Transcript Highlights:

• These are changes to the 2025 higher education budget act.
• Section 63 education budget act.
• So we don't have budget targets.
• Higher ed is around 6% of the overall state budget.
• </c> time to do that is in the budget year. time to do that is in the budget year.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4252 and first heard a walkthrough of a DE2 amendment that largely incorporated Office of Higher Education technical and statutory cleanup items, including reporting consolidations, updates to postsecondary registration and licensing statutes, and an anti-fraud provision. New provisions in the DE2 would require public postsecondary institutions to explain developmental courses before enrollment and obtain a written acknowledgement, revise the state grant tuition cap, add a $1.5 million ongoing appropriation in FY 2027 for an identity verification system to combat enrollment fraud, and provide $5,000 one-time funding for reforestation at Bemidji State University. Fiscal staff also noted additional special revenue fund revenue and expenditures tied to licensing and registration litigation response. The main debate centered on the A8 amendment offered by Representative Rarick, which would require the governor to appoint University of Minnesota regents only from candidates recommended by the joint legislative committee if the legislature fails to elect regents. Rarick argued the amendment was needed to address what he described as conflicts of interest and pay-to-play concerns in recent gubernatorial appointments. Several members questioned whether the language was constitutional, whether it actually addressed conflicts of interest, and whether it should instead refer to ARCAC-screened or ARCAC-recommended candidates. Nonpartisan staff said the governor’s appointment power is addressed in the university charter, not directly in the constitution, but could not definitively assess constitutionality if challenged. Members were divided: some supported the goal of cleaner governance but said the amendment was not ready or did not match the problem being described; others argued the legislature had failed to complete its own regent appointments and that the amendment was a response to that failure. No vote on the A8 amendment or the bill was reached in the portion provided, though a roll call was requested on the amendment and the chair indicated the bill would continue through amendment consideration before final discussion and vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going through the budget process ourselves.
• We're going through the budget process ourselves.
• </c> that's something that within our budget that's something that within our budget we<00:53:36.800>
• Happy budget and was unable to get here.
• Based on uh proposed budget cuts yes.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh based on the anticipated budget uh based on the anticipated expenses<02:00:31.000><c> and</c><02:
• these rent increases personal budgets these rent increases for<02:00:51.159><c> the</c><02:00:51.280
• It doesn't consider any other cost that they must consider in their budgets: real estate taxes, water
• It doesn't consider any other cost that they must consider in their budgets: real estate taxes, water
• It doesn't consider any other cost that they must consider in their budgets: real estate taxes, water

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We looked at cutting $65,000 from the fire budget because of the budgets going up in our town.
• , we have a town budget, we have all these budgets, and if one goes up, where are the teachers in all
• <c> uh</c> the fire budget fire fighter budget uh the fire budget fire fighter budget uh because<04:02
• we have a okay we have a fire budget we have a town<04:03:07.319><c> budget</c><04:03:07.560><c> we<
• </c> town budget we have all these budgets town budget we have all these budgets and<04:03:09.159><c>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 362, which would grant the Department of Education rulemaking authority related to educator licensure and testing requirements, including passing scores on professional education assessments. Representative Ladd said the bill is intended to preserve New Hampshire’s standards for classroom teachers and CTE instructors, while allowing DOE flexibility through rulemaking. He emphasized maintaining high standards, including for career and technical education, and said he was open to DOE clarifying the language further. Committee members raised concerns that the bill, as written, could remove language recognizing industry-recognized credentials for CTE instructors. Department of Education Director Steven Appy said DOE had drafted an amendment to clarify that the requirement applies to an initial New Hampshire license, to exempt CTE teachers from content exams, and to preserve current administrative practice allowing basic academic skills testing and industry-recognized credentials as substitutes. The committee discussed the distinction between basic academic skills tests and content assessments, and Appy said the amendment was meant to avoid conflating those requirements. The chair said the committee would take up executive session on HB 362 and related bills later. The committee then took up House Bill 90, which narrows and defines the rules for part-time teachers, especially in concurrent enrollment settings. Representative Ladd explained that the bill is meant to allow qualified college faculty or adjuncts from the University System or Community College System to teach high school concurrent-enrollment courses when local schools lack a teacher with the needed master’s-level credentials, particularly in math and STEM subjects. He said the bill is intended to expand student access to college-level coursework, save money, and preserve standards, while still requiring background checks and adherence to ethics and conduct rules. Members began asking questions about how the bill would work in practice, including certification and endorsement issues, but the hearing was not concluded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when I first came to the legislature the first time, it was 23 years ago, and I was named Budget
• So budgeting, and that has always been my background.
• Budget from that lens and perspective.
• I had always been in the public safety realm or in the budgeting realm.
• And the only other question that I had, one of the two, is obviously the 2020 budget request, AB 134,

