Transcript Highlights:

• in 2023, and there was a $2.5 million transfer from SIF for that program.
• Also, we do have some information regarding the child care assistance program.
• from SIF for that program.
• Thank you. and there is a $2.5 million transfer from SIF for that program.
• Another area that has been discussed is a free meal program.

Summary: The Budget Section Leadership Division met with a quorum and approved the March 18 minutes before hearing a series of informational updates. The Petroleum Council reported that North Dakota oil production is expected to remain relatively flat at just under 1.2 million barrels per day, with activity shifting northward in the Bakken as technology improves and three- and four-mile laterals boost well performance. The presentation also discussed oil and gas prices, gas taxation, flaring concerns, the importance of pipelines and other linear infrastructure, and enhanced oil recovery pilot projects supported by state and federal funding. Members asked questions about gas production taxes, natural gas liquids, and the outlook for drilling rigs and future production. The Office of State Tax Commissioner then reviewed the federal “big beautiful bill” and its estimated effect on North Dakota individual and business income tax collections. Staff explained that most of the individual income tax impact comes from the permanent increase in the standard deduction, while temporary provisions such as senior deductions, tip and overtime exclusions, and auto loan interest deductions have smaller or limited-term effects. They also noted that business tax changes, especially depreciation and expensing provisions, create a larger near-term cash impact, and that some FY25 collections likely reflected one-time oil field transactions that may have inflated the baseline used in earlier estimates. OMB provided updates on major capital projects and facility funding. For Capitol grounds improvements, officials described plans for 18th-floor renovations, wayfinding upgrades, public seating, lighting, tree management, and possible restroom and lobby reconfiguration, while also noting the governor’s residence security project and the discovery of human remains on the Capitol grounds. OMB and its consultants also reported on the state facility maintenance fund, including window replacement, boiler work, roof and foundation repairs, and a new facility conditions assessment covering more state buildings. Updates were also given on the new state hospital in Jamestown, the Minot state office building, and the use of federal state fiscal recovery funds, including possible future reallocations to the Department of Corrections. Finally, Legislative Council staff summarized the interim compliance report on legislative intent and trust fund activity, highlighting the status of lines of credit, Bank of North Dakota profit transfers, the statewide litigation pool, the new Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, corrections planning, HHS program updates, and a likely future general fund request for the unemployment insurance modernization project. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes; the meeting was primarily informational, with members asking clarifying questions throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to fund that particular program. It's there.
• could be some monies that would need to be funded for the program.
• You have to fund that particular program. It's there.
• , monies that would need to be funded for the program.
• Amendment 7 defines loyalty membership and rewards program and loyalty program partner.

Bills: HB471 , HB798 , HB947 , HB1140 , HB1186 , HB1195 , HB1222

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: surveillance, price discrimination, consumer protection, automated decision systems, data privacy, broadband, cable service, price increase, notification, digital assets, abandonment, custodian, escheatment, blockchain, cryptocurrency, unclaimed property, state treasurer, telecommunications, spoofing, call authentication

