committee accepted the updates and scheduled follow-up presentations for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• of America industry, and he will be participating remotely.
• Brian, are you remotely participating? Yes, I am. Can you hear me? We can hear you perfectly.
• Have we seen an increase in this because of remote working? I mean, absolutely, yeah.
• We're seeing an increase because of remote work, certainly.
• Look, remote work has been terrific for a lot of employees. They have a lot of flexibility.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just as we've learned from others, others can now learn from our experience.
• Just as we've learned from others, others can now learn from our experience.
• Just as we've learned from others, others can now learn from our experience.
• Just as we've learned from others, others can now learn from our experience.
• Just as we've learned from others, others can now learn from our experience.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• learn about data practices and whatnot, and having not served on G.
• Uh, this bill their children remotely.
• My granddaughter was abused at Small World Learning Center last July.
• > that<00:14:12.560> daycarees truly shocked to learn that daycarees truly shocked to learn
• She was World Learning Center last July.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and I thank you for being with us today, whether you are here to testify in person or joining us remotely
• If you are testifying remotely, when you have finished and the chair dismisses you and/or your panel,
• Now we have Senator Gomez, who is online and will be testifying remotely, I believe.
• Maria McLean testifying remotely on House Bill 4353. Dr. McLean, are you there? Yes, I am.
• Seeing that there's no other testimony, I would also ask anyone else who's listening remotely to please

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on several health care bills focused primarily on autism services and kidney disease coverage. Committee chairs John Lawn and Cindy Friedman opened by outlining hearing procedures, testimony rules, and filing deadlines, and noted the hearing would be recorded and written testimony accepted. They said the day’s topics included affordability and access to behavioral health services, provider reimbursement, Medicare coverage for vulnerable populations, and MassHealth eligibility asset exemptions. A major portion of the hearing concerned House Bill 4623, which would add board-certified assistant behavior analysts (BCABAs) as a recognized mid-level supervisory role in the MassHealth reimbursement framework to help address long wait lists for autism spectrum disorder services. Representative Lisa Field, actuaries, clinicians, and autism service providers testified that the current two-tier model limits workforce capacity, contributes to long delays, and leaves families waiting months for care. Supporters said the bill could expand access, improve retention, and potentially reduce MassHealth costs, while also helping providers meet growing demand and new administrative requirements. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 4425 and Senate Bill 2737, which would allow Massachusetts residents under 65 with end-stage renal disease to purchase Medigap coverage. Legislators, dialysis advocates, and patients described high out-of-pocket costs under Medicare, barriers to kidney transplant eligibility without secondary insurance, and the financial strain on patients and families. Testifiers said the change would affect about 846 residents, could modestly increase premiums, and might reduce Medicaid spending by preventing asset spend-downs. Senator Gomez and others spoke from personal experience with dialysis and transplant care. Finally, the committee heard testimony on House Bill 4353 and Senate Bill 2587, which would require regular data-driven review of MassHealth ABA reimbursement rates. Providers and association representatives argued that reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation, workforce shortages, accreditation costs, and new 2026 MassHealth policy requirements, and said the bills would improve transparency and ensure rates reflect the true cost of care. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with the chairs thanking participants, inviting additional written testimony, and adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we look at how workers learn today, it's very different than how people were learning 10, 15, 20 years
• So there is an effort now in the industry to try to learn. Models.
• I did speak to a subset of this group back last fall remotely.
• That's going to bring people from all over the world to learn what we've learned from our innovation
• And happy to continue to share those lessons learned and opportunities.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• threatens the safety or learning threatens the safety or learning environment<00:16:11.639> of
• going to start with our remote going to start with our remote testifiers<00:29:45.240> first<
• How can those students be in a safe learning environment if they're not in a learning environment at
• environment if they're not in a learning environment if they're not in a learning environment<00
• identify trouble spots visit and learn identify trouble spots visit and learn from<01:29:30.600>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff have supplied information on registering for in-person and remote public testimony via Zoom on
• I believe they are remote. Yes. Hello. Thank you.
• And Carolyn Cato and Nancy Patino from the State Auditor's Office will be presenting remotely.
• We learned that most of the Division's programs are administered through grant agreements and vendor
• To learn more about the Division's 16 programs and current performance management efforts, we selected

