Transcript Highlights:

• So I like the some sort of transfer.
• <00:27:48.480><c> this</c> money gets transferred through this money gets transferred through this entity
• :39.519><c> property</c><00:33:39.760><c> are</c> types of transfers of property are types of transfers
• </c> associated with the transfer of data. associated with the transfer of data.
• On the transfer, for example, of a picture of somebody, that would just be the state-to-state transfer

Bills: HB0075 , HB0128

Committee: House Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Should we be looking to transfer<00:56:33.119><c> those</c><00:56:33.280><c> out</c><00:56:33.520><c>
• of</c><00:56:33.599><c> those</c><00:56:33.839><c> rule</c><00:56:34.160><c> that</c> transfer those
• out of those rule that transfer those out of those rule that rule<00:56:34.640><c> making</c><00:56:
• >> I can't answer what would motivate illegal conduct by a bad doer. >> Good answer. Thank you.
• <01:36:47.760><c> conduct</c> illegal conduct illegal conduct by<01:36:49.520><c> a</c><01:36:49.679>

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Transcript Highlights:

• That resulted in the difficult transfer of youth to the Kearney YRTC.
• And so then we fix up Whitehall and then we transfer them back?
• So what's the plan if there were a transfer to occur?
• I mean, didn't you talk about credit transfer?
• There’s no way to simply transfer the existing Whitehall license to a new building or simply transfer

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee held an invited-testimony hearing on LR 425, which examines the Whitehall campus in Lincoln and possible long-term options for youth currently served there. Chair Brian Hardin explained that Whitehall houses two separate programs for adolescent males: a substance use program and a youth-who-sexually-harm program. Testimony from DHHS officials described Whitehall as a Joint Commission-accredited psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) that provides about 40 hours of weekly programming, family involvement, school services, and community reintegration activities. Officials said the department is evaluating whether the programs should remain at Whitehall or move to another state-owned facility, with Hastings described as the department’s preferred alternative because it is more residential in design than a youth rehabilitation treatment center (YRTC).

Transcript Highlights:

• And so then we fix up Whitehall and then we transfer them back?
• So what's the plan if there were a transfer to occur?
• I mean, didn't you talk about credit transfer?
• There's no way to simply transfer the existing Whitehall license to a new building or simply transfer
• transfer to PRTF.

Committee: Unicameral Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• . transfer. transfer.
• </c> the transfer was or I know the transfer the transfer was or I know the transfer was<00:17:00.720
• include &gt;&gt; could include the transfer could include the<00:18:04.720><c> transfer.
• </c> the transfer. Yeah. the transfer. Yeah.
• :49.919><c> that</c><00:20:50.159><c> I've</c> transferred to the spreadsheet that I've transferred to

Summary: The meeting began with approval of partial minutes, with members noting that DHS/HHS material was not yet included and that the minutes would be finalized later. The committee then heard from the General Court about several dedicated funds. Testimony explained the Joint Legislative Historical Fund, which receives a $25,000 annual general fund appropriation and transfers from visitor center sales above a $50,000 threshold, and is used for portrait maintenance, chamber work, Hall of Flags upkeep, and other historical preservation needs. Members also discussed the preservation of the Civil War flags in the Hall of Flags, with the General Court stating the flags are monitored through annual high-definition photos and that no immediate stabilization project is planned. A question about Union cemeteries was raised but the witness said he had no knowledge of federal funding for them. The committee also reviewed the visitor center revolving fund and noted that the accounting presentation is confusing because transfers are netted out so the fund ends each year at $50,000. Members suggested the narrative should clearly identify the transfer amounts and actual revenue, and staff agreed to note that in future reporting. The General Court then described its special legislative account as a stability reserve for capital and emergency needs, citing past uses such as the plaza ADA renovation, the legislative parking garage, and moving operations to One Granite Place. Members asked about interest earnings and were told the account is held in the treasury and any interest goes to the general fund unless statute directs otherwise; no additional funding was recommended at this time. The Department of Administrative Services then presented the law enforcement memorial fund, explaining it is a long-standing leftover construction fund with a small balance that has not been needed because the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Memorial Officers Association privately funds memorial upkeep and plaques. Members discussed whether the state should transfer the remaining money to the nonprofit, but no decision was made; the department said it would research whether such a transfer is legally possible. The department also reviewed the former land conservation endowment fund, now moving to Fish and Game under House Bill 2, and explained that it primarily covers administrative costs, management fees, and investment losses for a long-term conservation program. Members asked about the fund’s large balance and the increase in expenses, and were told the fund is intended to last indefinitely and that future reporting will shift to Fish and Game.

