Transcript Highlights:

• 15.360> the that one of the parents accompanying the that one of the parents accompanying the group
• :17.839> uh<00:17:18.000> Heidi<00:17:18.400> Weber,<00:17:18.959> who group
• from HTA is uh Heidi Weber, who group from HTA is uh Heidi Weber, who happens<00:17:19.600> to
• Currently, our search and rescue efforts are very fragmented, and the need for improvements with interagency

Bills: HB2198, HB2021, HB1881, HB1964, HB1990, HB2151, HB2599, HB2414

Keywords: gambling, prediction markets, Hawaii gambling laws, financial contracts, ethical concerns, electric bicycles, micro-mobility devices, safety regulations, traffic laws, insurance exemption, high-speed electric devices, land use, ropeway, transportation, state regulation, government exemption, building code, permitting process, training, state council

Transcript Highlights:

• group the other group million for this group the other group youth<00:30:51.519> leadership<00
• Did any of the groups that were part of Feeding Our Future or the other groups listed on the tracker
• Did any of the groups that were part of Feeding Our Future or the other groups listed on the tracker
• Did any of the groups that were part of Feeding Our Future or the other groups listed on the tracker
• Did any of the groups that were part of Feeding Our Future or the other groups listed on the tracker

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Interagency Council on Homelessness, who has made that determination for the states and the continuums
• So, our coalition is formed of four different religious community groups in the state.
• <00:54:15.040> So,<00:54:15.200> the community groups in the state.
• So, the community groups in the state.
• <00:54:27.040> get people of faith um those four groups get people of faith um those four

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• time we want them to be singing group time we want them to be singing everywhere<00:07:38.520> when
• And also in your PowerPoint, you can see it was 80% compared to 60% in the control group.
• <01:00:54.880> and compared to 60% in the control group and compared to 60% in the control
• We had a book club kind of group.
• <01:31:40.760> on<01:31:41.280> this<01:31:41.639> going groups on this going groups

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There would be some kind of interagency document that would be agreed upon through whatever authorization

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with routine business, including approval of the prior journal and several messages from the Assembly to discharge and substitute identical Senate bills. The chamber then took up a budget extender, Senate Print 10262/Assembly Bill 11295, which would appropriate $2.9 billion to keep state government operating through May 14 while budget negotiations continued. Senator O’Mara questioned the delay in reaching a full budget and criticized the lack of clarity on major policy issues, conference committees, school aid timing, and a proposed $1 billion utility ratepayer relief plan, arguing the state’s spending and affordability problems were worsening. Senator Serrano responded that negotiations were in the final stretch and that the extender was necessary to maintain government operations. The extender passed 59-1 after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. The Senate also considered a major election-law bill, Senate Print 88A, providing for automatic voter registration and pre-registration through DMV, Medicaid, and NYCHA-related transactions. Senator Walczyk’s proposed amendment to require voter ID was ruled nongermane, and his appeal was rejected. The bill prompted extended debate over whether the process would protect against non-citizen registration or instead remove barriers for eligible voters. Supporters, including Senator Gianaris, said it would streamline registration and help eligible but unregistered New Yorkers participate; Senator Zellner said it would strengthen the process. Opponents, including Senators Walczyk, Borrello, Helming, Rhoads, and Martins, warned it would shift responsibility away from bipartisan boards of elections, create administrative errors, and risk improper registration. The bill ultimately passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar, with senators explaining votes along party lines. The chamber also adopted or advanced several resolutions and recognized guests. Senator Gallivan’s Police Week resolution drew remarks honoring fallen officers and law enforcement families, with Senators Chan, Rolison, Weik, Ryan, and Myrie speaking in support. Senator Sepúlveda’s resolution commemorating Dominicans in Albany was also discussed, with praise for the Dominican community’s contributions to New York and supportive remarks from Senator Chan. In addition, the Senate heard introductions for guests from Allen A.M.E. Church and the creators of the documentary “Teenage Wasteland.”

