Transcript Highlights:

• Moving forward, this committee will continue to require the Department of Child Safety to provide clear
• We enthusiastically support a bill that provides needed clarity where there are currently no defined
• The bill also provides needed clarity that an elector who refuses to cast...
• We support the clarity provided by the bill. Thank you.
• We also provide searchability. Electronic records, you can search the records.

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You will see that for each of the examples provided by our universities.
• These were the final data they provided to me last week, and I'm sure they would be happy to provide
• The state funding that is provided so far is deeply appreciated and necessary.
• They provide technical expertise and legal representation on behalf of residential customers.
• However, Palo Alto does provide...

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill relates to the offense of providing a controlled... ...to a person in custody of a correctional
• I also provided the committee some information regarding the bill.
• I want to ask, and I know that some of this was provided in the report, but I just so...
• If that number were higher, we've already provided the appropriation.
• It is, but we've also provided the appropriations committees with data.

Bills: HB1826 , HB2854 , HB3006 , HB4614 , HB5261 , HB5639

Committee: House Corrections

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, HB 2854, Pokuaa-Flowers Act, parole, mandatory supervision, electronic monitoring, releasee, parole officer, hospital visit approval, general hospital, law enforcement notification, DSHS, Department of State Health Services, corrections, public safety, liability immunity

Transcript Highlights:

• And we are eliminating remarks from, uh, anyone, scheduled to provide input to 2 minutes.
• The VA does a great job providing national data on veteran suicide.
• And what assurances can you provide that it won't disrupt current federal, federal partnerships?
• Did that provide, is that sufficient enough in terms of context?
• you, uh, provide an answer back.

Bills: HB39 , HB227

Committee: House S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: public school finance, property values, homestead exemptions, funding allocation, education policy, HB227, kratom, Mitragyna speciosa, kratom products, kratom processor, kratom retailer, controlled substances, Texas Controlled Substances Act, Health and Safety Code, Penalty Group 1, tianeptine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, mitragynine, synthetic kratom, kratom alkaloids

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> businesses as she provides businesses as she provides recommendations<01:40:37.440><c> to</c><01
• </c> bulk salt providers in the in the state. bulk salt providers in the in the state.
• </c> that I provide to the participants. that I provide to the participants.
• I would provide don't have those.
• </c><04:54:58.878><c> con</c><04:54:59.280><c> a</c> providers that are providing a con a providers that

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, Senators Cutter and Wallace concerning the maximum amount that a transportation network company
• network company. >> Representative Frolic.
• </c> to lose the folks that are providing to lose the folks that are providing drunks<00:29:56.480><c
• It<00:36:34.560><c> provides</c><00:36:34.880><c> a</c><00:36:35.040><c> modest</c><00:36:35.440><c>
• In judiciary, we uh provided... >> Thank you.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we provide down payment assistance to help people who don't have a large cash asset, but have the
• Uh<00:04:30.840><c> we</c><00:04:31.120><c> provide</c><00:04:31.560><c> down</c><00:04:31.800><c> payment
• </c><00:04:32.160><c> assistance</c> Uh we provide down payment assistance Uh we provide down payment
• /c><00:12:10.000><c> really</c><00:12:10.240><c> it's</c><00:12:10.360><c> a</c><00:12:10.400><c> network
• , and if you it's a really it's a network, and if you go<00:12:11.760><c> out</c><00:12:11.920><c> to

