Transcript Highlights:

• And then once the National Guard was announced with their perimeter closure, we ended up canceling four
• We were grateful and relieved when that perimeter was lifted and the National Guard was able to depart
• National Guard was able to depart, but the community was scared after that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't have that authority.
• I don't have that authority.
• But leave all other laws pertaining to peace officer authority as they are to avoid diminishing the authority
• Outside of DPS's authority.
• And it explicitly authorizes a police officer, who is, and I'm reading verbatim, explicitly authorizes

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Litman did not have the authority to pass the extra money along, so he parked it in the rainy day fund
• to do to pass the have the authority to do to pass the extra<00:16:38.360><c> money</c><00:16:39.000
• the the a bill to authorize the the the distribution<00:17:09.199><c> of</c><00:17:09.400><c> the</c
• in place to go not have the Authority in place to go ahead<00:27:00.000><c> and</c><00:27:00.320><c>
• rails put up needs to be some guard rails put up around<00:39:59.800><c> it</c><00:40:00.800><c> um<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: Division 3 Finance held a work session to move through five bills before noon, noting one member’s early departure and adjusting the order of bills accordingly. The first item, HB 54, would allow some alternative treatment centers in the medical cannabis system to operate for profit. Members discussed a fiscal note showing a one-time $133,000 cost, which was described as a Division 1 budget item to be handled through HB 2 rather than directly in Division 3. After discussion about keeping Division 1 informed and the distinction between retaining a bill versus funding it, the committee voted unanimously to retain HB 54 for further finance work and conversion into HB 2. The committee then took up HB 547, concerning reimbursement to counties for enhanced FMAP funds during the COVID period. The chair summarized the issue as federal enhanced Medicaid matching funds that were received by the state before authority existed to pass them through to counties, creating a disputed amount owed to counties. County representatives said the money should have gone to counties and clarified the relevant time period, while the department did not take a position. The chair proposed retaining the bill and moving it into HB 2, with discussion of a possible four-year repayment structure in equal annual installments. The committee agreed to retain the bill for continued work in the budget process. During the HB 547 discussion, members also clarified the fiscal and accounting details, including that the fiscal note had not been widely available and that some figures in the note should be treated as county revenue rather than county expenditure. Testimony explained that the enhanced FMAP increased from 50 percent to 56.2 percent, and that the state’s and counties’ shares of claims were affected by the timing of the federal change and the later state authorization. The committee emphasized that the issue was complex and budget-dependent, and that retaining the bill would allow further negotiation and incorporation into HB 2 rather than immediate final action.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Gulf Coast, and more.
• it both ways unless you are willing to acknowledge that this is nothing more than a step toward authority
• Capitol: All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority
• national unions. rights that are not to be infringed upon, and that the governing body derives its authority
• are. not equal, that their rights can and will be infringed upon, and that their government holds authority

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, the conference report on the higher education budget totals $9 billion and 1,224 authorized
• It provides authority to spend $75 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program into fiscal year 2026
• It covers 45,269 authorized positions.
• The budget includes funding for 11,306 and a half authorized positions...
• And do we have a safety guard to make sure that's the case?

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Donnell C. Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. A quorum was announced, the journal was approved, and the Speaker said the chamber would take up 11 budget conference reports, with debate and final votes on each report. The first report considered was HB 7031E, the tax package, followed by HB 501E, the state budget appropriations bill. On HB 7031E, Chair Duggan explained that the conference report included a range of tax reductions and tax-related changes, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related provisions, reductions in certain taxes and fees, and new exemptions or administrative clarifications. He said the package also added items such as sales tax relief for certain university construction projects, a tennis admissions exemption, and changes to agricultural property tax treatment, and that the amendment reduced state and local tax revenues by $272.2 million. Members questioned the bill about the child care tax credit reduction from three years to one, the homestead exemption provision for certain diplomats and foreign service personnel, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the inclusion of firearm accessories and tennis tickets in sales tax holidays. After structured debate, the House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began the conference report on HB 501E, the $114.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, which was described as below the prior year’s spending level and leaving more than $14 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major allocations across education, higher education, IT, health care, transportation and economic development, justice, state administration, and agriculture/natural resources. Highlights included increased FEFP funding and veteran teacher raises, full funding for Bright Futures, major IT modernization projects, Medicaid and behavioral health funding, transportation and local infrastructure spending, correctional and law enforcement investments, fire station and emergency response funding, and large environmental and water-quality appropriations. Members asked detailed questions about school voucher fraud oversight, scholarship funding, teacher raises, preeminence funding, ADAP changes, SNAP data tools and error rates, Medicaid rate changes, prison wastewater monitoring, and other budget items, but the transcript ends during the budget questions before final action on HB 501E is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's just assume that staff is always authorized to make grammatical and clerical corrections to bills
• Our state courts are simply not equipped or authorized to interpret complex federal immigration statutes
• Under Senate Rule 2.10, Paragraph 2, the President has authorized a continuation of this meeting until
• For example, someone who tried to fly here illegally, it would be hard to avoid the authorities before
• So remember, this is a statute that's focused on people who enter while avoiding the authorities.

