Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, I'm directed to inform the House that the Senate has failed to pass House Judiciary Committee
• Senate Bill 112 as amended has failed to pass the House.
• Senate Bill 92 has duly passed this House.
• I now move that Senate Bill 220 do pass.
• A vote of yes, the bill would pass, the vote of no, the bill would have failed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill passed unanimously through the Senate. On the House, it was added with some other stuff.
• You voted to pass this bill last year. It's the same exact bill.
• </c> Pass in a second on 575. Any further discussion?
• :49:02.719><c> on</c> &gt;&gt; Pass in a second on &gt;&gt; Pass in a second on 575. 575. 575.
• </c> All those in favor of pass. All those in favor of pass.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Medical issues and that the EMS and medical staff failed to administer Narcan.
• And we passed a bill a couple years ago, two or three years ago, whenever it was, that required some
• And we<00:20:22.880><c> passed</c><00:20:23.280><c> a</c><00:20:23.520><c> bill</c><00:20:23.679><c>
• So, thank you all for what you passed.
• And I know we've passed a bill in support of kinship care.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 22, 2025 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel on accidental ingestion of illegal drug products by children. Panel members said pediatric ingestions have become the most common case type they review, with the highest-risk children ages one to four, and that fatal cases have increased in recent years. They reported that the substances most often involved are fentanyl, cannabinoids including THC products, methamphetamine, and increasingly xylazine; they also noted a decline in buprenorphine-related ingestions, which they viewed as a positive trend. The panel used several case examples to highlight recurring problems in investigations and medical response, including delayed DCBS involvement, failure to administer Narcan, inadequate drug testing, lack of child abuse team involvement, and limited or absent law enforcement investigation. They said law enforcement issues are especially common in pediatric ingestion cases and are concentrated in Jefferson County and the Bluegrass/KIPA regions. One example involved a one-year-old who died from fentanyl and Benadryl intoxication; another involved a two-year-old who died after ingesting multiple substances; and a third involved a four-year-old with near-fatal THC gummy ingestion where delayed treatment worsened the child’s condition. They also described a 10-month-old THC ingestion case that resulted in a criminal abuse conviction, which they presented as an example without missed investigative opportunities. Committee members discussed possible policy responses, including creating a more specific criminal child abuse offense or clarifying existing abuse and neglect definitions to cover unsafe access to illegal drugs, while preserving room for true accidents and prescribed medications. Members also raised the need for statewide standardization in reporting, investigation, and medical response, and suggested the panel should be able to call in agencies such as law enforcement, DCBS, judges, and hospitals for closed-session review of selected cases. The panel chair said they were already pursuing meetings with LMPD and would provide Jefferson County-specific breakdowns, and members expressed interest in additional data and agency follow-up before considering legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Gustafson makes the motion that the bill does pass the committee and move to general orders.
• The bill is passed and moved to general orders. Thank you, Senator Hild.
• the bill does pass uh the committee<00:05:10.680><c> and</c><00:05:10.880><c> move</c><00:05:11.120>
• and moveed to general orders passed and moveed to general orders thank<00:05:22.440><c> you</c><00:05
• So with that, I'm going to pass it back to Ms. Randall. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Voting on HB 174, ought to pass.
• Voting on HB 174, ought to pass.
• The ITL passes. I'm sorry.
• Amendment passed unanimously.
• I'm going to the amendment passed unanimously; it's now ought to pass as amended.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with housekeeping about report deadlines and bill scheduling, noting that reports should be submitted as soon as possible, ideally by Friday night, so they can be reviewed and filed on time. The chair explained the process for Democratic and Republican reports, reviewed the timing sheet for early bills, and said the committee was trying to stay on schedule to avoid hearings during vacation week. He also shared his contact information for questions. The committee then moved into executive session on 10 bills. On HB 13, relative to OHRV operation on certain highways in Windsor, the committee voted unanimously to retain the bill after the prime sponsor asked that it be held for possible local action. On HB 127, extending the closing date of OHRV trails on the Connecticut River headquarters property from September 30 to Columbus Day, members debated economic benefits for Pittsburgh versus concerns about local control, conservation easements, and hunting impacts. The committee voted 11-5 ought to pass; the chair noted it would not go on consent and would have a fiscal note. On HB 174, increasing the maximum weight of a utility terrain vehicle to 3,500 pounds unladen dry weight, supporters argued the change could help accommodate electric vehicles and heavier equipment, while opponents raised concerns about undefined terms, enforcement, private landowner rights, and unintended consequences. The committee voted 8-7 ought to pass. On HB 203, requiring C-COT approved personal flotation devices while on New Hampshire state waters, the committee heard a split between members who emphasized personal responsibility and those who said the bill would improve safety and education and could reduce drowning deaths. The motion to ITL failed 11-5, meaning the committee rejected the motion to kill the bill and advanced it instead. The transcript then moved on to HB 332, allowing for the establishment of a village district, but the discussion of that bill was not included in the provided excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• DSPs who have not worked overtime, which only deepens the deficit of his nonprofit provider because passes
• We believe nobody but the Arkansas state government has the resources necessary for keeping failing hospitals
• The pay plan that you passed last year will continue to require investments.
• Okay, the motion before us is do pass on Senate Bill 1. All in favor say aye. Any opposed?
• It's passed. Congratulations, Senator. Is there any other business to come before us?

