Transcript Highlights:

• Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, IDLA, is an online public service that has existed since 2002 to provide
• It provides that administrative costs do not exceed 30% of the total budget.
• If you look at the fiscal note, these are numbers that have been provided to us by the IDLA.
• Thank you for the opportunity to provide you the impact on the students in your communities.
• I know the resource that they provide to our schools, particularly to our rurals.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 4010, providing a statutory program for loaning financial
• Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 4191, relating to providing child care generally.
• Engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 4191 relating to providing child care generally second
• It provides that a virtual charter school can be used if the county that the child is located in does
• A provision has also been added that provides the proprietary information provided to the Insurance Commissioner

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Legislature voted on providing support for these programs.
• The Legislature voted on providing support for these programs.
• I'll be glad to get the 990 to you as soon as it's provided.
• I think they provide some of this, yes. But when you've got 4,000...
• I think they provide some of this, yes.

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, and then took up several measures. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 2787, a one-time $2 million supplemental for the Choosing Childbirth program through the State Department of Health. Supporters said the money would prevent a lapse in services for more than 4,000 mothers and children, especially in rural areas, until the organization can reenter the bidding process in 2028. Opponents questioned the nonprofit’s transparency, donor base, leadership, and prior use of state funds, arguing the Legislature should not provide another supplemental without clearer accountability. The bill passed 70-19, and the emergency clause also passed. The House also considered Senate Bill 546 on data privacy. After floor amendments removed the emergency clause and set a January 1, 2027 effective date, the bill was explained as a comprehensive consumer data privacy measure applying to certain businesses operating in Oklahoma. It would give consumers rights to access, delete, and opt out of the sale of personal data, with enforcement through the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and civil penalties for violations. The bill passed 84-4. In addition, House Bill 2786 received a joint committee report and passed with no debate; it provides supplemental funding to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to complete fiscal year 2025 payments to CCBHCs and other vendors, and its emergency clause also passed. The House adopted House Resolution 1034 recognizing February as Black History Month. The chamber also heard several introductions and announcements before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Provide an explanation on strike all article number 04629? Rep. Gentry: I'm sorry?
• Chair: Provide an explanation. Rep. Gentry: Basically the same explanation I just went through.
• We are currently not in a position to make any changes or provide clarity specifically to the language
• HB 4085 provides conveyance of 406 acres of state land known as the Cemetery Road Wastewater Treatment
• All these features are provided without charge.

Transcript Highlights:

• Increases reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal providers.
• We're taking money away from the providers.
• We have a lack of providers already, and this money takes away.
• Instead of providing safety nets for people going through new treatment programs.
• Compassionate is providing treatment, responsible providing supervision and accountable.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill provides the essential state support for intensive special education needs.
• We provide shared special education services to students with disabilities, particularly those who have
• We provide free comprehensive health care to veterans.
• We're ready to provide shelter. But we can't.
• The developments currently provide about 200 homes to 500 residents.

Bills: HF568 , HF433 , HF1689 , HF3135 , HF3137 , HF3145 , HF2887 , HF2819 , HF2802 , HF2664 , HF2267 , HF799 , HF800 , HF3049 , HF296 , HF580 , HF1438 , HF1237

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: special education, education funding, construction, Minnesota, regional educational programs, HF433, Cloquet Area Fire District, fire station, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, general obligation bonds, public safety, emergency services, fire protection, local infrastructure, Minnesota capital budget, DEED grant, municipal facilities, station construction

Transcript Highlights:

• grants to those systems and providing additional resources for technical assistance.
• Are y'all here as resource witnesses, or yes, sir, happy to answer any questions or provide commentary
• And I want to thank the chairman and committee members for the opportunity to provide comments.
• Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. Thank you, Ms. Any questions for this panel?
• We could provide that. Level of coordination that could be missing, so to speak.

Bills: SB 7

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 4662 establishes a grant program to provide funds to rural rail transportation districts or
• It's important to remember that short lines provide the first and last mile service for many of these
• The state, when it provided funding in 1981 for rural rail districts... districts to be formed was a
• This would be similar to the veteran discount program provided on toll roads all across Texas.
• in Texas, providing much-needed financial relief to first responders in the state.

Bills: HB1589 , HB2208 , HB2297 , HB2560 , HB2725 , HB3080 , HB4417 , HB4473 , HB4520 , HB4662 , HB4888 , HB4905 , HB4906

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Keywords: HB 1589, toll road, toll project, toll project entity, voter approval, local control, county election, commissioners court, Transportation Code, Chapter 372, road construction, highway funding, infrastructure, public referendum, ballot measure, transportation policy, Texas toll roads, regional mobility, toll collection, vehicle registration

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would provide that any individual who retires in good standing as a law enforcement officer
• arrange to purchase weapons since some agencies do not issue weapons, so they wouldn't have one to provide
• What this does is it makes the failure to provide name and address information when… ...provide name
• So what we did is we took the refusal to provide ID... did is we took the refusal to provide ID under
• an explanation. for failing to provide an explanation for why you're doing what you're doing.

