Video & Transcript : 'trusted third party' :

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MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 2/11/25

Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:
  • And part of that public trust is what we all do, but part of that public trust obviously is how the judges
  • </c> discussed and part of that public trust discussed and part of that public trust is<00:35:17.560>
  • are named in a case have notice and all parties have an opportunity to present this case.
  • </c> this is a neutral space um and parties this is a neutral space um and parties can<01:08:46.960><
  • </c><01:13:50.760><c> contacted</c> case where a charging party contacted case where a charging party
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 841 focuses on the Construction Trust Fund.
  • passed, and that is to allow parties... ...parties to be compensated if they've done the work, but also
  • Banks take one-third, and consumers take the rest.
  • Second, it would disclose to an uninvolved third party the negotiated contractual pricing between the
  • uninvolved third party is a difficult precedent.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Elections Committee Apr 15th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • One of the most fundamental values in our democracy is trust.
  • Trust that our elected officials have the best interest of their communities at heart, trust that they
  • You said, but they're both violations of the public trust.
  • You know, that's a violation of the public trust.
  • Trust me, people are not going to work.
Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met as a subcommittee until quorum was established, then heard a series of election- and public-trust-related bills. Early items included AB 2592, which would move lobbyist training from legislative ethics committees to the FPPC starting in 2029 and make it available online on demand; it drew support from the FPPC and an oppose-unless-amended request to make the training public and ensure lobbyists pay fees. AB 2573 would refine California’s confidential voter registration protections for candidates and elected officials, with support from the Secretary of State and county election officials after amendments narrowed some family-member coverage. AB 2753 would bar registered sex offenders from running for or holding local or state office; it prompted extended debate about public trust, second chances, and where to draw the line, but was ultimately advanced on a 5-0 vote with one member not voting. AB 2691 similarly would expand disqualifying felony convictions to include sexual assault and human trafficking, and it also passed 5-0 after testimony from victim advocates and discussion about survivors, restorative justice, and the power dynamics involved in public office. The committee also advanced AB 2413, which would prohibit public funds from being used for large-format ads featuring elected officials, and AB 2281, which would direct the Office of Election Cybersecurity to assess replacement resources after federal cybersecurity support cuts and allow consultation with academic researchers. AB 1664 would require local election officials to notify the Secretary of State and Attorney General within one business day of warrants, subpoenas, or investigations involving election records or voting systems; supporters said it would help the state respond quickly to improper seizure of election materials, and it passed 5-0. AB 2484, concerning San Diego MTS, would let voters authorize a local sales tax initiative for transit funding and exempt it from an existing cap; it drew support from transit leaders and labor, opposition from the Realtors, and a lengthy exchange over Prop. 13, Prop. 218, and whether the measure created a special deal, before passing 6-1. The committee then heard AB 2230, which would create buffer zones around voting centers and child care facilities to keep immigration enforcement away from those locations. The author said the bill was meant to reduce fear and intimidation for voters and families, while the opposition argued it was unenforceable, lacked evidence of a problem, and would interfere with federal officers doing their jobs. Members supporting the bill cited reported ICE profiling and intimidation in California communities, while others raised jurisdictional and practical concerns. The transcript ends during this debate, with no final vote shown for AB 2230.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Jan 27th, 2026