Transcript Highlights:

• through PED, to ensure continuity of transportation services for students in foster care, where interagency

Bills: SB23, SB73, SB210, SB234, SB243, SB244, SM16

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• We formed the state's first interagency Council on Homelessness, beginning with the 11 state agencies

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are those issued in writing when a group is denied?
• Interrupt or shout down the primary group that the initial group then We're going to engage.
• Don't just impact one group or a small group. group of people. Assassinations impact everyone.
• Do we call the group of those folks, do they have a?
• One thing to one group and then go to the next group and say the next thing and then go to the third

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's an interagency group that will also have half of its representation from the counties.
• Uh, that group will kind of be the boots on the ground group that'll be constantly monitoring and advising
• Uh that group through this over time.
• to thank the uh cannabis working group to thank the uh cannabis working group coalition<00:27:18.640
• Isaac has done a environmental groups.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House first took up Senate File 334, a bill to modernize county human services technology used to administer programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. The author and several members described the current systems as outdated “green screen” platforms that are slow, duplicative, and difficult for workers and applicants, and argued modernization would improve service, retention, and fraud prevention. The bill would create a technology modernization fund with about $90 million over time, capped at $50 million, route funds through Minute, establish an interagency group with county representation, create a legislative working group, and provide $15 million for Office of Inspector General technology. Members from several counties spoke in strong support, citing local system failures, cyberattacks, and the need for better tools; one member noted the bill was about 20 years overdue. The bill passed third reading by a vote of 134-0, and a title was agreed to. The House then considered Senate File 4401, the cannabis bill. The author described it as a maintenance and cleanup package developed with more than 80 stakeholders over months of meetings, including business owners, labor, tribal representatives, and medical cannabis interests. The bill was presented as making noncontroversial adjustments to support small businesses, clarify statutes, improve privacy protections, adjust event and transporter rules, address good-faith errors, strengthen enforcement against unlicensed operators, and support local governments and municipal cannabis dispensaries. It also included a first step toward a medical psilocybin program and changes intended to make the medical cannabis market more sustainable, including easing the grow-and-sale ratio issue. The transcript cuts off before final action on this bill, but members speaking in support emphasized collaboration and the need for practical regulatory fixes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 818 requires the state or its reporting agency to convene a state center advisory group.
• As amended, the purpose of the advisory group is to provide community input on the development of the
• The bill specifies membership of the advisory group and establishes requirements that any development
• The amendment alters the purpose of the advisory group as previously described, alters the membership
• As amended, the purpose advisory group.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, March 16, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened on Monday, March 16th, with an invocation focused on safety during storms, support for first responders, and recognition of Women’s History Month. A quorum was present, and the President noted the chamber was preparing for a very busy week, with possible double sessions and a Saturday session if needed. The House message on House Bill 297, concerning adult education and high school diploma pathways, was received and referred to the appropriate standing committees. The chamber then took up several committee reports, mostly adopting committee amendments and favorable reports without objection. Among the bills advanced to third reading were SB 85 on use of Information Technology Investment Fund revenues, SB 520 on public safety spending flexibility in charter counties, SB 558 creating a Chesapeake Bay Enhancement Program, SB 641 on procurement exceptions for historic preservation services, SB 647 establishing a catastrophic disability benefit tier for certain law enforcement retirement members, SB 654 raising the State Police mandatory retirement age to 62 and adjusting DROP rules, and SB 668 on Children’s Cabinet funding for local management boards. SB 756, a Baltimore City PILOT/tax exemption bill for a Downtown Rise District project, was also advanced. Several bills were special ordered to allow time for amendments or further discussion. SB 334 on machine gun convertible pistols was special ordered to the next day after members said amendments were not ready. SB 309, concerning a statewide sales and use tax exemption for precious metal bullion or coins, was also special ordered for the next day so members could add co-sponsors. SB 818 on State Center development contract requirements and an advisory group was special ordered to the appropriate time the next day after discussion of its community input and federal-law compliance provisions. The Budget and Taxation Committee then reported on the fiscal 2027 operating budget, SB 282, and the budget reconciliation and financing act, SB 284. The committee chair said the budget left a $250 million cash surplus and $2.2 billion in the rainy day fund, kept general fund spending below the current year, imposed no tax or fee increases, and funded priorities including behavioral health in schools, child care scholarships, local government disparity grants, nursing homes, developmental disabilities services, public schools, Medicaid, energy assistance, and economic development. Both SB 282 and SB 284, along with their committee amendments, were laid over until the next day for second reading debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The six groups are strong partners in plan implementation, but they also are very creative in finding
• My question is: do you see challenges in that interagency communication that's slowing that process down