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules first established quorum and took up several routine items, including two governor’s appointments to the Court Reporters Board, references of bills to committees, and floor acknowledgments. Heather Lynn Gonzalez’s appointment was approved 3-1, Allison Salton-Sall’s appointment was approved 4-0, and the other routine items were approved 4-0. The committee then heard testimony on two Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation appointments, Kathleen Ratliff and Joseph Tuggle, both associate directors in the Division of Adult Institutions. Senators focused heavily on the California model, staff safety, prison violence, sexual abuse prevention, retaliation concerns, and visitation. Ratliff and Tuggle said the California model is meant to balance rehabilitation with safety, that CDCR has improved communication and training, and that incidents such as the pepper-spray event at Central California Women’s Facility led to discipline, investigations, retraining, and policy review. They also described PREA reporting systems, anti-retaliation protections, statewide visiting meetings, and efforts to make visiting more family-centered and consistent. Public commenters largely supported both nominees, citing their work on rehabilitation, reentry, and sexual abuse response. The committee unanimously voted 4-0 to send both Ratliff and Tuggle to the Senate floor for confirmation. It then heard from Jason Johnson, nominated as CDCR Undersecretary of Operations. Senators questioned him about parole supervision, public safety, contraband, prison rape prevention, workplace culture, whistleblower retaliation, and repeated allegations in late-filed opposition letters. Johnson said parole risk is assessed through established scoring and supervision levels, that sex offenders are subject to GPS monitoring and treatment, and that operations use investigations, training, and collaboration with law enforcement to address contraband and misconduct. He emphasized rehabilitation, culture change, accountability, and his commitment to staff and public safety, while acknowledging criticism and the difficulty of leading a large institution. No vote on Johnson was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although OES has not yet submitted either a budget change proposal requesting authority or legislation
• Although OES has not yet submitted either a budget change proposal requesting authority or legislation
• First, the project is overdue, and future budget needs are unclear.
• cost needed for Next Generation 911, the legacy system, and support for dispatch centers in this budget
• Because what I'm hearing in this venue, as well as budget hearings, is fair questions are being asked

