Transcript Highlights:

• Um, thank you for considering this technical correction for us.
• Uh, and thank you for for >> Thank you.
• </c> pay any adequacy for that? pay any adequacy for that?
• </c> for finance. for finance. &gt;&gt; Okay.<04:42:31.520><c> Okay.
• And, um, I do think that this is a critical step in setting students up for success, and I hope that

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• For student athletes and for public education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• So thank you to all of you for being here.
• We get to that, so I hope you'll bear with us for just a couple of minutes while we work through all
• I've been around public life for so many years.
• I've been around public life for so many years.

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and several ceremonial recognitions. Members welcomed championship student-athlete teams from Medfield and Georgetown High School, including Georgetown’s 2025 MIAA Division 4 boys basketball champions, and presented citations. The chamber also welcomed former U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, with remarks highlighting her labor and worker-protection record. On formal business, the Senate adopted a Ways and Means report on House No. 4010, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill, amended to insert Senate Document No. 2512 and providing $1,283,200,000 in direct appropriations. The Senate also adopted an order placing the bill on the Orders of the Day for Thursday, May 8, 2025, for immediate consideration, with amendments in order. The Senate then adopted an order to adjourn and reconvene the following Monday at 11:00 a.m. without printing a calendar. Members also approved a motion to adjourn in memory of former state representative, state senator, Amesbury mayor, and civic leader Nicholas J. Costello, followed by a moment of silence in his honor.

Transcript Highlights:

• the system and for the state.
• Just to give you some examples, we set a goal for 150,000 students for five years.
• Thank you for being here.
• Do you see a lot of high school students transferring into the adult program for further education or
• I hope that provides some clarification, it does. Thank you for that.

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• Thanks for the time.
• Thanks for the time. Uh most &gt;&gt; Very well. Thanks for the time.
• Just stay there for me. &gt;&gt; All right. Just stay there for me.
• And I think it would be a high burden of proof probably to prosecute them for a criminal offense.
• for those high acuity detention facility for those high acuity needs.<00:47:26.560><c> Uh</c><00:47:

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 11, a proposal to create a matching-grant program for neighborhood storm shelters in rural Kentucky. Sponsor Steve Meredith and supporters from the Kentucky League of Cities and the City of Morgantown said the idea was to use FEMA-style funding to help residents who live far from community shelters, noting that in some rural counties it can take 30 to 45 minutes to reach a shelter during severe weather. The committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill 11-0, with no nay votes. The committee then considered Senate Bill 41, which would require a ballot referendum whenever a taxing entity raises property taxes more than 4 percent, rather than relying on the current petition process. Sponsor Gary Boswell said the bill would give taxpayers more direct control and argued that local governments should simply avoid raising taxes above the threshold. Superintendents from Rockcastle and Casey counties opposed the bill, saying it would weaken local control, add election costs, delay budgets, and make it harder for school districts to keep up with inflation, insurance, transportation, and construction costs. After debate, the committee passed the bill 7-3 with favorable expression. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 59, which would add criminal penalties to KRS 65.013, the law barring public funds from being used to advocate for or against ballot questions. Sponsor Steve Rawlings said the measure was prompted by reports of school officials using public resources to oppose a 2024 ballot issue and argued the law needs real enforcement to protect taxpayers and election integrity. Members raised concerns about First Amendment issues and the bill’s gray areas, especially for public employees speaking on their own time; Rawlings said the substitute removed volunteer references, allowed balanced issue debates, and clarified that employees acting on their own time and resources would not be prohibited. The committee passed the bill 8-3 with favorable expression. The committee also began hearing Senate Bill 57, as substituted, from Senator Danny Carroll. The bill would create a nuclear-ready site readiness pilot program under the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority, with up to three projects receiving up to $25 million each to help cover early site permitting and related licensing costs. Carroll, along with witnesses from the UK Center for Applied Energy Research and the Public Service Commission, said the goal is to build a nuclear energy ecosystem in Kentucky, with safeguards including surety bonds, deadlines, and cost-recovery provisions. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to go to school for law.
• So we added two rebuttable presumptions for developmental disability and for mental illness as it relates
• So it changes the definitions a little bit to allow for the same process that we have for mental health
• Thank you all for your service. Committee, I think this concludes our work for the session.
• Thank you all for your service.