Bills: HB105 , HB296 , HB15 , HB264 , HB34 , HB304 , HB146 , HB26 , HB15 , HB34 , HB26

Committee: House Public Safety and Homeland Security

Keywords: law enforcement, retirement benefits, Alabama Peace Officers, agency-issued badge, agency-issued pistol, resisting arrest, custody, public safety, Alabama law, traffic infractions, traffic ticket, disposition, criminal contempt, vessel registration, boating fees, state funds, regulatory changes, water safety, compliance, false information

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:34.400><c> to</c> Services procedures that they provide to Services procedures that they provide
• </c><00:10:13.079><c> whistle</c> the bill that um provides whistle the bill that um provides whistle
• We owe it to our hardworking state workers to provide this protection. Thank you, Leader Clor.
• </c><00:17:56.200><c> additional</c> that will provide additional that will provide additional whistleblower
• </c> hardworking state workers to provide hardworking state workers to provide this<00:18:10.840><c>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 23, authored by Representative Robbins, was heard on a motion to advance it to the next committee. The bill, as amended by the A1 author’s amendment, would clarify the statutory definition of abuse, fraud, and waste and expand whistleblower protections for state employees who report those issues to legislators, the legislative auditor, or constitutional officers. Robbins said the measure is intended to protect state workers and align whistleblower language with existing Inspector General definitions; he also cited recent fraud investigations as the backdrop for the bill and noted a Senate companion, SF 475, with bipartisan support. Devon Bruce of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees testified in support of the bill’s protective intent but raised concerns that it only covers classified state employees, creating uneven treatment between classified and unclassified workers and between state and local public employees. Bruce also warned that the bill does not fully address data practices issues, including the handling of nonpublic, private, or proprietary information, and suggested broader privacy protections for whistleblowers’ identities. In response to questions, Robbins said the bill was not meant to change data practices law and that those issues should be addressed separately. Members debated whether the bill was ready for further consideration and whether it should also go to the fraud oversight committee or Judiciary. Motions to lay the bill over and to re-refer it to the fraud prevention and state oversight committee both failed. After a roll call vote, the committee approved the bill 7-6 and sent House File 23 to Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we talked about the security awareness software that we provide.
• We're providing them tool sets.
• And are you providing the fiber for that project now, or is that a...
• I really appreciate the effort of our network providers.
• And then I know you're looking at some timelines of what the RFI provided.

Committee: Joint Information Technology Committee

Summary: The committee received a series of informational reports from NDIT and DPI on major IT projects, cybersecurity, and the K-12 student information system transition. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major project portfolio, noting 111 projects totaling about $542.8 million, generally under budget and slightly behind schedule overall. He highlighted three schedule-red projects: Bed Management System and Vital Records, both now complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project, which is delayed due to vendor bug fixes after user testing. He also summarized new project startups, including the Attorney General’s Victim Notification System, HHS Medicaid correctional facilities data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier e-permit system, and additional RIMS work, and answered questions about project timing, funding, and whether work had begun on legislatively funded IT projects. Chris Gurgan, NDIT’s chief information security officer, reported on mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting under HB 1314. He said 77 incidents have been reported since August 2021, with 47 meeting the statutory definition of a cybersecurity incident; phishing remains the most common type, followed by email quarantine alerts, XDR detections, and malware. He emphasized that most incidents are resolved, but that timely reporting is critical for any chance of recovering funds in business email compromise or ransomware cases. He also described several notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool breach, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise at a K-12 district, and a recent ransomware report involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about smishing, MFA, conditional access, security awareness training, and recovery of lost funds; Gurgan said state systems use phishing-resistant MFA and conditional access, training is provided to state employees and offered to political subdivisions on an opt-in basis, and broader cybersecurity maturity assessments are underway. Craig Falkley gave brief reports on coordination with political subdivisions and higher education, including shared networking, cybersecurity, radio/911, PeopleSoft, and co-location services. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for decentralized, secure data sharing, but said the state has limited use for it and would likely frame future reporting more broadly around emerging technologies. The committee then heard from Tony Ambrose of DPI on the statewide Infinite Campus implementation. He said district implementations are underway, but the project had to terminate its original data migration vendor for poor performance and replace it with Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with a similar North Carolina migration. He also said DPI is moving special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, is still working through how to preserve e-transcripts and Choice Ready-type functionality after the PowerSchool transition, and is developing identity, authentication, and data-sharing arrangements for the summer cutover. Members raised concerns about procurement timing, summer school disruption, and whether some functions would be ready by July 1.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do provide comments and we<00:19:57.760><c> do</c><00:19:58.000><c> provide</c><00:19:58.400><c> our
• Thank you for providing us an opportunity to provide some comments to the committee.
• Thank you for providing us an opportunity to provide some comments to the committee.
• Thank you for providing us an opportunity to provide some comments to the committee. >> Thank you. >>
• </c> provide testimony. Thank you. provide testimony. Thank you.

