Transcript Highlights:

• Over three decades, I was granted the honor of operating. ...and arguably in the most well-respected,
• You have to look at strategy in your operations from both a current operations standpoint and a future
• operations standpoint.
• Okay, well, alright, well, 74, 84, whatever.
• Well, I think that's why..."

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:

• Senator Abeler, well, thanks.
• Senator Abeler, well, thanks.
• compensation and insurance and oper compensation and insurance and oper other<00:53:10.359> operating
• emerging issues as well uh in the<01:09:29.120> well the well the well space<01:09:31.480>
• um on page 21 of our budget book is well um on page 21 of our budget book is our<01:49:09.000> operating

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, thank you, Senator.
• Well, thank you, Senator.
• well it's great to have it on paper well well it's great to have it on paper we<00:26:38.880> need
• Well, thank you.
• So, well, that's awesome. Well, thank you. I appreciate that."

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ; Well, um, this person >> Well, um, this person >> Well,<00:42:25.920> in<00:42:26.079
• When legitimate officers operate<01:00:44.880> anonymously, operate anonymously, operate anonymously
• Well, and here's the rub, which is what brings us to this legislation: when ICE comes in to do an operation
• . operation. operation.
• . operations. operations.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Lucero, well, I thought he was going to say, well, wait for the bill.
• Senator Lucero, well, I thought he was going to say, well, wait for the bill.
• Senator Lucero, well, I thought he was going to say, well, wait for the bill.
• Senator Lucero, well, I thought he was going to say, well, wait for the bill.
• Senator Lucero, well, I thought he was going to say, well, wait for the bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And all of you, as well. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Chair Lopez. And we did work well together.
• We have major patrol operations in the metro areas of Texas, crime suppression operations. operations
• Well, so what do we do then?
• You know, right now CBP and ICE, they are an integral part of our operation, our intelligence operation
• That's going very well.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• “As well.
• There are some institutions that can use PUF revenue for operations, as well as...
• There are some institutions that can use PUF revenue for operations, as well as...
• There are some institutions that can use PUF revenue for operations as well.
• Yeah, somehow we have cities that operate, and you basically... well, they have city halls, absolutely

Summary: The committee heard testimony first from the Texas General Land Office and School Land Board. GLO officials described the agency’s role in managing more than 13 million acres of state lands and mineral interests for the Permanent School Fund, overseeing the Alamo, coastal programs, veterans’ services, and federal disaster recovery. They said the agency has generated about $6 billion for the Permanent School Fund since Commissioner Buckingham took office, and that its disaster recovery portfolio is about $14 billion across multiple events, with more than 22,000 housing units rebuilt or reconstructed since Hurricane Harvey. Members asked about land purchases such as Brewster Ranch, rare earth mineral leasing, SpaceX-related beach access, and whether the lands are public access lands; GLO staff said the holdings are managed to maximize revenue for education, that most land is leased rather than open to public access, and that they are coordinating on coastal access and compliance. On the School Land Board, members sought clarification on the difference between GLO-managed lands and the Permanent School Fund Corporation’s investment role, and staff explained that GLO generates the revenue while the separate corporation invests it. No votes or formal actions were taken. The Board for Lease of University Lands then testified. University Lands officials explained that they steward 2.1 million acres of surface and mineral interests in West Texas for the Permanent University Fund, which supports UT and Texas A&M institutions. They said a 2025 lease sale produced about $50 million in bonus revenue from 28,000 acres, and described the Board for Lease’s role in approving lease forms, lease sales, and development agreements. Members asked about the size and use of the PUF, how distributions work through UTIMCO, whether PUF money can be used for athletics, and how the land is managed; the witness said the fund is a constitutional endowment, the land is largely leased rather than sold, and distributions are generally used for buildings, labs, and other permanent structures, with some institutions also using a portion for operations. No votes or formal actions were taken. The committee then took up municipal utility districts. Testimony from a law firm, the Texas Municipal League, Fort Bend County Commissioner Vincent Morales, and Johnson Development largely supported MUDs as a financing tool for infrastructure tied to growth. Witnesses said MUDs help fund water, sewer, drainage, roads, parks, and related infrastructure, allowing development to proceed without shifting costs to existing taxpayers and helping keep housing affordable. They emphasized that MUDs are created with disclosure to homebuyers, are subject to the Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act, and are overseen by TCEQ for bond issuance and related financial stress tests. Members questioned whether MUDs are taxing entities, whether they can be created inside city limits or ETJs, how much control cities and counties retain, and whether MUDs are becoming permanent local governments; witnesses acknowledged they levy taxes and debt, can exist within city limits with city consent, and often function as long-term local entities. The committee did not take any formal action during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• That balance is, is well imbalanced.
• Is that your understanding as well. OK.
• They are mitigating the crossings as well.
• also licensed by the IRS as well as the comptroller's office.
• Well, thank you. I appreciate all those comments. Um.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also a telephone number as well that's on the website as well. Mr. Chair. Mr.
• They are all safe and doing well.
• But there is no separate authority besides Title X then they're operating. Well, there are.
• It's about 30% of the total Air Force operational force.
• So we are an integrated partner with global operations.