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, for a motion.
• safe transportation for all.
• safe transportation for all.
• All right, committee, that's it for today. Thanks for your good work. We're adjourned.
• That's it for today. Thanks for your good work. We're adjourned.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:37:25.040><c> some</c> for some context and frankly for some for some context and frankly for
• We are just hoping for a prioritization wherever it is.
• We are just hoping for a prioritization wherever it is.
• I think what's very hopeful for me is that when we get in rooms as our membership, even with that eclectic
• c><02:08:07.199><c> when</c> what's very hopeful for me is that when what's very hopeful for me is that

Bills: HF25 , HF4

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:41:31.560><c> for</c><00:41:31.839><c> the</c> ambulances for the ambulances for the remaining<00
• </c> gave us for the ambulance study uh for gave us for the ambulance study uh for from<00:55:25.839>
• it for for many years they've been doing it for for many years and<01:03:27.240><c> they're</c><01:03
• They came up with a number for urban, a number for rural, and a number for super rural, right?
• </c><01:19:14.360><c> for</c> point the company that I worked for for point the company that I worked

Summary: The subcommittee discussed three ambulance reimbursement bills and tried to distinguish their approaches. House Bill 185 would require insurers to pay the full amount billed by an ambulance provider when there is no contract rate, with no balance billing to the patient; the Insurance Department clarified that emergency ambulance services are already covered under the benchmark plan, so the bill’s reference to policies without ambulance coverage is effectively meaningless. House Bill 725 would set reimbursement at 325% of the Medicare rate for non-contract ambulance services and prohibit balance billing. House Bill 316 was described as addressing the broader problem that Medicare/Medicaid rates are low and that current balance billing shifts costs to patients or municipalities; its sponsor said the bill would require insurers to pay a rate that gives providers a fighting chance to remain in business, and he viewed 325% of Medicare as the most logical option. Members debated whether insurers should pay the billed amount, a negotiated in-network rate, or a regulated percentage of Medicare. Some argued that out-of-network ambulance providers are underpaid and that in-network rates are often too low to sustain service, especially for emergency providers who cannot steer patients. Others said ambulance companies should not be able to bill whatever they want and questioned the fairness of charging insured patients or insurers more than the service is worth. There was also discussion of whether rate schedules should be reviewed by an oversight body and whether different costs in rural areas justify different reimbursement levels. A recurring issue was balance billing and who ultimately bears the shortfall. Several members said balance billing harms patients and often does not get paid, leaving cities and towns or property taxpayers to cover the difference for municipal ambulance services. Others argued that shifting the cost to insurance premiums would spread the burden more fairly, though it could raise premiums by a few dollars per person per month. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the discussion focused on clarifying the bills and weighing their policy tradeoffs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We implemented an age limit to keep products out of kids' hands, strict rules for retailers, high-quality
• </c><00:13:53.920><c> retailers,</c><00:13:54.880><c> high</c> hands, strict rules for retailers, high
• hands, strict rules for retailers, high quality<00:13:55.680><c> testing,</c><00:13:56.720><c> clean
• </c><00:37:24.240><c> Uh</c><00:37:24.480><c> I</c> hope. hope. We got to have hope.
• Uh I hope. hope. We got to have hope.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for that.
• I am here to ask for restoring COLAs for retirees.
• There is precedent for that; there is history for that.
• Thank you, Senator, for all the work you've done for us.
• So we came here and benefited, and I've been here for 30 years, working for the government for 20, the

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of them are things like high costs of debt for developers, high inflation rates, tariffs, and immigration
• To level set, the FRA defines high-speed rail for us as passenger rail service that exceeds speeds of
• Whatever works conveniently for you. I was hoping you were going to sit next to me.
• So the high discretion search rate is 0.05 for whites and for American Indians is 21.
• So the high discretion search rate is 0.05 for whites and for American Indians is 21.