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In health care, an app-based platform known as ShiftKey has been reportedly providing disparate wages
• ... ...observing or showing up at the hearing to provide the due process that's embedded in our, not
• Requiring employers to provide a 90-day advance written notice before any technological displacement
• I've also been asked to provide support for K-PORR. Thank you. J.P.
• I've also been asked to provide support for K-PORR. Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on workplace technology, labor protections, and data center oversight. SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act of 2026, would require human review before automated systems are used in discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and would ban predictive behavior analysis in the workplace. Labor groups, worker advocates, and privacy organizations supported the bill, arguing AI can be biased and should not make life-changing employment decisions without human judgment. Business groups opposed it, saying it was broader than prior versions, could interfere with workplace safety tools, and should not include a private right of action or cover independent contractors. After discussion about due process and accountability, the bill passed the committee 3-1 and was sent to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. SB 978, the Data Center Community Accountability Act, would require data centers to pay upfront for new transmission or distribution infrastructure, create a separate rate structure so costs are not shifted to other ratepayers, and include skilled-and-trained labor standards for construction. Supporters said the bill would protect ratepayers, create good construction jobs, and encourage zero-carbon energy development. Opponents, including the Data Center Coalition and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, argued the CPUC already has ongoing proceedings on these issues and warned the bill could single out one industry and discourage investment. The committee members emphasized labor standards and community concerns, and the bill passed 3-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, would expand WARN-style notice requirements for layoffs caused by AI or automation, require reporting to workers, local government, and EDD, and give displaced workers first consideration for other openings. Supporters said the bill responds to rapid AI-driven layoffs and would provide needed transparency and data. Opponents said the definitions were too broad, the notice requirements too burdensome, and the bill conflicted with existing WARN law; they also objected to the private right of action and inclusion of independent contractors. The committee discussed amendments clarifying that an employee may still be discharged for reasonable and substantiated cause during the notice period. The bill passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. The committee also approved SB 1032, which would create a licensing and regulatory framework for temporary staffing agencies, and SB 1046, which would direct Cal/OSHA to develop standards to protect lifeguards and park rangers from transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. SB 1032 drew support from labor and enforcement advocates who said it would help stop staffing fraud, while staffing firms argued the bill was vague and could burden legitimate small businesses; it passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Judiciary. SB 1046 was supported by park workers and community groups describing health impacts from pollution and passed 4-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The committee also took up a consent item, which passed 4-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis will fly through to provide services for residents in the city of St. Louis.
• What that would end up doing would be allowing the state 911 to put out grants to local 911 providers
• So again, the boilers are those things that provide heat to the buildings.
• Things that provide heat to the buildings.
• We're happy to look at that, and we can provide that information back to the committee.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The committee met in executive session and first approved House Bill 2889 by a 14-0 roll call vote. It then took up House Bill 3175, “Mason’s Law,” adopting a House Committee Substitute after discussion of a proposed amendment that was not offered because the sponsor and a member agreed the language needed to be cleaned up. The substitute bill was then advanced both due pass and due pass by consent, with unanimous votes of 14-0 and 16-0 respectively. House Bill 3066, dealing with St. Louis police governance and related budget/oversight issues, drew extended debate. Opponents argued it was an overreach, would sidestep local elected officials, and could burden the city budget; supporters said it was not a state takeover but an oversight structure made up of city citizens and that the city should be responsible for certain liabilities. The committee adopted a House Committee Amendment to address lieutenant overtime pay, rolled it into a new committee substitute, and then passed the substitute 11-5. During the vote, members clarified that a refusal to vote could be recorded and the roll was completed after a brief rules question. In public hearing, House Bill 2767 was presented as a 911 funding measure that would increase the prepaid wireless 911 fee from 3% to 4% to generate roughly $1 million more annually for grants to local 911 providers for equipment, training, and related upgrades. Testimony from 911 directors emphasized that prepaid phone revenue has declined as consumers move away from that technology, while the added funding would help modernize statewide emergency response systems; no opposition was heard. House Bill 1990, creating the offense of gift card fraud, was then heard with support from the sponsor, retailers, grocers, convenience store operators, and bankers, who described sophisticated theft schemes involving tampering with cards and stealing activation data; members asked about penalties, how the fraud works, and whether the bill aligns with existing theft classifications. The final bill heard was House Bill 2269, which would move boiler inspector qualifications and related fire/life safety standards from statute into rule to help the state hire inspectors more quickly and align with national standards. The state fire marshal supported the change and said oversight would remain with the boiler board commission. House Bill 3220, focused on teen driver accountability and driver education, drew extensive support from the sponsor, a crash victim’s widow, AAA, motorcycle and pedestrian safety advocates, and MODOT. Supporters said the bill would require driver education for new applicants under 21, tighten supervision and point-assessment rules, and reduce crashes; MODOT estimated a state administrative cost of roughly $350,000 to $850,000 annually, and members asked about parental supervision, the impact on young drivers, and historical crash trends. No votes were taken on the public hearing bills before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Providing medical care to people with chronic health problems is expansive.
• The test treatment then to link when you clarity and streamline statue language it provided for the case
• Runcie partition clarity is provided for truancy.
• Next we have Rob Johnson waiving in support from the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services.
• that any motor vehicle involved in a violation of this offense may be impounded and providing conditions