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a pilot program.
• It's a pilot program.
• Tell me, under this program, is it program technician?
• Tell me under this program, is it program technician?
• This is for a new line item of $5 million for program integrity.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee first filed a report on the executive protection detail and then reviewed a long list of House and Senate bills that were ready for action, with members instructed to hold any items they wanted removed. The committee then took up several agency requests to amend bills: the Auditor of State’s request for a $370 increase for special deputy expense allowance, the Administrative Office of the Courts’ requests for additional funding for court interpreters and substitute court reporters, and requests tied to local sales tax refunds, county property tax redistribution, emergency medical and law enforcement support, and Northwest Arkansas Community College tornado-related repairs. All of those amendments were adopted, and one amendment on House Bill 1034 was held over at Senator Johnson’s request. A major portion of the meeting focused on an amendment for the Department of Corrections to fund a pilot program using mobile technology to identify and disable illegal inmate cell phones at Varner and Cummins prisons. The bill sponsors and Corrections officials described the problem as a serious public safety issue, saying inmates use contraband phones for criminal activity, trafficking, scams, and outside coordination. Members asked about FCC rules, procurement, whether the system would jam or only identify phones, whether it would affect staff or nearby users, how quickly it would work, whether it would be a one-time or ongoing cost, and whether the department had existing budget authority. Officials said the proposal would require an RFP, that current funding was not available in the department’s budget, and that the technology would be a two-year pilot. The committee ultimately adopted the amendment and then gave the underlying bill a do-pass recommendation. The committee also considered an amendment for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, which sought a $4 million increase in appropriation authority. Senators discussed the division’s role in county extension offices, 4-H, research, and salary competitiveness, while others questioned why the division needed more appropriation room when it already had about $10 million in headroom and had requested a different funding level through higher education. Division representatives said the increase would help with salaries and provide flexibility for future funding, and Higher Education staff clarified the original request and recommendation amounts. After extensive discussion, the committee adopted the amendment and gave it a do-pass recommendation. Finally, the committee began acting on governor’s letters, adopting amendments for a homestead property tax credit increase, insurance department conference travel, property appraisal analysis support, career and technical education professional development, regulatory and casino gaming appropriations, a new program integrity line for the Department of Inspector General, consolidation of licensing board appropriations, deletion of a completed Fort Chaffee Readiness Center appropriation, and a revised reappropriation package for prison expansion that included special language limiting use of the funds. Members asked several questions about the prison reappropriation, including whether it still related to the earlier Calico Rock project and whether special language should be considered separately; the committee moved the governor’s letters forward for drafting and further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• whether those programs actually improve household affordability.
• SB 924 ensures that programs work across direct... Residents.
• Without intentional design, programs risk reinforcing existing inequities.
• So there are different eligibility requirements, so there are programs...
• Sylvia Aguilar: The Programs and Operations Manager for the Casita Coalition.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard a long agenda of energy, water, housing, and technology bills. SB 952 (Laird, presented by Perez) would give the Department of Water Resources more flexibility to meet the State Water Project’s 100% clean energy procurement goal by 2035 while managing costs; it drew support from the State Water Contractors and California Municipal Utilities Association and no opposition. The committee also heard SB 1417, which would extend transparency, notice, and public meeting requirements to mutual water companies’ rate increases; Senator Perez and supporters tied the bill to post-Eaton Fire recovery in Altadena, while the California Association of Mutual Water Companies opposed it, citing conflicts with tenant billing laws, privacy concerns, and burdensome meeting requirements. SB 1417 was approved on a split vote and the roll was left open. Members then considered SB 924, a low-income utility assistance/weatherization bill by Hurtado, which would require measurable affordability outcomes and better tenant-focused benefits; it passed to Appropriations with broad support from clean energy and community groups and no opposition. SB 925 (McNerney) would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy; supporters