Transcript Highlights:

• like to extend and express my sincere gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for all of you, for your enduring
• It kind of overlaps with our good corporations committee and our good labor health committee.
• It kind of overlaps with our good corporations committee and our good labor health committee.
• and our our good corporations committee and our good<04:16:07.760><c> labor</c><04:16:08.159><c> health
• </c> good labor health committee. good labor health committee.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Committee on Health. Committee on Health.
• House Bill 1118, Health Insurance and Health Occupations Perinatal Mental Health Conditions, favorable
• House Bill 1118, Health Insurance and Health Occupations Perinatal Mental Health Conditions, favorable
• Bill 1118, health health insurance and Bill 1118, health health insurance and health<01:30:45.520><c>
• Health. Thank you, Mr. 1:00 p.m. Health. Thank you, Mr.

Keywords: House streaming session for Thursday, March 19, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 122 members present, opened with prayer, and approved the previous day’s journal. The chamber then took up two congratulatory resolutions: one honoring Layla Wishard of Hagerstown for winning gold with Team USA at the Junior Roller Derby Association World Cup in Australia, and another recognizing Delores Millhouse as the 2026 Maryland Mother of the Year. Both resolutions were read and adopted with applause. The House then considered a series of committee reports, primarily from the Committee on Economic Matters, and advanced multiple bills to third reading after adopting committee amendments and favorable reports. Measures included consumer contract protections in House Bill 103, workers’ compensation presumptions for hypertension in House Bill 347, broadband access and affordability in House Bill 382, housing and land-use changes in House Bills 548 and 894, data privacy in House Bill 711, franchise law changes in House Bill 730, a blockchain-based real property title pilot program in House Bill 810, bankruptcy exemptions in House Bill 1098, and telecommunications infrastructure protections in House Bill 1100. Several bills drew questions and were special ordered for further review. House Bill 711, the Data Privacy Act, prompted extended discussion about whether its geolocation provisions could affect stadium and venue security tracking; the sponsor said the bill was intended to close loopholes around cell phone and vehicle location data and would not change existing permission-based rules, but the bill was still special ordered until the next day. House Bill 894, the transit-oriented development bill, also drew questions about local government concerns and was special ordered, with the floor leader saying county and municipal groups were generally satisfied with the amendments. House Bill 1100 was also taken up after the amendments were adopted, and the title amendment process began as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> first testifier is Department of Health first testifier is Department of Health with<00:13:22.399
• </c> requirements in the Department of Health requirements in the Department of Health statutory<00:15
• </c><00:21:32.200><c> for</c> within the Department of Health for within the Department of Health for
• But the health department would tell you if you're operating safely and with their rules.
• </c> the ocean for recreation Health the ocean for recreation Health wellbeing<02:16:57.000><c> while

Committee: House Water & Land

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1233, relating to storm management systems, which would add safety and maintenance requirements for detention and retention ponds. Supporters, including Alison Schafers of the Ki Injury Prevention Coalition and Kristen Herstead of the Hawaii Lifeguard Association, said the measure is needed because poorly maintained ponds can become hidden drowning hazards, especially for children, and argued that fencing, signage, and life-saving equipment would have minimal cost. Schafers described the death of her daughter in a detention pond and said the bill reflects recommendations in the Hawaii Water Safety Plan. Members asked about whether the issue should be handled at the county level; testifiers responded that a statewide standard is needed, though counties would likely handle permitting. No vote was taken on the bill during the excerpted discussion. The committee then heard HB 867, relating to recreational facilities, which would require accessible playgrounds. The Department of Land and Natural Resources said it submitted comments and that state parks do not generally have recreational facilities affected by the bill, while most such facilities are under county jurisdiction. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Disability Communication Access Board, and the Disability Rights Center all supported the bill’s intent but recommended changes, including replacing the term “special needs” with “accessible,” focusing the requirement on new and renovated playgrounds, and specifying wheelchair-accessible swings. Testifiers emphasized that accessible play spaces promote inclusion for children with disabilities and benefit all children. No final action or vote was reported. The committee also took up HB 1358, relating to a public land trust working group. DLNR supported the measure and said it had provided written comments, while the Office of Hawaiian Affairs strongly supported the bill and described longstanding problems with incomplete land inventories, self-reported revenue data, and disputed public land trust payments. OHA said an audit it funded suggests the state owes more than current payments reflect, and other supporters said the bill is needed for transparency, accountability, and a complete inventory of public trust lands, including submerged lands. Committee questions focused on how the public land trust information system is maintained, who updates it, and how revenue reporting works; DLNR said the system is older, has limited dedicated IT staffing, and relies on agency self-reporting rather than independent verification. No vote or final committee action was announced in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, his operation doesn't look the same, but it's not hyperbole to say that this program saves farms.
• So, his operation doesn't look the same, but it's not hyperbole to say that this program saves farms.
• So, his operation doesn't look cattle.
• So, his operation doesn't look the<00:09:10.080><c> same,</c><00:09:10.760><c> but</c><00:09:11.080><
• One more thing, because my brain left me while I was speaking, but now it came back.

