Transcript Highlights:

• All right, Representative Allen, you are presenting House File 3438 for the University of Minnesota.
• Minnesota's agriculture economy through the construction of the new student center at the University
• the construction of the new student center at the University of Minnesota St.
• I'm a senior at the University of Minnesota studying plant science and the former president of Lambda
• I'm a senior at the University of<00:03:53.680><c> Minnesota</c><00:03:54.200><c> studying</c><00:03:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR NURSING, AND AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA WHERE
• PREVIOUSLY THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR NURSING WAS AT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA DOING VERY SIMILAR WORK
• IF YOU TOOK OUT, WE HAVE A LOT OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES WE HAVE A LOT OF STATE UNIVERSITIES.
• FIRST OF ALL I NOTICED OUR SCORES WENT UP BUT ALSO THE NCLEX CHANGED IN 2023 SO THE UNIVERSITIES HAD
• AND WHERE WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE HEADQUARTERED AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA NOW IS TO TAKE THOSE DEEPER

Transcript Highlights:

• On behalf of AFSCME 3299, the frontline service workers at the University of California, we support the
• Doug Subbers, on behalf of the California State University Employees Union, in support. Thanks.
• Doug Subers on behalf of the California State University Employees Union, in support.
• The university supports the goal of transparency and access in collective bargaining.
• The universities would need to secure authenticated platforms capable of hosting thousands of potential

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on AB 1729, which would update California state telework policy. The author and many unionized state workers argued that telework has improved productivity, reduced emissions and commuting costs, saved the state money on office space, and should be governed by written, evidence-based departmental policies rather than blanket return-to-office mandates. Supporters emphasized flexibility, morale, and the need for transparency through a public dashboard. There was no opposition testimony, and the bill was later moved on a 2-1 vote, with the item placed on call. Members also heard AB 805, which would create a Career Apprenticeship Bridge Program to connect high school career technical education with registered apprenticeships. The author and supporters said the bill implements recommendations from the California Youth Apprenticeship Model report and would expand earn-and-learn pathways, especially for youth facing barriers. The bill passed the committee 3-0 and was placed on call. Two workers’ compensation and labor-relations bills drew sharp opposition. AB 1576 would reform the Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund; supporters said it would reduce litigation and employer assessments, while opponents argued it did not go far enough and preferred the administration’s trailer bill. AB 1582 would make it an unfair labor practice for UC or other higher education employers to disregard arbitration decisions on contracting out; supporters said it would protect arbitration outcomes for service workers, while UC argued it would interfere with bargaining agreements and threaten patient and student services. Both bills were moved on 2-1 votes and placed on call. After quorum was established, the committee also advanced AB 1630, allowing union representatives to invite bargaining-unit members to observe meet-and-confer sessions remotely; AB 2650, a CalSavers cleanup bill to improve retirement savings access and administration; AB 2054, expanding paid family leave eligibility for relatives of military service members on domestic duty; AB 2157, making permanent the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund pilot program; and AB 1838, requiring bidders on local public works projects to disclose recent wage-and-hour violations. AB 1630 and AB 2157 were both placed on call after divided votes, while AB 2650 and AB 2054 passed 2-1 and 3-0 respectively, and AB 1838 was placed on call after a 1-1 vote. The transcript ends as the committee begins AB 2682, which would conform the appeal process for transportation network company driver unionization law.

Transcript Highlights:

• The only university that is actually in our Constitution is the University of Idaho.
• but I've been employed by the University of Idaho College of Law.
• There were cuts of two million each to Boise State University and two million each to the University
• and the University of Idaho.
• and the University of Idaho.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Center for Nursing at the University of South Florida, which includes funds for linking industry to
• that program. $50 million for the Lassinger Center of Learning at the University of Florida to support
• But as far as the operations of a university, that is up to the Board of Trustees.
• As far as the operations of a university, that is up to the Board of Trustees.
• What's the size of the universe? How many firefighters statewide?

