Transcript Highlights:

• When you start creating these hubs, and I'll use the triangle in North Carolina, their unemployment rate
• When you start creating these hubs, and I'll use the triangle in North Carolina, their unemployment rate
• triangle in North Carolina, their triangle in North Carolina, their unemployment<00:07:53.360> rate
• the<00:07:53.680> last<00:07:53.920> 20<00:07:54.120> years unemployment rate
• They have something like a 70% success rate of getting a much larger, multi-million-dollar, multi-year

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:10 SB 6 Discussion 00:40 SB 6 Vote 00:13:30 Cochlear Implants 00:16:25, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee heard Senate Bill 6, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, which would create an endowed research fund to support collaborative university research in Kentucky. Stivers described the bill as an extension of earlier higher-education research efforts, arguing that Kentucky should build research “hubs” by requiring or encouraging partnerships among universities and outside entities, with potential focus areas including health care, engineering, aerospace, agriculture, and other emerging fields. He said the proposal would establish five research tranches over five years and sought a $30 million endowment for each, generating annual interest to fund consortium-based research and leverage additional private and federal dollars. Senators Frommeyer, Neal, Givens, Boswell, and Richardson spoke in support, emphasizing economic development, job creation, and examples from other research clusters such as Boston and North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The committee voted 12-0 to report the bill favorably to the Senate floor. The committee then received a presentation from Dr. Matthew Bush of the University of Kentucky on pediatric hearing loss and cochlear implants. Bush explained that early hearing detection and intervention is critical because hearing loss in newborns is a neurocognitive emergency that affects language, literacy, and long-term outcomes. He outlined national screening benchmarks, Kentucky’s incidence of childhood hearing loss, and the high educational and societal costs of untreated hearing loss. Bush also highlighted disparities in rural and western Kentucky, where children face delayed diagnosis, longer waits for hearing aids or cochlear implants, and more difficulty accessing follow-up care. He described cochlear implants, the multidisciplinary care they require, and research showing improved language development, quality of life, and cost savings when children are treated early.

Transcript Highlights:

• At any rate, um, um, could I ask a real question?
• At<00:15:43.199> any<00:15:43.360> rate,<00:15:43.760> um<00:15:45.040>
• , um um could I ask a real At any rate, um um could I ask a real question?
• We're excited to be working with DHS and Jessica Carver on revising the quality rating system for New
• That's the Granite Steps for Quality that New Hampshire uses to sort of rate child care programs.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened without a quorum, so approval of the prior draft minutes was deferred until later. The committee then heard a DHS update from Commissioner Lori Weaver and COO David Weers, who described the recent flood at the Brown building and the relocation of nearly 400 DHS staff while operations are restored. They also outlined New Hampshire Care Connections, a privacy- and consent-focused closed-loop referral platform intended to improve referrals among providers, reduce duplication, and support continuity of care, with an Upper Valley implementation partnered with Dartmouth Health and an Epic integration already underway. Members asked whether the system would merge medical records or simply track referrals. DHS said it is not intended to store or transmit full medical records, but to integrate with providers’ electronic health record systems so referrals can be sent, received, and tracked, with consent controls limiting what information can be shared. Officials said the project will be tested over the coming months, with metrics, governance, and advisory committee oversight, and that it is tied to broader rural health transformation efforts and statewide implementation after the regional pilot. The committee also received the annual report from the Child Care Advisory Council. Maryanne Barter and Jessica Carver said the council worked with licensing to streamline the child care licensing rules, reducing the handbook by about 30%, and is now helping develop an informal dispute resolution process, revising the Granite Steps for Quality system, and creating a clearer handbook for providers handling state scholarship audits. They reported ongoing concern about child care closures and workforce shortages, said there is currently no wait list for child care assistance, and discussed questions about federal CCDF immunization requirements, which DHS said it would follow up on with federal technical assistance partners. After quorum was established, the committee moved to approve the minutes from the prior meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salt prices, for example, are up 9% over last biennium and the hourly contract rate for snow and ice
• Contract mowing hourly rate is up 36% over last biennium.
• modules ashtoware project bridge rating modules ashtoware project bridge rating and<00:18:55.760
• for snow and the hourly contract rate for snow and ice<00:20:51.840> drivers<00:20:52.159>
• hourly rate is up 36% over last bienium. hourly rate is up 36% over last bienium.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee met to review the Transportation Cabinet’s budget request and the recommended highway plan; no votes were taken. Secretary Jim Gray opened with praise for KYTC snow and ice crews, describing their response to recent winter storms and noting the scale of the effort, including about 2,300 workers, 1,438 pieces of equipment, and more than 948,000 miles driven in the first week. He then outlined the cabinet’s overall highway plan, saying it includes more than 1,300 projects and about $9.5 billion in anticipated state and federal funding over six years, with roughly 40% directed to existing pavements, bridges, and guardrails. He highlighted major priority projects such as the Mountain Parkway four-laning, the Brent Spence Companion Bridge, and the I-69 Ohio River crossing. Budget director Sean McCarron explained that the cabinet adjusted its request after the Consensus Forecast Group lowered road fund revenue estimates, and said the cabinet only included additional requests it viewed as essential. He described requests to support driver licensing regional offices, including funding to maintain temporary and contract staff used to reduce wait times, expand offices from 35 to 41 locations, and support improved customer service; he warned that without the current-year increase, wait times would rise again. He also discussed maintenance funding, saying the proposed increases would help cover rising costs for salt, snow and ice drivers, and mowing, while allowing continued litter pickup, vegetation management, pothole repair, and more in-house snow and ice work. Deputy Secretary Mike Hancock addressed specific capital questions, especially the Brent Spence Bridge and Cairo Bridge. For Brent Spence, he said the requested $125 million in general funds is needed because construction costs have risen sharply, citing a 61% increase in highway construction costs from 2020 to 2025, and said Kentucky and Ohio are both contributing to keep the project moving. He added that if the legislature does not provide the $125 million, KYTC would have to shift $100 million in federal highway funds and $25 million in state match from other projects. Hancock also reviewed several project reauthorizations for maintenance facilities and aviation projects, and noted a $5 million federally funded truck parking project aimed at addressing statewide truck parking shortages, especially along interstates and in areas such as Louisville, northern Kentucky, Frankfort, Somerset, and western Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• even a we get to like an 80 or 90 or even a 100%<00:34:26.720> participation<00:34:27.359> rate
• , but we have to 100% participation rate, but we have to find<00:34:28.399> other<00:34:28.720
• /c> with children, we have some of the with children, we have some of the highest<00:46:47.200> rates
• <00:46:47.599> of<00:46:47.920> childhood<00:46:48.640> food highest rates of
• childhood food highest rates of childhood food insecurity.<00:46:50.240> We<00:46:50.560>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:50 Approval of Minutes 00:01:21 KOAP Report 00:01:42 Community Farm Alliance and KY Double Dollars 00:20:25 Feeding Kentucky 00:40:55, 958, all

Summary: The Tobacco Settlement Oversight Committee received a monthly report from the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy and the A Development Board/Finance Corporation. Staff reviewed May activity, including county council visits, loan and grant approvals, farm safety funding, and support for beginning farmers, agricultural infrastructure, processing, and county/state projects. The committee also recognized an intern and thanked Tara Roberts for her service as she prepares to leave the agency. Members were reminded about a June 20 anniversary event marking 25 years of the office and related programs. A major topic was K-CARD, the Kentucky Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. Staff explained that the program is being expanded to provide more technical assistance for beginning farmers and farm families, including help with business plans and estate planning/farm transition discussions. Members asked how farmers would access the service and were told the extension office would be the front-line contact, with K-CARD providing the technical assistance and neutral-site consultations. The committee also discussed support for large food animal veterinarians. Staff said the incentive program has helped more than 33 veterinarians and is intended to support existing providers rather than quickly increase numbers; members raised concerns about the pipeline and selection process at Auburn University, and staff said discussions with the university were ongoing. The committee then heard from Community Farm Alliance on Kentucky Double Dollars, Fresh Rx for Moms, and farmers market support programs. CFA reported expansion to roadside stands, more retail onboarding, seven new counties, and estimated economic and farmgate impacts, emphasizing that state funding helps leverage federal and private dollars and stabilize local food access programs. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken beyond approving the May minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2402 by Rose, relating to the determination of fees, charges, and rates for certain benefits under
• Medicaid reimbursement rates with members-only discounted prices.
• Rates for providers. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Roberts.
• If a wife passes, the widowed husband's insurance rates typically do not change.
• However, if a husband passes, it is all too common for the rate of the insurance paid by the widowed

