Transcript Highlights:

• and what their impact might be. examples could include what type of load, what the load ramping schedule

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the first measure on our schedule, condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk and reaffirming
• So by our rules, we cannot start the next hearing until it's scheduled, which is at 9:30.
• So I guess I apologize for my management of the schedule, not giving 30 minutes to this HCR.
• When we when we schedule these this.
• </c> The committee is back into session to hear our next measure on the schedule.

Committee: House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think our next meeting is scheduled for July 16th.
• And I think our next meeting is scheduled<01:07:54.000><c> for</c><01:07:54.400><c> July</c> scheduled
• for July scheduled for July 16th.<01:07:57.200><c> So,</c><01:07:57.440><c> with</c><01:07:57.600><c

Committee: Joint Economic Development & Workforce Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• we're on the same page and understand, if someone wrote a prescription for, say, Focalin, which is a Schedule
• II, and Vyvanse, a Schedule II, the nurse practitioner could make the substitution.
• Okay, so no regularly scheduled review, but just as issues come up?
• A lot of us go on the regular school schedule.

Committee: All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's see, we have Louisiana, August 1, 2025; it is now a Schedule 1 controlled substance list.
• Florida, August 13, 2025, now a Schedule 1 controlled substance.
• Additional states this year, LIST, FLORIDA, AUGUST 13, 2025, NOW A SCHEDULE 1 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, CALIFORNIA
• President, to give my colleagues some sense of schedule, we will be dealing with the supplemental calendar

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior day’s journal, and then processed a large number of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate or Assembly versions for third reading. The chamber also adopted the resolution calendar with exceptions and took up several resolutions and ceremonial recognitions, including a resolution mourning Hudson Talbott, a Dairy Month resolution highlighting New York’s dairy industry, and introductions honoring Niskayuna academic teams, Gabriella Scheer for receiving the Liberty Medal, the Hartstein family’s civic engagement, and Diana Cochran’s advocacy for safe firearm storage. The Senate then moved through the calendar and passed many bills on topics including insurance, public health, education, labor, social services, banking, local government, veterans, public service, consumer protection, criminal procedure, cannabis, parks, taxation, election law, and highway matters. Several members explained votes on notable measures: support for acupuncture insurance coverage, consumer protections for doorbell-camera data sharing, expanded protections in debt collection cases, trauma-informed procedures for sexual assault survivors, a Legionnaires’ disease awareness program, changes to mandatory minimum sentencing, and universal safe storage of firearms. A number of home rule and local authorization bills were also approved, including parkland alienation measures and local tax exemption authorizations. Most measures passed with broad bipartisan support, though some drew recorded opposition. Notable roll calls included the consumer debt uniformity bill, the mandatory minimum sentencing bill, the safe storage/firearms bill, and the public housing and public health measures, each with more divided votes. The chamber also accepted a lengthy Rules Committee report sending many additional bills directly to third reading, and then began the supplemental calendar, passing at least the first items before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so we'll take up, uh, it being past the time that we scheduled.
• <c> uh</c><00:20:22.720><c> we</c> being past the time that uh we being past the time that uh we scheduled
• 20:24.559><c> this</c><00:20:24.880><c> will</c><00:20:25.039><c> be</c><00:20:25.120><c> the</c> scheduled
• Uh this this will be the scheduled.