Transcript Highlights:

• , use their one transfer, go to a school, get promised $250,000 in a contract, Use their one transfer
• The hardest thing is the transfers.
• Unfortunately, every time they transfer, they lose credits, and every time they transfer, if they’re
• They transfer, they lose credits.
• So, yeah, I mean, at college we're going to have transfers.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on name, image, and likeness (NIL) and financial literacy for student athletes, with members framing California as a national leader on NIL but emphasizing the need for stronger protections and more consistent education. The chair and witnesses discussed how NIL opportunities now include both third-party endorsement deals and school revenue-sharing arrangements, and how the current landscape varies widely by institution, leaving athletes with a patchwork of rules and support. Several witnesses argued that student athletes, especially younger ones and those from low-income or first-generation backgrounds, are vulnerable to predatory contracts, tax problems, and pressure from family, agents, or lenders. The first panel featured Tyree Dillingham and Brandon Copeland, who called for standardized financial literacy, better guardrails against predatory NIL advances, and a player-led association or similar collective voice for athletes. They described examples of athletes not understanding paychecks, taxes, or contract terms, and warned that some schools and collectives blur the line between education and marketing. Copeland also argued that college athletics now functions like a professional business and that athletes need representation and a standard contract structure to protect them. The second panel focused on lived experience, including testimony from attorney Anthony Coronae and student athlete Mikey Williams. Coronae described reviewing a contract that he said functioned like a predatory loan disguised as marketing support, with the company taking exclusive rights to Williams’ NIL and requiring repayment far beyond the advance. Williams testified that he signed without a lawyer, later lost endorsements, scholarship, and housing stability, and only later learned the contract’s consequences. He said a required financial literacy course at Sacramento State helped him begin to understand budgeting, taxes, and contracts, and he urged the legislature to require legal review or stronger safeguards for athletes. The third panel, from San Diego State University, highlighted a more structured institutional model. Athletic director Brendan Hill described a mandatory four-year life-skills program that includes financial literacy, resume workshops, internships, and branding education, while student athlete Sloan Benchoff said the program helped her manage money and prepare for post-college life. Witnesses agreed that support is uneven across schools, that some agents and lenders are exploiting athletes, and that California should consider standardized financial education and agent regulation while also being careful not to create rules that unintentionally restrict athlete rights. No formal vote or bill action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the Elliot Hospital transferred her to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and the MCO retroactively
• transition to Medicaid managed care, and he found that it resulted in an 891% increase in members being illegally
• transition to Medicaid managed care, found that it resulted in an 891% increase in members being illegally

Summary: The Committee to Study Long-Term Managed Care met to approve prior minutes and outline its schedule, with meetings set for September 24 and September 29 ahead of an October 1 report deadline. The chair said the committee would use the first two meetings to digest testimony, likely ask follow-up questions of DHS, and then work toward conclusions and a report format. The minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously. The main testimony came from Sharon Alexander of Amera Health, who argued in favor of moving from fee-for-service Medicaid long-term services and supports to a managed LTSS model. She described managed LTSS as a capitated, quality-driven system used in about 26 states, and said it can improve care coordination, accountability, access to home- and community-based services, and budget predictability. She cited Amera Health’s experience in Pennsylvania and Delaware, including care coordination, housing and transportation support, caregiver programs, and quality benchmarks tied to state oversight. She also said nursing facilities would remain an important option for people who need that level of care. Committee members asked about how the programs are administered, how rates are set, how care managers work, and how quality is measured. Alexander said states contract with managed care organizations at actuarially sound capitated rates, with annual contracts, reporting, and oversight. She explained that care managers typically conduct quarterly assessments and follow up after trigger events such as hospitalization, and that housing coordinators may assist with transitions to the community. On quality, she said states use CMS-related and HCBS benchmark measures covering service timeliness, care planning, transitions, and other outcomes, and that New Hampshire could build on existing metrics rather than starting from scratch. She also noted that rural areas face workforce and transportation challenges, which managed care plans try to address through technology and self-direction options.