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1013 by Joint Budget, an act for the University of Arkansas Community College at Rich Mountain
• And whereas John attended Yale University, from which he graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in
• Senate Bill 41 by Joint Budget, an act for the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville appropriation for
• Senate Bill 41 by Joint Budget, an act for the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville appropriation for
• Senate Bill 43 by Joint Budget, an act for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture appropriation

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Service funding for the state, with the exception of the Department of Education and the University of
• University of Hawaii.
• University of Hawaii.
• University of Hawaii.
• </c><00:04:44.039><c> of</c> positions within the University of positions within the University of Hawaii

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is one of these issues, to me, it's an indicator of distrust that some have of universities and
• Look, I think most of us understand that that's just another grift for universities.
• So audits of university spending of indirect costs would help, I think, help inform decisions.
• Well, Senator, I think the universities that are partners of this the NIH, not opponents.
• and of universities also.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: NIH funding, healthcare research, chronic diseases, scientific integrity, public trust, pandemic response

Summary: The meeting of the committee focused on various healthcare and scientific issues, with significant discussions surrounding the impact of recent administrative actions on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its research agenda. Senators expressed concerns over funding cuts and personnel reductions, particularly the reported termination of over 1,200 NIH staff members, which could jeopardize ongoing and future research projects. The session included testimonies on the importance of supporting early-stage researchers and restoring public trust in scientific institutions following pandemic-related controversies. Additionally, the potential for future healthcare management based on diverse scientific ideas was emphasized as crucial to tackle chronic diseases effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry examined 360 applications and enrolled 105 first-year
• The University of Nebraska College of Dentistry examined 705 applications and enrolled 52 first-year
• The university offers a Doctor of Dental Surgery.
• The university offers a Doctor of Dental Medicine.
• The university offers programs in Doctor of Dental Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to review the history and current treatment of North Dakota health insurance mandates, with presentations from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, Sanford Health Plan, the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and the Insurance Department. The discussion focused on how mandates apply differently to fully insured, self-funded, ACA, Medicaid, and PERS plans; how the state’s benchmark plan and federal essential health benefits affect coverage; and how the existing process requires cost-benefit analysis and, for certain measures, a PERS pilot period before broader application. Presenters also reviewed the long list of existing state mandates, including provider, beneficiary, and coverage requirements, and noted that many were enacted decades ago and have not been revisited despite changes in medical evidence and treatment options. Witnesses from the carriers argued that mandates should be reviewed periodically because some are outdated, can create unintended costs, and may not align with current medical guidance. Examples cited included PSA screening, off-label drug coverage, prior authorization rules, step therapy, and cost-sharing provisions for mental health and substance use treatment. They emphasized that carriers often cover services without a mandate when supported by clinical evidence, and that mandates can shift costs to employers and employees, especially in the fully insured small-group market. They also suggested possible policy improvements such as clearer mandate definitions, better transparency around cost-benefit analyses, a regular 10-year review of mandates, and more timely submission of proposals through the interim process. PERS and the Insurance Department highlighted a recurring tension over what counts as a mandate and when a measure triggers the state’s defrayal obligation under federal law. PERS described its interim committee process, the April 1 deadline for fiscal-impact proposals, and the limited pilot program used for certain measures, noting that only a few bills have gone through the full pilot process. The Insurance Department explained that it views new benefit mandates through the lens of the ACA benchmark plan and essential health benefits, distinguishing true new benefits, such as infertility coverage, from changes to existing benefits, such as telehealth or insulin cost-sharing caps. No votes were taken on policy changes; the meeting was informational, with members asking questions about costs, applicability, transparency, and whether a periodic mandate review should be established.

Transcript Highlights:

• Think about if the University of Kentucky and its agrarian mission, being our flagship university, and
• :37:25.000><c> of</c> conjunction with the University of conjunction with the University of Kentucky,
• its</c> the University of Kentucky and its the University of Kentucky and its agrarian<00:37:49.920><
• </c> Maybe Eastern works with the University Maybe Eastern works with the University of<00:38:13.000>
• </c><01:15:22.080><c> of</c> Hornback for receiving the University of Hornback for receiving the University

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the vice president of administration and finance for Northern Kentucky University.
• By way of background, um the university took possession of the former Highland Heights Civic Center from
• um</c><00:03:27.840><c> the</c><00:03:28.159><c> university</c> By way of background, um the university
• By way of background, um the university took<00:03:28.959><c> possession</c><00:03:29.360><c> of</c>
• of</c> University of Kentucky College of University of Kentucky College of Medicine<00:30:00.240><c>