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee took up SB 2-C, a major immigration enforcement bill sponsored by Senator Gruters and co-introduced by Senator Fine. Gruters described the measure as a broad crackdown on illegal immigration that would replace a single immigration officer with a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, create a $250 million grant program for local law enforcement, fund additional Department of Agriculture interdiction staff and facilities, expand pretrial detention for certain unauthorized immigrants, increase criminal penalties, require more cooperation with ICE, and eliminate in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students. He and supporters framed the bill as a way to support law enforcement, deter illegal immigration, and align Florida with federal enforcement efforts. Committee questioning focused heavily on the bill’s education, detention, and enforcement provisions. Senators pressed Gruters and Fine on why the bill did not address employer sanctions or E-Verify, whether the tuition changes would affect students who had grown up in Florida, how sanctuary-policy enforcement would work, and whether the bill would create practical burdens for prosecutors, jails, and local officials. Gruters said he was open to working on E-Verify in regular session but not to amending this bill, and Fine argued the tuition repeal would apply to undocumented students who had qualified under existing law. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri testified in support, saying ICE bed capacity was still insufficient and that county jails needed more resources to honor detainers. Mark Schlachman of FSU Law offered historical context, noting prior state-federal cooperation efforts and warning of unintended consequences, while several public witnesses opposed the bill as unconstitutional, costly, and harmful to immigrant families and the economy. Opponents from the Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU of Florida, Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, Florida Policy Institute, AFL-CIO, and immigrant advocacy groups argued the bill would invite litigation, encourage racial profiling, harm the workforce and higher education, and punish law-abiding immigrants and their families. They emphasized that immigration is a federal matter, that K-12 education must be provided regardless of status, and that removing in-state tuition would reduce access to college and hurt Florida’s economy. Some speakers urged the committee to grandfather current students if the tuition waiver is repealed. The meeting ended with continued public testimony and no final vote reflected in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> commission would be have the authority commission would be have the authority to<00:52:58.800><c
• sole investigative authority?
• </c> picture of two guys uh from the coast picture of two guys uh from the coast and<01:34:20.639><c>
• </c> authorities? Would they go to federal? authorities? Would they go to federal?
• </c> videotapes by the Mississippi Authority videotapes by the Mississippi Authority for<05:39:18.638

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 11 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh uh Tennessee Valley uh authority uh uh Tennessee Valley uh authority bought<00:47:06.000><c>
• that then is if we authorize our that then is if we authorize our utilities<00:55:58.960><c> to</c><00
• </c><01:26:39.520><c> utilities</c> it says prior to authorizing utilities it says prior to authorizing
• doesn't have authority over transmission um<02:54:52.399><c> system</c><02:54:52.800><c> planning.
• </c><04:31:57.439><c> these</c><04:31:57.840><c> specific</c> law authorizes these specific law authorizes

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe it's acceptable to the author.
• You're a joint author on this one as well. I'm a joint author. Yes, sir.
• Gates, do you have a question for the author?
• I want to thank the bipartisan joint authors and co-authors for... with survivors, and I'm thankful to
• I want to thank the bipartisan joint authors and the co-authors. Mr. Speaker, I move passage.