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and report on waste, fraud, and abuse within state, local government, and special districts as provided
• I would ask committee members to keep in mind that as a constitutional amendment, this language provides
• implementing bill. ...may be provided by the legislature in a future implementing bill.
• I'll provide an answer to the first part related to the why now, and then I'll defer to Representative
• We see this as providing simplicity and a little more transparency to the process.

Summary: The Government Operations Subcommittee heard several measures focused on government structure, oversight, and public policy designations. The most debated bill was HJR 1325, which proposed a constitutional amendment to create a statewide Commissioner of Government Efficiency, abolish the lieutenant governor office and the Government Efficiency Task Force, and eliminate the constitutional requirement for an Auditor General appointment. Sponsors said the new commissioner would be a watchdog over waste, fraud, and abuse across state and local government, while opponents raised concerns about cost, single-subject issues, lack of implementation details, and whether existing oversight structures were sufficient. After extensive debate, the resolution was reported favorably by a recorded vote. The committee also approved HB 575, which redesignates the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in Florida statute, and HB 1445, which requires certain state officials and agency heads to have stronger ties to Florida and, for some positions, to live in the county where their agency headquarters is located. HB 1445 drew questions about practicality and whether a proximity standard would be better than a strict county requirement, but the sponsor said he would continue working on that issue. Both bills were reported favorably, with HB 1445 passing unanimously. In addition, the committee unanimously approved HB 259, designating August 21 as Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day, with supporters emphasizing the need for public education about fentanyl overdoses. The committee also passed CS/HB 29, the public records and meetings bill linked to the social work licensure compact, which creates confidentiality and meeting exemptions needed for the compact to operate. Public testimony on that measure was supportive, and it too was reported favorably without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it was candidly poorly written and also poorly titled, but it states it's an act to provide an
• The bill essentially provides up to... 112 hours of protected leave for training purposes.
• But it's about easing in and providing options and recommendations to communities.
• No framework for that, and this bill does provide that framework.
• the This bill provides the financial backing to move this project forward.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:48:36.319><c> educational</c> looking to provide educational looking to provide educational opportunities
• early childhood... ...provide services for and an early childhood...
• </c> nervous uh but to illustrate and provide nervous uh but to illustrate and provide some<01:03:55.799
• </c><01:05:06.039><c> um</c> although the legislation has provided um although the legislation has provided
• Thanks to funding provided through the 2023 legislation, we were able to recover somewhat.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• wound care kits and wound supplies and peer-based support, where they are working with the amazing network
• And in my clinical world, patient-provider confidentiality prohibits me from then, like, calling BPD
• And you alluded to the harm reduction programs and the mobile programs, which are really providing that
• access to low-threshold spaces, sedation monitoring programs, and street outreach are critical to provide
• And I can for providers as well as for participants, and I can envision, if I'm not speaking for the

