Transcript Highlights:

• Before transitioning full-time to our business, I worked as a medical laboratory technician for 26 years
• registered with the American Society for Clinical Pathology and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory
• Scientists. ...Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

Bills: SB210 , SB225 , HB280 , HB287 , HB94 , HB88 , SB157 , HB7 , HB8 , HB42

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• substitute adopted by the policy committee added a requirement that the design be reviewed by the National
• That removes the requirement that the online ballot portal be reviewed by the National Guard Cybersecurity
• Bill 6117 moves employer and employee groups that are currently collectively bargained under the National
• Bill 6117 moves employer and employee groups that are currently collectively bargained under the National
• It is simply looking at the NLRB, the National Labor Relations Board, and who's covered under that.

Bills: SB6147 , SB6082 , SB5862 , SB5882 , SB6323 , SB6346 , SB6162 , SB6256 , SB6220 , SB5650 , SB6343 , SB6113 , SB6211 , SB6114 , SB5898 , SB6347 , SB6244 , SB5868 , SB5762 , SB5988 , SB6194 , SB6246 , SB6223 , SB6052 , SB5828 , SB5954 , SB5963 , SB5909 , SGA9306

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: grocery establishments, closure notice, consumer rights, local businesses, student financial aid, financial aid fraud, higher education, college enrollment fraud, fictitious students, ghost students, enrollment fraud, aid integrity, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, AI fraud, fraud prevention, Washington State, legislative audit, JLARC, full-time equivalent

Transcript Highlights:

• The next one is for Camp Gruber in northeast Oklahoma with the Oklahoma National Guard.
• They have a lot of desire to be seen as a national hub for UAS operations, testing, and activities. .
• Again, many dozens of thousands of acres of land under control that the National Guard has out there
• at Camp Gruber, as well as the adjacent—I don't know if it's a national wildlife refuge or if it's a
• You have the Osage Nation, you have Oklahoma State University O Air Program, Oklahoma State University

Summary: The committee met for an oversight update on how one-time and recurring transportation-related appropriations are being implemented. Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Director Grayson Artees reviewed ARPA and PREP-funded airport and aerospace projects, including completed or nearing-completion work at Will Rogers, Woodward, Ardmore, Tulsa’s air traffic control tower, and multiple hangar, terminal, taxiway, utility, and UAS infrastructure projects statewide. He also discussed one-time FY25 and FY26 appropriations for airport development, the repurposing of an unneeded Lufthansa project allocation into other aerospace projects, and the department’s aerospace education grants, classroom labs, aircraft-build programs, and internship support. Members asked for lists of participating schools and for a clearer overall accounting of the funding; Artees said the department would provide those materials and estimated roughly $400 million has been invested in aerospace and defense since PREP and ARPA, with about $250 million directed to airport infrastructure. The committee then heard from ODOT Secretary Tim Gatz on the Retro Fund, lake and industrial access roads, ports of entry, and the PACT Fund. Gatz said Retro, created in statute and funded with $200 million in both 2024 and FY25, is helping accelerate rural high-impact road and bridge projects; he reported $249 million awarded so far, supporting about $1.4 billion in construction, with most projects expected to be awarded by September 2027. He also described lake and industrial access projects, including work at the Port of Inola, and updated members on ports of entry, internal way stations, and the replacement of the aging OkiPROS permitting system with ProMiles. On PACT, he said the county road and bridge allocations are being administered, but the Tax Commission’s role in distributing the county road share has created unnecessary bureaucracy; he urged a statutory fix so the money can go directly to counties. Members asked for lists of approved lake/recreational projects and for clarification on the Tax Commission issue; Gatz said ODOT would provide the project list and that he would welcome Tax Commission input on a legislative remedy. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the updates and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The inclusion of fusion components and critical minerals positions New Mexico to compete nationally in
• All the founders are researchers and scientists who left Los Alamos National Lab to start this endeavor
• policy, I understood that it was going to be proposed differently and that potentially the tribal nations
• policy, I understood that it was going to be proposed differently and that potentially the tribal nations
• do, but Mescalero does have film activity. ...operating agreements or MOUs that other sovereign nations

