Transcript Highlights:

• following bills and resolutions for Tuesday, March 24, 2026, to the Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor
• > to the Economic Development, Tourism, to the Economic Development, Tourism, and<00:48:08.840><c> Labor
• 10.200><c> House</c><00:48:10.520><c> Bills</c><00:48:10.880><c> 480</c><00:48:11.480><c> and</c> and Labor
• Committee, House Bills 480 and and Labor Committee, House Bills 480 and 692, 692, 692, to<00:48:13.840
• , given its first reading, and returned to the Committee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and labor leader known for co-founding the United Farm Workers
• organizing the Delano grape strike and boycott, which led to better wages and working conditions for farm laborers
• Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and labor leader known for co-founding the United Farm Workers
• Dolores Huerta has a strong connection to Arizona through her activism in labor rights, civil rights,
• She also opposed anti-immigrant and anti-labor policies in Arizona, including laws that targeted undocumented

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all who labor
• to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all who labor
• to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all who labor
• to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all who labor
• to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all who labor

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee.
• vacancy savings from those vacant positions and we buy a smaller amount of much more expensive contract labor
• amount of m much more<00:13:12.399><c> expensive</c><00:13:12.880><c> contract</c><00:13:13.360><c> labor
• contract labor which we do<00:13:14.320><c> reluctantly</c><00:13:15.519><c> so</c><00:13:15.680><c>
• Welcome to Labor and Health. >> It's a pleasure to be here.

Bills: SF0010, SF0005

Keywords: mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, bankruptcy, hospital, county, healthcare, financial stability, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sarah Floggs, California Federation of Labor Unions, in strong support. Thank you.
• Sarah Floggs, California Federation of Labor Unions, in strong support. Thank you.
• Madam Chair and members, Sarah Flox, California Federation of Labor Unions, in strong support.
• Madam Chair members, Sarah Flox, California Federation of Labor Unions in strong support.
• Madam Chair Members, Louis Costa, with the State Legislation Labor Board of Smart Transportation Division

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee met with a new membership roster and adopted its committee rules after quorum was established. The hearing then began with AB 412, the AI Copyright Transparency Act, which would require generative AI developers to provide copyright holders notice when registered copyrighted works are used in training data. The author and supporters, including SAG-AFTRA, the Transparency Coalition, voice actors, writers, labor groups, and other creators, argued the bill would give artists a practical way to learn whether their works were used and to vindicate their rights. Opponents, including EFF, CalChamber, RIAA, CCIA, Chamber of Progress, Bay Area Council, BSA, and TechNet, said the proposal was technically unworkable, could burden startups, conflict with existing law and pending litigation, and raise federal preemption concerns. Members discussed the bill’s amendments, including a fingerprinting approach and narrowing the bill to model developers, and the committee voted 8-2 to pass AB 412 as amended to the Judiciary Committee. The committee then heard AB 446, which would prohibit “surveillance pricing,” or the use of personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service. The author and supporters, including Consumer Watchdog, UFCW, labor organizations, and consumer/privacy groups, described examples of differential pricing tied to device type, location, shopping behavior, and digital price tags, and argued the bill would protect consumers from discriminatory and predatory pricing. Business and industry opponents, including CalChamber, grocers, retailers, travel, broadband, and other associations, said the bill could conflict with the CCPA, interfere with loyalty and rewards programs, and create confusion about personalized discounts and dynamic pricing. The discussion focused on how the bill would treat loyalty programs, whether existing privacy law already covers the issue, and whether the proposal would unintentionally affect legitimate discounts and promotions.

Transcript Highlights:

• They've already done the labor, but because they owe money and they're trying to get a job to pay for
• brought a bill to the legislature, which you guys completely passed, which alleviated a lot of our labor
• So by eliminating that, it enlarged our labor force. We still have a problem with our labor force.
• We still have a problem with our labor force. That's big right now, which has caused many problems.
• And because of labor shortages, we have a real problem with getting qualified workers, not contractors