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on flood risk and flood management in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that flooding is a statewide and growing threat due to climate change, including the possibility of extreme losses in a worst-case event. Members noted recent flooding in places such as San Diego, the Tulare Basin, and Pajaro, and framed the hearing as a way to better understand prevention, response, and how to capture excess water for later use. Jeffrey Mount of PPIC gave the main overview, describing California’s high flood exposure, the different flood types the state faces, and the mix of structural and non-structural tools used to manage them. He stressed that levees, dams, bypasses, land-use planning, flood insurance, and emergency response all matter, but that risk is rising because current standards are based on past hydrology rather than future climate conditions. He also warned that flood management is underfunded, that the National Flood Insurance Program is weak, and that federal support is increasingly uncertain. Members asked about groundwater recharge, permitting, NOAA and federal cuts, and which communities are most at risk; Mount said recharge can help but does not eliminate flood risk, and that small Central Valley communities and heavily developed floodplains are especially concerning. State officials Laura Hollander of the Department of Water Resources and Jane Dolan of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board described the state’s role in forecasting, emergency response, grants, planning, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. They highlighted aging infrastructure, the need for better coordination, and the state’s special liability in the Central Valley after the Paterno decision. Dolan reviewed the history of major floods and said the plan calls for about $1 billion per year over 30 years to meet current needs, while Hollander said the state works with local and federal partners on preparedness, response, and subventions projects. Both emphasized that floodplain planning, regional coordination, and faster permitting are important, but that more consistent funding is needed. A later panel from local flood agencies and districts reinforced those points, arguing that the state’s annual flood funding is below identified needs and that a proposed statewide flood and dam safety bond was reduced substantially in the broader climate bond package. Witnesses urged more routine maintenance funding, support for regional flood planning, and continued federal-state-local partnerships to reduce risk and maintain eligibility for federal assistance. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the informational hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I know that there are also many groups here in New Mexico that are pretty much, and these are groups
• And these range from the business groups like the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce to labor groups
• We have several progressive groups, the Indivisible groups, to the Coalition of Conservatives in Action
• That's the only group that I've heard that's opposing the compacts. So that's the...
• Why are we holding up medical care in New Mexico because of one group?

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• groups in cyber security and I think your answer to that was yes.
• In addition, violent extremist groups will operate in cyberspace.
• So we're seeking to establish a work group for each provider. group that's representative of the state
• So after we kind of group into these three tiers, we will re-engage. with that provider work group and
• We have a group of people.

Bills: HB150, HB869, HB876, HB 1043, HB1494, HB1522, HB150

Keywords: cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that's why we included in here for consideration that there might be a need for a working group
• And so we're talking about a limited group here.
• <01:29:15.040> vi people pre-trial very limited group vi people pre-trial very limited group
• c><01:31:22.719> about<01:31:22.960> a<01:31:23.280> limited<01:31:23.760> group
• we're talking about a limited group we're talking about a limited group here.<01:31:25.360> Uh

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs recessed briefly for a joint hearing, then reconvened and took up House Bill 2494, which would limit warrantless arrests for petty misdemeanors and violations, require officers to document arrest justification, expand citation-in-lieu-of-arrest use, and direct the Judiciary to create a standardized citation form. The chair also outlined hearing procedures and testimony time limits. Committee members later received an overview from the Policing Project about national trends in expanding citation use. Testimony was divided. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Office of the Public Defender, the ACLU of Hawaii, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and the Policing Project, argued the bill would reduce unnecessary arrests and pretrial detention, lessen jail overcrowding, save law enforcement time, and reduce harms such as job loss, housing instability, family disruption, and recidivism. They also said the bill preserves officer discretion through public-safety and flight-risk exceptions, and several supporters urged the committee to adopt a standardized citation form despite the Judiciary’s request for a delayed implementation date. Opposition came from the Department of the Attorney General, the Judiciary, county prosecutors, Honolulu Police Department, and other individuals. They argued the bill would unduly restrict law enforcement discretion, create administrative and data-processing problems, and make it harder to identify repeat or habitual offenders because of changes to citation information and fingerprinting. The Judiciary requested implementation no earlier than January 1, 2028 and said the citation form would need major changes. Opponents also warned the bill could increase litigation, suppress evidence, and not meaningfully reduce overcrowding because most jail populations are held on felony matters. The chair reported 14 testimonies in support, 21 in opposition, and one with comments; no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• manipulating seating charts so I was always next to him on the airplane, pulling me away from the group
• 03:44.840> the the airplane, pulling me away from the the airplane, pulling me away from the group
• 45.959> and<00:03:46.120> slipping<00:03:46.480> a<00:03:46.519> secret group
• on tours, and slipping a secret group on tours, and slipping a secret note<00:03:47.360> in<00
• What this amendment would do is apply this bill to all child care centers, all family or group child