Committee: Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from WSDOT on balancing uncertainty in capital program estimates and cash flow management. WSDOT explained the differences between design-bid-build and design-build delivery, its tiered risk-assessment process by project size, and how it uses base estimates, inflation, and risk modeling to set budgets. Staff said design-bid-build estimates are generally accurate within about 1% across the program, while design-build projects carry much wider uncertainty and are better communicated as ranges; they cited a P85 budget approach and noted that large, complex projects can be affected by market competition and long procurement timelines. Members asked about the Columbia River Bridge cost growth and about value engineering, and WSDOT said it uses value engineering but has limited scope to cut costs because of project requirements and policy mandates. Troy Swing also discussed cash flow, noting that a few large projects can significantly affect biennial funding needs, and said a risk pool would not reduce overall program risk but could help manage timing if paired with appropriation and cash-flow controls. The committee then received the final presentation in the WSDOT Project Delivery and Innovative Practices study from HKA Global. The consultant said WSDOT’s estimating practices are generally robust and recommended improving transparency by presenting budget authorizations as ranges or estimate classes, better tracking estimate growth over time, and adjusting advertisement timing to avoid competing lettings. The report also discussed surety bonding, suggesting the legislature consider restoring authority for reduced bonding on select large design-build projects or using phased bonding and alternative securities. On indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting, the consultant said current job order contract rules are restrictive and recommended legislative changes to make such tools more usable, especially for smaller tasks and to help use unspent funds more flexibly. The committee also heard a follow-up presentation on transit-oriented development policy recommendations tied to HB 1491. The Urban Institute’s Yona Freemark said Washington has been a national leader on TOD but that housing construction, especially in the Puget Sound, has slowed sharply since 2022. He said rising construction costs, high financing costs, and local tax and rent conditions are making many TOD projects infeasible, and recommended that the state fill infrastructure funding gaps around stations, revisit MFTE affordability requirements, consider minimum rather than average density requirements near transit, and create a statewide system to track TOD outcomes such as affordability, gentrification, and transit access. Members questioned the study’s developer interviews, the role of rent control and crime, property tax assumptions, and parking needs; the presenter said the study included five private developers, that rent control was not part of the study scope, and that parking was included in the model assumptions. Finally, the committee began a presentation on regulating emissions from ocean-going vessels at berth. Staff and consultants described California-style at-berth rules, which require shore power or equivalent emissions controls so ships can shut off diesel auxiliary engines while docked. The study is examining vessel traffic, emissions reductions, implementation costs, labor and operational needs, and possible effects on port competitiveness and cargo diversion. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• for a roll call vote.
• And I ask for the attention.
• They are here today to advocate for funding for the disabled members of my community.
• I hope everyone in this body votes for this bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Thank you for the inquiry.

