Transcript Highlights:

• On the use of such devices while operating a motor vehicle.
• The House floor amendment, on the use of such devices while operating a motor vehicle with that I'm happy
• this section of statute specifically says in subsection B this section does not prohibit the operation
• times the amount of damages assessed against the AG, which must be paid from the AG's operating budget
• They travel two, three hours to come to work, meaning that on election day, a lot of the people that

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the minutes from February 18, February 20, and March 4, 2026, then took up several measures while holding others in reserve. House Bill 2006, which would require counties without a USPS processing and distribution center to mail printed sample ballots 14 days before an election instead of 11, received support from the Association of Counties and passed on a 7-0 vote. House Bill 2167, which would impose liability on the Attorney General for certain public nuisance or consumer fraud actions that are dismissed or found meritless, drew opposition from some members who said it would interfere with the AG’s work, but it passed 4-3. The committee also discussed House Bill 2109, a hands-free driving bill that would increase penalties and expand the prohibition to watching or streaming video on a device; after extensive testimony and concerns about vagueness, dash cameras, CarPlay, navigation, and other in-car systems, the chair held the bill without prejudice for stakeholder discussions. The committee then heard House Concurrent Resolution 2016, which would send to voters a proposal to eliminate county vote centers and on-site early voting and require precinct-based polling places with a 2,500-voter cap per precinct. Testimony from voting rights groups, county officials, and rural and tribal representatives strongly opposed the measure, citing higher costs, more provisional ballots, longer lines, delayed results, and reduced access for voters in rural areas and on the Navajo Nation. County representatives asked for a delayed effective date, funding, a higher precinct cap, and a fallback option if precinct sites cannot be secured. After hearing the testimony, the chair announced the resolution would be held without prejudice until the following week to allow further stakeholder discussions with the sponsor.

Transcript Highlights:

• agency, cost efficiency of the service provided, proportion of operating expenses covered by passenger
• of operations.
• We mentioned a little bit about the cost of operators, hiring operators, and the shortages.
• So, you know, some agencies have limited service coverage and operating hours, and I think one of the
• who are in the space of, you know, operators who are in the space of, In touch with a lot of, you know

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met, took roll, and heard introductory remarks from members about their districts and transportation priorities, with several senators noting congestion and mobility challenges in their regions. The committee then received a presentation from the Florida Transportation Commission on its oversight role for FDOT, including annual and quarterly performance reviews, review of the five-year work program, and monitoring of tolling and transit authorities. Members asked whether the commission gets involved in project prioritization; the answer was no, because it is statutorily limited to high-level oversight rather than day-to-day project decisions. The committee next heard two reports related to transportation disadvantaged and paratransit services. FDOT’s Melissa Smith described the statewide Transportation Disadvantaged program, its governance structure, service models, and challenges such as fragmented administration, cost, inconsistent reporting, and rural service limitations. She outlined recommendations including better use of technology, regional partnerships, improved training, and alternative delivery models like microtransit and TNC partnerships. A University of South Florida researcher, Martin Katala, discussed best practices for paratransit and demand-response service, emphasizing route optimization software, dynamic dispatching, service standards, vendor accountability, and the use of TNCs and mobility management to improve efficiency and reduce travel times. A later presentation from UF’s I-Street program focused on emerging technologies for transit, including in-cabin monitoring, automatic restraints, accessible booking and tracking tools, and the need for statewide safety standards and better driver interfaces. Finally, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue and District 5 Secretary John Tyler provided an update on the transition of SunRail local entities. They explained the differences among commuter rail, intercity rail, and light rail, and said SunRail’s financial transition to local partners was completed on January 1, with operational transition to follow over up to three years. They contrasted that with Tri-Rail, where FDOT still funds operations and discussions about a future transition are ongoing. Members asked about the differences between SunRail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak, and Brightline, and the presenters explained that commuter rail serves regional daily commuters while intercity rail connects regions. The committee concluded without taking any formal votes or other legislative action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Recommendations maintain the 24-25 rate of $8.16 per contact hour, resulting in an increase of $11.7
• credit hours offered in any given discipline and then we apply a conversion, either of 18 hours or 24
• It depends on the level of demand; for example, doctoral programs are converted at lower hours, so it
• semester credit hours offered in any given discipline and then we apply a conversion, either of 18 hours
• regular hours since they've got lots of other demands on their time.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Even for teachers, where is that extra hour of pay coming from?
• of operation, days of care provided annually, and the professional qualifications of staff members,
• So, 5.8 hours a day out of five days of the week or, you know, average, is full-time.
• Yes, 10% to 15% for hours outside of the 7 to 7 and weekends.
• 16, where we are including that reporting on professional hours of operation, there's also a line that

