Transcript Highlights:

• be traveling from out of state or just patients that may be traveling from out of state or just visiting
• Well, next, we moved to I don't think the visit are here next.
• referral providers in that worker network and it with a partnership with their provider that they're visiting

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• history of trauma, gain access to services to support mental health through the Mental Health Home Visiting
• I really appreciate all of y'all visiting with me about your districts that participate in the pilot.
• We visited Taiwan to set up Texas's office in Taiwan, and during that time, during the visit, the Minister
• of Economic Affairs promised to come to Texas for an official visit.

Bills: HB2293 , HB2694 , HB2999 , HB3694 , HB3254 , HB4662 , HB5629 , HB5632 , HB5675 , HB5664 , HB5671 , HB5680 , HB5682 , HB5693 , HB4158 , HB5695 , HB4669 , HB5696 , HB5698 , HB5677 , HB5699 , HB5694 , HCR81 , HCR83 , HCR84 , HCR89 , HCR111 , HCR142 , HR868 , SB682 , SB1351 , SB1895 , SB1931 , SB2141 , SB3044 , SCR1 , SCR6 , SCR37 , SB458 , SB482 , SB927 , SB984 , SB651 , SB1620 , SB2124 , SB2448 , SB841 , SB843 , SB402 , SB2662 , SB2053 , SB2332 , SB2112 , SB745 , SB1247 , SB1789 , HB75 , HB5354 , HB4683 , HB4847 , HB1449 , HB3833 , HB265 , HB1845 , HB 108 , HB1960 , HB1955 , HB2512 , HB2581 , HB2803 , HB1738 , HB636 , HB2638 , HB2655 , HB871 , HB 1107 , HB1765 , HB1822 , HB3679 , HB4099 , HB3732 , HB3171 , HB3749 , HB2814 , HB3977 , HB4204 , HB4207 , HB4449 , HB1820 , HB1876 , HB1939 , HB1347 , HB2593 , HB2136 , HB2658 , HB2757 , HB2080 , HB3063 , HB3006 , HB2844 , HB3241 , HB3680 , HB3169 , HB2078 , HB2507 , HB4559 , HB3405 , HB475 , HB3463 , HB3441 , HB3520 , HB3178 , HB158 , HB2060 , HB4991 , HB1991 , HB5596 , HB2014 , HB2731 , HB2417 , HB2399 , HB2301 , HB3335 , HB3234 , HB3320 , HB4848 , HB4748 , HB4769 , HB4795 , HB2086 , HB2234 , HB4916 , HB5624 , HB4505 , HB5093 , HB5302 , HB5402 , HB5606 , HB4630 , HB4924 , HB3339 , HB3793 , HB3631 , HB4882 , HB5509 , HB5499 , HB5520 , SB1177 , SB1559 , SB746 , SB434 , SB1383 , SB1214 , SB1079 , SB3031 , SB2141 , SB2185 , SB1895 , SB1241 , SB901 , SB1883 , SB552 , HB 1249 , HJR218 , HB5623 , SB687 , SB1332 , SB458 , SB482 , SB927 , SB984 , SB651 , SB1620 , SB2124 , SB2448 , SB841 , SB843 , SB402 , SB2662 , SB2053 , SB2332 , SB2112 , SB745 , SB1247 , SB1789 , HCR76 , HCR127 , HCR9 , HCR40 , HCR118 , HR559 , HCR59 , HCR135 , HCR141 , HCR46 , HCR109 , HCR10 , SB3037

Keywords: Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors, local governance, elections, healthcare administration, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, vacancies, resignation, hydrogen vehicles, weight limitations, transportation, environmental impact, clean energy, deep fake, intimate depictions, consent, digital media, criminal penalties, State Board of Education

Transcript Highlights:

• I have loved this experience and I look forward to visiting from the Senate. Thank you. this year.
• I visited there as a kid, and growing up, uh, I remember I was very young, but the first Black mayor
• But I would visit all these small know.
• And for Kevin, my friend who always visits me at the restroom.
• </c> visits me at the rostroom. visits me at the rostroom.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• DHCS cannot meet the timelines, SB 490 would authorize counties to request approval to conduct site visits
• DHCS cannot meet the timelines SB 490 would authorize counties to request approval to conduct site visits
• And conduct mandatory follow-up site visits to ensure unlawful services have been stopped.
• It would bring partnership with counties to do site visits and ensure licensing.
• And it's a good matter of public policy that we basically empower localities to actually do site visits