Summary: The House met with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal by roll call vote, 102-1. Several members then used points of personal privilege and guest introductions to recognize Black History Month, a family member speaking about a long-unsolved murder case that had just led to an arrest, physical therapy advocates, school board members, disability-services advocates, and domestic violence and literacy groups. The chamber then took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2097 and 1905, a bill to expand an elementary agriculture education pilot program statewide beginning in the 2027-28 school year for districts that choose to participate. Supporters said it would help children learn where food comes from, connect to FFA, 4-H, literacy, math, and career awareness, and address declining interest in agriculture. The committee substitute was adopted and the bill was perfected and printed. The House also considered House Bill 2167, which would authorize the Attorney General’s office to commission certain investigators and, through amendments, also addressed House and Senate security officers and some other law-enforcement personnel. Debate centered on whether the bill improperly broadened arrest powers, whether the House security provisions were necessary or constitutional, and whether the amendments were germane; one amendment to the amendment failed 62-68-1, while another amendment passed 61-43. The bill was then perfected and printed as amended. Finally, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2747 and 2047, described as a clean-slate/automatic expungement measure with a reduced fiscal note. An amendment was adopted to ensure expungements are shared with consumer reporting agencies, and members discussed the bill’s second-chance benefits and a provision changing Missouri’s death-penalty sentencing process so a judge would not impose death after a hung jury, leaving life or life without parole as the options. The committee substitute was adopted and perfected and printed as amended. The House then made announcements about upcoming agriculture and Black History events and recessed until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are targeted industries where we see high-wage, high-income opportunities for students.
• Fund for our tech colleges, is 23 million dollars for tech colleges and about 70 million dollars for
• of about 4 million dollars for our industry certifications for the CAPE funding.
• For that particular function. How are we accounting for that?
• As for the rankings of these counties for high school graduates going on to higher education, Highlands

Transcript Highlights:

• We use it for credit recovery for those students that have struggled.
• even pay more for those if we're allowed to because it's very difficult for us to hire someone for two
• Thank you for your time and consideration. I will stand for any questions.
• Thank you for your time and consideration. I will stand for any questions.
• Thank you for your time. I stand for questions. Do you have any questions?

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Anthony was everything a parent could hope for. He was smart. He was funny.
• Anthony was everything a parent could hope for. He was smart. He was funny. He was hilarious.
• And for now, I definitely think I'm going to support it, and I hope you all do as well.
• I've done similar legislation for six years, and I'm very hopeful that this bill is attacking the issue
• And so this is why this protection is important for all of us, and I hope for all of your favorable support