Committee: House Legislative Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• defined that they could rope in everyday common business software like payroll programs or employee scheduling
• They need an automated system to schedule, to deploy, and then deal with complaints, with charges of
• AI is already being deployed in dispatching, scheduling, and our customer contact centers.
• AI is already being deployed in dispatching, scheduling, and our customer contact centers.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on AI, privacy, and surveillance. SB 903 would prohibit AI from independently providing psychotherapy or presenting itself as a licensed mental health provider, require disclosure and informed consent, and protect psychotherapy records under confidentiality laws. The bill was presented with powerful testimony from Maria Rain, whose son died by suicide after prolonged interactions with ChatGPT, and was supported by behavioral health groups, labor organizations, and privacy advocates. Tech and medical groups opposed unless amended, arguing the bill could restrict beneficial clinical uses of AI, create conflicts around triage and screening, and raise privacy and innovation concerns. The committee voted 4-0 to send SB 903 to Appropriations. SB 1119, a companion measure to AB 2023, would create a broader regulatory framework for chatbot interactions with children, including annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, parental controls, notice and time-limit requirements, limits on advertising and use of children’s data, public incident reporting, audits, and a private right of action. Maria Rain again testified in support, describing how ChatGPT allegedly encouraged and coached her son Adam Raine toward suicide. Supporters said the bill is needed to prevent sycophantic, addictive chatbot behavior and protect minors. Opponents, including CalChamber, TechNet, the California Medical Association, and others, raised concerns about overlapping requirements with SB 243, vague standards, prescriptive design mandates, audit confidentiality, and the private right of action. The committee voted 4-1 to send SB 1119 to Judiciary. The committee also heard SB 1013, which would require annual DOJ audits of automated license plate reader users, stronger employee training, and a 30-day retention limit for ALPR data. Supporters argued the bill would address widespread misuse and over-retention of data that mostly tracks innocent drivers. Law enforcement groups opposed, saying the 30-day limit would hinder investigations, especially in older or complex cases, though they supported stronger safeguards and audits. The bill passed 4-1 to Appropriations. SB 1292, dealing with automated curb-management enforcement in six cities, passed 4-1 to call after supporters said it would help cities manage loading zones, bike lanes, and AV-related curb use, while privacy advocates warned against expanding automated surveillance and pilot programs. The committee also approved SB 1101, requiring higher education institutions to notify students, faculty, and staff when personal information is shared with federal agencies; it passed 5-0 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, was introduced to require advance notice and reporting when AI or other technology displaces workers, with labor support and Chamber opposition; testimony began, but no final action on that bill appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• defined that they could rope in everyday common business software like payroll programs or employee scheduling
• They need an automated system to schedule, to deploy, and then deal with complaints, with charges of
• AI is already being deployed in dispatching, scheduling, and our customer contact centers.
• AI is already being deployed in dispatching, scheduling, and our customer contact centers.

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we've gone through about nine with more scheduled to go at this point.
• And I don't know what the scheduling has looked like at this point in time.
• I think we're still working through that, and we do have another meeting scheduled next month.
• Sounds like we're at—we know we've got some couple more hearings we need to schedule.

Summary: The commission met for an open discussion focused on developing recommendations for its report on correctional consolidation and collaboration. Chairs Dan Hunt and Senator Brownsberger said the group is moving from information-gathering into idea generation, with a report due to the legislature by the end of September. Members discussed whether recommendations should be broad “guardrails” or more specific proposals, and several urged that future recommendations be grounded in firsthand experience, data, and written submissions from agencies and stakeholders. A major theme was how to create a more integrated correctional and reentry system. Participants raised the need to hear more from reentry centers, minimum-security and pre-release facilities, probation and parole, and the judiciary. Ideas included expanding step-down pathways, improving coordination among DOC, sheriffs, probation, and parole, standardizing programming and outcomes data, and better educating judges about available programs at sentencing. There was also discussion of whether the sheriff’s role should be expanded beyond the current two-and-a-half-year House of Correction limit, with questions about sentence structure, good-time credits, and how such a change would affect security and reentry outcomes. Members also emphasized the importance of consistency, transparency, and minimum standards across facilities. Several speakers said the system remains fragmented and that different counties use different definitions, practices, and program models. Suggestions included reviewing prior commission reports, looking at other states and even European models for best practices, and considering regional hubs or specialized facilities for behavioral health, workforce development, and reentry. The chairs noted that the commission has already toured several facilities and plans more visits, including Framingham and Bridgewater, and that future hearings will include unions and other stakeholders. The discussion also touched on restrictive housing, mental health, and contraband K2. Members cited recent suicide concerns and expert reports suggesting some units function like restrictive housing even if not labeled that way. There was broad agreement that custody conditions, programming access, and institutional culture affect trust and rehabilitation. No formal votes were taken; the meeting was primarily a working session to surface ideas and frame possible recommendations for later drafting.

Transcript Highlights:

• With fewer than three months until the scheduled implementation date, DHCS has yet to issue any guidance
• We know that the Medi-Cal dental provider payments are scheduled to be eliminated on July 1st this year
• Dental Center would experience an annual revenue loss of nearly $300,000 under the proposed fee schedule
• We strongly oppose the scheduled cut for these rates. Thank you, Madam Chair, members.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health began with a hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California health programs, focusing first on reproductive health state investments. HCAI outlined five state-funded reproductive health programs created after Dobbs, including uncompensated care, practical support, capital and clinical infrastructure, and workforce programs. Essential Access Health and Planned Parenthood testified that these funds have served hundreds of thousands of patients, but warned that the uncompensated care program is fully awarded and needs renewal, and that Title X and Medicaid-related federal uncertainty continues to threaten access. Members questioned who the uncompensated care program serves, why Medi-Cal covers a large share of abortions, and whether Planned Parenthood could expand prenatal services; public commenters urged continued support for reproductive health access. The committee then took up long-term care services and supports, starting with the HCBA and Assisted Living Waiver programs. DHCS reported large wait lists for both programs and said enrollment is limited by workforce and provider capacity, while LAO noted that increasing slots alone may not increase access without additional programmatic changes. Members pressed the department on whether more slots should be added given the lower cost of home- and community-based care compared with skilled nursing facilities, and public testimony argued that the wait lists should be reduced and that staffing concerns do not fully explain unused capacity. The committee also heard testimony on congregate living health facilities, where providers and a patient family described the homes as critical, lower-cost alternatives to nursing facilities for younger, medically complex people. Witnesses requested short-term bridge funding, while DHCS said it is proposing to transition CLFs into a managed care benefit by January 1, 2028, which would remove caps and expand access statewide. The final long-term care topic was PACE. DHCS explained that it has paused new PACE applications and service expansions for at least two years to reassess oversight capacity and develop a statewide strategic growth framework, while existing programs continue operating. CalPACE supported the pause as a planning measure but asked for four additional state nurse positions to reduce delays in level-of-care determinations and speed enrollment for frail older adults. Members shared personal stories about how PACE has helped family members and asked how the state will meet growing demand; DHCS said stakeholder engagement will begin later in the year and that some existing applications already in process will continue. Public commenters broadly supported PACE, HCBA, and CLF funding requests. The hearing then moved to the Department of Health Care Services’ 2026-27 Medi-Cal budget and related trailer bills. DHCS said Medi-Cal spending has grown due to coverage expansions, higher acuity, rising utilization, and especially pharmacy costs, and it described proposals to extend the current skilled nursing facility financing framework for one year while the state develops a new value-based payment strategy. LAO said most recent Medi-Cal spending growth has been driven more by higher per-enrollee costs than by caseload growth, with pharmacy spending growing especially quickly, and recommended better and more timely data to analyze the drivers. Members expressed concern about the rapid rise in Medi-Cal spending and asked for more detail on the largest cost increases.

Transcript Highlights:

• we've switched our attitude around there and thought, well, we need to make changes that fit our schedule
• state's attorney or the clerk of court's office, and somebody didn't know where to get them on the schedule
• expectations and time standards, using data-driven management to establish our judge rotation and schedules
• Moving a little bit ahead of schedule, a tiny bit, give Mr. Dorman more time to talk, as we did Mr.

Committee: Joint Legislative Task Force on Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• Because if you look, most of the schedule is committee work.
• Okay, we're already behind schedule. It's 10:00 a.m.
• So if you go on to the second-to-last page is where the numbers start in a schedule there.
• So you'll see the fall FTE undergraduate census is the first line of numbers in this schedule.

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review how North Dakota might identify and address low-producing academic programs and to discuss draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the NDUS explained that the State Board of Higher Education is already developing a system-wide policy, using models from other states such as Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Connecticut. She described how low-producing programs are typically flagged by multi-year enrollment or completion thresholds, then reviewed for workforce demand, mission fit, cost, accreditation, and regional need before any action is taken. Committee members asked about what counts as a program, how costs are analyzed, whether certificates are included, how exemptions work for mission-critical or high-demand fields, and whether the board or legislature should set the rules. Johnson said the board is the appropriate body to lead the process, but legislators could use funding leverage if they wanted to encourage action; the chair asked the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal uses fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder undergraduate rate of $7,000 per FTE and a graduate/professional rate of $10,500, plus incentives for completions in in-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council walked through the projected funding effects, noting that the model would increase funding for NDSU and reduce it for UND in the current biennium, with different results in the next biennium as enrollment changes are recognized. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the definition of in-demand programs, the treatment of research funding, and the exclusion of state-appropriated dollars from the external grants calculation. The chair emphasized that the numbers were illustrative and that appropriators would set the actual dollar amounts later. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. That model uses fall census FTE without a weighted economic factor, applies a higher undergraduate rate, and adds completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other completions. Members noted that the formula would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and discussed whether the nine institutions should be treated more uniformly or split into smaller groups because of their different missions and sizes. Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed that the formulas are still being refined and that some institutions would likely need hold-harmless adjustments or other transition measures. The meeting ended with the chair directing the committee to continue the discussion later and to expect further work on both the low-producing program policy and the funding formulas.

