Video & Transcript : 'Chapter 32' :
Page 260 of 500
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Jan 20th, 2026
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- they were incompetent to proceed can be housed in the same secure setting as other residents under Chapter
- We also make changes to our parental rights law, Chapter 1014, and...
- We also make changes to our parental rights law, Chapter 1014, and add similar provisions in that area
- Related to Chapter 456, the amendment clarifies that both individuals and the Attorney General, versus
- Related to Chapter 1014, the amendment synchronizes with the language in Chapter 456 to clear up ambiguity
Committee:
Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Keywords:
child welfare, psychotropic medication, Department of Children and Families, community-based care, liability insurance, forensic services, defendants, mental health, judicial system, defense, legal definitions, minors, healthcare, parental rights, criminal penalties, civil action, sex-reassignment, investigations, economic damages
Summary:
The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered four bills. SB 590, by Sen. Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement; an amendment clarified retroactive application for offenses not already time-barred by the bill’s effective date. Sen. Bradley said the bill is intended to ensure accountability in institutional abuse cases and not to change the reasonable-suspicion reporting standard. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably.
The committee also heard SB 778, by Sen. Simon, which would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency can be housed with other Chapter 916 residents, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Barney Bishop appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without amendment.
SB 560, by Sen. Garcia, would streamline procedures for psychotropic medication prescriptions for children in DCF custody, reduce duplicative background checks and reporting, and simplify consent documentation. Amendments removed language allowing licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists to serve as evaluators and narrowed changes to the Road to Independence Program’s postsecondary education services and supports, extending eligibility ages from 18 to 26 while keeping the five-year cap. Senators discussed the fiscal impact and funding blend for the education stipend. The committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably.
The committee then took up SB 1010, by Sen. Yarbrough, which adds criminal and civil enforcement for violations involving sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures for minors and related parental-rights provisions. An amendment clarified that the civil action authority applies to minors and that damages benefit the affected minor. Public testimony was heavily divided, with supporters saying the bill enforces existing protections and opponents warning it would chill care, counseling, and school-based support for transgender youth. Senators Harrell, Sharief, and Rouson raised concerns about vagueness, standing, and impacts on teachers and health professionals; Sharief voted no, while the bill was still reported favorably.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Lifetime firearms ban for persons convicted of certain domestic assault offenses 3/10/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- domestic violence against an individual in a relationship and is not otherwise prohibited in this chapter
- domestic violence against an individual in a relationship and is not otherwise prohibited in this chapter
- domestic violence against an individual in a relationship and is not otherwise prohibited in this chapter
- 00:09:45.440><c> prohibited</c><00:09:45.920><c> in</c><00:09:46.160><c> this</c><00:09:46.320><c> chapter
- ,</c> otherwise prohibited in this chapter, otherwise prohibited in this chapter, the<00:09:47.279><c
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- So no need for the additional administrative rule chapter.
- It's an older chapter that's been there for quite some time.
- , the idea is to In today's lens of trying to not have excessive administrative rules chapters, the idea
- Now to dive into the pending rules, this is a zero-based rulemaking chapter rewrite.
- Those numbers are protected in our public records law in Title 25, Chapter 2 of Idaho Code.
Committee:
House Agricultural Affairs
Summary:
The House Agricultural Affairs Committee approved the minutes from January 30, 2026, then took up several Idaho State Department of Agriculture administrative rule dockets. The Idaho Hop Growers Commission docket was approved to repeal a rule that was described as duplicative of statute. The committee also approved temporary and pending rules on grizzly bear and wolf depredation compensation, with testimony explaining the rules implement 2024 and 2025 legislation, establish claim procedures, compensation matrices, and conflict-prevention funding, and rely on stakeholder input and coordination with the Office of Species Conservation.
The committee then heard extensive presentations on brucellosis and tuberculosis surveillance programs from Dr. Scott Livesley. He explained both are bacterial program diseases managed largely under federal requirements, with Idaho’s rules mainly being updated through zero-based rulemaking to remove duplicative or outdated language without changing the regulatory scope. Members asked about vaccination, electronic ID tags, security of cattle ID data, and whether Idaho should remain a mandatory brucellosis vaccination state; Livesley said the current program would remain in place for now, with future reconsideration dependent on federal changes. The tuberculosis docket was likewise approved after Livesley described Idaho’s surveillance, slaughter testing, and lack of current quarantined herds.