Committee: All REVENUE & TAX - SENATE

Summary: The Senate Revenue and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senator Jonathan Dismang, which continues the state’s long-running effort to reduce Arkansas income tax rates. Dismang said the bill would lower the personal income tax rate retroactive to January 1, 2026 and delay the corporate income tax change until the following January, bringing the rate down from 7% to 3.7%. He also said the bill would use existing surplus funds and estimated that a person making $65,000 would see their effective tax burden reduced by about 45% compared with earlier rates. The committee heard several witnesses in opposition, including a United Methodist pastor/social worker, a parent describing her son’s disability and need for supported living services, representatives from Arkansas Appleseed and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and a Marshallese community advocate. They argued that Arkansas should preserve revenue for public schools, health care, food assistance, housing, rural hospitals, early childhood education, and disability services, and said the tax cuts would disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers while providing little relief to working families. Several speakers cited low state spending relative to national averages and warned that further cuts would worsen existing service gaps. In closing, Dismang and other supporters said the state can be both compassionate and competitive, that no essential services would be cut by the bill, and that Arkansas has continued to grow revenue despite prior tax reductions. Members emphasized balancing service funding with economic competitiveness and noted the legislature’s focus on lower-income tax brackets in earlier reforms. The committee then voted to do pass SB1, and the bill was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• The government has failed to do its job.
• there are negotiations, and the reimbursement part may be on the House side of the budget that's been passed
• Members, last session this committee heard SB 1518 by Senator King, which passed both chambers and was
• Oh, they won't pass a bill that deals with terrorism." They must love terrorists.
• Senator Flores moves that HCR 40 be reported to the full Senate for the recommendation to pass and be

Bills: HCR40 , HB214 , HB214

Committee: Senate Border Security

Keywords: HCR 40, House Concurrent Resolution, Operation Lone Star, border security, southern border, Texas border, reimbursement, federal reimbursement, Congress, immigration, migrant crossings, illegal immigration, Texas National Guard, Department of Public Safety, DPS, human smuggling, cartel, fentanyl, border enforcement, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• community stakeholders, and now my staff and fellow members of the Texas House, so we were able to pass
• Uh, 2 sessions ago we got it passed through, uh, um, the house and we were even able to pass it through
• So my hope is that my colleagues join me in passing HB 178 and ensuring that all Texas students have
• Be courageous enough because those who fail will never accomplish what they set out to do, serving in

Transcript Highlights:

• We're passing the bill to go into effect two years from now.
• , but that the committee substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be printed.
• I'm going to pass the gavel to Dean Zaffirini to vote out Senate Bill 1759.
• thereof do pass and be printed.
• So it was my error that failed to put the surcharge into our original proposal. Cost estimate.