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several measures, beginning with SB 331 by Sen. Menjivar, which would require large-group health plans to cover hearing aids for children. The author and supporters described the bill as a long-running effort to address a developmental emergency and reduce out-of-pocket costs for families, while opponents were absent. Testimony from parents, advocates, medical experts, and organizations emphasized the importance of early access to hearing aids; committee members voiced strong support, and the bill was moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations, with several members requesting to be added as coauthors. The committee then heard SB 608, also by Sen. Menjivar, to expand access to condoms in school-based health centers and related settings and to prevent barriers such as ID checks. Supporters, including students and school health advocates, argued the bill would improve sexual health and reduce stigma, while opponents from family and faith groups argued it would undermine parental authority and normalize early sexual activity. The bill was supported by committee members and moved forward on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. Next, SB 971 by Sen. Choi proposed community-based healthy aging partnerships for older adults, with testimony from the California Senior Legislature and supporters from aging and dementia organizations. The measure was described as voluntary and focused on connection, independence, and local collaboration; there was no opposition, and the committee moved it on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 869 by Sen. Weber Pierson, which would require warning icons and statements on chain restaurant menus for beverages with very high added sugar content. Supporters framed it as a transparency and public health measure, while restaurant and beverage industry representatives opposed it unless amended, citing cost and menu-space concerns; the bill was nevertheless moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations after a roll call vote, with some members voting no and the measure placed on call. The committee also considered SB 950 by Sen. Weber Pierson, aimed at ensuring timely coverage of FDA-approved, medically necessary treatments for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease on commercial plans. Supporters, including the Alzheimer’s Association and a patient advocate, said the bill would reduce delays and barriers to care, while health plan representatives opposed it over step therapy and utilization-management concerns. Members discussed the limited treatment window and the need for early access, and the bill was moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. In addition, SB 490 by Sen. Umberg would set timelines for DHCS investigations of unlicensed sober living homes and allow counties to assist if the department cannot act in time; supporters from Anaheim and a patient-brokering survivor described serious abuse and oversight gaps, while county behavioral health representatives opposed the county role as an unfunded and potentially liability-creating burden. After discussion, the bill was also moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1037 by Sen. Weber Pierson on health insurance affordability and rate review, with supporters arguing it would tie premium increases more closely to affordability targets and public reporting; the transcript cuts off before the committee completed action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• DHCS cannot meet the timelines, SB 490 would authorize counties to request approval to conduct site visits
• DHCS cannot meet the timelines SB 490 would authorize counties to request approval to conduct site visits
• And conduct mandatory follow-up site visits to ensure unlawful services have been stopped.
• It would bring partnership with counties to do site visits and ensure licensing.
• it’s a good matter of public policy that we... ...basically empower localities to actually do site visits

Committee: House Health

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've visited a couple of different day programs in the community, and I honestly wanted to throw up,
• That was actually my first time visiting the Pappas Hospital School, and so I appreciate your efforts
• I'm reminded of a young man I met during one of my visits to Pappas.
• But in one of my recent visits, I met a young man who had come to Pappas at a much younger age.
• I have no doubt that when you had that visit, that's clearly helped turn the shift.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The special legislative commission on the future of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children held a hybrid public hearing focused on the hospital’s future, admissions, staffing, infrastructure, and whether the facility should be preserved, expanded, or reimagined. Opening remarks from legislators, commissioners, parents, and union representatives emphasized that Pappas provides a unique combination of medical, rehabilitative, educational, and residential services for children with complex needs, and several speakers argued that the hospital is effectively being depopulated through reduced admissions and ongoing discharges despite public assurances that it remains open. Multiple speakers urged the commission to extend its authorization and continue its work before any closure or major change can occur. Testimony from labor leaders, including AFSCME, SEIU Local 509, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, described a “silent closure” in practice, with staff reporting confusion about the hospital’s status, declining census numbers, blocked admissions, and uncertainty about the workforce’s future. They called for immediate action to stop admission denials and unnecessary discharges, and some proposed short-term solutions such as temporary modular structures to address infrastructure barriers and allow admissions to resume. Parents and former patients testified that Pappas provided life-changing independence, specialized therapy, and campus-based supports that they said could not be replicated elsewhere, and they criticized alternative placements as inadequate. Commissioner Robert Goldstein of the Department of Public Health said the administration supports keeping Pappas open and funded while the commission works, but he argued that admissions must comply with hospital-level-of-care rules and that the campus’s deteriorating infrastructure limits the kinds of children who can safely be served there. He said the department is continuing admissions for appropriate patients, working to expand outreach and services, and exploring long-term options, including broader statewide models of care. Commissioners pressed him on whether discharge status or lack of a clear discharge plan had been used as a barrier to admission, and requested de-identified data on patients recommended for admission but denied. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd be happy to visit with you and explore those issues as we work toward some kind of solution here.
• I'd be happy to visit with you and explore those issues as we work towards some kind of solution here
• A number of us, and I invited members from both sides of the aisle, we went and visited a DES location
• I went ahead and visited my accountant and filed.
• legislative leadership is proposing in this budget less health care coverage, which means more ER visits

