Video & Transcript Research : 'app accessibility'

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OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary May 4th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • We do have a federal grant for access and visitation.
  • I wish we had an app. I've been promoting that.
  • Of course, that's the cost of getting an app so that anybody could go in there, but they can go on our
Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met to conduct the statutorily required four-year review of Oklahoma’s child support guidelines, which DHS said had not been reviewed on schedule in recent years. Deputy Director Don Zellner of DHS Child Support Services presented data on the number of children served, child poverty, rising costs of raising a child, wage trends, and the volume of child support orders handled by DHS. He also explained how the current guidelines work, including income withholding, shared overnight deductions, daycare, medical, transportation, and self-employment adjustments, and noted that the guidelines are based on gross combined income and currently cap at $15,000 combined income. Committee members, especially Senator Boren, questioned whether the current model fairly reflects modern family economics, including the cost of housing, the impact of shared overnights, and whether visitation issues should be addressed alongside child support. DHS said the guidelines are over 25 years old, that other states generally use similar gross-income models with shared-overnight deductions, and that Oklahoma’s administrative courts have been more receptive than district courts to DHS’s lower-income deviation approach. Zellner said DHS has also updated its practices to better account for low-income obligors, including allowing zero orders in some cases and reducing imputed minimum-wage assumptions, which DHS said has improved collections. Members also asked about transparency and public access to the calculations. DHS said the formula and income chart are in statute, the calculator is available on the DHS website, and the Excel-based tool applies the statutory chart and deductions. A public commenter asked where parents could see how amounts are calculated, and DHS explained that the statutory chart and calculator are the main sources. The committee discussed possible future reforms, including higher income caps, possible changes to shared overnight rules, and whether extracurricular or special child-related expenses could be considered through judicial deviation. No vote was taken; the meeting ended with the chair noting it was the last Judiciary meeting of the 60th Legislature and adjourning the committee.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • Claire managed this responsibility while adapting her workspace to keep information visible and accessible
  • We worked through all of those, and I believe we had all but 3 piece apps that submitted confirmation
  • I gave an estimated of time for both the App or the AOG region and ours as it relates to when to expect
Keywords: 914, all
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Legislative Finance Sep 23rd, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • , which we still don't have full access to.
  • And so, I mean, they should be getting access somewhere. That's what I'm trying to get to.
  • We could create an app; I'm trying to find a solution. Here.
  • We could create an app; I'm sure there won't exist as many apps as there are out there, connecting job
  • That's plenty of time for us to create an app, reach out to those people.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Interim Joint Committee on Health Services. (6-16-26)

Health Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • access to people?
  • This is rural dental access.
  • Because sometimes missed appointments get counted into access or lack of access to care when it really
  • <00:46:42.160> or appointments get counted into access or appointments get counted into access
  • mini app uh is this 12 million number. mini app uh is this 12 million number.
Keywords: 958, all
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • For those of us who are joining us virtually, please mute your Teams app during the hearing when you
  • , after you submit and give your testimony, please actually at that point in time log off the Teams app
  • get to the end of the day, and you’re not able to testify, or you aren’t able to join via the Teams app
  • They're often isolated, they're losing skills, and... ...waiting for access to services.
  • One of the reasons that this is the case is that employers increasingly have access to an extra-legal
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid public hearing with testimony on a wide range of labor, workforce, unemployment insurance, apprenticeship, disability services, farm labor, hospital staffing, and workplace harassment bills. Chairs Jake Oliveira and Paul McMurtry outlined hearing procedures, limited testimony to two minutes, and noted written testimony would be accepted after the hearing. Committee members and staff were introduced throughout the session as witnesses arrived in person or remotely. A major portion of the hearing focused on unemployment insurance legislation. Greater Boston Legal Services, the AFL-CIO, and Rep. Joan Meschino supported bills to adjust UI eligibility for workers with fluctuating schedules and to streamline waivers and write-offs for non-fault overpayments, arguing the current system unfairly denies benefits or burdens workers who were not at fault. They also backed bills calling for more oversight and resources for the Division of Unemployment Assistance, citing persistent delays in benefit payments. NFIB opposed the UI changes, warning that the trust fund is headed toward insolvency and arguing the bills would worsen the system’s finances. Rep. Meschino and committee members emphasized that the proposals were meant to protect good-faith claimants and did not apply to fraud. Another large set of bills addressed wages, workforce development, and working conditions. Testimony supported raising and modernizing direct care wages to address severe staffing shortages in human services and disability services, with advocates from the Massachusetts Developmental Disability Council, The Arc of Massachusetts, parents of adults with disabilities, and a direct care worker describing how low pay and turnover harm people needing support. The committee also heard support for apprenticeship-related bills from the AFL-CIO and the Carpenters, while Associated Builders and Contractors opposed mandatory apprenticeship ratios and urged changes to align them with licensing laws. Farm worker advocates supported a bill to raise farm labor standards, including minimum wage, paid breaks, and paid time off, while the Farm Bureau opposed parts of it beyond the minimum wage increase. The hearing also featured testimony on workplace harassment training, overtime protections, hospital mandatory overtime, suicide prevention signage on construction sites, and a proposal to update the Massachusetts Medical Society’s mission language from “citizens” to “people.” Labor groups, educators, and compliance trainers strongly supported mandatory annual sexual harassment training, saying it would improve workplace culture and reduce harm. SEIU 1199 supported extending the hospital nurse mandatory overtime ban to the broader hospital workforce. Witnesses on the suicide prevention bill described personal losses in construction and recovery work and urged posting 988 information on job sites. The committee took no votes during the hearing; witnesses repeatedly asked for favorable reports, and members asked follow-up questions on UI calculations, apprenticeship ratios, small-business impacts, and emergency exceptions for hospital staffing.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • But really what we heard from folks is and this is the kind of an app-based one.
  • One have kind of an app that you can download on your phone and there'll be more things.
  • And that app, for example, the previous one we have, we'll have your vehicle registration information
  • who she would have had access to before.
  • to education opportunities and better access to industries.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

