Transcript Highlights:

• The assumed amount with that, which is why I'm in front of you, is 1.7 over the next biennium.
• The assumed amount with that, which is why I'm in front of you, is 1.7 over the next biennium.
• ...an amount of money to be released, or you should just be released on your promise to reappear.
• So, yeah, I think you can detain for a certain amount, but then to hold becomes another conversation.
• A tremendous amount of renovation occurred on the first floor.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 2271, which would formally place adult residential facilities in code and rebase their Medicaid reimbursement rates. Sponsor Chairman Ruby and HHS staff explained that these facilities, often serving people with dementia or acquired brain injury, are reimbursed at a much lower rate than skilled nursing care and help reduce bottlenecks in higher-level facilities. Members questioned how the program differs from basic care and nursing facility memory care, and the bill was referred to the HR section for deeper review before possible action on Monday. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2396, as amended, which would authorize an independent third-party performance audit of the Department of Commerce and the North Dakota Development Fund, with findings shared with the state auditor. Sponsors said the proposal was prompted by concerns raised in testimony and that a private audit could begin faster than a state audit. The committee adopted an amendment adding an emergency clause and directing the report to the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, then passed the bill 20-0 with 3 absent. Next, Representative Clemine presented Senate Bills 2226, 2036, and 2037. SB 2226 would presume an incarcerated person indigent at initial appearance so counsel can be provided at that critical stage; the commission said the appropriation would fund contract attorney hours, and the bill was sent to HR for further review. SB 2036 would create procedures for determining juvenile fitness to proceed in delinquency cases, with a $500,000 appropriation for mental health evaluations, and SB 2037 would begin a juvenile criminal code framework and include a $300,000 appropriation for fitness-to-proceed evaluations; both were also referred to HR, with some concern raised about staffing and overlapping functions. After a short break, the committee heard education-related appropriations bills. SB 2234 would replace expired ESSER funding for Choice Ready grants, but members noted the program was not included in the K-12 budget and sent it to E&E for comparison with existing appropriations. SB 2286, a University of North Dakota request for a new nursing school facility, drew extensive discussion about the age and condition of the current building and the size and scope of the project; the committee ultimately adopted a do-not-pass motion 22-0. SB 2213, the “science of mathematics” bill modeled on the science of reading initiative, would fund math professional development and implementation; it was also referred to E&E for further review. The committee then briefly passed the Racing Commission budget, SB 2023, and began discussion of the Trust Lands budget, SB 2013, including a proposed retention increase for investment-related positions.

Transcript Highlights:

• :13:57.240> that's is increasing the amount that's is increasing the amount that's reimbursed.
• amount theoretically do at this point? amount theoretically do at this point?
• be distributed to the general fund. be distributed to the general fund. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• . distributed. distributed.
• Did we have a dollar amount in that motion that would preclude this amount? Yes, Mr.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This, this is not, we lost this many units and we subtracted that amount out of the formula.
• The between the line is the actual amount, not a change or decrease.
• This is the total amount that's uh being that you all appropriated for these particular initiatives.
• So this is capital outlay money that will be distributed to school districts using the SB 9 formula.
• And then the last one is that $60 million for electric vehicle and infrastructure distribution.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in California, this amounts to nearly a billion dollars of programmatic impact to our health system
• food pantry, and fresh food distribution on our mobile clinic in some of the most rural areas of San
• The total amount for the gap will be adjusted as invoicing and reconciliation proceeds.
• The total amount impacted by these cuts that affected Sacramento County was $26.8 million.
• There was an excessive amount of harassment and burnout and strain on the workforce.