Keywords: House Committee Room A, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're really doing well with the formalities today.
• to school as well, of additional factors.
• That affects the ability to operate in that market or the decision to operate in the illicit market,
• They're walking into illegal operators because their jurisdiction doesn't allow for legal operators.
• We submitted written comments as well.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the Department of Cannabis Control’s report on the condition and health of California’s cannabis industry. Department staff reviewed the evolution of state cannabis law, the creation of the current regulatory framework, licensing and compliance efforts, and enforcement against illicit cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids. The department said the licensed market has grown in production and retail units sold, while active licenses and retail sales value have declined, and that the illicit market remains a major competitive factor. The department also highlighted consumer education efforts, product testing and recalls, and coordination through the state enforcement task force and other agencies. The department’s economist said the data show continued growth in licensed production and a rising share of consumption through the licensed market, but falling wholesale and retail prices have reduced overall industry value. He identified major headwinds as taxes and fees, illicit-market competition, local prohibitions that limit retail access, regulatory costs, and broader business pressures, while noting opportunities in product innovation and possible hemp-market changes. Committee members pressed the department on enforcement, public health concerns, equity ownership and employment, delays in grant administration, pesticide testing, and whether the legal market is truly viable for small businesses and farmers. Several members argued that stronger enforcement and lower costs are needed, while one member raised concerns about cannabis-related health harms and said the hearing focused too narrowly on supply-side issues. Public commenters from industry groups and advocacy organizations largely echoed concerns about high taxes, regulatory burdens, limited retail access, and the size of the illicit market. Many urged the Legislature not to let the excise tax rise from 15% to 19% and called for tax relief, compliance reform, more enforcement, and broader retail access. Some speakers said the report was too optimistic and did not reflect business failures, debt, and closures, while others emphasized the need to protect small farmers, address wildfire insurance, and support equity businesses. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• We said, well, we're here.
• I currently oversee our real-time operations center and our operational intelligence unit.
• To the family as well.
• Operation Z is Shield.
• Every person has to be well-informed and well-trained.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well thank you.
• Well, thank you. I appreciate. I appreciate that.
• able to operate.
• Well, you can continue to think through that.
• Well, General, thank you very much for your testimony.

Keywords: Transcom, logistics, military readiness, air refueling, KC-135, KC-46, strategic infrastructure, geopolitical threats, Alaska

Summary: During this meeting, the committee hosted an extensive discussion on the operations and logistical challenges facing the U.S. Transportation Command (Transcom). General Reid provided testimony on key areas including the importance of maintaining robust logistical capabilities in contested environments, particularly in relation to geopolitical threats posed by adversarial nations. Various members emphasized the necessity for modernization of the air refueling fleet, addressing issues such as the readiness of the KC-135 and the procurement of the next-generation KC-46 aircraft, which has experienced delays and technical challenges. The dialogue further extended to the strategic importance of U.S. ports and transportation infrastructure, especially in regions like Alaska which play a crucial role in military logistics and power projection.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:07:43.720> get<01:07:43.960> the operate the lines The Operators get the operate
• That will impact these future costs as well and also provide some savings on the operations of the Bedford
• well well they're actually so they can well well they're actually they're<04:54:09.000> forwarding
• work when you say work together well work when you say work together well well<04:54:49.600>
• > working well well I say working working well well I say working working functioning<04:54:52.200