Senate Transportation (01/13/2026)

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • ,<00:33:09.440> related sales contracts, title apps, related sales contracts, title apps,
  • And back then, before there were apps, everybody on 393 was a visual barrier.
  • , uh, everybody 393 was a there were apps, uh, everybody 393 was a visual<01:19:02.640> barrier.
  • Um, it does not indicate that signs would be excluded from the limited access right-of-way.
  • Um, and the type of access right ofway.
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Committee on Transportation - 02/17/25

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • The first instruction adds a definition of a public access automatic external defibrillator with the
  • There's about five different separate accesses to the lake, and actually the one that I'm located on,
  • It's mostly meant for lake access AED access.
  • not for Lake access AED access it's not for Lake access AED access it's not really<00:32:41.080><
  • <00:37:06.359> as to know this this is uh an access as to know this this is uh an access as
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Insurance Committee Jun 24th, 2026

Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • There are some that are on your phone and it's app-based.
  • It does not prevent insurers from accessing medical history or asking about family history.
  • Conversely, access to more information will result in more affordable products.
  • And so this bill ensures that that future is one of trust, access, and protection, not fear.
  • And so this bill ensures that that future is one of trust, access, and protection, not fair.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • It's currently too limited in access and not user-friendly.
  • We can't get access to our lake to clean in front of our.
  • , of an app that can actually send a notification.
  • We didn't have any access to any exclusive information.
  • I want to close by describing the two ways in which we access our data as accessible.
Keywords: 1185, senate, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Session Mar 31st, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • But accessibility, accessibility is the key word that we need to... Dealing with accessibility.
  • Because in rural areas, just like in urban areas, there is no accessibility.
  • For accessibility to healthy foods.
  • How will this bill eliminate unhealthy foods without reducing access to food?
  • How do we get accessibility?
Bills: SJR37, SJR57, SB7, SB8, SB16, SB108, SB125, SB207, SB318, SB371, SB379, SB396, SB406, SB503, SB533, SB565, SB578, SB599, SB686, SB689, SB707, SB763, SB854, SB857, SB875, SB878, SB920, SB924, SB961, SB965, SB985, SB988, SB1021, SB1024, SB1026, SB1038, SB1059, SB1185, SB1202, SB1207, SB1252, SB1330, SB1396, SB1484, SB1527, SB1535, SB1596, SB1619, SB1697, SB1737, SB1741, SB1841, SJR36, SJR12, SJR57, SJR37, SCR22, SCR12, SB565, SB765, SB62, SB666, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB847, SB1248, SB504, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB1497, SB1498, SB241, SB304, SB621, SB1023, SB1024, SB686, SB371, SB204, SB609, SB670, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB1539, SB447, SB875, SB406, SB985, SB965, SB1119, SB1505, SB1215, SB1302, SB856, SB583, SB673, SB681, SB1172, SB1252, SB608, SB955, SB957, SB988, SB1021, SB1120, SB251, SB541, SB379, SB1737, SB266, SB1415, SB1527, SB125, SB599, SB1330, SB53, SB1352, SB785, SB472, SB1450, SB1502, SB1566, SB414, SB1062, SB961, SB1038, SB578, SB711, SB746, SB942, SB1404, SB1448, SB1738, SB108, SB8, SB318, SB507, SB533, SB689, SB1026, SB1349, SB1355, SB1433, SB1434, SB1596, SB1403, SB763, SB667, SB1059, SB617, SB1567, SB503, SB16, SB310, SB311, SB396, SB505, SB1209, SB1210, SB1470, SB264, SB924, SB1029, SB1185, SB1202, SB1358, SB1364, SB1569, SB1697, SB1376, SB1228, SB519, SB878, SB1350, SB462, SB1535, SB827, SB1585, SB207, SB1207, SB1619, SB1396, SB920, SB1484, SB1273, SB1741, SB7, SB927, SB1227, SB1229, SB1353, SB1366, SB1464, SB1709, SB1729, SB1733, SB1744