Finally, the committee approved revisions to the public exchange of livestock rules. Livesley said the changes would require buying stations and trader lots to submit renewal requests, and would replace a paper sale-yard release form with a single end-of-day electronic report generated by auction software, reducing clerical burden while preserving the needed information. All dockets considered were approved, and the meeting adjourned with the committee scheduled to meet again on Wednesday.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- including a writ of..." ...prohibition that could pronounce any provision or application of this chapter
- agent of this state or political subdivision from enforcing any provision or application of this chapter
- It says, "Construction of the Chapter.
- This chapter may not be construed to prevent a litigant from asserting the invalidity or unconstitutionality
- ..." ...of a provision or application of this chapter as a defense to liability.
Keywords:
real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Mobile County Legislation Committee Jan 28th, 2026
Mobile County Legislation
Transcript Highlights:
- For purposes of this chapter, any work or improvement for a military installation and located within
- <00:04:24.800><c> purposes</c><00:04:25.280><c> of</c><00:04:25.600><c> this</c><00:04:25.759><c> chapter
- ,</c><00:04:26.160><c> any</c><00:04:26.479><c> work</c> For purposes of this chapter, any work For purposes
- of this chapter, any work or<00:04:26.800><c> improvement</c><00:04:27.280><c> for</c><00:04:27.440>
- The blue... purpose of this chapter, any work approval of military installations from this scenario shall
Committee:
Senate Mobile County Legislation
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
December 4, 2025 - 01:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- The bill is then codified in Chapter 8 of the Florida Statutes.
- The bill is then codified in Chapter 8 of the Florida Statutes.
- Congressional districts are enacted like any other bill, and this is what Chapter 8 looks like and how
- You'll see there are no maps in Chapter 8.
- So it lists all of those in Chapter 8.
Summary:
The Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting held its first meeting, established a quorum, and opened with remarks from the chair outlining the committee’s purpose and scope. The chair said the committee will focus only on congressional redistricting, will not take public comment at this introductory meeting, and may consider whether to propose a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 session. He emphasized that the work would rely on the 2020 census data, the current congressional map, and the House’s map-drawing software, and he stressed transparency, record retention, and compliance with constitutional prohibitions on drawing districts to favor or disfavor a party or incumbent.
House outside counsel Andy Bartos then gave an educational presentation on redistricting basics and legal standards. He distinguished reapportionment from redistricting, explained that Florida was apportioned 28 congressional seats after the 2020 census, and reviewed the one-person, one-vote rule, noting that congressional districts must be drawn with near-exact population equality. He also described census geography and how counties, tracts, block groups, and blocks are used to build districts, and explained that congressional redistricting follows the ordinary legislative process rather than the special process used for state legislative districts.
Bartos also covered contiguity, explaining that districts must be one connected piece and that mere point-touching is not enough, while bodies of water within a district do not necessarily break contiguity. No questions were asked after the presentation, no votes were taken, and no public testimony was heard. The meeting ended after the chair thanked attendees and said the committee would meet again the following week.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
WAM, WAM, JDC-WAM, JDC-WAM, WAM DEFER, WAM Public Hearings 02-28-2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Section 3, and revert the language on page 17, Section 4, to read: “Except as otherwise limited by this chapter
- Section 3, and revert the language on page 17, Section 4, to read: “Except as otherwise limited by this chapter
- 00:10:24.600><c> this</c> except as otherwise limited by this except as otherwise limited by this chapter
- > Authority</c><00:10:25.959><c> May</c><00:10:26.959><c> any</c><00:10:27.279><c> discussion</c> chapter
- The Authority May any discussion chapter The Authority May any discussion not<00:10:28.399><c> sure<
Summary:
The Ways and Means committee met in several decision-making agendas and took action on a number of Senate bills. Early in the meeting, members adopted a measure with amendments that removed a section due to legal issues identified by the Attorney General and set an effective date of July 1, 2050. The committee then passed SB 14, SB 1434, SB 1443, and SB 152 unamended, and SB 1612 with amendments clarifying that certain requirements apply to buildings constructed after December 31, 2025, and defining joint custody between the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Health for inmate mental health services and medications.