Bills: HF4277, HF3819, HF3489, HF4408, HF3901, HF4316

Keywords: child care, child care center, day care, licensed child care, video security cameras, surveillance, security cameras, maltreatment, child abuse, child safety, public and shared areas, camera mandate, child care assistance program, CCAP, Great Start Compensation Support, early learning scholarships, licensed provider, Minnesota Statutes 142B.68, Harvey's Law, privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• The other question that I had is, is there, because that's one group of folks who are going to be coming
• The other group I'm concerned about are those workers, those working families, who are required to meet
• And then my third and final point is that I hope that the third-party group, meaning the administration
• I think the point of, I guess they're called qualified non-citizens, is that that's the group that you're
• Good afternoon, Diego Zamojo, a policy interoperabella group here on behalf of Central American Resource

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Item 6, at the bottom of the page, is the group benefits plan.
• I can say that ERS puts out these reports every February, honestly, on their group benefits plan.
• Our group benefit program covers all of higher education, including the community colleges in Texas.
• Our group benefit program covers all of higher ed, including the community colleges in Texas.
• We had an agency work group meeting.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Legislative Budget Board and agency officials on several agencies, starting with the Texas Historical Commission. LBB described a large biennial reduction driven mainly by the removal of one-time funding and discussed capital projects, rider changes, and exceptional items including Presidio La Bahia and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Senators asked about heritage trails, courthouse grants, unexpended balance authority, and the status of historical-site funding. Historical Commission leadership emphasized preservation, courthouse restoration, heritage tourism, coordination with the Alamo and other Texas Revolution sites, and requested additional IT, staffing, and vehicle funding. No votes were taken. The committee then reviewed the Pension Review Board and the Employees Retirement System. The Pension Review Board’s budget was largely unchanged aside from IT maintenance and salary adjustments, with an exceptional item for additional IT enhancements. Members discussed the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s funding dispute and the need for a workable restoration plan. ERS presented a much larger budget, including funding for the retirement system, the group benefits plan, and the legacy payment intended to reduce unfunded liability. Senators focused heavily on pension investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health-care costs, especially pharmacy spending driven by GLP-1 drugs; ERS said the plan covers about 540,000 lives and that premiums would rise 8% while benefits remain unchanged. ERS also said it had no exceptional items, and committee members requested more detailed benchmark information. The committee also heard from the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. TESSORS reported an unfunded liability, an infinite amortization period, and requested additional state support, staffing, and IT funding, including a statutory change to allow a higher contribution level; the agency warned that without more funding it may have to cut benefits. CEPRIT’s presentation covered its bond-funded cancer research and prevention portfolio, revenue-sharing from funded projects, and a request to increase salary limits for its CEO and chief scientific officer. Senators questioned CEPRIT’s accomplishments and return on investment, while CEPRIT cited screening, prevention, and research outcomes, including tens of thousands of detected cancers and precursors and hundreds of thousands of first-time screenings. The meeting ended after these presentations and questions, with no recorded committee action or vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• It could serve as the hub to connect efforts from all the various groups.
• They deal with group home issues. They deal with health issues and safety issues.
• They deal with group home issues. They deal with health issues and safety issues.
• <00:34:56.159> They They deal with group home issues.
• They They deal with group home issues.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3668, authored by Chair Beerman, which would create a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Beerman and several supporters framed gun violence as a public health crisis, arguing the office would improve research, coordination, data collection, and evidence-based prevention. Supporters cited firearm deaths among children and adults, the trauma experienced by survivors and families, and Minnesota’s need for a centralized structure to guide policy and prevention efforts. Testifying in support were representatives of the Minnesota Medical Association, Protect Minnesota, a parent affected by the Annunciation school shooting, family physicians, an OB-GYN, and a pediatric emergency physician. They described gun violence as a daily clinical and community reality, pointed to rising firearm deaths and injuries, and said Minnesota should apply the same public health approach used for motor vehicle safety, tobacco, and other crises. Several witnesses emphasized the impact on children, suicide prevention, maternal health, and the need for Minnesota-specific research and coordinated responses. Opposition came from the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, which argued the bill would create a taxpayer-funded bureaucracy that could be used to advance gun control policy and treat lawful firearm ownership as a public health problem. The group said the state should focus instead on enforcement, prosecution, and victim services. Vice Chair Nidau offered an A2 amendment to move the office from the Department of Health to the Department of Public Safety, citing data-sharing and accountability, but withdrew it after discussion with Chair Beerman. The hearing ended with additional member discussion, including concerns about existing violence-prevention spending and whether school safety investments would be a better use of funds; no final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This appropriation pays for personal services for the Secretary, and it's funded by interagency transfers
• Those programs are provided in group settings, so they're not individual education programs.
• the number of adoptions that we're doing, and when we do that and the child qualifies or the sibling group
• just trying to figure out where is—are these grants or contracts with vendors or training-specific groups
• University outreach events, several other small organizations, including nonprofits and any other group

