Transcript Highlights:

• And then we have Alexander Marthews from Digital Fourth will be next. Thanks so much, Bob.
• I am the co-chair of Volunteer Civil Liberties Organization Digital Fourth.
• in the digital age.
• At Kairos, we like to bring digital issues into in-person reality.
• This is what our current digital landscape looks like.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing focused on a package of Massachusetts privacy and technology bills, especially measures to ban the sale of location data, establish a comprehensive consumer data privacy law, and regulate biometric recognition and surveillance pricing. Chairs and sponsors argued that self-regulation has failed, that data brokers and large tech companies routinely collect and monetize sensitive information, and that state action is needed because federal protections are weak or absent. Several speakers tied the bills to reproductive health, gender-affirming care, domestic violence, children’s data, and other sensitive uses of location and biometric information. Supporters included legislators and advocates who backed H. 86/S. 197 (Location Shield), H. 78/S. 45/H. 104/S. 29 (comprehensive privacy bills), H. 99/S. 47 (surveillance pricing in grocery stores), and H. 36/S. 36 (biometric recognition accountability). They emphasized data minimization, bans on selling sensitive data, consumer rights to access, delete, and opt out, and in some cases a private right of action. Several witnesses said Massachusetts should lead or align with other states, while others argued that stronger protections are needed because data can be weaponized by stalkers, anti-abortion actors, abusive partners, insurers, or law enforcement. Industry and coalition witnesses urged the committee to favor a more standardized, interoperable framework modeled on laws already adopted in other states, warning that novel definitions, data-minimization rules, and private rights of action could create compliance burdens, confusion, and costs for businesses, including small businesses. They argued that entity-level exemptions for sectors already covered by federal laws like HIPAA or GLBA promote consistency, and that Attorney General enforcement is preferable to private lawsuits. Committee members questioned witnesses on patchwork concerns, the scope of exemptions, and whether the proposed bills would harm or help consumers and small businesses. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; written testimony was noted as due later, and the committee continued taking testimony from multiple panels and virtual witnesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at the map on the right, those represent the 765 routes.
• So, they took a map and began doing a census when we joined...
• **Senator Nichols:** ...1860, it was a very similar map.
• So, you don't leave the map alone; every ten years, you grow the dots.
• If you look at the map on the right, those are the 765. **Mr.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill putting it simply is extremely broad, mapping services, search engines, social media, and even
• digital media.
• Digital financial technologies would be covered in liability because of just how broad this bill is.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• individual frequents or is located at a previously documented area of a CSG. or FTO, including physical, digital
• The hard work now begins in mapping the complex networks these groups operate through so that we can
• Cartels and their threat networks operate in multi-domain environments: land, digital, financial...

Bills: SB2199, SB2200, SB2201, SB2949, SB2332

Keywords: overweight vehicle, vehicle weight limits, hazardous materials, hazmat, cargo tank, fuel transport, trucking, commercial vehicle, Transportation Code, criminal penalty, second-degree felony, loading violation, truck weight, axle weight, gross weight, public safety, commercial carrier, Texas, commercial truck, truck route

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I brought a fairly up-to-date map of what it looks like over there.
• And so I brought a, I think it's a fairly up-to-date map of what it looks like over there.
• I think almost all of the counties except for what it's a fairly up-to-date map of what it looks like
• But that digital presentation opens up a world of possibilities and how things are...
• It's a matter of when this digital conversion occurs. It's not something that's physical mail.

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• Where can a state regulate an interaction of a digital service engaging with consumers in the state?
• And then we also have laws related to digital likeness. So these are actually starting to increase.
• It's called the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act.
• She also has a bachelor's degree from Bismarck State, and she has a GIS mapping degree.
• This is just another way of visualizing it with a map.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, established a quorum, and heard introductory remarks from Majority Leader Hogue and the chair about the committee’s charge. Members said the goal was to build a factual foundation on AI, hear from experts and stakeholders, and develop practical North Dakota-focused recommendations rather than simply produce a large volume of bills. Legislative Council also reviewed interim committee rules and procedures before the informational presentations began. Staff and NCSL presenters then gave overviews of AI concepts and the state and federal policy landscape. The background memo and presentations covered AI categories and terms, state laws in areas such as consumer protection, algorithmic discrimination, deepfakes, chatbots, children’s safety, health, education, and government use, as well as data center siting and economic impacts. NCSL described a growing number of AI bills introduced and enacted across the states, with comprehensive laws in places like Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois, and noted recurring issues around transparency, privacy, liability, and protections for minors. A major focus of the discussion was federal preemption and the tension between state regulation and national AI policy. NCSL said a recent White House executive order and related federal framework seek a light-touch, innovation-friendly national standard, with possible challenges to state laws and possible funding conditions tied to compliance, though no broad federal preemption has yet been enacted. Members asked about Commerce Clause concerns, industry pushback, oversight models, and whether AI policy is bipartisan; presenters said the issue cuts across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfake restrictions but more disagreement on broader regulatory approaches. No votes or formal actions were taken at the meeting, and the committee recessed briefly for technical issues during the second presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So let's see if this Google map pulls it up as I zoom in.
• I'm curious about the map with the blue lines. You said those are SAMHSA cameras.
• GIS model or GIS mapping.
• They actually integrate all the video footage into a public-facing map.
• And so, if we already own a GIS mapping system, if it could be customized to use.