In a joint Judiciary and Ways and Means agenda, the committee considered SB 242 on foreign ownership of agricultural land. Members agreed to amendments adding non-impairment-of-contract language and revising enforcement and penalty provisions so consideration exchanged in a violating transaction would revert to the respective parties. The bill was adopted with reservations noted by several members. The committee also took up SB 534 on the Hawaii Community Development Authority and residential development on certain Makakilo Makai parcels, but because there was no consensus, the measure was deferred indefinitely.
Later Ways and Means agendas approved several additional bills, mostly unamended, including SB 878, SB 1146, SB 614, SB 891, SB 964, SB 1559, and SB 503. SB 1379 was passed with amendments adding a blank appropriation for acquisition of land for Community Readiness centers and an emergency operations center, with the funds to lapse on June 30, 2027. SB 1571 was amended to remove an advisory board and restore earlier authority language, and SB 1632 was amended to rank the appropriation and set the date to 2050. Across these votes, measures were generally adopted with some members recording reservations or being excused.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- c><00:32:12.000><c> one</c><00:32:12.159><c> for</c><00:32:12.320><c> the</c><00:32:12.559><c> record
- Um and<00:32:14.720><c> I'll</c><00:32:14.880><c> be</c><00:32:15.039><c> quick</c><00:32:15.440><c>
- <00:32:44.000><c> our</c><00:32:44.240><c> state's</c><00:32:44.720><c> identity</c><00:32:45.840><c>
- </c><00:32:47.360><c> Um</c><00:32:47.679><c> actually</c><00:32:48.000><c> onethird</c><00:32:48.399
- </c><00:32:53.279><c> Um</c><00:32:53.919><c> and</c><00:32:54.159><c> that</c><00:32:54.320><c> was<
Committee:
House Housing
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- But now I'm a chapter organizer. Well, let me change that.
- transitional specialist, where we have been blessed to help women who have served from 18 months to 32
- transitional specialist where we have been blessed to help women who have served from 18 months to 32
Committee:
House Administration of Criminal Justice
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Finance Sep 24th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We had 238 kids participate, which is only 32% of our population, but that was up from 55 a year ago.
- capital this week, representing Wildcat Nation and the state of New Mexico as the vice president of her chapter
- suggests that students who attended technical high schools were more likely to be employed and had 32%
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- , my name is Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo, and I serve as the Director of Public Policy for the Texas Chapter
- Cody, now 32, was once a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him.
- Cody, now 32, was once a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him.
Committee:
Senate Finance
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- Senate Bill 554, in 2019, the Legislature adopted a long-overdue comprehensive update of Chapter 607
- Senate Bill 554, in 2019, the legislature adopted a long overdue, comprehensive update of Chapter 607
- This strike-all seeks to update court-awarded fees statutes and family law proceedings in Chapter 61,
- dissolution of marriage, and Chapter 742, paternity proceedings.
- Chapter 61, dissolution of marriage, and Chapter 742, paternity proceedings, in an effort to stem protected
Bills:
S0212 , S0218 , S0442 , S0460 , S0532 , S0554 , S0644 , S0686 , S0692 , S1054 , S1106 , S1128 , S1134 , S1138 , S1338 , S1434 , S1506 , S1620 , S1748
Committee:
Senate Judiciary
Keywords:
sexual offender, sexual predator, sex offender registry, child protection, residency restriction, loitering, proximity restriction, public swimming pool, school safety, child care facility, day care center, park, playground, conditional release, probation, community control, warrantless arrest, background check, registry screening, minor victims
Summary:
The committee first considered SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all amendment narrowed eligibility criteria, including environmental and adjacency requirements, density and intensity limits, and exclusions for certain lands and military areas. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill then passed favorably on an 8-0 vote, with testimony both for and against from advocacy groups.
Members then heard several bills related to criminal justice, land use, and local government operations. SB 212 on sexual offenders and sexual predators was amended to add public swimming pools and related restricted-location provisions; the committee heard extensive opposition testimony arguing the bill lacked empirical support and could worsen homelessness and burden families, while supporters said it would reduce temptation and improve safety. The amended bill passed 8-1. SB 686 on agricultural enclaves also received a strike-all amendment clarifying development allowances near interstates and protected-area non-preemption; after opposition from a county Republican committee and support from housing and business groups, it passed 10-0. SB 554 updating nonprofit corporation law, SB 1338 on charitable giving and endowment restrictions, SB 532 on court fee retention by clerks, and SB 218 on land use regulations after hurricanes all passed favorably, each with little or no opposition.
