Transcript Highlights:

• If they don't let him out soon enough, ...problem for the public safety.
• 1412 by the State Affairs Committee, an act relating to education, to establish the Idaho Student Safety
• 1412 by the State Affairs Committee, an act relating to education, to establish the Idaho Student Safety
• The maintenance needs for the public safety functional area are appropriated separately.
• This bill provides an additional $32,823,800 to the maintenance appropriation provided to public safety

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sexual abuse by school employees involves public institutions, public funds, and the safety of children
• Our mission is to protect the interests and safety of youth by advancing their legal rights.
• Our mission is to protect the interests and safety of youth by advancing their legal rights.
• Our mission is to protect the interests and safety of youth by advancing their legal rights.
• If parole is an appropriate public safety tool moving forward, we believe it is important to consider

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 6239, which would require civil arbitration for tort claims against the state and its subdivisions before trial. Staff explained current tort-claim procedures and said the bill would apply arbitration to claims of any dollar amount, with a fiscal note pending. The sponsor said Washington’s liability exposure is unusually high and argued the bill would promote early resolution without limiting jury trials, damage caps, or attorney fees. Members asked who pays for arbitration and whether trial rights are preserved; staff said costs are generally split and the bill preserves a jury trial de novo. Testimony on SB 6239 was sharply divided. Counties, cities, school districts, risk pools, and some public-safety groups supported the bill, saying rising liability and insurance costs are straining budgets and threatening core services. Opponents included trial lawyers, legal aid groups, victim advocates, journalists, and survivors of abuse, who argued the bill would create barriers to justice, delay relief, increase costs for claimants, reduce transparency, and retraumatize survivors by forcing private arbitration before a public trial. Several witnesses said the bill was too broad because it would cover employment, contract, and other claims, not just torts involving abuse or negligence. After public testimony closed, the committee noted the large number of sign-ins, with far more in opposition than in support. The committee then took up Senate Bill 6074, which would reinstate parole for certain felony offenses committed on or after July 1, 2027, allow eligible incarcerated people to petition the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board after serving 60% of their sentence, and create a parole implementation work group. Supporters said it would recognize rehabilitation and improve reentry, while some witnesses raised concerns about the bill’s prospective-only application, the 60% threshold, and the need to address racial disparities and parole criteria more fully. The sponsor said the parole bill was paired with tort-liability reform because criminal justice reform advocates have said liability changes are needed to restore parole in Washington.

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as the executive director of New Mexico Safety Over Profit.
• At Safety Over Profit, we use a simple framework to evaluate proposed solutions.
• They needed support, safety, and human connection.
• I serve as the executive director of New Mexico Safety Overprofit.
• I serve as the executive director of New Mexico Safety Overprofit.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:30:29.840><c> the</c><00:30:30.000><c> Department</c><00:30:30.399><c> of</c><00:30:30.559><c> Safety
• </c> Justice and the Department of Safety Justice and the Department of Safety who's<00:30:31.360><c>
• worked very closely with<00:34:16.399><c> Department</c><00:34:16.720><c> of</c><00:34:16.879><c> Safety
• c><00:34:17.200><c> to</c><00:34:17.440><c> make</c><00:34:17.520><c> sure</c> with Department of Safety
• to make sure with Department of Safety to make sure we<00:34:18.159><c> we</c><00:34:18.399><c> hit<

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nurses and the safety of patients.
• in this state and know that that covers that safety issue quite well.
• I'm trying to see how all of this deals with patient safety. I understand that.
• Does that affect patient safety? Madam Chair, Representative, CNAs are very important.
• They should be in the rooms every hour, and that contributes greatly to patient safety.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:15:06.800><c> valve</c> traditional standard safety valve traditional standard safety valve language
• Quality and Patient Safety Commission, quality and patient safety commission, that is made up of all
• It it nothing to do with safety.
• </c><01:01:32.079><c> Um,</c> in the name of patient safety. Um, in the name of patient safety.
• </c> safety. It strengthens it. safety. It strengthens it.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's four years from the time that that safety deposit box goes past due.
• </c><00:35:38.079><c> It's</c> what's in a safety deposit box. It's what's in a safety deposit box.
• Uh they this uh safety deposit box.
• </c> property delivered from the safety property delivered from the safety deposit<00:43:29.599><c> box
• </c> financial institution that has a safety financial institution that has a safety deposit<00:44:42.480