Bills: SB2122 , SB2050 , HB16

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Keywords: oil and gas waste, application fees, permit amendments, environmental regulation, Texas natural resources, battery recycling, battery disposal, consumer batteries, energy storage modules, electrochemical devices, lithium-ion battery, household hazardous waste, solid waste, municipal recycling, waste management, battery stewardship, producer responsibility, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, recycling program

Transcript Highlights:

• Working with my co-chair and committee members, the legislature passed two major health care reform laws
• this committee, we have started to tackle this critical issue with the prescription drug reforms passed
• If local pharmacies fail, then the health care... ...established by PBMs.
• If local pharmacies fail, then the health care costs will rise.
• So while it's great to say that an individual manufacturer can demand the cost-sharing structure pass

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Health Care Financing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing on a broad set of health care bills focused on cost, market oversight, pharmaceutical access, transparency, hospital closures, and pharmacy access. Chairs John Lawn and Cindy Friedman opened by emphasizing recent health care reforms and the need for further action on the drug supply chain, PBMs, private equity, and affordability. The committee heard testimony on several measures, including a Betsy Lehman Center bill to make technical changes and create a permanent trust account for federal and private funding, and bills on hospital profits and fairness, hospital closures and health planning, pharmacy deserts, and health care market oversight and pharmaceutical access. No votes were taken during the hearing. On the hospital profits bill, physicians and labor advocates strongly supported capping hospital CEO compensation at 50 times the lowest-paid worker, requiring greater financial transparency, and directing penalties from high-margin public hospitals into a Medicaid reimbursement fund. Testifiers argued that executive pay is excessive while frontline staff and safety-net services are under strain. Committee members raised concerns about unintended consequences, including whether hospitals might shift workers to contract status or lose executive talent, and whether the bill would actually direct money to the safety net. Supporters responded that the measure is one piece of a larger effort and that the bill’s Medicaid reimbursement provisions would help underserved hospitals. Testimony on market oversight and pharmaceutical access centered on rising health care and drug costs, PBM practices, and the proposal to give the Health Policy Commission authority to set upper payment limits for certain drugs. Consumer advocates, disability advocates, an independent pharmacist, the Attorney General’s office, and others supported stronger oversight, citing premium increases, affordability problems, and the impact of high drug prices on patients and community pharmacies. Pharma and some industry witnesses opposed parts of the bill, warning that upper payment limits could disrupt access, create legal issues, and fail to address the broader supply chain. The committee also heard support for stronger hospital closure notice and public hearing requirements, and for a pharmacy deserts bill aimed at identifying and addressing closures like the one in Roxbury that affected thousands of patients.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if it's not done, then it might not ever get done, even though it hadn't been passed in 115 years
• And when we pass a law, what's the thing that they're gonna do to run the law that we passed?
• Have no doubt that this will pass much.
• Taking care of our constituents, I appreciated the bill that did pass off the floor two months ago.
• House Bill 1168 having received 37 aye votes and 10 nay votes, I declare it to have passed.

Bills: HB1168

Keywords: abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, methotrexate, pro-life, pro-choice, reproductive health, unborn child, trafficking, felony, contraception, pharmacist, pharmacy, Title 63, Oklahoma statutes, abortion pill, drug distribution, criminal penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill we passed in 2023 said that 60% have to pay dues or the union is decertified.
• Please do not hurt us by passing with a common interest or purpose.
• Thank you for your time, and please consider not passing this bill for us. Great.
• I thank you all, and I ask that you do not pass this bill. Thank you for being here.
• Please do not pass this bill. Thank you for being here.