Bills: HB1520, HB1545, HJR110, HJR203, HB245, HB1465, HB1482, HB294, HB793, HB809, HB3928, HB334, HB2037, HB1973, HB285, HB4341, HB4264, HB 1043, HB837, HB 1234, HB 1193, HB 1194, HB1646, HB1729, HB2498, HB1314, HB2295, HB1353, HB1531, HB1988, HB5398, HB3960, HB3923, HB1407, HB1764, HB2221, HB2214, HB2517, HB2518, HB2213, HB5008, HB5092, HB3421, HB3663, HB3748, HB3800, HB3756, HB2613, HB3782, HB5246, HB4344, HB4044, HB4066, HB2702, HB2807, HB2869, HB2898, HB3181, HB3250, HB4153, HB2091, HB2115, HB2542, HB2768, HB3349, HB3352, HB4406, HB1593, HB1899, HB3133, HB4432, HB4960, HB3214, HB3915, HB3508, HB2145, SB304, SB608, SB2312, SB494, SB530, HB45, HB2520, HB35, HB47, HB318, HB349, HB554, HB1359, HB1373, HB2254, HB2259, HB2853, HB3073, HB3088, HB353, HB355, HB786, HB762, HB705, HB932, HB849, HB 1119, HB3041, HB713, HB3104, HB3970, HB4042, HB4490, HB1731, HB2607, HB3689, HB1788, HB1612, HB138, HB15, HB1971, HB1338, HB2989, HB267, HB 1201, HB2954, HB5265, HB1804, HB5061, HB1520, HB1545, HJR110, HJR203, HB1887, HB1914, HB2402, HB2306, HB1809, HB2350, HB3000, HB3237, HB3326, HB3211, HB 1056, HB2081, HB2187, HB3092, HB3308, HB3526, HB3750, HB3527, HB4219, HB4230, HB4290, HB5238, HB4804, HB4749, HB245, HB1465, HB1482, HB294, HB793, HB809, HB3928, HB334, HB2037, HB1973, HB285, HB4341, HB4264, HB 1043, HB837, HB 1234, HB 1193, HB 1194, HB1646, HB1729, HB2498, HB1314, HB2295, HB1353, HB1531, HB1988, HB5398, HB3960, HB3923, HB1407, HB1764, HB2221, HB2214, HB2517, HB2518, HB2213, HB5008, HB5092, HB3421, HB3663, HB3748, HB3800, HB3756, HB2613, HB3782, HB5246, HB4344, HB4044, HB4066, HB2702, HB2807, HB2869, HB2898, HB3181, HB3250, HB4153, HB2091, HB2115, HB2542, HB2768, HB3349, HB3352, HB4406, HB1593, HB1899, HB3133, HB4432, HB4960, HB3214, HB3915, HB3508, HB2145, HCR6, HCR12, HCR34, HCR50, HCR55, HCR58, HCR70, HCR71, HCR72, HCR74, HCR75, HCR78, HCR80, HCR93, HCR100, HCR107, HCR116, HCR117, HCR90

Keywords: Angelina and Neches River Authority, river authority, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Sunset Act, Special District Local Laws Code, local government, natural resources, board of directors, director training, board governance, public testimony, open meetings, public information, conflict of interest, ethics, complaint system, general manager, board president, staggered terms, removal of director

Transcript Highlights:

• My question relates to the Medicaid rates.
• uh we're uh some to the Medicaid rates uh we're uh some of<00:37:54.960> them<00:37:55.280>
• And I'm going to also have James follow up, but the rates are where you put them, so that's contained
• So we haven't brought back rates to prior levels yet.
• level funding for for the for the rate level funding for for the for the rate increases<00:40:11.319