Bills: HB4138 , HB4139 , HB4140 , HB4141 , HB4142 , HB4143 , HB4144 , HB4145 , HB4146 , HB4147 , HB4148 , HB4149 , HB4150 , HB4151 , HB4152 , HB4153 , SB1831 , SB1832 , SB1833 , SB1834 , SB1835 , SB1836 , SB1837 , SB1838 , SB1839 , SB1840 , SB1841 , SB1842 , SB1843 , SB1844 , SB1845 , SB1846

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: appropriations, education funding, health care, general fund, state budget, local funding, gaming, pari-mutuel, horse racing, regulatory assessment, first-time starters, budget implementation, federal funds, government services, budget stabilization, financial reporting, capital outlay, infrastructure, veterans services, highway construction

Transcript Highlights:

• And by that, that means our Auditor General is going to be paying a lot of people to visit that they
• probably weren't... ...that means our Auditor General is going to be paying a lot of people to visit
• I'll go through what our site visits and functionality observations found in more detail.
• As we began meeting with schools, with staff from Mutualink, and going to on-site visits, our primary
• And they came and visited back in March of 2025, before your tenure.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Summary: The committee began with opening remarks about moving to a monthly, two-hour schedule for more timely and focused oversight of Auditor General findings. Members also recognized Melanie Chesney for 32 years of service to the Office of the Auditor General, with several speakers praising her work and her role in strengthening the relationship between the Auditor General’s office and J-LAC. The main agenda item was the Auditor General’s December 2025 special audit on the school safety interoperability fund and interoperable communication systems. Staff reported that about $26 million had been allocated to 14 law enforcement agencies for systems intended to improve real-time communication between schools and first responders. The audit found that all 14 agencies used the money for interoperable systems, but four agencies allowed private or tribal schools to participate contrary to statute, and several agencies failed to submit required annual expenditure reports. It also found that none of the three systems reviewed met every statutory requirement as written, in part because some requirements were vague or interpreted differently by vendors and agencies. The audit recommended that agencies recover and report any improper benefit to non-public schools, avoid using fund money for ongoing costs tied to non-public school participation, submit missing reports, and improve cost planning and contract monitoring; it also recommended that the legislature clarify eligibility for private and tribal schools and revisit unclear system requirements. The audit further found procurement and contracting problems at nine of 14 agencies, including weak or missing sole-source justifications, contracts that lacked accountability and termination provisions, and poor documentation of pricing and deliverables. Several agencies had not planned for ongoing annual costs, which the audit estimated could range from about $16,000 to $382,000 per rural county depending on the system. In the discussion, members expressed frustration with sole-source contracting and lack of documentation, and some said they would oppose future vendor bills without competitive bidding and stronger payment controls. The auditor also described mixed system performance: some agencies reported useful features such as panic alerts, camera access, and map sharing, but other systems were not fully functional or had never been implemented. The committee then heard from the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association, whose president said sheriffs support the goal of improving school safety, described county implementation challenges, and defended the use of local staff to manage the projects, while acknowledging that smaller counties face staffing and connectivity limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• And by that, that means our Auditor General is going to be paying a lot of people to visit that they
• I'll go through what our site visits and functionality observations found in more detail.
• As we began meeting with schools, with staff from Mutualink, and going to on-site visits, our primary
• Lieutenant Whipple and many others on the staff started conducting visits with different vendors to find
• And they came and visited back in March of 2025, before your tenure. Okay, I'm just...