Bills: S0332 , S0464 , S0576 , S0830 , S0964 , S0984 , S1096 , S1296 , S1298 , S1612 , S1656

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Keywords: public records, public meetings, property rights, transcripts, settlement negotiations, Veterans Day, K-12 schools, holiday observance, education, Florida statutes, cybersecurity, local government, grant program, data-sharing, Florida Digital Service, ransomware protection, county administrators, city managers, exemption, privacy

Summary: The committee first heard a committee substitute for SB 332, which creates a narrow public meetings and public records exemption for certain pre-suit settlement communications in Bert Harris claims involving local governments and private property rights. The sponsor said the change is intended to allow confidential legal strategy and negotiation during the 90-day pre-suit period while keeping settlements and outcomes public. The strike-all amendment was adopted, supportive testimony was waived in, and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved several other measures, including SB 464 requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day as a school holiday; SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention, which was amended to add a statement of important state interest and reported favorably after testimony from firefighters both supporting the bill and urging a longer benefit window; SB 576 on local government cybersecurity, which was amended to route the program through the Florida Digital Service and strengthen state-local coordination; SB 964 clarifying how certain gift and honoraria disclosures are filed with the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with a delayed effective date; SB 830 creating public records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096 clarifying the filing deadline for employment discrimination complaints; and SB 1656 designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. All were reported favorably. The committee also considered a slate of appointments, including a separate vote on Jeffrey Aaron to the Public Employees Relations Commission, which was recommended favorably after Senator Polsky objected to the appointment and cited concerns about political ties and prior work. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably. After a recess, the committee took up SB 1296 on the Public Employees Relations Commission, as substituted by a committee PCS. The PCS would change union certification and recertification rules, require stronger showing-of-interest and voting thresholds, limit paid union leave in some cases, require equal access to employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for state-funded salary increases. The bill drew extensive testimony, with supporters arguing it would improve accountability, transparency, and taxpayer fairness, and opponents—many of them teachers, bus drivers, and other public employees—saying it would weaken collective bargaining, burden workers, and function as union busting. Members raised constitutional concerns about the single-subject rule and collective bargaining protections, and debate was ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of the guardrails are in place, and that's why we ask you to pass this out of committee, please.
• Our students are tasked with passing six written and practical exams, as well as completing a minimum
• I encourage you to pass this bill.
• I encourage you to pass this bill. The bill is very well-written, and animals need to... Thank you.
• A tragic passing of a four-year-old boy in Vancouver, Washington, is an example.

Bills: SB6138 , SB5899 , SB6072 , SB6094

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: dental procedures, sedation, patient safety, multiprovider system, healthcare regulation, chiropractic, animal care, veterinary medicine, license endorsement, nonhuman animals, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, veterinary telehealth, telemedicine, teletriage, teleadvice, animal health, licensed veterinarian, Washington veterinary board, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• All of the guardrails are in place, and that's why we ask you to pass this out of committee, please.
• Our students are tasked with passing six written and practical exams, as well as completing a minimum
• I encourage you to pass this bill.
• I encourage you to pass this bill. The bill is very well-written, and animals need to... Thank you.
• A tragic passing of a four-year-old boy in Vancouver, Washington, is an example.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5899, which would create a chiropractic license endorsement allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on non-human animals. The sponsor described it as a complementary tool to veterinary care, especially in rural areas with limited access to veterinarians. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would expand access to animal chiropractic with training, certification, and veterinary referral to non-chiropractic issues, while opponents from the veterinary community warned about animal and public safety, disease detection, and the lack of a required veterinary referral. The hearing on SB 5899 was suspended and later reopened; testimony concluded with strong support from animal chiropractic practitioners and opposition from veterinarians, and the committee noted 57 signed in pro, 4 con, and 1 other. The committee then held a work session on dental workforce shortages. Presenters from the CORA Foundation, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, tribal dental programs, and the Washington State Dental Association described major access gaps, especially for Apple Health enrollees, rural communities, and communities of color. They highlighted low preventive-care utilization, high rates of untreated decay, workforce vacancies for hygienists and assistants, and the value of career ladders such as community health aides and proposed oral preventive assistants. Several speakers emphasized that training pathways, retention, and sustained Medicaid reimbursement are key to improving access and keeping providers in the system. Senate Bill 6138, requiring a multi-provider system for dental procedures performed under deep sedation, drew testimony centered on patient safety after recent deaths in dental settings. The sponsor said the bill responds to a pattern of tragic incidents and would ensure one person is dedicated to monitoring sedation. Supporters from anesthesiology and some oral surgery groups backed stronger monitoring requirements, while oral surgeons and dental representatives argued the current rules already require multiple trained personnel and that the bill could reduce access and increase costs, especially in rural and Medicaid-serving practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6072, which would update veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules to allow telemedicine-based relationships and limited telehealth services; animal welfare and veterinary telehealth advocates supported it as an access-to-care measure, while the veterinary association sought clearer guardrails and federal-law language. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6094 on pediatric transitional care services, which would create a Medicaid payment pathway and related program changes for residential care for substance-exposed infants; supporters said the model helps infants and parents, improves outcomes, and is financially unsustainable under current funding, and the hearing began with testimony in favor before time expired.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1169 be reported favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass and be
• Do pass and be printed. The clerk will call the roll. Darby? Morales? Aye. Craddock? Dean? Dyson?
• The chair will pass the gavel to Vice Chair Morales. Thank you. Good luck. Thank you.
• If the bill passes but the legislature doesn't fund it, you still get the 20% tax credit.
• And it doesn't require funding; just the passing of this bill gives you all that, right?