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee heard a briefing from the governor on her recommended fiscal years 2026-2027 budget. She described it as a “recalibration” that reduces general fund spending by about $150 million from the prior budget, avoids tax increases, and aims to protect vulnerable residents while supporting the economy. She said the proposal addresses a projected current-biennium deficit, cites lower-than-expected revenues and off-budget spending, and includes a hiring freeze and other spending reductions. The governor also said the budget is built on current revenue estimates developed with the Department of Revenue Administration and the state’s chief economist. Major policy areas discussed included education, public safety, health and human services, housing, and workforce development. The governor said the budget increases spending on public education and special education, expands Education Freedom Accounts to public school students, funds a cell-phone-free classroom grant program, continues the community college tuition freeze, and supports workforce training. She also highlighted investments in the Group II retirement system for first responders, Northern Border Alliance and drug interdiction efforts, child advocacy and victim services, mental health services, developmental disability services with no wait list, and a streamlined housing permitting process with a 60-day review target. Committee members raised questions about the fiscal assumptions, the impact of possible federal funding changes, the Education Freedom Account expansion, dam infrastructure funding, and workforce issues such as state employee pay and vacant positions. The governor said the budget continues funding for federal programs currently assumed, and that she would advocate for block grants and other federal flexibility. On dams, administration officials said the budget includes about $13 million in capital funding, with possible fee increases under consideration. On staffing, the governor said the budget funds the previously bargained 12% state employee increase, includes eight position reductions tied to program changes, and would allow those employees to be rehired if openings arise. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:26:50.400> most<00:26:50.559> recent<00:26:50.880> recent<00:26:51.440> rate
• <00:26:51.679> that >> Yes. the most recent recent rate that >> Yes. the most
• recent recent rate that compared<00:26:52.240> the<00:26:52.400> mainland<00:26:52.799>
• 3%<00:27:06.559> higher<00:27:07.440> for<00:27:07.760> the the recitive rate
• was 3% higher for the the recitive rate was 3% higher for the inmate<00:27:08.880> who<00:27:

Bills: HB1769

Keywords: criminal justice reform, rehabilitation, private prisons, racial equity, Native Hawaiians, community well-being, mass incarceration, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1769, which would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to incrementally reduce the number of people incarcerated in private out-of-state correctional institutions. The DCR director opposed the bill, saying the department does not control overall prison population levels because courts determine admissions, and arguing that Hawaiʻi’s in-state facilities are already over capacity, especially Halawa, which he said is 165% over design capacity. He said only a small portion of the population is under departmental control through furlough programs and argued that bringing people home would require building a new medium-security prison. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Public Defender’s office, and several individuals, argued the bill creates a phased, accountable path to reduce reliance on mainland prisons and bring people home. Supporters emphasized the harms of separating incarcerated people from ʻohana and culture, the disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiians, and the need for diversion, treatment, re-entry support, and fair sentencing. Several testifiers also said the department has more control than it claimed, pointing to underused furlough options, reclassification, and empty beds at some in-state facilities, while others urged clearer statutory language and guardrails. Members questioned the director about whether people could be reclassified or moved to available beds at facilities such as Kulani and Waiawa, and about whether the department could do more through staffing and contract changes. The director said some proposals had been sent to the Department of Human Resource Development, but that major facility changes would be costly and that minimum-security facilities would need substantial upgrades to house medium-security inmates. After discussion, the chair said the committee would defer HB 1769 to Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. for decision-making and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• um and it supports four cores um rates um and it supports four cores um so<00:35:50.280> I<00
• Native Americans have the highest rate of colorectal cancer burden and the lowest rates of screening
• in the U.S., so it is well known that screening for colorectal cancer decreases the death rate.
• and the lowest rates of cancer burden and the lowest rates of screening<01:14:35.440> in<01:14
• The goal was to increase colorectal screening rates within six months of the intervention.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 24/7 to recruit and retain our nurses and providers, and we have seen an improvement in our vacancy rate
• in our vacancy rate a little bit<00:10:24.920> with<00:10:25.040> our<00:10:25.200>
• up to what the average commercial rate up to what the average commercial rate would<01:21:41.000
• <01:32:10.320> was the impatient fee for service rate was the impatient fee for service rate
• Our vacancy rates in nursing has dropped. I think we're now at 12%.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Health Finance and Policy Committee heard testimony from the Minnesota Hospital Association and several hospital leaders about the financial strain facing hospitals across Minnesota. The association’s CEO said hospitals are essential 24/7 safety-net providers, but rising labor, supply, technology, and drug costs are outpacing reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers. He warned that many not-for-profit hospitals are struggling, that workforce shortages remain significant, and that the committee should consider help on Medicaid rates, discharge/boarding problems, mental health services, workforce development, protecting the 340B drug discount program, and avoiding new mandates that add costs. Relle Schultz of Winona Health described a community hospital with a 49-bed facility and long-term care services that has faced years of losses, including a $17 million loss in 2023 and $12 million in losses the following year. She said government payers now make up about 65% of the hospital’s mix, and each 1% increase in that mix costs about $1 million. She highlighted the difficulty of sustaining services such as dialysis, which was nearly closed until a local donor provided $3 million to keep it open for three years, and she emphasized the importance of 340B savings and the need for higher Medicaid payments. Carrie Mulski of Riverview Health in Crookston said critical access hospitals are also under pressure despite their federal designation. She explained that federal support has eroded, that Medicaid and other public programs do not cover full costs, and that her hospital’s 340B savings help keep the doors open. She said Riverview opened a new hospital in 2020 but was hit by the pandemic and inflation, leading to annual losses of $5 million to $6 million and a negative operating margin of 9% to 10%. She also described bond covenant problems, low cash on hand, the prior closure of the nursing home, and the need for rapid state action to stabilize rural hospitals and preserve access to care.