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The last time I saw him was in Cibola County when I had to visit him through glass.
• We were able to visit the center; I don't even remember what month it was, maybe last month.
• When we visited The YSC Center mentioned that you all were working with the youth there at the center
• I have been told, and I have visited many detention centers through my day jobs.
• Emergency room visits will increase.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The problem is that the parent who refuses to allow the visiting parent to see the child can be held
• to criminal punishment for not obeying the court's order and allowing the non-custodial parent to visit
• Yeah, no, again, as I was visiting with Senator Menendez, the goal of this...
• Again, as I was visiting with Senator Menendez, the goal of this would be to try and be more efficient
• I'm sure, like me, you visit with property owners all the time of commercial properties that are concerned

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Tedrick Woods, followed by routine chamber actions including excusing Senator Gutierrez and receiving House messages that the House had passed HB 21 and HB 49. Senators also recognized advocates visiting the gallery on focal segmental glomerulosclerosis awareness and introduced the Doctor of the Day. The chamber adopted several resolutions, including HCR 66, by voice vote. The Senate then took up and passed a series of measures, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. Among the bills finally passed were HJR 2, which would prohibit state death taxes; HB 206, limiting counties from requiring cash bonds for pipeline construction; HB 517, barring property owners associations from fining homeowners for discolored vegetation during watering restrictions; HB 2756, requiring TDCJ correctional officers to receive de-escalation and behavioral health training; HB 451, expanding screening for commercial sexual exploitation risk among children in DFPS and TJJD custody; SB 705, cleaning up the air conditioning and refrigeration contractors advisory board; SB 2017, creating an offense for burnouts and wheelies; SB 1858, expanding body armor grant eligibility to ISDs; SB 1400, directing a study on transfer-student outcomes for community college funding; SB 2764, requiring notice to manufactured home buyers about converting homes to real property; SB 748, a licensing cleanup bill on laser hair removal; SB 2519, restricting certain ad valorem tax uses and bonds after amendment; SB 2878, the courts bill with amendments on Brazoria County courts and youth diversion provisions; SB 466, allowing families to request fetal death certificates at any gestational age; SB 1608, requiring timely physical exams for inpatient mental health admissions; SB 1730, limiting civil damages claims arising from certain uses of force or deadly force; SB 2417, clarifying Attorney General antitrust investigation work product and discovery rules; and SB 1946, creating a family violence, criminal homicide prevention task force. The Senate also passed HB 3204, renaming and updating the Polytechnic College at Sam Houston State University, and SB 1986, requiring opioid warning labels. Several bills drew brief debate or amendments. Senators discussed broader HOA reform while considering HB 517, and SB 2203 on TCEQ discovery procedures was amended to require party motions, set a 15-day expiration for certified issues, and limit hearing abatement. SB 2017 was amended to change the mens rea language from knowingly to intentional. SB 2519 was narrowed by amendment to a forward-looking policy statement separating maintenance-and-operation taxes from debt-service taxes. SB 2878 also received amendments to reduce the number of new Brazoria County courts and add youth diversion and crisis-response provisions. SB 466 prompted a floor debate over whether fetal death certificates are appropriate for pre-20-week losses, with supporters emphasizing family closure and opponents arguing the document has no estate-related purpose. SB 1730 also prompted questions about the relationship between criminal findings and civil liability in self-defense cases. The session concluded with additional House and Senate measures being signed in the presence of the Senate and continued consideration of SB 2177, a grant program to help local law enforcement solve violent and sexual offenses.

Transcript Highlights:

• We get to visit them a lot, and um I am going to try to stop talking now, okay?
• We get to visit them a lot, and um I am going to try to stop talking now, okay? Thank you again.
• We get to visit them a lot, and um I am going to try to stop talking now, okay? Thank you again.
• We get to visit them a lot, and um I am going to try to stop talking now, okay? Thank you again.
• them a lot and um I get to visit them a lot and um I I<00:37:54.040><c> going</c><00:37:54.280><c> to

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning, and thank you very much for the opportunity to visit you this morning on behalf of our
• you very much for opportunity to visit you this<00:18:20.640><c> morning</c><00:18:21.360><c> um</c>
• 38.799><c> you</c> overview of our property uh many of you overview of our property uh many of you visit
• 18:39.960><c> but</c><00:18:40.120><c> we</c><00:18:40.280><c> thought</c><00:18:40.440><c> the</c> visit
• there often but we thought the visit there often but we thought the visuals<00:18:41.000><c> might</