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• She helps caregivers find resources, learn coping skills, and find time for self-care.
• She helps caregivers find resources, learn coping skills, and find time for self-care.
• She helps caregivers find resources, learn coping skills, and find time for self-care.
• <00:15:26.160> coping caregivers find resources learn coping caregivers find resources learn
• folus on the community we've learned folus on the community we've learned that<00:15:50.639>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, we have a few more people who signed up, all of whom are remote.
• This bill creates space for that learning.
• Is Vince Dixon with us, either in person or remotely?
• Foundational computer science is far more than just learning to code.
• The arts are essential to student learning and well-being.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on a wide range of bills, with the largest portions focused on the Healthy Youth Act (S.340/H.656), comprehensive and inclusive curriculum bills (H.655/S.371 and related measures), climate literacy education (H.560/S.391), computer science coursework (H.534/S.362), arts education funding and STEM-to-STEAM proposals (H.561 and H.4297), and a homeschooling reporting bill (H.518). Supporters of the Healthy Youth Act argued it would preserve local control while requiring medically accurate, age-appropriate, LGBTQ-inclusive sex education and regular updates to state health frameworks; opponents raised parental rights, age-appropriateness, and opt-out concerns, with some calling for fetal development content. Supporters of inclusive curriculum bills said they would improve representation, belonging, and civic understanding, while opponents argued they could undermine parental authority or promote ideological content. Climate, computer science, and arts advocates emphasized workforce readiness, student engagement, and the need for state support and funding to expand access and teacher training. Testimony on the climate literacy bill described increasing climate impacts in Massachusetts and argued that interdisciplinary instruction would prepare students for science, policy, and green careers; witnesses said the bill was not a mandate but a support and funding measure. Computer science supporters said access remains uneven, especially for girls, students of color, and students with disabilities, and urged stronger statewide requirements and AI-related standards. Arts advocates backed both the STEM-to-STEAM bill and the Lowell Mason arts funding proposal, citing research on student achievement, attendance, creativity, and the economic importance of the arts sector. The homeschool bill was supported by a homeschool advocacy group as a modernization of reporting requirements. The committee closed testimony on numerous bills where no one remained signed up or testimony had concluded, including several education, curriculum, and commission proposals. No votes were taken during the hearing itself. At the end of the session, the committee closed out the remaining testimony and adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• We support Walmart and Amazon workers learn and enforce their rights.
• I still work 100% remote.
• We already saw a lot of learning loss during the pandemic.
• community for faculty to learn how to use AI.
• That's where the California Learning Lab fits in.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• pandemic our judges and staff during the pandemic our judges and staff embraced<00:19:51.120> remote
• /c><00:19:51.480> proceedings<00:19:51.960> so<00:19:52.200> courts embraced remote
• proceedings so courts embraced remote proceedings so courts could<00:19:52.799> continue<00:19
• First, we've learned that the pathways into the criminal justice system for women are different than
• Sometimes a judge is seated across a picnic table from the participants, learning how they're doing and

Keywords: House Agenda:, 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Awareness and to learn from really from many or all of you here today.
• So look forward to learning again from all of you today.
• So look forward to learning again from all of you today.
• So look forward to learning again from all of you today.
• I am the Director of Learning and Strategy at Youth Villages New England.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice held an informational hearing focused on diversion programs and services for high-risk youth, with no bills before the committee and no votes taken. The chair and members emphasized that the session was intended to hear from invited testimony and discuss how to strengthen diversion, reduce court involvement, and improve outcomes for youth. The committee heard first from the Office of the Child Advocate and diversion providers, who described the Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program, its statewide expansion to 10 of 11 court counties, and its reported success rate of about 80% completion without reoffending. Testimony highlighted that diversion keeps youth out of court, connects them more quickly to community-based services, and can address needs such as mental health, education, and substance use. Witnesses also pointed to racial and ethnic disparities in arrests versus summonses, regional variation in diversion access, and the need for clearer statutory authority, more funding, and broader use of pre-arrest diversion. Committee members asked about the difference between arrest and summons, who can initiate diversion, why arrest rates have increased relative to summonses, and how diversion might prevent harmful downstream consequences such as detention or immigration enforcement involvement. Witnesses said police, clerk magistrates, district attorneys, and judges can refer youth to diversion, and argued that local policy, training, and legislative changes could expand use. They also discussed the impact of detention on youth, including stigma, lost school time, and the lack of credit for time served in the juvenile system. Testimony from Citizens for Juvenile Justice focused on prevention, school discipline, and the school-to-prison pipeline, arguing for more restorative practices, better data, and legislation to limit suspensions and expulsions, especially for younger students and nonviolent conduct. They also raised concerns about DCF-involved and foster youth, who are disproportionately represented in the juvenile system. The final panel, the Children's League of Massachusetts and transition-age youth providers, shifted to child welfare and young adult supports. They supported reducing court involvement in child requiring assistance cases, expanding family resource centers, and strengthening services for transition-age youth leaving DCF or DYS custody. Providers described housing instability, homelessness, and the need for education, employment, behavioral health, and supportive housing services for young adults ages 18 to 23. Across the hearing, witnesses consistently argued that early intervention, community-based supports, and diversion are more effective than court processing or detention for most youth, and that the legislature can help through funding, statutory clarity, expanded eligibility, and stronger data collection.