Water, Parks and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:
  • And then trust has been a huge issue between the state... ...my district is very slow to trust government
  • They're trusted by the communities, and I just think that might be a good bridge to bring back that trust
  • The third result that I want to share is that trust Needs to be improved, and that's both around non-lethal
  • The third result that I want to share is that trust. native prey.
  • The third result that I want to share is that trust needs to be improved, and that's both around non-lethal
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • for BSIS to conduct a regional training capacity analysis in order to identify and ensure qualified third-party
  • The bill would also force firms to outsource training to third-party entities that don't yet exist at
  • over the phone, it's vital that we increase training requirements, that we ensure that the necessary third-party
  • training infrastructure... ...ensure that the necessary third-party training infrastructure exists before
  • Lowenthal. ensure that the necessary third party, that we also ensure that the necessary third party
Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard several Senate bills, with most of the discussion focused on worker training, public safety, and consumer protection. SB 1203 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would expand training and de-escalation requirements for private security officers. Supporters, including security workers and labor groups, said the bill would better prepare officers who often respond first to mental health crises and violent incidents. Opponents, including security industry representatives and business groups, argued it would impose major costs, create training bottlenecks, and could reduce licensed security coverage. The committee ultimately voted the bill out on a due pass recommendation to Labor and Employment, with some members noting future amendments to address training capacity and employer-provided training. The committee also approved SB 936 by Senator Blakespear, which would restrict retail sales of nitrous oxide canisters larger than 8 grams while preserving legitimate medical, dental, culinary, and automotive uses. Support came from county officials, public health groups, waste management organizations, law enforcement, and local governments, who described rising misuse, impaired driving, and recycling hazards. No opposition testimony was presented, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1271 by Senator Reyes, aimed at strengthening California’s midwifery training pipeline by requiring data collection on licensed midwife preceptor capacity, also passed unanimously to Health. Supporters said the bill would help address shortages in rural birth care and improve access to training for aspiring midwives. SB 903 by Senator Padilla, which would place guardrails on the use of AI in mental health and psychotherapy settings and prohibit AI from being marketed as a therapist, drew emotional testimony from a mother whose son died by suicide after extensive chatbot interactions. Health and behavioral health groups supported the measure, while several industry and health organizations were opposed unless amended; the committee nevertheless sent it to Privacy and Consumer Protection on a unanimous vote. The committee also approved SB 1165 on consent and then adjourned.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-06-02 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Children's Trusts save the state money.
  • Read the bill the third time by title.
  • I do trust the people, and I trust them enough to give them the full picture.
  • Then the second, it would foster trust.
  • The third one... The third one, it would preserve our community resources.
Summary: The House met in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and adopted the special order report setting the day’s calendar. The chamber then took up CS/House Joint Resolution 1F, the Governor’s property tax proposal, which would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and restrict county and municipal ad valorem revenue to public safety and certain other uses. Sponsor Rep. Overdorf said the measure would return money to homeowners and give local governments flexibility, while opponents repeatedly argued the ballot language was misleading and that the proposal could create large local revenue shortfalls, shift costs to other taxpayers, and threaten local services and debt obligations. Members debated a series of amendments aimed at protecting specific programs from the bill’s effects. Rep. Bartleman’s amendment to exempt Children’s Services Councils and Children’s Trusts was defeated 25-74 after supporters said those entities fund child care, mental health, aftercare, and family support, while opponents said local governments could still choose to fund them. Rep. Cross’s amendment to include water management districts in allowable uses of ad valorem taxes was also defeated, despite testimony that the districts are essential for flood control, water supply, Everglades restoration, and drought response. Rep. Eskamani’s amendment to require the Legislature to backfill public safety funding failed 25-71 after debate over whether the proposal could reduce police and fire budgets and response times. The House then rejected Rep. Woodson’s amendment to require state backfill for senior services, with supporters citing Meals on Wheels, transportation, adult day care, and other aging services, and opponents saying the state already funds senior programs. Finally, Rep. Gant’s amendment to protect veteran services was introduced and debated, with members emphasizing housing, mental health, transition assistance, and homelessness concerns for veterans; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that amendment. Throughout the debate, sponsors and supporters of the main resolution maintained that local governments would retain spending discretion and could use other revenue sources, while critics argued the measure lacked clear backfill provisions and could force cuts or tax shifts at the local level.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session 2/27/25

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c><00:14:28.639><c> reading</c> bill its third reading bill its third reading third<00:14:30.320><c
  • > housea</c> third reading third reading housea third reading third reading housea number<00:24:36.799
  • But simultaneously, in 2020, we weren't the party of money. We weren't the party of Wall Street.
  • I trust the body. I trust the people who are elected, and that's what this vote does.
  • The clerk will give the bill its third reading. House File 21, as amended, third reading.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • SB14 passes on third reading.
  • All they have to use is the third one, and the third one is shorter than the...
  • I really do, but there is not trust in the T.E.A. and there is certainly not trust in the T.E.A.
  • And third graders. It could, but I don't know if it does ban second and third graders.
  • Do you want to trust the other party to hold this much power, unchecked power?
Bills: HB8 , HB12 , SB 3 , HJR1 , SB 11 , SB 16 , SB 14 , HB8 , HB 12 , SB3 , HJR1 , SB11 , SB16 , SB14
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Water and Natural Resources Sep 12th, 2025

Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have received third-party funding to do more than just $2.5 million worth of work.
  • The bridge to Los Alamos, and those one-third year periods, it's 17 years for each third year.
  • In the last one-third, the third that we are finishing up right now, the mean is 814,000 acre-feet.
  • Ten in the first third, four in the last third. That just doesn't make any sense.
  • You'll see in the bullets there are multiple options under that third-party implementing contract.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Legislative Session Day 10 Jan 21st, 2026