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In 1997, there were only seven small school programs operating in six states.
• That's international standards operations, 27, 1.
• It is simply impossible to continue operating without tuition.
• My wife and I have owned and operated the Goddard School of Southlake.
• I do want to say one thing: I operate a business in Texas.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Several senators emphasized support for public education, teacher pay and safety, parental choice, and the combined K-16 jurisdiction of the committee. The chair also reviewed hearing procedures, including public testimony registration and time limits. The main item was Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, laid out by Chairman Creighton. He described the bill as an education savings account program intended to expand school choice, with a $200 million universal eligibility pool and an additional $800 million targeted to students with disabilities and lower-income families. He said the bill includes anti-fraud safeguards, criminal background checks for vendors, reporting requirements, data protections, and annual testing for participating students, while not imposing STAAR on private schools or homeschoolers. He also said the bill removes a prior hold-harmless provision for public schools and is separate from public school funding and teacher pay legislation. Members questioned the bill’s income threshold, lottery and priority structure, treatment of homeschoolers, microschools, charter schools, religious freedom protections, citizenship/lawful presence language, cybersecurity, open records, and disability-related issues, including whether 504 students and foster children should be included. Creighton said the bill is designed to prioritize former public school students with disabilities or lower incomes, while also allowing universal eligibility within the program’s first funding tier, and that the Comptroller would oversee vendor screening and cybersecurity rules. He said the bill does not direct curriculum or interfere with religious beliefs and that amendments may be offered later on citizenship and other issues. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, starting with EdChoice representative Robert Inlow, who testified in support of SB 2 and cited national growth in school choice programs and studies he said show positive effects for students and public schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• are we saying in Arkansas, and I don't remember, maybe Kimball, you seem to have a better identical brain
• any recommendations for us, they need to be done prior to that meeting, or else we’re going to just operate

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee continued discussing recommendations for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and response in Louisiana’s wild and captive deer herds. Members and staff reviewed current surveillance results, noting that LDWF had met goals in 32 of 64 parishes and that voluntary hunter-harvest sampling was falling short in other areas. Several ideas were raised to improve sample collection without making it broadly mandatory, including incentives for hunters, taxidermists, and possibly processors; use of DMAP properties and mobile sampling units; and targeted sampling of older bucks and other higher-risk animals. Members also discussed whether to use parish-level or other geographic control areas, and whether to mirror aspects of Arkansas’s approach, including testing to reduce or remove restrictions when prevalence remains low. The committee also heard from LDWF and LDAF about captive herd surveillance and reporting. LDAF described its licensed deer facilities, a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish that led to depopulation and quarantines, and follow-up testing that has remained negative at quarantined farms. Witnesses said the agencies currently share information informally and through USDA/NVSL channels, but there is no specific law or regulation requiring 24-hour notification between agencies. The Wildlife Federation and several members recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory reporting of positives, and clearer coordination between LDWF and LDAF. Members also discussed the cost of testing, with LDWF saying USDA grants covered diagnostic testing for the last two deer seasons, while department self-generated funds covered earlier costs. A major portion of the meeting focused on how to respond when a positive wild deer is found. Some members favored immediate restrictions, while others argued for keeping existing season rules in place through the season and using the positive as a trigger for intensified sampling, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary penalties and encouraging hunters to submit samples. There was also discussion of whether baiting should be prohibited, allowed during hunting season, or phased based on testing results, with Arkansas’s statewide baiting allowance and county-based disease management zones used as a comparison. The chair emphasized that no final recommendation would be adopted at this meeting; instead, staff was directed to compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April meeting, when the committee expects to vote and the commission may need to act quickly through its notice-of-intent or emergency rule process before the next hunting season.