from General Atomics, Clean Air Task Force, and TAE Technologies argued it would help keep fusion investment in California, and it passed unanimously to Environmental Quality. SB 1011 (McNerney) would require CPUC standards for human review and labor consultation before utilities deploy AI in operations; labor and utility engineer witnesses supported guardrails, while business and utility groups opposed or sought more review, warning of overregulation and overlap with other laws. The bill passed to Privacy, Digital Technology and Consumer Protection on a divided vote. The committee also advanced SB 1168 (McNerney), a study bill directing the CPUC to examine how data centers can pay their fair share of grid costs; data center and utility groups were opposed or neutral pending amendments, while climate advocates supported it, and it moved to Revenue and Taxation. SB 1196 (McNerney) would speed utility hookups for ADUs and JADUs by allowing earlier applications and setting timelines and penalties; housing advocates supported it and it passed to Local Government. SB 1350 (McNerney) would allow renewable portfolio standard credits for power plants using green hydrogen, drawing strong support from hydrogen, labor, utility, and local government interests, but opposition from TURN over greenwashing and tracking concerns; it passed to Environmental Quality. Finally, SB 1158 (Stern) would expand quarterly reliability reporting by the CEC and CPUC to include transmission and grid upgrade status; it was presented as a common-sense reliability measure and moved forward with support.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been $5 billion appropriated for this rip-and-replace program.
• These programs don’t just protect...
• One of the many programs the Foundation for Blind Children helps support is the Prison Braille program
• There are about five prison units that want this program, but the program as it is currently funded is
• So we really are seeing good results with this program.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2134, which would create the Arizona Critical Infrastructure Protection Act to bar state and critical infrastructure entities from contracting with the People’s Republic of China or Chinese companies for access to Arizona critical infrastructure, and to prohibit Chinese-produced software in critical infrastructure. The sponsor and a witness from State Armor argued the bill was needed to reduce cyber and sabotage risks and to align Arizona policy with national security concerns. Some members questioned costs, overlap with federal law, and the Corporation Commission’s capacity, but the bill was approved on a 6-4 vote for a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 2051, which would require AHCCCS contractors, subject to federal approval, to cover breastfeeding and lactation care services and, under a proposed amendment, create a voluntary state certification for lactation care providers through the Department of Health Services. Testimony from lactation consultants, maternal health advocates, and researchers emphasized improved maternal and infant outcomes, access gaps for Medicaid families, and potential cost savings. AHCCCS and ADHS were neutral but noted implementation costs and the need for CMS approval; the committee adopted the amendment and gave the bill a 9-0 due pass recommendation. House Bill 2700 would establish a 15-member technology-first study committee focused on assistive technology for people with disabilities, with an amendment adding appointments by legislative minority leaders. Supporters said the committee would help Arizona catch up on assistive technology, improve independence, and address staffing shortages and aging-population needs. The committee discussed the amendment and then approved the bill 9-0. House Bill 2800, which would increase penalties for knowingly lending a vehicle to a person with a DUI-related driving restriction if that person later causes serious injury or death, drew extensive debate over whether the felony penalty was too broad; the sponsor and family members of a victim supported it as a targeted deterrent, while some members raised due process and knowledge concerns. It passed 9-1. House Bill 2114, which would use motorcycle safety fund money for scholarships for rural and low-income riders and require at least one registered owner to have a Class M license before a motorcycle registration is issued, received supportive testimony from the sponsor, motorcycle advocates, and safety supporters; members noted a possible wording issue with existing endorsements, but the bill passed 10-0. The committee also took up House Bill 2127, a large special-plates bill that had been expanded into an omnibus measure; after discussion of a Kavanaugh amendment removing a duplicate Grand Canyon plate and withdrawal of an Alston amendment, the committee adopted the Kavanaugh amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been $5 billion appropriated for this rip-and-replace program.
• One of the many programs the Foundation for Blind Children helps support is the Prison Braille Program
• One of the many programs the Foundation for Blind Children helps support is the Prison Braille Program
• There are about five prison units that want this program, but the program as it is currently funded is
• So we really are seeing good results with this program.

