Transcript Highlights:

• It's not fair to ask your patrons to come into someplace and not know if those people are underaged or
• It's not fair to ask your patrons to come into someplace and not know if those people are underaged or

Bills: HB3239 , HB4317 , HB4321 , HB4322 , HB3832 , HB3673 , HB3783 , HB3800 , HB2956 , HB3960 , HB2471 , HB3338

Committee: House Business

Keywords: veterinary medicine, definitions, animal husbandry, board of veterinary examiners, telemedicine, veterinarian-client relationship, accounting, CPA, licensure, educational requirements, reciprocity, professional conduct, elevator safety, inspections, Department of Labor, safety standards, regulatory compliance, funeral services licensing, funeral director, embalmer

Summary: The committee considered and advanced a series of occupational licensing, workforce, and regulatory bills, often after adopting proposed committee substitutes (PCSs) and, in some cases, live amendments. House Bill 437 updated CPA licensure pathways to align with the 2025 Uniform Accountancy Act and passed 6-0-9. House Bill 4321 added a restriction on the Department of Labor retroactively applying new rules to existing structures absent written findings of obvious safety hazards, and passed 6-0-9. House Bill 4322 removed the requirement that a funeral director in charge also hold an embalmer license, with supporters saying it would help rural funeral homes and opponents raising concerns about embalming coverage; it passed 7-1-1. House Bill 3783, a constituent-request bill for career tech/CIB testing changes in the plumbing field, was discussed as a work in progress to clarify experience-hour requirements and passed 8-0-2. House Bill 2956 made cleanup changes related to the Appraisers Board after a federal audit and passed 8-0-0. House Bill 2471 expanded and adjusted the Oklahoma Workforce Commission’s membership and quorum rules and passed 8-0-0. House Bill 3239 updated the Veterinary Practice Act and passed 8-0-0. House Bill 3673 allowed journeymen and contractors to renew expired licenses without reexamination if they meet fee, education, and disciplinary requirements, and passed 9-0-0-8. House Bill 3338, a constituent-request bill regulating the pool industry to address bad actors, also passed after adoption of a PCS, with the Attorney General reviewing the issue. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 3960, which would have required larger grocery stores and drugstores to employ more workers relative to self-checkout kiosks in an effort to increase staffing and reduce retail theft. Supporters framed it as a workforce and anti-theft measure, but the bill failed on a 2-6 vote. House Bill 3832 drew substantial discussion about human trafficking in exotic entertainment establishments; the sponsor explained that the bill was intended to require photo identification rather than lower the age threshold, so law enforcement could more quickly identify workers and shut down trafficking operations. Members asked about the practical effect of the proposal and related enforcement concerns, and the bill passed after the sponsor clarified the PCS was still being finalized. The committee then adjourned after the final bill was handled.

Transcript Highlights:

• :52:24.960><c> permitted</c> with the tobacco and the permitted with the tobacco and the permitted sales
• 52:27.040><c> to</c><03:52:27.120><c> be</c><03:52:27.279><c> attached</c><03:52:27.600><c> to</c> sales
• , were they going to be attached to sales, were they going to be attached to this<03:52:28.399><c> bill
• </c> prohibited sales statute. prohibited sales statute.
• </c> the students to taste who were underage. the students to taste who were underage.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• But, uh, so really, when you buy gold in states that have sales tax, you actually pay the sales tax on
• If you buy, uh, you know, old used coins, I believe it's just treated as a normal sale.
• Yeah, so you still pay sales tax. You know, it could be 5, 6, 8%.
• But because we don't have a sales tax... ...tax.
• Would allow underage people or minors into the canteen members-only area of the club, right?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first took up several bills and repeatedly chose to retain or table them rather than advance them. House 167, dealing with past wax, was voted ought to pass; House 312 was retained because members said NCAA-related advertising and uniform policy issues were still unresolved; House 434, requiring insurers to provide rental cars for at least seven days, was voted inexpedient to legislate; and House 454, on biodegradable packaging claims, was also voted inexpedient to legislate after members said the proposal lacked a workable enforcement mechanism and would likely be only a symbolic state-by-state measure. House 721, making gold legal tender, was retained, with members saying the bill needed more work and that the issue was less compelling in New Hampshire because the state has no sales tax. The committee then discussed House 310, which was amended to create a study commission on blockchain and related regulatory issues. The amendment expanded the commission’s charge to include legal, regulatory, financial, technological, and environmental considerations, added review of federal developments, included blockchain-based trust and stable token issues, broadened membership, and extended the repeal and report dates by a year. Members said the commission would help New Hampshire develop expertise and a report for future legislation, while also noting that federal action could affect the state’s role. The amendment was adopted 8-1, and the bill itself was then retained. Finally, the subcommittee heard a revised amendment to House 406 on business filings and registered agents. The Secretary of State’s office explained that the amendment, drafted with input from the Business and Industry Association, narrows the bill to address fraudulent or unauthorized entity filings after a written complaint and sworn statement, sets minimum requirements for registered agents, bars use of commercial mail-drop addresses as registered offices, and allows removal or cancellation of fraudulent filings with penalties for false filings. Members asked about which entities must maintain registered offices and how the rules would affect home-based businesses; the sponsor said most New Hampshire business entities must have a registered office, with some exceptions such as domestic nonprofits and trade names. The discussion emphasized concerns about synthetic entities, identity misuse, and the need for a physical in-state registered agent address.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that people know what they're sale.
• </c><00:58:31.640><c> riders</c> law enforcement about underage riders law enforcement about underage
• This requires point-of-sale registration for e-motos consistent with the sales of other motor vehicles
• </c> this requires point-of-sale registration this requires point-of-sale registration for<01:47:32.360
• </c> requirements by regulating sales. requirements by regulating sales. Thank<01:48:18.880><c> you.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Bills: HB 431 , HB 1522 , HB 1922 , HB 2467 , HB 2468 , HB 3228 , HB 3229 , HB 3306 , HB 3803 , HB 3804 , HB 3805 , HB 3806 , HB 4219 , HB 4238 , HB 4344 , HB 4386 , HB 4739

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: HB 431, Texas Property Code, Property Code Chapter 202, solar roof tiles, solar shingles, solar energy device, homeowners association, HOA, property owners' association, POA, renewable energy, residential solar, distributed solar, roof-mounted solar, homeowner rights, architectural control, open meetings, public notice, transparency, government efficiency

Bills: HB 431 , HB 1522 , HB 1922 , HB 2467 , HB 2468 , HB 3228 , HB 3229 , HB 3306 , HB 3803 , HB 3804 , HB 3805 , HB 3806 , HB 4219 , HB 4238 , HB 4344 , HB 4386 , HB 4739

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: HB 431, Texas Property Code, Property Code Chapter 202, solar roof tiles, solar shingles, solar energy device, homeowners association, HOA, property owners' association, POA, renewable energy, residential solar, distributed solar, roof-mounted solar, homeowner rights, architectural control, open meetings, public notice, transparency, government efficiency

Bills: HB431 , HB1522 , HB1922 , HB2467 , HB2468 , HB3228 , HB3229 , HB3306 , HB3803 , HB3804 , HB3805 , HB3806 , HB4219 , HB4238 , HB4344 , HB4386 , HB4739

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: HB 431, Texas Property Code, Property Code Chapter 202, solar roof tiles, solar shingles, solar energy device, homeowners association, HOA, property owners' association, POA, renewable energy, residential solar, distributed solar, roof-mounted solar, homeowner rights, architectural control, open meetings, public notice, transparency, government efficiency