Summary: The subcommittee heard and approved four bills focused on reducing or modernizing professional regulation. HB 6015, by Rep. Oliver, repeals the word “reusable” from the wine keg statute to allow businesses more flexibility in container materials; members joked about the possibility of a Home Depot bucket, and the bill passed 16-0. HB 339, by Rep. Abbott, creates an alternative temporary licensure pathway for surveyors and mappers based on employer recommendation and exam passage, but members raised concerns about qualifications, liability, and oversight; Abbott said he was open to amendments, and the bill passed 14-1 with Rep. Overdorf dissenting. HB 139, by Rep. Lopez, allows pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms instead of only printed forms; a technical amendment added readability and placement requirements for digital forms, and the bill passed unanimously. HB 195, by Rep. Chambliss, lets the Department of Corrections coordinate with DBPR boards so inmates who complete licensure-related classes can receive credit toward professional licensure; supporters framed it as a second-chance and workforce bill, an amendment clarified that DBPR handles professions without boards, and the bill passed favorably 15-0. The committee then received a presentation from DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin on the department’s role overseeing more than 1.7 million businesses and professionals across over 30 fields. She highlighted enforcement and complaint data, including more than 24,000 inspections and complaints handled in the last fiscal year, a preference for education and voluntary compliance over formal discipline, and the department’s alternative dispute resolution program, which returned $2.7 million to consumers and saved $270,000 in costs. Griffin also reviewed recent deregulatory and efficiency efforts, including endorsement/reciprocity reforms, fee waivers, reduced processing times, and shorter call wait times, and said DBPR is continuing to look for ways to cut red tape while protecting public safety. Members questioned Griffin about permitting, continuing education, complaint processing, board vacancies, fraud in cosmetology and construction, coordination with other agencies, and whether schools can block students from taking state exams over unpaid tuition. DBPR staff said complaints are generally processed within 60 days, schools cannot bar graduates from taking the exam because of tuition debt, and the department works with other agencies when issues cross jurisdictional lines. The panel discussion that followed featured industry representatives from landscape architecture, building/code administration, pools, roofing, construction, HVAC/electrical, and hospitality, who generally supported reducing local permitting burdens, standardizing requirements, improving reciprocity and training pathways, and using technology and clearer scopes of work to make licensure and inspections more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm calling to order the House Committee on Labor. It is Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, 9:00 a.m.
• Looking forward to serving on the Labor Committee once again.
• Good morning, Chair Sayama, Vice Chair Lee, and honorable members of the Labor Committee.
• Good morning, Chair Sayama, Vice Chair Lee, and honorable members of the Labor Committee.
• Recess. e e e e e e e e e e e e e e Calling back to order the House Committee on Labor.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• like if you have to raise money to match that fund, or you might be doing it in kind by providing labor
• > that</c><00:16:20.880><c> would</c><00:16:21.040><c> all</c><00:16:21.360><c> have</c> providing labor
• uh that would all have providing labor uh that would all have to<00:16:21.680><c> be</c><00:16:22.240
• across all the districts labor across all the districts statewide. statewide. statewide.
• </c><00:49:28.960><c> to</c><00:49:29.359><c> presumably</c> their 27 cents a day labor to presumably

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session began with HB 656, as amended, which would treat federal funds received by school districts as unanticipated money unless already listed in the annual report, and would require notices and school board minutes to identify the grant and summarize any obligations attached to accepting it. Supporters said the bill was aimed at transparency so voters would understand the “strings attached” to grants, while opponents raised concerns that the amendment was new, potentially vague, and could require districts to publish lengthy or redundant information, increasing costs and administrative burden. Several members suggested alternative approaches, such as a state-level list of common grant obligations or posting grant documents online. No vote was taken, and some members argued the bill was not ready for action. The committee then moved to HB 665, which would expand eligibility for free school meals to households at up to 300% of federal poverty guidelines and use education trust fund money to cover the added cost. Representative Damon strongly supported the bill, citing food insecurity and arguing the fiscal note likely overstated costs because the bill requires at least one free meal, not necessarily both breakfast and lunch. The discussion was just beginning when the transcript ended, and no vote or final action on HB 665 was recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• towards a degree and workforce readiness in high-demand fields like healthcare, law enforcement, and skilled
• toward a degree and workforce readiness in high-demand fields like healthcare, law enforcement, and skilled
• fields like healthcare, law enforcement, fields like healthcare, law enforcement, and<00:25:31.040><c> skilled
• 32.120><c> or</c><00:25:32.480><c> as</c><00:25:32.600><c> an</c><00:25:32.679><c> accessible</c> and skilled
• trades, or as an accessible and skilled trades, or as an accessible step<00:25:33.800><c> towards</c