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You may recall at the beginning of session there was testimony on House Bill 2, from a similar group
• sort of the left or bottom left half of the slide, those three portions of the pie are the three groups
• It's really two: the non-state group and the state group, but we broke out higher education just being
• We have an accounting group and a finance group and a contracting group, but the actual project managers
• We've got the Transportation Trust Fund, interagency transfers, and others.

Summary: The committee met for an informational hearing focused largely on the state capital outlay process and House Bill 2. Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration/Facility Planning and Control described how the office prepares and administers the capital outlay bill, said the bill has grown substantially over five years, and argued that recent changes in culture, staffing, project management, cash-flow analysis, and use of third-party support have more than doubled project expenditures and improved delivery. Members asked about the use and cost of third-party project managers, delegation of smaller projects to agencies, hiring difficulties, and whether the changes represented better interpretation of existing law versus statutory changes. Husser said some statutes were amended, some internal customs were removed, and the office would provide a list of those changes. He also explained that the office is trying to move away from overly rigid practices and toward faster project completion while still following public-bid and oversight rules. A major portion of the discussion centered on the size and structure of the capital outlay bill, especially the gap between Priority 1 cash capacity and the much larger Priority 5 backlog. Husser said the current annual Priority 1 limit is tied to construction inflation and is about $574 million, with additional surplus funds also available, but that the bill contains far more Priority 5 funding than can realistically move in a five-year plan. He and members discussed dormant projects, scope creep, legacy projects that have sat in the bill for years, and the problem of false expectations for non-state entities. Proposed solutions included limiting Priority 5 to five times Priority 1, requiring annual re-endorsement by members, setting district or project caps for non-state projects, requiring time limits and reporting for grant-like non-state projects, placing matches in escrow, requiring design readiness before submission, and consolidating the many existing reporting requirements into one clearer report. Members also discussed bundling multiple projects under one agency project, which the House had begun piloting for LSU, UL Lafayette, Southern, and DOTD, and which Husser said could improve flexibility, reduce overappropriation, and better reflect actual spending. Baker then explained cash-flow management and the commitment process, saying FPC now analyzes projects annually to estimate what can actually be spent in the next fiscal year and uses commitments to allow projects to proceed when future-year funding is expected. He said overappropriations can result from poor cash-flow estimates, delays, dormant projects, or projects coming in under budget, and that the office is already reworking cash-flow assumptions and reappropriating savings where possible. Members also raised concerns about change orders and low bids; staff said project managers review change orders closely, require concurrence on non-state projects, and sometimes reduce scope to keep projects within budget. After FPC’s presentation, the committee heard the beginning of Louisiana Economic Development’s capital outlay discussion, where LED explained that its projects generally fall into three categories, including the Economic Development Awards Program and Site Readiness Program, both used to support targeted economic development and job creation.