Summary: The committee met late in the evening and announced that Senate Bill 132 would be rolled until the next day. The only bill heard was Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 241, which would codify New Mexico’s Child Care Assistance Program in statute, establish eligibility, payment, wait-list, and co-payment rules, require reporting and transparency, and tie reimbursement rates to a cost-estimation model and wage scale/career lattice. The sponsor and administration described the bill as creating a durable framework for universal child care, with protections for program integrity, inclusion of children with developmental needs, and requirements to maximize state and federal child care tax benefits. Public testimony was largely supportive of the bill’s child care expansion goals, with endorsements from State Police, firefighters, early childhood advocates, and women’s policy groups, but many providers and educators said they could not support it without stronger wage and career-ladder protections and clearer guarantees that funding would reach staff salaries rather than owners or institutions. The committee adopted Vice Chair Dixon’s amendment, which lowered the proposed transfer from the Early Childhood Education and Care Trust Fund from $1 billion to $700 million and added reporting requirements on the wait list, consultation requirements for rate-setting, additional facility reporting, a prohibition on supplanting certain public education funds, tribal facility participation, and food program reporting. A separate amendment from Representative Duncan to require first-come, first-served enrollment was debated at length but was tabled by a 9-7 vote after the sponsor and secretary said it conflicted with federal prioritization rules and the bill’s targeted access goals. Members also questioned how the bill would affect public entities, nontraditional-hour providers, co-pay triggers, and whether the wage scale would adequately compensate educators. After debate, the committee voted 10-7 to give the amended bill a do-pass recommendation. Supporters said the bill would strengthen workforce stability, improve access for working families, and help sustain New Mexico’s universal child care system; opponents warned about the long-term fiscal impact, the potential growth of the program, and whether the bill sufficiently protected early childhood educators’ wages and other state priorities. The meeting adjourned with notice that the committee would reconvene at 8 a.m. the next day to hear the Senate’s actions on House Bill 2.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's a part of de-escalation in the first eight hours and a part of de-escalation in the second
• So it's probably about two to three hours of de-escalation in a 16-hour training curriculum.
• You got a security guard that has 24 hours of training, okay? 24 hours of training, okay?
• that may be two hours worth of training.
• that may be two hours worth of training.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 5 minutes and then heard House Bill 578, which would define sex in Louisiana law as biological sex, replace references to gender with sex in various statutes and forms, and direct the Law Institute to make conforming changes. Supporters from the governor’s office said the bill would bring clarity and consistency, while opponents argued it could create conflicts with existing law and weaken protections tied to gender identity. After debate, the committee reported HB 578 favorably. Members then considered House Bill 1250, a measure aimed at aerospace-related litigation. The bill would allow a special motion to strike certain claims against aerospace flight entities when the claims are preempted by federal law. Senators raised concerns that the language was broad enough to affect airports, airlines, contractors, and even unrelated incidents, and the author said he was willing to work on narrowing amendments. The committee nevertheless reported HB 1250 favorably. House Bill 718, dealing with liability protections for private airstrips used for recreation, was amended to narrow its scope and then reported favorably, while House Bill 163, a narrower related airstrip bill, was voluntarily deferred so the committee could work from the other measure. The committee also approved House Concurrent Resolution 61, which asks the Louisiana Law Institute to review possible conflicts between the constitution and statutes on expropriation. House Bill 180, defining foreign adversaries and agents of foreign adversaries for a proposed constitutional amendment, and House Bill 192, a constitutional amendment barring foreign adversaries from expropriating land in Louisiana, were both reported favorably. House Bill 1008, which sets out academic freedom and whistleblower protections for higher education, was rejected on a roll-call vote after concerns about its scope and limits on university discipline. House Bill 638, a prompt-payment bill for contractors, was set aside while amendments were being located. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 71, which would extend existing liability protections for justified use of force to properly trained armed security guards. The author and the Board of Private Security Examiners said security officers receive training and often face dangerous situations, but opponents argued the bill would give too much protection to personnel with far less training than law enforcement and could shield bad shootings. After debate, the committee voted to defer HB 71. The last measure discussed was House Bill 1082, which would change venue rules for lawsuits involving the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System so actions by the system would be filed where the employer is located; the author said the bill was meant to help small municipalities, and members indicated they were open to narrowing amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we're doing here is not a lot of... To increase total hours of closures.
• The creation of jobs. I... to increase total hours of closures.
• of 500 hours per year.
• I move adoption. ...still apply, including the federal limit on closure hours of 500 hours per year.
• Senate Bill 2571 by Middleton et al., relating to funding of access losses and operating expenses of