Transcript Highlights:

• here in Minnesota, we have a unique opportunity to bring the Dakota and Ojibwe languages back to health
• The Capri is owned and operated by PCYC, a 71-year-strong community-based nonprofit that also manages
• The Capri is owned and operated by PCYC, a 71-year-strong community-based nonprofit that also manages
• </c><00:58:19.119><c> programs,</c> the track with mental health programs, the track with mental health
• His work has made an enduring impact, helping the broader population of St.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m going to call this meeting of Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, State Government Finance and Operations to
• </c> the operations of state agencies. the operations of state agencies.
• This impacts the health and vitality of our state.
• </c><00:34:37.359><c> and</c> fraud fiscally impact the health and fraud fiscally impact the health and
• House File 3395 is about people like the behavioral health fabricators.

Bills: HF3676 , HF3683 , HF3395

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: Safe at Home, address confidentiality, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, victim privacy, survivor protection, confidential address, protected address, secret address, identity protection, residential confidentiality, program participant, nondiscrimination, court disclosure, protective order, service of process, driver's license, state ID

Transcript Highlights:

• Substance abuse is a health problem. Substance abuse is a health problem.
• health challenges.
• </c> department's operations and services. department's operations and services.
• </c> health insurance coverages. health insurance coverages.
• </c> or operating beyond our means. or operating beyond our means.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are continuing to get more knowledge on how brains work and how literacy is best taught.
• 56.280><c> how</c> continuing to get more knowledge on how continuing to get more knowledge on how brains
• 58.079><c> uh</c><01:55:58.199><c> literacy</c><01:55:58.719><c> is</c><01:55:58.880><c> best</c> brains
• work and how uh literacy is best brains work and how uh literacy is best taught<01:55:59.440><c> and

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They may have traumatic brain injury.
• They may have traumatic brain injury.
• They may have traumatic brain injury.
• </c><02:08:45.239><c> their</c> towns to manage and operate their towns to manage and operate their businesses
• </c> Librarians and mental health Librarians and mental health professionals<04:13:43.880><c> freezing

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on HB 563, which would revise the education funding formula for pupils receiving special education services by replacing the current single special education amount with three differentiated categories. Representative Rick Ladd, the prime sponsor, said the bill largely tracks a House-passed version from the prior session with minor figure adjustments, and explained that the proposal uses projected FY26 amounts for three categories based on time in general education versus more intensive placements. He also noted that the bill does not address catastrophic aid directly, but that special education aid, CAT aid, and proration all remain issues for later work sessions. Ladd and supporters argued that weighted categories better reflect actual costs and are more sustainable than treating all IEPs the same. Representative Margaret Drye said the approach was one of the best ideas from the education funding subcommittee and urged the committee to support differentiated aid. Representative Ames asked how the category amounts were derived, and Ladd said Category A follows the FY26 base, Category B is a higher weight, and Category C is a still higher weight for more intensive services, though he acknowledged the exact multipliers were developed earlier and could be revisited. He also said the committee would continue discussing whether the weights are appropriate and how they interact with CAT aid. Testimony from Bonnie Dunham strongly opposed the bill. She argued that funding based on placement rather than actual service need would create incentives to move students into more restrictive settings, could stigmatize children with labels such as "Category C," and would undermine the least restrictive environment requirements under federal special education law. She described her son’s experience in inclusive settings as beneficial and said the bill would have penalized the district for serving him there. In response to questions, she said schools and parents should base funding on the child’s actual needs and costs, not on placement, and urged the committee to recommend the bill inexpedient to legislate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The operating adjustments is a top priority for the department.
• While we appreciate operating account.
• Uh privately operated uh uh deputies.
• This unique mix of operations.
• The other thing it does, health costs.

Bills: HF2438

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:24:05.039><c> and</c> that can impair learning, health, and that can impair learning, health
• </c> vulnerabilities such as mental health vulnerabilities such as mental health issues,<00:25:27.279
• All petitions filed by health care or mental health professionals, educators, and district attorneys
• We've all been trying to encourage people to get additional mental health, to seek mental health.
• We've all been trying to encourage people to get additional mental health, to seek mental health.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because they're undeveloped brains, these children don't have the ability to form mens rea or criminal
• maintain that it should be used sparingly and only for very limited circumstances for the safety or health
• maintain that it should be used sparingly and only for very limited circumstances for the safety or health
• maintain that it should be used sparingly and only for very limited circumstances for the safety or health
• maintain that it should be used sparingly and only for very limited circumstances for the safety or health