Idaho Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And may Idaho always say, in God we trust. Amen. Amen.
  • The Senate will now advance to the third order of business, the reading and correction of the journal
  • The Senate is now in the third order. January 21st, 2006.
  • Appeals and fellow Idahoans, thank you for inviting me to join you today to discuss the work of our third
  • Bonneville County repurposed vacant space to create a courtroom designed for large multi-party trials
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session 4/27/26 - Part 2

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c><00:24:40.480><c> Third</c> give the bill a third reading. Third give the bill a third reading.
  • </c><00:52:58.800><c> Third</c> the bill its third reading. Third the bill its third reading.
  • Third reading. Third reading. Discussion.
  • Third reading, House file third reading.
  • Third reading. as amended. Third reading.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Housing Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Housing

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thanks to significant effort, for anyone who is not a party.
  • Network and other land trusts and other regions.
  • That's a very specific thing that involves this third party, but there's a lot of landlords who are just
  • Senate's budget: sales tax relief for materials related to housing construction, and incorporating third-party
  • We've got to find you a third chair. Thank you. Thank you.
Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held its second introductory hearing to frame the session’s housing agenda. Chairs Cyr and Haggerty described the hearing as a chance to hear a wide range of perspectives on Massachusetts’ housing crisis, including underbuilding, zoning and permitting barriers, rising costs, and the need for both state and local action. The committee heard from court, municipal, advocacy, and regional housing leaders, with recurring themes of increasing supply, preserving existing housing, preventing displacement, and expanding resources for renters and homeowners. Chief Justice Diana Horan of the Housing Court said the court is handling more than 40,000 new filings annually with only 15 judges, and estimated the court would need about 21 judges to meet demand. She described complications from RAFT-related stays, mental health and guardianship issues, aging housing stock, and the new eviction sealing law, which she said was being implemented smoothly but may require additional resources if filings continue to rise. The Massachusetts Municipal Association and MAPC emphasized that municipalities need flexibility, funding, and better tools such as MassWorks, Housing Works, H-DIP, 40R reforms, inclusionary zoning changes, and a local option transfer fee; they also said local control concerns and long permitting timelines remain major barriers. MAPC and others stressed that supply growth alone will not solve the crisis and urged continued support for subsidized housing, access to counsel, and modular/off-site construction. Advocates and housing providers focused on displacement, preservation, and tenant protections. Homes for All Massachusetts and Mass Law Reform Institute called for rent stabilization, stronger tenant protections, foreclosure prevention, elimination of junk fees, continued funding for RAFT and HomeBASE, and expanded access to counsel. Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants said the state needs far more extremely low-income housing, more operating subsidy, and major investment to repair public housing, while also supporting tenant technical assistance during redevelopment. Franklin County’s housing authority warned that rural communities are being left out of many state programs and asked for a rural LIHTC set-aside, a permanent rural credit boost, and a review of housing choice programs. A Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation researcher presented findings that communities that add housing generally see stronger municipal finances, and that housing growth can improve property tax and state aid outcomes. Seasonal community representatives from Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket described extreme affordability pressures and the need for tailored tools. Nantucket’s housing trust chair said the island has made progress through local funding, inclusionary zoning, and deed-restricted units, but still needs a real estate transfer fee and faster ways to preserve year-round housing. Across the hearing, members and witnesses repeatedly returned to the need for a mix of production, preservation, tenant protections, and local flexibility, rather than relying on any single policy solution.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 2/25/25

Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:
  • agreement, essentially create a new trust agreement and move assets from the old trust to the new trust
  • <00:19:25.280><c> um</c><00:19:25.440><c> essentially</c> trust which in a trust um essentially trust
  • then go and amend that trust or terminate that trust.
  • that trust.
  • </c> we would have to do with through third we would have to do with through third parties<00:59:24.640
Bills: HF747 , HF360
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