Keywords: MS House Floor - 10 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Schools should be a place of support and safety, not surveillance.
• ,</c> be a place of sur support and safety, be a place of sur support and safety, not<00:55:19.160><c
• And it will come at the cost of a child's right to safety, to self, and to speak.
• </c><05:04:04.878><c> at</c> their parents puts their safety at their parents puts their safety at risk
• and well-being in our for student safety and well-being in our state. state. state.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I was looking for safety, stability, and a chance to rebuild.
• The amount of information I was required to provide and the way it was handled made me fear for my safety
• The proposal seeks statutory changes to the Health and Safety Code to limit family child care licensees
• It restores safety, dignity, and belonging for our community members.
• And right now, more than ever, we need safety, dignity, and belonging for our community members.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy budget hearing focused on child care, child welfare, and immigration-related services, with most of the discussion centered on child care funding, slot utilization, and rate reform. Department of Social Services officials said the Governor’s budget would provide $6.8 billion for child care programs in 2026-27, including $11.5 million in Prop. 64 funds for mini-grants to licensed facilities affected by 2025 disasters. They also described federal CCDF and Prop. 64 revenue reductions that would reduce general child care funding by about 4,176 slots, while emphasizing that the cuts should not affect currently enrolled children. The LAO supported aligning spending with lower revenues and asked for more detail on the disaster grant program. Members questioned why so many awarded slots remain uncontracted or unfilled, and DSS said delays are largely due to providers building new infrastructure, licensing, staffing, and enrollment work. One senator criticized the repeated explanation, argued unspent funds revert to the General Fund instead of being redirected to child care, and urged shifting more funding from contract slots to vouchers and increasing flexibility for infrastructure and expansion costs. DSS said it is exploring more flexibility, better readiness screening, and quicker redistribution of relinquished slots. The committee also discussed the Emergency Child Care Bridge program, with DSS saying it can redistribute funds among counties to avoid disenrolling children. A second panel addressed the state’s broader commitment to expand child care and move toward a single rate structure. DSS reported that since 2021-22 nearly 125,000 new slots have been awarded across CCTR, CAPP, CMAP, and the Emergency Child Care Bridge program, bringing monthly service levels to more than 366,700 children. The department and CDE described progress on rate reform, including completion of the alternative methodology and joint recommendations from the labor-management committee on a single-rate framework. County and provider testimony emphasized persistent unmet need, especially for infant and toddler care, and argued that current reimbursement disparities between CDSS-funded programs and state preschool create inequities and discourage expansion. Stanislaus County Office of Education said rate differences can materially affect local program revenue and staffing, while Parent Voices California described the child care system as difficult to navigate and inequitable, especially for Black families and survivors of domestic violence. The California Budget and Policy Center argued that only a small share of eligible children are served, that Universal TK has concentrated investment in school-based settings, and that providers are still paid far below the cost of care. Members pressed the administration for deadlines on automation and implementation of the single-rate structure, and DSS said some work can proceed before collective bargaining concludes, though policy decisions are still needed. The committee also reviewed several trailer bill proposals. For the COLA, DSS proposed applying the 2026-27 increase through cost-of-care-plus payments, but acknowledged it had inadvertently excluded CalWORKs Child Care and the Emergency Child Care Bridge from the initial calculation; the LAO recommended making the COLA increase uniform across child care and state preschool programs. On the alternative methodology survey, DSS proposed replacing the market rate survey with the federally approved alternative methodology and aligning the timing with the federal CCDF state plan cycle. On licensed family child care homes, DSS proposed limiting temporary absences to 20% of monthly care hours and allowing more flexibility for medical appointments, jury duty, training, and union activities. On excessive unexplained absences, DSS proposed a statutory definition to align state policy with federal rules allowing disenrollment after 30 days of unexplained absences. The committee also discussed a proposal to require contractors to collect family fees directly so the full voucher value reaches providers, with DSS saying it is working with Riverside County on implementation and CDE asking that the same policy apply to state preschool. Finally, the committee reviewed an Early Childhood Policy Council reappropriation and reporting proposal, with DSS explaining that prior funds were underused because participation costs are hard to estimate and that additional staffing and contractor support would be needed for the expanded annual report requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• It purports to be about safety.
• These features are matters of consumer preference, not product safety defects.
• Law enforcement, in particular, they don't have time for safety.
• If you want to buy a gun with a safety, do it.
• If you want to buy a gun without a safety, like in law enforcement, who doesn't have time for a safety