, SB1772, SB1816, SB1841, SB2188, SB1147, SB879, SB1008, SJR81, SJR50, SCR39, SB1536, SB2016, SB1453, SB1173, SB1163, SB996, SB27, SB568, SB1370, SB1321, SB1101, SB906, SB860, SB1563, SB993, SB693, SB1610, SB1537, SB836, SB1332, SB1307, SB963, SB493, SB922, SB984, SB1084, SB619, SB1098, SB1122, SB455, SB522, SB1057, SB1239, SB1254, SB1255, SB1259, SB1341, SB1664, SB1877, SB464, SB1277, SB32, SB732, SB660, SB731, SB921, SB268, SB1822, SB1188, SB1939, SB1589, SB397, SB1388, SB2230, SB1058, SB1036, SB1267, SB2112, SB1930, SB532, SB1035, SB2155, SB508, SB29, SB292, SB291, SB901, SB1333, SB1436, SB1494, SB964, SB779, SB1378, SB2312, SB1719
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. (2-5-26)

Natural Resources & Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • c><00:09:51.519> can the aircraft on the ground and can the aircraft on the ground and can access
  • > spray<00:09:53.839> tanks,<00:09:54.320> chemicals,<00:09:55.120> that access
  • uh spray tanks, chemicals, that access uh spray tanks, chemicals, that that<00:09:55.680> sort
  • You can look at your radar app aircraft.
  • You can look at your radar app on<00:14:06.560> your<00:14:06.720> phone<00:14:06.880><
Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 313, which would shorten the required notice a city must give a utility provider before a contract expires from 18 months to 6 months. The sponsor and Kentucky League of Cities representative said the change would better reflect current market conditions and reduce the risk of leaving either cities or providers in a bad financial position. The bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then considered House Bill 60, the geoengineering ban. A committee substitute was adopted to add exemptions for ground-level agricultural activities and certain energy-related equipment, while keeping the bill’s core prohibition on spraying pollutants into the upper atmosphere to block sunlight or modify weather. Supporters described the bill as a preventive measure against future weather modification experiments, while members asked about enforcement, federal notice provisions, and whether cloud seeding or ordinary jet contrails would be affected. The sponsor said the bill targets high-altitude geoengineering, not normal aircraft exhaust, and that cloud seeding is banned. The bill, as amended, passed with favorable expression. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 397, as amended by House Committee Substitute 2, to protect trophy catfish. The substitute reduced penalties from a felony to a Class A misdemeanor and added $500 restitution per violation. The bill would prohibit transporting live trophy catfish, defined as 35 inches or longer, for commercial purposes except by boat, while exempting personal fishing, tournaments, festival events, and smaller fish. Supporters said the measure would protect a slow-growing natural resource and preserve catfish populations, and a Kentucky Waterways Alliance representative testified in support. Members asked about the Butler County catfish festival, statewide application, and special lower Ohio River licensing provisions; the sponsor said the festival would not be affected and the special licenses would be phased out. The bill passed with favorable expression, with one member passing to seek more information before floor consideration.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee Apr 21st, 2026

Elections and Constitutional Amendments

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill also increases voter access by expanding vote center hours, opening ballot drop-off... also
  • This election is a test of our democracy, and this is a tool to help make sure that voters have access
  • And fourth, the bill requires courts to exercise discretion in favor of voting access and equity.
  • With these improvements, voters will get shorter but clear and more accessible disclosures.
  • With these improvements, voters will get shorter but clearer and more accessible disclosures.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee Apr 21st, 2026