Summary: The subcommittee held an oversight hearing on federal actions affecting California’s public health and family planning systems, focusing first on the freeze to Title X family planning funds and then on broader CDC/public health grant terminations. Chair and members described the cuts as abrupt, harmful, and likely to create major gaps in disease surveillance, vaccination, contraception, STI testing, and other preventive services, while also criticizing the federal administration’s explanation that the actions were tied to DEI or civil-rights compliance. The chair thanked Attorney General Bonta for legal action and said the hearing was intended to document the real-world impacts and inform state budget responses. Witnesses from Essential Access Health, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, a Central Coast clinic, and other providers said California’s Title X network serves more than half a million low-income patients annually and relies on the funds for staffing, outreach, training, mobile and school-based clinics, and confidential care. They warned that the freeze has already forced reserve spending, delayed services, and could lead to layoffs, reduced hours, longer waits, and fewer appointments, especially for sexual and reproductive health care. Public comment included support for a proposed state backfill of Title X losses, with advocates emphasizing impacts on low-income, LGBTQ+, and communities of color. On the public health side, CDPH, county health officials, and local health officers testified that the CDC’s rescission of $11.4 billion in grants would affect California by an estimated $840 million and threaten lab capacity, immunization programs, health disparities work, and data systems such as CalConnect and vaccine registries. Sacramento County and others described how the grants supported outbreak response, sequencing, community vaccination clinics, and equity-focused partnerships, and said terminations had already led to canceled appointments, stopped contracts, and layoffs. Several speakers urged the Legislature to preserve and expand state “future of public health” funding and to backfill federal losses, while public commenters from HIV, immunization, labor, and county organizations echoed concerns about workforce losses and worsening health outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been a sharp rise in the amount There's been a sharp rise in the amount of<00:05:04.000>
• , for cost of gas, cost of distribution, for cost of gas, cost of distribution, customer<00:10:03.519
• that amount, it still swamps the amount that amount, it still swamps the amount of<00:36:01.359>
• So you have to have some amount of power that can be operable 24/7, some amount of power that could be
• So you have to have some amount of power that can be operable 24/7, some amount of power that could be

Bills: HF3298

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:55.600> of that they were accessing some amount of that they were accessing some amount
• individual pounds per person distributed individual pounds per person distributed when<00:47:56.400
• amount of time learning what you do?
• We have added a distribution.
• senior distribution specifically for senior distribution specifically for senior citizens<02:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Someone who was just selling a small amount, he took a bag or something with a larger amount he wasn't
• /c> with a larger amount he wasn't with a larger amount he wasn't expecting.<00:08:28.000> So,
• > from<00:11:30.480> their will buy large amounts from their will buy large amounts from
• bringing it in that have these amounts? bringing it in that have these amounts?
• But the mere possession of amounts, I mean, there's obviously amounts—if somebody's got a kilo, uh, or

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If there were funds added to that, CPE is requesting that there be a minimum distribution where every
• where every university gets distribution where every university gets at<00:05:25.360> least<00
• any funds other than a very small amount any funds other than a very small amount in<00:05:36.080
• We're not asking for more money for the same amount of students.
• probably aware, after a certain amount probably aware, after a certain amount and<00:18:40.960><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met to hear from Morehead State University President Jay Morgan, who outlined the university’s budget and capital priorities. He described Morehead as a Kentucky-serving, largely low-income student institution with an aging campus, and said the university’s long-term plan is to renovate existing facilities, decommission older buildings, and replace outdated space with more efficient construction. He thanked the General Assembly for prior support, especially asset preservation funding, fire and tornado insurance premium support, and a prior university inflationary adjustment. On the operating side, Morgan asked that insurance premium support continue, that the earlier inflationary adjustment roll forward, and that the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education’s request for a minimum distribution in the performance funding formula be supported. He noted Morehead has received little or no performance funding in recent years and said that if no additional formula funds are added, the university would prefer a line-item appropriation. On the capital side, he requested continued asset preservation funding and outlined several construction priorities: a new applied science building, a new agriculture science building, a new space science technology building, and a cost-share replacement for the aging Maze Hall residence hall, with the state covering $10 million of a $20 million project and Morehead matching the rest. Morgan also discussed the Craft Academy, saying the current appropriation supports 200 students and that the university would like to increase the line item to expand enrollment by about 20 students. In response to questions from Chairman Tipton, he said Morehead had previously explored but ultimately rejected a public-private partnership model for housing, preferring to own and control its residence halls to keep housing costs manageable for students. He also explained that the land surveying courses in the applied science proposal are a popular part of related programs and that Morehead’s space science program is a major research-and-contracts-driven operation with about 250 students, federal and private research ties, and graduates working both in Kentucky and elsewhere. The committee then approved the prior meeting minutes and discussed that upcoming postsecondary budget meetings would continue over the next several weeks to gather input on the new budget process.