Transcript Highlights:

• problems in urban communities, where we suffer from urban heat and other problems at a disproportionate rate
• problems in urban communities, where we suffer from urban heat in other problems at a disproportionate rate
• We suffer from urban heat and other problems at a disproportionate rate because we don't have the greenery

Summary: The committee met to hear AB 946 by Assembly Member Isaac Bryan, which would encourage California’s 30 by 30 conservation efforts to include investments in historically underserved urban communities. The author said the bill is intended to reduce “nature poverty” in places like South Los Angeles by treating urban greening and conservation as a co-equal goal alongside rural and coastal land protection. Supporters, including the California Park and Recreation Society, the Trust for Public Land, and Los Angeles County, argued that urban conservation can provide both environmental and human benefits, especially where land can be reused or restored for parks and green space. Committee members discussed the bill’s focus on urban areas versus rural districts. One member said they would not support it because it seemed to prioritize heavily urban communities over rural ones in their district, while others said the bill helps ensure conservation resources are distributed more equitably and can have important psychological, health, and climate benefits for dense communities. The author responded that the bill does not neglect rural areas, but instead seeks to correct an imbalance by ensuring urban communities are also considered in 30 by 30 planning. The bill was moved on a due pass motion to the Appropriations Committee. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, with several members voting aye and one member not voting at the time of the roll call. After the vote, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> THANK YOU CHAIR WHY RATES WERE INCREASED SO MUCH NOW. >> Rep.
• ESTIMATING PROCESS AS WELL WE DO HAVE AN ACTUARILY CONTRACTOR THAT DEVELOPS THE PER MEMBER PER MONTH RATES
• WITH THE DO CONTRACT WITH THE NEW ESTIMATES IT DID NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE RATE AS WELL.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:31.920> setting uh rate setting uh rate setting on<00:11:33.400> it.
• That was provided by Director set rates.
• We know what the rates are.
• We know what the rates are.
• We know what the rates are.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission on the costing of special education met to review several documents and updates, including draft materials on residential placements, an LBA dispute resolution report, prior minutes, rate-setting rules, and a letter involving Senator Hassan. The minutes from March 16 were approved by motion, second, and one abstention. Members also received an update that the LBA special education performance audit is still pending; the report is expected to be very large, NHED and the Board of Education must review and comment before release, and it likely will not be available until late summer or early fall. The separate EFA audit was also noted as still unreleased, and members said they may return later to issues involving EFA costing and differentiated aid. A major focus was HB 1099, which would create a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities. The chair explained that the House version had passed unanimously and the bill was headed to a committee of conference. Members discussed a proposed amendment to add the phrase “including but not limited to” so the study would cover not only court-ordered or treatment-related placements but also other residential placements, including those tied to school district decisions. Some members said this was a substantial expansion, while others said it would simply give the committee broader latitude. Jason Stock of the Winnisquam Regional School Board described how the issue arose during budget work at Winnisquam, where the district was trying to determine who should pay for educational services for students living at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield. He said the district had 10 students attending Winnisquam, including three foster students and seven students connected to Spaulding, and that Spaulding-specific invoicing for 2024-2025 totaled $141,417.05 for eight students. Members also discussed rising private placement tuition costs and the difficulty of determining residency and fiscal responsibility for students placed in residential settings. Department counsel explained that under RSA 193:27 and 193:28, children placed in a home for children may attend the local district school, and that special education cost responsibility depends on whether the student is identified as disabled and on the nature of the placement. Spaulding representatives had not yet presented by the end of the excerpt, and the committee was still working through the residency and funding questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• consumer protection role by ensuring that repair charges are reasonable and consistent with market rates
• consumer protection role by ensuring that repair charges are reasonable and consistent with market rates
• consumer protection role by ensuring that repair charges are reasonable and consistent with market rates
• <00:21:16.240> are provide actuarial proof that rates are provide actuarial proof that rates
• With that rate of return, why aren't these savings... without a cost to motans.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in the entire highest illiteracy rate in the entire country. country. country.
• Has the highest income tax rate of any state in the country, as well as the highest gas tax rate of any
• tax rate of any state in the country. tax rate of any state in the country.
• We actually have the highest unemployment rate in California as well.
• We actually have the highest unemployment rate in California as well.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, December 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:05:22.400> Uh<01:05:22.640> I much higher rate than other folks.
• Uh I much higher rate than other folks.
• Our students also experience suicidal thoughts at a rate about 10% higher than other students in the
• Our students also experience suicidal thoughts at a rate about 10% higher than other students in the
• At 916, um, students in my district often have around 11% higher rate of anxiety and depression.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and also also in your graduation rates and also also in your PowerPoint<01:00:50.079> you<01:
• We have been funding schools greater than the rate of inflation.
• Then in 2022 we had 62% free lunch again, and our poverty rate went up.
• went up and then we our poverty rate went up and then we went<01:59:28.000> to<01:59:28.159><
• in Richfield has moved by poverty rate in Richfield has moved by 11%<02:00:06.199> repeatedly