Elections and Constitutional Amendments

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill also increases voter access by expanding vote center hours, opening ballot drop-off...
  • Also increases voter access by expanding vote center hours, opening ballot-drop-off locations earlier
  • This election is a test of our democracy, and this is a tool to help make sure that voters have access
  • Counties are fully committed to secure and accessible ballot return options, but adding large numbers
  • With these improvements, voters will get shorter but clearer and more accessible disclosures.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments heard several election-related measures. SB 884 by Senator Umberg proposed expanding polling-place buffer zones, limiting certain law enforcement activity near polling sites, increasing ballot drop boxes and vote center access, and extending the vote-by-mail receipt deadline; supporters said it would protect voters from intimidation, while county election officials opposed it as operationally difficult and costly. The bill was amended in committee to allow county supervisors discretion over expanding the buffer zone and to permit law enforcement entry for crimes against persons or property. It was ultimately passed out of committee on a 4-1 vote after members’ roll calls were completed later in the day. SB 1164 by Senator Cervantes would expand California voting-rights protections by codifying and broadening anti-dilution and anti-suppression rules, adding preclearance for some jurisdictions, and directing courts to favor voting access; it drew strong support from civil rights and voting-rights groups, while one city raised concerns about effects on pending litigation. The committee advanced the bill to Judiciary on a 4-1 vote after later roll call completion. The committee also considered SB 900 by Senator McNerney, which would streamline political advertisement disclosures by shortening required disclaimer language, allowing standard abbreviations, and increasing the number of top funders disclosed on political mailers from three to five. Supporters from the outdoor advertising industry and campaign finance reform groups said the bill would preserve transparency while making disclosures more readable; it passed unanimously and was sent to Appropriations. In contrast, SB 1225 and its companion SCA 3 by Senator Niello would transfer responsibility for drafting ballot titles and summaries for initiatives and referenda from the Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Supporters argued this would improve neutrality and public trust, while opponents said the current elected Attorney General system is accountable and efficient; both measures were advanced on narrow votes after roll calls were completed later. Finally, SB 1360 by Senator Cervantes, part of the California Voting Rights Act of 2026 package, would expand language-access requirements for election materials by lowering the threshold for coverage, adding a petition process, and extending protections beyond current federal language categories. Voting-rights and immigrant-advocacy groups strongly supported the bill, while county election officials opposed it unless amended, citing concerns about the precinct-based determination model and implementation details. The committee passed SB 1360 to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote after the later roll call. The committee also approved a consent calendar of seven measures at the start of the hearing.
AL

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

Alabama House Commerce and Small Business Committee Feb 3rd, 2026

Commerce and Small Business

Transcript Highlights:
  • Tro that this is based on this that's an app that you refer. >> Right.
  • Tro that this is based on this that's an app that you refer. >> Right.
  • Tro that this is based on this that's an app that you refer. >> Right.
  • Tro that this is based on this that's an app that you refer. >> Right.
Bills: HB351, SB109, HB351, SB109
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Bill requires a biennial report to be submitted to the legislature and published online for public access
  • The reason I bring this up: I recently have a friend of mine who had an app, Coinbase, and had quite
  • Yeah, it's just gone; the app was hacked and his bitcoins are gone.
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm not a member of those other groups that may have access to these records.
  • And right now, we've been working on app. There's three types of age verification.
  • We've been working on app. There's three types of age verification methods.
  • There's the ID-based, there's the app-based, and there's the device-based.
  • And we'd like to chase after the app.
Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Legislative Commission on Data Practices 12/11/25