Transcript Highlights:

• And by the way, that includes our transfer students.
• The SCNS is a key component of student transfer and articulation.
• And you... 25% of our students, our undergraduate population, are transfer students.
• But transfer students come and we say, oh, you know, you know how to drive, right?
• That's why that specialized Associate in Arts transfer degree will be so very helpful.

Summary: The subcommittee began with an informal “college day” exercise in which members described what careers and colleges they would choose if starting over, often citing factors such as program reputation, location, cost, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and family or personal interests. Members mentioned a range of possible paths including law, aviation, education, construction management, psychology, social work, criminal justice, nursing, intelligence studies, and the arts. Several also highlighted the value of historically Black colleges and universities, dual enrollment, and career/technical education. The chair used the exercise to frame the meeting’s broader focus on Florida’s higher education pathways and student outcomes. Dr. Kathleen Plinsky of Valencia College then gave an overview of the Florida College System and Valencia’s role in it, emphasizing Florida’s statewide articulation and transfer framework, open-access mission, affordability, and workforce alignment. She described Valencia’s record enrollment, high retention, large share of first-generation and working students, and partnerships such as Direct Connect to UCF, Osceola Prosper, and Open Door grants for short-term training. Members asked about guaranteed transfer, apprenticeships, enrollment trends, student demographics, out-of-state residency, county scholarship costs, dual enrollment outcomes, and barriers to expanding career dual enrollment. Dr. Plinsky said the system supports transfer and acceleration well, but funding constraints limit growth in some areas; she also noted that dual enrollment participation is high and that Valencia’s affordability and student support efforts have driven recent enrollment gains. Dr. Jim Clark of Florida State University followed with an overview of the State University System, describing its governance, performance-based funding, low tuition, and strong graduation and research outcomes. He highlighted FSU’s enrollment, research profile, transfer student success, FSU Health, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, partnerships with K-12 schools and Tallahassee State College, and efforts to expand nursing and medical education to address workforce shortages. After the presentations, the committee heard from a panel on student acceleration and mobility: Shannon Mercer of the Department of Education explained the Office of Articulation, the statewide course numbering system, FASTER records, the 2+2 transfer model, specialized AA transfer degrees, and credit for industry certifications, military, medical, and law-enforcement training. Panelists from Kaiser University, Florida State University, and Pinellas County Schools described their institutions’ roles in transfer, advising, career pathways, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment. No formal votes or bills were taken up in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The overall increase of 5.6% is largely tied to federal and interagency transfers.
• That you'll find in each agency, it makes up about $29,000 for interagency transfers.
• of its functions were transferred to the Department of Military Affairs.
• of its functions were transferred to the Department of Military Affairs.
• The $201.5 million is due to $419 million transferred in.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• And then section six, Madam Chair, is the school district fund transfers.
• </c> transfers.
• There are two fund transfers transfers.
• </c><00:08:07.920><c> from</c> allowing money to be transferred from allowing money to be transferred
• from the building construction transfer from the building construction fund,<00:08:21.680><c> which<

Summary: The conference committee on Senate File 4282 met with a quorum present and heard a walkthrough of the bill, which contains forecast adjustments for several agencies. Senate staff explained that Article 1 makes education forecast adjustments for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, Article 2 adjusts appropriations for the Department of Human Services, Article 3 does the same for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and Article 4 increases special transportation services funding for Metropolitan Council programs including Metro Mobility and Metro Move by $8.9 million in FY 2026 and $10.9 million in FY 2027 to match the February forecast. House staff noted that the House language matched Article 1 but did not include Articles 2 through 4. Representative Youakim presented amendment A26-0180, describing six sections that add provisions on paraprofessional qualifications, aid for tribal contract schools tied to revised permanent school fund distributions, expanded allowable uses of school operating capital revenue to include certain utility costs, an extension of an existing appropriation for gender-neutral single-use restrooms, and two school district fund transfer provisions for West St. Paul/Mendota Heights/Eagan and Maple Lake. Members discussed that several items were no-cost and that some fund transfer language had been previously discussed in committee. The amendment was adopted on an 8-0 roll call vote. After adopting the amendment, the committee voted on the bill as amended. The conference committee agreement for Senate File 4282 passed on an 8-0 vote, and the meeting was adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• to provide for the physical transfer of the original will.
• to provide for the physical transfer of the original will.
• will be paid by the party requesting the transfer.
• will be paid by the party requesting the transfer.
• This bill is relating to the transfer of a protective order.