Transcript Highlights:

• the GUIC have maintained relatively flat with some year-over-year variability driven by the work scheduling
• driven<00:04:34.880><c> by</c><00:04:35.040><c> the</c><00:04:35.200><c> work</c><00:04:35.480><c> scheduling
• </c><00:04:36.560><c> and</c> driven by the work scheduling and driven by the work scheduling and mandated

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, okay, I guess what I'll close then is, you know, babies don't schedule their arrival between 8:
• /c><00:14:31.920><c> don't</c> then is um you know babies don't then is um you know babies don't schedule
• 32.800><c> arrival</c><00:14:33.279><c> between</c><00:14:33.519><c> 8:00</c><00:14:33.760><c> am</c> schedule
• their arrival between 8:00 am schedule their arrival between 8:00 am and<00:14:34.240><c> 5:00</c><00

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I have an interview scheduled next week to try to hire another clinician because I'm full.
• I have an interview<00:10:29.120><c> scheduled</c><00:10:29.519><c> next</c><00:10:29.760><c> week</c
• ><00:10:29.920><c> to</c><00:10:30.160><c> try</c><00:10:30.320><c> to</c> interview scheduled next week
• to try to interview scheduled next week to try to hire<00:10:31.519><c> another</c><00:10:31.839><c>

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• I would simply say uh to those who talk about the health concerns, and I recognize this bill is scheduled
• recognize<01:14:11.600><c> this</c><01:14:11.800><c> bill</c><01:14:12.080><c> is</c><01:14:12.200><c> scheduled
• </c><01:14:12.600><c> to</c><01:14:12.680><c> go</c> recognize this bill is scheduled to go recognize
• this bill is scheduled to go to<01:14:13.400><c> HHS.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator from Taylor, there is probably one announcement about scheduling that you need to discuss with
• there is probably one<01:57:23.240><c> announcement</c><01:57:24.040><c> about</c><01:57:24.400><c> scheduling
• </c><01:57:25.160><c> that</c> one announcement about scheduling that one announcement about scheduling

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we had been hoping to connect in person this morning, but it sounds like our schedules kept missing
• but it sounds in person this morning, but it sounds like<00:05:17.520><c> our</c><00:05:18.000><c> schedules
• </c> like our schedules kept missing. like our schedules kept missing.

Bills: HF2614 , HF3587 , HF3589 , HF3588

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• Birmingham, Selma, or somewhere else, which is an hour, hour two away from me that I got to get scheduled
• ><01:03:20.160><c> get</c> two away from me that I got to get two away from me that I got to get scheduled
• <01:03:22.079><c> it</c><01:03:22.400><c> may</c><01:03:22.559><c> be</c><01:03:22.960><c> 3</c> scheduled
• , you know, and it may be 3 scheduled, you know, and it may be 3 days<01:03:23.520><c> before</c><01:

Transcript Highlights:

• quorum, and that was due to the fact we had to change the date at the last minute because of a scheduling
• 00:12:36.000><c> a</c> date at the last minute because of a date at the last minute because of a scheduling
• 37.120><c> hiccup</c><00:12:38.079><c> with</c><00:12:38.399><c> our</c><00:12:38.639><c> normal</c> scheduling
• hiccup with our normal scheduling hiccup with our normal meeting<00:12:39.279><c> location.

Bills: HB1877 , HB2006 , HB2167 , HB2224 , HB1626 , HB1690 , HB2012

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1877, which would expand the membership of the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission and add a youth seat. The commission’s vice chair supported the bill, saying the commission started with eight members, has growing interest, and would benefit from an odd-numbered board and youth representation. Members asked about quorum, and the commission said it has generally met monthly with only one quorum issue in the past 18–19 months and would work with legislative leaders to have appointments ready if the bill passes. Written testimony included support from Kokopac and one individual in opposition. The committee then took up HB 2006, which would create a cash assistance program for pregnant women and mothers of babies. The Department of Human Services explained current TANF rules, including eligibility requirements, child support cooperation, and work-program participation, and said the state has recently raised benefit levels to the maximum allowed, with a family of three or four receiving a little over $900 per month. Supporters from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks, and others argued the bill could reduce child poverty and improve maternal and child health, citing evidence from Michigan’s Rx Kids program and the temporary federal child tax credit expansion. A mother and Oahu Youth Action Board member testified from personal experience about the need for direct support during pregnancy. The committee also noted support from several organizations and about 26 individuals. The committee next heard HB 2167, which would direct the Office of Youth Services to run a pilot program providing financial assistance to homeless youth. The Office of the Public Defender, youth advocates, and several organizations supported the measure, saying even small amounts of help can prevent homelessness and help youth transition safely to adulthood. The Office of Youth Services said it supports the intent of the bill but requested clarification, and committee members discussed whether the program should be run directly or through contracted community agencies, how to set performance metrics, and how to structure the RFP and contract process. The chair indicated the committee wanted to work with the vice chair and OYS offline to refine the bill before moving forward. The committee then began discussion of HB 2224, relating to Medicaid pharmacy benefit management, with testimony generally supporting giving DHS flexibility to negotiate with PBMs.