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and favorably reported several House bills without opposition, including HB 11, HB 132, HB 1041, HB 1606, HB 2286, and HB 5061. Each was moved out of committee with a recommendation that it do pass and be printed, and several were also recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then heard HB 3306, which would extend existing construction-contract indemnity exceptions to electric infrastructure construction, maintenance, and vegetation management work for electric utilities and transmission and distribution utilities. The sponsor said the bill would reduce litigation and insurance costs for ratepayers, while construction industry witnesses argued it would shift liability onto subcontractors and create broad-form indemnity in a way Texas law has generally prohibited since 2011. HB 3306 was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4739, a Comptroller-requested cleanup bill to repeal an outdated Finance Code provision requiring remittance of a portion of certain delinquency charges to the state, and HB 3803, HB 3804, and HB 3806, all Department of Banking-requested cleanup bills dealing with confidentiality and supervision rules for perpetual care funds, state banks, and trust companies. Those bills were briefly explained and left pending without testimony. HB 4219, aimed at improving Public Information Act compliance by requiring timely notice when records do not exist or are being withheld, allowing complaints to the Attorney General, and imposing training and fee consequences for noncompliance, drew support from a journalist and a policy analyst and was also left pending. The committee then heard HB 4238 on coerced debt and identity theft. The sponsor explained that the committee substitute narrows the bill to court-ordered findings of identity theft/coerced debt, gives collectors seven business days to stop collection activity, and removes a section to avoid litigation over court orders. A law professor and a family violence advocate testified in strong support, describing coerced debt as a barrier for domestic violence and elder abuse survivors trying to rebuild credit and access housing, jobs, and utilities. The bill was left pending. HB 1522, which would require local governments to post meeting notices three business days in advance and make budget materials more accessible online and in physical form, also drew support, though a school business officials representative raised concerns about the timing language, proposed-budget wording, and taxpayer impact statements for school districts; the bill was left pending after discussion. Later, the committee heard additional pending bills, including a PUC background-check bill that would expand the commission’s authority to check current employees and contractors and obtain FBI criminal history information, HB 3805 updating money services business regulation, HB 431 extending HOA solar-panel protections to solar tiles, and HB 3228 and HB 3229 on wind and solar recycling financial assurance and recycler solvency. HB 3228 received support from a Sierra Club witness who said recycling and disposal plans are needed for end-of-life renewable energy equipment, and HB 3229 was described as requiring recyclers to show financial resources at 125 percent through a letter of credit or bond. These bills were heard and left pending.

Bills: HB431 , HB1522 , HB1922 , HB2467 , HB2468 , HB3228 , HB3229 , HB3306 , HB3803 , HB3804 , HB3805 , HB3806 , HB4219 , HB4238 , HB4344 , HB4386 , HB4739

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: HB 431, Texas Property Code, Property Code Chapter 202, solar roof tiles, solar shingles, solar energy device, homeowners association, HOA, property owners' association, POA, renewable energy, residential solar, distributed solar, roof-mounted solar, homeowner rights, architectural control, open meetings, public notice, transparency, government efficiency