Bills: HB2051 , HB2114 , HB2127 , HB2134 , HB2207 , HB2574 , HB2700 , HB2800 , HB2916

Committee: Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Keywords: AHCCCS, lactation care, breastfeeding, health services, healthcare access, motorcycle registration, safety fund, education, awareness programs, low-income scholarships, motorcycle training, special license plates, transportation, funding, nonprofits, charitable contributions, critical infrastructure, foreign adversaries, China, communications

Transcript Highlights:

• which is the College Assistant Migrant Program.
• which is the College Assistant Migrant Program.
• Programs and will it be—will it take effect at all within those programs? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• all within those programs thank you mr. chair senator nava this does not affect after-school programs
• As we know, virtual programs are unique.

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

Committee: Senate House Education

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

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 23, which would require school districts and charter schools to adopt and implement policies prohibiting student use of wireless communication devices during the school day, with exceptions for medical needs, assistive technology, emergencies, and educator-approved instructional use. The sponsors and PED/Broadband officials said the bill builds on last year’s law, responds to classroom distraction and cyberbullying concerns, and pairs the mandate with access to the Education Technology Infrastructure Fund for implementation support. Supporters included NEA-NM, AFT-NM, Teach Plus, New Mexico Kids Can, higher education, ECED, and others, who said the bill would improve focus, classroom culture, and student readiness. Some members questioned the three-year phase-in, local control over consequences, effects on recess/lunch and after-school programs, charter and virtual school enforcement, and whether statewide mandates were necessary; the committee ultimately advanced the bill on a 6-3 vote, with Senators Pope and Soules voting no. The committee then heard Senate Bill 73, which would add a requirement that driver education include instruction on vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and others outside vehicles. The sponsor and supporters from APS, NEA-NM, AFT-NM, PED, Albuquerque city officials, cycling and pedestrian advocates, and individuals affected by traffic violence said New Mexico’s high pedestrian and bicyclist fatality rates make the training necessary and that better education could improve safety and awareness. Some testimony connected the bill to broader public health, climate, and Vision Zero efforts, while several speakers shared personal stories of crashes and losses. Committee members asked about the three-hour requirement, whether it would apply to existing drivers, how it would be implemented by DOT and MVD, and whether the bill should also address training for vulnerable road users themselves; concerns were also raised about rural road conditions and the limited behind-the-wheel training currently required. The committee passed SB 73 on a 6-3 vote, with Senator Thornton voting no. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 234, an appropriation of $1.2 million to Albuquerque Public Schools for transportation of students in foster care. The sponsor and an expert witness, a former CYFD caseworker, described serious transportation failures after contracts were terminated, saying caseworkers were forced to drive children themselves and that missed or late rides disrupted schooling and overburdened staff. APS, New Mexico Child First Network, and CYFD all supported the bill, saying it would clarify responsibility, relieve caseworkers, and ensure continuity of transportation for foster youth. Committee questions focused on why the appropriation was limited to APS rather than other districts with transportation shortfalls, whether $1.2 million would be enough, who would provide the rides, and what safety/background-check standards would apply if contractors were used. The bill was still under discussion when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, there are several existing property tax exemption, deferral, and assistance programs.
• Part three creates a property tax exemption program for grocery stores located in underserved community
• County solid waste programs rely on, well, we all rely on them as critical services to protect human
• This large increase in solid waste rates wasn't for any new programs, but merely to maintain the same
• The solid waste excise tax is not currently going to solid waste programs directly.

Bills: HB2038 , HB2297 , HB2382 , HB2487 , HB2018

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: HB2038, Washington, B&O tax, business and occupation tax, social media tax, platform tax, youth behavioral health, mental health, adolescent mental health, children's mental health, telebehavioral health, behavioral health account, state treasury, digital services tax, internet platform, social media companies, youth services, depression, anxiety, public health funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Although we have recently retained a new EAP, or employees assistance program, the need is still great
• ,</c><00:03:15.680><c> the</c><00:03:15.920><c> need</c> employees assistance program, the need employees
• assistance program, the need is<00:03:16.319><c> still</c><00:03:16.480><c> great</c><00:03:16.800><
• employee assistance programs that are available to the worker, their spouses, partners, and dependents
• Sure, we can have an EIP program and it helps and they reach out.

Committee: Senate Labor

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nuclear-adjacent programs being taught in those schools.
• So adopt it into the states and adopt it into their programs.
• So adopt it into the states and adopted into their programs.
• So we are updating the NUCP program as we talk.
• And you can see the progress in all the other programs here.