Committee: House House Taxation & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• All the founders are researchers and scientists who left Los Alamos National Lab to start this endeavor
• It is all the founders are researchers and scientists who left Los Alamos National Lab to start this
• You mentioned small modular reactors, which have been developed here, in particular at our laboratories
• So a credit like that, Nations and then send money somewhere.
• Chairman, on page 7, adds the Navajo Nation to the list of tribes eligible to enter into such agreement

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 108, which amends the Watershed District Act to fix a problem created by last year’s changes: appointed watershed district boards could not legally levy taxes, even though several districts already had mill levies. The sponsor and staff explained the bill would preserve the existing tax authority by tying it to the soil and water district responsible for the watershed district. There was no public opposition, and the committee voted do pass on HB 108 as amended. The committee then heard House Bill 154, a tax credit bill intended to decouple New Mexico’s Advanced Energy Equipment Tax Credit from changing federal definitions and to add fusion machines and related components to the state definition. Supporters from economic development, industry, utilities, and education argued the bill would provide certainty, attract advanced manufacturing, and help New Mexico compete for investment without changing the credit’s caps or fiscal impact. Members questioned why hydrogen, geothermal, and small modular reactors were not included; staff said those technologies were not in the federal definition and that adding them now could create unintended consequences. The committee voted do pass on HB 154, with one member voting reluctantly yes. House Bill 291, the Taxation and Revenue Department’s annual tax code cleanup bill, was then presented and amended twice. The first amendment preserved New Mexico’s independent definition of qualified research for the tech jobs and R&D credit. The second removed a proposed expansion of the film tax credit to certain tribal expenditures after concerns about fiscal impact; members discussed possible future approaches for tribal film activity and the film partner loophole. The bill also makes technical and policy changes including rounding certain payments to the nearest nickel, waiving interest when tax deadlines are extended for good cause, removing small late-filing penalties in some cases, allowing delinquent taxpayers to renew permits under installment agreements, intercepting excess delinquent property tax auction proceeds for other state tax debts, clarifying tobacco tax treatment for larger vape cartridges, and tightening film credit rules. After public opposition from business groups and discussion from members, the committee voted do pass on HB 291 as twice amended.

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• It is George Levesque, representing Laboratory Corporation of America, waving in support.
• 901 is about using existing resources smarter, improving outcomes, and positioning Florida as a national

Transcript Highlights:

• First, EPA revised the secondary sulfur dioxide national ambient air quality standard, and these standards
• Other changes were clarifications, such as a fix to a definition and clarification of laboratory and
• certified laboratories.
• commenter who identified that there were a couple of standards that were more stringent than the national
• To address the comment and streamline the standards, DEQ adopted by reference most of the national primary

Committee: House Environment, Energy and Technology

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we have a diagnostic laboratory in the facility.
• We also use laboratory in the facility.
• </c> Sports Commission and the National Sports Commission and the National Sports<01:08:41.839><c> Center
• The women's national team, which medal.
• </c> where they should be by some national where they should be by some national standards,<01:37:34.800

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• Monuments, 25 National Conservation Areas.
• We visited national parks and national wildlife refuges across the country between moves and spent summer
• Security Council and National Economic my council staff.
• Similarly, there are programs right now at Idaho National Laboratory where we can begin the testing of
• Grand Canyon National Park itself started out that way.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Crime Victims Compensation Fund, which includes an annual $250,000 deposit to the state forensic laboratory
• defray crime lab expenses...” “...which includes an annual $250,000 deposit to the state forensic laboratory
• This bill seeks to prevent funds remaining in the Highway Patrol Academy Fund, the state forensic laboratory
• It is a paragraph about the State Forensic Laboratory, and it has the statement that's changing that's
• statutory enabling language that would transfer some of the Crime Victims' money to the forensic laboratory

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• It had opened doors to lead integration efforts nationally.
• The National Defense Authorization Act is a bill that gets passed every year.
• The state laboratory was constructed. Since that 2020 plan, the state laboratory was constructed.
• They've done several state capitals around the nation, including the U.S. Capitol.
• They provide a lot of laboratory services, and we have several fees over there.