Bills: SB711 , SB746 , SB942 , SB1403 , SB1404 , SB1448 , SB1536 , SB1559

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Summary: The committee first adopted its rules, which were distributed in the same form as the prior session’s rules. Members then took up several bills, beginning with SB 711, an HOA/condominium association bill that would extend and conform property-owner protections to condominium associations; the bill’s author and a Community Associations Institute representative testified in support, and the bill was left pending. SB 942 would allow child support and certain prenatal/postnatal medical expenses to be calculated from the date of conception rather than birth; it drew supportive testimony from the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Attorney General’s Child Support Division, and was also left pending after testimony. SB 1448, an estates and probate cleanup bill, would require transfer of original wills by qualified delivery, add notice and electronic-order requirements for statutory probate courts, and make other clarifications; it received supportive testimony from the Texas Real Estate and Probate Institute and was left pending. The committee also heard SB 1403, the Attorney General’s Title IV-D child support modernization bill, which updates notice, review, remote-hearing, and administrative-process provisions and clarifies several enforcement and evidence rules; the AG’s office testified that it would improve efficiency, and the bill remained pending. SB 1404 would allow courts to require an email address in final SAPCR orders when other contact information is nondisclosed and clarify service and judgment requirements; the Attorney General’s office described it as a good-government measure, and it was left pending. SB 1559 would require transfer of protective orders into divorce or custody cases to avoid conflicting orders; family-law practitioners and a family court judge testified that it would resolve longstanding conflicts identified by multiple courts of appeals, and the bill remained pending. Finally, the committee considered SB 746, a guardianship bill that would address conflicts of interest in guardianship proceedings, allow guardian ad litem appointment earlier in the process, and require timely court action on annual guardianship reports and accounts; a committee substitute would remove some provisions and extend a reporting deadline from 20 to 30 days. TREP supported the bill, and one practitioner suggested requiring courts to state reasons when rejecting annual accounts. SB 1536 would require dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain family guardians, with a committee substitute narrowing the scope and reducing the training time from three hours to one; the Alzheimer’s Association supported the measure and the substitute, and the bill was left pending. No bills were voted out of committee during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• transfer voidable as fraud.
• In broad strokes, fraudulent transfer law is ancient law, and initially fraudulent transfer law looked
• at transfers made with actual intent to hinder, delay, and defraud.
• And as Attorney Murray pointed out, those transfers include transfers made for lack of reasonably equivalent
• transfer law, section 548, but also front and center commercially outside of bankruptcy.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on a wide range of state, probate, and family bills, with chairs Edwards and Day outlining strict testimony limits and accepting written testimony. Early testimony focused on H. 1911/S. 1138, which would clarify that a durable power of attorney may create a trust if that authority is expressly granted; sponsors and elder law advocates said the bill would resolve uncertainty created by the Barbetti decision and align Massachusetts with other states. A major portion of the hearing centered on S. 1102, a proposal to establish medical panels in Probate and Family Court. Supporters, including attorneys, parents, physicians, and advocates, said neutral three-doctor panels would help judges resolve disputed medical issues in guardianship and custody cases involving children, elders, and people with disabilities. Testifiers described cases where medical treatment was blocked or contested by one parent or guardian, arguing the panels would provide impartial expertise and protect vulnerable people. The committee also heard support for bills addressing disability discrimination in family court, military parents’ custody rights, and a shared parenting bill, H. 1710, which drew strong opposition from domestic violence advocates and others who said a 50-50 presumption could harm survivors and children. The committee also took testimony on several probate and court-administration measures. Senator Lovely supported a bill on nominee trust partition, and Senator Comerford and probate officials backed legislation to codify additional registry staff positions and modernize registry operations. Other bills discussed included foster care liability insurance, with providers warning that rising premiums and loss of coverage could force program closures; health care proxy storage and activation; access to decedents’ email accounts; uniform trust decanting; the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act; heirs’ property partition protections; a constitutional right to health care; alimony-related reforms; child-centered family law; and a right of disposition for funeral arrangements. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee repeatedly invited written testimony and follow-up questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• and prepare her for transfer in biology, chemistry, and calculus.
• , but transfers with meaning and applicability.
• It is transferable for your math requirement in general ed.
• It's not that we don't find ways for these to transfer.
• But the transfer velocity is not 90%.