2026 Legislative Session - Day Thirty Two - Wednesday, March 4 - Morning Session

Missouri House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • You mentioned in your opening that your bill would require these websites to use third-party audited
  • All I see is the language that says they'll use a third-party system that verifies age.
  • don't know if you're aware... ...in your opening that your bill would require these websites to use third-party
  • All I see is the language that says they'll use a third-party system that verifies age.
  • services to be... ...for age verification, that we would want those third-party services to be reputable
Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the previous day’s journal by a 122-0 vote, and numerous introductions of special guests, including Special Olympics participants, occupational therapy and social work students and professionals, teachers, social workers, local officials, and community groups visiting for Hill Day and other advocacy events. Members also made announcements about committee meetings before the chamber recessed until 2 p.m. On the floor, House Bill 2974 was perfected and printed with little debate. Supporters said it would codify telehealth access in Missouri’s licensure reciprocity framework, helping seniors and rural residents continue to receive care. House Bill 2934, a bipartisan St. Louis convention center governance measure, also advanced after adoption of an amendment changing governor-appointed board seats to two city, two county, and one at-large member. The bill would merge existing entities managing the convention center and Dome, create a new board structure, and authorize a convention district tax framework and related financing rules; members discussed local control, revenue use, and the length of agreements under the bill. House Bill 2057, a technical fix for Osage Beach entertainment district authority, was adopted and perfected and printed. Supporters said it corrects an error from a prior bill and would allow Osage Beach to create an entertainment district similar to those in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Branson to support tourism and economic development. The chamber also took up House Bill 1839 and related bills on age verification for pornographic websites. Proponents argued the measure is needed to protect minors from online pornography and exploitation, citing the Supreme Court’s upholding of a similar Texas law and Missouri’s existing attorney general enforcement efforts; opponents raised privacy, enforcement, and unintended-consequences concerns, including whether less-scrupulous sites could become more accessible. After a motion for the previous question, the House adopted the committee substitute and perfected and printed House Bill 1839 by a 104-16 vote with 20 present.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Elections Committee Apr 9th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • Third, I'm sorry, fourth, we allow for ballot harvesting.
  • Third, subjective signature verification.
  • Again, third-world countries count their ballots by midnight.
  • It's about restoring public trust and confidence.
  • concerns about the part of the bill that would allow the Secretary of State to develop an API for third-party
Committee: House Elections
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Judiciary Committee Mar 24th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • We all agree that third-party litigation funding has been and continues to be an increasing problem.
  • We believe strongly that amending the bill to add a third-party funding disclosure requirement would
  • We're actually, the desired amendments here would be disclosure and transparency around the third-party
  • legal notices to be published in independent newspapers of general circulation, creating a verified third-party
  • that travel documents be returned to the protected party, and ensure the protected party is not removed
Summary: The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard several bills focused largely on legal ethics, access to justice, public notice, water-rights notice, and protections for vulnerable people. AB 2305 would bar corporate investors such as private equity and hedge funds from directing or influencing litigation decisions; it was supported by the Consumer Attorneys of California and others, with the Civil Justice Association of California supporting if amended to add disclosure requirements. AB 2039 would tighten discipline for attorney misconduct, protect whistleblowers inside law firms, and restrict certain client-loan arrangements; it drew support from consumer attorneys and a support-if-amended position from CJA. AB 2109 would require the State Bar to adopt the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ Universal Bar Exam after the troubled February 2025 California bar exam; members discussed the need for broader review and possible reciprocity, but supported moving the bill forward. The committee also advanced AB 2115, which would issue a formal legislative apology to California Native peoples for the state’s role in historic violence and dispossession, with strong support from tribal leaders and Native organizations. Members spoke at length about the need for acknowledgment, healing, and a Capitol plaque memorializing the apology. AB 2179 would expand electronic filing and remote appearance options to workplace violence restraining orders, aligning them with other protective order procedures; it received support from local governments, prosecutors, labor groups, and advocacy organizations. AB 2534 would allow restraining orders based on forced marriage or attempts to compel marriage, and the committee heard powerful testimony from a survivor and support from family violence advocates. Two other measures addressed notice and transparency. AB 2323 would modernize public notice by keeping print publication as the legal standard while requiring online availability, with supporters emphasizing access, archival value, and the role of community newspapers; a special districts group opposed unless amended. AB 2125 would require courts in water-rights adjudications to consider proof of notice and receipts before proceeding, prompted by testimony from Ventura County farmers who said they lost water allocations without adequate notice. The committee approved the bills it heard, including several on consent, and later took roll-call votes to move the measures forward, generally sending them to Appropriations or to the floor as noted.
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-04-29 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Party.
  • Donald Trump's Republican Party. In direct... Party.
  • But all session, this chamber has talked about trust. Trust. Trust. Trust.
  • Who are we asking Floridians to trust? Because they're not going to trust us.
  • They're not going to trust us. They're not going to trust you. They're not going to trust us.
Summary: The Senate convened in special session and took up Senate Bill 8D / House Bill 1D, which would establish Florida’s congressional districts. The sponsor, Sen. Gates, explained that the Governor had transmitted a redistricting plan two days earlier and argued that mid-decade redistricting is legally permissible, citing population growth and the Governor’s view that race-based districting is unconstitutional. Much of the floor time was spent in extended questioning about the process, the lack of public hearings compared with prior redistricting cycles, the use of population estimates from the Census/EDR/ACS, compactness scores, and whether the Governor’s office used partisan data or outside consultants. Gates repeatedly said he was relaying the Governor’s proposal and legal theory rather than offering his own legal opinion, and he said any constitutional challenge would be for the courts. A major portion of the debate focused on the U.S. Supreme Court’s newly issued Calais decision and its implications for the Fair Districts Amendment and the Voting Rights Act. Senators questioned whether the decision struck down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, whether it affected Florida’s constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering, and whether the Legislature should postpone action to review the ruling. A motion to temporarily postpone the bill failed by voice vote and then by recorded vote, 12 yeas to 23 nays. Senators also raised concerns that the proposed map cracked minority communities, including Latino and Black populations in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, and that it would produce a heavily Republican-leaning map despite the state’s voter registration mix. After debate on the Senate bill, the chamber substituted the identical House companion bill, read it a third time, and proceeded to final debate. Opponents argued the map was an illegal partisan gerrymander, was based on assumptions rather than verified data, and would likely lead to litigation. Supporters maintained that the Governor had authority to propose a congressional map, that the plan was race-neutral, and that the Legislature could accept, reject, or amend it. The transcript ends during continued debate on House Bill 1D, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Independent third-party evaluation offers decisive advantages over traditional regulatory models.
  • The independent third-party auditors and IVOs can create a de facto national standard in the absence
  • They're not in an economic position to negotiate with third-party service providers.
  • Madam Chair and members, Cliff Costa, on behalf of Copart, which is a third-party service provider for
  • Times owed $5,000 in statutory damages each time a third-party ad tech tool on LATimes.com collected
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.
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, April 27, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> sought from third parties. sought from third parties.
  • Under current law, taxpayers can receive a general third-party contact notice.
  • > about</c><03:55:37.439><c> you,</c> third party for information about you, third party for information
  • </c><03:55:50.000><c> But</c><03:55:50.160><c> too</c> third-party contact notice.
  • But too third-party contact notice.
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Water Topics Overview Committee Mar 26th, 2026