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce met with a quorum and first took up pending business, reporting several House bills favorably to the full Senate, including HB 11, HB 132, HB 1041, HB 1606, HB 2286, and HB 5061, with some also recommended for the local and uncontested or contested calendars. The committee then heard and left pending HB 3306, which would extend construction-contract indemnity exceptions to electric infrastructure work, including construction, maintenance, and vegetation management for utilities. Supporters said it would align utility infrastructure work with public works and reduce litigation and ratepayer costs, while opponents argued it would shift liability onto subcontractors and create broad-form indemnity concerns. Members also heard HB 4739, a Comptroller-requested cleanup bill repealing an outdated Finance Code provision tied to delinquency charges on retail charge accounts, and left it pending without testimony. The committee then considered several Department of Banking cleanup bills, including HB 3803, HB 3804, and HB 3806, all left pending after brief explanations and no public opposition. HB 4219, dealing with public information requests, drew support from a journalist and a policy analyst who said it would improve transparency by requiring timely responses, notice when records do not exist, and training or fee consequences for noncompliance; it was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4238, a committee substitute addressing coerced debt and identity theft, which would bar collection of certain debts from victims who obtain a qualifying court order. A law professor and a family violence advocate supported the bill as narrow, protective relief for domestic violence and elder abuse survivors, and it was left pending. Other bills heard and left pending included HB 1522 on local government budget meeting posting and taxpayer impact disclosures, HB 4344 authorizing background checks for PUC employees and contractors, HB 3805 updating money services business regulation, HB 431 extending solar-panel HOA protections to solar tiles, HB 3228 and HB 3229 on wind and solar recycling financial assurance, and HB 1922 clarifying the accrual date for construction defect claims under right-to-repair law. The committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's why our sales have changed the way we're doing sales.
• You're not seeing as many of the case sales; you're seeing the tier and the four-tier sales, which are
• That's why our sales have changed the way we're doing sales.
• You're not seeing as many of the case sales; you're seeing the tier and the four-tier sales, which are
• That's why our sales have changed the way we're doing sales.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed House Bill 1, focusing on the legislative branch budget, especially the Senate and House lines. Members discussed that the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 adjusted authorized amount was higher than 2024 actual spending, largely due to personnel, benefits, and travel, and one member proposed a $500,000 annual cut. Staff explained that any reduction would need to be allocated across specific line items such as personnel, benefits, and travel, and noted that the Senate budget is entirely General Funds. After discussion of how the adjusted authorized figures were calculated and why the branch no longer staffs some joint committees as it once did, the committee moved on without taking a vote on that section. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from the New Hampshire Retirement System. NHRS officials described their statutory administrative budget, which is funded through the retirement trust rather than the General Fund, and said the FY 2026-2027 increase is driven by IT modernization, cybersecurity, a new strategic plan, and additional staff positions. They also reviewed the system’s funding progress, clean audit opinions, investment performance, and changes to asset allocation, while noting that several recent pension-related laws required major database changes. Members questioned the large increase in salaries and benefits, the need for new employees versus contractors, the purpose of training costs, and the source of the Group Two benefit funding. NHRS said the governor’s budget includes General Funds for Group Two benefit changes, with $5 million in FY 2026 and $27.9 million in FY 2027, and that the figures reflect the governor’s recommendation and related HB 2 provisions. Committee members also asked about employer and employee contribution rates for Group Two police and fire members, which NHRS said were not included in the budget document but were about 31.2% for police and 30.35% for fire, with employee shares around 11.55% and 11.8%. The committee did not make a decision on the NHRS budget during this exchange and indicated it would review the details further before returning to it later. The committee then heard from the Community Development Finance Authority on the State Treasury Department budget line for the required state match to administer the federal Community Development Block Grant program. CDFA explained that its $280,000 annual request for FY 2026 and FY 2027, totaling $560,000, supports administration, technical assistance, contracting, and monitoring of roughly $19 million in annual federal CDBG funds. Members asked about the leverage of the state match, oversight of projects, staffing, and grant prioritization. CDFA said it has 18 employees, uses public hearings and a scoring system to prioritize awards, and conducts both desk and on-site monitoring, with annual audits to ensure compliance. No vote was taken on the CDFA item in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• one of these sports entertainment facilities that has details like how the facility will prevent underage
• But does that also—so even though a customer wouldn't be purchasing from there with the retail sales—
• So even though a customer wouldn't be purchasing from there with the retail sales, are they allowed
• The LCB issues two licenses for retail sales of liquor at restaurants: a beer and/or wine restaurant
• He said bonded warehouses are designed to function as logistics facilities, not points of retail sale

Bills: HB2128 , HB2207 , HB1701 , HB2536 , HB2476 , HB2294 , HB2229

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business

Keywords: alcohol service, sports facilities, amusement venues, recreational activities, patron engagement, alcohol warehousing, regulation, liquor distribution, storage standards, state laws, liquor licenses, multiple premises, alcohol distribution, commercial leasing, regulatory reform, winery, restaurant license, alcohol, spirits, beer

Transcript Highlights:

• , and stopping the sale of military-grade weapons designed for mass casualties.
• I do not believe SB 17 will accomplish its goal of prohibiting the sale of dangerous weapons.
• Include sales both person to person and also through FFLs. Mr.
• As was said earlier, 77% of all the crime guns that are recovered in this state come from the sale of
• Representatives, certainly for the sale of alcohol, yes, you have to be 21.