Bills: HJR98, HJR8, HJR133, HB23, HB33, HB144, HB 109, HB 103, HB148, HB3809, HB1686, HB2217, HB2156, HB220, HB2421, HB2363, HB3773, HB421, HB2584, HB2615, HB2455, HB3711, HB2559, HB3747, HB2775, HB2886, HB3126, HB3666, HB3595, HB3260, HB3506, HB1638, HB3376, HB3826, HB3628, HB1349, HB3770, HB1831, HB1762, HB2614, HB3113, HB267, HB322, HB431, HB869, HB 1203, HB 1201, HB 1244, HB1875, HB1950, HB2152, HB2290, HB2341, HB2436, HB2809, HB2856, HB3012, HB2954, HCR56, HCR102, HB 107, HB1587, HB3684, HB658, HJR99, HB1399, HJR5, HJR2, HJR6, HJR31, HB1971, SJR3, HB1775, HJR72, HB502, HB3109, HJR98, HJR8, HJR133, HB 118, HB388, HB 114, HB205, HB2789, HB2791, HB499, HB2960, HB3163, HB3135, HB2427, HB1618, HB1672, HB1722, HB1338, HB787, HB2618, HB879, HB 1126, HB4134, HB3513, HB718, HB1536, HB1445, HB1640, HB1893, HB1734, HB3229, HB3306, HB 1276, HB3272, HB3276, HB3516, HB4145, HB1585, HB4810, HB2989, HB2558, HB3014, HB2742, HB1695, HB23, HB33, HB144, HB 109, HB 103, HB148, HB3809, HB1686, HB2217, HB2156, HB220, HB2421, HB2363, HB3773, HB421, HB2584, HB2615, HB2455, HB3711, HB2559, HB3747, HB2775, HB2886, HB3126, HB3666, HB3595, HB3260, HB3506, HB1638, HB3376, HB3826, HB3628, HB1349, HB3770, HB1831, HB1762, HB2614, HB3113, HB267, HB322, HB431, HB869, HB 1203, HB 1201, HB 1244, HB1875, HB1950, HB2152, HB2290, HB2341, HB2436, HB2809, HB2856, HB3012, HB2954, HCR56, HCR102

Keywords: Article V, federal government, fiscal restraints, constitutional amendment, term limits, nuclear energy, electric generation, funding, Texas nuclear development fund, advanced reactors, HJR 133, Texas constitutional amendment, ad valorem tax, property tax exemption, homestead exemption, surviving spouse, veteran, veterans benefits, service-connected death, presumed service-connected condition

Transcript Highlights:

• Haney not two authors ago.
• We support the effort and have been working with the author, and thank the author and look forward to
• The author replied, "Thank you."
• The author said, "I own that. Thank you."
• I just have a question for the author: Would you consider me as a co-author? Yes.

Summary: The Assembly Local Government Committee heard a long agenda of housing, water, and local finance bills, with the chair repeatedly reminding attendees about hearing rules and noting that several measures were being heard without a quorum at first. Early items included AB 407, which would broaden eligibility for state-run loan and financing programs to help small businesses fund environmental, seismic, and ADA upgrades, and AB 93, which would require data centers to estimate and report water use and follow state best practices. AB 93 drew support from water advocates and local government groups, while the Data Center Coalition opposed it, arguing the bill could be overly restrictive, difficult to retrofit, and raise trade secret or security concerns. The committee also heard AB 650 on housing element review, AB 1044 on creating a new Tulare County groundwater sustainability agency, and AB 523 on allowing proxy voting for single-representative member agencies on the Metropolitan Water District board; all drew broad support from local agencies and related stakeholders and no recorded opposition in the room. Several housing bills were presented as part of a broader fast-track housing package. AB 507 would streamline adaptive reuse of office buildings into housing, especially in downtowns with high vacancy; supporters said it would revive urban cores and help meet housing and climate goals, while the League of California Cities and a few cities opposed it unless amended, citing concerns about one-size-fits-all by-right approval and fee limitations. AB 1294 would create a universal housing application and limit early application requirements; it drew strong support from housing and business groups, with the American Planning Association and League of California Cities seeking more flexibility and input. AB 610 would require local governments to disclose housing constraints in their housing elements and limit new constraints after certification for three years unless disclosed; supporters said it would improve transparency and certainty, while opponents warned it could chill legitimate local policy choices and inclusionary housing requirements. Both AB 610 and AB 698, which would require analysis of the housing and property tax impacts of proposed transfer taxes, were moved out of committee on 7-0 votes after discussion and amendments. The committee also heard AB 1112, which would repeal an outdated Riverside County property tax provision affecting Rancho Mirage; the city argued it was the only qualifying no-low property tax city not receiving the standard minimum and sought equal treatment. After quorum was established, the bill was passed 6-0 with amendments and sent to Appropriations. AB 1021, heard later, would make it easier for school districts and other local education agencies to build employee housing, with the author citing teacher recruitment and retention problems and support from education stakeholders. Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized the need to balance housing production, local fiscal tools, and infrastructure needs, and several authors accepted committee amendments and committed to continued negotiations with opponents.