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:29 Roll Call 00:00:40 HB 2 Discussion 00:02:55 HB 2 Vote 00:14:10 Kentucky Exposition Center Redevelopment Plan Discussion 00:17:22 HB 545 Discussion Only 00:39:15, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2, which would address the taxation of currency and bullion and was presented as a response to last session’s dispute over whether a line-item veto could be applied to a revenue measure. The sponsor said the bill, as amended by Committee Substitute 2, was largely technical but also made the tax exemption retroactive to August 1, 2024 while making the $1,000-per-day penalty prospective only. Members asked about fiscal impact, possible legal liability for executive branch officials, and whether the issue should instead be resolved by the courts. The sponsor argued the Constitution limits the governor’s line-item veto power to appropriations, not revenue bills, and said the bill would create a judicial remedy and refund process if the executive branch continued collecting the tax. The committee approved the committee substitute and then passed House Bill 2 by a vote of 19-1, with two members passing; the bill was reported favorably to the floor. During discussion, Representative Bojanowski voted no, saying he could not support removing taxes on gold bars while parents pay taxes on diapers. Representative Gentry passed, saying he supported the original intent but was not yet convinced and wanted more time to review the issue. The sponsor also clarified that any liability would be joint and several and could involve executive officials or their budgets if the tax collection continued despite the exemption. The committee then heard a discussion-only presentation on the Kentucky Exposition Center Redevelopment Plan Phase 2. Facility representatives described Phase 1 and the planned Phase 2 expansion, saying the center had record attendance and needed more space to remain competitive and meet client demand. They said Phase 1 was about 20% complete, with completion now expected in October 2026 and an opening target of December 31, 2026 after a short testing period. Phase 2 would follow, including demolition of the West Wing, utility work, and improvements to food service and circulation areas. They said the project would be funded without federal dollars and estimated that, once complete, it could generate about $683 million in annual economic impact, $302 million in state sales tax, and 850,000 room nights in Jefferson County.

Transcript Highlights:

• &gt;&gt; enjoy<00:01:54.520><c> our</c><00:01:54.600><c> visits.</c> &gt;&gt; enjoy our visits.
• &gt;&gt; enjoy our visits.
• </c><00:32:10.480><c> they</c><00:32:10.640><c> did</c><00:32:10.880><c> visited</c><00:32:11.400><c>
• those</c> And they visit.
• They did visit those kids, so essentially the worker will do that now.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:19 DCBS 00:01:58, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On my right and to your left, under the second column of Liberty, we have visiting with us from Kansas
• City, Missouri, Under the second column of Liberty, we have visiting with us from Kansas City, Missouri
• They are visiting today from back home in St.
• And we did visit about it this morning. This is a $45 million mistake.
• I have children and parents visit me often in my office.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, approved the House Journal by a 107-1 vote, and then spent much of the day on introductions of guests, family members, interns, and public servants. Members recognized visitors including family of legislators, a park ranger honored for life-saving work, substance-use treatment advocates, nonprofit and apprenticeship program representatives, students, and staff. The chamber also received committee reports and Senate messages, including a conference committee appointment on House Bill 2818 and fiscal review reports recommending passage of Senate Bill 1020 and Senate Bill 1062. The main floor action centered on the state budget, especially House Bill 2 on public education. The budget chair explained the conference report as providing $8.4 billion for K-12 and the Office of Childhood, with disputes over funding sources and the foundation formula. Several members argued the bill underfunded schools by about $190 million and objected to using blind pension and projected ARPA/lottery-related funds; others defended the budget as record-level funding and emphasized that the total education dollars were unchanged, only the funding mix differed. A substitute motion to reject the conference report and send the bill back to conference failed 62-89, and the conference report on House Bill 2 was then adopted 83-68; the bill was third read and passed 83-68. The House then adopted and passed House Bill 3 on higher education, after debate over a proposed performance-based funding model and language directing the department to develop a new formula by the end of the year. Members generally supported keeping funding flat this year while studying a longer-term model. House Bill 4, covering Revenue and Transportation, was adopted 128-21 and passed 127-27, with discussion of rural roads funding and transportation investments. The House also took up House Bill 5 on the Office of Administration and IT consolidation/accountability, with the sponsor describing it as the central state-government operations bill; debate on that measure began before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not there for a visit.
• OIG is able to interrupt the introduction by staffing highway gate searches and monitoring target visits
• Unfortunately, if a staff member... ...from an individual either bringing it in during visitation.
• And sometimes that can happen several times a day, depending on where you work, and leaving visitation
• Well, I mean, if that's the way it was written today, then I would have my supervisors go visit with