The committee also approved SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability after debate over whether the bill created enough compliance incentives and whether its liability presumption should apply retroactively; supporters said it would encourage adoption of cybersecurity frameworks, while opponents warned it could weaken local standards and create litigation issues. The bill passed 9-2. SB 1138 on qualified contractors was amended to preserve local government authority while allowing licensed professionals to conduct limited pre-application reviews, and it passed 11-0. Finally, SJR 1104 on religious expression in public schools passed 8-3 after extensive public testimony and debate, with supporters saying it would enshrine existing protections in the Constitution and opponents warning it would favor majority religions and increase bullying and litigation. The committee then took up SB 1106 on requiring state agencies and instructional materials to use “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank,” with the sponsor arguing it reflected historical truth and opponents saying it erased Palestinian identity and inserted the state into an international naming dispute; the transcript ends during public testimony on that bill before any vote is shown.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Mar 3rd, 2026 at 02:00 pm
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Last line: constituent new chapter in Title 19 RCW. Senator Kaufman. Thank you, Mr. President.
- 1, and 1985 Chapter 1, Section 5.
- Section 11 of this act constitutes a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.
- Section to Chapter 72.09, RCW. Senator Wilson. Thank you so much, Mr. President.
- Enforcement under this chapter. Senator Saldaña. Thank you, Mr. President.
Bills:
SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2272 , HB2340 , HB2543 , HB2554 , HB2632 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , SB6006 , SB6260 , SB6297 , SB6351 , SB6354 , SB6355 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624
Keywords:
tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Human Services Feb 24th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- the Community Protection Program who have not committed a sexually violent offense as defined in Chapter
- It restores CPP for those that have committed a sexually violent offense as defined in Chapter 71.09,
- 9A-44 or 7109 RCW. violence as defined in Chapter 9A. 44 or 7109 RCW and include several different types
- offense under charge. any other services if the person has been convicted of a sex offense under Chapter
- It updates the effective date of the statutes and updates chapter and session law to be repealed with
Summary:
The Senate Human Services Committee met on February 24 to executive a large docket of bills and one gubernatorial appointment. The committee first heard and then moved several bills in two packets. Topics included the Community Protection Program (SHB 1390), jail search policies for transgender and intersex individuals (EHB 1604), medically tailored meals (EHB 2211), limits on DSHS reviews of community residential service providers (SHB 2230), and a children and youth behavioral health coordination bill (2SHB 2429). Later, the committee also considered bills on foster care licensing and adult family homes (SHB 2505), DOC supervision of stalking convictions (HB 2510), inmate funds and indigency thresholds (SHB 2539), and transparency for residential habilitation centers (SHB 2350), along with the reappointment of Corey McNally to the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board.
Most of the debate centered on SHB 1390 and EHB 1604, where Senator Christian offered numerous amendments aimed at adding restrictions, notifications, assessments, and delays; most of those amendments failed on party-line votes. On SHB 1390, the committee adopted only a technical amendment updating agency names and references, then advanced the bill to Rules. On EHB 1604, all proposed amendments failed and the bill was sent to Rules. On EHB 2211, an amendment to add a competitive bidding credit for nonprofit and small-business meal vendors failed, and the bill advanced. SHB 2230 moved forward without amendment, and 2SHB 2429 was amended with a striking amendment and referred to Ways and Means because of its fiscal impact.
In the second packet, SHB 2505 and HB 2510 were both moved out of committee without amendment. On SHB 2539, the committee rejected an amendment to lower the indigency threshold to $50, adopted an amendment allowing the threshold to be at least $100 and adjustable, and then advanced the bill as amended. On SHB 2350, the committee adopted a negotiated amendment requiring notices about residential habilitation center noncompliance to be emailed to relevant legislative committees, withdrew a second notice amendment, and passed the bill. The committee also voted to recommend confirmation of Corey McNally’s appointment to the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board. Several bills were reported out subject to signatures, and the meeting adjourned after the final vote.