Transcript Highlights:

• better angle to go after probation and parole because they're all intertwined with the registration authority
• I believe the author was Representative Landry. Representative Landry, author of the resolution.
• And though the question kind of caught me off guard, we did what we have come to do very routinely at
• And I'd like to co-author the bill, Denise, so I'd like to be a... ...try to keep in touch.
• And I'd like to co-author the bill, Denise. So I'd like to be a co-author to the bill. Thank you.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee held its inaugural meeting on March 5, 2026, with opening remarks from Chair Freiberg and Vice Chair Marcelle describing the panel’s purpose as studying issues affecting women and children, including health, education, economic opportunity, safety, and criminal justice. After roll call, the chair noted the meeting was informational only and not requiring a quorum. The committee then heard presentations and asked questions on human trafficking and child exploitation, followed by an audit report on the treatment and care of incarcerated women. Mary Kate Andrepont of the Governor’s Office of Human Trafficking Prevention presented 2025 data showing 2,963 victims identified, 15,437 service instances, and 33% of victims remaining in services at least nine months. She said 93% of reported victims were sex trafficking victims, most were under 18, and 62 of 64 parishes had trafficking reports. She explained familial trafficking, described screening and coordinated response procedures, and highlighted new tools and outreach campaigns. She also discussed two priority bills: HB 321 by Rep. LaFleur, which would create immunity from prostitution offenses for child trafficking victims under Safe Harbor principles, and SB 83 by Sen. Edmonds, which would require school board trafficking policies and expand victim advocacy services to labor trafficking victims and survivors up to age 21. Committee members asked about reporting procedures, data trends, service gaps, and the reach of the screening tools. Chris Masters of the Attorney General’s office then presented on online child exploitation and child sexual abuse material through the Louisiana ICAC Task Force. He reported 31,203 tips in 2025, 545 arrests, more than 80 children identified or rescued, over 1,500 search warrants, and more than 100 community presentations. He said the task force is expanding statewide, including an Orleans Metro unit, and asked for more analysts and outreach personnel to handle a projected rise in cyber tips. Members asked about community presentations, the scope of the investigations, sex offender social media restrictions, interstate cases, sentencing, and how online enticement and live abuse are prosecuted. The discussion emphasized parental monitoring, school outreach, and coordination with federal partners. The final item introduced an audit report on the treatment and care of incarcerated females. Legislative Auditor staff said the review, requested by a 2023 resolution, found that Louisiana’s jails and guidance documents had not fully addressed the key laws and standards governing women’s incarceration, including restraint use during pregnancy and childbirth, health care, hygiene, dignity, and reentry. They noted that local jails still house a majority of incarcerated women despite the opening of a new state facility, and that several facilities had confirmed prohibited restraint use or failed to provide required written advisements. The staff said the report included legislative considerations for improving compliance and care.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I know we didn't do this at the last hearing, so you may be caught off guard.
• The proposition authorizes a total of $10 billion in state general obligation bonds.
• Yes, and the board authorizes or approves regulatory changes as well. Yeah.
• So first there's a responsibility, and in our view there's authority.
• So first there's a responsibility, and in our view there's authority.