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all narrowed eligibility to certain properties in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, added environmental and zoning criteria, and included exemptions for agricultural land, parks, military-adjacent land, and other areas. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill was reported favorably 8-0. The committee then heard SB 212 on sexual offenders and predators, as amended to add public swimming pools and related child-centered locations to residency and presence restrictions. Testimony was sharply divided, with supporters emphasizing child safety and opponents arguing the bill lacked empirical support and would worsen homelessness and impose retroactive burdens. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably 8-1. Members next approved SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after adopting an amendment allowing certain enclaves adjacent to interstate highways to be developed for commercial, industrial, or single-family residential uses while clarifying protections for critical areas, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and military installations. The bill drew opposition from a county Republican committee representative who argued it would weaken zoning and comprehensive planning and encourage urban sprawl, while homebuilders and industry groups supported it. The committee also reported favorably SB 554 on nonprofit corporations, a Florida Bar-backed update intended to modernize and harmonize nonprofit corporate law, and SB 1338 on charitable giving, which would create donor remedies for endowment restrictions and limit state reporting burdens on certain charitable organizations; members noted the latter would need further work on cy pres and related issues. The committee then approved SB 532 on court fees after a strike-all that would let clerks retain all collections above revenue projections rather than splitting excess with general revenue, with clerks’ groups supporting the change and members citing long-standing funding shortfalls. SB 218 on land use regulations was also reported favorably; it would restore normal land-use authority to counties unaffected by the 2024 hurricanes while keeping SB 180 protections in place for damaged areas. SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability passed 9-2 after debate over whether the bill created enough compliance incentives and whether its liability presumption was retroactive; supporters said it would encourage adoption of cybersecurity frameworks and reduce class-action litigation, while opponents wanted stronger compliance requirements. Finally, SB 1138 on qualified contractors was amended and passed unanimously as a process-reform measure allowing licensed professionals to conduct pre-application reviews, and SJR 1104 on religious expression in public schools was reported favorably 8-3 after extensive testimony and debate over whether it would protect free expression or invite coercion and litigation. The committee also began consideration of SB 1106 on requiring state agencies and instructional materials to use “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank,” with the sponsor framing it as historical accuracy and opponents arguing it erased Palestinian identity; the transcript cuts off during that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, there's some people go, well, the FAA governs that, and it is true the FAA governs airspace safety
• However, the FAA safety and navigation.
• </c><00:24:08.159><c> By</c><00:24:08.400><c> whom</c> a health and safety license?
• By whom a health and safety license?
• </c> to put in place the same safety to put in place the same safety Okay.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In Hawaii, safety net hospitals are not peripheral. They are foundational.
• net hospitals for who rely on the safety net hospitals for access. access. access.
• </c> complexity patients within the safety complexity patients within the safety the<01:20:51.440><c>
• :54.000><c> the</c> the safety net systems, shifting the the safety net systems, shifting the role<01
• In<01:21:01.400><c> Hawaii,</c><01:21:02.440><c> safety</c><01:21:02.960><c> net</c><01:21:03.240><c>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of cases often involve ongoing safety of cases often involve ongoing safety concerns concerns concerns
• These are still real offenses, and they are a part of how local communities address public safety.
• These are real offenses, and they are part of how local communities address public safety.
• These are real offenses, and they are part of how local communities address public safety.
• </c> for maximally protecting public safety. for maximally protecting public safety.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• um, we have a targeted violence and terrorism prevention program grant at the Department of Public Safety
• 30:00.640><c> Department</c><00:30:00.960><c> of</c><00:30:01.200><c> Public</c><00:30:01.520><c> Safety
• </c><00:30:02.320><c> through</c> the Department of Public Safety through the Department of Public Safety
• :48.320><c> for</c> like that doesn't bode well uh for for like that doesn't bode well uh for for safety
• </c><00:30:50.559><c> Um</c> safety outcomes in the state. Um safety outcomes in the state.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Rules and Administration Select Subcommittee on Federal Impacts on Minnesotans and Economic Stability met on February 20, 2026, to hear from Minnesota Management and Budget State Budget Director Anna Mingi about federal funding changes affecting the state budget. Before testimony began, Senator Rasmusson objected to a draft committee report that had been prepared in advance of the hearing, arguing it was inappropriate to summarize testimony before it occurred. The chair responded that nonpartisan staff had prepared the draft from Mingi’s submitted presentation and could revise it after the hearing if needed. Director Mingi explained that federal dollars make up more than one-third of state spending and support about 650 federal awards totaling over $23 billion this year, with more than $15 billion supporting state entitlement programs. She said the federal funding environment had changed significantly since January 2025 through executive orders, pauses, terminations, new grant conditions, delayed awards, and the July 2025 passage of H.R. 1, the federal reconciliation bill. Her main focus was H.R. 1’s effects on health care and food assistance, including work requirements for some adults, changes to eligibility for legal non-citizens, limits on retroactive Medicaid coverage and directed payments, new limits on provider taxes, and SNAP changes that shift some benefit and administrative costs to the state and counties. She estimated H.R. 1 would reduce federal funds to state-administered programs by about $327 million in the current biennium and $1.6 billion in the next, with additional costs to hospitals, counties, and other partners beyond the budget horizon. Members asked follow-up questions about whether the estimates were relative to the forecast and whether federal Medicaid funding would still rise over time. Mingi said the estimates were based on the November forecast baseline and that Medicaid federal dollars would likely continue growing overall, though the law still creates significant losses relative to prior projections. Senator Rasmusson emphasized that point in remarks to the committee. The discussion then shifted to federal grant pauses and cancellations: MMB’s tracker showed about six awards on hold totaling roughly $491 million, 13 confirmed cancellations across areas including clean energy, education, food assistance, and public health, and additional threatened or litigated cuts not included in those totals. Mingi identified two canceled violence-prevention-related grants, including a FEMA public safety grant and a justice reinvestment grant, and noted that CDC had recently moved to cancel or seek cancellation of several Minnesota public health grants, including a $65 million public health infrastructure award.