Bills: SB38 , SB17 , SB41 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Transcript Highlights:

• It amends the initial license application to remove attestations regarding sale of hemp products and
• Let's look back even further in time to when we passed Tobacco 21, the law that prohibits underage sales
• </c><01:40:33.520><c> sales,</c><01:40:34.480><c> fully</c><01:40:34.960><c> six</c> prohibits underage
• sales, fully six prohibits underage sales, fully six years<01:40:35.520><c> ago,</c><01:40:35.920><c
• Reports from the sales and bad actors.

Keywords: 0:00 – Meeting start/roll call 0:10 - Roll call/approval of minutes 1:43 - Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Department for Medicaid Services 27:40 - Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control 55:54 - Board of Veterinary Examiners 1:33:15 - Testimony in support of 804 KAR 13:010E, 020E, 030E and 040E. 1:49:04 - Education Professional Standards Board 1:49:58 - Attorney General, Office of Regulatory Relief 1:52:18 - Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) 1:54:28 - Board of Nursing 1:56:44 - Board of Occupational Therapy 1:57:37 - Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy 1:58:58 - Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources 1:59:50 - Economic Development Finance Authority 2:01:34 - Department of Corrections 2:02:37 - Department of Juvenile Justice 2:04:02 - Department for Employment Services, Unemployment Insurance 2:04:57 - Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Department for Public Health, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then took up Department for Medicaid Services regulations 907 KAR 23:010 and related rules. DMS explained that one regulation would establish a beneficiary advisory council and another would remove language barring coverage of GLP-1 drugs for obesity-related use. The department said coverage would still be limited by prior authorization and clinical criteria, with use tied to underlying chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, and that the pharmacy and therapeutics committee would help set the detailed standards. Members discussed the potential health benefits, but several raised concerns about cost, timing, and whether the legislature and the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board should review the policy first. DMS said the drugs are already on the formulary, that current Medicaid users with diabetes are already covered, and that the fiscal impact was estimated using current utilization, rebates, and expected savings; the department also said it would only cover the drugs if subject to rebates. The committee then voted 5-1 to find 907 KAR 23:010 deficient. The committee next considered several emergency regulations from the Public Protection Cabinet’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control implementing SB 100. The rules covered tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product licensing, including the application form, denial standards, and transitional licensing. ABC counsel said the department had received about 5,500 applications and issued nearly 5,000 licenses, with additional provisional licenses issued to avoid interruption in sales after the law’s effective date. He said some applications remained pending because inspections and photographs revealed possible unauthorized nicotine vapor products, and the department was seeking documentation before approval. A staff amendment was adopted without objection before the ABC presentation continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• There’s been quite a bit of sale of property, mineral rights going out for, I think, a rock crushing
• and whatnot down there, just kind of wondering where did the money that currently came out of the sale
• </c><00:21:46.760><c> of</c><00:21:47.039><c> property</c> quite a bit of uh sale of property quite a
• </c> currently came out of the Rose the sale currently came out of the Rose the sale of<00:21:58.640>
• </c> youth underage youth underage people<01:42:00.880><c> Dr</c><01:42:01.280><c> Crawford</c><01:42

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• one of these sports entertainment facilities that has details like how the facility will prevent underage
• The LCB issues two licenses for retail sales of liquor at restaurants: a beer and/or wine restaurant
• The LCB issues two licenses for retail sales of liquor at restaurants: a beer and/or wine restaurant
• The LCB issues two licenses for retail sales of liquor at restaurants: a beer and/or wine restaurant
• The LCB issues two licenses for retail sales of liquor at restaurants: a beer and/or wine restaurant