Bills: HB2425 , HB2596 , HB2573 , HB2017 , HB1931 , HB1736 , HB1594 , HB1828

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Keywords: agriculture, sugarcane, permitting process, land use, conservation district, diversified agriculture, economic impact, invasive species, plant sales, weed risk assessment, consumer protection, environmental impact, workforce development, biosecurity, training program, partnerships, tax credit, Hawaiian home lands, investment costs, nonrefundable

Summary: The committee heard opening remarks and then took testimony on several agriculture-related bills. HB 2425 would exempt agricultural enterprises on former commercial sugarcane lands in conservation use districts from certain permitting and site plan requirements. The Department of Agriculture supported the measure and stood on written comments. The Hawaii Farm Bureau supported the intent but said the bill appeared to cite the wrong statute and suggested amending the conservation district law instead. Other testimony was generally supportive, while some witnesses raised concerns about using the right statutory vehicle. Committee members questioned whether the bill should be redirected through a different chapter. The committee then heard HB 596, which would require retail sellers of plants to disclose invasiveness risk, direct the Invasive Species Council to create a labeling system and weed risk assessments, and establish fines. The Department of Land and Natural Resources strongly supported the bill, saying point-of-sale labels would help consumers make informed choices. Supporters from the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species said the state’s noxious weed and restricted plant lists are outdated or incomplete and that the bill would help prevent harmful species from being purchased and planted. Opponents, including the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Food Policy Foundation, argued the measure was too broad, could stigmatize plants and producers, and might be better implemented through voluntary education or narrower definitions. Committee discussion focused on possible amendments, including using printable labels from a website and limiting the bill to larger commercial retailers. HB 2573 would create a five-year agriculture and biosecurity workforce development pilot program involving the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Leeward Community College, and the Department of Human Resources Development. DHRD said it supported the intent but wanted clearer responsibilities; the University of Hawaiʻi, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Food Policy Foundation, and others supported the proposal. DAB said the program would help build needed biosecurity staffing and training, and that law-enforcement-related curriculum could be incorporated. Finally, the committee began hearing HB 207, which would expand the important agricultural land qualified agricultural tax credit to include certain Hawaiian homelands and additional agricultural costs such as orchards, fruit crops, and clearing former sugar and pineapple lands. The Department of Taxation and DAB stood on written comments, while the Department of Hawaiian Homelands strongly supported the bill, calling it a potential game-changer for developing agricultural lands and offsetting infrastructure costs; the department also asked that the credit be broadened beyond agriculture alone.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:14.320><c> the</c> rating another report I provided the rating another report I provided the
• So we do not provide policy guidance for governments, right? That's not our role.
• </c><00:34:36.000><c> a</c> government is doing and then provide a government is doing and then provide
• There is a capital project checklist that's provided through MMB as well, which provides a variety of
• ><c> of</c> as well which uh provides uh variety of as well which uh provides uh variety of of<00:40:

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 710 addresses this issue by requiring investor-owned utilities to identify critical circuits and provide
• My understanding is that some of the existing portals do not provide My understanding is that some of
• here, providing domestic security, not relying on foreign countries.
• Isolating one end-user, data centers here, fails to provide a holistic view of the grid.
• So I'm so glad that you are providing legislation that provides a little more power, more responsibilities