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House, we wish you the very best in your future endeavors and we hope that you will come back soon to visit
• come</c><00:04:10.040><c> back</c><00:04:10.280><c> soon</c><00:04:10.560><c> to</c><00:04:10.680><c> visit
• </c><00:04:11.200><c> Thank</c><00:04:11.440><c> you</c> will come back soon to visit.
• Thank you will come back soon to visit.
• </c> Our committee visited this past summer. Our committee visited this past summer.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, every person got one hour for their initial visit because they're miserable and they needed help
• 34.280><c> initial</c> person got one hour for their initial person got one hour for their initial visit
• ><c> it's</c><00:39:36.000><c> not</c><00:39:36.880><c> they're</c><00:39:37.079><c> miserable</c> visit
• because it's not they're miserable visit because it's not they're miserable and<00:39:37.760><c> they
• visits or procedures without<01:09:36.120><c> parental</c><01:09:37.159><c> um</c><01:09:38.159><c>

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are currently in good standing with the ABA, and we were determined in our last accreditation visit
• So I would also suggest, if you can be here in person, that we can visit and talk to you as opposed to
• You and I have visited several times.
• But yeah, this topic's relevant, and I would say Representative Hatlestad said, yes, we should visit
• I think it'd be a good thing to visit with him about as he interprets his own power. Okay.

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Summary: The committee convened, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received a memo summarizing major audit items. The State Auditor’s office and outside auditors then presented a series of audits, many of which were clean with unmodified opinions and no findings, including the Bank of North Dakota, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Region State College, and the Office of the Governor. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association audit was also clean overall, but it repeated findings about limited segregation of duties and auditor assistance in preparing financial statements, which the auditor said were expected to continue because of the organization’s small size. Committee members asked about out-of-state board addresses, and the association explained those members were North Dakota residents using South Dakota mailing addresses. Several audits did include findings. The Council on the Arts audit identified two issues: payroll charged to federal awards without supporting time records, and $12,825 in Cultural Endowment Fund spending that was not allowable under state law, including staff training, retreats, and executive director candidate travel. The Department of Public Instruction audit found unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, but additional testing confirmed the funds were credited properly and students completed required school district work, so no improper payments were identified. The University of North Dakota audit found a lack of documentation and transparency in School of Law admissions decisions; the auditor said the law school used a holistic process but did not keep notes or evaluation tools to show why applicants were admitted, waitlisted, or denied. UND leadership said the school is in good standing with the American Bar Association and agreed better documentation is needed, and the auditor said the issue was the missing documentation, not ABA accreditation itself. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which found four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating cap, grant conditions not being met, improper breeder fund awards, and improper procurement. The auditor said promotion fund spending exceeded the cap by $327,447 and the fund balance dropped sharply over the audit period. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson said the agency had become complacent, that grant requests were treated as routine, and that controls and documentation need to be tightened. He also explained that the breeder fund overpayments involved two horses whose ownership transfers were not properly documented before racing, and that the procurement issue stemmed from an advertising contract that proceeded without proper written procurement procedures after a misunderstanding with the State Procurement Office. The auditor said the Racing Commission will now be audited every two years because of the findings. The committee also received updates on Dakota College at Bottineau’s bank reconciliations, which Minot State University said had been brought current after an 18-month backlog, with only one account still needing cleanup; members asked for a written report on the corrective actions. The North Dakota Fair Foundation was reported to have dissolved, with remaining funds transferred to another nonprofit account for continued support of the state fair. Finally, the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, revising the earlier estimate to about $1.1 million based on incomplete district survey responses, and said the Anti-Lunch Shaming law likely increased meal debt because schools must feed students regardless of account balance. Members discussed the need for a more accurate year-end debt figure and possible future reporting at a later committee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Co-guardians have not visited a protected person in 31. years.
• As some may be aware, the standard of care for abortion-inducing drugs always required a visit to a doctor
• As a pastor, I have received visits from others ecstatic with updates, and fathers celebrating as labor
• I underwent three ultrasounds and blood tests every other day for a month, with countless doctor visits
• I have family members in Houston, family in Pennington, Texas, and I grew up visiting my grandparents

Bills: SB31 , SB33 , SB510 , SB871 , SB1868 , SB2024 , SB2166 , SB2309 , SB2880 , SJR27 , SJR39 , SJR40 , SB 31 , SB 33

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: SB 31, Life of the Mother Act, Texas abortion law, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, unborn child, abortion exception, abortion ban, physician liability, health care liability claim, aiding and abetting, Texas Medical Board, State Bar of Texas, continuing medical education