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Xylazine convened its second meeting, approved the minutes from its June 23 meeting, and reviewed its timeline and working groups. The co-chairs said the commission’s final report is due to the House and Senate clerks by March 30, 2026, and outlined three working groups focused on regulation/oversight of xylazine, treatment and outreach for exposed patients, and education/training for first responders, clinicians, treatment providers, and people who use substances. Staff will schedule working group meetings, with group presentations planned for December 11, followed by commission meetings in February and March to review and finalize the draft report. Public comment centered on research and practical responses to xylazine contamination in the drug supply. Dr. Tracy Green of Brandeis reviewed recent studies showing severe xylazine-related wounds and amputations in Philadelphia, withdrawal symptoms, the value of wound identification tools, and the usefulness of drug checking in detecting xylazine even when users did not suspect it was present. She urged expanded low-barrier wound care, more access to medications for opioid use disorder, overdose prevention sites, housing, and trauma-informed care, while cautioning that stricter controls could push the market toward other dangerous alpha-2 substances. Commissioners asked about early wound identification, dilution/cutting strategies, supplier engagement, and how to reduce stigma and improve treatment access. Tia Johnson of Boston Medical Center and Boston Health Care for the Homeless testified that xylazine contamination still requires naloxone for overdose response, but sedation can last longer and may require low-dose naloxone, oxygen support, and low-threshold monitoring spaces. She emphasized that xylazine-associated wounds can heal with consistent care, but patients often lose access to services when sent to hospitals unnecessarily. Commissioners discussed reimbursement barriers, especially in MassHealth and behavioral health settings, and the need for wound care to be available within detox and treatment programs rather than requiring transfers. The meeting ended with agreement to continue working group planning and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Platforms must acknowledge search warrants within eight hours, provide status updates, and generally
• Health care providers use software. Schools use software. Retailers use software.
• We already have the family affordability tax credit, which provides up to $3,200 per child for families
• educational or... to take action or provide educational or other services that are inconsistent with
• L15 just says they don't have to provide those services or take action when it's... those services or

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're providing education for our state.
• And those providers get... And those providers get $28 a day for child care.
• Let me give you an example that someone emailed to me from an ABC provider.
• Our state compensates that provider with a total... ...for every four infants.
• Their new focus is a return to the roots of being an educational television network.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• period of time, we would be able to continue to grow with the inordinate need here in New Mexico to provide
• So that we can provide this to the sportspersons throughout our state and, of course, the visitors that
• Statement that the legacy fund that you all passed and funded last year is providing almost $3 million
• The corporation also provides annual audited financial statements.
• They're also facing challenges with the microloans and their commitment to providing funding.

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, I'd be happy to provide this slide and to send the report that I'm referencing.
• Um, you can see the methodology, but I'd be happy to provide that to you.
• </c><00:42:46.319><c> My</c> happy to provide that to you. My happy to provide that to you.
• If networks shape opportunity, we must give every young person a fair chance.
• If networks shape relationships.

Bills: HF3004 , HF3663

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: workforce development, youth employment, internships, mentoring, job opportunities, digital platform, online portal, career pathways, youth workforce, employment and economic development, DEED, general fund appropriation, nonprofit grant, social media outreach, digital outreach, workforce opportunities, teen jobs, young adults, career exploration, Minnesota youth

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Mahalo for the opportunity to provide Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony. testimony
• </c> provide testifi um testimony. provide testifi um testimony.
• >> No, there's nothing provided.
• The the there's nothing provided.
• >> No, there's nothing provided.

Bills: HB1739 , HB1741 , HB2606 , HB2362 , HB2608 , HB2294 , HB2431 , HB2375 , HB2582 , HB2585 , HB2231 , HB1601 , HB2424 , HB1956

Committee: House Water & Land

Keywords: transit-oriented development, zoning, land use, urban planning, density, local governance, housing, inclusionary zoning, inclusionary mandate, affordable housing, below-market-rate housing, inclusionary housing, development exaction, impact fee, housing affordability impact fee, needs assessment study, financial feasibility, rough proportionality, essential nexus, county ordinance