Keywords: 0:00:01 Call to Order and Roll Call 0:01:19 NKU Capital Project Update 0:38:57 DJJ High Acuity Services Update 1:03:53 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The interim Budget Review Subcommittee for Justice and Judiciary received an update on Northern Kentucky University’s capital project to house the Northern Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office and the Northern Kentucky Crime Lab in the former Highland Heights Civic Center building on NKU’s campus. NKU and Justice Cabinet staff described the project timeline: the building was identified in late 2022, lease terms were agreed to in early 2023, a pre-construction evaluation agreement was executed in May 2023, the General Assembly authorized $21 million in April 2024, and the lease and construction agreement were finalized in spring 2026. The project is now being prepared for bid, with construction expected to start in August and occupancy targeted for January 2028. About $1 million has been spent so far on design and related investigations. Testimony emphasized that the vacant building was structurally sound but required major upgrades, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof, windows, a generator, specialized mechanical systems, security, and geothermal work to meet the needs of two separate operations sharing one facility. NKU said it is contributing $3.7 million to the project. Committee members asked about the condition of the building, the urgency of the project, and why the process took so long. Justice Cabinet and real properties officials said the medical examiner’s office had been shut down since roughly late 2017 or 2018, that the state had first sought funding in the 2022 budget for staffing, a lease, and equipment, and that it took time to find a suitable leased location because the facility has highly specialized requirements. Members also asked about operating costs, annual lease costs, and the impact of the office’s absence on families and counties in Northern Kentucky. Officials said the lease cost is based on NKU’s expected maintenance-related expenses, while utilities and staffing are covered through the Office of the State Medical Examiner or Kentucky State Police, with seven medical examiner positions funded in House Bill 500 and two additional KSP positions requested for the crime lab. They explained that, until the new facility opens, bodies from Northern Kentucky are generally transported to Louisville for autopsy, with transportation costs borne by the coroner’s office. No votes were taken, but the committee requested follow-up information, including lease cost numbers and additional details on facility usage and timing.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's because the Department of Agriculture is down there at New Mexico State University.
• So that $300 million transfer, $150 million of it would be appropriated to the University of New Mexico
• New Mexico Tech accounts for 16 of these centers, followed by the University of New Mexico with four
• State University, and then, of course, Navajo Technical University in Crown Point, New Mexico, who also
• There's a good parallel at the University of New Mexico: the Quantum Information. Science Center.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program administered by the University of Central Florida.
• The Florida Center for Nursing at the University of South Florida as the administrator of what we call
• University of West Florida Board of Trustees to the institute's board.
• The chairman of the board of the University of Florida trustees is removed from the IHMC board, and there's
• Well, on behalf of the Gator Caucus, I want to wish the University of Florida congratulations on their

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, doctor and guest introductions, and then took up Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, on mental health. Senator Bradley described the bill as a major criminal justice and behavioral health reform measure that would expand pretrial mental health diversion, strengthen treatment-based probation conditions, broaden grant uses for mental health and substance abuse programs, add Hillsborough County to a forensic hospital diversion pilot, require certain DOC mental health evaluations, and create a Florida Behavioral Health Data Repository. Senators from both parties spoke in strong support, emphasizing treatment over incarceration, public safety, data collection, and the Murphy family’s role in advancing the bill. The Senate passed the bill 37-0 and then approved 37 co-sponsors. The chamber then received the Senate’s 2025-26 General Appropriations Bill, SB 2500, with Chair Hooper outlining a $117.4 billion budget that he said reduces spending, preserves reserves, and includes major investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and reporting requirements. Committee chairs summarized their portions: K-12 funding at $34.7 billion with increases for FEFP, scholarships, VPK, school hardening, and school safety; higher education at $11.5 billion with workforce, nursing, reading, autism, and student aid investments; health and human services with a $1.8 billion increase for Medicaid, mental health, opioid response, disability services, and veterans programs; criminal and civil justice at $7.6 billion for corrections, juvenile justice, law enforcement, courts, and judgeships; transportation/tourism/economic development at about $18 billion including roads, housing, Visit Florida, and cultural grants; and agriculture/environment/general government with major Everglades, water quality, citrus, food bank, and agency IT funding. Members then questioned several budget items, especially education funding formulas, the shift of scholarship dollars below the line, the impact on public school districts, AP/IB and other accelerated program funding, the APD wait list, opioid settlement spending, arts grants, and the My Safe Florida Home and condo pilot programs. Chairs generally said scholarship and accelerated-program dollars were being restructured for transparency and flexibility rather than cut, that school districts would still receive funding based on enrollment, and that APD and other human services issues would continue to be worked out in conference. The budget discussion concluded with remarks praising staff and noting a 4% across-the-board pay raise for state employees and targeted increases for law enforcement and firefighters, followed by a recognition for FAMU Day at the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• As noted on this slide, we also audit the financial statements of the 12 state universities, the 28 state
• So you'll see most of those cities have a major university or something like that.
• universities, district school boards, and a whole host of other entities, including water management
• Financial audits of the state of Florida, school districts, state colleges, and universities are conducted
• So for the state of Florida, school boards, colleges, universities, and charter schools, these audits