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day. The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would require a licensee operating a virtual currency kiosk to hold the first transaction of a new
• who have been customers for less than 72 hours, and a transaction limit of $10,500 for existing customers
• This would require a licensee operating a virtual currency kiosk to hold the first transaction of a new
• who've been customers for less than 72 hours, and a transaction limit of $10,500 for existing customers
• kiosk could not be considered a licensee or operator solely because of that agreement or arrangement

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee met on February 25, 2026, received a staff briefing on eight bills, and discussed several proposed amendments before taking action on four measures after caucus. The briefing covered bills on insurance disclosure and wildfire risk modeling (SB 5928), travel insurance regulation (SB 6248), wildfire preparedness grants and insurance eligibility (SB 6079), insurance fraud enforcement (SB 6031), assignment of post-loss insurance benefits (SB 6178), mortgage modification safe harbors (SB 5831), real estate marketing restrictions (SB 6091), and virtual currency kiosk consumer protections (SB 5280). Members also asked about the “Beckett’s Law” title amendment and whether amendments to the virtual currency kiosk bill conflicted; staff said the amendments generally could be reconciled, though some policy differences remained. After recess, the committee deferred action on SB 5928, SB 6079, SB 6031, SB 6178, and SB 5280, and then voted to report Substitute Senate Bill 6248, the Washington Travel Insurance Act, out of committee with a do pass recommendation. Members spoke in support of the bill as a consumer protection measure and a benefit to the travel insurance industry. The committee then reported Senate Bill 5831, the Uniform Mortgage Modification Act, out with a do pass recommendation after members said it would preserve mortgage priority in certain modifications and noted the bill’s title-company-supported change. The committee next considered Substitute Senate Bill 6091, which would prohibit real estate brokers from marketing residential property to exclusive groups of buyers or brokers except for health and safety reasons. Representative Corey withdrew the amendment naming the act “Beckett’s Law,” and the committee approved the bill on a 13-1 vote with one excused member. The chair and ranking member closed by thanking committee staff for their work, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> operations</c> a point of emphasis for our operations a point of emphasis for our operations team
• /c><04:20:44.560><c> hydropower</c> operators and owners of small hydropower operators and owners of
• </c> private operators who are taking care of private operators who are taking care of all<04:32:22.479
• </c><04:32:53.120><c> that</c> operators who are taking care of that operators who are taking care of
• </c> was 6,000 of a cent per kilowatt hour. was 6,000 of a cent per kilowatt hour.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The operations team is really the face of the team that deals with all of your apprentice logistics.
• So they are required to do 150 hours of classroom instruction a year.
• Which will also be a portion of the related technical instruction, of the 150 hours during their 2,000
• In the first 1,000 hours, the obligation is for them to complete at least 75 hours of their RTI, related
• , sit for their oral exam, as well as another 75 hours, or whatever is remaining, of the hours of related