FL
Florida 2026 4th Special Session
February 10, 2026 - 09:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill seeks to update court statutes and family law proceedings in Chapter 61, dissolution of marriage
- And as I have seen different families involved in the child welfare system where there can be a Chapter
- Even if this body amended the chapter to include Black History Month to resolve the singular problem,
- I'm a member of the Jacksonville chapter of the National Organization for Women.
- In federal law Chapter 683, not all minority recognition months and days are necessarily included.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session Apr 7th, 2025 at 01:00 pm
North Dakota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Engrossed House Bill 1063 is a bill for an act to create a new section of Chapter 49-02 of the North
- Chapter 49-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to Public Service Commission requirements for
- Engrossed House Bill 1437 is a bill for an act to create and enact a new section of Chapter 15-10 of
- Engrossed House Bill 1058 is a bill for an act to create and enact a new chapter to Title 23.1 of the
- Re-engrossed Senate Bill 2354 is a bill for an act to create a new section of Chapter 15.1-107 of the
Summary:
The North Dakota House convened with prayer, roll call, and recognition of guests and student visitors, then moved through a long calendar of resolutions and bills. Early in the session, members honored Mandan High School’s e-sports team for state championships and recognized House Minority Leader Zachary Ista’s birthday. The House then passed HCR 3037 unanimously, urging mandatory reporting requirements for public officials, after committee support and remarks emphasizing accountability in public office.
The chamber then considered numerous Senate amendments and final-passage votes on bills covering ambulance service grants (HB 1597), Public Service Commission records and open meetings (HB 1110 and HB 1063), squatter/trespass law (HB 1305), nonconforming structures in local governments (HB 1500), academic tenure policy (HB 1437), retirement eligibility for correctional officers and state radio dispatchers (HB 1274 and HB 1419), a Medicaid dental study (HB 1567), above-ground fuel storage tank regulation (HB 1058), gaming site authorization procedures (HB 1615), an oil extraction tax incentive outside the Bakken and Three Forks formations (HB 1483), and simple assault protections for hospital workers (HB 1341). Most of these measures passed, though HB 1231, which would have created a study on early discontinuation of sex offender registration, failed on final passage.
A major point of debate was Senate Bill 2354, which would restrict student use of personal electronic devices during the school day in public and nonpublic schools, with exceptions for medical and special education needs and annual reporting on impacts. Supporters argued it would improve focus, behavior, and mental health, while opponents raised concerns about private-school regulation, logistics, liability, and duplication with a similar bill. The House passed SB 2354, and also passed SB 2112, which temporarily authorizes the Life Skills and Transition Center to serve certain non-eligible youth in crisis, despite objections that the facility should remain focused on developmental disabilities and concerns about repeating past institutional problems. The House also debated and rejected HB 1300 on legislative term limits after extensive discussion about whether the Senate’s date change altered the effect of the voter-approved measure. The session ended with announcements, committee notices, and adjournment until April 8, 2025.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Okay, for the record, Cyrus Reed, Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. Please. Hi. Go ahead. Okay.
- For the record, Cyrus Reed, Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.
- In statute today, in Local Government Code Chapter 174, you have these first responder organizations
- In statute today, in Local Government Code Chapter 174, you have these first responder organizations
- We are convinced that the substitute is going to include Chapters 143 and 147.
Bills:
SB75 , SB715 , SB776 , SB1299 , SB1405 , SB1968 , SB2021 , SB2077 , SB2148 , SB2321 , SB2330 , SB2411
Committee:
Senate Business & Commerce
Keywords:
electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce heard Senate Bill 2021 by Senator Johnson, as substituted, on distributed energy resources (DERs). Johnson said the bill was intended to create a regulatory framework for DERs and virtual power plants, address interconnection and registration issues, and prevent regulatory capture as the industry grows. Testimony was split: Texas Electric Cooperatives asked for clarification so co-ops would not be unintentionally excluded from owning or operating DERs; AECT supported the bill as providing needed rules and customer protections; TABA, Texas Solar and Storage Association, Sierra Club, Texas Solar Energy Society, and several others opposed it or raised concerns that it was too utility-centric, imposed red tape, and could burden homeowners and small businesses with registration and interconnection requirements. Johnson repeatedly said the bill was not meant to stop rooftop solar or backup systems and that he was open to specific redlines and further changes. SB 2021 was left pending after testimony.
