Video & Transcript Research : 'workplace equality'

Page 3 of 371
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JDC-LBT, JDC DEFER Public Hearings 02-05-2026

Judiciary

Bills: SB2841, SB2533
Summary: The joint Judiciary, Labor, and Technology Committee heard two bills in the morning session and later took up two Judiciary decision-making items. SB 2841 would require human trafficking awareness training for transient accommodation workers. Testimony was generally supportive from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Department of Law Enforcement, and the Hawaii Hotel Alliance/American Hotel and Lodging Association, which also proposed amendments to preserve existing industry training programs and broaden coverage. Members clarified that the administration wanted DLE to be the lead agency instead of DLIR, while the Attorney General would still handle approval of training programs. The committee recommended passage with amendments, including coverage for third-party contractors and implementation dates, and the measure was adopted with no recorded opposition. SB 2533 would adjust the salaries of the Campaign Spending Commission’s executive director and associate director to better align with comparable enforcement/compliance positions. The commission supported the bill, saying its salaries lag behind similar offices by about $30,000 and that recruitment and workload have become more difficult, while one testifier opposed the proposal. Members questioned why the bill used the Department of Health as the salary comparator and whether Ethics would be a better benchmark; the committee agreed to revise the bill to peg the salaries to the Ethics Commission instead, blank out the dollar amounts for further review, and note the requested appropriation in the report. The committee recommended passage with amendments, and the measure was adopted. In the Judiciary decision-making agenda, SB 2203, concerning the use of masks or personal disguises by law enforcement officers, was amended to allow exceptions for officers who are unmasked nearby or who are supporting undercover operations, to change the term to “facial covering,” and to add definitions covering federal, state, and county law enforcement. The committee also set a far-future effective date and passed the bill with amendments. SB 2442, relating to judiciary purchase-of-service contracts with community-based organizations, was also passed with amendments; the committee added a far-future effective date, clarified the consumer price index reference, and noted a recommended appropriation amount of $4.26 million in the committee report. All measures were adopted without recorded no votes or reservations.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Veteran and Military Affairs REVISED: Links added Feb 5th, 2026 at 10:30 am

Veteran and Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • And I realize I'm probably first among equals, especially as I look around this room.
  • bill would require the department, the Oklahoma Department of Labor, to work with ODBA to develop a workplace
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • drug and alcohol testing policy adopted and enforced in accordance with the Oklahoma standards for workplace
  • House Bill 3128 creates a task force with the purpose of identifying barriers to the workplace.
  • House Bill 4198 by Schreiber of the House and Alahar of the Senate, an act relating to workplace violence
  • Madam Speaker, House Bill 4198, the Protection Against Workplace Violence Act allows for an An employer
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Ethics and Elections Jan 13th, 2026

Ethics and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • We're grateful to Senator Harrell for sponsoring this, putting foster parents and foster children on equal
  • does see firsthand... ...an ethics violation, there will be protection against retaliation in the workplace
Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several election- and ethics-related bills. Senate Bill 572 by Senator Harrell, which would update ethics statutes so the definition of “relative” includes foster parents and foster children, received supportive testimony from the Commission on Ethics and passed unanimously. Senate Bill 414 by Senator Bracy Davis, allowing campaign funds to be used for campaign-related child care expenses, was presented as a way to reduce barriers to public service but was temporarily postponed after the sponsor said it lacked the votes to advance. Senate Bill 500 by Senator Avila would require FDLE protective security details for major-party nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and cabinet offices from nomination through assumption of office; members questioned the scope, definitions of major and minor parties, and whether taxpayers should bear the cost, and the bill was reported favorably on a divided vote. Senate Bill 620 by Senator Mayfield would require candidates for federal, state, county, district, judicial, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship or dual citizenship; testimony opposed the bill as stigmatizing dual citizens, but it was reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for SB 92 by Chair Gaetz, which creates whistleblower-style protections for public employees who file ethics complaints based on firsthand knowledge and face retaliation, with support from the Commission on Ethics. In addition, the committee unanimously approved a block of gubernatorial appointments and then passed Senate Bill 564 by Senator Yarborough, allowing registered or pre-registered high school students to volunteer at polling places for community service hours; members discussed whether the bill would create new volunteer opportunities and whether the term “community service hours” needed clarification. The meeting ended with adjournment.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships Mar 31st, 2025

S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Transcript Highlights:
  • I agree wholeheartedly with the committee that children of different relationships should be equally
  • I believe that this bill equally supports those obligations.
  • Equal shares, so I think that would be wise.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Timely addition to the Texas's newborn screening panel would help ensure equal access to this program
  • Early diagnosis in Duchenne would help ensure equal access to Duchenne screening. for all families and
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Health Mar 17th, 2025

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • Stephanie Click, and Garnett Coleman to establish the Workplace Violence Prevention Grant Program.
  • of the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Study. studies, which was tasked to conduct a study on workplace
  • Facilities using the best practices language of your bill to fund their workplace safety programs and
  • And then workplace violence, which is unfortunately very common.
  • This is one of the ways that we could use them. to help have a safer workplace for not only nurses but
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • to perform an equilibrium based equalize to perform an equilibrium based upon<00:15:58.120> the
  • Robin Maples, Standards Specialist with the Department of Workplace Standards; Chuck Stribling, Deputy
  • of Workplace Standards, Legal Division. good cause the staff suggested Amendment good cause the staff
  • standards and happy New of workplace standards and happy New Year good<01:04:57.200> afternoon
  • <01:05:01.839> standards the Department of workplace standards the Department of workplace
Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and welcomed new members before taking up Council on Postsecondary Education regulations 13 KAR 2:120 and 13 KAR 2:130. The regulations, as amended by staff and agency amendments, update public university and KCTCS performance funding models to conform to 2024 Senate Bill 191 and the performance funding work group’s recommendations. Changes discussed included replacing the underrepresented minority metric with an underrepresented students metric defined as first-generation students, adding an adult learner metric, increasing the low-income degree premium, adjusting small-school and nonresident credit-hour weights, revising data aging and progression metrics, and adding STEM+H criteria in 13 KAR 2:120. Travis Pal of the Council on Postsecondary Education explained that the changes reflect the work group’s three-year review process and that the work group ultimately voted to define underrepresented students as first-generation students and to apply half-weighting between research and comprehensive universities for the new metric. Michael Frasier of the Kentucky Student Rights Coalition and Eastern Kentucky University student government opposed 13 KAR 2:120, arguing that the regulation improperly applies weights where the statute does not clearly authorize them and that the funding changes disadvantage comprehensive universities and vulnerable students. He asked the committee to find the regulation deficient or, alternatively, recommend legislative clarification and a revised fiscal analysis. Pal responded that weighting has been part of the model since 2017, that CPE was following the statute and work group recommendations, and that the model could be changed by future legislation. Members asked about the timing of the broader performance funding review, and Pal said the full model is reviewed every three years, with the next work group cycle beginning in 2026. No motion to find the regulation deficient was made, and the committee allowed the regulations to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The committee then approved a staff amendment to Teachers’ Retirement System regulations 102 KAR 1:195 and 102 KAR 1:340, which require annual reporting of accumulated sick leave, leave policies, and salary schedules to TRS and make technical changes to the final average salary calculation and related definitions.