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• inpatient hospital admissions, a 72% decrease in inpatient hospital admissions, a 72% decrease in skilled
• And then what if that came with a cooking class to actually have the skills of how to prepare a diabetic-friendly
• Having cooking skills and learning how to make food and feed yourself is huge and lasts for a lifetime
• Having cooking skills and learning how to make food and feed yourself is huge and last for a lifetime
• That young child would have regressed in their skills and not been able to move forward.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That was actually our goal: to try to have a relationship around a particular skill.
• have a technical degree and want to go into management, that's one way to do it: to get those MBA skills
• and leadership and management skills to be able to progress through that workforce.
• little bit of, just that as our employees have interest in returning to school and upgrading their skills
• Not only across this country, but across the globe, people with technology skills are in high demand.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you know what some person may define as communications other may define as a management skill, and
• So you know what some person may define as communications, other may define as a management skill, and
• c><00:27:01.520><c> as</c><00:27:01.679><c> a</c><00:27:01.840><c> management</c><00:27:02.320><c> skill
• </c> other may define as a management skill other may define as a management skill and<00:27:03.440><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with routine business, including the Pledge of Allegiance, seating alternates, and approval of the minutes and consent calendar. Both were approved without opposition. The committee then moved to the regular calendar, beginning with Department of Environmental Services drinking water rules (2532). Staff noted that the final proposal deleted requirements that had been in the initial proposal, making the published notice technically inaccurate because it said there were no substantive changes. The agency responded that the requirements still exist in other rules, that regulated entities and the Water Council were notified, and that the public had notice through related hearings. After discussion about whether a new noticed hearing was needed, the committee approved the rule. The next item was Department of Administrative Services personnel rule 2510 on seniority and employee performance evaluation. Staff raised informational comments and one unclear comment about language that appeared to require a checkbox even though no form exists, and about evaluation categories that could overlap. The agency said the checkbox language should be removed, but defended the overlapping categories as part of a long-standing template used by agencies for the past 10 years. Members discussed whether the language was too ambiguous or could lead to inconsistent application, but the committee ultimately approved the rule with a condition striking the checkbox language in the affected sections. The committee then considered personnel rule 25109 on investigations, discipline, non-disciplinary communications, and non-disciplinary removal. Staff recommended clarifying language distinguishing license suspension from termination for cause, and questioned whether the sexual-harassment discipline language was too broad because the same conduct could fit multiple discipline levels. The agency agreed to add the suggested clarification for the license-suspension provision, but argued the sexual-harassment language should remain because another rule already provides the factors for determining the appropriate discipline and the agency needs discretion for fact-specific cases. The discussion included concerns about how non-verbal conduct might be treated, but the committee moved toward conditional approval with the agreed clarification and approval of the rest of the rule as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• controlled, state-of-the-art environment for firearms training, tactical exercises, and law enforcement skill
• This project aims to enhance the preparedness, marksmanship, and technical skills of law enforcement
• > technical</c> preparedness, markmanship, and technical preparedness, markmanship, and technical skills
• > of</c><00:47:51.839><c> law</c><00:47:52.000><c> enforcement</c><00:47:52.560><c> personnel</c> skills
• of law enforcement personnel skills of law enforcement personnel while<00:47:53.760><c> ensuring</c>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:09 Approval of Minutes 00:01:10 Welcome New Members 00:01:26 Information Items 00:01:49 COT Special Report 00:02:38 Review of Executive Branch Agency Plans 00:07:41 A. Department of Military Affairs 00:08:07 B. Department of Veterans’ Affairs 00:20:34 C. Kentucky Infrastructure Authority 00:25:54 D. Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet 00:35:05 E. Transportation Cabinet 00:55:53, 958, all