The committee then took up Senate Bill 2330 by Senator Parker, which would end government payroll deduction for dues to certain public employee organizations, while exempting first responders under Chapters 143 and 147 and making other conforming changes in a committee substitute. Parker argued the bill was about government neutrality, transparency, and employee freedom from coercion, and said organizations can collect dues directly using modern payment methods. Supporters from Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Business Coalition, Freedom Foundation, ABC Texas, and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility said taxpayer-funded payroll systems should not be used to collect dues for private organizations, especially ones involved in political activity. Opponents, including ATPE, Texas Classroom Teachers Association, Texas Public Employees Association, and correctional employees, said payroll deduction is a convenient, secure service that helps professional associations and employee groups, and argued the bill would burden teachers and other public employees.
Several witnesses and senators focused on the bill’s exemptions and whether it treated teachers differently from first responders. Senator Menendez questioned why some public employees were excluded while others were not, and a Houston police union representative said he moved from opposing to supporting the bill after being told the substitute would preserve meet-and-confer deductions under Chapters 143 and 147. Senator Parker closed by saying the bill was not meant to eliminate associations or payroll deduction entirely, only to remove the state as a middleman. SB 2330 was left pending, and the committee then recessed subject to call.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Formal House Session 33 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 official edition, is hereby amended by inserting
- My amendment would seek to reallocate $50 million, just 6% of that $793 million, to Chapter 90, to be
- And mark this day, I think Governor Healey has a great Chapter 90 bond proposal that will be discussed
- will take up this very subject tomorrow when it hears the governor's $1.5 billion proposal for the Chapter
- municipal leaders, and residents across the state as we continue to examine the governor's proposal in Chapter
Summary:
The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted two ceremonial resolutions: one commemorating the dedication of the Woburn Battle Road Memorial as part of the Massachusetts 250th celebration, and another recognizing May 1-7 as Elks National Youth Week. The chamber then took up House Bill 4005, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill using FY24 Fair Share surtax surplus funds, and ordered it to a third reading before later considering it for passage to be engrossed.
During debate on the bill, the House heard a lengthy presentation in support of the proposal, which would direct about $828 million to transportation and $353 million to education. The transportation spending was described as primarily supporting the MBTA, including workforce and safety funding, reserve replenishment, station and infrastructure improvements, reduced fares, and reimbursement for tunnel closure costs, along with smaller amounts for regional transit authorities and unpaved roads. The education side included additional special education circuit breaker funding, vocational school capital, early education workforce supports, early literacy, universal school meals, higher education endowment matches, Green School Works, and ESOL waitlist reduction, with the Inspector General directed to review circuit breaker cost controls.
Members then debated several amendments. One amendment related to a school athletics policy was modified by a further amendment calling for DESE analysis before implementation; both the further amendment and the underlying amendment as amended were adopted. A transportation amendment to shift $50 million from MBTA funding to Chapter 90 municipal roads was supported by members emphasizing rural road needs but was rejected on a roll call, 25-120. Another transportation amendment adding at least $300,000 for Route 93 mitigation costs in Medford was adopted, 133-20. The bill itself then passed to be engrossed on a roll call, 140-14. The House also observed moments of silence for former First Lady Kitty Dukakis and for victims of the Santo Domingo nightclub collapse, and later adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. before adjourning in memory of former Representative Philip W. Johnston.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- You're talking about the same chapter? In the same chapter?
- What the representative is proposing is that we have consistency of language throughout the chapter.
- And what is the chapter? Sorry. It's 43-1-1, and that's that entire chapter.