Committee: Joint Government Finance Committee

Summary: The committee first received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. Staff reported that the state started the biennium about $176 million above prior estimates, but year-to-date revenues were now running below legislative forecast, mainly due to lower individual income tax and sales tax collections. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap, the legacy fund continued to grow, and oil revenues were slightly above forecast overall. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing variability, and OMB said agencies would be asked to address potential federal reductions case by case during budget preparation. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analysis materials, followed by a bill draft for a fixed-route city transportation grant program. Testimony from transit officials in Fargo and Minot supported the proposal, saying state aid would help match federal transit funds and support operations, but members raised questions about the funding source, fare structures, and whether the program should be limited to the current four fixed-route cities or allow future eligible cities. Several members asked for more time to study the formula and possible funding options before moving the bill forward. Next, the committee approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to a proposed North Dakota-South Dakota bi-state authority. Staff explained the provision had been unused for about 30 years and that existing law likely already allowed joint powers agreements without the specific language. The committee voted to adopt the repeal bill draft. The Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site then provided an update on uncrewed aircraft system initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and future revenue models. Officials said North Dakota had received FAA approval to operate the radar data pathfinder, had begun replacing non-compliant drones from restricted foreign sources, and was working on phased procurement and cost-recovery plans. Members asked about deadlines, funding, supply-chain issues, and how the system would be used; staff said the federal restrictions were already in effect and that Vantis was being positioned as infrastructure for future beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Finally, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and on a reentry housing task force. The new facility is planned for the penitentiary grounds, with a reduced estimated cost of about $263 million, 600 beds initially, possible expansion to 732 beds, and completion projected around 2031 if funded in 2027. The reentry housing task force described a data-driven effort to identify housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with the goal of reducing homelessness and recidivism through targeted housing support and possible subsidies. Members asked about staffing, site selection, housing duration, and whether employment and transportation needs would be included in the assessment.

Transcript Highlights:

• File Number 3615, number three on the calendar for the day, an act relating to cannabis, extending laboratory
• simple bill that will provide a modicum of support for small businesses in Minnesota that have led the nation
• For some background for those who may have missed it, the 2018 Farm Bill nationally legalized and defined
• This launched a national market that has grown into a $28 billion industry.
• And without more changes, the end of the national THC beverage market and low-dose edible market is just

Transcript Highlights:

• . $500,000 to maintain contracts for forensic laboratory equipment.
• The 18th item is $800,000 for increased fees for laboratory services and supplies.
• The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and DNA interpretation software vendors are moving
• UCR program collects offenses and arrest data according to the crime definitions provided by the National
• follow-up, if you will, are they also required, or are you required to then upload that data to national

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the clerks of court. FDLE outlined 28 legislative budget requests for fiscal year 2026-27, including funding for a new Fort Myers regional operations center lease, technology and data system upgrades, moving several programs off uncertain federal grants, expanding the wellness office, cryptocurrency seizure efforts, cybersecurity, forensic equipment, digital forensics, criminal history modernization, training, and the SAFE fentanyl enforcement program. Members asked about the reported 79% increase in officer misconduct cases, the role of body cameras and masking, public records request burdens on local agencies, and the status of Fibers and the Uniform Arrest Affidavit systems. FDLE said the misconduct data covers all sworn officers and corrections personnel, that many cases would not be affected by body cameras because they involve off-duty conduct or internal matters, and that it is working with agencies and vendors to improve participation in reporting systems. DJJ Secretary Matt Walsh updated the committee on the Florida Scholars Academy, describing the new unified education system across 39 residential facilities. He reported first-year enrollment, course completions, graduations, and compliance results, and said the program now provides in-person and blended instruction, individualized support, mental health services, and career and technical education. He also discussed staffing shortages in some detention facilities, the need for more residential beds, and the importance of recognizing and supporting staff. In response to questions, he explained how the program addresses students with disabilities and behavioral needs through one-on-one instruction, paraprofessionals, and immediate mental health support. The clerks of court presented a budget request centered on funding shortfalls and rising costs. Clerk and Comptroller Stacey Butterfield said clerks are operating with outdated funding levels despite increased statutory duties, higher postage and staffing costs, and growing workloads in priority case types such as injunctions for protection and other high-risk matters. The clerks requested $22 million in direct appropriations, including support for due process costs, jury management, and staffing for 37 new judges approved last session. Members also asked about Senate Bill 532, which Butterfield described as a CPI-based measure to update court fines and fees that have remained unchanged since 2008. The committee took no votes on the presentations and adjourned after discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It had opened doors to lead integration efforts nationally.
• The state laboratory was constructed." "Since that 2020 plan, the state laboratory was constructed.
• They've done several state capitals around the nation, including the U.S. Capitol.
• State capitals around the nation, including the U.S. Capitol.
• They provide a lot of laboratory services, and we have several fees over there.