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a running program.
• The next program is Plan It Forward. Talk about for a second those programs.
• Sports Fund is a grant program.
• And so this program is exploding.
• </c> Forward program. Forward program.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:19 Signage Value & Tourism Growth Along the Hatfield-McCoy Feud Trail 00:03:12 Building a Stronger Community Through Sports 00:32:03, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard a presentation from Pike County/Pikeville tourism officials about improving signage for the Hatfield-McCoy historic sites. Bob Scott, Tony Tacket, and Jay Shepard said visitors increasingly come to the area but often cannot find the sites because cell service and GPS are unreliable in the mountains. They argued that clearer signage along routes 119, 319, and 1056 would help visitors navigate the historic loop, strengthen branding, and increase dwell time and local spending. The Pike County presenters emphasized the economic importance of tourism, citing growth in tourist spending from $72.93 million in 2017 to $103.2 million in 2023 and $114.6 million in 2024. They said tourism helps offset the decline of coal, supports local mom-and-pop businesses, and benefits from partnerships with nearby West Virginia sites such as Matewan and other Hatfield-McCoy-related locations. Members asked about cross-state promotion, lodging capacity, and the possibility of a dinner show in Kentucky; the presenters said lodging is up 33% but more is needed, a new Crown Plaza hotel is planned in Pikeville, and a dinner show would require local investment and community buy-in. Committee members from the region spoke in support of the tourism effort and the need to preserve and teach local history. The chair and others said signage would help visitors and noted that a business without signs is no business. The committee then moved on to a separate presentation from the Louisville Sports Commission, introduced by Senator Jason Howell, which began with an overview of the commission’s role in sports tourism and economic development in Louisville.

Transcript Highlights:

• Plug-to-drill, so I guess that program and the pipeline safety program makes up the rest of the state
• program.
• First is on the cap-and-trade program.
• First is on the cap-and-trade program.
• First is on the cap-and-trade program.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy, Transportation, and Natural Resources focused on California’s transportation fuels sector, especially the state’s response to refinery closures and the broader transition away from fossil fuels. Opening remarks emphasized the tension between climate and air-quality goals, fuel affordability, refinery jobs and local tax bases, and the need to avoid crisis-driven responses as Phillips 66 and Valero consider shutting refineries in Wilmington and Benicia. Professor Emily Grubert framed the issue as a long-term managed transition in which the public already bears much of the risk and should also capture benefits from a well-planned shift. CARB Chair Leanne Randolph reviewed the state’s emissions and fuel policies, including AB 32, the low-carbon fuel standard, clean vehicle programs, and the at-berth regulation for ocean-going vessels. She said California’s transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gases and a major source of smog-forming pollution, but that the state has made substantial progress and still needs to reduce demand for fossil fuels while maintaining compliance with federal air-quality standards. Randolph also said CARB’s recent LCFS amendments had not caused the predicted spike in gas prices and explained that compliance pathways for the at-berth rule include emissions-reduction technologies or payments into a remediation fund. CEC Vice Chair Gunda described declining gasoline demand, shrinking in-state refining capacity, and growing dependence on imports, arguing that the state is in a “mid-transition” period that requires both support for legacy infrastructure and continued investment in cleaner alternatives. He outlined the administration’s petroleum market stabilization proposal, which aims to return California crude production to 125 million barrels a year through four components: codifying the ban on fracking, validating the Kern County oil-and-gas permitting ordinance, creating a temporary CEQA exemption paired with a two-for-one plug-and-drill framework, and strengthening pipeline and spill-safety requirements. Department of Conservation Director Jennifer Lucasey said the proposal is intended to stabilize crude supply and pipeline throughput while preserving health and environmental protections, and noted that CalGEM would still review permits and enforce other requirements. Mayor Steve Young of Benicia testified that a Valero closure would significantly reduce city revenue and leave the community facing years of cleanup and redevelopment challenges. He said the city supports environmental protection but is worried about the economic hit, the possibility that Benicia becomes a fuel-import terminal, and the lack of local influence over refinery decisions. Members pressed the panel on the CEQA exemption, tribal and habitat review, disclosure of closure liabilities, fuel-demand projections, and whether the proposal should include more demand-side measures. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and officials said some proposals, including a margin-cap pause and further transition planning, would be taken up later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1072 establishes the expedited DNA testing grant program within FDLE.
• The program will provide dedicated funding for sheriff's offices and municipalities.
• There are no funds that go out from state government to any programs or nonprofits.
• I surrendered my addiction to the program of recovery. I know that this program works.
• And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer by Rabbi Moshe Umatz, the Pledge of Allegiance led by pages, and several introductions and recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar after a motion to reconsider SB 1080, which was temporarily postponed. Several bills were also set aside during the day, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, and school social workers. The Senate passed a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills. These included funding for expedited DNA testing grants for local law enforcement (SB 1072/HB 847), additional aggravating factors in capital cases involving religious, school, or government gatherings (SB 984/HB 693), fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients (SB 924/HB 677), commuter rail indemnification for Miami-Dade and Broward counties (SB 916/HB 867), restrictions on disposing of migrant vessels in Florida waters (SB 830), specialty license plates including Miami Northwestern and several colleges and institutions (SB 824), an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign (SB 398), relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University (SB 364), charter school changes allowing parent conversion and municipal job-engine charter schools (SB 140), sex offender registration reporting changes (SB 1654/HB 1351), penalties for assaulting utility workers (SB 1386), juvenile justice revisions and truancy process updates (SB 1344), reporting of student mental health outcomes (SB 1310/HB 969), foster home license transfer simplification (SB 1174/HB 989), water access facility funding and boating industry incentives (SB 1162/HB 735), Florida Virtual School operational changes (SB 1122), school readiness program support for children with disabilities (SB 1102), sexual image offenses involving minors (SB 1180/HB 757), age-related defenses in child sex offense cases (SB 1136/HB 777), tampering with electronic monitoring devices (SB 1054/HB 437), certified recovery residences and local zoning accommodations (SB 954), and the FSU Election Law Center (SB 892). Most of these bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though SB 984 and SB 140 drew some opposition. One of the most extensive debates centered on SB 820, codifying the Office of Faith and Community. Senator Polsky offered an amendment to bar political activity by office staff, citing emails and campaign-related communications tied to Amendment 4; the amendment failed on a 13-23 vote. Senators then debated the bill’s relationship to state election law, free speech, and the role of faith-based outreach. Supporters emphasized the office’s service network and reported benefits to children and families, while some senators raised concerns about interfaith representation and political use of government resources. The bill was then read a third time and the Senate proceeded toward a final vote as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1072 establishes the expedited DNA testing grant program within FDLE.
• The program will provide dedicated funding for sheriff's offices and municipalities.
• taxpayer-funded programs and religion.
• I surrendered my addiction to the program of recovery. I know that this program works.
• And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Please read the next bill.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. Members then moved to the special order calendar after adopting a motion to reconsider the earlier failed vote on CS/SB 1080, which was temporarily postponed. The chamber also temporarily postponed several bills during the day, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, benefits for certain officers injured in the line of duty, Brownfields, and school social workers. The Senate passed a series of bills with little or no opposition, often substituting House companions for Senate bills. These included expedited DNA testing grants for law enforcement; additional aggravating factors in capital felony sentencing; fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients; commuter rail indemnification; disposition of migrant vessels; specialty license plates; an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign; relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University; charter school changes; registration rules for sexual predators and offenders; assault and battery penalties for utility workers; juvenile justice revisions; reporting of student mental health outcomes; foster home licensure transfers; water access facilities and boating-related funding; Florida Virtual School changes; school readiness program improvements; protections against lewd sexual images of children; age-related criminal offense provisions; tampering with electronic monitoring devices; certified recovery residences; and codification of the FSU Election Law Center. Most of these bills passed overwhelmingly, though the charter school bill and the aggravating factors bill drew more divided votes. One of the most debated measures was SB 820, codifying the Office of Faith and Community. Senator Polsky offered an amendment to bar political activity by office employees while on duty and using government resources, citing alleged election-related emails and concerns about mixing government and religious influence. Supporters argued the amendment was needed as a guardrail; opponents said existing law already covered the conduct and that the amendment could be confusing or overly broad. The amendment failed 13-23, and the underlying bill passed 27-9 after extended debate about faith, politics, and the office’s role. Another notable debate involved SB 954 on certified recovery residences, where senators emphasized the need for stable housing in addiction recovery and the bill passed unanimously after supportive remarks from members who had personal experience with recovery. The Senate also passed SB 674 on bonuses for county tax collector and property appraiser employees after questions about safeguards and the purpose of the bonuses.