Committee:
House House Judiciary
Keywords:
mental health, commitment, involuntary commitment, civil commitment, assisted outpatient treatment, AOT, court-ordered treatment, behavioral health, psychiatric hold, danger to self, danger to others, suicide prevention, self-harm, homicide risk, capacity, decisional capacity, guardianship, treatment guardian, crisis stabilization, crisis triage center
Summary:
The committee first heard Senate Bill 3, which revises definitions in the Mental Health Code and Assisted Outpatient Treatment Act related to “likelihood of serious harm” and decisional capacity. The sponsor said the goal was to make the standards more workable for courts and treatment providers in civil commitment and assisted outpatient treatment cases. Members adopted a friendly amendment that narrowed and clarified the language, including adding “intentionally,” tying decisional capacity language to a mental disorder, and specifying that a qualified mental health professional makes that determination. A second friendly amendment was then adopted to make the bill’s language consistent throughout the code by adding “serious” before references to harm to self or others in several places.
Public testimony on SB 3 was mixed. Disability advocates, the ACLU, and Disability Rights New Mexico expressed continued concern about involuntary treatment, civil liberty implications, possible overuse of commitment as a shortcut around guardianship or capacity procedures, and the risk that some people could remain in the system for a long time. Supporters included the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, police, and firefighters, who said the bill would provide clearer standards, better tools for crisis response, and alternatives to repeated arrest or emergency hospital transport. After debate, the committee voted 10-0 to give SB 3 a due pass as twice amended.
The committee then took up House Bill 70, which was presented with a committee substitute intended to make the bill “sleeker” and address concerns raised by members. The substitute restored existing limits on commission decision-making, strengthened hearing examiner independence, reinstated current ex parte and Open Meetings Act guardrails, removed a proposed consumer advocate provision, and changed one provision from “may” back to “shall.” Members asked a few clarifying questions, including about advocacy staff and hearing examiners, and the sponsor said the changes improved the bill. The committee voted 9-0 to do not pass the original bill and due pass the committee substitute. The chair announced the committee had completed its two bills and adjourned after discussing upcoming meeting times.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Mar 9th, 2026
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- As part of the Chapter 90 bond bill the governor filed last month, the administration seeks $200 million
- And then when that is full, and they stay for the night, as long as it's less than 32 degrees, something
- That was stipulated in the fiscal year 2026 budget, section 12, section 1 of chapter 23B of the General
- I've also seen the commission absorb new responsibilities under Chapter 180, undertake new initiatives
- The Commission previously absorbed new responsibilities under Chapter 180, including the review of host
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Summary:
The hearing in Barnstable opened with remarks from the House and Senate co-chairs about the importance of holding Ways and Means budget hearings on the Cape, especially given the region’s seasonal economy and infrastructure needs. The committee then heard testimony from Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones on the governor’s FY27 budget proposal. She highlighted funding for workforce programs including the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, Career Technical Initiative, registered apprenticeship, YouthWorks, reentry workforce programs, and services for young adults with disabilities. She also discussed MassHire career centers, the MassHire Innovation Project, and the Department of Unemployment Assistance modernization effort, noting improved call wait times and claims processing, but acknowledging continued challenges and federal funding uncertainty.
Members asked about job-seeker barriers such as child care, housing, and transportation; domestic outmigration of young workers; youth work permits; unemployment insurance costs and the COVID assessment on employers; and the state’s unemployment rate and UI trust fund solvency. Jones and Undersecretary Josh Cutler explained the difference between workforce training funds and the unemployment trust fund, described the statewide trigger that extends unemployment benefits from 26 to 30 weeks when regional unemployment averages 5.2 percent, and said the administration is reviewing the trust fund with labor and business stakeholders. They also said the administration is trying to preserve front-line DUA staffing while shifting resources to customer service and adjudication, including a Friday adjudication pilot and seasonal hires.
Senators and representatives also pressed the administration on regional equity in workforce funding, especially for Hampshire Franklin MassHire, which was described as serving a large rural area with fewer resources than other regions. Administration officials said they are reviewing MassHire funding formulas and modernizing the system with a policy committee and state workforce board input, but did not offer an immediate fix. The committee also heard that early childhood education apprenticeships are expanding quickly, with state funding leveraged to secure federal grants and support new Grow Awards. The hearing then moved to the Executive Office of Economic Development, where Secretary Eric Paley outlined House 2 proposals for economic development, including support for the Community One Stop for Growth, rural economic development, workforce partnerships, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, AI, small business assistance, tourism, and tax incentives. Undersecretary Leila D’Amilia followed with testimony on consumer affairs and business regulation, describing funding for consumer protection, banking oversight, occupational licensure, and public safety inspections.