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with New Hampshire DOT Commissioner Bill Cass and Finance Director Danielle Shandra to review the agency’s FY 2026 budget. Cass gave a high-level overview of DOT’s mission, organization, funding structure, and staffing trends, noting the agency has about 650 employees across five divisions. He said the Governor’s recommended FY 2026 budget totals $95.99 million, essentially flat from FY 2025, with funding primarily from Turnpike funds, Highway funds, federal sources, and a small General Fund share for non-highway units. Members asked about how Turnpike and Highway funds are treated in state accounting, and DOT explained that while they are enterprise funds restricted to their purposes, they are considered unrestricted from the statewide perspective and are appropriated through the budget process. A major topic was staffing and budget targets. DOT said its full-time staffing level has remained relatively flat since 2014 even as vehicle miles traveled increased and vacancies rose. To meet budget targets, the department unfunded seven permanent positions and nine temporary full-time positions, and later noted additional reductions in Finance, including the elimination of two full-time positions, reduced print shop equipment purchases, and deeper cuts to overtime, temporary help, equipment, and supplies in FY 2027. DOT also explained that it shifted funding for one unmanned aerial system position from General Funds to Highway Funds, saying the change was workable because the position supports highway-related work and federal-aid-eligible activities. Members asked for clarification on the state transit operating match, and DOT explained that the Legislature had previously provided about $1.8 million annually in General Funds to help local transit agencies meet federal match requirements, but that funding was not included in this budget. DOT said that could reduce the ability to draw down some federal transit funds, though the impact may not be immediate because those funds can be used over several years. The department also described its unmanned aerial system program, saying it has been used for about five years for mapping, survey work, construction oversight, and storm damage assessment, and that it now has about five drones and two full-time positions supporting the program. DOT said it is expanding cross-training so more employees can operate drones without adding positions. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and we'll for the moment as well.
• ensuring critical legal and operational ensuring critical legal and operational functions<00:26:
• computers for our operation secure St. computers for our operation secure St.
• <00:28:40.000> and ser major and a senior operations and ser major and a senior operations
• unit, uh for all of their help, as well unit, uh for all of their help, as well as<00:36:46.800>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then lastly, there are tribal casinos that operate here in Minnesota as well.
• And then lastly, there are tribal casinos that operate here in Minnesota as well.
• And then lastly, there are tribal casinos that operate here in Minnesota as well.
• And then lastly, there are tribal casinos that operate here in Minnesota as well.
• And then lastly, there are tribal casinos that operate here in Minnesota as well.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Our motives today are to operate as a business. We're trying to run a lean operation.
• Well, the board is a volunteer position on the board of Tascal Wellness, one of the state ATCs.
• Well, the board is a volunteer position on the board of Tascal Wellness, one of the state ATCs.
• And they say, well, then who's your owner? And I say, well, we don't have that either.
• And they say, well, then who's your owner? And I say, well, we don't have that either.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session focused on HB 54, which would allow New Hampshire’s alternative treatment centers to operate for profit. Chair David Nagel opened by identifying the main concerns: whether members agreed with the bill conceptually, whether the proposal could be shaped to avoid a gubernatorial veto, and whether it could lead to “big cannabis” taking over. He also emphasized that the bill would not change the existing oversight structure, which remained under RSA 126-X. Representative Wendy Thomas said the governor’s objections in past sessions appeared to center on the state’s preference for a state-run model and broader policy concerns, but no one present knew the current governor’s position. Several speakers argued the bill was primarily about financing and access, not expanding the number of dispensaries. Matt Simon of Granite Leaf Cannabis said the current nonprofit structure makes it difficult to raise capital, pay down debt, and open additional access points, and that the bill would be a corporate restructuring rather than a change in day-to-day regulation. Brandon Pollock of TASCAL Wellness said medical cannabis programs in most other states are for-profit, and that New Hampshire’s nonprofit requirement has left ATCs burdened with high-interest debt and higher prices that push patients to Maine, Vermont, or the street market. He said converting to for-profit status could allow conventional financing, lower prices, and help keep patients in the regulated program. Members also discussed whether for-profit ownership would invite outside corporate control. Witnesses said the bill would not open the market to new operators, would not change advertising rules, and would include restrictions on ownership transfers for a period of time; “foreign corporation” was explained as an out-of-state entity. One speaker noted that the bill is similar to earlier versions that passed both chambers with strong support but never became law. No vote was taken during the work session; the discussion was informational and aimed at addressing concerns before the bill moved forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• regulate their operations.
• regulate their operations.
• regulate their operations.
• regulate their operations.
• regulate their operations.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:01 SB 132 Discussion 00:44 SB 132 Vote 07:10 SB 33 Discussion 08:30 SB 33 Vote 17:24 SB 85 Discussion 18:08 SB 85 Vote 25:58 Adjournment: 26:38, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 132, which would clarify that state law does not limit local governments’ authority to regulate businesses affiliated with licensed massage therapists. The sponsor and supporting testimony from a police chief and the Kentucky League of Cities said the bill is aimed at helping cities respond to complaints about suspected illegal activity, including possible human trafficking, by expressly allowing local ordinances on zoning, licensing, inspections, advertising, hours, and sanitation. The bill also increases the penalty for practicing massage therapy without a license from a class B to a class A misdemeanor and makes each unlicensed session a separate offense, while preserving existing protections for trafficking victims. The committee then heard Senate Bill 33, which addresses recovery residence centers. Senator Thomas said the bill responds to fraudulent or noncompliant recovery homes operating without proper certification and creating neighborhood problems. The measure would require recovery residences to notify cities when they apply for and receive certification, report certain ownership and contact information, and allow cities to keep a registry so they can identify certified facilities. Testimony from the Kentucky Alliance of Recovery Residences supported the bill’s enforcement goals but objected to making addresses public, citing safety concerns for vulnerable residents; the sponsor agreed to remove the public-record language through a floor amendment. The committee passed the bill favorably 8-0. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 85, which would allow state retirement benefits to be directed to a special needs trust. The sponsor and co-sponsor said the bill is intended to help state employees provide for a dependent with special needs after the employee’s death without affecting eligibility for waiver or other benefits. A witness from the Kentucky Alliance of Recovery Residences supported the concept and noted the importance of clear language, while Senator McDaniel raised a technical concern about whether the bill could allow benefits to be directed to an unintended beneficiary. The sponsor said the language would be reviewed and clarified if needed. The committee approved the bill 8-0 with favorable expression and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, thank you for having us.
• designed to be convertible to injection wells.
• All right, well, good afternoon, everybody.
• But yeah, to summarize, CCS is a suite of well-understood, well-demonstrated, and commercially available
• technologies that are being done... ...is a suite of well-understood, well-demonstrated, and commercially