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • have been guiding principles for access have been guiding principles for access to<00:50:35.839>
  • <01:09:51.520> the security um accessibility the security um accessibility the sustainability
  • the public's ability to access the public's ability to access information<01:40:58.719> about
  • The public can't access the data.
  • And public access to government data.
Keywords: 1183, house
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • For those who do receive mental health services, however, schools are a critical point of access.
  • So no apps. No. accept each other as human. So no apps, no stigma, just acceptance.
  • It even potentially gets at access to care.
  • How will that impact equitable access to behavioral health care?
  • How do we make sure that kids, all kids, have access equitably to this level of care?
Summary: The Select Committee on Youth Mental Health and Treatment Access held its third hearing to review the state of youth mental health, progress under the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), and remaining implementation and funding challenges. The chair emphasized that schools are often the main point where education, health care, and social services intersect for students, and that the committee’s goal is to ensure public investments translate into better access and outcomes. The hearing featured testimony from researchers, a youth advocate, state officials, and local practitioners. PPIC researcher Shalini Mostala reported that teen mental health remains a serious concern, with high rates of chronic sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts, though recent California data show some improvement since the pandemic. She noted persistent disparities by gender, race, and rural status, and said school-based health centers, wellness centers, and community schools are associated with lower suicidal thoughts. Youth advocate Ella Cruz, speaking for NAMI California, described her own mental health struggles and argued that youth voice, peer-to-peer support, and reducing stigma are essential; she also said technology and AI cannot replace trusted adults or trained professionals. Committee members asked about phone use, stigma, cultural barriers, and how to make supports more accessible and relatable to students. Dr. Sohill Sood of the California Health and Human Services Agency said statewide survey data show declining stigma, increased counseling use, and lower suicide ideation among students, and he highlighted CYBHI’s certified wellness coaches, digital tools, awareness campaigns, and the first-in-the-nation fee schedule that allows schools and colleges to bill health plans for behavioral health services. He said the program is growing quickly, with more than 230,000 claims and over $11 million in new revenue to date, while acknowledging that billing systems and coordination are still being built. Trina Frazier of Fresno County described a multi-tiered system of care supported by CYBHI, CalAIM, and other grants, serving thousands of students through school-based services, wellness centers, and mobile therapy units; she said ongoing funding and flexibility are critical. Rachel Kroberniski of El Segundo High School’s James Morehouse Project described a long-running wellness center and peer mentorship model that supports students in multiple languages, and said peer programs help students feel seen, connected, and more willing to seek help. Members broadly praised the flexibility, collaboration, and peer-based approaches described by the witnesses. Questions focused on sustaining funding after one-time grants expire, improving coordination among schools, counties, and providers, expanding the fee schedule to higher education, and ensuring continuity of care for students after high school. Officials said county offices of education, DHCS, and other partners are using communities of practice and technical assistance to spread best practices, and that CYBHI services can follow some young adults through age 25, with additional supports through community-based programs and digital platforms.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Transcript Highlights:
  • offer age and identity verification, responsible gaming tools such as time and deposit limits, and access
  • or who are excluded as a result of a responsible gaming review from the FanDuel platform have free access
  • Second, the proposed market access structure in these bills for Massachusetts is a tethered model similar
  • Betting apps kept her hook, Pennsylvania.
  • warning of the risk of gambling and providing the Massachusetts Gaming Helpline with the means to access
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a hearing on a range of gaming, racing, horse protection, problem gambling, and lottery bills. A major focus was H. 356 and related horse-racing legislation, which drew strong support from residents and animal-welfare advocates who argued that proposed racetrack and simulcast developments should require upfront traffic, environmental, public health, and economic studies, plus stronger local approval and transparency. They said past proposals in several communities had lacked adequate information and had imposed costs on towns. Opponents, including the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, argued that the bills would harm racing, breeding, farms, and related jobs, and said horse racing is already heavily regulated and that claims about slaughter and safety were overstated. Several speakers also supported S. 280, which would protect horses and phase out or restrict horse racing, citing animal cruelty, injuries, and deaths. The committee also heard extensive testimony on SB 235 and HB 332 to authorize regulated online casino gaming (iGaming). DraftKings, FanDuel, IDEA, and the Sports Betting Alliance supported the bills, saying iGaming is already occurring illegally in Massachusetts and should be brought into a regulated, taxed market with age verification, responsible gaming tools, and consumer protections. They projected substantial annual tax revenue and argued legal iGaming would not cannibalize brick-and-mortar casinos, instead creating a “rising tide” effect. Opponents, including Local 26, the National Association Against iGaming, and problem-gambling advocates, warned of job losses, casino cannibalization, increased addiction, and greater harm to vulnerable players, citing experiences in other states and rising helpline calls. The committee asked for follow-up information on revenue and market-size estimates. Later, Rep. Scanlon testified in support of S. 240 and S. 241, which would standardize gambling disclaimers and require annual reporting on problem-gambling treatment funded through the Public Health Trust Fund. He said the bills would make it easier for people to find help and improve oversight of treatment programs. Rep. Garcia testified in support of H. 434, which would change the formula for distributing lottery revenues, arguing that gateway and lower-income communities such as Chelsea contribute heavily to lottery sales but receive too little back in local aid. After hearing additional testimony and reading into the record bills that received no testimony, the committee recessed briefly, then closed the hearing by motion and vote.