Transcript Highlights:

• ON THE CURRENT PROGRAMS WE ARE OVERSEEING $700 MILLION OF THAT HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE STATE AREA
• SO FAR TODAY WE'VE DISTRIBUTED OVER 3500 DEVICES WITHIN THIS PROGRAM.
• THIS TAKES WIRELESS, 13% WITHIN THAT DISTRIBUTION, SATELLITE CAME IN AT 25% DISTRIBUTION AND HYBRID TECHNOLOGY
• AND IT DRILLS DOWN TO WHERE IT SHOWS SUBSIDY AMOUNT REQUESTED BY THE PROVISIONAL AWARDEE AS THE MATCH
• WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE MOVING TO FLORIDA CAPACITY ISSUES IN URBAN AREAS IS A CONCERN AS WELL.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yep, that's the highway tax distribution funding.
• So 86% from general funds, 14% from the highway tax distribution fund.
• Again, that was the highway tax distribution.
• And the $172,000 came from general. $28,000 was the highway tax distribution.
• That's a good amount. Thank you. $2.3 million? Yeah. $2.3 million? Yeah.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2023 for the Racing Commission. Members confirmed the bill’s existing items, including the internships program and copier replacement, and then adopted an amendment based on the worksheet that moved those items to one-time funding. The committee then passed SB 2023 as amended, with the only noted differences from the Senate version being the one-time treatment of the $20,000 internship item and the copier replacement. Next, the committee considered House Bill 2011 for the Highway Patrol. Representative Pyle explained a series of verbal amendments that shifted several one-time and ongoing expenses from the general fund to the electronic permit fee fund, including body armor, preliminary breath test devices, handgun replacement, emergency vehicle operations course resurfacing, and related items, while also removing the shooting range ventilation project because it could be completed with existing funds. The committee also added a section allowing carryover authority for federal grant dollars tied to the in-car router system. After adopting the amendments, the committee passed HB 2011 as amended. The committee then discussed Senate Bill 2014 for the Industrial Commission, focusing on a proposed amendment by Representative Fisher that would direct additional percentages of North Dakota Mill net income to wheat breeding programs at NDSU’s main experiment station and branch research centers. Members asked about current funding, the size of the proposed transfers, and how the money would be used, with Fisher arguing the funds would support breeding, disease resistance, and related research. Several members said they wanted more information on existing funding and program costs before advancing the idea, so the committee held the amendment for further review and took no final action on the bill during this discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 3704, Representative Purcell, House File 3704, Representative Purcell, sale and distribution
• <00:03:26.159> of<00:03:26.319> data discuss the increasing amounts of data discuss
• the increasing amounts of data that<00:03:27.519> and<00:03:27.599> and<00:03:28.000><
• <00:36:39.520> in a person must not sell or distribute in a person must not sell or distribute
• <00:37:11.920> in says uh must not sell or distribute in says uh must not sell or distribute

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And the owner distributes the owner.
• Uh required to distribute service fees.
• <01:27:34.640> or<01:27:34.760> service distribute service uh charges or service distribute
• So for example, maybe is distributed.
• So they can distribute those as them.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know what the amount is right now.
• This is completely selling or distributing.
• It's a crime to distribute marijuana.
• Would this law hinder that distribution?
• So I don't think a person off the street should be distributing or can distribute to a minor, even medical

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:52.959> and How is the funds being distributed and How is the funds being distributed
• <00:26:55.520> of it are gradually reducing the amount of it are gradually reducing the amount
• So, the entire distribution<03:55:10.319> system. distribution system. distribution system.
• on your distribution system. on your distribution system.
• feeding all the distribution downstream. feeding all the distribution downstream.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those blue amounts are the amounts that they overspent in excess of the 25% cap.
• Those amounts total $327,447.
• And they raised a fair amount of money over the years.
• And they raised a fair amount of money over the years.
• Under state law, the amount budgeted by a taxing district Under state law, the amount budgeted by a taxing