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Committee on Rules took up a long agenda of bills and reported several measures favorably. Early action included CS for SB 678, allowing pawnbroker transaction forms to be printed or digital, and SB 466, which designates St. Johns County as the site for the Florida Museum of Black History and creates a board to work with the supporting foundation and county officials. Senators and public speakers largely supported the museum bill, though some members asked about feasibility studies and long-term planning. The committee also approved CS for SB 578 on wine containers, SB 582 on penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings, CS for SB 1168 creating an aggravated offense for unlawful tracking-device use in furtherance of crimes, CS for SB 806 clarifying that only the Florida Attorney General may represent beneficiaries of Florida charitable trusts as a public official, and SB 1228 to support spring restoration efforts for Ichetucknee and Santa Fe springs. The committee then heard and favorably reported CS for CS for SB 304, which addresses child protective investigations involving infants and young children with genetic or other pre-existing medical conditions. The bill requires a qualified medical opinion before permanent removal in cases where injuries may be explained by an underlying condition, and it drew strong support from the sponsor and several speakers. Members also approved SB 1286 clarifying that ordinary unsupervised childhood activities, such as biking or playing outside, do not by themselves constitute neglect unless reckless, and SB 1318, a hands-free driving bill that renames the texting-while-driving law, expands the handheld-device prohibition, and adds penalties for handheld use in work and school zones and for certain serious crashes. The hands-free bill prompted the most debate, with supporters citing crash and fatality data and families sharing personal losses, while opponents raised concerns about enforcement, civil liberties, and potential disparate impacts on lower-income and minority drivers; the bill was still reported favorably after amendments. Additional measures reported favorably included SB 14 and SB 20, two claims bills for injuries and deaths involving local governments, and CS for SB 68, which updates health facilities authority financing rules to reflect modern hospital structures. The committee also approved CS for SB 172 on health care practitioner specialty titles and designations after adopting an amendment protecting CRNA titles; the bill generated questions about whether licensed practitioners with doctoral degrees may still use the title doctor under their practice acts. Throughout the meeting, most bills were adopted without opposition, and the committee repeatedly voted to report them favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• for Tier 2 and then two-to-one for Tier 3.
• Chairman, my understanding is that it's to incentivize because there's a high need for teachers in the
• My understanding is that it's to incentivize because there's a high need for teachers in the state and
• But that, but it goes back with yours, the base percentage is pretty high for something, you know, there's
• It... ...base percentage is pretty high for something, you know, there's not a lot being held back.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Review Committee met to continue work on a draft higher education funding formula and related capital building fund changes. Lisa Johnson of the North Dakota University System updated the committee on the board’s developing policy for low-producing academic programs. She said the board is using a five-year rolling window, with thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, and that programs flagged in three consecutive review cycles would go to the board for review. Possible outcomes include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the policy would account for enrollment, program costs, workforce need, and programs that serve students outside their major. Johnson said the board would likely use an accompanying procedure to consider those factors. She also reported that about 200 programs could potentially be reviewed under current guidance, with 135 inactivated and 112 terminated, and said the process is intended to support quality and stewardship rather than simply cut programs. Jamie Wilkie then reported on the Capital Building Fund. He reviewed the fund’s history, matching requirements, and use for extraordinary repairs, deferred maintenance, and some legislatively authorized projects. He said about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with roughly 78.7% going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Committee members pressed for updated information on how much deferred maintenance has actually been reduced, and several members said they wanted clearer reporting on the return on investment from new buildings versus repairs. NDSU representatives said the tier funding has helped significantly reduce deferred maintenance and allowed demolition and renovation work on campus. The committee also discussed the need for updated five-year facility plans and space-utilization information from the institutions. The committee then began a section-by-section review of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and restructure the capital building fund. The draft would fund UND and NDSU differently from the other nine institutions, use fall enrollment rather than completed credits, add performance funding for completions in in-demand fields, create research incentives for UND and NDSU, and combine capital building fund tiers while changing matching requirements and eligible uses. Members raised concerns about the treatment of professional students, the use of CIP codes, incentives for waivers, and whether the formula should rely on more current data. The committee did not take final action on the draft during this meeting, but it continued detailed discussion and indicated more review would follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just hope the camera picked that up, and I'll be voting for your bill today.
• I just hope the camera picked that up, and I'll be voting for your bill today.
• Thank you for the question.
• I'm inclined to vote for it, but I do hope that you'll address those issues.
• So, but my dad paid for five for his grandchildren. And it's zoned for five.

Bills: S0330 , S0354 , S0504 , S0506 , S0526 , S0594 , S0840

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The committee took up several bills related to public safety, housing, disaster recovery, construction, and land use. SB 330 clarified the heart disease presumption for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, aligned the definition of heart disease with medical practice, and allowed a transferring law enforcement officer to rely on a prior physical if the new agency does not provide one. An amendment stating the act serves an important state interest was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously after supportive testimony from law enforcement and fire groups. SB 594 expanded local housing assistance eligibility to residents of mobile home communities, including SHIP rental assistance for lot rent and rehabilitation/emergency repair programs for the home itself; it also passed unanimously after support from manufactured housing advocates. SB 840 revised the hurricane-related land use limits enacted in prior legislation by sunsetting certain temporary restrictions on June 30, 2026, narrowing the affected area from 100 miles to 50 miles from a storm track, and exempting certain planning, water, wastewater, stormwater, and flood-related decisions. The sponsor said the bill was intended to fix unintended consequences of prior hurricane recovery legislation, and the measure was reported favorably on a unanimous vote. SB 526 addressed commercial construction projects by prohibiting “no damages for delay” clauses in public construction contracts, directing the Florida Building Commission to create a uniform commercial permit application, requiring permit fee reductions when private providers are used, and adding mitigation to product approval categories; county representatives raised concerns about implementation and fees, but the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 504 and SB 506, both by Senator Burgess, creating a framework for code inspector body camera use and a related public records exemption for recordings. Both were described as optional for local governments and were reported favorably without opposition. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 354, a major “blue ribbon projects” bill creating a framework for very large developments that would reserve at least 60% of land for conservation, agriculture, recreation, utilities, and related uses in exchange for streamlined approval and state preemption over local land use controls. The bill drew extensive testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing housing supply and land preservation and opponents warning about local control, sprawl, infrastructure costs, and weak conservation protections. Two amendments were adopted to define reserve areas more specifically and address conservation easements, and the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote, with Senator Passidomo voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• question and for Senator Green, for that question and for for<00:13:30.960><c> reading</c><00:13:31.120
• High<01:13:18.120><c> security</c> High security High security uh<01:13:20.080><c> high</c><01:13:20.880
• So, I I ask for a no vote. line in 53.2. So, I I ask for a no vote.
• And this has yes for this amendment. yes for this amendment.
• The secretary will take the roll for final passage on Senate File 1943. those high standards and that