Summary: The committee heard opening public comment and then took up several K-12 budget items in the Governor’s January proposal. On LCFF and necessary small schools, the Department of Finance described a 2.41% COLA, a roughly $2.2 billion increase for districts and charters, and a $30.7 million ongoing augmentation to raise necessary small schools funding by 20%. The LAO supported funding the COLA and said the small schools proposal had merit, but questioned the 20% figure and warned about a sharp funding cliff around the enrollment thresholds. Members and witnesses repeatedly raised declining enrollment, attendance, and the need to align funding with outcomes and local cost pressures. The chair and several members also asked whether consolidation, shared administration, or alternative formulas could better address small district costs, and the issue was left open for further discussion. The panel then discussed special education equalization. Finance proposed $509 million ongoing Proposition 98 funding to raise the statewide special education base rate to $999 per ADA, which would fully equalize SELPA base rates; the LAO said the same target could likely be reached with less money under current assumptions. CDE strongly supported equalization as an equity issue and said about 15% of students are identified with disabilities, with identification rising by roughly 20,000 to 25,000 students per year. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, high caseloads, and the need to use any additional funds for inclusive practices, alternative diploma pathways, and the extraordinary cost pool. The committee also discussed whether the budget language should reflect the $509 million amount or the $999 rate, and the item was held open. For the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring $757.3 million one-time to complete the program, while the LAO recommended approval because learning loss remains unresolved and districts have generally used the funds for tutoring, supplemental instruction, and other academic supports. CDE explained that LEAs must revisit their needs assessments and that many districts are using the funds alongside other support systems, but members pressed for clearer accountability and better data on how much money actually goes to tutoring or other direct services. The committee then reviewed the Student Support and Professional Development Discretionary Block Grant, with Finance proposing $2.8 billion one-time and the LAO saying discretionary funding can help districts address local priorities but should be paired with fiscal oversight and possibly more targeted priorities. Members split between supporting flexibility for local needs and worrying that the grant could be used to cover ongoing structural deficits without clear evidence of student-outcome gains; the issue was also held open. Finally, the committee heard a high-level overview of school facilities funding under Proposition 2, with Finance proposing to continue $1.5 billion in bond spending in 2026-27. OPSC said that at the current pace all Prop 2 K-12 funds would likely be exhausted around 2029-30, and that demand is shifting toward modernization as enrollment declines in many areas. Members asked about school closures, reuse of unused sites, and the new small school district facilities program, which OPSC said is moving toward proposed regulations and would begin accepting modernization applications in November 2026 and new construction applications in January 2027. The committee also briefly noted community college facilities funding and asked for more information later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• case, K-12 schools is our substantially largest area of expenditures, followed by DSHS, Health Care Authority
• So folks may recall there was a public development authority that dissolved in 2024 and shifted these
• So with the caseload cap, there's 12-month authorization.
• So with the caseload cap, there's 12-month authorization.
• As a retired veteran of the Washington Air National Guard and former active duty service member, now

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :56:58.880><c> these</c> Additionally, if we don't have these Additionally, if we don't have these guard
• <00:57:00.319><c> rails,</c> guard rails, guard rails, this<00:57:02.880><c> is</c><00:57:03.040><c>
• It's exactly under disaster or emergent conditions that sometimes, under the wrong kind of authority,
• It's exactly under disaster or emergent conditions that sometimes, under the wrong kind of authority,
• So, I want to put on record that I believe it is arguable that if an agitator is interrupting the authority

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:43.839><c> that's</c> there's not statutory authority that's there's not statutory authority
• :03.279><c> but</c> specifically statutoily authorized, but specifically statutoily authorized, but not
• </c> there's a penalty that's not authorized there's a penalty that's not authorized by<00:14:28.160>
• </c> and have statuto authority to do it. and have statuto authority to do it.
• </c> just saying they need statuto authority just saying they need statuto authority to to<01:09:23.920