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive annual overviews of its oversight responsibilities and the work of the Auditor General and OPAGA. Committee staff reviewed the committee’s authority over state and local governments, enforcement of audit-report filing requirements, repeated audit findings, Transparency Florida reporting, and lobbying compensation audits. Auditor General Cheryl Norman described her office’s independence, audit standards, quality control, and major audit areas, including the state’s annual financial and single audits, school district and university audits, operational and performance audits, and attestation work. She also noted staffing shortages, recruitment efforts, and a request for carry-forward funds to study salaries. Members asked about whether audits can quantify recoverable dollars, how school district spending comparisons are handled, and how to raise concerns about DCF-related audits or a local city audit that has been pending for years. Norman said her office can quantify findings when possible, sometimes compares costs across districts in operational audits, and that members can bring specific concerns to the appropriate deputy auditor general or the committee. She also explained that citizen or local-government audit requests may require payment of audit costs. OPAGA Coordinator Kara Collins-Gomez outlined OPAGA’s role as a legislative research unit that conducts studies directed by law, the presiding officers, or the committee, and described its policy areas, methodologies, contract monitoring, and recurring statutory reports. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy explained how to read operational audit reports, including findings, criteria, condition, cause, effect, recommendations, and management responses. Deputy Auditor General Greg Senators explained financial audit reports, including audit opinions, required supplementary information, internal control and compliance findings, federal program compliance, and management letters. The meeting concluded with thanks to the presenters and a motion to adjourn, which passed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the pledge of allegiance? the pledge of allegiance?
• </c> the flag of the United States of America the flag of the United States of America and<00:35:12.800
• of Colorado and Colorado State University.
• </c> University of Colorado and Colorado University of Colorado and Colorado State<00:40:13.520><c> University
• cultural heritage of the great state of Colorado.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It gives me distinct pleasure to present this bill on behalf of the University of Southern Mississippi
• Um, let me use a USM has a parcel of about 600 acres of land in North Mississippi, going toward Jackson
• picnics, a lot of those things.
• Chad Driscoll from the University of Southern Mississippi, yourself, Senator Johnson, and some others
• All in favor of said motion say I. pass. All in favor of said motion say I.