Summary: The committee convened, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received a memo summarizing major audit items. The State Auditor’s office and outside auditors then presented a series of audits, many of which were clean with unmodified opinions and no findings, including the Bank of North Dakota, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Region State College, and the Office of the Governor. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association audit was also clean overall, but it repeated findings about limited segregation of duties and auditor assistance in preparing financial statements, which the auditor said were expected to continue because of the organization’s small size. Committee members asked about out-of-state board addresses, and the association explained those members were North Dakota residents using South Dakota mailing addresses. Several audits did include findings. The Council on the Arts audit identified two issues: payroll charged to federal awards without supporting time records, and $12,825 in Cultural Endowment Fund spending that was not allowable under state law, including staff training, retreats, and executive director candidate travel. The Department of Public Instruction audit found unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, but additional testing confirmed the funds were credited properly and students completed required school district work, so no improper payments were identified. The University of North Dakota audit found a lack of documentation and transparency in School of Law admissions decisions; the auditor said the law school used a holistic process but did not keep notes or evaluation tools to show why applicants were admitted, waitlisted, or denied. UND leadership said the school is in good standing with the American Bar Association and agreed better documentation is needed, and the auditor said the issue was the missing documentation, not ABA accreditation itself. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which found four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating cap, grant conditions not being met, improper breeder fund awards, and improper procurement. The auditor said promotion fund spending exceeded the cap by $327,447 and the fund balance dropped sharply over the audit period. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson said the agency had become complacent, that grant requests were treated as routine, and that controls and documentation need to be tightened. He also explained that the breeder fund overpayments involved two horses whose ownership transfers were not properly documented before racing, and that the procurement issue stemmed from an advertising contract that proceeded without proper written procurement procedures after a misunderstanding with the State Procurement Office. The auditor said the Racing Commission will now be audited every two years because of the findings. The committee also received updates on Dakota College at Bottineau’s bank reconciliations, which Minot State University said had been brought current after an 18-month backlog, with only one account still needing cleanup; members asked for a written report on the corrective actions. The North Dakota Fair Foundation was reported to have dissolved, with remaining funds transferred to another nonprofit account for continued support of the state fair. Finally, the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, revising the earlier estimate to about $1.1 million based on incomplete district survey responses, and said the Anti-Lunch Shaming law likely increased meal debt because schools must feed students regardless of account balance. Members discussed the need for a more accurate year-end debt figure and possible future reporting at a later committee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think the commercial vehicle amount changes based on the passenger, does it? It does. Okay.
• So it is an additional amount of insurance to $50,000 and $100,000.
• The distributed-ledger-based registry study would help explore avenues, problems, benefits, and other
• What amount are they, just offhand? You know. questions mr. chairman I think I mr.
• Chairman, on the federal tax credits, what amount are they, just offhand?

Bills: HB111

Summary: The committee heard a long series of House bills, with most measures laid out by Senate sponsors and then left pending after brief public testimony. Early bills focused on construction and licensing issues, including HB 305 on prompt payment for public construction audits, HB 5093 on restoring public access to notary contact information, HB 2037 on updating landlord-tenant repair and security deposit rules, HB 4214 on a centralized public information request contact database, and HB 5435 exempting higher education institutions from a 90-day notice requirement for certain public-private partnership projects. Testimony was generally supportive on these bills, and no votes were taken; each was left pending. The committee also considered several transparency and regulatory bills. HB 111 would expand the Public Information Act to certain nonprofit state associations and narrow some attorney-client and working-paper exceptions, with supporters arguing it would improve oversight of public funds and critics questioning the scope and thresholds. HB 5129 would protect occupational license holders’ personal identifying information from disclosure without consent, HB 4350 would allow peace officers to redact personal information from online real property records, HB 4748 would authorize multiple-award state purchasing contracts, and HB 4765 would clean up code enforcement officer licensing rules. HB 4134 would allow motor vehicle creditors to charge limited fees for electronic payment options while requiring a free alternative, and HB 1043 would direct a study of blockchain-based property title records; both drew testimony, with some concern about the practical effects and vendor implications of the blockchain study. Several bills addressed insurance, workforce, and digital-asset regulation. HB 3520 would reduce the insurance coverage required for transportation network companies during the period when a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, drawing support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform and opposition from trial lawyers who argued the higher coverage better protects the public. HB 3320 would create a self-insurance pool for religious institutions, with TDI explaining it would still be regulated but operate under a special statutory framework. HB 4233 would modernize rules for digital asset service providers by removing certain auditor-access requirements and updating reporting and licensing provisions. HB 3923 would reduce bachelor’s-degree requirements for some state jobs, though Every Texan argued low pay, not degree requirements, is the main driver of turnover. HB 4518 would create a legal structure for decentralized unincorporated nonprofit associations tied to blockchain governance; business law experts opposed it as unnecessary and potentially risky, while crypto advocates supported it. Finally, HB 1803 would join an interstate compact for dentists and dental hygienists, with supporters citing workforce shortages and opponents saying Texas already licenses quickly and that the compact could weaken state oversight. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly closed testimony and left bills pending, and a quorum was eventually established before later items were heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:06:45.919> that insurance and compensation amount that insurance and compensation amount
• <00:06:50.639> for again we have differing amounts for again we have differing amounts for
• <00:31:07.120> of used in bong pipes or any amount of used in bong pipes or any amount of
• , criminalize the creation, distribution, criminalize the creation, distribution, and<00:38:09.040
• /c><00:47:43.119> DOC distribution modifications for DOC distribution modifications for DOC supervised