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• differential cap from 50% down to 25% above the in-city rates.
• rates in July of 2026?
• They already have much of those, any studies that are required, Rates.
• Rates are coming down, debt is being stabilized.
• Their rates will decrease based on this law. Additional questions.

Summary: The Florida Senate convened with a quorum, opened with a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and heard several member introductions recognizing guests, interns, public servants, and a resolution honoring Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza for winning the Heisman Trophy. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, with some measures temporarily postponed and others advanced after brief debate and, in several cases, substitution of House companions for Senate bills. The first major bill passed was CS/CS/HB 355 on health care patient protection, which requires hospitals with emergency departments to have pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment, and a designated pediatric coordinator; it passed 36-0. The Senate also passed CS/HB 1113 on public records, expanding confidentiality protections for victims and temporarily protecting the name of a law enforcement officer who becomes a victim in the line of duty; it passed 33-4. CS/CS/HB 1085 on local government cybersecurity was amended to place the program under the Florida Digital Service and to adjust grant timing, then passed 37-0. CS/CS/HB 925 on clerks of court passed 38-0 after amendments affecting revenue retention, legal notices, traffic citation distributions, and municipal fee sharing. CS/CS/HB 679 on trademark registration modernization and CS/CS/HB 589 on septic permit timing also passed unanimously. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/HB 991 / SB 1334, an elections bill that would use Real ID data to verify citizenship, change voter ID rules, alter candidate qualifying requirements, and revise election administration procedures. Senators offered and debated numerous amendments on documentation fees, senior exemptions, human review versus automated systems, student and retirement-center IDs, and effective dates; most were defeated, though one amendment adding stock-trading disclosure language for candidates was adopted. The bill’s sponsor cited election-crimes reports and specific prosecutions involving non-citizens as justification for the measure, while opponents argued it could disenfranchise eligible voters, especially students and seniors. The transcript ends during continued questioning and debate on that elections bill, before final disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, in our dockets at the PUC, we hire consultants, you know, uh, in rate cases.
• Um, in our dockets at the PUC, we hire consultants, you know, uh, in rate cases.
• Um, in our dockets at the PUC, we hire consultants, you know, uh, in rate cases.
• Um, in our dockets at the PUC, we hire consultants, you know, uh, in rate cases.
• We just you know, uh, in in rate cases.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a new doctoral program, a comprehensive university shall maintain a first-to-second-year retention rate
• a new doctoral program, a comprehensive university shall maintain a first-to-second-year retention rate
• a new doctoral program, a comprehensive university shall maintain a first-to-second-year retention rate
• <00:06:50.720> for years a six-year graduation rate for years a six-year graduation rate for
• are from uh graduate graduation rate are from uh national<00:07:52.000> data<00:07:52.319>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 77, which would allow comprehensive universities to pursue doctoral programs under a new approval process and, in the original bill, would also change who may serve on the EPSB board for small colleges and universities. The sponsor and Council on Postsecondary Education representative explained that the committee substitute removed the current statutory prohibition on comprehensive universities offering certain doctoral degrees, but added eligibility guardrails: a 77% first-to-second-year retention rate, a 56% six-year graduation rate, and three months of unrestricted cash reserves. They said the thresholds were based on national data placing institutions in roughly the top quartile, and that CPE would still review proposals for mission fit, workforce need, fiscal impact, and, where applicable, programmatic accreditation and legislative appropriations. EKU President David McFaden supported creating a pathway for comprehensive universities, said Kentucky is unusual in having an explicit statutory prohibition, and urged the committee to keep the standards attainable and durable. The committee approved the bill and adopted a title amendment, with the motion passing unanimously. The committee then heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, which addresses antisemitism on postsecondary campuses. Senator Tichenor said the resolution responds to a rise in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023, and would require campuses to notify students each semester of Title VI rights, complaint procedures, existing harassment policies, and available Jewish student resources. It would also direct campuses to disband student organizations found to provide material support to known terrorist organizations, report such matters to law enforcement, and collect and report antisemitism data to CPE for posting on its website. A guest speaker from the Kentucky Jewish Council described a sharp increase in reported incidents, including harassment, threats, vandalism, and hostile campus activity, and argued that schools have often done too little to respond. He said the resolution was amended to protect free speech while ensuring Jewish students receive the same protections as other protected groups. The transcript ends while testimony on the resolution was still underway, before any committee vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is your published tuition rate for UNH?
• So what you're saying is the birth rates are improving now? Well, right. Yeah. Good news.
• We have, you know, the highest graduation rate of any New England public, and pride ourselves on that
• We have very high retention rates.
• Those 54,000 credits, if those students had paid at our tuition and fee rates, would have cost about