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Governor stated last week that language had been provided To both houses' majorities on proposed
• But no, to directly answer your question, I'm unable to provide any dates or prognosis beyond that.
• To provide them with mortgages and car loans and business loans.
• It has to do with the scrutiny and oversight that this law was initially supposed to provide.
• IT HAS TO DO WITH THE SCRUTINY AND OVERSIGHT THAT THIS LAW WAS INITIALLY SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with routine formalities, approved the journal, welcomed a SkillsUSA student delegation, and then moved into budget and policy business. The chamber accepted a Rules Committee report and took up a supplemental budget extender, Senate Print 9963, which would extend state operations through April 22 and authorize $12.7 billion, including about $5.1 billion in new funding for Medicaid, payroll, and school aid. Senator O’Mara questioned the delay in the budget, the lack of public detail, and unresolved issues such as CLCPA changes, auto insurance, and SEQR reforms; the sponsor said negotiations were ongoing and that school aid would likely build on the executive budget. The extender passed 57-1, with Senator Weik voting no. The Senate then adopted Senate Resolution 1887, sponsored by Senator Brisport, memorializing the Governor to proclaim April 2026 as Arab American Heritage Month. Senators Brisport, Fahy, Salazar, and Gounardes spoke in support, emphasizing Arab Americans’ cultural, civic, and economic contributions in New York and condemning anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias. The resolution was adopted by voice vote and opened for co-sponsorship. The chamber next considered several bills on the calendar, including a bill by Senator Cleare to prohibit state-chartered financial institutions from investing in private correctional facilities. Supporters framed it as a moral response to private prisons and rising federal use of detention facilities, while opponents argued it would overregulate state-chartered banks and affect private investment decisions. The bill passed 36-22. The Senate also passed a bill by Senator Krueger raising the nonprofit lobbying disclosure threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, after debate over transparency and whether the change would reduce oversight; it passed 35-23. Finally, the Senate passed Senator May’s bill on advanced transmission technologies and utility planning, after extensive debate over ratepayer costs, battery storage, and data center growth; supporters said it could lower energy costs through more efficient grid use, while opponents said it would raise rates and duplicate existing studies. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• I hate to provide that as a response.
• It also provides economic benefit to our producers that participate.
• We're allowing customers and third-party providers to compete.
• There needs to be neutrality so that a third-party provider provider can have just as much of an opportunity
• as a provider from the utility.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a different provider. So, it is a distance, I mean, at least in my opinion.
• I list the authorities that are provided to us in that Act.
• And so this would provide.
• Our Trails Plus program provides $94,000 grants, and this grant helped provide funding for, excuse me
• Then I can provide the programs you're eligible for. It starts to get exhausting.

Committee: House Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• First, SB 1968 provides clarity by repealing the antiquated concept of sub-agency.
• Texas Mutual is the state's leading provider of workers' compensation.
• We are a critical infrastructure provider. We do not delay our projects on purpose.
• Every day we work to provide resilience and reliability to our customers.
• We appreciate the work of our TND providers.

Bills: SB75 , SB715 , SB776 , SB1299 , SB1405 , SB1968 , SB2021 , SB2077 , SB2148 , SB2321 , SB2330 , SB2411

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• You have one to two minutes to provide your opening testimony.
• That statute also provides that this has to be focused primarily on victim advocacy.
• How do you develop the relationships with local service providers?
• On the facilities that have security detail, who provides that security?
• On the facilities that have security detail, who provides that security?

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met with quorum and first considered several governor’s appointments not required to appear. The committee voted to advance Olivia May Assuncion to the Commission on Disability Access, William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, and two California Law Revision Commission appointments: Anacubas and David Hubner, with the latter two receiving split votes but still moving forward. The committee also approved the reference of bills to committees and later, by unanimous add-on votes, approved floor acknowledgments and the remaining appointments on the agenda. The main hearing was on Brian Bishop’s appointment as Director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations at CDCR. Bishop described his law enforcement and Marine Corps background and said his focus would be balancing public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and staff well-being. Senators asked about risk assessment for higher-risk parolees, GPS monitoring, coordination with local law enforcement, victim protections, out-of-county placement, supervision of unhoused parolees, and oversight of private reentry/housing contractors. Bishop said DAPO uses data-driven supervision, risk tools, compliance sweeps with local agencies, exclusion zones for victims, and contract monitoring through invoices, site visits, and utilization reviews. Public testimony supported Bishop’s confirmation, including from reentry providers and advocacy groups. The committee then voted 5-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate for confirmation. The committee also heard from Sarah Larson, appointed Director of the Division of Facilities Management and Construction at CDCR. Larson discussed aligning the prison footprint with a declining population, addressing aging infrastructure and heat issues through cooling pilots, and using projects like the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center as a model for safer, more healing facilities. Senators asked about prison closures, cold shutdown status, disaster planning, water and utility issues, and how to manage closed or deactivated facilities. Larson said closed facilities are maintained minimally, reactivation would be costly, and the department is exploring more holistic infrastructure planning. Public witnesses from criminal justice and reentry organizations strongly supported her, and the committee voted 5-0 to advance her appointment to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The local community determines the needs that are provided through the community school strategy.
• What the community is saying is we will provide resources to help our parents.
• It is not the school itself providing all of the services.
• to best educate and provide what is needed for their child.
• to best educate and provide what is needed for their child.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all