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Martin: I'm just wondering, I understand what you're saying, that you've had a significant amount of
• He said they would expect the $5 million allocation to be relatively small, and that it would amount
• Representative Gress said that if you divided $5 million by all of the distributions, they are talking
• I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. I really do.
• However, I do have... ...I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. I really do.

Bills: HB2063, HB2271, HB2416, HB2478, HB2593, HB2692, HB2813, HB2992, HB2993, HB4044

Keywords: corrections oversight, appropriation, independent office, public safety, funding, firefighters, insurance rates, workers' compensation, firefighter cancer reimbursement, rate deviations, cost analysis, premiums, border security, drug trafficking, human smuggling, law enforcement funding, Arizona, immigration, education reform, K-12

Summary: The committee heard several appropriations and policy bills, with testimony often focused on public safety, education, and procurement. HB 263 would appropriate $1.5 million in FY2027 to the Independent Correctional Oversight Office; the sponsor and supportive testimony argued the office is needed to address serious problems in the corrections system, and the bill received a due pass recommendation, 17-1. HB 2993, as amended, would allow DPS to spend on legal services independent of the Attorney General and redirect $5 million from the Consumer Protection/Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund; the Speaker framed it as supporting law enforcement and public safety, and it passed 17-0. HB 2271 dealt with firefighter cancer coverage and insurance rates. The bill would allow an insurer covering firefighters and fire investigators to file a uniform rate deviation only if it is not reimbursed by the municipal firefighter cancer reimbursement fund. Testimony described the measure as a temporary shell pending a broader consensus agreement to bring fire districts into the reimbursement system; members stressed that firefighters should not see changes in claim handling, but several said the bill still needed work. It received a due pass recommendation on a 16-1-1 vote. HB 2416 would appropriate $20 million to DPS for local border support, including law enforcement positions, prosecution and detention costs, and equipment; sheriffs and the Arizona Sheriffs Association supported it as a continuation of existing funding for drug interdiction and border-related crime, and it passed 11-6-1. The committee also advanced HB 2692, which revises public construction procurement rules and authorizes progressive design-build and one-step competition for certain federally funded projects. Construction and procurement stakeholders said the bill was the product of a long consensus process, while some members worried about taxpayer impacts and the move away from standard procurement; it passed 10-7-1. HB 2478, as amended, creates the Arizona Commission on Student Outcomes to study K-12 accountability, standards, graduation requirements, early childhood education, and a trade pathways diploma, funded by Classroom Site Fund dollars; members debated whether the work should instead be done by ADE or the State Board, and the bill passed 11-7. The committee also heard HB 4044, which would create a Public Safety Parity Fund to support DPS and corrections salaries using investment earnings from the Budget Stabilization Fund and proceeds from forfeited digital assets; the sponsor and a troopers association witness argued it would provide a stable long-term funding source to address chronic vacancies and pay gaps.

Transcript Highlights:

• subject to legislative appropriation or the award of federal grants, or a combination of both, in an amount
• subject to legislative appropriation or the award of federal grants, or a combination of both, in an amount
• certain committees to file a termination statement in order for fees to be voided, limits the maximum amount
• certain committees to file a termination statement in order for fees to be voided limits the maximum amount
• members as passed by the house 2133 requires any commercial entity that knowingly intentionally distributes

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Gets distributed to the rest of the committee.
• Senator Nelson, and I think the issue is not the amount of it; it is whether it's waste or not.
• I appreciate, you know, this is a small amount of money.
• I think it reduces the amount of communication with the legislature when, you know, at a time Mr.
• <01:21:32.120> of it it um reduces the amount of it it um reduces the amount of communication

Keywords: 1187, senate, all