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met to discuss using registered apprenticeships to help address workforce shortages in disability services, human services, and other high-need fields. Co-chairs and staff introduced the session as a follow-up to earlier discussions with state labor officials and representatives from developmental disability and behavioral health provider associations. The panel focused on how apprenticeships can create paid, structured pathways into jobs while also supporting credentialing and retention. Amara Ramon of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards explained how Massachusetts apprenticeship programs are registered and supported, including the roles of apprenticeship liaison staff, operations, quality assurance, and grant support. She described the core features of apprenticeships—paid on-the-job training, related technical instruction, wage progression, and industry credentials—and contrasted them with internships or co-ops. Melissa Chabelli of the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board described the intermediary role her board plays in designing programs, registering apprentices, coordinating employers, and handling compliance. She emphasized flexibility, employer investment, tax credits, retention benefits, and the importance of mentors and local workforce partnerships. Lisa Morris of UMass Chan/For Health Consulting described a developing apprenticeship for medical interpreters, built from an existing training foundation and designed to address the gap between classroom preparation and work experience. She said the model would combine pre-apprenticeship training, employer interviews, 2,000 hours of apprenticeship, and related technical instruction tied to national certification. Speakers also discussed examples for nursing, early childhood education, CNC machining, and programs serving neurodivergent learners, including Bridgewater State’s Excel program. In response to audience questions, panelists said state agencies can serve as intermediaries, recruitment can come through career centers, youth programs, community colleges, ESL centers, and incumbent workers, and accommodations or modified curricula can support apprentices with disabilities. No votes were taken; the session ended with encouragement for attendees to contact the presenters and Division of Apprenticeship Standards for help developing programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• By the summer of 2030? Yeah. Is the system operating properly now?
• The system's operating, how we're experiencing it, is sort of saying the system's operating like the
• So in one of the comments that you made, you talked about the technical and operational designs being
• All of this empirical, factual data provided operational procedures.
• Atos understands the consequence of failure in operational terms.

Summary: The Emergency Management Committee held an oversight hearing on California’s Next Generation 911 rollout, focusing on Cal OES’s decision to move away from the original regional vendor model toward a statewide provider model. Cal OES said the regional architecture created complexity at the boundaries between regions, leading to misrouted calls, transfer problems, and degraded audio, and that a statewide model would better align with national standards and provide a more reliable, secure system. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the Legislature to pause further implementation until it has more information on the problems, tradeoffs, costs, and oversight needs, and recommended stronger reporting and possibly independent technical review before proceeding. Committee members pressed Cal OES on accountability, cost, testing, vendor selection, and whether the current system is safe. Cal OES said the project has cost about $456 million so far, most of it recurring service fees, and that 23 PSAPs had transitioned voice traffic while more than 440 total PSAPs remain in the state. Officials said the current system is operating, that a pause would not put the public at risk, and that the statewide conversion could be completed by summer 2030. Members and the LAO raised concerns about whether Cal OES has enough technical oversight and whether contract language alone is sufficient to prevent repeat problems. The vendor panel largely defended the regional model and argued that the existing system is already built, tested, and ready to expand. NGA 911, Synergem, Lumen, and Atos said the regional architecture provides redundancy and resilience, that early problems were often tied to legacy-system integration, carrier issues, or training rather than the regional design itself, and that a statewide redesign would add cost and delay. Atos said it serves as the statewide backbone and backup and has already carried live traffic, while vendors emphasized that they support continued modernization but believe California should build on the current regional investment rather than replace it.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I don't know in that bucket of hours whether this would take any more of that existing bucket or
• Um, I think this is gonna be a part of the, the forty-hour, uh, crash intervention training module.
• We've all seen and we've seen quite a bit of them in in South Texas with the Operation Lone Star and
• Some of them travel a few hours to get to their drill. That means they're not near.
• Grisham said, there's around 65 armories and some of these men and women may be 1 hour 45 minutes from