Summary: The Emergency Management Committee held an oversight hearing on California’s Next Generation 911 rollout, focusing on Cal OES’s decision to move away from the original regional vendor model toward a statewide provider model. Cal OES said the regional architecture created complexity at the boundaries between regions, leading to misrouted calls, transfer problems, and degraded audio, and that a statewide model would better align with national standards and provide a more reliable, secure system. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the Legislature to pause further implementation until it has more information on the problems, tradeoffs, costs, and oversight needs, and recommended stronger reporting and possibly independent technical review before proceeding. Committee members pressed Cal OES on accountability, cost, testing, vendor selection, and whether the current system is safe. Cal OES said the project has cost about $456 million so far, most of it recurring service fees, and that 23 PSAPs had transitioned voice traffic while more than 440 total PSAPs remain in the state. Officials said the current system is operating, that a pause would not put the public at risk, and that the statewide conversion could be completed by summer 2030. Members and the LAO raised concerns about whether Cal OES has enough technical oversight and whether contract language alone is sufficient to prevent repeat problems. The vendor panel largely defended the regional model and argued that the existing system is already built, tested, and ready to expand. NGA 911, Synergem, Lumen, and Atos said the regional architecture provides redundancy and resilience, that early problems were often tied to legacy-system integration, carrier issues, or training rather than the regional design itself, and that a statewide redesign would add cost and delay. Atos said it serves as the statewide backbone and backup and has already carried live traffic, while vendors emphasized that they support continued modernization but believe California should build on the current regional investment rather than replace it.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of the municipalities, the majority of their budgets, their general fund, would come from traffic
• I saw another one, like $24 million in another budget book. Like, why not?
• committee, and everybody knows we're in tough times, but agencies are coming to the budget committee
• committee, and everybody knows we're in tough times, but agencies are coming to the budget committee
• So by that, we are simply part of the Secretary of State's budget.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1087 from Senator Joe Nicola, which would update limited driving privileges and create a process to suspend licenses after repeated failures to appear or pay for minor moving traffic violations. Nicola said the bill was intended to improve public safety and municipal court compliance without restoring the pre-2015 system of fines and fees. Supporters, including officials from Independence, O’Fallon, and the Missouri Municipal League, argued that municipal court reform had sharply reduced citations and increased failure-to-appear rates, leaving courts with too little leverage to ensure compliance and creating safety problems for repeat offenders. They said the bill would preserve discretion, protect work and basic travel needs, and help law enforcement and courts address chronic noncompliance. Opponents, including the State Public Advocate, argued the bill would restore a cash-cow system, burden low-income residents, and create harsh consequences for missed notices or address problems. The hearing closed without a vote on SB 1087. The committee then moved into executive session and reconsidered House Bill 2288, ultimately voting to reconsider and then voting the bill due pass by a 10-5 margin. The committee also adopted a substitute and passed House Bill 3006 due pass by 13-1, passed House Bill 2289 due pass by 10-3 with one present, and passed House Bill 2906 due pass by 13-1 after adopting an amendment and rolling it into a substitute. Members discussed procedural issues about quorum and the reconsideration motion during the HB 2288 vote. Later, the committee heard House Bill 3491 from Representative Don Mayhew, which would codify English-language proficiency requirements for commercial driver’s license holders and impose penalties on drivers and motor carriers when those requirements are violated. Mayhew and a Lincoln County prosecutor described a recent Highway 61 incident involving a Minnesota CDL holder who could not communicate in English, could not identify his location, and was taken out of service after a Highway Patrol proficiency test. Supporters said the bill would mirror federal rules in state statute, improve safety, and hold both drivers and carriers accountable. Some members questioned whether the bill was redundant with federal law, whether it would be enforceable before an accident, and whether the language was too broad, especially the phrase about conversing with the general public. The prosecutor said the current tools are mostly reactive and that the bill would help remove dangerous drivers and penalize carriers, but no final action was taken on HB 3491 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a cost that they've borne on the backs of small budgets.
• We don’t have the money in the budget.
• And I understand these are all budget bills and they go to the box, and I get all that.
• And I will just say to that point that the budget is not written.
• And if you want to put in some money, we can do that in the budget.

Bills: SB1088, SB1156, SB1157, SB1169, SB1245, SB1273, SB1330, SB1332, SB1391, SB1498, SB1531, SB1550, SB1598, SB1677, SB1707, SB1811, SB1818

Keywords: cybersecurity, homeland security, artificial intelligence, state appropriation, VPN security, zero trust, appropriation, public safety, detention, unauthorized aliens, local government funding, border security, fencing, appropriations, southern border, local government, medical education, physician shortage, healthcare funding, Arizona health care

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the first bill before us today is House File 2446, the Omnibus A Budget Bill.
• It relates, as you know, that in the A budget, there's also the jurisdiction for broadband.
• <00:03:50.879><c> A</c> relates uh as you know that in the A relates uh as you know that in the A budget
• 52.159><c> there's</c><00:03:52.480><c> also</c><00:03:53.200><c> uh</c><00:03:53.360><c> the</c> budget
• </c> to I believe uh in order to get a budget to I believe uh in order to get a budget through<00:30:

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• So from a budgeting standpoint, it shouldn't be a lot different either way.
• So that's a request you'll see on our budget in the amount of about $120,000.
• Please note that these items will have gone through our Budget and Finance Committee.
• All of these were approved by the Budget and Finance Committee.
• Budget and Finance reviewed and considered these.