Bills: HB3619 , HB3652 , HB4572 , HB4891 , HB4941 , HB5103 , HB5105 , HB5106 , HB5224 , HB5600

Committee: House Energy Resources

Keywords: surface estate, well plugging, Railroad Commission, landowner rights, liability, strategic reserve, gas supply, petroleum products, disaster response, Railroad Commission of Texas, energy security, emergency planning, oil and gas waste, environmental regulation, waste management, mining pits, groundwater monitoring, regulation, commercial disposal facilities, environmental standards

Transcript Highlights:

• as amended and its title is is passed as amended and its title is agreed<00:20:05.120><c> two.
• There being 132 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed.
• The next bill on the calendar passed.
• There being 131 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title is agreed to.
• There being 133 yeas and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title is agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, he supports ought to pass.
• I motion that SB 51 ought to pass.
• The move to pass. to make a motion. The move to pass. Second. Second. Second.
• The motion fails.<04:01:48.399><c> Um</c><04:01:49.040><c> the</c> fails. Um the fails.
• </c> like to motion ought to pass. Second. like to motion ought to pass. Second.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, who do you think is getting a pass now?
• So if we pass this bill today without this amendment, So if we pass this bill today without this amendment
• or don't pass today, but let's say the bill passes today, all those parents across the state of Florida
• If the amendment passed, either way, it's fine with me.
• , tab 16 passed, tab 24 passed.

Bills: S0036 , S0620 , S0796 , S0934 , S1080 , S1096 , S1366 , S1536 , S1548 , S1580 , S1588 , S1620 , S1756 , S7034 , S7044

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: nursing title, advanced practice registered nurse, advertising, professional standards, disciplinary action, candidate qualifying, federal office, election integrity, regulatory compliance, political candidacy, veterinary medicine, telehealth, veterinary professional associate, animal health, public safety, access to veterinary services, payment bond exemption, Habitat for Humanity, Florida Forever Act, land acquisition