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several measures, beginning with Senate Bill 869 on community outreach boards. The Office of Information Practices said the bill was now clear and raised no concerns after clarification that it applies to Hawaii County community development action plan committees under the Sunshine Law. Written support was received from several individuals, and one testifier initially opposed the bill but withdrew opposition after hearing OIP’s explanation. No vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard Senate Bill 405 on neighborhood board meetings, which would let boards receive and discuss reports from government officials that were not on a noticed agenda, with final action deferred to a later noticed meeting. OIP said the bill was a policy choice but warned it would give boards more flexibility at the cost of less public notice. Support came from the Wke neighborhood board and Jacob Weinek, while Natalie Iwasa and Greg Mian opposed it, arguing it could lead to unclear agenda items and deeper discussion without adequate public notice. No vote was taken. The committee also heard Senate Bill 903 on a claims review working group in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands asking for the measure to be deferred because it believed a complete inventory and audit of the public lands trust should come first. Members asked about the status of related House Bill 1358. The committee then heard tax measures: Senate Bill 1469, which would suspend the collection statute of limitations while tax assessments are on appeal, and Senate Bill 1467, which would clarify that county tax appeals do not need to be served on the Director of Taxation. The Tax Department supported both bills, and the Tax Foundation’s witness generally agreed but suggested a possible amendment to SB 1469 regarding insurance premium tax language. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 544 on sentencing of minor defendants, which would require courts to consider youth-related factors and allow departures from mandatory minimums; OHA, the Public Defender, Human Rights for Kids, and others supported it, citing trauma, diminished culpability, and national trends, and no opposition was noted in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 691 on family courts, which would set a minimum age of 12 for adjudication of law violations. The Public Defender and Human Rights for Kids supported the bill, saying very young children should not be treated as law violators and can still receive services through other family court mechanisms. The Attorney General’s office and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office opposed the measure, arguing it could limit court jurisdiction and services for younger children and might have unintended consequences, including recruitment of children into criminal activity. Members asked whether amendments could preserve the bill’s intent while addressing those concerns; no final action is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:09.760><c> Metro</c> And in December, when Operation Metro And in December, when Operation
• </c> their operation. their operation.
• </c> health for every American. health for every American.
• </c> recommended to pass out of the Health recommended to pass out of the Health and<01:16:45.600><c>
• But if they're entering the health care facility for the purposes of receiving health care or seeking

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> people within our health care system. people within our health care system.
• So, rural health transformation funds.
• </c> our health care system in New Hampshire. our health care system in New Hampshire.
• </c> all you want in this but health all you want in this but health insurance<01:34:28.719><c> plans
• 46:12.400><c> human</c> uh, education, health, and human uh, education, health, and human services,<04

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:31:33.240><c> thank</c> health thank health thank you<00:31:35.039><c> thank</c><00:31:35.200><c>
• <00:39:27.440><c> Center</c><00:39:27.760><c> Melissa</c> health Center Melissa health Center Melissa
• well as Queens Health Systems.
• Department of Health. Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, members. Lauren Kim, Department of Health.
• Lauren Kim, Department of Health.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing covered HB 553 on biomarker testing coverage, HB 556 on colorectal cancer screening access, and later HB 712 on 340B drug pricing. For HB 553, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, patient advocates Natalie Heyman and Susan Hirano, a surgical oncologist, and the American Lung Association strongly supported the bill, arguing that biomarker testing should be covered when ordered by a doctor and guided by current evidence. DHS and several insurers offered comments and requested amendments, with DHS saying it appreciated the intent but wanted changes. The committees then voted to pass HB 553 with amendments, including a House draft and a defective date of July 1, 3000; both the House Health and Human Services and Homelessness committees adopted the recommendation unanimously. For HB 556, testimony focused on closing gaps in colorectal cancer screening, especially for uninsured and underinsured patients who can get stool-based screening but then cannot access follow-up colonoscopies. Community Clinic of Maui, ACS CAN, and the American Cancer Society supported the bill, with ACS CAN urging a program similar to the breast and cervical cancer control program and offering amendments. DHS requested that the program and appropriation not conflict with executive budget priorities, and the committees noted technical amendments, a defective date, a blank appropriation amount, and corrections changing Medicare references to Medicaid. HB 556 was also passed with amendments by both committees. The hearing then moved to HB 712 on 340B drug pricing and contract pharmacies. The Department of Health and the Attorney General’s office expressed concern that the bill would require the state to regulate private commercial activity and said the department lacked the expertise and resources to implement it as written, suggesting it might belong in a different statutory section. In contrast, PhRMA opposed the bill, while Hawaii Pacific Health and Hawaii Island Community Health Center supported it, saying 340B savings are important for hospital services and patient access to low-cost medications, especially where manufacturers have restricted shipments to contract pharmacies. No vote on HB 712 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so anyway, I wanted to kind of pick your brain a little bit about that.