Transcript Highlights:

• , but transfers with meaning and applicability.
• It is transferable for your math requirement in general ed.
• It's not that we don't find ways for these to transfer.
• This is absolutely one of the barriers in terms of transfer.
• But the transfer velocity is not 90%.

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the California Community Colleges budget proposal, including Proposition 98 funding, a 2.41% COLA for apportionments, enrollment growth funding, repayment of an apportionment deferral, and one-time investments for a student support block grant and deferred maintenance. The Department of Finance described the Governor’s package as providing significant new resources, while the LAO recommended prioritizing COLA and enrollment growth within available funds but raised concerns about some smaller proposals, including making the Healthy School Food Pathways Program ongoing and adding more funding for credit for prior learning before outcomes are known. The Chancellor’s Office supported the COLA, enrollment growth, and one-time investments, and said current projections suggest enrollment growth closer to 3%, with about $85 million to $90 million in ongoing costs if fully funded. Members focused heavily on enrollment growth, the 10% district cap, and whether the state should continue funding growth in the current year and budget year. The Chancellor’s Office said some districts, especially in the Inland Empire and Central Valley, are growing rapidly and that about seven districts are above the cap, with roughly 1,563 FTES and about $30 million in ongoing costs tied to that issue. Members also discussed hold-harmless districts and whether declining campuses should be required to produce turnaround or right-sizing plans. The Chancellor’s Office said districts are already having local conversations and that state funding provides time to adjust, but no formal plan requirement was proposed. The committee then took up common course numbering, where the Chancellor’s Office said all 115 community colleges have implemented the first phase and more than 550,000 students enrolled in the first six commonly numbered courses. The office argued that CCN improves clarity but does not yet guarantee that credits will transfer with full value across UC and CSU, because articulation is still handled campus by campus and can require more than 3,500 separate reviews. Members expressed concern that students can still be forced to retake courses such as calculus or ethnic studies even when they have the same common number, and urged the systems to develop a stronger statewide articulation mechanism tied to outcomes and transparency. The item was left open. Finally, the committee heard the Governor’s proposal to make Calbright College’s funding ongoing at $53.1 million. The LAO recommended instead transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula, with one-time bridge funding in the meantime, arguing the Governor’s proposal lacks a clear enrollment-based rationale and performance expectations. Calbright’s leadership defended the college’s competency-based, flexible model for adult learners, citing more than 6,800 students served, over 2,200 certificates awarded, and wage gains for graduates; they said enrollment is expected to grow from about 7,000 students now to roughly 8,000 to 9,000 next year and around 10,000 over the next couple of years. Members pressed for clearer enrollment and funding data before deciding how Calbright should be funded going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is fund transfer language to four existing set-asides.
• Section 4 is a transfer; these are all transfers in the general revenue allotment reserve fund or surplus
• Sections 8 and 9 are fund transfers to the Quick Action Closing Fund.
• There is fund transfer language to four existing set-asides.
• Section 4 is a transfer, these are all transfers in the general revenue allotment reserve fund or surplus

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee first reviewed a long list of House and Senate bills that were ready to be passed out, then heard a special language subcommittee report. The report recommended do pass on six bills, including SB 63, SB 67, SB 73, HB 1089, HB 1090, and HB 1093, and amendments on 11 others. A motion to pull HB 107 out for separate consideration failed, and the special language report was adopted. The committee then took up the Revenue Stabilization Law and schedule. Staff explained the schedule’s differences from the governor’s balanced budget proposal and described several fund transfers, including $100 million for Medicaid sustainability, $70 million for the Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom account, $43.7 million for the general discretionary majority vote set-aside, $5 million for the motor vehicle set-aside, and two $150 million transfers related to the Quick Action Closing Fund and public highway improvements. Members asked for clarification on allocations, and the committee adopted the amendment and passed both House Bill 1100 and Senate Bill 75 as amended. Representative McClendon then presented a bill to support expansion of the Bella Vista Veterans Wall of Honor, but withdrew it, saying he would seek other funding sources. The committee then moved through the remaining captioned bills, including House Bills 105, 107, 1008, 1022, 1035, 1036, 1037, 1051, 1052, 1064, 1066, 1068, 1089, 1090, and 1093, and Senate Bills 3, 4, 7, 8, 15, 20, 21, 30, 31, 36, 41, 43, 58, 63, 67, and 77, generally passing them with little or no discussion, some as amended. The chair announced that all prior holds had been released and said the next Joint Budget Committee meeting would be Tuesday for peer issues only, then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is fund transfer language to four existing set-asides.
• Section 4 is a transfer; these are all transfers in the general revenue allotment reserve fund or surplus
• Sections 8 and 9 are fund transfers to the Quick Action Closing Fund.
• There is fund transfer language to four existing set-asides.
• Section 4 is a transfer, these are all transfers in the general revenue allotment reserve fund or surplus