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held public hearings on several alcohol-related bills. HB 2128 would expand the sports entertainment facility liquor license to cover publicly or privately owned facilities where patrons engage in sports, amusement, or recreational activities, such as the Leavenworth Adventure Park. The prime sponsor and supporters said it would modernize the license while keeping LCB safety controls in place; one member questioned whether it amounted to an expansion of alcohol access. A fiscal note had been requested but not yet received, and the public hearing was closed without action. The committee then heard HB 2207, which would create a bonded beer warehouse license and make related changes to bonded wine warehouse law. The sponsor said it would help a Ridgefield logistics warehouse store beer the same way it can already store wine and spirits, while supporters from the Washington Brewers Guild said it would give breweries parity with wineries. Distributors and other opponents raised concerns about direct-to-consumer shipping, public access to warehouses, and federal tax-and-trade restrictions; the sponsor said amendments were being considered to address some of those issues. The hearing was closed without action. HB 2536 would allow wineries to hold spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licenses, or beer and/or wine restaurant licenses, at additional winery locations. The sponsor and winery representatives said the bill would reduce administrative burden and let wineries operate tasting rooms and restaurant-style spaces more flexibly, while opponents argued it could broaden alcohol access and create tied-house concerns. HB 2476 would remove the 120-seat-per-screen limit for theaters seeking a spirits, beer, and wine theater license; the sponsor and theater operators said existing alcohol control plans and other safeguards would remain in place, and the change would help theaters compete and attract patrons. The committee also heard HB 1701, which would allow multiple liquor licensees to operate within a shared facility and was described as a way to support a mixed-use winery/brewery/restaurant project; the sponsor said he was willing to remove the Public Records Act exemption again, and distributors urged transparency and guardrails. In executive action, the committee took up HB 2229, revising the Professional Engineers Registration Act. After adopting Amendment CLA 407 to restore current law on the board’s name, the committee voted to report the substitute bill out with a due pass recommendation. Several members supported the bill as a modernization of registration and continuing-education provisions, while some members voted no, citing concerns about changes to board membership requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the shift to online sales has fundamentally changed the system.
• I’m not purporting to say that this is a sale.
• But as I’ve dug into this, I realize now that the word sale doesn’t always mean sale; it kind of means
• But as I’ve dug into this, I realize now that the word sale doesn’t always mean sale; it kind of means
• So this really is about the sale or transfer from the person you're engaging with.