Transcript Highlights:

• for those, for example.
• for those, for example.
• So you have to have a market for the meal as well. It is high protein.
• But the job classification that the state used for that was a high-voltage electric lineman.
• /c> that the state used for that was a high that the state used for that was a high voltage<01:08:02.279

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• They come back for a month. They're gone for three weeks. They're gone for three.
• And I'm going to hope that our technology gods work well for us and ask if— ...technology gods work well
• for.
• Chairman, if we're going to look at 15 just in case the fiscal note gets pretty high for that, can we
• Chairman, if we're going to look at 15 just in case the fiscal note gets pretty high for that, can we

Summary: The committee was called to order, a quorum was established, and the minutes from the prior meeting were approved. The first major presentation came from Montana Public Employees Retirement System executive director William Hollahan, who gave an overview of Montana’s Volunteer Firefighters’ Compensation Act plan. He explained that the plan covers volunteer firefighters in unincorporated areas, is funded by 5% of state fire insurance premium taxes, and currently serves 228 departments with about 2,936 active members and 1,242 retirees. He described eligibility rules, annual training and reporting requirements, benefit levels for partial and full pensions, disability, death, medical, and funeral benefits, and said the plan is actuarially sound with roughly $60 million in assets and a funded ratio slightly above 100%. Committee members asked about prior-service credit, whether EMS personnel are included, the effect on recruitment and retention, and whether expanding coverage would require a funding analysis; Hollahan said prior service is not credited, EMS is not currently included, and any expansion would need financial review. Tim Walleen of Workforce Safety and Insurance then presented a draft North Dakota workers’ compensation solution for volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personnel. He explained that volunteer responders are already covered by workers’ comp for medical and wage-loss benefits, but the proposal would set a minimum annual wage of $30,000 for calculating wage-loss benefits for qualifying volunteers, with the benefit paid at two-thirds of that amount. Representative Porter suggested tying the volunteer definition to existing code rather than a fixed dollar amount, and Walleen agreed. Questions focused on whether search and rescue or other volunteer emergency services could be included, whether departments would face new paperwork, and whether volunteer organizations can already elect coverage; Walleen said there would be no additional paperwork and that volunteer coverage is already available. The committee also heard from volunteer fire service representatives and the state fire marshal. An Oakes-area firefighter, Mr. Olson, testified that small departments are struggling with retention, communication, and administrative burdens, especially around separate bookkeeping and funding rules for donated or fundraising money, and he said departments need clearer guidance from the state. State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark introduced himself and outlined a broader effort to improve education, support, and coordination for fire departments, including a planned 10% audit of certificates of existence beginning in 2027, more outreach through his office, and better assistance with training, reporting, and grant access. He said his office is authorized under current law to provide these services, but the role has been vague and underused. Finally, Arnagard Rural Fire District Chief Rick Schreiber testified in favor of new recruitment and retention ideas, including retirement-style benefits, health insurance, tax incentives, scholarships, grants, and more remote or regional training. He said volunteer departments are losing members, that local tax and donation funds are already stretched, and that any new retirement or incentive program should be sustainable and likely involve a mix of state and local support.