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee met to consider a long caption of House and Senate bills, first announcing a list of measures ready to be passed out and then taking up a special language subcommittee report. The report covered several bills, including SB 63, SB 67, SB 73, HB 1089, HB 1090, and HB 1093, along with amendments to a larger group of bills. A motion was made to pull HB 107 out separately, but after discussion about the amendment’s impact on school districts and the process for further debate, the substitute motion failed and the special language report was adopted. The committee then considered the revenue stabilization law and schedule. Staff explained that the main changes from the governor’s balanced budget proposal were moving county operations and higher education allocations from category B to category A, and described several fund transfers, including $100 million to Medicaid sustainability, $70 million to the Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom account, $43.7 million to discretionary set-asides, $5 million to the motor vehicle set-aside, and two $150 million transfers related to the Quick Action Closing Fund and highway improvements. After questions about the schedule’s funding changes, the committee adopted the amendment and then passed House Bill 1100 and Senate Bill 75 as amended. Representative McClendon then presented a bill to support expansion of the Bella Vista Veterans Wall of Honor, requesting $400,000, but withdrew the bill, saying he would seek alternate funding. The committee then moved through the remaining captioned House and Senate bills, including HB 105, HB 107, HB 1008, HB 1022, HB 1035, HB 1036, HB 1037, HB 1051, HB 1052, HB 1064, HB 1066, HB 1068, HB 1089, HB 1090, HB 1093, and Senate Bills 3, 4, 7, 8, 15, 20, 21, 30, 31, 36, 41, 43, 58, 63, 67, 73, and 77, approving them with or without amendments as noted. The chair also announced that all prior holds had been released and said the next meeting would be a Joint Budget Committee meeting focused only on peer issues before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We already restrict access to gambling, tobacco, alcohol, firearms, pornography, tattoos, driving, and

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before moving through the daily file. Several measures were taken up and passed, including bills on county jail accountability (AB 2257), claims against public agencies (AB 2529), affordable housing management metrics (AB 2689), digital wellness instruction in schools (AB 2071), pedestrian and bicycle safety project streamlining (AB 1976), manufactured home transport permits (AB 2012), a Surplus Land Act amendment tied to an Inland Empire soccer project (AB 2139), a Monterey Bay stewardship authority (AB 1548), online electrician licensing (AB 1707), a Caltrans study of navigation apps’ traffic impacts (AB 2105), coastal resiliency permitting reforms (AB 2051), downtown housing streamlining and financing (AB 2074), Cal Fire compensation (AB 2129), emergency care authority for Del Puerto Health Care District (AB 2282), charter school facilities hardship relief (AB 2316), theft by a peace officer under color of authority as serious misconduct (AB 2337), an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander-serving institution designation (AB 2374), energy and cannabis support bills (AB 2464, AB 2537), and a suicide prevention plan requirement for treatment facilities (AB 2562). Most of these measures passed with broad bipartisan margins, and several were described as support bills with no opposition. The floor also debated a major criminal justice measure, AB 2727, which would raise the threshold for elderly parole eligibility for people serving sentences for violent sex offenses and add screening safeguards. Supporters from both parties emphasized child protection, survivor trauma, and specific local cases involving offenders who had become eligible for release; the bill passed 66-0. Another significant debate centered on AB 1958, which would clarify procedures under the California Racial Justice Act by refining how disparity claims are established and rebutted; the author said he would take Senate amendments to address concerns from district attorneys. The Assembly also considered AB 2313, a gas-to-electric transition bill allowing customers with planned service line replacements to opt out of gas service and use funds to electrify their homes. Members raised concerns about cost shifts and equity, and the author responded that the bill includes no-cost-shift language, larger credits for disadvantaged communities, and would not proceed if the math does not work; it passed 41-21. The final major item was AB 1709, a high-profile social media safety bill creating a minimum age of 16 for accounts on platforms using addictive features and establishing an e-safety commission. The author and many supporters from both parties framed the bill as a response to youth mental health harms, addictive design, and the need for age-based safeguards, while some members raised concerns about impacts on LGBTQ youth and other isolated young people who rely on online spaces. Supporters said the bill targets addictive design rather than speech and is intended to preserve safe online connection while limiting harmful features. The measure drew extensive bipartisan support and was still under debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• We already restrict access to gambling, tobacco, alcohol, firearms, pornography, tattoos, driving, and