Summary: The Capital Planning Advisory Board met with a quorum, approved the May 21 minutes, and welcomed a new executive branch member, Secretary Keith Jackson of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. The board also received two informational items: agency responses to prior questions and amendments made to capital plans after the last meeting. It then heard the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s report on executive branch IT capital project scoring, which reviewed 16 IT requests totaling about $330.5 million. COOT said projects were ranked through an independent panel using standardized criteria focused on feasibility, statewide alignment, readiness, impact, and risk; the CIO recommended moving an enterprise application and artificial intelligence inventory system from rank 11 to rank 4 because of its enterprise-wide impact and connection to Senate Bill 4. The Department of Military Affairs presented its capital plan, describing 43 million in projects for the current period and 13 projects totaling $65 million for 2026–2028, with most funding coming from federal sources and restricted agency funds and no general fund request in the latter period. Its projects included maintenance pool adjustments, a statewide Army master plan, the Somerset readiness center, Shelbyville and Ashland armories, a future home for the Kentucky Army National Guard band, and other facility upgrades. Members asked about the Somerset project’s cost growth and federal delay; the department said the project remains in conceptual design, is awaiting federal MILCON action, and would require a state match of about $9.8 million against $29.6 million federal funding if it is approved. Members also asked about staffing levels, and the department said state employee and Title 32 numbers have been relatively steady, while technician positions have declined. The Department of Veterans Affairs outlined seven projects for 2026–2028, led by a Radcliff Veterans Center HVAC replacement that needs an estimated additional $16 million to finish phase two after phase one was already funded. Other requests included a maintenance pool increase, renovations and exterior upgrades at Eastern and Western Kentucky veterans facilities, a cooling tower replacement at Thompson Hood, and parking lot and lighting improvements. The department said some projects were already in the six-year plan and that the Radcliff phase two could be bid in June 2026 if funded. Members confirmed that a columbarium wall project at Grayson is federally funded. The Kentucky Infrastructure Authority presented its six-year capital plan, citing more than $3 billion in loan commitments since 1988 and over $5 billion in supported infrastructure projects. KIA requested $298.439 million in the first biennium, including $27.742 million in state match for federal clean water and drinking water revolving funds, $25 million for its state Infrastructure Revolving Fund, $185.697 million in federal capitalization grants, and $30 million in leverage bond authorization for each year of the two federally assisted loan programs. Members asked about drinking-water quality, and KIA said that function is handled by the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Division of Water, not KIA. KIA also said its loan rates currently range from 0.5% to 2.25%, averaging just under 1%, and that its revolving loan programs have had no defaults. The Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet began its presentation at the end of the transcript, with staff identifying themselves, but no project details or board action from that presentation were included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• state of Texas, especially related to child... adolescent medicine and so we need to leverage the skills
• we're seeing. serve, and we do continuing medical education, trying to build the knowledge, capacity, skills
• saying, we're here talking about the. budget, how do we compete for the type of professionalism and skills
• When patients are or individuals are in a jail setting you can't Medicaid because they don't have the skill
• set, the correctional officers, or the team to do the work. not have the skill sets.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So while we need the tactical skills to do the jobs that we need done, we also need those liberal arts
• The applied liberal arts aligns with the holistic soft skills that you describe, with a career workforce
• trades program, and they are focused on ensuring that every graduate from NTC has those core breadth skills
• 00:37:11.520><c> those</c><00:37:12.000><c> core</c><00:37:12.720><c> breadth</c><00:37:13.280><c> skills
• </c> from NTC has those core breadth skills from NTC has those core breadth skills as<00:37:14.079><c

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The other is that the Department of Labor has... ...than applying for benefits.
• The other is that the Department of Labor has said what we've been doing for 50 years in working, and

Summary: The Executive Subcommittee met and first considered a waiver request from the Stuttgart School District to use the TIPS interlocal purchasing system for a turf replacement project instead of a traditional competitive bid. Superintendent Jeff McKinney explained that three bids were received but none fully met the RFP specifications, including warranty and insurance requirements. After review by the district’s architect, the committee approved the waiver request by voice vote. The committee then approved a consultant services agreement between the Bureau of Legislative Research and Work Ed Consulting to support the Hospital Medicaid Developmental Disability Subcommittee’s study under Act 145. Legislators said the consultant would help develop workforce-system reform legislation for the 2027 session, and noted the firm’s experience in other states. The contract runs through June 30, 2027, with a maximum amount of $158,000, and was approved without opposition. Next, the committee approved an actuarial and consultant services agreement with Perrin Knight to provide ongoing actuarial support for the state property insurance captive and related legislative oversight work. Bureau staff said the contract would run from April 1 through December 31, 2027, with a maximum amount of $475,000, though only actual hours and travel would be billed. Members asked about budgeting, invoice timing, and overlap with other insurance consultants, and the agreement was approved. Finally, the committee approved using Bureau committee room funds to renovate Committee Room C in the Big Mac Building, citing outdated audiovisual equipment and the need to update the room to match other recent renovations before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• WASAC has staffed the WEA Oversight Board, which convenes a unique mix of business, higher education, labor
• , and workforce development stakeholders to recommend how the Legislature... ...education, labor, and