Transcript Highlights:

• He helped found the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America, transforming jobsite safety and
• He started out as a safety on the job.
• site safety America, transforming job site safety and<00:36:00.800><c> the</c><00:36:01.040><c> laborers
• Created Rhode Island for Gun Safety to promote common sense gun reform.
• </c> students need to improve school safety students need to improve school safety to<00:52:26.240><c

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:17:46.000><c> and</c> terms of enhancing that Safety and terms of enhancing that Safety and Security
• The other two are attached to the Public Safety and Infrastructure Bureau.
• </c><00:34:19.000><c> so</c> Police the department of safety so Police the department of safety so there's
• Kyg said crisis centers also provide safety planning and connection to legal services.
• </c> possible um they also provide safety possible um they also provide safety planning<01:55:27.960>

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> that choice for food safety-related that choice for food safety-related reasons.<01:17:22.000><c
• </c> in food safety. in food safety.
• </c> them on to the uh Department of Safety them on to the uh Department of Safety State<03:07:03.640
• </c> question of Yep. uh safety when they question of Yep. uh safety when they come<03:26:21.680><c>
• </c> safety of the animal. safety of the animal.

Committee: House Environment and Agriculture

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:03:21.920><c> The</c><01:03:22.160><c> waiver</c> of delays and safety gaps.
• The waiver of delays and safety gaps.
• </c> with his medical needs, safety with his medical needs, safety supervision<01:03:37.119><c> isn't
• </c> condition, behavioral needs, safety condition, behavioral needs, safety needs<01:03:45.680><c> require
• </c> this is about his health and safety. this is about his health and safety.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee opened by adopting its mission and priorities for reviewing Kentucky’s 1915(c) home- and community-based services waiver wait lists, including evaluating current capacity and bottlenecks, comparing other states’ practices, and considering a tiered priority system based on urgency of need. The chair also announced that, although public comment was not on the agenda, the committee would allow 30 minutes for comments and asked speakers to keep remarks brief. He noted that public comment would not continue in the smaller subcommittees after this meeting, but could still be made at the larger MOAB meetings or by email. Department for Medicaid Services officials Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock then gave a detailed overview of Kentucky’s waiver programs: the acquired brain injury waiver, ABI long-term care waiver, home and community-based waiver, Model 2, Michelle P. waiver, Supports for Community Living waiver, and the newly approved child waiver. They explained each program’s eligibility and level-of-care requirements, described funded, filled, allocated, reserved, and available slots, and said the state had already added new slots from House Bill 500. They emphasized that available slots can coexist with a wait list because of reserved slots for money-follows-the-person transitions, emergency slots, annual slot churn, and waiver-year reconciliation. They also reported that the unduplicated wait list total was 18,948, and gave current wait-time figures by waiver, noting that the numbers change constantly. Members asked about how level-of-care determinations are made, whether all people on the wait list have been assessed, and whether undocumented individuals appear in the counts. The department said full level-of-care assessments are done only when a person is moving off the wait list into a reserved slot, and that only Medicaid-eligible individuals can reach the wait list. Senators and representatives also pressed on the meaning of “churn,” why slots cannot be reissued immediately when someone leaves, and whether people who receive even a small amount of service keep their slot for the rest of the waiver year under CMS rules. Officials said that once a participant receives service during the waiver year, the slot generally cannot be reassigned until the next waiver year, even if the person later disengages. The department also presented county distribution, annual member growth, average total cost per member, and total annual waiver expenditures, saying fiscal year 2025 closed at about $1.8 billion in waiver services. In response to questions, officials said they would provide additional churn data for other waivers, including Michelle P., and would look into the average wait-time calculations requested by members. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also look at safety and prevention. Some of that safety of... Excuse me, just one second.