Summary: The Higher Education Institutions Committee met at NDSU and heard an extensive presentation from President David Cook/President Stewart and NDSU leadership on the university’s priorities, including enrollment, student success, research growth, and use of New Horizons funding. Leaders emphasized NDSU’s land-grant mission, its role in workforce development, and its goal of becoming more distinctive through strategic planning, recruitment and retention, commercialization, and partnerships. They highlighted that NDSU awarded 2,370 degrees in 2025, produces a large share of the state’s engineering, nursing, and agriculture graduates, and reported strong outcomes for graduates staying and working in North Dakota. They also noted enrollment headwinds, competition from other institutions, and the need to manage tuition waivers more carefully through a scholarship optimization effort. Provost Sherry Vale outlined academic stewardship efforts, including review or consolidation of low-producing programs, strategic hiring tied to institutional priorities, faculty workload policy changes, and expanded online and regional offerings. She said the university is using New Horizons dollars to strengthen advising, student support, and programs in engineering, agriculture, and health. NDSU leaders also described new or expanded academic offerings such as robotics and automation, artificial intelligence, material science and engineering, nuclear engineering certificates, accelerated nursing, nurse practitioner certificates, a Master of Health Administration, and a clinical research master’s program with Sanford Health. They stressed that these investments are intended to improve student completion, meet workforce needs, and increase return on public investment. The committee also heard testimony from students and recent graduates who described the value of NDSU’s education, mentorship, internships, research opportunities, and support services. Alyssa Hodges spoke about pharmacy education, public health work, and campus support as a parent and student; Ethan Blessy described engineering coursework, internships with Marvin, and career preparation; and Aiden Freolic discussed neuroscience research, federally funded projects, and plans for graduate study. Their testimony was followed by presentations on partnerships with Gateway to Science for K-12 STEM outreach and with Sanford Research on biomedical research, clinical trials, obesity research, and a joint biostatistics hire. NDSU also highlighted systemwide shared services, Governor’s School programming, and research growth, including a reported 8% increase in research expenditures from $199 million to $215 million. No bill votes were taken; the meeting was informational and featured presentations, testimony, and discussion of future planning and partnerships.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> you know, we're going into a budget you know, we're going into a budget session session session
• But it's got to be part of the K through 12 budget already.
• So, the Parks and Recs already have a tremendous budget, but what will they do to grow?
• We're spending billions budget already.
• ,</c><01:14:06.400><c> but</c> already have a tremendous budget, but already have a tremendous budget

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:24 Approval of September 18, 2025 Minutes: 00:02:03 Discussion on the Condemnation of Agricultural Land: 00:03:12 Discussion on the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative: 00:50:00 Adjournment: 01:19:10, 958, all

Summary: The Joint Agriculture Committee met in October with a quorum present and approved the September minutes. The main presentation focused on condemnation of agricultural land and eminent domain, featuring testimony from Stephanie Barnett of a family-run livestock and farming business in Todd County, with support from Kentucky Farm Bureau. Barnett described a state road project that would take about 29 feet of frontage and affect entrances, fencing, a sign, drainage, a water well, and parking, saying the process involved poor communication, correspondence sent to the wrong address, and limited opportunity to negotiate changes such as a turning lane or relocated entrances. She said the business was not opposed to progress, but wanted the property restored and fairly compensated for the full impact on the operation, not just the land value. Committee members broadly agreed that eminent domain is sometimes necessary but should be handled with more transparency, communication, and fairness. Several members said the issue affects both rural and urban property owners and raised concerns about fair market value, compensation for agricultural infrastructure improvements, long-term impacts on farm operations, and the cost and delay of litigation. One member asked about the firm involved and suggested hearing from the people responsible for the correspondence problems; Barnett said she would share names after negotiations conclude. Another member noted that the maps had already been drawn before the landowner was brought in and said local meetings and clearer public input could reduce conflict. Chairman Dossett said he was interested in pursuing legislation for the upcoming session focused on property owner protection, fair treatment, and fair compensation, not just for agricultural land but for all Kentucky property owners. Members discussed possible ideas such as requiring better notice, more public transparency, and accounting for related costs like wells, fencing, drainage, and access changes. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond the approval of minutes and the discussion of potential future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:15.040><c> They</c> session budget negotiations. They session budget negotiations.
• </c> the the basis for a supplemental budget the the basis for a supplemental budget request<01:38:22.080
• that just passed, the federal budget.
• that just passed, the federal budget that just passed, the federal budget.<01:43:52.480><c> Um</c><01
• Um can you just talk about um is budget.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> years now offering this every budget years now offering this every budget year,<01:06:49.920><c>
• </c> with the budget with the budget targets.<01:26:35.840><c> Okay.
• And, you know, we have the target we have, but it is a choice on how we do our budget.
• </c><01:40:43.360><c> And</c><01:40:43.440><c> so</c> choice on how we do our budget.
• And so choice on how we do our budget.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know it's going to be a tough budget year; however, this is a really important issue for our state
• </c><00:12:53.279><c> the</c> that in the past two Bal budgets the that in the past two Bal budgets the
• You know, we know this will be a tough budget year, but this is the exact type of investment that we
• You know, we know this will be a tough budget year, but this is the exact type of investment that we
• You know, we know this will be a tough budget year, but this is the exact type of investment that we