Committee: Joint Public Property

Keywords: Public Property - Room 210, 30 January, 2026; 10:30 A.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school meals, and universal pre-kindergarten, and meaningful ...of learning opportunities, universal
• support by clarifying that universal and targeted assistance that county offices of education are required
• and technical universal and targeted assistance within the statewide system of support which is intended
• If we want to, I think there's universal support of doing this and investing in a way that continues
• of of it.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Education, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Connecticut State Colleges and University System
• of North Dakota and North Dakota State University.
• So you should have at your desk in front of you a paper titled North Dakota Research University Higher
• And if completing programs is one of the top outcomes of our university system, we should definitely
• I'm the Director of Finance with the North Dakota University System.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review a proposed process for identifying and addressing low-producing academic programs, then moved into discussion of draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the ND University System described how other states and systems define low-producing programs, emphasizing multi-year enrollment and completion thresholds, cost and workforce review, and the role of governing boards. She reported that North Dakota institutions already review programs in varying cycles, often use shared resources and stackable credentials to keep low-enrollment programs viable, and cited recent system actions over five years: 100 programs placed on inactivation, 75 terminated, and 384 new programs created. Committee members raised concerns about workforce-critical programs, duplication, exemptions, and whether the legislature or the State Board of Higher Education should drive the process. The chair said he wanted the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting and suggested the legislature may use funding leverage, including a possible holdback, to encourage the review process. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft funding formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal used fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder rate of $7,000 per undergraduate FTE and $10,500 per graduate/professional FTE, plus incentives for completions in high-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council explained that the formula also included separate treatment for research funding, external grants, and capital building tiers, and that the MD program at UND would remain fixed funding outside the formula. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the in-demand program list, the treatment of external grants, and how the proposal compared with current appropriations. The chair noted that the formula numbers were illustrative and not final budget amounts. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. It used fall census FTE with no weighted economic factor, a higher undergraduate rate of $8,750 per FTE, and completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other credentials. Members noted that the proposal would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and questioned whether the same structure should apply across institutions with very different missions and sizes. Committee discussion focused on fairness, hold-harmless concerns, and whether the nine institutions should be grouped differently. The committee did not take formal action, but the chair indicated the formulas would continue to be discussed later in the meeting and in future work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Education, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Connecticut State Colleges and University System
• What kind of flexibility does the university system provide when, for example, Williston wants to offer
• of North Dakota and North Dakota State University.
• And if completing programs is one of the top outcomes of our university system, we should definitely
• I'm the Director of Finance with the North Dakota University System.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That are at all of our universities and technical college systems.
• University system, and the University of Louisiana system, all law enforcement agencies at these departments
• pay of university police if they... ...supplement the pay of university police if they patrol waterways
• written, was adopted; it never intended to include university police or things of that nature.
• of Police, and Don French, McNeese State University.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 27 and first took up House Bill 175 and its companion House Bill 165, both dealing with lottery proceeds for veterans. HB 175 was amended to create a Veterans Service Grant Board within the Department of Veterans Affairs and direct $500,000 annually from Louisiana Lottery net proceeds into a Veterans Service Grant Fund, with unused money returned to the lottery proceeds fund that supports the MFP. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, The Boot Louisiana, LDVA Secretary Charlton McGinley, and Bastion Veterans Organization, argued the grants would help veteran services, workforce placement, mental health, housing, entrepreneurship, and retention of veterans in Louisiana. Members raised concerns about drawing from lottery proceeds that traditionally support education, but the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 175 favorably as amended. HB 165, the constitutional amendment companion, was also amended for technical and ballot-language changes and then reported favorably as amended for voter consideration. The committee then considered House Bill 457, which would authorize the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal to set minimum housing standards for homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes. The sponsor said the bill responded to a state auditor recommendation and to unsafe conditions in some facilities; he also explained an amendment changing the Fire Marshal’s duties from mandatory to permissive to reduce fiscal impact and allow agencies flexibility. Some members questioned whether local standards already existed and how enforcement and funding would work, while others supported the need for statewide minimum standards for human housing. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 457 favorably as amended. House Bill 488, by Representative Brough, sought to create a Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using recurring severance tax revenues from Plaquemines Parish to help buy out the Belle Chasse toll bridge and end what the sponsor described as excessive tolls and fees. He and several local witnesses, including business owners, a YMCA representative, and a parish council member, testified that the tolling arrangement had harmed access, businesses, and quality of life. The committee adopted a technical amendment clarifying the revenue source and then reported HB 488 favorably as amended. House Bill 566, which would prohibit state funds from supporting net-zero greenhouse gas initiatives tied to the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, drew significant debate over whether it would interfere with agency funding and economic development efforts; the sponsor argued the plan lacked legislative approval and should be repudiated, while members urged caution and suggested hearing from affected agencies. The sponsor agreed to consider deferring the bill, and the committee did not advance it at that time. House Bill 603, a constitutional amendment authorizing investment of state funds in digital assets and precious metals, was discussed as a way to hedge inflation and preserve value; members asked about limits and safeguards, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then began hearing House Bill 763, a transparency measure creating a public database for settlement agreements involving state agencies.