Bills: SB 36

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Operation Lone Star has helped in trying to address some of the issues, issues with human smuggling,
• My request to the agencies is to be brief in your discussion of current operations in your functional
• And the Texas Tactical Border Force, composed of 453 personnel, can deploy in 96 hours.
• It's a nine-day deployment, so they get two days of 24 hours of straight overtime.
• There's a lot of operations going down there.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Minnesota recognized the reality of Minnesota recognized the reality of 24-hour<00:03:54.560><c>
• </c> of settings where we have 24-hour of settings where we have 24-hour person<00:08:49.440><c> care
• communities coming out of operation metro surge.
• communities coming out of operation metro surge.
• </c><02:12:29.040><c> operation</c> communities coming out of operation communities coming out of operation

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• business because of the grief and all of the things that we heard in those 13-plus hours of testimony
• Senator Perry, first of all, thank you for the hours and hours of work you've put in on this legislation
• I know I was there for about six hours of hearing, and it was excellent work, so thank you.
• the continued operation of the accountability system.
• And if you take an average of 22 and a half hours of instruction time times 4.1 million kids that will

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then observed a moment of silence after Senator Eckhardt referenced a mass shooting in Austin. The chamber also agreed to postpone reading and referral of bills until later in the day. Early procedural business included a motion not to print Senate Bill 3, which was adopted without objection. Later, Senator Mendez raised a parliamentary inquiry about moving flood relief bills to the top of the calendar, but the presiding officer said the order of business was up to the chair. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 4, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator King laid out the bill, describing it as the companion to the House version, based on 2020 census data, and arguing it was legal, race-blind, more compact, and likely to elect more Republicans. Senators asked extensive questions about the process, public hearings, and the map’s effects on districts and communities. The Senate voted to suspend the regular order of business and the three-day rule, then passed SB 4 to engrossment and finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 19 yeas and 2 nays. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 6, relating to abortion and civil liability for the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. Senator Hughes argued the bill was needed to stop illegal abortion pills being mailed into Texas and harming women and unborn children. The Senate suspended the regular order of business and the three-day rule, passed the bill to engrossment, and then finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 18 yeas, 10 nays, and one present not voting. A lengthy discussion followed on the committee substitute for Senate Bill 14, which would standardize law enforcement personnel and departmental files statewide. Senator King said the bill codifies a TCOLE model policy and limits public access to personnel files to substantiated misconduct, commendations, and evaluations, while keeping other records available through other legal processes. Senators Eckhardt, West, Hinojosa, and others questioned how the bill would affect transparency, meet-and-confer agreements, civilian review boards, and access to unsubstantiated complaints. An amendment by Senator Hinojosa of Dallas to narrow the bill to unfounded complaints failed, and SB 14 was then passed to engrossment on a vote of 18 yeas and 10 nays. The final major item was Senate Bill 1, the natural disaster omnibus bill responding to the July flooding. Senator Perry said the bill addresses camp and RV park safety, evacuation plans, emergency rooftop access, lines of succession for local emergency management, annual drills, volunteer management, drone restrictions over disaster areas, small-business recovery loans, and a statewide data hub for flood and weather monitoring. Senators Menendez, Eckhardt, and Kolkhorst asked about autopsies, volunteer background checks, liability, warning systems, floodplain mitigation, and coordination with FEMA and local governments. Perry said the bill focuses on preparation, response, and recovery, while broader prevention and mitigation issues may be addressed later. The transcript ends during this extended discussion, before final action on SB 1 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, families can receive up to 10 hours of care a day and up to 50 hours a week without need under
• Currently, families can receive up to 10 hours of care a day and up to 50 hours a week without need under
• There's a full-day, full-year contract, and it has a minimum days of operation, a minimum hours per day
• It's three hours. It's a lot of transition for a little kid.
• that they can meet the needs of their families or themselves to work hours far beyond a 40-hour workweek