Committee: Senate Executive

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Brain. Gildon. Gainer. Hanson. Aye. Osagawa. Polly. Hunt. Kaufman. Kauffman. King. Krishna Dawson.

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of tax, economic, judicial, education, and health-related bills, often after adopting technical or clarifying amendments. Major measures included Engrossed Senate Bill 6347, which restores recent estate tax changes while preserving last year’s increase in the exclusion amount and inflation adjustment; Substitute Senate Bill 6289, directing the Department of Commerce to create a statewide economic development and competitiveness strategic plan; and Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6162, expanding and simplifying senior citizen property tax relief. Senators supporting these bills emphasized tax administration, economic growth, and relief for seniors, while opponents raised concerns about regressivity, revenue losses, and tax shifts to other taxpayers. The chamber also passed bills extending or clarifying tax preferences and fees, including Senate Bill 6244 (extending a hazardous substance tax exemption for agricultural crop protection products), Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6113 (technical corrections to Department of Revenue tax law guidance, after removing a disputed section on advertising tax invalidation), Senate Bill 6114 (defining “fixture” and “affixed” for real estate excise tax purposes), Senate Bill 5970 (making a senior citizen center property tax exemption permanent), Senate Bill 5832 (raising the motor vehicle arbitration fee to support the Lemon Law program), and Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6262 (expanding the vehicle weight threshold for transportation benefit district fees). Debate on these measures centered on whether they were modest administrative updates or additional burdens on taxpayers and businesses. Several non-tax bills also advanced. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6086 strengthened security for judicial officers and court personnel, with amendments clarifying terminology and adding industrial appeals judges to the definition of judicial officers. Substitute Senate Bill 5961 transferred early literacy programs, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Reach Out and Read, from DCYF to OSPI. Senate Bill 5868 added one superior court judge each in Skagit and Yakima counties, and Substitute Senate Bill 5923 reclassified a Skagit County hospital as a critical access hospital to improve reimbursement and help it remain viable. The Senate also passed Substitute Senate Bill 5520, revising the Wrongly Convicted Persons Act to improve compensation procedures, despite debate over whether to include civil detention-related claims. Most bills passed by constitutional majorities, with a few recorded nays and one division vote on an amendment; the Senate then adjourned until the next scheduled session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any medical or mental health professional, it says here employed or contracted.
• </c><00:03:38.080><c> professional</c> medical or mental health professional medical or mental health
• </c><00:03:55.200><c> care</c> not written for health care not written for health care professionals,
• </c> Uh any medical or mental health Uh any medical or mental health professional,<00:07:30.720><c> it
• ><c> include</c><00:07:36.400><c> of</c> health professional would include of health professional would

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Summary: The committee of conference spent most of its time on Senate Bill 96, which deals with educator conduct and when information may be withheld from parents. The main dispute was over the House-amended language on violations and the “compelling state interest” standard. The Senate sponsor objected to extending penalties to third-party medical or mental health contractors and to language suggesting psychological or emotional injury to a child would not constitute a compelling state interest. The House side argued its draft was intended to keep the bill focused on credentialed educators and administrators, to include parents or guardians, and to avoid creating competing standards by relying on existing abuse definitions in statute. The House also added a requirement that any withholding of information be documented and reported to the school board in nonpublic session, and both sides discussed whether educators, administrators, nurses, and guidance counselors would be covered under the statutory definition of educator. The discussion also covered enforcement and penalties. The House draft proposed that an educator found to have willfully violated the law could have a credential suspended for a first offense and would face a minimum one-year suspension for multiple offenses, while the Senate raised concerns that this was too rigid and did not allow enough discretion or address revocation. The House later explained that the department would still have discretion on first offenses and that the one-year rule applied only to multiple offenses. Another point of disagreement was a three-year statute of limitations for investigations, which the House said was meant to prevent “witch hunts,” while the Senate noted New Hampshire’s constitutional prohibition on retroactive laws. After caucusing, the Senate rejected the House amendment, and the House then voted non-concur; the committee of conference adjourned without agreement. The transcript then moved to Senate Bill 87, concerning one-day liquor license requirements and allowing salons and barber shops to obtain on-premise licenses. The members discussed a House amendment that would allow two drinks instead of one, with supporters saying the change reflected the longer time customers may spend in salons and that alcohol service would still be covered by existing training requirements, including the EDGE course. Opponents worried that allowing multiple drinks would create over-serving and enforcement problems and could complicate business practices. After discussion, the Senate member agreed to go along with the House position, and the bill was reported ready for final sign-off.