Water Topics Overview Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • party with DWR oversight. side. and then outsources O&M to a third party with DWR oversight.
  • Third, use of existing lines of credit with third-party reimbursement.
  • I have one question on that one page where you talk about threats, upper and lower basin, third party
  • Lower basin, third party, ANS regulatory needed resources—that one maybe you didn't have that one; it
  • One of them, you know, refresh my memory, third-party claims.
Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met with a quorum and heard updates from Department of Water Resources Director Reese Haas and Lieutenant Governor/State Water Commission Chair Michelle Strinden on statewide water funding, major projects, and two legislative studies requested in House Bill 1020. Haas reviewed the status of the Northwest Area Water Supply and Southwest Pipeline projects, noting NAWS construction is expected to move water by fall and Southwest’s Hebron-Rugby expansion phase one is in final design with bids expected next month. He also summarized the department’s budget outlook, including Resources Trust Fund and Water Project Stabilization Fund balances, the effect of oil price volatility and stripper well exemptions on revenues, and the status of project buckets, carryover, lines of credit, regionalization, bid trends, and administrative/process updates. Committee members asked about project prioritization, municipal funding demand, maintenance expectations, replacement versus deferred maintenance, and whether the 2025 session may have underfunded municipal water supply needs. Haas said the commission uses the same high/medium/low prioritization process across all buckets, reviews maintenance plans as part of policy, and is seeing strong demand in the municipal bucket. He also explained that the department’s 14-year projection is based on the next seven legislative sessions and that the state faces a projected $1.3 billion shortfall over that period if all planned projects are funded under current assumptions. Deloitte then presented draft findings from the cost-share policy study and the governance/finance study. For cost share, Deloitte said the model shows a roughly $1.3 billion shortfall over 14 years and about $1.8 billion through 2031 under current policy, and offered seven options including tighter eligibility for replacement projects, state funding caps for the Mouse River and Red River Valley projects, a priority-based cost-share scale, timing shifts, use of existing lines of credit, and delayed reimbursement timing. For governance, Deloitte outlined draft options for Southwest, NAWS, and Red River ranging from maintaining current structures with stronger planning to transferring ownership or adding formal oversight, and recommended broader use of performance metrics, long-term financial planning, and clearer decision trees. No votes or formal actions were taken; the commission discussed the scenarios and the studies will return in revised form later in the spring.