Summary: The committee heard AB 1988, which would require AI companion chatbots to respond to credible self-harm or violence-related crisis expressions by displaying the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, warning users, and pausing the chat for human review after repeated crisis signals. The author and supporters said the bill is a measured safety standard to redirect vulnerable users to human help, citing research and cases where chatbots worsened suicidal ideation or violent behavior. Support came from crisis and medical advocates, while no opposition testimony was offered. The chair and members expressed strong support, and the bill was held pending quorum before later action on the agenda. The committee then took up AB 1709, which would set a minimum age of 16 for users to create or maintain accounts on social media platforms with harmful addictive features and would create an E-Safety Advisory Commission in the Attorney General’s office. The author argued the bill targets product design, not speech, and is intended to curb compulsive features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds while allowing safer or non-addictive platforms to remain available. Supporters, including a psychologist and the Organization for Social Media Safety, described cyberbullying, predation, compulsive use, and mental health harms; opponents, including EFF, ACLU-Cal Action, TechNet, and youth advocacy groups, warned about privacy, First Amendment, and access-to-community concerns, especially for LGBTQ youth and other marginalized groups. Committee members debated whether the bill is a ban or a delay, how age assurance would work, and whether the proposal would be effective or could push youth to less safe spaces. Several members said they would support the bill as a first step, while others raised concerns about enforceability, privacy, and constitutional issues. The author emphasized that the bill is limited to specific harmful design features, not content or general internet access, and that the new commission would monitor evolving technology and recommend future updates. No final vote was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for on IDs, and how to refuse a sale for on IDs, and how to refuse a sale without<00:08:30.560><
• </c> when they're denied sales. when they're denied sales.
• Um, violations of sale under 21 have fines in place.
• </c> actively working u to identify the sales actively working u to identify the sales to<00:12:31.440
• Do you happen to can purchase underage.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force opened with a moment of silence for the Louisville UPS plane tragedy, approved the October 15 minutes, and reminded members to submit policy recommendations before the December 16 meeting, when the group will discuss its report to LRC. The first informational presentation, from the Department for Public Health, focused on youth vaping. Elizabeth Good and Julie Brooks cited a recent Surgeon General report warning that youth vaping can harm brain development, mental health, lungs, asthma, and hormones, and noted Kentucky survey data showing 8.7% of students reported daily vaping and 19.7% used vaping products in the prior 30 days. They described prevention and cessation resources including Catch My Breath, I Can End the Trend, Not on Tobacco, My Life, My Quit, Quitline services, and the Kentucky TRUST retailer education program, which trained 3,371 individuals in 2024 and distributed 253 Tobacco 21 toolkits. The next presentation came from Kentucky ABC on implementation of SB 100, which created the division of tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product licensing. Commissioner Scotty Tracy and Jamar Carter said all retailers selling tobacco, nicotine, or vapor products must be licensed, regulations were filed October 31, 2025, and the online application portal is live. In response to questions about sales to minors, they said violations carry escalating fines for clerks and owners, with a fourth violation resulting in no license renewal for two years and unpaid fines also blocking renewal. They said complaints can be submitted through the portal, by phone, or on the ABC website, and enforcement investigates tips and may use underage compliance checks. The committee then heard from Kim McKenna Johnson of One Cross Community Health, who argued for a “deficiency-first” and holistic approach to care centered on nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation. She said her clinic serves more than 7,000 patients in Taylor and Marion counties and described a model that includes primary care, behavioral health, functional medicine, addiction recovery, and chronic care. She cited Kentucky health rankings, claimed nutritional deficiencies cost the state billions, and said many children are overprescribed while undernourished. She urged broader insurance coverage for nutritional testing and supplements, rural demonstration grants, and Medicaid pilots for clinically prescribed supplements. Members asked about testing costs, dietitian support, long-term cost savings, compliance, and whether medications are often used to prevent damage from noncompliance; the presenter said the lab tests are generally covered, supplements are the main cost barrier, and seeing lab results can improve family buy-in. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the UND land sale in Section 34 and 35 authorizes the sale of land.
• could have been partially because of that, and partially, I know there were some concerns over the sale
• They can use Tier 2, I believe, but not for the sale of that land. I think that was a question.
• Emergency clauses in there for capital projects, bonding, and land sale.
• So it would stop somebody underage from accessing pornographic images and stuff like that?

Bills: SB2003

Committee: House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Keywords: higher education, student loans, scholarships, capital projects, workforce development, funding, North Dakota university system, 908, all