Transcript Highlights:

• remotely is Mr. Gino Frag Fraginedo. remotely is Mr. Gino Frag Fraginedo.
• Madam Chair, tomorrow I will be remote. I'll be participating remote.
• Madam Chair, tomorrow I will be<01:04:19.880> remote. be remote. be remote.
• There's a I'll be participating remote.
• So, if you do have here remote.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sensing surveys. ...report that I recently read, and through geophysical remote sensing surveys, which
• This is where the CCA-funded geophysical remote sensing surveys led by my colleague Mike were conducted
• and our last panel on this topic includes Sam Bowers with the Clean Air Task Force, who's with us remote
• and Onica June with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, who's also with us remote
• Portable batteries include common batteries such as those found in flashlights, cameras, and TV remotes

Summary: The committee held an interim work session focused first on carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), then on hazardous waste and extended producer responsibility (EPR). On the CCUS topic, industry and nonprofit presenters described point-source capture, direct air capture, mineralization, and geologic sequestration, emphasizing Washington’s basalt formations and state trust lands as strong candidates for storage. They argued that CCUS can help hard-to-abate industrial sectors, support jobs and investment, and provide a pathway for compliance, while also noting the need for clearer permitting, subsurface rights, pipeline authority, and storage infrastructure. Ecology and Commerce staff explained current state policy touchpoints, including Cap-and-Invest offsets and exemptions for permanently stored CO2, the public comment process underway to define “thousand-year” permanence, and how CCUS might fit within the Clean Energy Transformation Act without counting emitting generation as non-emitting. Some presenters supported more state action and primacy over federal permitting, while others warned about costs, energy use, uncertain capture performance, and the need to ensure real net greenhouse gas reductions and long-term liability protections. Members asked about public meetings, whether mineralized carbon would qualify as exempt under the Climate Commitment Act, the timeline for Ecology guidance, aquifer and water-quality concerns, energy intensity of capture systems, and liability if storage later proves problematic. Responses said Ecology’s guidance process is already underway, public meetings will be virtual, mineralized carbon would likely qualify if it meets the permanence standard, and EPA rules require storage in deep saline formations below drinking water aquifers. Industry speakers said capture energy use varies by source and concentration, and one presenter noted that some states use trust funds funded by injectors to address long-term liability. The second half of the session shifted to hazardous waste and EPR. Ecology staff reviewed existing product stewardship programs for electronics, paint, batteries, and mercury lights, and described moderate risk waste and household hazardous waste management in Washington. They highlighted that E-Cycle and PaintCare are producer-funded, that the battery stewardship program will begin in 2027, and that the mercury lamp program is in transition after its prior stewardship organization exited, prompting enforcement notices and a pending replacement plan. Ecology recommended best practices for future EPR programs, including clear producer and product definitions, full producer funding, convenience standards, annual reporting, and strong agency enforcement and plan approval authority. Local government speakers from King County and Douglas County described rising collection costs, equity and access barriers, rural travel distances, and the need for stable funding and flexible local implementation. King County said it collected over 3 million pounds of hazardous products in 2025 and supports EPR as a way to shift costs from ratepayers to producers, while Douglas County emphasized that rural residents will participate when services are accessible and that future systems should account for geography and local infrastructure.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:48.440> we okay look for personalized learning we okay look for personalized learning
• <00:42:14.839> new challenging ourselves to learn new challenging ourselves to learn new things
• learn like math that makes us a better learn like math that makes us a better employee<00:45:10.079><
• oh the next two testifiers are remote oh the next two testifiers are remote okay<01:16:22.280>
• worry when school started she learned worry when school started she learned the<01:48:45.520>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• time allows students to not only learn time allows students to not only learn and<00:01:50.560><
• One's remote. >> Very good. Thank you. So, we will move to testifiers.
• Lastly, we will hear remotely from Bruce Remy.
• I later learned took High School.
• And we have one remote testifier, Rick Ren Kaisen.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all