Transcript Highlights:

• institutions that are domiciled outside of Arizona and enroll Arizona residents in a fully online program
• A person may not operate a private vocational program through online distance education to Arizona residents
• Non-accredited institutions must submit additional information, including approved program information
• Arizona students who participate in an online, out-of-state, fully online program, and ensures that if
• So by having this bill, we would be able to close the loophole and be able to determine which programs

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The Senate Education Committee considered four bills. SB 1210 would create a separate out-of-state registration process for private post-secondary institutions outside Arizona that offer fully online programs to Arizona residents, require certain disclosures and financial protections, and extend student tuition recovery fund protections to those students. Supporters said it would close a regulatory loophole and protect Arizona students; the committee voted 7-0 for a due pass recommendation. SB 1370 would allow public school principals, during the first quarter of the school year, to let eligible patriotic youth groups address students and distribute materials, with limits on discrimination and access criteria. The sponsor’s representative said the bill would expand opportunities for youth groups beyond the long-standing federally recognized list. The committee voted 7-0 for a due pass recommendation. SB 1422 would continue the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board through July 1, 2036, with termination tied to the retirement of any outstanding obligations. SB 1423 would continue the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education through July 1, 2036. Both bills were described as continuations of previously discussed measures, testimony was brief, and each received a 7-0 due pass recommendation. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This just implements what that program does so that we can do the kin-specific licensure.
• Have we seen an increase of people that are now able to be in this program because they are 23?
• Sorry, I have a program manager, Julie Subcheck. Oh, okay. Mr.
• I generally like to introduce, I try to bring a subject matter expert with me from the program whose
• division administrator at the department, Laura Denner, who is here with us today and oversees this program

Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee first considered the gubernatorial reappointment of Clayton Steele to the Board of Environmental Quality. After a motion by Senator Harris and a second by Senator Blaylock, the committee voted by voice vote to send the reappointment to the Senate floor with a recommendation that he be confirmed. The committee then reviewed docket 16-0602-2501 on foster care licensing, presented by Jared Larson of the Department of Health and Welfare. Larson said the temporary and pending rules implement last year’s kin-specific licensure legislation, make a largely cosmetic change to suspension/revocation language, and add a substantive standard allowing the department to deny licensure if it can show by a preponderance of the evidence that an applicant committed disqualifying conduct even without a conviction. Senators asked about the effect of raising the foster parent age limit from 21 to 23 under prior legislation; Larson said participation has increased, he had not heard of downsides, and the department would provide a written summary of the impact. The committee approved the docket by voice vote. Finally, the committee took up docket 16-0613-2501, a pending rule repealing the Emergency Assistance for Families and Children chapter. Larson explained the program is entirely federally funded and the existing state rules were essentially a word-for-word copy of federal law, so the department was repealing the redundant chapter in line with its broader effort to remove rules already covered by higher authority. After no questions, the committee approved the repeal docket by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have a few programs that have sufficient fees to cover the program.
• </c> sufficient fees to cover the program. sufficient fees to cover the program.
• </c> in early release programs. in early release programs.
• . program. program.
• </c> &gt;&gt; But he went through this program. &gt;&gt; But he went through this program.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 21 January, 2026: 1:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm joined here by Susan Strait, the program manager for the Population Estimates Program at the UMass
• built in time to appear in the LUCA program.
• built in time to appear in the LUCA program.
• Again, Massachusetts had a very successful Luca program for 2020 with the help of, or Luka program for
• After that period, the program closes out.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census held a hearing on September 22, 2025 focused on preparations for the 2030 census, with an emphasis on Massachusetts’ role in building a complete address list and improving local participation in census-related address review programs. Chair Brownsberger and witnesses from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office, the UMass Donahue Institute, Watertown, and MassGIS described the importance of accurate address data for congressional apportionment, federal funding, and state and local planning. They also discussed the first major upcoming step, the Block Boundary Suggestion Project, and the later Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) process, both of which rely on municipalities reviewing and correcting census geography and address files. John Rosenberry of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office said outreach to cities and towns is beginning now, with a likely December start for the block boundary process based on the 2020 cycle. He stressed that local officials, clerks, building inspectors, housing authorities, and GIS staff should be engaged early, especially to capture new development and conversions created under the state’s housing policies. Susan Strait of UMass Donahue explained that LUCA allows local governments to compare their address lists with the Census Bureau’s master address file, and that Massachusetts had very high participation in 2020; she cited examples where local review added hidden or newly built housing units and noted that Boston later corrected a group-quarters undercount of about 6,000 students through a post-census review program. In response to questions, she clarified that those corrections affected annual estimates and funding formulas, but not the 2020 apportionment count. Watertown City Manager George Proakis described how local address review is complicated by accessory dwelling units, single-family to two-family conversions, and large multifamily projects, and urged continued state support for local governments doing this work. Dan Marrier of MassGIS then outlined the Massachusetts Master Address Database, explaining that it combines multiple sources, including E911, assessor, voter, and municipal data, to create a standardized residential address repository used for census preparation and other state functions. He said the database has helped improve census accuracy, including by updating more than one million Census Bureau address-point locations before 2020, and noted that local municipalities remain the final authority on addresses even as MassGIS standardizes and reconciles variants across the Commonwealth.