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This clearly does need to be managed, this issue, in the confines of the budget.
• Clearly needs to be in the budget. I'll be AWR. Senator Brown: I agree with that.
• Medicaid is now almost half, about 44% of our state budget, and yet we have done almost nothing to address
• Some government groups and think tanks estimate that there's about 10 to 50 percent of our entire budget

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee, chaired for the day by Senator John Liu, took up a long agenda of bills covering labor and benefits, corrections, health, taxation, government transparency, and public services. Early measures included increasing short-term disability benefits, adjusting a poverty-level-related earned income disregard, expanding correctional health staffing review, and authorizing the Inspector General to investigate sexual assault complaints in correctional facilities; each of these advanced to the floor. The committee also advanced bills on ovarian cancer screening access, retirement system membership changes, a trail stewardship program, live agency representative access, FOIL/open meetings fee awards, a Harriman campus development plan, court data reporting, educator conventions, park water testing, an energy storage tax abatement, a Native American Affairs office, adult changing tables in public facilities, Medicaid Inspector General audit standards, remote training certification for agency personnel, newborn Gaucher disease testing, electronic self-exclusion requests for gambling, and child daycare inspections and opioid antagonist requirements. Several bills drew discussion. The prescription drug transparency bill (Print 488A) prompted questions about possible overlap with federal Hatch-Waxman/FTC oversight and whether a New York notice requirement could slow generic-drug settlements; sponsors and staff said it was intended as a supplemental transparency measure for consumers. The court reporting bill (Print 1849A) raised concerns about mandates on local governments, but supporters said it mainly required OCA to compile data in one format. The Medicaid local-share phaseout bill (Print 5519) generated the most debate, with supporters arguing it would provide major property tax relief and should be addressed in the budget, while opponents emphasized the need to curb Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse first. Two major fiscal oversight proposals were defeated. Print 8661, which would have required the Comptroller to hire an independent private auditing firm to review state-funded programs for fraud and abuse, was opposed despite support from some members who argued outside auditing was overdue; it failed by one vote. Print 5519 was also ultimately defeated after a recount confirmed it lacked the required majority of the full 22-member committee. Most other bills were approved and sent either to the floor or, in the case of the drug transparency bill, to the Rules Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• So for the average taxpayer, that means real money back in their household budget.
• I guarantee you, if we doubled the budget tomorrow, they would still find things that they say are not
• money on, many of the things that were just mentioned, by the way, I don't remember seeing a bunch of budget
• Joint budget will meet tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. in Big Mac. Thank you.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Co-Chair Nash and I work very well together on the budget bill last year.
• Nash and I work very well together<00:04:44.880><c> on</c><00:04:45.000><c> the</c><00:04:45.080><c> budget
• </c> together on the budget bill last year. together on the budget bill last year.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3936 was heard as an appropriation bill for public television stations serving Greater Minnesota. The author described it as a bipartisan one-time funding proposal totaling support for Pioneer Public Television, Lakeland Public Television, KSMQ, PBS North, and Prairie Public Television, and argued the stations were under financial strain after federal public broadcasting cuts and could potentially go dark without state help. Supporters emphasized the stations’ importance for children, community connection, emergency information, and representation in rural areas. Several members spoke in favor of the bill, while others said they supported the substance but opposed advancing it because of concerns that it was linked to a controversial Senate omnibus bill. The discussion focused less on the merits of public television funding and more on whether the House should move the bill forward given the Senate situation. One member requested a roll call vote, and the chair noted an understanding that the House would avoid “shenanigans” and keep the bill clean. The committee voted 13-12 in favor of the motion to refer the bill to the general register, but the chair ruled that the motion failed because the agreement required a majority of the committee to move it forward. As a result, House File 3936 remained with the committee and was not advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Before you take off, it looks like we're going to be moving our bills and the budget next week.
• our<00:12:44.800><c> bills</c><00:12:45.839><c> uh</c><00:12:45.920><c> the</c><00:12:46.240><c> budget
• </c><00:12:48.240><c> So</c> our bills uh the budget next week.
• So our bills uh the budget next week.