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 10 bills, mostly firearms-related bills, and a number of witnesses. So long day. Excellent.

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation by Reverend Jod Gun, whose prayer was journalized by unanimous consent. The chamber then recognized several guests, including representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, who were present for a resolution honoring Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week, as well as former Delegate and physician Dan Moheim, Towson University students, a veteran guest, and parents and young children visiting for Maryland Family Network’s Day in Annapolis. The Senate adopted a resolution recognizing the National Alliance on Mental Illness for its advocacy on tardive dyskinesia screening, early detection, and treatment, and designated May 5–9 as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. The resolution was read and adopted without objection. The chamber also unanimously welcomed the guest groups and thanked them for their service and advocacy. In second-reader action, the Senate advanced several bills with committee amendments adopted without objection. Senate Bill 113, the Longevity Ready Maryland Act, was amended to refine aging-related planning, website reporting, and Commission on Aging membership, then ordered to third reading. Senate Bill 123 updated the membership of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and was also sent to third reading. Senate Bill 336 extended the Task Force on the Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances for one year and added an HBCU representative. Senate Bill 394 expanded expedited partner therapy to bacterial vaginosis and added licensed certified midwives as authorized practitioners. Senate Bill 444 changed certificate-of-need requirements for certain intermediate care facilities, and Senate Bill 461 conformed the SNAP Heat and Eat Program to federal eligibility rules; both were advanced to third reading. The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee then took up Senate Bill 108, which would authorize the Maryland Department of the Environment to impose administrative penalties for certain water, wetlands, dam, and riparian-rights violations and expand administrative enforcement tools. Several senators raised concerns about the scope of the bill, its effect on shoreline restoration, dams, stormwater and wetlands enforcement, and whether it could allow penalties without adequate process or encourage payment instead of correction. The floor leader responded that the amendment requires notice, an informal meeting, and consideration of good-faith efforts before penalties are imposed in certain cases, and said the bill does not change permit requirements. The debate continued as members sought clarification on how the bill would apply to private dams, HOAs, farmers, and shoreline projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Meaning the department would have to procure extra firearms and secure enhanced security materials.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Summary: The public hearing was on an SP 15 replace-all, non-germane amendment to Senate Bill 15, a proposal to require hard labor for certain serious offenses in the New Hampshire prison system. Representative Jennifer Rhodess, the co-sponsor, said the bill is intended to make incarcerated people productive, help reduce costs, and serve as a deterrent; she also noted a two-year effective date for implementation and said anyone who refuses hard labor would receive a 50% sentence increase. She framed the work as ordinary labor already done by many people in the state and said the committee would later hear related testimony and possible amendments. Committee members questioned how the proposal would work in practice, especially for people already incarcerated, the difference between current prison work and the bill’s “hard labor,” and the impact on prison security and staffing. Rhodess said the bill only applies going forward, not retroactively, and that the Department of Corrections could better address operational details. Members also discussed the terminology, noting that “capital murder” is not a current New Hampshire charge and that the relevant offense is first-degree murder with mandatory life without parole. Department of Corrections officials Jane Graham and Nicholas Duffy testified in a neutral position but raised significant implementation concerns. They said the department would need more resources, vehicles, security equipment, and possibly armed supervision for higher-risk crews, and noted a 47% corrections officer vacancy rate. Duffy described current work programs inside prisons and in the community, including correctional industries, kitchen and education jobs, transitional work crews, and community service projects such as road work and landscaping. He explained that current community crews are limited by custody level, court approval, staffing, and safety, and said C1 and C2 inmates are already in transitional or work-release settings, while C3 and higher inmates would pose greater risks if taken outside the walls. No vote was taken during the hearing.