Transcript Highlights:

• Adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and restoration as part of our preservation program.
• , is out of funds, like many other programs that are out of funds.
• Some local programs do this well.
• Since its launch, this program has helped stabilize nearly 44,000 at-risk people.
• And through programs like the Encampment Resolution Funding Program, it's working.

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So one solution would be setting up a state-only program or some state-only programming or grant to allow
• state-only program and doesn't participate in Medi-Cal at all.
• Since our program was closed, our patients and families have had to...
• Since our program was closed, our patients and families have had to seek other programs for their medical
• Programs are scarce, and those that accept Medi-Cal even more so.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on access to gender-affirming care in California, with members of the Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees hearing first from the Department of Justice, Department of Managed Health Care, and Department of Health Care Services. State officials described California’s legal protections against discrimination, privacy protections, shield laws, and Medi-Cal and commercial plan coverage requirements for medically necessary gender-affirming care. They also outlined ongoing litigation and advocacy against federal actions and proposed rules that could restrict care, including challenges to executive orders, HHS declarations, and federal reimbursement rules, as well as a temporary restraining order protecting care at Rady Children’s Hospital. Committee members pressed the agencies on why some hospitals that had stopped providing care had not been sued, how the state measures network adequacy and equitable access, whether the $15 million previously allocated for gender-affirming care had been used, and what additional statutory changes might be needed. DMHC and DHCS said they regulate health plans rather than providers directly, rely on complaints and independent medical review to address denials or delays, and do not track utilization or have a specific provider category for gender-affirming care. DOJ said it is focused on the federal government as the source of pressure on hospitals and providers, while members discussed possible shield-law expansions and, if federal rules are finalized, the possibility of state-only funding to preserve access. The second panel featured a physician, clinic leaders, parents, and a transgender teen describing how families navigate care and the effects of hospital closures and insurance barriers. Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy gave a history of transgender health care, described puberty blockers and hormones as established treatments, and said minors need parental consent for medical interventions. J.M. Jaffe of Lyon Martin Community Health Services said community clinics are absorbing patients after hospital programs closed and asked for $26 million in state funding to expand capacity. Parents and youth testified about delays, out-of-network referrals, lost coverage, and the emotional strain of uncertainty, while also urging the Legislature to stabilize access and protect continuity of care.