Bills: HB166, HB487, SB130, SB181, HB166, HB487, SB130, SB181

Keywords: education policy, wireless communication devices, internet safety, social media, mental health, HB487, Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship Program, veterans, disabled veterans, dependents, spouse benefits, widow benefits, children of veterans, tuition assistance, education benefits, scholarship, college aid, undergraduate tuition, private school reimbursement, books and fees

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you very much, Chair Callan, members of the Capital Budget Committee. My name is Marco Elias.
• I know your capital budget is like my transportation budget. It is under heavy stress.
• That fiscal note indicated an indeterminate budget impact on consumer-owned utilities related to expenses

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 6313, which would create a Capital Centennial Stewardship Account for remodeling, repairs, interpretive and educational facilities, and other improvements to the state Capitol campus ahead of the building’s 100th anniversary in 2028. Staff explained that statewide elected officials and legislators could solicit gifts, grants, and donations for the account, with spending subject to appropriation. Prime sponsor Senator Marco Elias described the bill as a way to enhance the Capitol experience, potentially restore access to the top of the building, and raise private support for upgrades without relying solely on public funds. Members asked questions about the Capitol’s history, tourism potential, and the fundraising authority, and no public testimony was offered. The committee then heard Substitute Senate Bill 6076, which would expand procurement and self-performance authority for public utility districts and other consumer-owned utilities for certain electric generation, storage, transmission, and distribution projects, largely through 2045. Staff said the bill would raise thresholds for self-performed work and allow more flexibility in bidding and contracting, with no fiscal impact to state agencies but an indeterminate local government impact from training and procedure updates. Testifiers from IBEW Local 77 and Grant PUD supported the bill, saying utilities face a backlog of infrastructure work, higher material costs, and long procurement timelines, and that the bill would speed maintenance and construction. Committee members asked about renewable energy uses, examples of qualifying projects, and whether land acquisition was included; testimony clarified that the bill focuses on equipment and project components, not land. In executive session, the committee took up Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5901, relating to school construction assistance program facilities reports for on-base schools. Members said the bill would help military-connected school districts address gaps between state and federal funding and support quality facilities for military children. The committee approved the bill on a 16-0 vote, with three excused, and reported it out of committee with a do pass recommendation. The chair also noted that additional bills, including the Capital Centennial Account bill and the utility procurement bill heard that day, could be considered in a later executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our SUNY budget comes to us from a land-grant allocation and also some allocation to support our students
• We look at the budget and we have a lot of different lines for Cornell Maple, Cornell Apple research,
• That's why you then get one single line in the state budget that supports that specific activity.
• Because that overall SUNY budget has not increased in 17 years for us.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee met and first took up five bills. It reported S.593 (land used in agricultural production), S.879A (the Garden Protection Act), S.3277 (transfer-on-death beneficiaries for farming implements), and S.4754 (creating an Office of Urban Agriculture). S.1529A, the Carbon Farming Act, was moved to the Finance Committee. The committee briefly discussed S.4754, with Senator Borrello asking about its status and members noting strong support for urban agriculture and food-system resilience; the bill was then reported to Finance by voice vote. The committee then heard from Julie Suarez, Associate Dean for Land Grant Affairs at Cornell CALS, who described Cornell’s role in research, extension, and public service across New York agriculture. She highlighted Cornell’s economic impact, growth in FFA participation including new urban chapters, dairy investment, and the potential of the maple industry, while emphasizing the need for continued agricultural science funding to address climate change, invasive species, and market challenges. She also pointed members to Cornell programs supporting food entrepreneurs, soil health, small farms, veterans entering agriculture, and community integrated pest management. Members asked questions about tick increases, with Suarez attributing them to deer, rodents, climate change, and invasive species, and said Cornell’s community IPM program offers landscaping and prevention guidance. She also explained Cornell’s land-grant and contract-college structure, including its statutory mission and state support. The meeting ended after members expressed interest in further outreach and informational sessions, and the committee adjourned.