Summary: The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start. Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay. The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• liability of operations.
• liability of operations.
• liability of operations.
• liability of operations.
• liability of operations.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Working with the Office of Inspector General, they identified large-scale operations outside of TDCJ
• All of OIG has embraced an enhanced operational mission to prevent the introduction of contraband into
• All of OIG has embraced an enhanced operational mission to enforce the introduction of contraband into
• operations out of jail at a penitentiary.
• operations out of jail at a penitentiary.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For instance, each one of those team members has to have 96 hours of training.
• And again, those 96 hours of training kicks in.
• 72 hours or something? 48 hours?
• They have to let the Department of Mine Safety know within 48 hours if they want to go back into that
• gone home instead of being killed. 34 months all of 2023 all of 2024 and 34 months all of 2023 all of

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:30 Energy and Environment Cabinet 18:56 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Tourism and Energy committee received a presentation from Gordon Sloan, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, and Deputy Commissioner David Fields on the Division of Mine Safety. They outlined the division’s structure, saying it has four branch offices in Madisonville, Harlan, Hazard, and Pikeville, with 36 inspectors total, plus administrative staff and several headquarters specialists. They also explained that four additional inspectors are on sick leave or workers’ compensation and will not be backfilled, and confirmed that inspectors work from offices rather than from home. The presentation focused on mine safety duties and staffing needs. Sloan said underground licensed mines must receive six inspections annually, including mine safety analyses, an electrical inspection, roof inspections, and regular inspections of airways, returns, belts, and miner safety equipment. He also described the division’s mine rescue responsibilities, including providing rescue coverage where operators do not have their own teams, maintaining teams within an hour’s drive of mines, and supporting training and certification. The division also conducts 17 training courses and about 8,000 to 9,000 trainings per year. Members were given updated mine and employment figures. Sloan reported 126 licensed mines in 2024 across the branch areas, with 61 active all year and others idle or later abandoned. He said Kentucky had 4,683 miners in 2024, with average employment of 4,509, and noted that the state had gone 34 months without a mining fatality since March 2022. He also said the division provides rescue services for 16 underground rock quarries, three highway tunnels, and three underground military training sites. In response to questions, Sloan said the division does not plan to refill the four vacant inspector positions because staffing is adequate statewide, and he said he would provide additional historical mine data later. The committee took no formal action and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• it costs to administer the next number of FTEs exceeding operations.
• Three hours of training has changed to 16.
• Required to take that minimum now of what's proposed here, 16 hours of training in the emergency management
• And a lot of things can happen really badly in one hour.
• least four hours of training in the initial training.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ten of those hours a parent has to be directly involved.
• to 70 hours 10 of those hours a parent has to be uh directly involved 70 hours driver education since
• So, the center serving—I'm serving on the junior operator license board committee of the Registry of
• junior operator license committee, and four pages of signatures from police chiefs.
• The Registry of Motor Vehicles junior operator license committee, four pages of signatures from police

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hybrid hearing on 41 bills covering accessibility, motorcycles, vehicle operation, and water transportation. The chair and vice chair outlined the hearing process and noted the committee members present. Testimony was taken in person and remotely, with written testimony accepted throughout the hearing. Several bills drew testimony in support. Representative Lee Davis supported H. 4130, which would renew and expand the accelerated bridge program, arguing it would speed repairs to structurally deficient bridges, especially in rural areas, and reduce long-term costs. Testimony also supported H. 4402 and S. 2639, which would authorize automated curb enforcement and improve parking violation procedures; witnesses said automated curb management could reduce double parking, improve safety and traffic flow, and should include privacy protections and local opt-in authority. The committee also heard strong testimony for S. 2611, which would require motor coach passengers to wear seatbelts, with witnesses from Sarah’s Wish Foundation citing a fatal crash involving their daughter and low seatbelt usage on buses. Senator O’Connor and Vincent DeAndrea testified for S. 2430, which would tighten motorcycle permit rules for drivers under 18 by requiring rider training, a junior operator’s license, and a clean driving record; they cited teen crash risks and Mr. DeAndrea’s son’s death in a motorcycle crash. The hearing ended after a brief recess and a final request to report out another bill concerning breakdown lanes and fines, followed by a motion to adjourn.