Summary: The committee met to work through the higher education budget, beginning with a conflict-of-interest request from Representative Martinson, who was excused from voting because of a partnership that leases office space to Bismarck State College. Members then reviewed the higher education institution budget sheets, covering ongoing and one-time funding items for campuses and system projects such as BSC housing, Lake Region roof repairs, UND’s STEM and National Security Crossroads projects, the UND allied health facility, NDSU projects including New Horizons, DSU deferred maintenance and campus security, Mayville’s Old Main, Minot projects, and the regional health institutes. Members also discussed student financial assistance, the professional student exchange program, IT security funding, and workforce/education innovation grants. Several amendments and policy questions were debated. The committee adopted an amendment to make workforce education innovation grants competitive rather than automatically distributed, and then voted to remove language prohibiting those funds from being used to duplicate academic programs. Members also removed similar anti-duplication language from the New Horizons section. They agreed to extend the UND hyperbaric chamber transfer authority to 2027 and clarified language around UND land-sale proceeds. A proposed amendment to add $5.6 million for the Wahpeton State School of Science building purchase failed for lack of a second, and a proposal to restore fetal alcohol spectrum disorder funding to UND was left for conference. The committee also discussed, but did not add, a tuition cap change, a study on the Praxis exam, and several governance-related provisions. The committee spent significant time on broader higher education policy items, including a $3 million enterprise resource planning request for the university system, a $2 million grant program for students who are pregnant, recently gave birth, or are caring for young children, and a $1.1 million request for library age-verification software tied to the Odin system. Members also discussed dual-credit authority for UND and NDSU, a goal for the UND medical school to increase North Dakota resident enrollment, and intent language regarding the commissioner/chancellor model and presidential search authority. At the end of the meeting, the committee approved the amendments and then gave the higher education budget a do-pass recommendation as amended, with Representative Sanford designated as the carrier. The Forest Service budget was also approved, including two additional FTEs, and the committee adjourned after noting it would continue with other budgets the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill mandates that it is unlawful for any person or entity to engage in the sale, transfer, or distribution
• Thirteen percent of the time, they are successful in purchasing; an underage person is successful in
• It's not about retailers selling to underage children.

Bills: HB2746 , HB2750 , HB2765 , HB4036

Committee: House International Trade

Keywords: trade offices, committee, Arizona commerce authority, stakeholder input, efficiency, Arizona-Sonora, Sonora, Mexico, trade commission, cross-border trade, bilateral trade, international trade, economic development, foreign relations, border economy, investment, infrastructure, business exchange, academic exchange, legislative commission

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a lot of tools that are already available on social media platforms, like if you have an underage
• There's a lot of tools that are already available on social media platforms, like if you have an underage
• There's a lot of tools that are already available on social media platforms, like if you have an underage
• There's a lot of tools that are already available on social media platforms, like if you have an underage

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• some of our heavier collection months are, then that's what causes a swing if you were to take that underage
• reduction in collections of the corporate income tax overall, because of the increased collections in the sales

Bills: S0110 , S0434 , S0856

Committee: Senate Finance and Tax

Keywords: property assessment, wind damage, home improvements, real estate, tax exemption, Florida statutes, ad valorem taxes, property listings, tax estimation, disclosure, Florida, residential property

Summary: The committee heard and passed three bills before moving to a staff presentation on the state revenue forecast and the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. SB 856, by Senator DeSantis? [sic], would require online real estate listing platforms to display estimated property taxes for residential properties using prescribed methods and DOR-developed formulas rather than the current owner’s tax bill. Supporters from county, city, and property appraiser groups said the bill would improve transparency and help homebuyers avoid surprise tax and escrow increases. The bill was reported favorably after debate about making sure the estimate appears on realtor and platform sites for first-time buyers. SB 110, by Senator Arrington, was amended and then reported favorably. The bill clarifies that people holding 98-year-or-longer residential leases remain eligible for the homestead tax exemption even if the lease ends upon the tenant’s death, aligning those leaseholds with life estates for estate-planning purposes. The amendment, supported by the Florida Bar’s real property, probate and trust law section, clarified that lease provisions terminating at death are valid under current law. SB 434, by Senator Leak, was also reported favorably; it would prevent property tax assessments from reflecting increased just value attributable to wind-hardening improvements such as stronger roof attachments, shutters, and roof-to-wall reinforcements. The committee then received an update from staff director Azar Khan on the new general revenue forecast. He said collections had been running slightly above estimate overall, but the Revenue Estimating Conference reduced corporate income tax projections because of weaker recent collections and uncertainty around tariffs, while increasing some other revenue sources. Members then discussed the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which staff said would significantly reduce Florida corporate income tax revenue, with a large first-year impact driven by retroactive provisions such as bonus depreciation, research expensing, and business interest deductions. Senators and the appropriations chair said the forecast and federal changes would affect budget planning, and the committee adjourned after noting the bills had been favorably reported and the meeting was complete.