Transcript Highlights:

• So while it may not seem like a huge amount of dollars, we did digitize all of our storage files.
• So all of those have been digitized and they're available to us now.
• warnings from that to then be able to spread that across the state as we actually have done a heat map
• Dismantling unclaimed properties processes and procedures and moving on to a more digital platform.
• Kind of show or give a map of how you could pay out some of those administrative fees out of some of

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, and again, I also understand from the controller that It's going to be a digitalized system now,
• and what is the status of switching over to digital?
• To the digital system, and do our New Mexico chapters prioritize that change over to the digital?
• Digitizing the system, so that system is called and, of course, the chapters were included in.
• So, on the map, essentially, everything that is their current, like, year.

Bills: HR207, SB2595, SB3199, SB3132, SB2591, SB2089, SB2108, SB2970, SB2530, SB2442, SB3076, SB2532, SB2721, SB2055, SB2312, SB2152, SB2438, SB2982, SB2528, SB2919, SB2446, SB2315, SB2544, SB2060, SB2069, SB3011, SB2342, SB2075, SB2578, SB2580, SB2835, SB3084, SB3322, SB3053, SB888, SB709

Keywords: Dr. David Lassner, higher education, community engagement, university leadership, innovation, Hawaii education system, agribusiness, leasing, agriculture, Hawaii, food innovation, Department of Education, mental health, emerging therapies, psychedelic treatment, task force, clinical trials, trauma recovery, MDMA, psilocybin

Bills: HR207, SB2595, SB3199, SB3132, SB2591, SB2089, SB2108, SB2970, SB2530, SB2442, SB3076, SB2532, SB2721, SB2055, SB2312, SB2152, SB2438, SB2982, SB2528, SB2919, SB2446, SB2315, SB2544, SB2060, SB2069, SB3011, SB2342, SB2075, SB2578, SB2580, SB2835, SB3084, SB3322, SB3053, SB888, SB709

Keywords: Dr. David Lassner, higher education, community engagement, university leadership, innovation, Hawaii education system, agribusiness, leasing, agriculture, Hawaii, food innovation, Department of Education, mental health, emerging therapies, psychedelic treatment, task force, clinical trials, trauma recovery, MDMA, psilocybin

Transcript Highlights:

• forgeries that place creation of digital forgeries that place victims<03:15:59.760> in<03:16:
• ,<04:23:04.479> is the digital divide, however, is the digital divide, however, is currently
• <04:26:33.680> And finally close the digital divide.
• And finally close the digital divide.
• convene our best and brightest to map convene our best and brightest to map the<04:49:09.200>

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, April 28, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:46:44.880> So establishing the digital choice act.
• So establishing the digital choice act.
• choice so again uh as I said uh digital choice so again uh as I said uh representative<00:49:22.400>
• The Digital Choice Act fundamentally misunderstands how users engage online.
• The Digital Choice Act fundamentally misunderstands how users engage online.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, this bill's broad language could unintentionally include local broadcasters who use digital
• But today, I am here on behalf of the Americans for Digital Opportunity.
• Comprehensive Consumer Data Privacy Law that helps protect the digital privacy of residents of this state
• conversation brings me back in my In my community, I came into my work life in corporate America doing digital
• You know, that was actually just. being used by kids and adults to create an AI mapping system.