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The committee’s interim work session focused first on carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), with presenters from industry, nonprofits, and state agencies describing Washington’s geologic potential, the role of basalt formations, and the difference between point-source capture, direct air capture, utilization, and permanent storage. Industry and project developers emphasized that Washington has major opportunities to reduce industrial emissions, create jobs, and support hard-to-electrify sectors, while state agencies explained current policy touchpoints in the Cap and Invest Program, emissions exemptions for permanently stored CO2, and the Clean Energy Transformation Act. Several presenters urged clearer statutory and regulatory pathways, including rules for pore space, subsurface rights, pipeline siting, and long-term liability; others cautioned that CCUS should be limited to real emissions reductions and not treated as a substitute for broader clean energy measures. Committee members asked about public comment opportunities, whether mineralized carbon would qualify for exemption under the Climate Commitment Act, the energy intensity of capture systems, aquifer protection, and liability if storage later proves problematic. Ecology said it is developing guidance through a public engagement process running through late June and that mineralized or otherwise permanently stored CO2 would likely qualify if it meets the 1,000-year permanence standard. DNR and outside experts also discussed trust lands, water rights, and the need for additional geophysical surveys and test wells. The panel did not take any votes or formal actions. The second half of the meeting turned to hazardous waste and extended producer responsibility. Ecology reviewed existing product stewardship programs for electronics, paint, batteries, and mercury lights, and described how moderate risk waste and household hazardous waste are currently collected through county facilities and events. Ecology said the electronics program is its best model, while the mercury lamp program is currently in transition after the prior stewardship organization exited and a new organization is seeking approval. Ecology recommended that future EPR programs have clear producer and product definitions, full producer funding, convenience standards, annual reporting, and strong enforcement authority. Local government witnesses from King County and Douglas County described rising costs, access barriers in rural areas, and the need for stable funding and flexible local delivery models. King County said it collected over 3 million pounds of hazardous products in 2025 and argued that EPR could reduce costs for ratepayers and improve equity. Douglas County stressed that rural residents are willing to participate when services are available, but travel distance and operating costs make access difficult. An industry representative supported narrowly scoped stewardship programs like PaintCare but warned that broad household hazardous waste EPR systems can become difficult to administer and may require legislative revisions if responsibilities are not clearly defined. No votes were taken on the hazardous waste topic either.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, well, thank you very much, Mr.
• Um, well, thank you very much, Mr.
• point that that out at the end as well. point that that out at the end as well.
• Um, and those are both from the DVS operating account as well.
• operating account as well. operating account as well.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These tax breaks are meant to reduce the cost for operators, so they'll continue to produce these wells
• There's increasing costs per barrel to produce those wells from the operator perspective.
• So it's a range of wells depending upon oil price and operating costs, but it is pretty low. Yeah.
• I said the essence and the history of the stripper well in America, frankly, is the small operator.
• The future of the industry, if you look at Kansas, it's all stripper well operators, right?

Keywords: 908, all