Summary: The committee began with roll call, introductions of a new fiscal analyst and a new member, and approval of the March 19 minutes. The first major presentation was from the Office of Management and Budget on the state’s general fund and special fund status through May. OMB reported general fund revenues were running below the legislative forecast by about $76 million, driven largely by weaker individual income tax and sales tax collections, though the projected ending balance remained positive and above the budgeted level. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap and would transfer excess earnings to the general fund, and the legacy fund balance continued to grow. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing revenue variability. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analyses, followed by discussion of a bill draft for the fixed-route city transportation network study. The draft would create a $15 million general fund grant program with a formula-based distribution to eligible fixed-route transit cities, intended to support operating and capital needs and help match federal transit funds. Transit officials from Minot and Fargo testified in support, explaining local fare and match structures and the difficulty of replacing aging buses and securing federal matching dollars. Several members questioned whether the program should be limited to the current four cities or broadened to future eligible urban areas, and whether local funding sources should be explored further. The committee did not finalize the bill draft at that point and planned to continue discussion at a later meeting. The committee also approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to approval of a bi-state authority with South Dakota, after staff explained that no agreements had ever been implemented and the provision appeared outdated. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried. Later, the Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site presented updates on uncrewed aircraft systems initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and efforts to build a revenue model for Vantis. Test site officials said FAA approval had been secured for the radar data program, replacement of noncompliant drones was underway, and future revenue could come from state and external users once pricing and intellectual property arrangements are finalized. Members asked about Chinese-made drones, supply chain issues, automation, and how the system would manage beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation then presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and a reentry housing study. Officials said the proposed facility would relocate the minimum-security prison to the penitentiary campus, reduce costs from an earlier estimate, and provide more beds and programming space, with construction potentially beginning in 2027 and opening around 2031. They also described staffing needs, the planned move of women to the New England facility, and possible expansion of men’s housing there. The parole and probation chief described a reentry housing task force studying housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with a goal of developing data-driven recommendations for subsidies and support services; a representative from Protection and Advocacy closed by expressing general support for fixed-route and paratransit funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• Volcano Vista High School and the Petroglyph National Monument are within the district.
• Also, the center of my district is Petroglyph National Monument.
• We have local and national companies that do reach out to our students to try to get them aboard for
• It's one of the largest wind farms in Mexico, the second largest in the nation.
• The laboratory, where all that practical work takes place, is part of the display.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Health care workers that work in catheterization laboratories, those of us who do heart and vascular,
• We need equitable access to state plans and funds to this national park and wonder lift the world.
• Chairman, members, Senate Bill 1153 establishes the Grand Canyon National Parks Mr.
• Grand Canyon National Park Special Plate Fund.
• It is a crown jewel of the national park system and a defining symbol of America itself.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced six measures. SB 1118, as amended, appropriates $3 million to the Department of Health Services for a grant program to help rural hospitals install enhanced radiation protection systems in cardiac catheterization rooms; testimony from an interventional cardiologist emphasized worker safety, reduced radiation exposure, and recruitment/retention of physicians, and the bill passed 10-0. SB 1154 provides $500,000 to ADOT for a traffic and safety study on SR 64 between Williams and the Grand Canyon; local officials, law enforcement, and fire personnel described heavy tourism, rising crashes, and the need for broader roadway improvements, and it passed 6-4. SB 1063 appropriates $10.4 million for safety improvements on U.S. 70 in the San Carlos Apache area; tribal leaders and law enforcement cited high fatality and injury rates, dangerous design features, and limited federal funding, and it also passed 6-4. The committee then approved SB 1153, which creates a Grand Canyon National Park specialty license plate and fund; the Grand Canyon Conservancy supported the measure as a way to generate dedicated revenue for park programs, and it passed 10-0. SCM 1001, as amended, urges naming SR 260 the Donald J. Trump Highway through the State Board on Geographic and Historic Names rather than ADOT; the memorial drew sharply divided testimony and debate, but it passed 6-4. Finally, SB 1209 exempts homeless individuals and those using shelter addresses from non-operating ID fees and extends the validity period for those IDs to eight years; advocates said the change would help people obtain housing, jobs, and services, and it passed 9-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Laboratories will just need to add a liquid chromatography module to their existing mass spectrometry
• developed test and an FDA laboratory developed test and an FDA approved<00:13:15.839><c> MLDD</c><00
• And as an example, I'll just choose medical laboratory scientists.
• :58.559><c> um</c> choose medical laboratory um choose medical laboratory um scientists.<00:33:01.200
• </c><00:54:50.640><c> for</c> Minnesota ranked 10th in the nation for Minnesota ranked 10th in the nation