Bills: SB5963

Keywords: SB 5963, passport to careers, Washington College Grant, financial aid, higher education, student aid, need-based aid, college affordability, postsecondary education, workforce development, apprenticeship, foster youth, homeless students, unaccompanied youth, low-income students, public assistance, state financial aid account, scholarships, Washington student grants, grant eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in a post-acute care situation, you are either going to a, uh, some type of skilled nursing facility
• So, in a post-acute care situation, you are either going to a, uh, some type of skilled nursing facility
• only with the new mom to understand how to take care of that baby, but you're also imparting life skills
• :29:49.840><c> also</c><01:29:50.200><c> imparting</c><01:29:50.880><c> life</c><01:29:51.160><c> skills
• </c><01:29:51.600><c> as</c> but you're also imparting life skills as but you're also imparting life

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on September 24, 2025, approved the minutes from the September 9 meeting, and then continued its discussion of Medicaid waivers with Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock from the Department for Medicaid Services. Members asked for updates on the 2024 waiver waitlist management assessment recommendations, including aligning waiver policies, standardizing applications and waitlist placement, and modernizing data systems. DMS said that work is being done jointly with Aging and Independent Living and Behavioral Health/Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities through task forces, that ARPA spending delayed action, and that implementation timelines extend through March 2027. The board also reviewed per-member waiver cost averages for fiscal years 2023 through 2025 for ABI, ABI long-term care, HCBS, Model II, Michelle P, and SCL. DMS emphasized these figures were benefit-only averages based on paid claims, not full waiver costs, and explained that true budget neutrality is calculated on an aggregate basis against institutional care comparisons approved by CMS. DMS said all six waivers remain in compliance with budget neutrality and that the most recent 18-month lag review for FY 2022 and FY 2023 found costs at or below institutional care. Members also asked about unused waiver slots; DMS said slots generally cannot be reallocated mid-year if they have been used, except in cases such as death or reserved capacity, because CMS treats participants as unduplicated for the waiver year. A major portion of the meeting focused on the new child waiver created under House Bill 6. Legislators questioned whether the waiver’s design, including the exclusion of participant-directed services and the emphasis on high-acuity children with behavioral health, DCBS, or juvenile justice involvement, matched the bill’s intent to keep children at home. DMS said it used the $14.7 million appropriated for FY 2026 to develop the program, that there is no priority list, and that the waiver is intended to serve the highest-acuity children while also addressing residential needs for those sleeping in offices or placed out of state. Members also raised concerns about the rapid growth of the HCBS waiting list and asked for more detail on age and timing patterns, which DMS said it would provide later. Finally, DMS gave average processing times from application to eligibility determination and from approval to service start, and said the overall average from application to services beginning was about 80 days, while members requested follow-up information on the Carewise assessment contract and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The fee supports our ability to provide the services our community needs with the skilled staff who are
• staff who are part of the care skilled staff who are part of the care delivery<01:15:15.199><c> team
• It's the complex situations and unexpected complications that demand skill.
• Minnesotans deserve the highest level of skill when their vision and facial function are at stake.
• This pay inequity directly affects our ability to offer competitive wages, retain skilled staff, pay

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• drinking water after studies showed that children and adults experience problems with memory, motor skills
• drinking water after studies showed that children and adults experience problems with memory, motor skills
• drinking water after studies showed that children and adults experience problems with memory, motor skills
• </c><00:26:02.080><c> attention</c><00:26:02.919><c> due</c><00:26:03.159><c> to</c> memory motor skills
• and attention due to memory motor skills and attention due to Extended<00:26:04.159><c> exposure</c>

Bills: HF343, HF446, HF448, HF674, HF811, HF832, HF1661, HF1528, HF1536, HF1541, HF1670, HF1438, HF1714, HF1748, HF1835, HF1904, HF1929, HF1942

Keywords: HF343, Chisago County, Shorewood Park Sanitary Sewer District, Rush Lake, sewer extension, wastewater infrastructure, sanitary sewer, treatment pond, sewage treatment, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, Public Facilities Authority, local infrastructure, municipal utilities, water quality, sanitation, bond proceeds fund, Minnesota bonding, HF446