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee received an orientation from University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Katherine Preventure and Senior Director of Government Relations Lauren Banker on the system’s enrollment, finances, workforce role, and academic programs. They described the system as consisting of UNH, Keene State, and Plymouth State, with about 23,000 students, $928 million in FY24 operating expenses, a $3.7 billion economic impact, and UNH’s R1 research status. They emphasized the system’s role in graduating students into the New Hampshire workforce, its statewide Cooperative Extension and regional campus presence, and its alignment of degree offerings with top occupations identified by New Hampshire Employment Security. The presentation also highlighted partnerships with businesses, internships, and collaboration with the community college system, including 100 transfer pathways and a direct-admit program. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on tuition, state support, and student costs. The chancellor said the state invested $95 million in FY25, with about $81 million used to reduce resident tuition and about $14 million for statutory programs such as Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station. She said the state subsidy is about $7,300 per New Hampshire student, and that resident net tuition averages about $7,000, while nonresident net tuition averages about $16,600. She provided published tuition figures for UNH, Plymouth State, and Keene State, and explained that resident tuition has been held flat for five years while financial aid has increased, reducing average net tuition and fees for New Hampshire students from about $10,500 in 2020 to $9,800. Members asked for clarification on how residency and workforce-retention percentages were calculated, and the chancellor said she would follow up. Members also asked about comparisons with peer institutions, housing and meal costs, research funding, and the reasons for declining enrollment and staffing reductions. The chancellor said peer comparisons were based on flagship universities for UNH and smaller regional publics for Plymouth and Keene, and noted that out-of-state tuition has risen about 2.5% annually. She said housing for a UNH double room is $8,536 and a meal plan is $5,100, and offered to provide a consolidated cost document. On research, she said the system’s direct research spending includes federal funding and that indirect costs were about $34 million last year, with a follow-up promised on the federal/state and direct/indirect split. She attributed enrollment declines largely to demographics and said the system is responding by reducing costs, selling buildings, exiting leases, moving the system office to NHTI, and implementing Workday. She also noted that Plymouth received approval for five three-year bachelor’s degree programs and that members praised the shorter, workforce-focused pathways, especially for manufacturing and other in-demand fields.