Summary: The committee on Water and Land met on February 19, 2026, and the chair opened by emphasizing strict time limits and that all bills would be deferred if the agenda was not completed before the noon session. The first major measure discussed was HB 1739 HD1, which would preempt county land-use authority in transit-oriented development areas. The Department of Planning supported the bill, saying it could promote state-funded TOD and infrastructure, while the city and county’s position was raised in questioning. Unite Here Local 5 opposed the bill, arguing it would strip counties of self-determination, disrupt state-county policy collaboration, and remove a check on unrestrained development. Committee members pressed the supporters on whether the bill was really about higher density and whether it would override local zoning and sustainability concerns. The committee then heard testimony on HB 1741 HD1, a housing bill described by supporters as reducing inclusionary housing mandates and increasing supply. Grassroots Institute of Hawaii argued affordability mandates reduce overall housing production and raise market-rate prices, while a Zoom testifier said the bill would improve housing stability, health, and community outcomes for working families, kupuna, and young residents. Members asked about the bill’s needs assessment and who would conduct it, with a witness saying the counties would likely contract it out but that the bill did not clearly specify the reviewer. HB 2668 HD1, dealing with water heating systems, drew testimony from the Hawaii State Energy Office and industry representatives. Supporters generally backed adding heat pumps to the law, but one solar-water-heater industry witness asked for amendments to remove or extend the current 15-year statutory life limit for solar water heaters and to update outdated standards and variance rules. A Kauaʻi Climate Action Coalition witness opposed the existing solar-only structure, arguing heat pump water heaters are cheaper, align with climate goals, and should be allowed without a variance. The Energy Office said the current law already allows variances in some cases, suggested adding high-efficiency heat pump water heaters to the exemption, and said the 15-year figure may be too short, with 18 years mentioned as a possible alternative. The committee also briefly moved through several other bills, including HB 2606 HD1 on off-site construction and HB 2362 HD1 on housing, with no notable testimony or action recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I provided those numbers just at the bottom to kind of provide some context.
• </c> at the bottom just to kind of provide at the bottom just to kind of provide some<00:20:20.160><c
• </c> are looking at that and I was providing are looking at that and I was providing that<00:20:29.280
• So currently, child care providers, the average wage for a child care provider is $15.62 an hour.
• </c> committee, 11 child care providers committee, 11 child care providers chosen<00:58:40.400><c> from

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with DHS Chief Financial Officer Nathan White to receive an update on the department’s budget lapse and vacancy rates. White explained the difference between the “back-of-the-budget” reduction and lapse assumptions, saying DHS is facing a current biennium reduction of about $23 million and estimating roughly a $60 million general fund lapse in state fiscal year 2025, compared with about $13.5 million the prior year. He said DHS’s lapse is driven largely by program utilization, labor market conditions, contract spending, and statutory carry-forwards in areas such as Medicaid and developmental disabilities, which tend to produce a smaller lapse in the first year of the biennium and a larger one in the second year. He also noted that the House and Senate budgets differ on some operating items, including Medicaid rates, with the Senate having struck a House proposal to reduce rates by 3%. Members questioned White about whether DHS ever spends down lapse money on last-minute purchases. He said the department does not engage in that practice, though it does retain some flexibility in its facilities budget for emergencies. He also described the process for transferring funds within and between class lines, including the need for fiscal committee approval above statutory thresholds, and gave examples such as moving funds to cover overtime in the SYSC budget and to ensure Medicaid payments for nursing facilities. White said such transfers are public and transparent and are reviewed by the governor and Executive Council. The committee then discussed DHS staffing. White said the department has a little over 3,200 authorized positions, with a vacancy rate around 14.5%, and that a hiring freeze had been imposed a few months earlier while exempting direct care positions. He said DHS is planning for about a $30 million general fund reduction to personnel, equivalent to just under 400 positions, and is managing postings centrally to stay within budget by July 1. In response to questions about the loss of about $80 million in federal funds, White and Associate Commissioner Patricia Tilly said DHS avoided layoffs by shifting staff into vacant positions, but that the cuts affected community contracts, public health workers, laboratory work, and some IT/data projects. Tilly said roughly 20 positions were affected, most were reassigned, a few staff left voluntarily, and the department has less flexibility going forward if more federal funding ends.