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The continued conference on House Bill 609 focused on reconciling House and Senate drafts dealing with firearms and other personal defense tools, local government preemption, and agency rulemaking. Representative Leyon walked through amendment 21107H, explaining that it narrows undefined terms, clarifies that the General Court has supremacy over local regulation, allows damages actions for violations of preemption law, and adds language limiting agency rules unless specifically authorized by statute. She also described a three-year sunset and a delayed effective date for new rules so existing rules could continue temporarily while the legislature considers any needed statutory carveouts. Members then debated the practical effect of the language, especially whether it would bar agencies from adopting internal employment rules or instead require those rules to come through JCAR and be tied to express statutory authority. Several examples were discussed, including state plow drivers, corrections employees, and other workers who may need to carry personal defense tools in the field. The committee also discussed a provision making a plaintiff a prevailing party if a municipality changes a challenged policy after suit is filed, and a clause stating that good faith or advice of counsel is not a defense, though it may be considered in mitigation. The discussion narrowed to the difference between the House approach, which some members read as an absolute prohibition on agency rules in these areas, and the Senate approach, which some members said would allow rules only when an agency can point to express enabling authority and JCAR can review them. Members agreed that the goal was to prevent agencies from adopting rules that conflict with the statute while still allowing legitimate safety-related regulations where the legislature has authorized them. The conference took a recess and later resumed with the chair stating the parties had reached an agreement in principle based on the latest Senate language, and Representative Leyon was asked to continue reviewing the draft line by line for remaining concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so stated, unlike the past few months, the National Guard was nowhere to be found.
• <c> National</c> unlike the past few months, the National unlike the past few months, the National Guard

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:41:51.119><c> It</c><00:41:51.359><c> also</c> authorized motor vehicle agents.
• It also authorized motor vehicle agents.
• And then strike except strike on and ...” that authorizes the transfer or sale of that authorizes the
• And I just ask the authors of this bill, did you look at the requirements of Prop 123?
• And so most housing authorities usually And so most housing authorities usually have<04:05:22.640><c>

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The most prolific authority on the mainstream is the Auschwitz Museum itself, has published one book
• </c><00:58:55.760><c> Um,</c> authority of the current president.
• Um, authority of the current president.
• House Bill 1727 is not a broad authorization for data sharing.
• The authorities share this information until it expires, and the data must be deleted.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2023, I authored SB 745 to expand authority for the OAG to investigate and take action in all publicly
• So I'll talk a lot about prior authorization.
• We don't want the fox guarding the henhouse.
• You have to have an authorization.
• You have to have an authorization.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• depth, and a State Board of Health governs lifeguard practices, pool clarity, pool safety signage, and guard-to-swimmer

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, beginning with a major workplace violence proposal for health care settings. Senator Lovely, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and SEIU 1199 all supported legislation requiring hospitals and other health care employers to conduct facility-specific risk assessments, develop violence prevention plans, train workers, and provide reporting and protections for assaulted employees. Witnesses described workplace assaults as frequent and escalating, and committee members discussed balancing worker safety with concerns about criminalizing mental illness; testimony emphasized that the bill targets intentional assaults while preserving treatment and discretion for behavioral health crises. The committee also heard strong support for bills to strengthen traffic safety, including primary seat belt enforcement, rear-facing car seat requirements, and seat belts on school buses. AAA Northeast, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, law enforcement, legislators, and the Massachusetts Insurance Federation all backed the measures, citing crash data, injury prevention, and personal stories of traumatic brain injury. Senator O’Connor testified for school bus seat belts, saying Massachusetts should join other states requiring them, and later Sophia Furzada of the National Transportation Safety Board urged passage of school bus seat belt and child passenger safety bills, saying lap-shoulder belts would reduce injuries and save lives in crashes where compartmentalization is not enough. Other testimony included support for a bill to make 9-1-1 disability indicator forms more accessible and inclusive, with the witness arguing the form should better reflect mental health, developmental disabilities, language access needs, and a fifth-grade reading level. The committee also heard opposition to a proposal to extend Christian’s Law to swimming pools, with a parks and recreation director warning of unintended consequences for municipal camps and underserved communities. Finally, the committee took testimony on a bill to expand the Forensic Science Oversight Board to include workforce representation, which MOSES said would restore technical expertise to the board. At the end of the hearing, the committee adjourned without taking votes on the bills discussed.