Transcript Highlights:

• And broken out, you can see the map of the U.S. and the different color codes based on percentage of
• The limiting factor on data center locations is access to power, and the companies like Apply Digital
• One of those results being here, as you can see on these maps, these are two of the primary salt formations
• Representative McNally, the first meeting that we had was out in Allendale, and we did have Applied Digital
• And any other data center companies, other than Applied Digital, there must be other companies looking

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• clarifies Florida law regarding purchase, sale, liens, and other commercial transactions involving digital
• clarifies Florida law regarding purchase, sale, liens, and other commercial transactions involving digital
• It requires the department to establish a statewide mapping program.
• The department may also request to procure a program that would manage specific mapping technologies
• It requires the department surveying and mapping and data collection to be conducted in a manner that

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to those affected by the Florida State University shooting and recognition of Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, John Thrasher, student advocacy groups, conservation organizations, and visiting school groups. Members also adopted Senate Resolution 1878 honoring Coach Abdur-Rahim. The chamber then moved into special order business and considered a series of bills, many of them with House companions substituted in and passed by wide margins or unanimously. Among the measures passed were bills updating child care and early learning provider regulation, imposing costs on false swatting reports, extending protections against extraordinary hospital collection actions, expanding hazardous walking conditions for schoolchildren, creating young adult housing support for foster and homeless students, clarifying school choice disclosure requirements under the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, adjusting interest rules for trust accounts supporting legal aid, revising transportation and traffic enforcement provisions, expanding public records exemptions for certain judicial and health care investigators and appellate clerks, changing municipal water and sewer utility rates in Miami-Dade, strengthening motor vehicle offenses involving impersonation and obscured plates, increasing trespass penalties at certain law-enforcement-controlled sites and large ticketed events, requiring refunds of patient overpayments, authorizing certain stem cell therapies, allowing relatives and direct support professionals to administer insulin in group homes, addressing rideshare impersonation and transit funding rules, and updating the Uniform Commercial Code for digital assets and emerging technologies. Several bills drew notable debate. The trust fund interest bill prompted extended discussion over legal aid funding, bank participation, and whether the measure would reduce support for legal services; it ultimately passed 28-10. The transportation bill was heavily amended, including removal of speed-limit increases and changes to school bus camera enforcement and micromobility rules, and passed 37-0. The Miami-Dade water and sewer rate bill sparked debate over fairness, fiscal impact, and accusations of racism, but passed 36-2. Public records bills protecting agency investigators and JQC employees also drew questions about accountability and transparency before passing. Most other measures passed with little or no opposition, and a few bills were temporarily postponed or set aside.

Transcript Highlights:

• asset mining business and to amend the authority of a local government with respect to a digital asset
• Resolution 8 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to require a digital
• asset mining and prohibit the use of certain software in digital asset mining.
• asset mining. and digital asset mining.
• If you look at this map, 17 counties are receiving $100 million.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And they will also be promoted and distributed through digital channels.
• program on July 4th with the Boston Pops, and then after that they will be available through our digital
• As much as I would love to say I've driven to all 351 cities and towns, I had Claude sort of map out

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The special commission on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution met without quorum, but proceeded with updates on major upcoming 250th events. Chair Sean Garballey and Senator Paul Mark opened the meeting, then Dusty Rhodes gave a detailed overview of Sail Boston and the Tall Ships festivities, including ship arrivals on July 9-10, the opening ceremony on July 10, the parade of sail on July 11, public boarding, harbor fireworks, and the Sail Boston festival. He noted the event will involve 20 countries, about 60 ships, multiple anchorages, and significant coordination with pilots, tugboats, and public safety agencies, with a budget of more than $5 million. Director Kate Fox and Sheila Green reported on Massachusetts 250 campaign efforts, including website and social media performance, merchandise sales, grant-funded exhibits and murals across the state, multicultural outreach, and July 4th programming tied to the Boston Pops Spectacular. They highlighted a series of MA 250 promotional videos, the I-Civics “We Declare” student reading project, the America 250 time capsule submission, the national reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, the Great American Block Party in Boston, and the flag sojourn that will bring a ceremonial flag to several Massachusetts sites before it is sent to Washington, D.C. They also mentioned upcoming MA 250 signage at MassDOT service plazas and a new schools-and-farms partnership announced by state secretaries. Jonathan Lane of Revolution 250 updated the commission on Bunker Hill-related events, the Gloucester battle reenactment, Treaty Day in Watertown, and the Declaration of Independence project. He said Revolution 250 secured funding to reprint the Ezekiel Russell Declaration of Independence for distribution to all Massachusetts cities and towns, using an 18th-century press and handmade paper. The commission then discussed creating a Massachusetts-specific time capsule, with members offering to help identify objects and suggesting it include both historic and contemporary items. The meeting ended with general thanks, an invitation to an upcoming Mass Humanities screening, and a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are pretending that the governor did not approve the very maps, the very maps he is now insisting
• And why don't we even have a map? Where are the maps?
• with the map in question.
• Once they had come up with a map, that map had to be approved.
• I promise ample time, if there's a map before the committee, to go into great detail over that map with

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Redistricting map.
• Now, most of this is about maps.
• Our maps must catch up.
• I would love to comment on a map, but I've seen no clear map for this hearing today.
• No maps, there's no census.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all