Summary: The committee first took up SB 354, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which creates a framework for large planned communities on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area and a streamlined local review process. Senator McLean presented the bill and a strike-all amendment, and members raised concerns about local control, conservation enforceability, data centers, concurrency, multi-county projects, and whether reserve lands could later be converted. Audubon Florida and 1,000 Friends of Florida opposed the bill, arguing the conservation protections were not permanent enough and that the reserve areas could be changed later; small-county representatives also worried about tax-base impacts. Supporters argued the bill would better manage growth, preserve green space, and provide a more orderly alternative to sprawl. After debate, the committee voted to report the bill favorably. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates for federal, state, county, district, judiciary, school, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship. Amendments added disclosure about whether federal candidates intend to trade stock if elected and adjusted 2026 congressional qualifying procedures in the event of redistricting, including a new qualifying window and petition rules. The bill was reported favorably after brief support from a member of the public and discussion about candidate vetting. The committee also reported favorably CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill with amendments addressing My Safe Florida Home notices, condo pilot eligibility, firefighter hiring, unclaimed property, and related financial-services provisions. Next, the committee approved CS/CS/SB 1620, a school board members’ bill of rights. A substitute amendment narrowed the bill to access to records, fiscal transparency, and nondisclosure agreements, while preserving board members’ rights to timely documents, budget information, and public comment, and setting deadlines for records requests. Superintendents and a school board member testified in support, saying the bill clarifies roles and prevents board members from being frozen out. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material”; one senator supported the terminology change but warned about preserving legal precedent and avoiding appellate issues. The committee then reported favorably SB 1548, an update to the Live Local affordable housing law expanding eligible sites and clarifying setbacks, airport proximity, and fair-housing protections. Finally, the committee took up the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates. The bill allows trained master’s-level VPAs to perform limited veterinary services under a veterinarian’s supervision, and an amendment tightened the standard to immediate supervision on premises. Supporters said the measure would expand access to care, especially in rural areas with vet shortages, while opponents argued it added unnecessary regulation. After testimony from veterinary educators and others, the bill continued with support expressed by committee members, including praise for the direct-supervision amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since we last met, Lisconi passed away in a tragic accident along the... ...passed away in a tragic accident
• You want me to pass them out? Anybody want paper copies? Raise your hand.
• You can pass them around anyway. No, we're all electronic today. Wow.
• You can pass them around anyway. Okay, good morning.
• Small agencies do not get a pass on appropriation authority, and they do not get a pass on internal controls

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence for a deceased member, then approved the April minutes and heard a presentation from HHS on the Diversion Task Force and related youth services grants. Chelsea Florey described the $750,000 one-time appropriation from HB 1012, the five awarded grants, and how programs in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot are using the funds for youth diversion, including school-based groups, physical activity, and services for problematic sexual behavior. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, family engagement, service silos, and whether diversion eligibility rules are too rigid; Florey said the task force is focused on better coordination, broader education about available services, and possible changes to diversion criteria, with the Children’s Cabinet likely to drive broader recommendations. The committee then received a North Dakota Lottery biennium report from Director Thomas Lawler, who reviewed the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, player programs, and revenue distribution. He reported about $67 million in ticket sales for the 2023-2025 biennium, about $16.2 million transferred overall, including roughly $13.6 million to the general fund, plus transfers to drug task force and compulsive gambling funds. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether it is set by statute. Next, the Department of Corrections presented on criminal justice data sharing and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that jails, courts, DOCR, HHS, and other entities use separate systems with limited interoperability, making real-time communication largely manual. He outlined possible hub or point-to-point IT solutions, but noted cost, vendor, identifier, and data-definition challenges. Robin Schmolenberger followed with an update on a Medicaid data exchange project between DOCR and HHS to suspend and reactivate inmate Medicaid coverage automatically and improve care coordination, with full bi-directional exchange expected in fall 2026. The committee also heard from county representatives on 24-7 sobriety program fees and an AG opinion allowing local sheriffs to use cheaper testing options when courts waive fees. Finally, the North Dakota Racing Commission reviewed a troubling audit. Bruce Johnson acknowledged serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, missing grant documentation, a reversed decision on breeders fund eligibility, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has begun corrective actions, including monthly tracking of the promotion fund cap, stricter grant documentation, written procurement procedures, and clearer eligibility rules in condition books. Members pressed him on how the overspending occurred, whether the commission board would impose consequences, and whether statutory clarification is needed on the promotion fund limit and related spending rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• Eagle Pass. **Senator Hinojosa**: Correct. **Speaker**: Yeah.
• I think it's good for passing on institutional knowledge.
• When you look at that audit, too, there's six or eight criteria on it, and it's sort of pass-fail.
• When you look at that audit, too, there's six or eight criteria on it, and it's sort of pass-fail.
• Y'all have to pass a bill to do that.

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all