• Just really quick on this slide: safety and prevention.
• So some of the safety things, you know, some of it's just basic house. Safety and prevention.
• So some of the safety things, you know, some of it's just basic house safety as we have infants and turning
• So when we define safety, we think physical safety and also emotional safety.

Committee: Joint Protection and Victim Services Committee

Summary: The committee first approved the December 16 minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their economic and public-system impacts. She explained that ACEs are population-level risk indicators, not individual diagnostic tools, and said higher ACE exposure is associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare and justice involvement, and lower workforce participation. She cautioned that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across the life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based interventions and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, trends in ACEs, and home visiting; she emphasized supportive relationships, protective factors, and the importance of positive childhood experiences. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco, along with a recorded family story from Abby, about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota. Abby described how Healthy Families North Dakota supported her family after a premature birth and NICU stay by providing weekly in-home coaching, developmental screenings, postpartum mental health check-ins, referrals, and parenting support. The presenters explained that home visiting is voluntary, relationship-based, and usually begins prenatally or shortly after birth, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, pregnancy navigators, human service zones, self-referrals, and other community partners. They said North Dakota currently has four main evidence-based models operating through 12 organizations, with Healthy Families available in all 53 counties, though only a fraction of eligible families are served. Funding was described as a patchwork of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E, Medicaid, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and other grants; members discussed whether the Legislature or agencies should expand support and how to improve outreach and sustainability. Finally, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, focusing on AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and chatbot-related risks. The report summarized federal and state law, including North Dakota’s existing computer-generated image provisions, the federal PROTECT Act, the Take It Down Act, and recent federal executive orders on AI policy. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI’s effect on critical thinking and misinformation. The committee then heard from BCI Special Agent Cassidy Halsef, who said AI is already driving a sharp rise in child exploitation cases in North Dakota, including AI-generated explicit images of real minors and school-based incidents involving mass-shared manipulated images. She said investigators are seeing more cyber tips, more difficult forensic work, and lasting harm to victims and families, and urged stronger legal penalties, specialized training, victim services, and prevention education in schools and communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• It has become a safety issue.
• Um and and then of the safety issues.
• And so, as well as our dam safety and flood hazard mitigation.
• Obviously, um DNR public safety needs.
• </c><00:26:48.640><c> flood</c><00:26:48.960><c> hazard</c> our dam safety and flood hazard our dam safety

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all