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation
• under God... ...and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty
• Are you aware of any discussions and negotiations between national manufacturers of food and the Federal
• And I'm persuaded that the industry is making changes and having discussions on the national level and
• Thank you. about the patchwork on the on the national level why aren't we concerned with the patchwork

Committee: Senate Agriculture

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum present and first heard SB 1826 by Senator Martin, which would restrict ultra-processed foods served to public school students during the school day. Senator Martin said the bill is aimed only at government-purchased food in public schools, not parents’ lunches or after-school sales, and argued it is intended to protect children’s health and school performance. Members questioned the bill’s definition of ultra-processed food, its scope during the school day, and possible cost and compliance issues. Senator Rouson offered a friendly amendment extending the compliance date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026, and the committee adopted it. Several industry groups and associations spoke against the bill, citing lack of a clear definition, FDA preemption concerns, costs, and the risk of a state-by-state patchwork; Moms for Liberty waived in support. Senator Martin then temporarily postponed the bill for further work. The committee next took up CS for SB 1132 by Senator Truenow on consumers’ right to repair certain equipment, including agricultural equipment and portable digital devices. An amendment by Senator Boyd was adopted to exclude security and life-safety systems and remove automobile-related provisions. Public testimony included opposition from TechNet, which said the bill is unnecessary because repair parts, tools, and manuals are already available and asked for changes to make the bill prospective and remove the private right of action. Agricultural equipment dealers and manufacturers testified against the bill, arguing that current repair resources and a memorandum of understanding with the Farm Bureau already address repair access, while warning that the bill could undermine dealer margins, parts inventory, training programs, safety, cybersecurity, and emissions compliance. Some members supported the concept but noted the bill still needed work. The committee voted 4-0 to report CS for SB 1132 favorably. The meeting concluded with a presentation from Florida 4-H youth leaders on the organization’s impact and goals. The presenters described 4-H’s role in leadership, agriculture, STEM, and healthy living, highlighted statewide participation and camp programs, and asked for continued support for camp improvements, especially the Camp Cherry Lake revitalization effort. Senators praised the students’ presentations and the value of 4-H before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It had opened doors to lead integration efforts nationally.
• The state laboratory was constructed. Since that 2020 plan, the State Laboratory was constructed.
• They've done several state capitals around the nation, including the U.S. Capitol.
• The state laboratory has an appropriation through Health and Human Services for that project.
• They provide a lot of laboratory services, and we have several fees over there.

Committee: Joint Government Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• As the 9-11 report highlighted, securing our nation is a team sport.
• During my career, I was immersed in the living border security laboratory.
• Now do you believe that CBP should partner with our national laboratories to develop and deploy the next
• it came from so that it wasn't shipped through another nation to get out of the revenue as well, the
• That is not making our nation safer. Now, Mr.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Keywords: Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, border security, asylum, transparency, Hernandez Rojas, migrant treatment, public testimony

Summary: The meeting centered on the nomination of Rodney Scott to serve as the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Throughout the session, various senators expressed concerns regarding CBP's recent practices, including issues related to border security and the treatment of migrants. Questions were raised about Scott's involvement in previous incidents, particularly surrounding the controversial death of Mr. Hernandez Rojas while in custody, which sparked a heated discussion about accountability and transparency in current border policies. Senators emphasized the importance of balancing efficient border security with humane treatment of individuals seeking asylum.